February 28, 2025

WIFF’S WEEKEND WATCH LIST — 2/28

Check out our recommendations of what to watch this weekend.

if you want to SEE WHAT THE BUZZ IS ABOUT

THE BRUTALIST

Vincent Georgie: Nominated for 10 Oscars, this is the long film with the infamous intermission. Those are the least interesting elements of the film, thankfully. Filmmaker Brady Corbet has made a film that is large in vision, scale, and scope. A definitely must-see before Oscar night, this film acts as a relative to films as far back as Citizen Kane and as recent as There Will Be Blood. A film that announces that it’s something special, even from its nifty opening credits.

Synopsis: Escaping postwar Europe, a visionary architect comes to America to rebuild his life, his career, and his marriage. On his own in a strange new country, he settles in Pennsylvania, where a wealthy and prominent industrialist recognizes his talent.

Available on Apple TV.

if you want to be ENTERTAINED

A COMPLETE UNKNOWN

Vincent Georgie: The songs are great, the performances are terrific, and the film wisely focuses on a few select years in Bob Dylan’s life as opposed to covering his entire existence. A quality, accessible drama for all to enjoy. Nominated for 8 Oscars this year.

Synopsis: In the early 1960s, 19-year-old Bob Dylan arrives in New York with his guitar and revolutionary talent, destined to change the course of American music. Forming his most intimate relationships during his rise to fame, he grows restless with the folk movement, making a controversial choice that reverberates worldwide.

Available on YouTube.

if you LOVE A TRUE STORY

SEPTEMBER 5

Vincent Georgie: Nominated for its original screenplay at the Oscars, this film remained an under-the-radar quality film that didn’t find its audience during a crowded awards season. Well-shot, edited and with an immersive mood and sense of urgency, this one is both entertaining and stimulates much thought.

Synopsis: During the 1972 Munich Olympics, an American sports broadcasting crew finds itself thrust into covering the hostage crisis involving Israeli athletes.

Available on Apple TV, YouTube, and Amazon Prime.

DOUBLE FEATURE

THE BEST OF WORLD CINEMA

Vincent Georgie: Both of these films are absorbing, quality dramas each nominated for the Oscar for Best International Feature this year. The first film has incredibly impressive B&W cinematography and moody production design, appropriate for the black-as-coal story at its heart. This one’s not for those weak in the knees. The second film is a complex drama set inside the home of an Iranian family in absolute crisis. It’s a film that is a full meal. Both films were featured at WIFF 2024.

THE GIRL WITH THE NEEDLE

Karoline, a young factory worker, struggles to survive. When she becomes pregnant, she meets Dagmar, a charismatic woman who runs an underground adoption agency. Karoline accepts a role as a wet nurse alongside her.