March 21, 2025

WIFF’S WEEKEND WATCH LIST — 3/21

Check out our recommendations of what to watch this weekend.

if you want a film that takes a big swing

vox lux

Vincent Georgie: Filmmaker Brady Corbet cemented his reputation as a filmmaker with a large, almost operatic cinematic vision with his recent Oscar winner, The Brutalist. He has only made a few films, but the writing was always on the wall with Go-Big-or-Go-Home Corbet. Check out his musical drama from 2018, starring Natalie Portman and Jude Law. The film is imperfect, but boy, does it have a lot of ideas in its head and frequently takes big swings that you have to respect.

Synopsis: Celeste is a 13-year-old music prodigy who survives a horrific school shooting in Staten Island, N.Y., in 1999. Her talent shines through during the memorial service when she sings a song that touches the hearts of the mourners. Guided by her sister and a talent manager, the young phenom transforms into a rising pop star with a promising future. Eighteen years later, Celeste now finds herself on the comeback trail when a scandal, personal struggles, and the pitfalls of fame threaten her career.

Available on Apple TV, YouTube, and PLEX.

if you want an amusing comedy

dirty rotten scoundrels

Vincent Georgie: A witty script, with two appealing lead roles inhabited by Steve Martin and Michael Caine? Quite a delight for an afternoon matinee. Years later, it inspired the creation of a Broadway show of the same name.

Synopsis: Con artist Lawrence Jamieson (Michael Caine) is a longtime resident of a luxurious coastal resort, where he enjoys the fruits of his deceptions—that is, until a competitor, Freddy Benson (Steve Martin), shows up. When the new guy’s lowbrow tactics impinge on his own work, Jamieson resolves to get rid of him. Confident of his own duplicitous talents, Jamieson challenges Benson to a winner-takes-all competition: whoever swindles their latest mark first can stay, while the other must leave town.

Available on Apple TV and Amazon Prime.

if you want something weird & controversial

escape from tomorrow

Vincent Georgie: How about a secretly filmed, totally illegal movie all shot at Disneyland? And in Black and White. And turn it into a fever dream. Not a perfect film at all, but one hell of a curiosity. We showed it at WIFF 2012, and people didn’t know what to make of it then. I doubt they know what to make of it now, either.

Synopsis: Weird sights and events threaten a man’s (Roy Abramsohn) sanity during a family trip to a big theme park.

DOUBLE FEATURE

Irish cinema

Vincent Georgie: For those still clutching a pint of green beer, let me point you to two wonderful, energetic, and memorable Irish films. Theirs is a great national cinema.

waking ned devine

When best friends Jackie O’Shea (Ian Bannen) and Michael O’Sullivan (David Kelly) discover that someone in their small Irish village has won the lottery, they immediately set off to see if the winner is in a sharing mood. Deducing that Ned Devine is the lucky man, O’Shea and O’Sullivan pay him a visit, only to find him dead from shock. Since Devine is the only one who can claim the prize, the townsfolk band together to convince the claim inspector that O’Sullivan is really Devine, and split the cash.

Available on Apple TV, Amazon Prime, and YouTube.

kneecap

When fate brings a Belfast teacher into the orbit of self-confessed “lowlife scum” Naoise and Liam Óg, the needle drops on a hip-hop act like no other. Rapping in their native Irish language, they soon lead a movement to save their mother tongue.