Two films releasing in movie theaters this week -- Zach Cregger's Weapons and Nisha Ganatra's Freakier Friday -- look to be polar opposites. Yet each stirs interest for dramatically different reasons.
The former is squarely in our site's wheelhouse. Per the official synopsis: "When all but one child from the same class mysteriously vanish on the same night at exactly the same time, a community is left questioning who or what is behind their disappearance."
That's certainly mysterious and intriguing, and the trailer, linked below, looks truly awesome. What really raises the temperature is director Zach Cregger's previous film, which made a 180 flip from his work before that.
Born in Virginia, U.S., Cregger attended the School of Visual Arts in New York City, where he met friends in the comedy troupe 'The Whitest Kids You Know.' (He co-directed with Trevor Moore The Civil War on Drugs, which is now FASTing on Tubi TV, if you'd like to sample and/or be reminded of the group's style of humor.)
Working as an actor and writer, he made his feature directorial debut with the romantic comedy Miss March (2009), and continued to direct sketch comedy for the small screen, none of which prepared viewers for what was to come.
Barbarian (2022)
The film is now streaming on Netflix.
Georgina Campbell stars as a woman who arrives in the dead of night at a Detroit, Michigan, (U.S.) house in a desolate neighborhood. She's there for one night ahead of a job interview in the morning, but she soon discovers that not all is what it seems.
Our own Mel Valentin wrote a very good review that digs into some of those issues, but if you haven't seen the movie yet, I'd suggest just watching it first, then reading the review to stimulate further discussion.
On the face of it, Freakier Friday is not the type of film we usually cover. Jamie Lee Curtis is reason enough to see the movie, though, even if it's not your top priority this week. Another point of interest is the director, Nisha Ganatra.
Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada -- which automatically puts her on our radar as a Canada-based site -- Ganatra made her feature directorial debut in 1999 with Chutney Popcorn, which kickstarted her career. Primarily helming episodic television, she has gotten incredibly busy over the last few years. Samples of her television work are spread out over a wide variety of quality television, most notably on Transparent.
Her two most recent feature films are both streaming. Both showcase her strengths as a director, and suggest how she will handle Freakier Friday, for those so inclined.
Late Night (2019)
The film is now streaming on Prime Video.
Emma Thompson stars as the longtime host of a late-night television show. Informed that she will be fired at the end of the current season, she begins to listen to a new hire, fledgling comedy writer Mindy Kaling.
This is very much a Mindy Kaling project, in that she wrote the original screenplay, which informs her depiction of the only woman in a writing room dominated by men. It's filled with a plethora of one-liners, and plays into type. It's far slicker than my usual preference, but director Ganatra keeps it moving. Combined with Thompson and Kaling, that makes for a very easy watch.
The High Note (2020)
The film is now streaming on Peacock TV.
Dakota Johnson stars as the personal assistant to longtime popular singer Tracee Ellis Ross. They both face a career crisis in the comedy-drama.
The humor relies heavily on familiar themes and stereotypes. It's not bad, per se, but nothing in it rises very far above the material, typical for a mid-level Hollywood studio production.
What buoys the film are the bright and charming performances by Johnson and Ross, an unhinged Ice Cube (as Ross' money-grubbing manager), along with a solid supporting turn by Zao Chao as Johnson's best friend. Ganatra's direction serves the material well. It's mostly soft-edged and pleasant, and never draws attention to itself.
Now Streaming celebrates independent and international genre films and television shows that are newly available on legal streaming services.