This weekend caters to a few different demographics as there is something for horror fiends, families, and adults looking for a bit of kink yet sophistication in their humor. As moviegoers prepare for Christopher Nolan and The Odyssey next week, some of these offerings should hold over moviegoers until that epic piece of filmmaking hits the big screen.
What’s Opening In Theaters?
Families and kids are being treated to Disney shooting for an easy buck with the live-action remake of Moana, arriving just ten years after the animated film became a fan favorite with kids and adults alike. Directed by Thomas Kail in his feature directorial debut and from a screenplay by Jared Bush and Dana Ledoux Miller, Moana is a live-action adaptation of the 2016 animated film of the same name and follows the titular character (portrayed by Catherine Laga’aia) as she springs into action when a darkness begins to threaten her home island of Motunui. As she sets sail past the reef to find the legendary demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson reprising his vocal role from the animated film), they will find themselves on an epic journey to find the stolen heart of the goddess Te Fiti to save her people.
Live-action Disney remakes have mostly been financial winners, and that’s even when the critical responses have been mixed. Most of them have been windfalls like The Lion King or last summer’s Lilo & Stitch, but occasionally you get a Dumbo or a Snow White. Given the film’s current score of 36 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, Moana is looking like it could be more of the latter. Pre-sales haven’t been great, and it looks like the consensus so far has been that if one needs to experience Moana, the animated version is the way to go because this live-action take is more of a soulless retread that doesn’t completely justify its existence. With Toy Story 5 still going strong and Minions & Monsters also being an option, Moana will likely be the third family choice this weekend, and that isn’t a good sign for its long-term business and its reported $250 million budget (yikes).
Faring much better but certainly not made for families, despite its plot revolving around family trauma and secrets, is Evil Dead Burn, the latest installment of the popular Evil Dead franchise. Directed by Sébastien Vanicek from a screenplay he co-wrote with Florent Bernard, Evil Dead Burn follows Alice (Souheila Yacoub), who, after the loss of her husband, finds herself in tight quarters with her in-laws as they transform one by one into deadites. The film also stars Hunter Doohan, Tandi Wright, Luciane Buchanan, Erroll Shand, and Maude Davey.
Having seen Evil Dead Burn, I can officially say it’s an unrelenting, nasty piece of work that should please most horror fans and fans of the franchise. Now, you might find yourself finding reviews that love it for its nasty and mean-spirited nature, while others are turned off by it for the very same reason. The truth is, this series has been nasty since Sam Raimi conceived this thing in 1981 with The Evil Dead. The sequel and subsequent films like the more comedic Army of Darkness have leaned things into straight comedy or dark humor, but since the 2013 reimagining, these movies have been brutal to their core, so it should come as no surprise that this entry goes there as much as it can and makes no apologies for it. Honestly, Evil Dead Burn has more added dark humor compared to its predecessor, but the brutality quotient increases so much that the moments of uneasy laughter might be hard to catch. Critics like Evil Dead Burn more than Moana at a certified fresh score of 73 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, so the solid reviews will likely lure in non-horror aficionados or worshipers of the franchise to turn Evil Dead Burn into another horror hit. Obsession is quieting down and is available at home, while Backrooms is also beginning to fade after an impressive run. The door is wide open for Evil Dead Burn to turn moviegoers into willing deadites.
Expanding into wide release is The Invite, a film directed by and co-starring Olivia Wilde that garnered great reviews out of the Sundance Film Festival and has steadily built buzz during its limited run. Written by Will McCormack and Rashida Jones, The Invite is an English-language remake of the 2020 Spanish film The People Upstairs by Cesc Gay and follows Joe (Seth Rogen) and Angela (Wilde), whose marriage is on thin ice. Things take an interesting turn when they invite their upstairs neighbors over for a dinner party that takes the night into some truly unexpected places. The film also stars Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton.
The Invite has been generating a lot of awards season buzz and has also been building buzz amongst older audiences for its sophisticated humor and its commentary on relationships when one feels stifled and repressed while the other feels alive and sexually liberated. Its thought-provoking themes and genuine laugh-out-loud moments are the kind that could make it a sleeper hit that plays well throughout the summer. The movie is currently certified fresh at 96 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, and the audience score matches it. Don’t be surprised if this gradually becomes a talked-about release that carries on beyond its wide opening weekend.
What To Watch At Home
Home viewing brings a horror film that had the misfortune of being released between two horror behemoths and a Hong Kong action film that is destined to become a cult classic. At the end of the day, there are two viable options in case none of the theatrical releases are enticing you to hit your local movie theater.
Passenger hits digital after a so-so box office run, and it hopes to pick up viewers after losing most of them to Obsession and Backrooms back in May. Directed by André Øvredal and from a screenplay by Zachary Donohue and T.W. Burgess, Passenger follows a young couple who become haunted and hunted by a demonic entity during their road trip after witnessing an accident. The film stars Jacob Scipio, Lou Llobell, and Melissa Leo.
Passenger opened a week after Obsession and a week before Backrooms, so it was sandwiched between the beginning of a word-of-mouth sensation and a movie that was destined to become A24’s biggest hit. The movie pulled in $31 million globally on a $15 million budget, so it wasn’t a total bomb, but it definitely got overshadowed by horror films that felt more original and unique. Critics didn’t love it at 48 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, and the 55 percent audience score also isn’t promising, but its digital release will put more eyes on it and lead to more people sampling it who didn’t give it a shot earlier this summer.
After a relatively quick theatrical release, the well-reviewed Hong Kong action film The Furious hits digital, and it’s bound to find the life it was meant to have now that it can be watched at home. Directed by Kenji Tanigaki, The Furious follows a tradesman named Wang Wei (Xie Miao) whose daughter is kidnapped, which leads him on a journey battling a criminal empire to rescue her. The film also stars Joe Taslim, who portrays a journalist and Wei’s ally on his quest to save his daughter.
The Furious had its premiere at the 50th Toronto Film Festival, and it garnered instant universal acclaim, sporting a 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes until it was recently brought down to a still great 98 percent. There have been many comparisons to the film The Raid, and it is said to be a real crowd-pleaser for those interested in action Hong Kong cinema. Also encouraging is the 95 percent audience score, which shows the fanbase is really enjoying this one and will continue to at home as it heads towards its likely cult classic status.
Check back next week when we fill you in on What To Watch!
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