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This week, there are EIGHT new films out for you to choose from: a bizarre comedy/drama from Netflix in Okja, Edgar Wright and Kevin Spacey take us for a spin in Baby Driver, A Man Called Ove is the original grumpy old man, there’s a very funny low-budget British comedy in Chubby Funny, the story of Tupac Shakur is told in All Eyez on Me, CGI animation is about in Despicable Me 3, Will Ferrell wastes our time in The House, and Brendan Gleeson turns up again in Alone In Berlin (again, since it was originally due out in March).
Okja is released today, exclusively on Netflix, centres around a young girl named Mija, who risks everything to prevent a powerful, multi-national company from kidnapping her best friend – a massive 10-year-old piglet named Okja.
Directed by Bong Joon-ho, who co-wrote the script with Jon Ronson (Frank), this film has a decent cast in Tilda Swinton, Jake Gyllenhaal, Lily Collins, Paul Dano, Devon Bostick and Giancarlo Esposito, but it’s an odd film to get to grips with from the trailer, but what did I make of it?
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Read the review!
Baby Driver centres around the titular Baby (Ansel Elgort), who no-one suggests should be put in a corner during the entire trailer, but who is coerced into working for a crime boss. As a young getaway driver, he finds himself taking part in a heist doomed to fail, in a film where I wasn’t expecting a huge amount from the trailer, but then I saw it was written and directed by Edgar Wright (the Shaun of the Dead trilogy) and I laughed a lot and hugely enjoyed the action within.
Also starring Lily James, Eiza González, Kevin Spacey, Jon Hamm, Sky Ferreira, Flea, Jamie Foxx and Jon Bernthal (The Accountant‘s only saving grace), I can’t wait to see this…
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Hit!
A Man Called Ove
Ove (Rolf Lassgård), 59, is his residential block’s grumpy man who several years earlier was deposed as President of the housing association, but he could not give a damn about being deposed and therefore keeps looking over the neighbourhood with an iron fist. When pregnant Parvaneh and her family moves into the terraced house opposite and accidentally backs into Ove’s mailbox it turns out to be an unexpected friendship. A drama comedy about unexpected friendship, love and the importance of surrounding yourself with the proper tools.
Writer/director Hannes Holm, in conjunction with Fredrik Backman‘s novel, has made a film that looks to be one of this week’s must-sees and also stars Bahar Pars and Filip Berg.
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Hit!
Chubby Funny
Oscar (Harry Michell) thinks he’s special. He isn’t. He thinks it’s everyone else’s fault. It’s not. Moving to London, he gives himself a year to break into showbiz, but ends up waylaid by the same old problems: friendships, fucking, and finding ultimate fulfilment. Say what you like, but it’s tough being Chubby Funny.
Based on the trailer, it made me laugh a hell of a lot – a low-budget British comedy that really delivers the goods, and I really want to see
Also stars: Augustus Prew, Isabella Laughland, Jeff Rawle, Jack Cooper Stimpson, Maggie Michell, Johan Schiller, David Bamber, Asim Chaudhry, Phoebe Nicholls, Dave Benson Phillips and Prevenge‘s Alice Lowe.
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Hit!
All Eyez on Me tells the true and untold story of prolific rapper, actor, poet and activist Tupac Shakur, portrayed by Demetrius Shipp Jr.
The film follows Shakur from his early days in New York City to his evolution into being one of the world’s most recognised and influential voices before his untimely death at the age of 25. Against all odds, his raw talent, powerful lyrics and revolutionary mind-set propelled him into becoming a cultural icon whose legacy continues to grow long after his passing.
I can’t count myself as the biggest fan of his music, but then sometimes that can still lead to an incredible documentary as there’s always intrigue around some people, especially those who have passed away before their time.
Also stars Jeremy Haft, Eddie Gonzalez, Danai Gurira, Kat Graham and Jada Pinkett.
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Hit!
Despicable Me 3
Gru has a twin brother (kinda), the Minions are back… you know what to expect.
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Maybe!
The House is another pointless ‘comedy’ where Will Ferrell acts like a complete goof… as usual.
This time, it’s the plausible premise that he, as idiotic dad Scott, somehow manages to convince his friends to start an illegal casino in his basement after he and his wife, Kate (Amy Poehler), spend their daughter’s college fund.
Directed by Andrew J Cohen, who co-wrote this muck with Brendan O’Brien, it also stars Andrea Savage, ason Mantzoukas, Ryan Simpkins, Allison Tolman, Kathy Corpus and Catherine Chen, I will be hopefully for a quick foreclosure on The House.
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Miss!
Alone in Berlin was originally due out in mid-March, but has been put back for some reason – certainly wasn’t to drum up any interest.
It features some dodgy German accents as Brendan Gleeson plays conscientious objector Otto Quangel in 1940 Berlin, when, after he and wife Anna (Emma Thompson) learn that their only son has lost his life in the battlefield, they decide to resist the Nazi regime in their very own way by leaving notes here and there for anyone to find, trying to draw attention to what’s really going on. Before long, the Gestapo is hunting “the threat”.
Directed by Vincent Perez (best known as an actor in Indochine, Cyrano de Bergerac and The Crow: City of Angels), who co-wrote the script with Achim von Borries and Bettine von Borries, based on the novel by Hans Fallada, the film also stars Daniel Brühl, Mikael Persbrandt and Katharina Schüttler, and you’ll be alone without me in the cinema, because it looks pretty poor.
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Miss!
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.