Friday Flicks: ‘Blockers’, ‘You Were Never Really Here’, ‘A Quiet Place’
Happy Friday, peeps! Let’s all raise our glasses up to the sky in toast to the higher being we shall and will look up to for the rest of eternity.
We’re talking about our boy Stanley Kubrick, of course. Who else would we be talking about? The late, great director’s epic sci-fi masterpiece 2001: A Space Odyssey turned 50 this week. Needless to say, like all of his films it’s a timeless classic and serves as a reminder that Kubrick was truly one of the greatest filmmakers of our time.
Back here on earth and we can already hear the Avengers assembling ready for an epic battle later this month. Set for release on April 27, Avengers: Infinity War is on track for an epic $200 million opening. The every-superbeing-but-the-kitchen-sink Marvel adventure flick features a healthy pack of familiar idols including Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man, Chris Hemsworth’s Thor, Chris Evans’s Captain America, Chadwick Boseman’s Black Panther, Chris Pratt’s Star Lord, Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange, and Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk. Phew!
It’s been a hot year for Marvel in general, with Black Panther continuing to break records despite opening way back in February. This week it was announced Ryan Coogler’s groundbreaking superhero film will end Saudi Arabia’s 35-year cinema ban after Disney and its Middle East distribution partner Italia Film made an agreement to release the blockbuster later this month in a new AMC-branded movie theater in Riyadh. Pow! Breaking boundaries left, right, and center.
Finally, the weather’s getting warmer and so are our TV schedules. There are some truly bingeworthy shows returning this April, including Westworld S2, The Handmaid’s Tale S2, S5 of The 100, and the seventh and final season of New Girl. Better loosen up those social schedules because you’ve got some serious screen time to get on with.
But enough about Avengers assembling, and Marvels marvelling, and TV’s TVing. Let’s look ahead to better things – it’s finally time to sit back and take a two-day break with some of the best indie flicks hitting the cinemas. Read on for FD’s picks of the best movies to catch this weekend.
You Were Never Really Here (Amazon Studios)
on limited theatrical release now
Lynne Ramsay’s back with a noir drama adapted from the novella of the same name by Jonathan Ames. Joaquin Phoenix (Walk the Line) leads as Joe – a veteran-turned-hitman tasked with rescuing a teenage girl from a sex-trafficking ring. It’s a dark and melancholy film, illustrating a traumatic vision of a killer’s quest for redemption.
Blockers (Universal Pictures)
on wide theatrical release now
Turning the concept of cock-blocking into a full movie is Kay Cannon – the director behind the breakout hit, Pitch Perfect. In this story, three parents discover their daughters’ pact to lose their virginity at prom, only to then launch a covert operation to stop the teens from sealing the deal. Every young adults’ worst nightmare, basically. Stars John Cena (Trainwreck), Leslie Mann (Knocked Up), and Ike Barinholtz (Suicide Squad).
A Quiet Place (Paramount Pictures)
on wide theatrical release now
Emily Blunt (Sicario) stars alongside her real-life husband John Krasinski (The Office), who is also in the director’s chair for this frightening flick. Blunt’s role is one of a sweaty blonde trying to beat off the most uppity spirit in cinematic history. You can’t beat a great hook, and boy does this have one, following a family of four who must navigate their lives in silence due to mysterious creatures that hunt by sound. If they hear you, they hunt you!
Lean on Pete (A24 Films)
on limited theatrical release now
From acclaimed filmmaker Andrew Haigh (45 Years) and based on the beloved novel by Willy Vlautin, Lean on Pete is a deeply moving and heartwarming story about love, loneliness, family, and friendship, all told through the prism of a 15-year-old boy’s connection to a very special racehorse. Stars Charlie Plummer (All the Money in the World), Travis Fimmel (Warcraft: The Beginning), and Chloë Sevigny (Boys Don’t Cry).
Lowlife (IFC Midnight)
on limited theatrical release now
What happens when you throw together a disgraced Mexican wrestler, a middle-aged drug addict, and an ex-convict bearing a regrettable full-face swastika tattoo? That’s the premise of this berserk, blood-splattered, and insanely entertaining feature debut from Ryan Prows, showing a collection of misfits as their lives collide when a simple organ harvesting caper goes awry. Stars Ricardo Adam Zarate (Deadly Sins), Nicki Micheaux (Their Eyes Were Watching God), and Jon Oswald (Mata Hari).
Sweet Country (Samuel Goldwyn Films)
on limited theatrical release now
In this Australian Western set on the Northern Territory frontier in the 20s, justice itself is put on trial when an aged Aboriginal farmhand shoots a white man in self defense and is forced to go on the run with his wife across the deadly outback as a posse gathers to hunt him down.
