From Night Swim to Self Reliance, Should You Add These To Your Watchlist?
From haunted pools to dark web reality TV shows, the writers of Pop Culture Planet are breaking down the new movies you need to watch… and the one’s you can skip.
Migration
A family of ducks leaves the safety of their pond for a family adventure to Jamaica in Migration. The experience opens them up to new friends and more opportunities than they thought possible.
Migration is a hilarious adventure the whole flock will enjoy! It perfectly captures the fear and excitement of stepping out of your comfort zone and how that can change you for the better. The star-studded voice cast including Keegan-Michael Key, Awkwafina, Elizabeth Banks, and Kumail Nanjani brings humor and heart to this duck out of water story.
Migration is playing in movie theaters.
- Kristen Maldonado
Night Swim
You’re going to want to stay away from swimming pools after watching Night Swim. It follows a family that moves into a new home with a huge pool that will be fun for the kids and help the father of the family with physical therapy. But a dark secret from the home’s past is waiting under the depths of the water.
What holds Night Swim back is its tonal inconsistencies. Some parts of the film take themselves too seriously, while others tap into fun, campy horror. Jodi Long is a stand out in the brief, but terrifying, performance she delivers. Wyatt Russell is a weak link, giving too much creepy factor too early on in the story. The underwater scenes are expertly shot and there’s a decent final act, but it will leave you wishing you learned more about the mysteries of the pool.
Night Swim is playing in theaters.
- Kristen Maldonado
Self Reliance
Jake Johnson makes his directorial debut with Self Reliance. He stars as Tommy, a man who’s dull life takes a thrilling turn when he’s offered a chance to win a million dollars in a dark web reality show. All he has to do is survive 30 days of assassin attacks. Luckily, he’s found a loop hole, they can’t kill him if he’s not alone.
While it could go to further extremes, the absurd dark comedy successfully has you questioning Tommy’s reality, while simultaneously exploring our innate human need for growth and connection.
Self Reliance is streaming on Hulu.
- Kristen Maldonado
The Color Purple
The Tony winning Broadway musical based on Alice Walker’s novel The Color Purple has gotten a movie adaptation! It follows the life-long struggles of Celie (Fantasia Barrino), an African American woman in the south in the early 1900s. It differs in tone from the original book and movie, offering a more lighthearted approach to the story and focusing on Black joy over showing so much trauma.
The Color Purple is a triumph! It is a stunning portrayal of how the support of sisterhood can help a woman find the power within herself. Danielle Brooks steals the show. Barrino gives it her all and you really see such a huge change in Celie over the course of the film. The strength she finds in herself is palpable. Between the costumes and the vocals, The Color Purple is a truly uplifting and beautiful musical.
The Color Purple is playing in movie theaters.
- Kristen Maldonado
The Holdovers
A grumpy New England prep school instructor (Paul Giamatti) stays on campus during the Christmas break to watch a handful of students who have nowhere to go. During the break, he forms an unlikely bond with a smart and troubled student (Dominic Sessa). He also befriends the school's head cook (Da’Vine Joy Randolph), a woman grieving the loss of her son in the Vietnam War. These three sad souls spend the holidays together in attempt to feel a little less alone.
Though the film spans the holiday season from Christmas to New Years, I wouldn’t characterize it as a holiday film. In my opinion, it’s a cozy and chilly depiction of the New England winter season and all of the trials that come along with it. The holidays can be a lonely and alienating time for those without traditional families, and The Holdovers is like the warm hug everyone wishes for. It’s a story of found family and choosing vulnerability in order to gain connection, especially for men and teen boys who seem to struggle with openness. It’s funny, heartbreaking, hopeful, and truly is a movie made for feeling.
The Holdovers is streaming on Peacock.
- Jordan Bohan
