The First 6 Big Summer Movies Are Upon Us!
#135: "No Sudden Move," "F9," Zola," "The Tomorrow War," "Summer of Soul," "In The Heights"
Edition 135:
Hey movie lovers!
As always, you can find a podcast version of this newsletter on Apple or Spotify. Thank you so much for listening and spreading the word!
In this week’s newsletter: It’s summer movie season! The past couple of weeks have brought on the first wave of big releases, which will continue weekly for likely the entire rest of the calendar. Which ones are worth seeing, and which are worth skipping? Consider this your official preview. In this week’s “Trailer Watch,” we’ll show some love to the prestigious Cannes Film Festival with its opening night movie, which is equal parts bizarre and divisive.
No Sudden Move
(HBO Max)
In this newsletter, I often mention how my favorite genre of movie is noir. And I often get the question…what the heck is noir?
So in honor of Steven Soderbergh’s latest movie, which is the purest expression of noir in several decades — for better and for worse — I wanted to clarify. The first thing I tell people is “noir kind of like crime,” but that’s oversimplified.
Noir is first and foremost a vibe. Think street lamps on a dark, rainy night; snappy banter; double-crosses; that treacherous femme fatale. Think Humphrey Bogart in a trench coat in The Maltese Falcon, or the staccato with which Fred MacMurray calls Barbara Stanwyck “baby” in Double Indemnity.
Through time, the genre has bent and stretched into the updated neo-noir form, which allowed the stories to move into the daylight (Chinatown), outside of the city (Fargo), and blend with other genres like comedy (The Big Lebowski), western (Hell or High Water) and sci-fi (Blade Runner).
Along the way the stories have become more clean and easily digestible, which is on the whole a good thing, but it bears remembering that noir is not meant to be a walk in the park. The plot is supposed to be complicated to the brink of being convoluted (which isn’t always a bad thing, as The Big Lebowski or Get Shorty proves), and the world of the story is meant to be ruled by cynicism, fatalism and moral ambiguity. There are no heroes here, and nobody emerges from the grime and the muck unscathed.
So when I tell you that No Sudden Move is a pure noir, I don’t mean that entirely as a glowing compliment. In fact, I’d argue that audiences have been trained like Pavlov’s dogs for years now to reject stories that are as difficult as this one.
There are at least a dozen stakeholders in this story about a heist-gone-wrong in 1950s Detroit, and none of their motivations are made clear until the last possible moment. Of course, withholding information is Soderbergh’s filmmaking signature, and it’s one of the traits I like most about him.
But even I will admit that this movie is a bit dense. In classic noir fashion, a small crime continues to expand and the stakes keep rising until the movie takes on themes as huge as red-lining and generational wealth distribution in the United States, but a first time watcher will be left so in the dark he or she is straining to make sense of what is unfolding. That level of ambition toes a very fine line between brilliant and illegible, and this movie dances right on the edge.
Luckily, there to guide you through the journey is an incredible cast: Don Cheadle, Benicio Del Toro, Jon Hamm, David Harbour, Brendan Fraser (lookin’ thicc!), Julia Fox (lookin’ thicc!), Amy Seimetz, Kieran Culkin (“Succession”), Noah Jupe (the kid who’s in everything this year), and one surprise A-lister who I don’t want to spoil but completely brings the house down in the final 15 minutes. Every aspect of the production is on point, at the level of mastery one can always expect from Soderbergh.
The thing I love most about Soderbergh is his willingness to experiment. He’ll shoot a movie with an iPhone. He’ll shoot one on an Atlantic crossing. And in this case, shamelessly go for absolute Heisenberg blue crystal-level purity of noir. If you get it, great. If you don’t, who cares.
I have a feeling this is a movie that I’ll return to after some time passes, and start to realize it’s pretty fantastic. Hopefully you can do the same.
F9: The Fast Saga
(In theaters)
They may have run out of ways to remix the “Fast and Furious” title, they’ve definitely run out of reasons why or how Vin Diesel and his band of merry mates go on these adventures, but make no mistake, the Fast franchise is stronger than ever before.
Pandemic be damned, the ninth sequel has already made over $500 million globally. We know huge CGI-heavy action movies crush overseas — especially in China, soon-to-be the biggest movie market in the world — but over $125 million worth of Americans have already proven that the muscle car familia is a brand made of teflon. There will be another 5-10 installments, guaranteed.
Which isn’t to say F9 is a good movie. It definitively is not.
Seriously, there are porno movies with better backstory development than this (the analogy works doubly, because Vin Diesel is perpetually dressed to fix your plumbing). Luckily, audiences in both cases just come for the action, and in that regard it’s pretty insane the stunts they can pull off now with the help of CGI. The sheer scale of action in this movie is something that would’ve been impossible to imagine even 25 years ago.
I was thinking the other day about how the biggest stunt in 1994’s Speed (a vastly superior movie) was Keanu Reaves jumping from a car to a bus going 55 mph, and later jumping that bus over a 20-foot gap. Here, running and leaping between cars going 100 mph is an afterthought, and the corresponding crevasse jump is several hundred feet across an international border using an impromptu rope bridge slingshot that would’ve made Sir Isaac Newton himself scratch his head.
The hardest challenge in prolonging this money-machine-disguised-as-film-franchise is coming up with new excuses for the cast of mechanics and small time crooks to *checks notes* turn into international super spies? Or should I say intergalactic astronauts, because they really do go to space in this movie, a ridiculous idea which I’m convinced was the premise upon which they patched the rest of the script around.
Make no mistake, at this point the familia members are Avengers, with $300,000 cars as their super suits.
That’s triggering for me, because just like Marvel movies the Fast franchise has decided to remove all consequences in favor of immediate gratification. Actions no longer matter, because everything can be undone in service of having your cake and eating it too (I call this “The Chewbacca Problem” in dishonor of the spineless moment in Star Wars when Rey blows Chewbacca’s ship out of the sky only for us to learn five seconds later he’s totally fine — restock the merchandise!). F9 resurrects Han, a character whose “death” several movies ago was one of the only emotionally substantial moments in the entire franchise, with a quick yadda yadda story.
Since Marvel and Fast are in many cases the only movies that people watch these days, you’re basically feeding an entire generation of movie-watchers a diet of candy and then wondering why they never want to eat (watch) vegetables, or even a perfectly cooked steak.
Han’s resurrection and the retconning of Tokyo Drift characters make sense in the context of continuously having to refresh one of the largest casts in movie history, cycling out those with better things to do (Gal Gadot, Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham); keeping happy the regulars with literally nothing better to do (Tyrese, Ludacris, Jordana Brewster); and adding literally any famous person willing to play along. Grab a Cardi B for a scene, talk Charlize Theron and Helen Mirren into returning somehow, and for the big bad heavy? Let’s try out John Cena, who was most recently acting next to a cow in the Experion commercials.
The movie is big, loud, and enormously stupid. I have no doubt the next one, and the one after that, will be even bigger, louder, and more stupid. Can we make a promise on this newsletter to just stop caring?
Zola
(In theaters)
It was really only a matter of time before a tweet got adapted into a movie. I mean, we’re already plumbing the depths of podcasts for material, not to mention video games (how long before we get a “Fortnite” movie), Legos, and literally the emojis on your keyboard.
So if you’re going to pick one, you couldn’t do much better than the 100+-tweet viral thread that A’Ziah “Zola” King sent out in 2015. Involving strippers, prostitutes, pimps, child trafficking, a jealous cuckold, vomit, a suicide attempt and at least one murder, it’s just about the craziest story you’ll ever come across.
Of course this movie comes from A24, the masters of delicate human stories, and they along with director Janicza Bravo do a masterful job of approaching sensitive material with a deft touch. I don’t know about you all, but I have never been in a room where prostitution is taking place. I’ve never been backstage at a strip club. I’ve never been yelled at by a pimp. These moments could’ve easily been glamorized, fetishized, or even degraded, but they were none of those things. The presentation is raw and real, in a way that is uncomfortable but electric.
Moment-to-moment, the movie is chaotic but thrilling. It’s absolutely shameless, and a little unhinged in the way Uncut Gems was. The guard rails are definitely off. It’s also hilarious, thanks to great comedic timing from leads Taylour Paige and Riley Keough, and scene-stealing work from literally one of my favorite human beings on the planet, Nicholaus Braun (better known as Cousin Greg from “Succession”).
But from a big picture standpoint, it’s tough to even call this 85-minute project a “movie.” It’s a very faithful recreation of the Twitter thread, but there’s no “plot” here in a traditional sense. The movie doesn’t build toward anything, or have a message it’s trying to get across. The characters have no development, no arc, and relatively little nuance in their motivations. There are no takeaways, except “holy crap that was wild.”
I’m not going to pretend it’s cinema. It’s not. But it is a hell of a good time.
The Tomorrow War
(Amazon Prime)
Unless it’s on Netflix, it’s safe to wonder at this point every time you see a movie get marked as ‘streaming only’ whether or not the studio is doing that to avoid the embarrassment of a giant flop.
Or maybe the Bezos brigade really expects this Chris Pratt-led sci-fi action movie to draw in hordes of new Prime subscribers?
The movie is a derivative Frankenstein monster made up of pieces from other more successful movies, equal parts Independence Day, Terminator and The Matrix. The execution of those concepts is actually totally fine, it just feels so…stale. And for a movie that includes aliens and time travel, that’s a kiss of death.
Of course, the movie is REALLY about fathers and sons, just as quite literally every single sci-fi movie seems to be, because apparently the threat of alien invasion and total annihilation of the species isn’t quite enough motivation for our heroes. They must also have daddy issues.
At least in this case, that gives the movie an excuse to deploy J.K. Simmons, which is a casting choice I will always support no matter what.
Summer of Soul (…or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
(In theaters, Hulu)
You may know Amir “Questlove” Thompson as the drummer and front man for “The Roots,” as part of Jimmy Fallon’s “The Tonight Show,” but that undersells the writing, producing, DJ-ing, interviewing and chronicling that Thompson has done over the years. He is one of those rare figures in American pop culture with literally a 100% approval rating.
After this directorial debut, which reverses the historical erasure of the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, his rating may have risen to 200%. The movie serves as a fully functioning, never-before-seen concert featuring the likes of Stevie Wonder, Mahalia Jackson, Nina Simone, The 5th Dimension, The Staple Singers, Gladys Knight & the Pips, and Sly and the Family Stone, while also managing to memorialize the historical legacies of each artist and contextualize the African American experience of the late 1960s.
It’s one of those films that doubles as both an important historical document and a kick-ass experience, so I wasn’t at all surprised when I saw it at Sundance that it would go on to win literally every category that it was eligible for. It seems like this would be an awesome movie to see in theaters, but it’s also available on Hulu and I can tell you the small screen experience is pretty darn good too.
In The Heights (cont.)
(In theaters, HBO Max)
Apparently my review last week struck a nerve, because I heard from a ton of you all with a similar refrain. Here’s a few:
“Made me feel bad for being one of those who only watched the first 10 minutes of ITH,” writes Nathan.
We ended up talking about the drummed-up “controversy” surrounding the film’s casting, which notably didn’t include any Afro-Latinas in corresponding roles from the show. My opinion was that anyone who has heard Lin Manuel Miranda speak knows how earnest and socially thoughtful he is, so the whole thing felt like a bit of a cheap shot, but I don’t think the firestorm had any significant impact on the box office receipts.
“Let's be honest though: one of the big reasons In The Heights hasn't done well is because Americans don't like good movies! Americans love mindless action movies with lots of explosions, gunshots, and fast cars,” writes Jordan, who later adds with perfect irony, “Funnily enough, I actually haven't seen In The Heights yet.”
He mentioned how few people have even heard of the Best Picture nominees each year, to which I replied it’s a good thing he’s subscribed to a newsletter that talks about them non-stop! Jordan might be this newsletter’s No. 1 Marvel defender, so despite the fact that he is absolutely preaching my sermons for me here I won’t mention which side of the divide his beloved MCU rests on.
And lastly, my favorite response (and stamp of approval) comes from reader Dale, who told me he thought the movie looked good but had no intention to watch it until I called him out in the newsletter last Friday:
My wife & I just saw 'In The Heights'. It was the 1st movie that we've seen in a Movie Theater since the pandemic began early last year (and we were weekly movie goers before COVID).
We both loved the movie and are so glad that you recommended it. We are Hamilton fans, and I told my wife that I believe having already experienced Hamilton made it easier to get “In The Heights." The two productions certainly share a common thread and feel, which isn't for everyone.
I think this is a "must see" for anyone that loves musicals &/or Hamilton.
Coming Soon
Black Widow (July 7): Today (Friday, July 7) marks the release of the first major Marvel Cinematic Universe release since July 2, 2019. Over two years! So how strong will Marvel fans show up at the box office? Especially with the option to purchase the movie over-the-top on Disney+ for $30? F9’s $70 million opening weekend record is almost certain to fall, but that $100 million threshold is so tantalizing, and would truly signal that the death knell for movie theaters was sounded a little prematurely. Hard to hang the future of the industry on a single movie, but if this one can’t produce then no one can. Early reports are that Florence Pugh, one of this newsletter’s absolute goddesses, steals the show from the likes of Scar-Jo, David Harbour and all the other actors locked into 12-movie blood oaths with Kevin Feige and the Marvel overlords.
Space Jam: A New Legacy (July 16): The irony of Lebron James, one of the world’s most conscientious defenders of his own personal brand, starring in an absolutely ridiculous movie with the subtitle “a new legacy” is not lost on me.
Snake Eyes: GI Joe Origins (July 23): Yes yes, we were all clamoring for another entry into the prestigious GI Joe cinematic universe. Right guys? Guys? Where’d you go? Paramount is desperate, grasping for straws, and apparently sympathetic origin stories for faceless villains are all the rage this year (looking at you, Cruella), so here we go. The movie’s success will ride on the charisma of Henry Golding, a stunningly handsome man who has yet to prove he’s much of an actor. It’s unlikely he can change my mind here, because the chances I go see this movie are somewhere between slim and none.
Old (July 23): I’ve seen the trailer for this movie at least ten times by now, and am starting to get annoyed by it. Either M. Night Shyamalan is playing his cards close the chest, which I would respect, or this entire movie takes place on the same boring beach? Please tell me there’s something more here than just to escape, with a Shyamalan twist at the end that the beach is a mini world inside some kid’s fishbowl — or some dumb crap like that. I admit, I have very little faith in the man after the crime against humanity that was Glass.
Trailer Watch: Annette
Across the pond, the Cannes Film Festival is currently underway. It doesn’t get much attention stateside, but many people (myself included) consider it the most prestigious festival in the world, and its top prize — the palm d’or — to be a higher honor than any Academy Awards. All of that is to say that the movie which opened the festival on Tuesday night was this bizarre show biz drama originally from the minds of “Sparks,” the equally bizarre rock duo which is in the spotlight this year thanks to the recently released Edgar Wright documentary on their career (I saw the doc at Sundance and it’s a very fun watch, but I digress).
I have no idea what’s going on in this trailer, but the reason why I dropped it here is because apparently the movie prominently features Adam Driver singing?? Seriously, at this point what the heck is Rami Malek’s excuse for that Oscar-winning karaoke crap. The other interesting thing is the initial reviews from Cannes: some critics thought this movie was a masterpiece and others outright hated it. A divisive movie, how exciting!