April 26, 2024

WIFF’S WEEKEND WATCH LIST — 4/26

Check out our recommendations of what to watch this weekend.

if you LOVE the coen bros

drive-away dolls

Vincent Georgie: Made by Ethan Coen (solo of his brother Joel, this time) and his partner Tricia Cooke, this film has all of the comedic sensibilities, mordant irony and dark crime caper panache that we have come to expect from the creative team behind Fargo and No Country for Old Men, among many others. An excellent, entertaining ride of a film. Definitely worthy of your Friday night.

Synopsis: In search of a fresh start, two women embark on an impromptu road trip to Tallahassee, Fla. However, things quickly go awry when they cross paths with a group of inept criminals along the way.

Available on Apple TV and Amazon Prime.

if you are a jake gyllenhaal fan

road house

Vincent Georgie: Gyllenhaal is having one of the most interesting and surprisingly broad-ranging careers of any leading man working today. Initially pegged as a puppy-dog-eyed character actor, he accidentally became a star and has shown a range of abilities far beyond expectations. He stretches, yet again, in a trashy yet charismatic take on the Patrick Swayze cult classic. As always, Gyllenhaal delivers.

Synopsis: Ex-UFC fighter Dalton takes a job as a bouncer at a Florida Keys roadhouse, only to discover that this paradise is not all it seems.

Available on Amazon Prime.

if you want a powerful drama

the forgiveness of blood

Vincent Georgie: This Albanian suspense-thriller stuck with me thanks to the compelling central conflict around a legal blood feud between two families. Filmmaker Joshua Marston should be working much more than he is.

Synopsis: After his father and uncle kill a neighbour, an Albanian teen (Tristan Halilaj) finds that his own life may be forfeited in a legal blood feud.

DOUBLE FEATURE

celebrating terrific documentaries

Vincent Georgie: As Hot Docs International Documentary Film Festival kicked off yesterday, allow me to suggest two insightful, interconnected documentaries that will surely create great post-film conversation about gender, culture, leadership, politics and the future.

boys state

A raucous journey into the heart of democracy captures an unusual rite of passage: 1,100 teenage boys from across Texas come together to build a representative government from the ground up.

Available on Apple TV+.

girls state

A look at what American democracy would look like in the hands of teenage girls. Young female leaders from wildly different backgrounds navigate an immersive experiment to build a government from the ground up.