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Hello, Yahoo readers! My name is Brett Arnold, film critic and longtime Yahoo editor, and I'm back with another edition of Trust Me, I Watch Everything. This week, James Gunn's Superman is flying into theaters. I found the alleged franchise starter to be disappointing, though comic book fans may find things to love. Luckily, there are some great flicks freshly available to rent in Sovereign and The Unholy Trinity. Plus, there are even more that are brand new to streaming, like a documentary celebrating the 50th anniversary of Jaws on Disney+ and Hulu, the Hitchock-esque thriller Drop on Peacock and plenty more, including The Bear star Ayo Edebiri in Opus, which is now on HBO Max. Read on because there's something in this guide for everyone.
Why it doesn't really work: James Gunn's Superman, which damn near singlehandedly carries the weight of the future of DC movies on its broad shoulders, has to be the most disappointing movie of the year so far. It falls almost entirely flat, relying on the audience's pre-existing relationship with the characters rather than using any of the film's runtime to set up this world or build any sort of emotional connection to these people. Gunn certainly has a take on the character, but he never came up with a hook.
By the time we meet our hero, played here by relative newcomer David Corenswet in an underwhelming attempt at a star-making turn, he and Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) are already a couple, and we're supposed to buy their relationship simply because it's there on-screen. You don't feel the romance; they are simply already dating! Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) already hates Superman and is secretly controlling the enemies that Kal-El faces throughout, with no real pathos added. We are introduced to Superman himself as he loses his first-ever fight, with text very briefly informing viewers of the history of meta-humans and Superman's place in our world.
The movie wastes zero time getting political, setting up a conflict in which Superman unilaterally steps in to prevent a war between two fictional countries. It all amounts to an unsubtle critique (that ultimately winds up as an endorsement) of United States interventionism abroad, and Gunn wades even further into politics by leaning into the "Superman is an alien immigrant" metaphor, botching the specifics regarding his parentage, no matter how well-intentioned. It’s actually wildly offensive!
Superman is also overstuffed, full of side characters, a problem that countless superhero movies as of late have fallen victim to, making tentpole movies feel like a small part of something larger rather than a singular satisfying product. It plays as if you flipped to a TV show on a random episode in its sixth season, having seen none of it before. It shoots for Saturday morning cartoon and "comic book come to life" energy and instead lands at "chintzy streaming-era TV feel."
All of this would be easy to forgive if it delivered action worthy of a summer blockbuster superhero movie spectacle, but that is arguably its worst asset, as the overlit look and its complete and total reliance on rubbery CGI renders all that action cartoonish, boring, and repetitive. It just has no weight to it. The repeated use of Superman's (entirely CGI) dog Krypto for comic relief gets old, too.
Hardcore fans of comic books and/or Superman may find things to praise here, but casual audiences are likely to be underwhelmed by it as it really lacks the sort of rousing crowd-pleasing energy and charm that made Gunn's Guardians trilogy and his Suicide Squad entry a lot of fun. It's a flat nothing of a movie, a fact made starkly clear any time there's supposed to be a moment of genuine emotion. It’s ultimately just another superhero movie, even if it looks more like a CW show.
???? What critics are saying: My negative opinion is actually in the minority, so don't be dissuaded just yet! The Telegraph's Robbie Collin wrote that "Gunn’s kitchen-sink approach feels refreshingly generous, and his excitement for the character shines through." Jake Coyle at the AP noted that "a weird Superman is better than a boring one."
Why you should watch it: Nick Offerman is absolutely terrific and perfectly cast in Sovereign, a movie based on the true story of Jerry and Joe Kane, a father and son were self-proclaimed sovereign citizens involved in a deadly confrontation with police in West Memphis, Ark., in 2010. It's a fictionalized take on the incident and not a direct retelling.
It amounts to a dual character study that tragically builds toward the aforementioned incident; a thriller of sorts, but with real emotional weight behind it. It's a specific parenting story that speaks to the inherent dynamic of the father-son relationship: the father trying to mold the son to their worldview, and the son resisting, or embracing, that.
Offerman is sublime in the role, making you almost pity the man who is so staunch in his convictions as those convictions are revealed to be watery and not based in reality. The filmmakers are essentially weaponizing his well-known "Ron Swanson" persona from Parks and Recreation to great dramatic effect. Jacob Tremblay, child actor of Room and Wonder fame, now almost 20 years old, plays the son. It's also a strong turn from him even if Offerman steals the show.
???? What critics are saying: Everyone agrees that Offerman is the highlight; Frank Scheck at The Hollywood Reporter specifically praised the performance as "terrific" (jinx!) and says it's "uncomfortable but necessary viewing." Indiewire's David Ehrlich, too, praised Offerman but was less sold on the movie overall, writing that it's "too vague and scattered to chart a legible path toward his breaking point."
Why you should watch it: The Unholy Trinity is a good old-fashioned revisionist western that transcends how barebones and cheap it is because the filmmakers were smart enough to cast Pierce Brosnan and Samuel L. Jackson in lead roles. The A-listers really elevate the material, which is a blessing, as the true lead character played by Brandon Lessard is a total zero of a presence that makes you wonder how he landed the role.
In the film, a young man returns to an old Montana town to reclaim his legacy. He's caught between a law-abiding sheriff and a destructive stranger as old secrets lead to violence. The dialogue is sharper than you'd expect from this kind of production, and the gunfights are well-staged and exciting in a way that they often aren't here.
???? What critics are saying: It's a mixed bag, with more negative reviews than positive ones. Variety's Joe Leydon dug it, agreeing that it "provides more than enough rapid-fire shootouts, impressive stunt choreography, shifting allegiances and moderately clever plot twists to keep things interesting." William Bibbiani at the Wrap, however, did not, writing that members of the cast are "all trying to make a meal out of starvation rations. The cast’s efforts aren’t in vain, and the film is better for having them, but a thing can get a whole lot of 'better' before it gets 'good.'" Oof.
???? How to watch: The Unholy Trinity is now available to rent or buy
???? But that's not all!
The Phoenician Scheme: Wes Anderson's latest is a decidedly sillier follow-up to his extremely personal Asteroid City, but it's a laugh riot that still manages to be emotionally affecting all the same despite being as cartoonish as anything Anderson has ever made, including his actual animated films like The Fantastic Mr. Fox and Isle of Dogs. Benicio del Toro is sublime in the lead, and newcomer Mia Threapleton, daughter of Kate Winslet, steals scenes with her deadpan delivery. — Rent or buy.
Karate Kid: Legends: This unwieldy legacy sequel tries to connect all the disparate eras of the franchise, to mixed results. If the movie had any room to breathe, it might've been more compelling; in its current form, it feels truncated and like entire character arcs are missing. It plays more like several separate movies smushed together than a coherent whole. Despite being extremely messy, the lead karate kid himself, Ben Wang, is very good, and it's fun to see Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio share the screen. — Rent or buy.
Why you should watch it: To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Jaws, arguably the most popular movie ever made, a new documentary from a storied behind-the-scenes documentary filmmaker sets out to tell the story of the movie, its influence and maestro Steven Spielberg's relationship to the film.
There's new talking head-style interview footage with Spielberg, which includes a few bits of insight from him that feel personal and newly shared, like how he suffered from PTSD and intense nightmares after the tumultuous production was finally finished.
Spielberg's musings are interspersed alongside chats with dozens of others, from collaborators like the local islanders who ended up in the movie to other famous filmmakers like Steven Soderbergh and Jordan Peele, whose careers were influenced by the movie.
There's a sequence in here that breaks down the iconic Alexander "Alex" Maxwell Kintner scene that is an excellent analysis of what makes Spielberg a great director, showing how effortlessly he moves his camera, quite literally directing the audience where to look. It's a masterclass in filmmaking and a great showcase of how the best directing is invisible and intuitive.
Nobody needs a documentary to tell you how great Jaws is — though this is far from the first one — but this is a fun watch that does a great job of telling the nuts and bolts of the making of the movie itself as well as its legacy half a century later.
???? What critics are saying: Jump right in, the water's fine! Shawn Van Horn at Collider agreed that it's worth a watch, calling it "joyful and inspiring." Movieweb's Julian Roman noted that it "serves as a victory lap of sorts for Spielberg."
???? How to watch: Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story airs on TV Thursday at 9 p.m. ET on National Geographic; it will be available to stream on Disney+ and Hulu Friday.
Stream 'Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story'
Why you should watch it: The specifics are best left unspoiled, but if you're into Alfred Hitchcock-inspired thrillers, and don't mind if they get a little silly, Drop is a lot of fun and perfect streaming fodder now that it's available on Peacock.
The movie centers around Violet, played by Meghann Fahy, who you may recognize from The White Lotus or The Bold Type, who, while on a first date, begins receiving threatening messages via "air drops" to her phone, demanding she carry out increasingly dangerous acts.
It recalls similar films like Cellular,When a Stranger Calls and Phone Booth, and it feels particularly indebted to Wes Craven's Red Eye, but it's entertaining enough to stand on its own, even if it does admittedly fall apart in the third act. It's a rollercoaster ride more than a coherent film, and sometimes that's OK!
???? What critics are saying: Most agreed that this movie is a blast, including Ty Burr at the Washington Post, and it sports an 82% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Amy Nicholson, however, at the Los Angeles Times, found certain elements “aggravating.”
???? How to watch: Drop will be available to streaming Friday on Peacock.
???? But that's not all!
In The Lost Lands: Dave Bautista and Milla Jovovich star in this bats*** crazy post-apocalyptic western based on a short story by George R.R. Martin of Game of Thrones fame. Jovovich plays an omniscient witch, and Dave Bautista is the bounty hunter she teams up with to journey into dangerous territories on a job hunting down a shape-shifting werewolf for a power-hungry queen. If that sounds like the right kind of wacky to you, you will enjoy it. Otherwise, steer clear! — Streaming on Hulu Friday.
Pavements: This meta-documentary-biopic hybrid is intentionally difficult to pin down, but fans of the '90s indie band Pavement will get a kick out of this movie that's equally earnest as it is making fun of itself. It's often hard to tell when it's doing which! As I wrote when I recommended it for rental, "even those unfamiliar [with the band] may get something out of it." — Streaming on Mubi Friday.
Opus: In this A24 film that bombed at the box office earlier this year, Ayo Edebiri plays a young writer invited to the remote compound of a legendary pop star (John Malkovich) who mysteriously disappeared thirty years ago. The pop music concocted for Malkovich is actually not bad, but that's about the only nice thing to say about it. Besides that Edebiri is also good, as it falls apart in a way typical of this kind of barely-a-horror movie with vague cult-y vibes. — Streaming on HBO Max Friday.
The Shrouds: The latest film from director David Cronenberg sees the legendary Canadian filmmaker getting more personal than ever before with this movie about death and dying, made not long after Cronenberg lost his wife of nearly 40 years. All the usual themes of his work, like the destruction of the human body, are on display but distilled through a distinctly modern lens, and dealing with new concerns from beyond the grave. The conspiracy here is reminiscent of the Coens' Burn After Reading, which is a delightful meshing of my specific interests. — Now streaming on Criterion Channel.
