August 16, 2024

WIFF’S WEEKEND WATCH LIST — 8/16

Check out our recommendations of what to watch this weekend.

if you want to cheer for a film

daughters

Vincent Georgie: If every film had half the heart, sincerity and dignity that this film does, well… Unmissable and a surefire Oscar contender.

Synopsis: Four young girls prepare for a special Daddy Daughter Dance with their incarcerated fathers, as part of a unique fatherhood program in a Washington, D.C., jail.

Available on Netflix.

if you want an action-packed night

twisters

Vincent Georgie: Glen Powell stars in this major box office hit of the Summer. It lands this weekend for home viewing and is perfectly suitable for an exciting and engaging experience. What it lacks in originality, it makes up for with impressive visual effects and an appealing cast.

Synopsis: Haunted by a devastating encounter with a tornado, Kate Cooper gets lured back to the open plains by her friend, Javi, to test a groundbreaking new tracking system. She soon crosses paths with Tyler Owens, a charming but reckless social-media superstar who thrives on posting his storm-chasing adventures. As storm season intensifies, Kate, Tyler and their competing teams find themselves in a fight for their lives as multiple systems converge over central Oklahoma.

Available on Apple TV, YouTube and Amazon Prime.

if you want a stylish thriller

a perfect man

Vincent Georgie: Anchored by a perfectly cast Pierre Niney, this French thriller is ideal for the crowd that loved The Talented Mr. Ripley. Elegant, suave and darkly engaging. A fave from WIFF 2016.

Synopsis: Mathieu is a 25-year-old young writer who dreams of publishing his novel. One day he finds the manuscript of an old man who has just died and publishes it in his name but his secret does not stay secret for long.

DOUBLE FEATURE

all hail, dakota johnson

Vincent Georgie: I’m not sure I was sold on Johnson’s talents based on her earlier films, but she has emerged as of late as a more than capable young star. The first film shows her star appeal, while the second film (an enthusiastically received film from WIFF fans earlier this Summer) shows off her acting chops. Parents Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson should be proud.

cha cha real smooth

Fresh out of college and stuck at his New Jersey home without a clear path forward, 22-year-old Andrew begins working for bar mitzvahs; while attending a bar mitzvah, he discovers his talent as a party organizer, which brings him numerous jobs; when he forms a unique friendship with a young mother and her teenage daughter with autism, his life begins to flourish.

Available on Apple TV+.

daddio

A woman gets into a taxi at New York airport and gradually tells the driver about her unfortunate decisions that led to an affair with a married man; the driver also reveals more and more about his life.