It's all about dinosaurs for families at the multiplex this weekend: Paw Patrol: Dino Island for the kiddies, and The End of Oak Street for the young teenagers.
No kids? No problem! Check out The Wrong Girls or The Rivals of Amziah King or Feed for three strong indie films that are completely different and will appeal to older teens and adults. What about Willem DaFoe in The Birthday Party? Read our review, linked below.
If you're in mainland China, we would advise you to stay away from Stephen Chow's Kung Fu Soccer, but it may be too late. In any event, watching or revisiting a certain zombie train is always advised.
I'm happy to say we've reviewed all the films listed below; check the links to read them in their entirety to assist in your movie-watching decisions. We're happy to read and/or ignore your angry retorts or happy agreements on social media.
The End of Oak Street
The film is now playing, only in movie theaters, via Warner Bros..
There is something about dinosaurs, evidently. Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor star. David Robert Mitchell (It Follows) wrote and directed.
Our review by George and Josh Bate: "Evoking an Amblin sense of wonder from start to finish, Mitchell's film overwhelmingly delivers with the actualization of its brilliant premise and unmistakably Spielbergian atmosphere."
Official synopsis: "After a mysterious cosmic event rips Oak Street from suburbia and transports their neighborhood to someplace unknown, the Platt family soon discovers that their very survival depends on them sticking together as they navigate their now unrecognizable surroundings."
The Wrong Girls
The film is now playing, only in movie theaters, via Neon Releasing.
Kristen Stewart, Alia Shawkat, and Lakeith Stanfield lead the cast. Dylan Meyer directed.
Our review by Shelagh Rowan-Legg: "Make no mistake: The Wrong Girls is the kind of silly, often stupid (complimentary), weird, gross, and bizarre film we expect when we get two people taking too many drugs. It might be a little slow in its pacing at times, but it will benefit from a big audience, and it brings some needed late summer love and joy to the big screen."
Official synopsis: "Two codependent best friends living paycheck to paycheck and bong rip to bong rip get caught in a case of mistaken identity that throws their lives into chaos."
The Rivals of Amziah King
The film is now playing, only in movie theaters, via Black Bear.
Matthew McConaughey stars in a film directed by Andrew Patterson (The Vast of Night), introducing Angelina LookingGlass, with Kurt Russell.
Our review by Daniel Eagan: "Steeped in atmosphere, The Rivals of Amziah King is a strikingly original drama set in a contemporary but still timeless Oklahoma. Anchored by an enthusiastic Matthew McConaughey, the movie skips from genre to genre without losing its focus or heart."
Official synopsis: "Deep within the backwoods of rural Oklahoma, charismatic and musically gifted Amziah King herds a bluegrass-playing band of misfits while overseeing the premier honey-making operation in town. When Amziah's estranged foster daughter unexpectedly returns, Amziah leaps at the possibility to renew connection and create a family business. But the honey game is ruthless, and Amziah's rivals threaten to destroy everything he has built."
Kung Fu Soccer
The film is now playing, only in movie theaters, in Mainland China, and opening in more Asian territories this weekend.
Our review by James Marsh: "Twenty five years after scoring a resounding critical and commercial hit with the martial arts sports comedy Shaolin Soccer, Hong Kong comedy legend Stephen Chow unleashes an absolute howler of a sequel that fails to replicate anything that made its predecessor a success."
The Birthday Party
The film is now available, On Digital and On Demand, , via Quiver Distribution.
It's wealthy Willem DaFoe on his own island! That's gotta be good, right? Hmm, maybe not.
Our review by Mel Valentin: "Before The Birthday Party slips into a disappointingly permanent longeuer in the last act, it effortlessly coasts along on the strength of Jiménez's unobtrusive direction, Gris Jordana's sun-drenched cinematography, period-specific Euro-melodies, and, of course, an international cast led by Dafoe, delivering a richly textured, layered turn as the tyrannical Marcos, Danish actress Vic Carmen Sonne as Sofia, and a uniformly talented cast in support of Jiménez's otherwise sturdy, well-made adaptation of Karnezis's novel."
Official synopsis: "The Birthday Party is set against the beautiful Mediterranean landscape and an extravagant birthday party. A ruthless multi-millionaire in charge of a business empire, will entirely lose his grip on any sense of right and wrong when he tries to control the lives of those around him whatever the cost, leading to a heartbreaking clash with his daughter."
Feed
The film is now available, On Digital and On Demand, via Saban Films.
Our review by yours truly: "Five young people head for a weekend away in a lovely Irish home. Little do they know that evil lurks in the woods nearby.
"Don't they know they're in an Irish horror thriller? ... The script is not the hero in Feed: It's the atmosphere and the performances and the blessedly efficient 83-minute running time.
"The combination of those elements make Feed a pungent and effective horror thriller.
Train to Busan 10th Anniversary
The film is now playing, only in movie theaters, via Wll Go USA.
And you thought snakes on a plane were bad.
Our 2016 review by Korea-based Pierce Conran, who no longer travels on trains: "For his live-action debut Train to Busan, indie animation director Yeon Sang-ho, whose films The King of Pigs and The Fake have drawn international acclaim, has taken the zombie thriller, stuck it into the claustrophobic confines of a train, and taken aim at Korea's government and its hierarchical divides. A tense and inventive mix of genre thrills and social anxiety, Train to Busan is a Korean blockbuster with an unusually clear focus."
Official synopsis: "Yeon Sang-ho's global phenomenon Train to Busan arrives back in theaters to celebrate its 10th Anniversary. What begins as a simple birthday trip for a father and daughter turns into a high-octane fight for survival when a zombie outbreak ravages South Korea. Trapped on a speeding train, they must navigate a landscape of terror to reach safety. Experience the relentless action and heart-wrenching drama on the big screen like never before."
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