It’s Friday, There Are Movies

Running on fumes after a week of TIFF — I think I filed my 60th capsule last night, but I’m honestly no longer sure how numbers work — but here’s the regular release roundup, because I’m just that dedicated.

American Assassin: Michael Keaton is, perhaps unsurprisingly, the best thing about this third-rate Tom Clancy knockoff, which stars Dylan O’Brien as a self-taught terrorist hunter recruited by the U.S. government to be their wild card. (Keaton really is good, though.)

Blurred Lines: Inside the Art World: Barry Avrich interviews everyone from Julian Schnabel to Maria Abramovic to take the temperature of the art world. I do not believe he spoke to Robin Thicke.

Hunting Pignut: East Coast writer-director Martine Blue’s feature debut stars Taylor Hickson as a misfit teen chasing the eponymous jerkbag (Joel Thomas Hynes, from Down to the Dirt) after he steals her father’s ashes. Ew.

It Stains the Sands Red: Colin Minihan’s zombie movie sets an interesting challenge for itself, with a Vegas dancer (Brittany Allen) pursued by a single ghoul (Juan Riedinger) as she hikes across the Nevada desert. The second half gets conventional, but that first hour is solid.

Long Time Running: Jennifer Baichwal and Nick de Pencier’s look at the Tragically Hip’s final tour plays as a great concert documentary and a crushingly moving farewell to Gord Downie, who is as aware as the filmmakers that this is his chance to say goodbye. I’m really proud of the way this piece turned out.

mother!: Honestly, you need to see Darren Aronofsky’s delirious new venture knowing as little as possible … but I will allow that it feels like the culmination of the cracked-cosmic mode that gave us PiThe Fountain and Noah. Also it’s great.

Anyway, go see something. Thank me later.

One thought on “It’s Friday, There Are Movies”

  1. It would probably help seeing mother! unspoiled if Jennifer Lawrence wasn’t mentioning a relevant major point on chat shows. Don’t stars usually get told not to give things away when they go on a hawk-the-movie tour? The trailer/clips don’t spill anything important.

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