The second half of October at the movies is stacked. The first half, not so much. So consider this week a breather; one of those opportunities to catch up on recent releases you may have missed if the trio of new cinema debuts below don’t take your fancy. For the record, also on the menu during the coming days are Bollywood comedy Udta Teer; a recording of the Metropolitan Opera’s take on Mozart’s Così Fan Tutte; and music documentary Always Lalisa, centred on K-pop superstar LISA.
Biopic, and older movie, fans will likely want to check out A24’s Tony. In this comedy-drama meets coming-of-age tale, The Holdovers and Now You See Me: Now You Don’ts Dominic Sessa stars as Anthony Bourdain, who, at 19, and rejected for a writing fellowship, finds himself working in a restaurant kitchen in Provincetown, Massachusetts. It’s a summer that will shape the course of his life. Also with Emilia Jones, Leo Woodall and Antonio Banderas.
If you love twisty crime thrillers, with a sprinkling of dark humour, Just Play Dead is your recommendation for the week. In a tight spot, criminal Jack Wolfe (Samuel L. Jackson) plans to fake his death and claim the $30 million life insurance payout with his “grieving” wife Nora (Eva Green), framing her lover for the murder. But Nora is cooking up a scheme of her own. Who will come out on top in this twisted game of life and death? Casino Royale, The Foreigner and Cleaner’s Martin Campbell directs.
This Is How the World Ends is a speculative science fiction movie made in South Africa. Having initially released straight to VHS (the first film to do that in 20 years), it’s now enjoying a theatrical release. Set in the context of a war between humans and AI, and the possibility that humanity is about to be erased, people head deep into the desert for the party to end all parties. It’s against this emotionally charged backdrop that Tom Freeman (Josh Kempen) goes looking for his sister Dani (Frances Sholto-Douglas).