HOLLYWOOD, CA — This weekend’s new releases feature motorcycle riders, an expert fighter, a nonagenarian, and a trio of stars playing starkly contrasting roles.
Fans of Austin Butler, Jodie Comer and Tom Hardy can check out the stars’ latest movie, “The Bikeriders,” a crime drama about the origins of the Chicago Outlaws Motorcycle Club.
On the heels of Emma Stone’s win at this year’s Oscars, the Hollywood A-lister returns to the big screen with a starring role in “Kinds of Kindness,” a triptych fable presented with three loosely connected stories.
Finally, June Squibb stars in her first-ever leading role in her seven-decade-long career. The 94-year-old Hollywood legend graces the silver screen in “Thelma,” an action comedy about a fearless elderly woman in pursuit of scammers.
Check out what we thought of the four new releases below.
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Movies And Shows Out This Weekend
“The Bikeriders”
Jodie Comer, Austin Butler, Tom Hardy; directed by Jeff Nichols
Jeff Nichols’ much-awaited crime drama finally makes its cinematic debut after a six-month delay brought upon by the recent SAG-AFTRA strike. Nearly two decades in the making, it is a dream come true for the 45-year-old Nichols whose career launched with 2007’s “Shotgun.” The auteur’s complete oeuvre includes 2011’s “Take Shelter,” 2012’s “Mud,” 2016’s “Midnight Special” and 2016’s “Loving.”
The writer-director’s latest effort — inspired by the real 1967 photobook by Danny Lyon about the Chicago Outlaws Motorcycle Club — centers on a fictional Chicago-area motorcycle club called the Vandals. It is an exploration of American masculinity with a trajectory that metastasizes to the detriment of the exclusive club during the turbulent ‘60s.
At the core, Nichols’ approach serves up a romanticized take on the origins of the Outlaws with a love triangle that plays out among three main characters — the ever-unassuming club leader Johnny (Tom Hardy), the outspoken Kathy (Jodie Comer) and the impossibly sexy loner Benny (Austin Butler).
By the end, the drama feels real, engaging and nuanced with solid and captivating performances and clear directorial vision.
“Kinds of Kindness”
Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons; directed by Yorgos Lanthimos
On the heels of Emma Stone’s Best Actress win at this year’s Oscars, the Hollywood A-lister reunites with filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos, following the duo’s previous collaboration in the box-office sensation “Poor Things.” Their latest stint, “Kinds of Kindness,” is a triptych fable with three loosely connected stories. The ensemble cast includes Stone, Jesse Plemons, Willem Dafoe, Margaret Qualley, Hong Chau, Joe Alwyn, Mamoudou Athie and Hunter Schafer.
In Lanthimos’ latest effort, all three stories utilize the same cast members but in starkly contrasting roles. The first segment, “The Death of R.M.F,” follows the story of Robert (Jesse Plemons), a middle-aged man with low self-esteem. As such, his boss, Raymond (Willem Dafoe), tries to control every aspect of his life. On one fateful day, Robert’s life implodes when, suddenly, Raymond gives the diffident man the cold shoulder.
In the second segment, “R.M.F. Is Flying,” Plemons plays Daniel, a police officer whose wife, Liz (Emma Stone), is missing. Her disappearance has left him feeling bereft and lost. By the end, Liz turns up safe and sound. But to everyone’s surprise, Daniel is acting rather nonchalantly with the notion that the lady is not the real Liz.
Finally, in the third segment, “R.M.F. Eats A Sandwich”, Stone plays Emily, a woman who completely abandons her husband and daughter to join a cult led by the beguiling Omi (Dafoe). As the story unfolds, Omi gives Emily and cult member Andrew (Plemons) a task to find a special gifted person.
Altogether, audiences will either love or hate the movie — or both for that matter. Expect another Yorgosmic original ride of quirkiness and dark humor!
“Trigger Warning”
Jessica Alba, Mark Webber, Tone Bell; directed by Mouly Surya
After a five-year hiatus in showbiz, Jessica Alba is back, starring in Mouly Surya’s first English feature film, the action thriller “Trigger Warning.”
In the movie, Alba plays Parker, an elite Special Forces commando whom audiences first meet during an extremely dangerous mission in the desert. Moments later, she gets a phone call from her ex-boyfriend, sheriff Jesse (Mark Webber), informing her that her father has been killed in a mine cave-in. With a heavy heart, the expert fighter returns to her hometown searching for answers to her father’s untimely death.
The more she digs for the truth, the more she’s convinced that his sudden passing is not an accident. She soon unearths a criminal scheme to use the mine to steal weapons from a nearby military base. The culprits? She suspects Jesse’s father, the corrupt senator Swann (Anthony Michael Hall), and Jesse’s hot-headed brother Elvis (Jake Weary). Will she be able to avenge her father’s death?
In all, Alba’s outstanding “Rambo” performance cannot save a formulaic plot that feels uneven, equally pulse-pounding and lethargic at the same time.
“Trigger Warning” is now available on Netflix.
“Thelma”
June Squibb, Fred Hechinger; directed by Josh Margolin
Hell, hath no fury like a 93-year-old woman scammed! Enter our heroine Thelma (June Squibb), a nonagenarian who becomes a victim of a phone scam by a fraudster pretending to be her grandson. In a fit of rage, she decides to reclaim what was stolen from her. Believe it or not, this is the first leading role of the 94-year-old Squibb in her seven-decade-long career. And what a feat it is!
It is best not to spill the beans about the juicy twists and turns of the storyline. But rest assured— the movie is highly entertaining, further elevated by the exceptional Squibb.
