January 03, 2025

WIFF’S WEEKEND WATCH LIST — 1/3

Check out our recommendations of what to watch this weekend.

if you want a quality drama

small things like these

Vincent Georgie: In his first major role post-Oppenheimer, Oscar Winner Cillian Murphy is excellent in this complex and impressive drama. No surprise, veteran actress Emily Watson is terrific in a supporting role. A hidden gem of a film.

Synopsis: In 1985 coal merchant Bill Furlong uncovers disturbing secrets in a small Irish town that’s controlled by the Roman Catholic Church.

Available on Apple TV, Amazon Prime and YouTube.

if voyeurism fascinates you

adoration

Vincent Georgie: Atom Egoyan’s career has frequently revolved around the voyeuristic fetishes and fascinations of his characters. This sprawling drama had its World Premiere at Cannes 2009 and benefits from a deep bench of character actors that make this universe come to life. Very interesting and meditative Canadian drama.

Synopsis: A straightforward translation assignment in a high school French class leads to unexpected drama for Simon (Devon Bostick), an imaginative Canadian student, and his teacher, Sabine (Arsinée Khanjian). The son of a Palestinian father, Simon takes an article about a terrorist plot and weaves it into his own tragic family history. Encouraged by Sabine, Simon passes the tale off as a true story — but the ramifications of this action, which end up online, deliver surprising results.

Available on Plex.

if you want a dark comedy

ruthless people

Vincent Georgie: The mid to late 1980s produced R-rated comedies in a way that they just don’t anymore. A funny, entertaining jet-black comedy. Everyone is having a ball here.

Synopsis: Sam Stone (Danny DeVito) hates his wife, Barbara (Bette Midler), so much that he wants her dead. He’s ecstatic when she’s taken by a duo of kidnappers who want $500,000 ransom in exchange for her life. Fully intending to ignore every one of the kidnappers’ demands in the hopes that they do him a favor and murder her for him, the two confused kidnappers (Judge Reinhold, Helen Slater) have to figure out how they’re going get their money, and what they’re going to do with the overbearing Barbara.

Available on Apple TV, Disney+ and Amazon Prime.

DOUBLE FEATURE

all hail, new beginnings!

Vincent Georgie: As we all dust off our very best intentions for the new year and maybe even some new beginnings, let’s take a look at some films that are all about fresh starts. The first film brought Christopher Plummer an Oscar as a man who comes out late in life and embraces all that is before him, while a group of seniors in various romantic, friendship and familial circumstances all congregate for some new adventures at this magical Indian hotel in the second film.

beginners

After his mother dies, Oliver (Ewan McGregor) is stunned when his father, Hal (Christopher Plummer), recently diagnosed with terminal cancer, comes out of the closet. When Hal passes away a few years later, Oliver grows depressed, struggling with his failing career as an artist while constantly remembering his childhood and time spent with his dad. Oliver’s loneliness is eased when he meets actress Anna (Mélanie Laurent), but their relationship is threatened by their mutual fear of commitment.

Available on Apple TV, Crave and Amazon Prime.

the best exotic marigold hotel

Some British retirees (Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy) decide to outsource their retirement to exotic — and less expensive — India. Lured by advertisements for the newly restored Marigold Hotel and imagining a life of leisure in lush surroundings, they arrive and find that the Marigold is actually a shell of its former self. Though their new home is not quite what they had imagined, the retirees find that life and love can begin again when they let go of their pasts.