What to Watch in the Theater:
Five Feet Apart (PG13) is in theaters now. This film about teens with Cystic Fibrosis gives a pretty accurate portrayal of life with the disease, providing an effective vehicle to raise awareness about CF. We come to care about the young characters, watching Stella and Will bond after at first not getting along. It’s pretty classic teen drama and romance as they fall in love, but in a hospital setting, unable to physically touch each other as they must maintain a six-foot distance apart at all times. It’s a bittersweet story of love and loss, as they learn to open up to each other and discover which risks are worth taking. There’s some heavy stuff here, but it’s presented well. Bring tissues!
Our rating: 3.67 out of 5
Us (R) opens today. From the mind of director/writer/producer Jordan Peele, comes the followup to his much-acclaimed Get Out. This one didn’t floor us quite as much, but it was definitely creepy, with a seriously disturbing plot and the all-important twist at the end. It’s more thriller than horror, just like Get Out, but with a lot more gory violence. It could’ve used a bit more backstory, after the mid-movie reveal, so we left the theater with some questions. It was still a thrilling watch, and the cast did an excellent job portraying dual roles. We look forward to seeing what Jordan does next (especially The Twilight Zone series).
Our rating: 4.25 out of 5
What to Watch at Home (Or Not):
Nobody’s Fool (R) is on DVD. We’re big fans of Tiffany Haddish, and the trailer for this one gave us big expectations for some comedy, especially with Tyler Perry involved. The plot, about a beautiful, successful woman obsessing over a man who may or may not be catfishing her, was hard to swallow. Tiffany and Whoopi were there for comedic relief, but they were totally wasted in this movie (and not the way Whoopi’s character was). It just wasn’t funny AND included some really unnecessary adult material. Don’t waste your time on this one.
Our rating: 0.83 out of 5
The Iron Giant (PG) is available on DVD. Twenty years out, and we can see why this animated film is considered a classic. It was a box office failure in its day, but the combination of voice talent (Jennifer Aniston, Harry Connick Jr.), a real retro animation feel, and the genius of a pre-Pixar Brad Bird has endured the test of time. The story takes place in the Sputnik era of the late 1950s, when a young boy meets a robot, who could be from outer space or a cold war weapon – even the iron giant doesn’t know what his purpose is. As their relationship grows, we learn more about what powers us as humans, and the choices we have to make.
Our rating: 4.17 out of 5
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