May 24, 2024

WIFF’S WEEKEND WATCH LIST — 5/24

Check out our recommendations of what to watch this weekend.

if you WANT to be entertained

the fall guy

Vincent Georgie: Major star power, a fun and exciting story and pacing that keeps you engaged the whole time. I am baffled as to how this film did not set the box office ablaze upon its release. This film is a real winner.

Synopsis: After leaving the business one year earlier, battle-scarred stuntman Colt Seavers springs back into action when the star of a big studio movie suddenly disappears. As the mystery surrounding the missing actor deepens, Colt soon finds himself ensnared in a sinister plot that pushes him to the edge of a fall more dangerous than any stunt.

Available on Apple TV and Amazon Prime.

if you WANT a high-quality crime thriller

the night of the 12th

Vincent Georgie: I was absolutely riveted by this compelling, engrossing, mysterious and moody police drama. This is a film that has a lot on its mind, a lot to say but does so in a constantly engaging way. It swept the French Oscars in France upon its release and was a fave from WIFF 2023.

Synopsis: Yohan Vivés of the Grenoble Criminal Squad and his team investigate a murder victim’s complex life and relations, but what starts as professional soon turns into an obsession for the police captain.

Available on YouTube.

if you want an excellent drama

the blue caftan

Vincent Georgie: One of the most humane, touching, nuanced and loving films I have seen in a long while. How often do you care so deeply about characters on screen, and understand the nuances of their lives? And that final scene? Top marks. Another fave from WIFF 2023.

Synopsis: Halim and Mina run a traditional caftan store in one of Morocco’s oldest medinas. In order to keep up with demanding customers, they hire a talented young man as an apprentice. Mina slowly realizes just how much her husband is moved by his presence.

Available on YouTube.

DOUBLE FEATURE

demi’s back!

Vincent Georgie: The 77^th Cannes Film Festival ends tomorrow and a major contender for the Palme d’Or is the new French body-horror satire The Substance. The star of that film, Demi Moore, seems to be having a major comeback after nearly 30 years of relative silence. Let’s look back at her iconic work in the fantastic Ghost, and her lesser-seen but excellent work in the thriller Mortal Thoughts opposite her then-husband Bruce Willis. It will be exciting to see Demi back on top over the coming year as her new film hits the major festivals.

ghost

Sam Wheat (Patrick Swayze) is a banker, Molly Jensen (Demi Moore) is an artist, and the two are madly in love. However, when Sam is murdered by friend and corrupt business partner Carl Bruner (Tony Goldwyn) over a shady business deal, he is left to roam the earth as a powerless spirit. When he learns of Carl’s betrayal, Sam must seek the help of psychic Oda Mae Brown (Whoopi Goldberg) to set things right and protect Molly from Carl and his goons.

Available on Paramount+.

mortal thoughts

A loathsome man ends up dead, but it’s not clear who’s to blame. If ever a person got what he deserved, it’s James Urbanksi (Bruce Willis), an abusive drunk who steals from his wife, Joyce (Glenne Headly), and promises her close friend Cynthia Kellogg (Demi Moore) that she’ll be the next target of his rage. At a group outing, James bleeds to death after someone cuts his throat. But because he’s such a terrible human being, police aren’t sure which of his acquaintances decided to kill him.