July 25, 2025

WIFF’S WEEKEND WATCH LIST — 7/25

Check out our recommendations of what to watch this weekend.

iF you want outstanding suspense

captain phillips

Vincent Georgie: Tom Hanks is a star, we know that. And when we speak of his all-time best performances, we best include this one. He’s extraordinary in this gripping, entertaining, high-quality thriller. Directed by the endlessly talented Paul Greengrass.

Synopsis: In April 2009, the U.S. containership Maersk Alabama sails toward its destination on a day that seems like any other. Suddenly, Somali pirates race toward the vessel, climb aboard, and take everyone hostage. The captain of the ship, Richard Phillips (Tom Hanks), looks to protect his crew from the hostile invaders and their leader, Muse (Barkhad Abdi). The pirates are after millions of dollars, and Phillips must use his wits to make sure everyone survives and returns home safely.

Available on Apple TV, Crave, YouTube, and Amazon Prime.

if you want a fun girls’ night

girls trip

Vincent Georgie: Energetic, funny, and heartfelt, this ensemble comedy is a damn good time. I’m a sucker for anytime we can have Queen Latifah on-screen, and comedienne Tiffany Haddish was the film’s breakout star for a reason. Fun times on this one.

Synopsis: Four best friends, known as the Flossy Posse, have grown apart over the years. Yet when one of the friends is offered an opportunity to be a keynote speaker at the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans, she decides to bring along her friends to turn her work vacation into a girls’ trip. Along the way, they rekindle their wild side by dancing, drinking, brawling, and romancing to excess.

Available on Apple TV, Amazon Prime, and Netflix.

if you want an excellent drama

phoenix

Vincent Georgie: A strong German drama from WIFF 2014, filmmaker Christian Petzold delivers a frequently fascinating mystery about identity and betrayal.

Synopsis: Berlin, 1945: Singer Nelly Lenz returns to Berlin terribly disfigured, having survived the concentration camps. After her recovery from extensive plastic surgery, refusing to believe that her estranged husband Johnny could have betrayed her to the Nazis, she resolves to find him in the hope he will still recognise her even though others no longer can.

DOUBLE FEATURE

summer camp horror

Vincent Georgie: Be careful of those musty cabins, canoe trips and late-night campfires! Summer Camp could kill ya!

friday the 13th

Crystal Lake’s history of murder doesn’t deter counselors from setting up a summer camp in the wooded area. Superstitious locals warn against it, but the fresh-faced young people — Jack (Kevin Bacon), Alice (Adrienne King), Bill (Harry Crosby), Marcie (Jeannine Taylor), and Ned (Mark Nelson) — pay little heed to the old-timers. Then they find themselves stalked by a brutal killer. As they’re slashed, shot, and stabbed, the counselors struggle to stay alive against a merciless opponent.