What To Watch This Weekend! – ‘Onslaught’ & Other Highlights For Labor Day Weekend

Labor Day weekend is upon us, and honestly, it’s usually not a time when moviegoers are blessed with the best of releases. Sometimes horror hits with audiences, as was the case in 2007 when Rob Zombie’s Halloween remake dominated the box office with a $30.5 million 4-day holiday opening, making it the highest ever for the Labor Day frame until the MCU unleashed Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings in 2021 ($94.67 million opening while we were still dealing with the pandemic).

The thing is, films like that are the exception, not the rule. Labor Day weekend tends to be a time for holdovers to sneak in more coin, while it typically is a dumping ground for new films that couldn’t quite cut it during the summer. Needless to say, the theatrical releases this weekend aren’t exactly robust, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t worth checking out. As of now, two of the wider releases are getting decent notices from critics, while home viewing offers up a slew of films and television that could go well with your Labor Day weekend BBQ festivities.

What’s Opening In Theaters?

This weekend sees the arrival of the action horror film Onslaught, directed by Adam Wingard and written by Simon Barrett. Onslaught follows an army sniper named Celeste (Adria Arjona) living in a trailer park as she struggles to protect her daughter from genetically enhanced super soldiers who have escaped from a secret military facility, with killing everyone in their path as their primary motivation. The film also stars Dan Stevens, Eric Wareheim, Reginald VelJohnson, Alex Pereira, Drew Starkey, and Rebecca Hall.

Onslaught looks like a throwback to the action films of the ’80s in its tone, and it’s said to be a hodgepodge of all the things that genre fans long for. It’s action-packed, full of gore, and features a capable and badass female lead alongside a slew of oddball characters that make the film far from dull. Some of the harsher reviews call it stylish trash, but even that might sound like a compliment to those looking for that sort of thing.

What should be interesting to fans of Wingard’s 2014 cult favorite The Guest is that he confirmed that Onslaught takes place within the same continuity and that the character of David Collins (Dan Stevens) in that film was a part of the same organization that Onslaught depicts. He even suggested that his 2013 slasher film You’re Next is part of a trilogy in the same continuity. These fun connections are a blast for genre fans and should make Onslaught work for them. The film is currently 59 percent fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with 74 reviews counted, so reviews are more mixed heading into the weekend. It likely won’t set the box office on fire, but it has future cult film written all over it.

Adult audiences might be intrigued by the historical crime thriller By Any Means, directed by Elegance Bratton and written by Sascha Penn. By Any Means is loosely based on Gregory Scarpa Sr. (portrayed by Mark Wahlberg in the film), a notorious enforcer who was also a capo for the Colombo crime family in New York. In real life, Scarpa was recruited by the FBI in the 1960s to be an informant, and he was used to travel to Mississippi in 1964 to investigate the murders of civil rights activists James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner. The film also stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Nicole Beharie, Josh Lucas, LisaGay Hamilton, LaChanze, Ethan Embry, David Strathairn, and Giancarlo Esposito.

By Any Means looked interesting from its first trailer, and it was great to see Wahlberg back in a theatrical release that appeared to have some substance. The film’s connection to a true story makes it potentially compelling, although it’s said that the film dramatizes the events to transform the story into more of a high-concept thriller, while the day-to-day partnership with Abdul-Mateen II’s Black FBI agent Wayne Strider has strong fictionalized elements, according to those familiar with the actual story. Even though all the elements are here for an entertaining crime thriller, it certainly looks like Paramount Pictures is unceremoniously dumping it this weekend and hoping for the best.

The marketing has been virtually non-existent, and there doesn’t seem to be a significant push to get the film noticed. Reviews are decent at 68 percent fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, with 28 reviews counted, and it should be serviceable for older audiences looking for something with a bit of substance over the holiday weekend, even if the studio doesn’t appear to have much faith in it.

An unexpected sequel arrives in the form of the survival thriller Fall 2: Deadpoint, directed by Peter and Michael Spierig and written by Scott Mann and Jonathan Frank. Fall 2: Deadpoint follows Jax Hunter (Harriet Slater), the older sister of Shiloh Hunter (Virginia Gardner) from the first film, who agrees to a tribute proposed by Shiloh’s friend, Luce (Arsema Thomas). The two will travel to Thailand to conquer a plank walk on Mount Kwan, but when a sudden rockslide leaves them trapped at a horrific height of 3,000 feet, they’ll be pushed to their very limit to survive. The film also stars Tom Brittney and Grace Caroline Currey.

Released in 2022, Fall garnered solid reviews (79 percent fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) for its appeal as a minimalist, sustained adrenaline rush, while its box office was also good in relation to its budget ($21.8 million worldwide on a $3 million budget). The sequel was greenlit after Fall found even more success following its release on Netflix, so that’s why we’re getting another tale of fear at terrifying heights. The first film was highly effective as a one-off, but it seems like the sequel has overcomplicated things instead of maintaining that first movie’s simple premise. The reviews come in much lower than its predecessor (52 percent rotten on the aggregator site as of this writing with 21 reviews counted), and it does seem like this follow-up was largely unnecessary. If you’re looking for survival thrills, Onslaught might be a better bet.

What To Watch At Home

Home viewing brings some decent offerings this weekend. Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh form an unlikely team-up in a film that’s being well received. Gal Gadot finds herself on the run in the latest from Prime Video. A pair of summer comedies hit digital hoping to find a bigger audience, while two shows return for a second season with improved critical results.

Debuting on Apple TV is the action comedy Mayday, written and directed by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley. Set in 1987, an US Air Force Pilot is forced to eject from his plane while flying a Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird on a mission over Soviet Russia to survive a mid-air collision with a MiG-29. While making his way through the Russian wilderness, he comes upon a Russian ex-KGB carpenter who offers him assistance in escaping enemy territory. The film stars Ryan Reynolds, Kenneth Branagh, Marcin Dorocinski, Maria Bakalova, and David Morse.

At first glance, Mayday didn’t look all that interesting, but once reviews began pouring in, it turned out that this film may be one to catch at home this weekend thanks to the central performances, particularly Branagh, who is getting solid notices for his turn here. Reynolds is said to be doing his usual schtick here, but it apparently meshes well with Branagh to give audiences a throwback to great buddy action comedies of the past. The film is currently certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes at 84 percent with 58 reviews counted, so consider this one the surprise home viewing this week and worthy of your attention. Mayday begins streaming on Apple TV on Sept. 4.

Gal Gadot is back with the action thriller The Runner, directed by Kevin Macdonald and written by Mark Gibson. In the film, prosecuting attorney Maia Martin (Gadot) is commanded by an unknown caller to race through the streets of London to stop a pivotal witness from testifying, or her abducted son will pay the price. The film also stars Damian Lewis and Alfred Enoch.

The Runner hit Amazon Prime Video on Sept. 2, and there is no way to shake the negative reception this one has received so far. As of this writing, the film has a dismal 10 percent rotten score on the aggregator site and a not-so-great 43 percent audience score to go along with it. It’s being called an uninspired thriller that requires a huge suspension of disbelief and a break in your intelligence to accept. Take that as you will. The film is already being maligned on social media, with people posting clips out of context for laughs, which means The Runner might be enjoyed in a so bad it’s good kind of way. Gadot has been hit a lot lately when it comes to her film output, and it looks like The Runner is no different. Proceed with caution.

Hitting digital is the erotic comedy I Want Your Sex, directed by Gregg Araki. Written by Karley Sciortino, I Want Your Sex combines a crime procedural with satirical BDSM comedy as Elliot (Cooper Hoffman) lands a job working for Erika Tracy (Olivia Wilde) as her sexual muse. The film also stars Mason Gooding, Chase Sui Wonders, Johnny Knoxville, Margaret Cho, Roxane Mesquida, Charli XCX, and Daveed Diggs. 

I Want Your Sex continues a great year for Wilde, who is riding high from directing and co-starring in The Invite, which has garnered significant awards-season buzz and quietly made some decent money (over $50 million worldwide on a $6 million budget). Both The Invite & I Want Your Sex made a splash at the Sundance Film Festival, where both films earned instant praise. I Want Your Sex was acquired by Magnolia Pictures in a seven-figure deal for distribution rights, and the film was potent with critics at 91 percent fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

Araki is best known for controversial films that get attention for their frank boldness, like The Doom Generation and Nowhere, and for taking his time between movies. He hasn’t released a film since 2014’s White Bird in a Blizzard, and I Want Your Sex represents his most accessible film to date. The film pulled in $1.9 million following its release in late July, but this was a film never meant to light up the box office. Now that it’s on digital, I Want Your Sex will find the audience ready for its frank hilarity and raunchiness.

Hitting digital after a very brief run in theaters back in August is The Wrong Girls, a stoner comedy written and directed by Dylan Meyer. In the film, two codependent friends and roommates, who also love their weed, get caught in a case of mistaken identity that leads to them being hunted down by very bad people and consuming drugs that lead to telepathic hilarity. The film stars Kristen Stewart, Alia Shawkat, LaKeith Stanfield, Tony Hale, Zack Fox, Seth Rogen, Kumail Nanjiani, Kate McKinnon, and Geena Davis.

The Wrong Girls was given a theatrical release from Neon that came and went with very little fanfare, with the film grossing a mere $862,736. That being said, while reviews were more mixed at 61 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, those that loved it felt like it was a nice return to form for the stoner comedies of the past that we used to get regularly. Besides, it’s also rare that we get stoner comedies headlined by women, and they deserve to be in the Harold & Kumar/ Pineapple Express territory with the best of them. Home viewing is the perfect time for this comedy to be discovered.

On the television side, Season 2 of the sports comedy Chad Powers debuted on Sept. 3 on Hulu, and it looks like it’s an improvement on its first season. Created by Glen Powell, who also stars, and Michael Waldron, Chad Powers follows a man named Russ Holliday (Powers), an arrogant former college football quarterback whose career hits a roadblock when he disgraces himself during a championship game. Following ruining his reputation, he undergoes a physical transformation with the help of prosthetics and a wig to become Chad Powers as he joins a floundering football team at a small school as a walk-on player. The series also stars Steve Zahn, Frankie A. Rodriguez, Colton Ryan, Keese Wilson, Xavier Mills, and Quentin Plair.

The first season hit 60 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, indicating mixed reviews. Many critics thought that while Powell was good in the titular role, some of the series’ jokes often didn’t land, but that didn’t stop them from seeing the potential in the show should some of the issues be fixed. It looks like that course correction took place because Season 2 sits at 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics say the show remains pretty ridiculous, but the character’s growth through Powell’s committed performance makes the second season a pretty interesting redemption story. Season 2 consists of six episodes, with them all now being available on Hulu and Disney+.

Also returning for Season 2 is the action-comedy series, The Gentlemen, created by Guy Ritchie. Serving as a spinoff of Ritchie’s 2019 film of the same name, The Gentlemen follows aristocratic army captain Eddie Horniman (Theo James), who inherits his family’s country estate only to discover that it sits on top of a cannabis empire with ties to a seedy criminal underworld. The series also stars Kaya Scodelario, Daniel Ings, Joely Richardson, Joshua McGuire, Vinnie Jones, Edward Fox, Giancarlo Esposito, Ray Winstone, and more.

Season 1 of The Gentlemen scored 75 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics praising the show for its visual slickness and the appeal of its ensemble cast, led effectively by James in the lead role. The Gentlemen scored a Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy nomination at the Golden Globes for its first season, and perhaps that momentum was carried into Season 2 because reviews have improved to 90 percent for the show’s sophomore outing. The second season is getting notice for tightening the scope and putting emphasis on two central characters who feel like real people to go alongside its gallery of disparate rogues. The series has already been renewed for a third season, so you can enjoy this one freely without worrying about the show going away anytiem soon. Season 2 consists of eight episodes with all dropping at the same time on Sept. 3 on Netflix..

Check back next week when we keep you in the know about What To Watch!