Little Fish

It’s pretty wild that this was conceived and filmed before the COVID-19 pandemic because so much of it feels like it’s bouncing off the lived experienced people are having right at this moment. The premise looks solid, even if it seems pretty basic for this kind of thing, which becomes less surprising when it turns out the script is written by Mattson Tomlin, who wrote the fun but kinda hollow Project Power a few months back. However, it is directed by Chad Hartigan, who made this wonderful film a few years back called Morris From America. So, based on the strength of its director and this cast, this might be something to look forward to.

Little Fish hits select theaters and VOD platforms on February 5th, 2021.

 

Our Friend

This seems like every tearjerker dramedy I’ve ever seen. Curious it’s from Gabriela Cowperthwaite, who directed Blackfish and Megan Leavy. This looks like a pretty random project to follow up those, but it is written by  Brad Ingelsby, who was involved in writing films like The Way Back, Run All Night, and Out Of The Furnace, all three of which I like to varying degrees. It might be good. Aside from the presence of Casey Affleck (I guess those sexual assault allegations and lawsuits didn’t affect his career much), this cast is good, so maybe there’s more to this, but I’m not totally convinced just yet.

Our Friend will open in select theaters and VOD platforms on January 22nd, 2021.

 

The Prom

Well, you lost me in the first few seconds there. I don’t believe for a second that the actress playing the lead is 17 years old. Take that, Ryan Murphy. Jokes aside, this looks fine. I find it interesting that Murphy’s films tend to be more jovial while his shows are more vicious. I like musicals, so I’ll probably end up giving this a shot, though I don’t typically find any kind of movie with this level of sanctimoniousness all that appealing. At least this trailer isn’t afraid to dwell on its musical-ness unlike other movie trailers that almost try to hide it. I have a feeling this one’s gonna be a big hit, by Netflix standards at least, Murphy knows how to draw in an audience, I just hope it’s also interesting enough to warrant it.

The Prom hits select theaters and Netflix on December 11th.

 

The Boss Baby: Family Business

The Boss Baby was a much weirder movie than I expected it to be, and in a surprisingly good way. It was by no means a great movie, but it’s bonkers enough to make an impression. And with this, even with just a trailer, I have so many questions. First off, this takes place in the future? Why did the baby call her dad and uncle boomers when they are most likely Gen Z? Why did the dad turn back into a kid and not a baby like his brother? Like I said, so many questions. But hey, I love the idea of Amy Sedaris voicing a snarky baby. I don’t think the film itself will be all that, but I don’t doubt that it will be a weird ride.

The Boss Baby: Family Business opens in theaters on March 26th, 2021.

 

Godmothered

I actually really like this premise. It almost feels like it could take place in the same universe as Enchanted. Isla Fisher is really talented comic actress, and it seems like she’s just not in as much stuff anymore, but this looks like a fun role. Obviously, given that it’s Disney, I can’t imagine they’ll go too wild with the setup here, but it does look fun.

Godmothered begins streaming on Disney+ on December 4th.

 

Gunda

I’ve never seen anything from Viktor Kossakovsky, but this has my curiosity. Who would have guessed capturing the daily lives of farm animals in black-and-white would feel so striking and meditative? Not much to say about this one. It looks intriguing, and weirdly compelling. The trailer is very well put together, and it’s one that I’ll definitely keep an eye out for.

Gunda will have a week long run in select virtual cinemas starting December 11th, and will be released widely sometime in 2021.

 

Thoughts on any of the trailers? Feel free to discuss in the comments!