Make way for The Fantastic Four. Only two other new films, catering to very different audience demographics, have the courage to open against the most anticipated Marvel movie in years.
Apart for that trio of big screen releases, South Africans can check out limited screenings, from the 30th of July, of fan-centred documentary BTS Army: Forever We Are Young; a Mzansi Philharmonic Orchestra Concert Film; and the Throwback rerelease of Sandra Bullock’s beauty pageant comedy Miss Congeniality.
No need to be familiar with decades of Marvel Cinematic Universe lore when it comes to The Fantastic Four: First Steps. This superhero adventure brings Marvel’s First Family into the MCU fold in a wholly fresh manner. Set in a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world (presumably in a different dimension to ours), Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), his wife Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), her brother Johnny (Joseph Quinn) and their long-time friend Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) find their happy reality threatened by the appearance of the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner), a herald for world-eating cosmic entity Galactus (Ralph Ineson). WandaVision’s Matt Shakman directs.
Look out for our The Fantastic Four: First Steps review soon.
For something more grounded, and very much entrenched in history, there’s drama Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight. Embeth Davidtz stars, directs and wrote the screenplay for this adaptation of Alexandra Fuller’s novel, which is set during the final days of the Zimbabwean War of Independence. This film festival darling centres on 8-year-old Bobo (Lexi Venter), who tries to make sense of life, and both side of the Bush War struggle, through events on her family’s farm. Also starring are Zikhona Bali and Rob Van Vuuren.
Finally, fresh off its Durban International Film Festival debut (where it opened the event), there’s South African comedy Lucky Fish. To help rescue his failing tinned fish company, Sanjay Pillay decides to stage a beauty pageant for the publicity. Sanjay ropes in his sister Samantha for help, and with her involvement Miss Pillay Pilchards becomes an all-inclusive competition, stealing headlines from a rival Chatsworth event that is traditionally appearance focused. Meren Reddy and Mayuri Naidu head up the cast while Joshua Rous directs.