August 23, 2024

WIFF’S WEEKEND WATCH LIST — 8/23

Check out our recommendations of what to watch this weekend.

if you want something mystical

the king tide

Vincent Georgie: An otherworldly drama, this new film by Christian Sparkes knows just how to capture dreary menace in both the faces and the places of a remote Newfoundland community.

Synopsis: After a child with mysterious powers washes ashore in their idyllic island village, the once peaceful community devolves into civil war, torn over the belief that the child is the next saviour.

Available on Apple TV, YouTube and Amazon Prime.

if you want a fun thriller

blink

Vincent Georgie: Long forgotten, this Madeleine Stowe and Aidan Quinn thriller is smart and entertaining. I do wish both actors worked more often than they do now. This one is worth remembering.

Synopsis: Blinded at the abusive hands of her mother as a young girl, Emma Brody (Madeleine Stowe) is now a musician in Chicago. After an operation, she partly regains her sight, but sometimes she can remember things only hours after first seeing them. When she thinks she sees the person who murdered her neighbor, the police detective John Hallstrom (Aidan Quinn) becomes involved both with the case and with Emma. Now the killer is after Emma, and John struggles to protect her as they unravel the mystery.

Available on Apple TV and YouTube.

if you love a bit of gossip

tea with the dames

Vincent Georgie: All four actresses have filmographies and stage credits that might never again be replicated in the history of acting. However, it is their humour and sharp tongues that are equally celebrated here. This one’s a good time.

Synopsis: Together, they’re 342 years old. They’re in their seventh decade of cutting-edge, epoch-defining performances on stage and on-screen. Funny, smart, sharp, competitive, tearful, hilarious, savage, clever, caustic, cool, gorgeous, poignant, irreverent, iconic, old, and unbelievably young. Special friends, special women and special dames: a chance to hang out with them all, at the same table, at the same time, and enjoy sparkling and unguarded conversation spliced with a raft of archives.

Available on Apple TV.

DOUBLE FEATURE

films ahead of their time

Vincent Georgie: There is something to be said about a film that is so perceptive of the current culture that it seems to have even more clarity into the culture of the future. Sidney Lumet (working from an all-time best screenplay by Paddy Chayefsky) made the definitive “ahead of its time” masterpiece with the first film. In the second film, star Michael Douglas (under the direction of Joel Schumacher) would certainly have lots to say about the year 2024 and beyond.

network

In this lauded satire, veteran news anchorman Howard Beale (Peter Finch) discovers that he’s being put out to pasture, and he’s none too happy about it. After threatening to shoot himself on live television, instead, he launches into an angry televised rant, which turns out to be a huge ratings boost for the UBS network. This stunt allows ambitious producer Diana Christensen (Faye Dunaway) to develop even more outrageous programming, a concept that she takes to unsettling extremes.

Available on Apple TV, YouTube and Amazon Prime.

falling down

A middle-aged man dealing with both unemployment and divorce, William Foster (Michael Douglas) is having a bad day. When his car breaks down on a Los Angeles highway, he leaves his vehicle and begins a trek across the city to attend his daughter’s birthday party. As he makes his way through the urban landscape, William’s frustration and bitterness become more evident, resulting in violent encounters with various people, including a vengeful gang and a dutiful veteran cop (Robert Duvall).