Dumpuary Done Right! 'Companion,' 'One Of Them Days,' 'Presence'
#306: "Companion," "One Of Them Days," "Presence," "The Natural," "Ray"
Edition 306:
Hey movie lovers!
This week: A bunch of new movies! An AI thriller, a hood comedy, and an experimental ghost story in theaters. Then an old schools streaming rec and possibly the best music biopic performance of all time. In this week’s “Trailer Watch,” the dinosaurs made of million-dollar bills are back and obvious as ever.
Companion
Several years ago, in the early days of this newsletter, I remember talking about Ex Machina and thinking I was smart for saying that more movies should have evil tech billionaires as their villains. That felt, at the time, like a fresh take. In the years since, so many movies have adopted the trope that it’s become tired and boring.
When was the last time having AI as the villain was cool and fresh? In 1968 with 2001: A Space Odyssey? Blade Runner in the 80s? Or, shoot, was it Ex Machina in 2014? These days, it’s in movies from small budget (Jexi) to blockbuster (Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning pt. 1 and 2) and everything in between.
So, are the robots evil? Or are we the evil ones? The age old question. I’d recommend you go into this movie knowing as little as possible, so that the reveals and twists can surprise you (I clocked one of the big twists in the opening scene, and I wish I hadn’t).
Jack Quaid stars (him and Nicholas Hoult really dividing up all the B-tier white guy movie star parts in Hollywood) as a guy who brings his robot — basically a sex doll, but so life-like she is indistinguishable from a human — on a weekend retreat with his friends. Things go from slightly awkward to incredibly alarming when one of them ends up dead, and we’re off to the races from there.
At a taut 1hr37min, I really like that the movie leans into its action-adventure plotting. It’s incredibly light on its feet, thanks to a cast of excellent comedic supporting actors and a constant sense of danger, and it feels like producing a fun thrill-ride was priority No. 1 all the way through.
Sophie Thatcher, who I saw for the first time in Heretic a few months back (apologies I’ve never watched “Yellowjackets”), brings a very unique energy to the lead role of the titular companion. She’s compelling, combining elements of scream queen and terminator and holding the emotional heart of the movie.
I’d put this movie in a category with Bodies Bodies Bodies as an attempt, through genre exploitation and younger casts (read: cheaper), to reach young people with stories that are more zeitgeist-y and relevant for them. Unfortunately, this one doesn’t speak with the same lingua franca of Gen-Z as Bodies, so while being a perfectly competent and I’d say even exceptionally entertaining movie, it doesn’t capture the same “necessary” feeling that made that one feel like a breakout.
Remember that awful Netflix movie I mentioned with Megan Fox a few weeks ago, Subservience? An ungenerous reading of this movie is just as a classier and better version of that movie. If it were on Netflix, I do feel like it would kill. Woah, kill, I said no spoilers.
Something New
One Of Them Days (Theaters): I heard somewhere this week that there hasn’t been a studio comedy with an all-black, female cast since Girls Trip. Can that be true? That movie made $115 million domestic! Crazy to me that studios wouldn’t chase that. Alas, it took Issa Rae putting her producing heft behind this sort of all-in-a-day hood comedy starring Keke Palmer and SZA as best friends and roommates who have to earn $1,500 to make rent for the month. Think Friday, but girl power?
Palmer is hilarious in everything, and I certainly didn’t expect SZA to have these kind of comedic acting chops in her first ever spin in front of the camera. They’re a dynamite pair, and while this movie patently ridiculous moving from one heightened setup to the next, it’s funny enough to pay off each one. Other than the obvious knock on comedies not being “theatrical” right now, this movie really deserves to be a hit. It’s a crowd-pleaser.
Presence (Theaters): The thing I’ve always praised Steven Soderbergh for is experimentation. He’s one of the great filmmakers of the 21st century, yet he’s chosen to play in lower budget ranges so he can try out weird filmmaking styles and techniques — like in this case, a movie told from the first person perspective of a ghost. Soderbergh operates the camera himself, creeping around corners and directing long takes of actors almost like a stage play. The whole 84min all takes place in one house, as a family moves in and realizes it’s haunted, causing it to become unglued.
The movie is creepy, definitely, but it’s not really scary. It’s themes give you a little to chew on, but don’t become cumbersome. And as is his signature, Soderbergh slowly reveals more and more information like bread crumbs. Though this isn’t a super plot-dependent story, he really brings home a twist at the end that puts the rest of the movie into perspective in a really satisfying way. Soderbergh really doesn’t miss…I’m very excited to see him go for a big Hollywood thing in a few months with Black Bag. Until then, go watch this!
Something Old
The Natural (1984): Every time I’ve gone to the movie theaters recently, I’ve seen a trailer for The Alto Knights, that gangster movie starring Robert De Niro in two different roles (for what reason, exactly?). And I have to remind myself that Barry Levinson also directed classics like Rain Man, Good Morning Vietnam and The Natural, so maybe it will be good — then I remember those movies are all from the 1980s and that Levinson is 82 years old, and I worry again.
Still, I was on a plane recently and cued up what I think is one of the best sports movies ever. It’s definitely ‘of its time,’ made in the 80s and set in the 30s, with character, morality and plotting to match, but there are so many magical movie moments and shots and settings that have become instantly iconic. One can’t help but think this movie creates a lot of the tropes that have permeated sports movies in the last 40 years.
And how have I gone this long without mentioning Robert Redford? Guys, peak Robert Redford!! Glenn Close! Robert Duvall! Kim Basinger! While far from perfect, I’d put this on the list of movies every movie fan has to watch at some point.
Something To Stream
Ray (Peacock): Music biopics are a dime a dozen these days, but nobody (not even Chalamet, who I’m becoming increasingly convinced has a chance to win Best Actor this year) has ever nailed the singing, dancing and embodying of their subject more than Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles. I had to watch this movie to remind myself of Foxx’s greatness after the embarrassment that was Back In Action. And yes, he’s that good.
Over the years, I do think this movie’s reputation has been inflated, or perhaps conflated, with Foxx’s performance. It’s a pretty straightforward cradle-to-grave story, though I do appreciate its concessions to Charles’ darker sides (heroin abuse and even more egregious discarding of family and friends) to go with the usual genius reinforcement. Considering how many of these kinds of movies are still slated to come out in the next few years, it’s important to see what the gold standard looks like.
Trailer Watch: Jurassic World Rebirth
Oh, wait, you thought they were going to do anything other than reboot the Jurassic franchise with the exact same character stereotypes and plotlines as the six movies that came before?? Silly you. Somehow they convinced Scarlett Johansson, one of the biggest female movie stars in the world, and Mahershala Ali, a TWO-TIME Oscar winner, to come play in the sandbox. I hope they enjoy the yachts and summer homes that come as a result.