July 21, 2023

WIFF’S WEEKEND WATCH LIST — 7/21

Check out our recommendations of what to watch this weekend.

if you love george michael

wham!

Vincent Georgie: The film is the nostalgic, entertaining and thoroughly enjoyable tribute that you’re hoping for. A terrific Summer screening awaits you.

Synopsis: Wham! is a 2023 documentary film about the English pop duo Wham! consisting of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley. The film marks the 40th anniversary of their 1983 debut album Fantastic.

Available on Netflix.

if you like a good satire

the blackening

Vincent Georgie: While positioned as a horror film, the film scores all of its points in its observant, skewering and very funny satirical jabs. A World Premiere from TIFF 2022, this one is worth finally catching up with.

Synopsis: Seven friends go away for the weekend, only to find themselves trapped in a cabin with a killer who has a vendetta. They must pit their street smarts and knowledge of horror movies against the murderer to stay alive.

Available on iTunes and Amazon Prime.

if you value good storytelling

the women’s balcony

Vincent Georgie: The film elevates the determination and nobility of women united, all in the pursuit of desires that seem so elemental. A winning Israeli film that is thoroughly entertaining.

Synopsis: When a charismatic rabbi enters their lives, some women in Jerusalem attempt to unite their neighbourhood and preserve their traditions.

Available on iTunes. Watch for free on Tubi.

DOUBLE FEATURE

hello, barbie!

Released yesterday to huge box office totals already, Greta Gerwig’s Barbie is most certainly one of the very biggest hits of the Summer. And at the center of its success is its perfectly cast star, the Australian actress Margot Robbie. This week’s double feature highlights the film that made us sit up and take notice of Robbie, followed by the film that confirmed we had a major talent on our hands. Both are highly entertaining.

the wolf of wall street

In 1987, Jordan Belfort takes an entry-level job at a Wall Street brokerage firm. By the early 1990s, while still in his 20s, Belfort founds his own firm, Stratton Oakmont. Together with his trusted lieutenant and a merry band of brokers, Belfort makes a huge fortune by defrauding wealthy investors out of millions. However, while Belfort and his cronies partake in a hedonistic brew of sex, drugs and thrills, the SEC and the FBI close in on his empire of excess.

Available on iTunes, YouTube and Amazon Prime.

i, tonya

In 1991, talented figure skater Tonya Harding became the first American woman to complete a triple axel during a competition. In 1994, her world comes crashing down when her ex-husband conspires to injure Nancy Kerrigan, a fellow Olympic hopeful, in a poorly conceived attack that forces the young woman to withdraw from the national championship. Harding’s life and legacy instantly become tarnished as she’s forever associated with one of the most infamous scandals in sports history.