SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (ABC4) — Utah’s #1 movie and TV review show is back, and Tomatometer-Approved film critic Patrick Beatty has the right picks for your weekend. This week, Patrick, along with UFCA film critics Kent Dunn and Rebecca Frost, is covering the new Austin Butler crime thriller in “Caught Stealing” and selling the marital “Woeses” with Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Coleman in “The Roses”. Then, Peter Dinklage serves up some bloody mayhem in “The Toxic Avenger,” plus, what’s new on streaming with “The Thursday Murder Club” and “Peacemaker Season 2.” Grab a snack and settle in, cause this week is full of good picks!
Caught Stealing (R) *Kent & Rebecca’s Pick*
Where to Watch: Theaters
Directed By:
Darren Aronofsky
Starring:
Austin Butler, Matt Smith, Zoë Kravitz, Regina Hall
Genre:
Crime Thriller
All media courtesy of Columbia Pictures
Darren Aronofsky takes on a journey of misfortune and mayhem as Hank Thompson (Austin Butler) is thrust into a world of Rabbi Gangsters, Fake Poop, and ’90s grunge with ” Caught Stealing”. I love the style and look of the film. I love the world that’s both dirty and uncomfortable, but also familiar and tight-knit. Austin Butler is hands down a movie star, and I cannot wait to see him and his contemporaries in the same age group take on the mantles held by the greats before them.
Zoë Kravitz and Matt Smith are great in their roles; Smith particularly stood out, likely due to finally having some substance to work with in film (aside from Morbius, of course). It moves at a breakneck pace, and while the story can tonally feel out of place in the second act, this is still an enjoyable ride that should be seen in theaters.
See It or Skip It? See It
The Roses (R) * Patrick’s Pick*
Where to Watch: Theaters
Directed By:
Jay Roach
Starring:
Benedict Cumberbatch, Olivia Colman, Andy Samberg, Allison Janney, Kate McKinnon
Genre:
Comedy, Drama
All media courtesy of Searchlight Pictures
The Roses began as a family desperately in love, with two kids and dreams of a happily ever after. But when life throws a curveball at Theo and Ivy Rose (Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Coleman), and power dynamics shift, their relationship takes a slow turn into something they both couldn’t have anticipated. While the description of “The Roses” comes across as a straight drama, it is anything but.
This is one of the best comedies of the year, with dynamic and crackling chemistry from both Cumberbatch and Coleman. You will be laughing from the first to the last frame of this, and it is the perfect date night film. Go opening weekend with a family member open to swearing, and you will have an absolute blast.
See It or Skip It? See It
The Toxic Avenger (R)
Where to Watch: Theaters
Directed By:
Macon Blair
Starring:
Peter Dinklage, Jacob Tremblay, Taylour Paige, Kevin Bacon, Elijah Wood, Julia Davis
Genre:
Action, Body Horror, Comedy
All media courtesy of Cineverse
Winston Gooze (Peter Dinklage) is a down-on-his-luck janitor who just got dealt a massive blow in the form of an incurable brain disease and a gigantic hospital bill. Wanting to save himself for his step-son, who recently lost his mother to cancer, Winston makes a plea to the one man who can save him. But when catastrophe hits, it deforms Winston and transforms him into an ungodly strong and green monster, who’s set on revenge for the ones who did this to him.
“The Toxic Avenger” is unabashedly full of gruesome joy. Beware if you’re squeamish, but if you want to feel good about supporting an independent voice, and even help in the film’s cause, partnering with Undue Medical Debt to erase at least $5 million in medical debt, well then, this is a no-brainer.
See It or Skip It? See It
Peacemaker Season 2
Where to Watch: HBO Max
Created By:
James Gunn
Starring:
John Cena, Danielle Brooks, Freddie Stroma, Jennifer Holland, Steve Agee, Frank Grillo, Robert Patrick
Genre:
Action, Comedy, Superhero
All media courtesy of HBO Max
John Cena returns as the foul-mouthed, “peace at all costs” antihero. Set now firmly in James Gunn’s new DCU, Peacemaker now faces the ghost of his past in the form of Rick Flag Sr. (Frank Grillo), set on avenging the death of his son at the hands of Peacemaker in “The Suicide Squad”. While evading his current life or misfortunes and missed connections, Chris (Peacemaker) finds another universe that may end up being better than anything he could imagine.
To have this be so connected, or in some cases retrofitted into James Gunn’s DCU with the stark contrast in maturity rating, is admirable, if it wasn’t so in on the joke. John Cena continues to prove his acting chops, and with the first two episodes out currently, we are in for a more emotional Peacemaker that will continue to test Cena in ways that I assume will only improve his already impressive performance. With it only being two episodes, it’s hard to recommend because we are just barely scratching the show’s premise, but we will continue to check back in and tell you when the time is right to start binging.
See It or Skip It: Wait For It
The Thursday Murder Club
Where to Watch: Netflix
Directed By:
Chris Columbus
Starring:
Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley, Celia Imrie, David Tennant, Naomi Ackie, Jonathan Pryce
Genre:
Crime, Mystery
All media courtesy of Netflix
Described as a “Cozy Murder Mystery” and with an impressively stacked cast of A-list actors, “The Thursday Murder Club” is a story of the most polite HOA you’ve ever seen. This group of irresponsible but well-meaning sleuths has uncovered a real murder and works to solve it while their home is under threat of being torn down.
While not really something I would enjoy watching in my spare time, I do think this falls squarely in that Netflix-specific category of being something you can put on while doing chores, or on a Sunday with the family. Of course, the performances are great, and Chris Columbus delivers on the film’s premise, if not with a few too many twists.
See It or Skip It? See It
Did you see any of the shows reviewed this weekend? Leave a comment if so, and make sure to follow us on all our social media platforms and listen to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more.
Note: See It or Skip It is proudly owned and produced by Patrick Beatty. ABC4 is a broadcast partner, but the show, its content, and opinions are independently created.
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