Jordan Peele has clearly earned Universal’s trust. And following the success of ‘Get Out’, ‘Us’ and last year’s ‘Nope’, it’s perhaps not all that surprising that the studio would see him as a heavy hitter.
There are few bigger examples of confidence than lining up a filmmaker’s new title –– without any real details to share –– in a competitive release slot, and Peele’s latest faces a real one.
His next film, the fourth he’s written and directed, will be in theaters on 25 December 2024. That’s right: Christmas Day!
To make it more exciting/challenging, that date is exactly one week after the arrival of both ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 3’ (which we would figure as less of a threat, since Peele’s movies are rarely aimed at kids and families) and James Cameron’s third ‘Avatar’ movie.
That one is more likely to be a challenge, especially since the ‘Avatar’ films have been adept at steamrollering over other releases. The original 2009 film remains the highest grossing modern film, with more than $2.9 billion in the bank. But follow-up ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ is no slouch in that department either, having earned more than $2.3 billion for third place on the list.
Skeptics keep pointing to ‘Avatar’ fatigue as a problem for the franchise moving forward but given ‘The Way of Water’s results so far, that’s unlikely.
(L to R) Daniel Kaluuya and director Jordan Peele on the set of ‘Get Out.’
So what do we know about the new film from Peele? Nothing, at least for now. In keeping with his usual style, Peele has this far said nothing about the title, genre or cast for the new movie.
He’s a filmmaker whose work always carries subtext and themes –– ‘Get Out’ appeared to be a relationship drama at first but used the frame of White Guilt to spin a yarn about terrifying experimentation and exploitation on a racially-motivated front. ‘Us’ explored doppelgangers and disenfranchisement to horrifying effect, while ‘Nope’ headed in a more spectacular direction, subverting expectations of an alien encounter story to touch on historic exclusion.
The Christmas Day date doesn’t necessarily mean this will be a festive chiller, but we could certainly imagine the director using something about the season to dig deeper.
That wasn’t the only film announcement to have Peele connections.
Universal, in the same statement, also revealed that a new film from his Monkeypaw production company will also hit theaters –– this one on September 27th, 2024. Even fewer details were released for this one; we don’t even know who is making it.
Whatever Peele has up his sleeve, we certainly can’t wait to see what he does next… Even if he does end up making us all afraid of what could be coming down the chimney one cold December night…
In addition to Kaluuya and Palmer, the cast also includes Oscar-nominee Steven Yeun, Brandon Perea, Michael Wincott, and Keith David. The result is a truly thrilling, original, and at times funny take on the alien invasion genre featuring standout performances from Kaluuya and Palmer.
The film begins with an odd side-story about a 90’s sitcom starring a chimpanzee, who during a taping killed most of the cast and crew. We then meet Otis Haywood (David) and his son OJ (Kaluuya), who own a ranch outside of Los Angeles and also train horses for film and TV. When strange objects begin to fall out of the sky, Otis is killed by the falling debris.
Months later, OJ is working on the set of a commercial with his unreliable sister Emerald (Palmer), and a cinematographer named Antlers Holst (Wincott). When the shoot doesn’t go as planned, OJ begins selling some of his horses to a carnival owner named Ricky “Jupe” Park (Yeun), with the intent on eventually buying them back. But Emerald recognizes Park, and it is revealed that he was a child actor and the lone survivor of the doomed sitcom with the chimpanzee.
OJ eventually confides in Emerald that he does not believe that falling debris from an airplane killed their father, and that he believes it was actually a UFO. Wanting to get proof, and thinking that will make them rich and famous, the two enlist Fry’s Electronics salesman Angel Torres (Perea), and Antlers Holst, to help them capture footage of the spaceship. But after a terrible tragedy at Park’s carnival, OJ begins to think that the object in the sky is not an alien spaceship, but rather a giant alien itself.
Actor and comedian Jordan Peele made the jump to directing with his surprise hit movie and Oscar nominated film ‘Get Out’ in 2017. Since then, he has won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay and directed the acclaimed horror film ‘Us’ in 2019. In a few short years Peele has completely reinvigorated the horror genre and become one of the most original and interesting filmmakers working today. His latest outing is no different, delivering a fresh and original take on the “alien’s attack” theme, which is often quite funny in a very organic way.
Peele has also become a master at deconstructing the expectations of the horror genre, as well as moving the camera in an interesting way. The movie is filled with jump scares, but they never feel forced and in fact enhance the creepiness and mood of the film. Peele’s cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema beautifully captures the vast vistas of the ranch, while contrasting that with the horrors of the movie.
Peele also makes some brilliant choices with the pacing of the movie and the way he shows the terror of the alien moving through the open skies. While it doesn’t really connect till the end of the movie, I really enjoyed the side-story of the 90’s sitcom with the chimpanzee. It helps to illustrate the theme of the movie, which OJ actually says at one point, about how we as humans need to leave apex predators in nature alone.
Special credit should go to Peele and his team for their unique take on what an alien creature can look like. I’m so tired of seeing movies that feature aliens with the creatures often looking like copies of the Xenomorph from the ‘Alien’ franchise. The extra-terrestrials in this movie are completely original, and look like nothing we’ve seen before, adding to the originality of this film.
The acting in the movie is excellent, all the way down to supporting performances from Brandon Perea and Michael Wincott. As Angel, Perea plays the enthusiastic outsider and the eyes of the audience, but also layers in a very funny performance. Wincott, a veteran actor you will recognize from ‘The Crow,’ was perfectly cast as the grizzled Hollywood cinematographer who tries to help the Haywood’s get their photographic evidence.
Keith David also gives a nice performance as Otis Haywood, but I wish he had at least one more scene in the beginning of the movie to make his death resonate more with the audience. It’s also worth noting that motion capture actor Terry Notary (‘Rise of the Planet of the Apes’) plays Gordy, the chimpanzee in flashbacks. Having played King Kong in ‘Kong: Skull Island,’ Notary was maybe the only actor that could play this role, and actually injects vulnerability and a sense of regret to the animal’s actions.
Rounding out the supporting cast is Steven Yeun, who gives a very good performance as Ricky “Jupe” Park. Although the character could have been more fleshed out in the present day, his flashback scenes tell you everything you need to know about why he is still chasing fame, and the overall fear that he has lived with since that traumatic event happened in his past.
The breakout performance award goes to actress Keke Palmer, who is an absolute delight to watch. Palmer plays Emerald as the annoying younger sister to OJ, more concerned with achieving fame and money than continuing her family’s legacy. But the actress is also very funny in the movie, in an organic way, that is in stark contrast to Kaluuya’s quiet and brooding performance. The two actors have fantastic chemistry together on screen and are completely believable as brother and sister.
But it is Daniel Kaluuya’s strong performance that really anchors the film. The actor, who has giving standout performances in ‘Sicario,’ ‘Get Out,’ ‘Black Panther,’ ‘Queen & Slim,’ and ‘Judas and the Black Messiah,’ for which he won his Oscar, demonstrates again in ‘Nope’ that he is one of the finest actors of his generation. Kaluuya is completely believable in the role and makes for an unlikely hero by the film’s end.
In the end, with ‘Nope’ Jordan Peele has delivered a stunningly beautiful movie, that transcends its own genre by telling a fresh take on the “alien invasion” theme with brilliant performances from the entire cast.
So far, in keeping with its creator’s wishes, the promotional campaign for Jordan Peele’s new horror thriller ‘Nope’ has been heavy on the mystery. We’ve been introduced to some basic story elements and the main characters, but the question of what is actually happening in the movie has mostly been left to guesswork. Which is exactly what a teaser or trailer should do: leave you wanting to know and see more.
For the latest trailer, which premiered to CinemaCon audiences this past April, the wrapping has been taken off a little further, so our advice for anyone wishing to stay completely unspoiled would be to skip this one and wait for the movie itself.
Everyone else? Let’s dig in…
‘Nope’ features Daniel Kaluuya (working again with the director after his Oscar-winning debut ‘Get Out’) and Keke Palmer as sibling OJ and Emerald Haywood, who run a horse ranch in a lonely gulch in inland California catering to the film industry.
From the looks of this new trailer, OJ is happy working the ranch with their father (Keith David), while Emerald is more in search of fame. So, when weird things start happening – especially in terms of the sky above, OJ’s worried, but Emerald sees a chance at riches.
When their dad dies after something falls from the clouds, the brother and sister approach a group of others to help them capture footage of what they suspect is an alien incursion. And, of course, things just get weirder and scarier from there.
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Peele has filled the movie – and therefore this trailer – with all manner of striking imagery, including a ranch house bathed in blood from above, the audience of a rodeo (to say nothing of some of the main cast) swept up in the sky and that final money/“Oprah”, to use Emerald’s parlance, moment of OJ riding a horse as what appears to be a flying saucer swoops down towards him.
Of course, this being Jordan Peele, you know the movie will have more layers than just a basic story of terror from the sky. If ‘Get Out’ and ‘Us’ have taught us anything, ‘Nope’ will be filled with thematic material and meditations on modern life, all told through the medium of gut-wrenching horror.
“I’m always attracted by my favorite movie I haven’t seen before,” Peele, said at CinemaCon. “My plan is to bring these new ideas and nightmares to the big screen.” He’s reportedly worked with IMAX to develop new camera gear to capture shots we’ve not seen before. And while he’s never been about imagery over story, we’re still intrigued to see what he’s come up with.
Jordan Peele’s “Us,” released earlier this year to rapturous critical acclaim and big box office numbers, is a movie that rewards repeat viewings, mostly due to its rich subtext, cultural relevancy and expertly hidden pop culture nods. But it’s also a movie that viscerally thrills you, creating an apocalyptic world that you can’t help but imagine yourself in. So, it is with great anticipation that the “Us” maze opens this weekend at Universal Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights (the Florida iteration opened this past weekend; we couldn’t make the press event and are very sad about it). With this new maze, you can enter Jordan Peele’s imagination like never before.
We were given a tour by Halloween Horror Nights mastermind John Murdy, who walked us around the unfinished mazes with the efficiency of someone who had dreamed the whole thing up in the first place. Spoilers will follow, for both the film and the maze, so proceed with caution – and watch where you step!
When you get to the maze, you go through the funhouse that you see at the beginning of the movie, and Murdy joked that the first scare of the maze comes from the unlikeliest of places: an intentionally crummy-looking owl puppet that mirrors a similar gag from the movie. As you make your way through the funhouse, you eventually wind up at the house of Lupita Nyong’o and Winston Duke’s, with real performers portraying some of the members of the Tethered, the supernatural subterranean doppelgängers (oh, you’re going to be freaked) and eventually you go through the second, modern day funhouse and while you don’t actually descend into the underground labyrinth, you do get a chance to see the rabbits (stationary, unfortunately) and the classroom where what Murdy calls the “dance of death” takes place. There’s even an ode to the movie’s haunting final shot of the Tethered, now Untethered, stretched as far as the eye can see…
Murdy said that this was a tough maze to conceptualize, because the movie is so rich with metaphor and meaning (and isn’t, say, a standard slasher movie) and because it changes locations so often. (Don’t worry, you get to see a great scene set in Tim Heidecker and Elisabeth Moss’ house, complete with an homage to “The Shining” and a moment when the actress playing Moss’ double cuts her face along the surgery line like in the movie) But judging by our walkthrough, which this cannot be stressed enough, was happening in harsh daylight and was very much unfinished, they did an excellent job of capturing the spirit of the movie and turning the entire experience into a funhouse all its own.
Also interesting to note, Murdy said that the team had the rights to use Michael Abels’ chilling score, including the “Tethered Mix” of “I Got 5 On It” and that really creepy choral main theme. So, if your skin wasn’t crawling already …
Halloween Horror Nights runs on select nights at Universal Studios Hollywood from September 13th to November 3rd and in Orlando from now until November 2nd. So get on it. We’ll have more coverage very soon.
It’s hard to believe but 2019 is more than halfway over. Which means that we should pause and take stock. This year’s film conversation has largely been defined by massive blockbusters like “Avengers: Endgame,” which is okay considering how great the movie is, but there are just as many independent movies and smaller studio fare that deserve your love, attention, and fervent Twitter debate. So without further ado, we run down the very best movies of 2019. And don’t worry, we’ll update periodically throughout the year.
‘Always Be My Maybe’
Netflix
In what is arguably Netflix’s greatest romantic comedy (sorry, “Set It Up”), Ali Wong and Randall Park star as two friends who briefly became lovers, quickly lose touch and reconnect much, much later (with appropriately awkward results). Much of the success of the film has to do with the leads’ chemistry (they also co-wrote the screenplay with Michael Golamco) and Nahnatchka Khan’s delicate direction, which never loses its edge and emphasis on socioeconomic specificity, even when it gets very, very cute. (There are even some stylistic flourishes! In a mainstream rom-com!) And obviously Keanu Reeves should get a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for his brief turn as an exaggerated version of himself. Rarely is he allowed to be this funny and this outré and seeing him do both feels like, if not a revelation, then a rediscovery. “Always Be My Maybe” is refreshingly earnest and quietly revolutionary, a movie you never knew you needed until you watch it.
‘Apollo 11’
NEON
A deeply beautiful and optimistic documentary, “Apollo 11” recounts the first manned mission to the moon using only archival footage (much of it seen for the first time) and audio (including candid statements from the astronauts themselves). Soaking in every detail from the period, from the rivets on the rocket’s engines to the design of the Coca-Cola cans onlookers were sipping on as they watched the launch, it’s impossible to not get swept up in the spirit not of conquest but of scientific discovery and utopian ambition. The space race might have been a largely political construct, but it was still, as this documentary brilliantly expresses, quite an adventure.
‘Avengers: Endgame’
Marvel Studios
It seemed like an impossible task — wrap up more than 10 years and 22 films worth of mythologies, interpersonal character relationships and plot threads — in a single, super-sized (over 3 hours!) film. And yet, somehow, Joe and Anthony Russo’s “Avengers: Endgame” managed to not only fulfill even the loftiest expectations but also exceed them. The resulting film, with its wildly different tones, going from a somber examination of survivors guilt to a time travel romp (are there any sweeter words than “time heist?”) to an all-out brawl that manages to dwarf everything that came before it. But the biggest accomplishment of “Avengers: Endgame” is how emotionally resonant it is, from the pre-credits sequence of Hawkeye’s family disappearing, to the conclusion of both Tony Stark and Steve Rogers’ storylines, it was in these moments that “Endgame” became something more; sure, it thrilled, but it also made you deeply feel too.
‘Booksmart’
Annapurna
One of the few films out of SXSW this year that felt like a genuine sensation, “Booksmart” was widely released at the start of summer and … didn’t quite break through like we all thought it would. Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut is tender and fun, about a pair of high school girls (Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein) who cast off their bookish tendencies for one wild night of fun. Featuring a soundtrack full of A+ party jams and some terrific supporting performances (from Jessica Williams and Billie Lourd), this is a silly, sublime teen comedy that stands apart thanks to the sophistication of its writing and direction and by its distinctly female point of view, which is progressive, sex-positive and utterly fun. In some alternate (perhaps more just) universe, it has made more money than “Avengers: Endgame.”
‘Climax’
A24
If “Climax” had been released in the heyday of 1990s American independent cinema, it would have been a word-of-mouth smash. Now it barely registers. After garnering rave reviews out of Cannes last year, “Climax” was finally released in America cinemas earlier this spring and nobody paid much attention. Which is a shame. Because “Climax” is unlike anything you’ve ever seen, an adrenalized dance party descent into hell, where a group of French dancers, celebrating the end of a grueling rehearsal schedule (they’re about to embark on a tour) take sips of some spiked sangria and it all goes spectacularly downhill. Auteur Gaspar Noe is a notorious enfant terrible, and there are certainly a number of sensational aspects of “Climax” that will probably rub people the wrong way (among them: self-mutilation, child murder, and some incredibly misogynistic dialogue). But it’s also so breathlessly told (with a series of unbroken long takes) and authentically acted that the camp only heightens it. Like an adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk’s “Haunted” set to 90s club music, “Climax” is a future midnight movie classic. Fingers crossed.
‘Cold Pursuit’
Lionsgate
Liam Neeson made a major gaffe during the promotional cycle of “Cold Pursuit,” which more or less doomed the film’s commercial chances. This is a bummer, considering how wonderfully weird “Cold Pursuit” is. Neeson plays a snowplow driver whose son dies under mysterious circumstances. Instead of merely allowing the law to investigate, they quickly rule it a drug overdose and leave Neeson to mete out his own form of justice, namely killing each and every person who had anything to do with it. Director Hans Petter Moland directs a western remake of his own “In Order of Disappearance” with the same wit and dry, dark humor. If you need to scratch that weird, windswept itch before “Fargo” comes back, this will hit the spot.
‘Crawl’
Paramount
A hurricane floods a small Florida town, leaving a college athlete (Kaya Scodelario) to rescue her father (Barry Pepper) from their childhood home, now overrun with bloodthirsty alligators. That’s really it. But director Alexandre Aja and producer Sam Raimi, both of them horror luminaries in their own right, expertly stage the action, turning even the slightest gesture into a white-knuckle suspense set piece. And when Aja is called upon to let loose on the gore, he does so with great aplomb. “Crawl,” released in the dog days of summer, was the perfect antidote for the bloated blockbusters and prestige-y arthouse fare that was basically all you could find. Instead, this was just bloody good fun.
‘Fyre’ / ‘Fyre Festival’
Netflix
The doomed Fyre Festival, a music festival based solely on artifice, built by charlatans and conmen, was such a colossal screw-up that its story had to be documented by two separate films. Each documentary (Netflix’s “Fyre” and Hulu’s surprise “Fyre Festival”) offer different details about the formation and ultimate dissolution of a festival that every influencer on planet earth simply had to attend, only once they got there realized that the island-set event wasn’t actually set up and that people, who had paid thousands to attend, where huddled in refugee tents, eating cold sandwiches with a slice of American cheese. The ultimate depiction of hubris, hype and the gullibility of millennials, it’s a powerful reminder that if something is a house of mirrors, eventually, it shatters.
‘The Great Hack’
Netflix
The feel-bad documentary concerns the Cambridge Analytica scandal and the handful of whistleblowers who outed the company following the one-two punch of evil that was Brexit and the 2016 United States presidential election. “The Great Hack” documents how the shady company, which filed for bankruptcy shortly after the scandal broke largely to hide evidence and dodge prosecution, had a history of taking part in disruptive, largely harmful political campaigns all over the world. And it is … sobering. Not even the whistleblowers get away clean, as their motives seem, at the very least, suspect. The only dopey element of the documentary is its framing device, around a goofball New School professor who is suing for his personal date. Everything else is terrifyingly sublime.
‘Greta’
Focus Features
The best Brian De Palma movie of 2019 wasn’t actually directed by Brian De Palma. (His movie, “Domino,” which is has already publicly stated was taken away from him during post-production, is just okay.) Instead, that honor goes to “Greta,” Neil Jordan’s guilty-pleasure stalker thriller about a young girl (Chloe Grace Moretz) who falls under the spell of a charismatic older woman (Isabelle Huppert, having a ball) who is full of sinister secrets. With a svelte 98-minute runtime, it’s able to indulge in a number of the genre’s tropes while also gleefully upending them (particularly in the final act, which has a deliciously empowered message of sisterhood and femininity). It’s a blast.
‘Happy Death Day 2U’
Universal/Blumhouse
2017’s “Happy Death Day” was a welcome surprise, a movie where a young woman (the vivacious Jessica Rothe) finds herself stalked by a sadistic killer and each time she dies, the day starts over. The only way she can break the loop is if she figures out who killed her. It was a terrific conceit with a lovely, smart-ass-y tone, “Scream” meets “Groundhog Day.” So with the surprise gone, what was there left to do in the sequel? Well, go even crazier, it turns out, by introducing an actual time travel mechanic and some dweeby kids studying physics. Shockingly emotional and so much fun, “Happy Death Day 2U” wasn’t the sleeper hit that the original was, which is strange because it isn’t just as good — it’s better.
‘High Flying Bird’
Netflix
2019 will be graced by a pair of new Steven Soderbergh movies (on Netflix, no less). The first was “High Flying Bird,” a shot-on-an-iPhone sports drama about a charismatic agent (Andre Holland) navigating an NBA strike, armed with some bold new ideas. Full of long, talky scenes that still remain captivating (the script is by playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney), with a killer supporting cast that includes Zazie Beetz, Zachary Quinto, Kyle MacLachlan and Bill Duke, it’s a sports movie that feels totally unlike any sports movie you’ve ever seen (and not just because they had to skirt around NBA copyrights like an Olympic speed skater). Whip-smart and paced with a breakneck speed, “High Flying Bird” is the latest triumph from a filmmaker who, we should be reminded, was retired until very recently. Thankfully that didn’t last long.
‘John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum’
Lionsgate
The first thirty minutes or so of “John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum” might be the best movie of the year, period. In that amount of time, Keanu Reeves, picking up right where the last film left off, is marked for death by a squadron of secret assassins, kills a giant man in a library, throws dozens of knives into people, uses horses as an accessory to murder, and takes part in a daring bridge chase while on horseback. From there, the movie occasionally meanders (although the sequence with Halle Berry and the dogs in Casablanca is fun), but never relents, culminating in a climactic sequence in a glassy Manhattan tower. Aside from the “Mission: Impossible” films, it’s hard to think of an action franchise more pitch perfect or eager to please. Bring on chapter 4.
‘Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood’
Sony
Quentin Tarantino’s 9th film certainly courted controversy, even before it was release. After all, the notoriously sensationalist filmmaker would be tackling the Manson murders, of all things, perhaps the only subject matter touchier than World War II. And yet, “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood” was released and everyone was generally surprised by how sweet the movie was, how deeply felt and nostalgic and charming it would end up being. Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio give all-time best performances as a washed-up actor and his deeply committed stunt-double and gofer, and Margot Robbie is luminous as the doomed Sharon Tate. Tarantino’s most relaxed film, it beautifully spends time with its characters as they luxuriate in 1969 Los Angeles, with the camera soaking in every period detail (there’s a sequence devoted to various neon signs turning on). Breathtaking and bloody, it’s a film that we cannot stop thinking about.
‘The Perfection’
Netflix
For maximum satisfaction, try to go into Netflix’s “The Perfection” knowing as little as possible. Just know that it stars Allison Williams as a fading cello star and reteams her with frequent “Girls” director Richard Shepard. That’s it. What follows is one of the scariest, most surprising thrillers you’ll see all year, beautifully photographed, richly performed, and totally outrageous. Okay, now go watch it.
‘Toy Story 4’
Disney•Pixar
“Toy Story 4” feels like a rebuke to everyone who cried that the “Toy Story” series wrapped up perfectly with the third installment (back in 2010). The fourth adventure for Woody (Tom Hanks) and the gang sees the pull-string sheriff reconnect with his long-lost love Bo Peep (Annie Potts) while on vacation with Bonnie. More formally adventurous than any other film in the series (it features flashbacks, dream sequences, and cut-away gags), it feels uninhibited by the previous movies and positively fearless in its willingness to forge a new and altogether different path. What’s more, it’s arguably the most emotionally complex, with characters who have complicated feelings for one another and their place in the world at large, with a tender, moving villain (Christina Hendricks) and some A+ new characters, including an insecure Canadian stuntman (Keanu Reeves) and a pair of county fair prizes (voiced by Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele). Also, “Toy Story 4” is the most beautiful-looking animated film ever, with director Josh Cooley proving himself to be a next-level visionary. This is the bittersweet coda you never knew you wanted but now cannot live without.
‘Triple Frontier’
Netflix
It took a long time to get “Triple Frontier” across the finish line. What started as a re-team of “Hurt Locker”/”Zero Dark Thirty” writer Mark Boal and Kathryn Bigelow went through a number of key personnel changes before winding up in the hands of writer-director J.C. Chandor, who overhauled the existing script and assembled a kick-ass group of performers (including Ben Affleck, Oscar Isaac, Charlie Hunnam, Garrett Hedlund and Pedro Pascal). This tale of ex-military men who steal a lot of money from a South American drug lord is exciting and violent, the kind of muscular, no-frills action movie that they used to make throughout the 1980s and 1990s (complete with a streak of mournful melancholy). It took long enough to get finished, but we’re very happy “Triple Frontier” finally saw the light of day. It’s an edge-of-your-seat wonder.
‘Under the Silver Lake’
A24
It seemed like a sure-thing: David Robert Mitchell, the director of the buzzy low budget horror movie “It Follows,” teamed with arty distributor A24 for an ambitious, sprawling neo-noir about a burnt-out loser (Andrew Garfield) who goes looking for his missing neighbor (Riley Keough). But after a mixed response at Cannes last year and a number of released dates that were either missed entirely or hastily rescheduled, “Under the Silver Lake” was quietly released in a handful of theaters this spring before quickly going VOD. But maybe the home format is the best way to enjoy the film, with its multiple layers of meaning, hidden clues, and tangential narrative paths. (At a whopping 140 minutes, it might also take a few sittings.) Garfield is pitch perfect as a typical LA loser who is more intent on distracting himself with labyrinthine mysteries than dealing with the troubles of his everyday life head on. Also, he might be a serial dog murderer? Rewarding and ramshackle, “Under the Silver Lake” is a movie that will be endlessly analyzed and speculated about. How many other movies can you say that about?
‘Us’
Universal/Blumhouse
Jordan Peele followed up his massive, paradigm-shifting, Oscar-winning chiller “Get Out” with the unfathomable: a movie that is even more ambitious, artful and scathing than his game-changing debut feature. In the masterful “Us” Lupita Nyong’o plays a woman who travels with her family back to the seaside town where she had a traumatic event as a child. Soon enough, she and her entire family are menaced by scarred doppelgangers who are “tethered” to their normal counterparts. (There’s a fairly deep mythology established here that never feels cumbersome or too complex.) As the movie progresses, going from a home invasion thriller to something much larger in scope, it manages to fold in the Hands Across America charity event from 1986, an entire underground world of creepy doubles, multiple amazing uses of the 1995 Luniz single “I Got 5 on It” and one of the very best horror movie twist endings ever. “Us” proved that “Get Out” wasn’t a fluke and cemented Jordan Peele as one of the most exciting, original voices in genre filmmaking.
‘Velvet Buzzsaw’
Netflix
“Nightcrawler” writer-director Dan Gilroy reteams with Jake Gyllenhaal for this art-world-set horror romp, which seems to take equal inspiration from Robert Altman movies and the “Final Destination” series. (How many movies can you say that about?) A captivating Zawe Ashton stars as a young up-and-comer who finds a treasure trove of paintings in her dead neighbor’s apartment and brings them to the attention of Gyllenhaal (as a critic) and various arty weirdos, who all become enthralled. The only problem is that the paintings are haunted and, well, people start dying in spectacularly violent ways. (If you’ve ever wanted to see Toni Collette get her arm gnawed off by a sculptural centerpiece, this is the movie for you.) While it’s sort of unclear what “Velvet Buzzsaw” is saying about creativity, art, and criticism’s place in the intersection of the two, it does offer some biting satire and some spectacularly realized, phantasmagorical kills.
‘Yesterday’
Universal
“Yesterday” doesn’t open until the end of the month, but it premiered at Tribeca and is getting a wide release so we’re breaking the rules! In Danny Boyle’s latest masterpiece, Himesh Patel is a struggling musician who suffers a cataclysmic accident at the same time that a strange blackout envelopes earth. When he wakes up, he realizes he’s the only person in the world you remembers the Beatles. But what to do with this awesome power/gift/revelation? Rom-com mastermind Richard Curtis’ beautiful script not only weaves a wonderful love story (between Himesh Patel and Lily James, as his beleaguered, constantly friend-zoned manager and friend), but complicates your own feelings about the Beatles by adding layers of doubt and regret to all of the songs that you deeply love. The reaction out of Tribeca was muted but know this: “Yesterday” rules.
Watch out for your evil doppelganger in Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights!
The attraction is adding a new maze inspired by Jordan Peele’s nightmarish thriller “Us.”
The “Us” maze will have callbacks to key components of the movie, from the unnerving labyrinth of underground tunnels to the disorienting and the ominous uprising of “The Tethered”— doppelgängers of every living man, woman and child in the country.
Visitors will soon understand the tagline: “We are our own worst enemy.”
Maze-goers will follow in the footsteps of the young girl they first meet as Adelaide Wilson as she innocently ventures through a mirror funhouse at the Santa Cruz boardwalk and has a fateful and traumatic encounter with her tethered doppelgänger, an event that will forever alter both of their lives. Visitors will then be thrust into the chaos of “The Tethered” uprising as they emerge from their tunnels to murder their privileged doubles in a nationwide coordinated act of rebellion.
“It’s very exciting to know that fans of ‘Us’ will get to experience firsthand the terror of being stalked and tormented by ‘The Tethered,’” said Peele.
“It’s been a lifelong ambition of mine to create a monster that would scare people on Halloween, so having ‘The Tethered’ join such esteemed company is a dream come true.”
Alright, alright, alright … Matthew McConaughey is definitely feeling good as a stoner poet character named Moondog. He’s living the dream — shambling around Miami, high as a kite, playing bongoes, indulging in women and booze, hanging out with Snoop Dogg and Jimmy freakin’ Buffett, and spouting off philosophy.
The movie arrives on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital HD on June 18.
‘Das Boot’ (June 17)
Hulu presents Sky’s German drama, which follows up on the 1981 World War II film of the same title. The series is set in 1942 and focuses claustrophobic life aboard U-612, which is preparing for its maiden voyage, and the growing resistance in the port city of La Rochelle.
Jordan Peele’s follow-up to the Oscar-nominated “Get Out” is as terrifying and thrilling as his first film — and as searing in its social commentary. Lupita Nyong’o and Winston Duke star as a married couple who take their kids to her family beach home. Haunted by a traumatic childhood experience, she begins to worry something bad its going to happen — and her worst fears come true.
The movie arrives on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD on June 18 (and is already available on Digital HD). Bonus content includes deleted scenes, an alternate ending, and making-of featurettes.
This heartwarming animated tale centers on a girl named June, who used to be a fearless thrill-seeker but who has seemingly grown out of her creative playtime pursuits. Then, she stumbles on an abandoned amusement park and uses her imagination (and the help of talking animals) to return the park to its former glory.
The movie arrives on Blu-ray and DVD on June 18 (and is already available on Digital HD). Bonus content includes a deleted scene, making-of featurettes, and boardwalk caricatures.
Dev Patel stars in this harrowing retelling of the Taj Hotel terrorist attack. When the hotel is overrun by terrorists, unsuspecting victims are thrust into a whirlwind of pandemonium and tragedy. The hotel staff proves wildly courageous, going to great lengths to protect the families in the hotels.
The movie arrives on Blu-ray and DVD on June 18 (and is already available on Digital HD). Bonus content includes making-of featurettes.
NEW ON NETFLIX
‘Dark’ Season 2 (June 21)
The German sci-fi series returns on a significant date: June 21 is when Michael Kahnwald committed suicide and left a message for his son Jonas, which kickstarted the entire series. At the end of Season 1, Jonas traveled to a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Now, it seems fans may get some answers about how the apocalypse of 2052 came about — and if anybody can stop it.
‘Grand Hotel’ Series Premiere, ABC (June 17, 10 p.m.)
Think “Downton Abbey,” but set at the last family-owned hotel in multicultural Miami Beach. Upstairs, the wealthy Mendoza family, who own the hotel, enjoy the spoils of success. Meanwhile, the hotel’s loyal staff experience trials and tribulations downstair.s
‘Yellowstone’ Season 2 Premiere, Paramount (June 19, 10 p.m.)
The surprise hit starring Kevin Costner returns, with the Dutton family fighting for its very survival as John, Kayce and the rest of the clan face ruthless enemies from all sides.
“Us” is a movie that we still can’t stop thinking about. Released earlier this spring, Jordan Peele’s sophomore effort as a writer/director (after the zeitgeist-capturing, Oscar-winning “Get Out”) was even more ambitious, thoughtful, and provocative. The story, ostensibly of a family (led by Lupita Nyong’o) who encounter their violent, jumpsuit-clad doppelgangers while on a vacation getaway, is terrifying and surreal, every bit the masterpiece that “Get Out” was. (“Us” is now on digital HD and on Blu-ray tomorrow, so we can now re-watch the movie endlessly for all of the things we missed the first time around.)
Recently we jumped on the phone to chat with Tim Heidecker, who plays Josh and his violent double Tex. Josh is a friend of the Lupita’s family and a neighbor in the seaside retreat, wealthy and boorish, who suffers a similar fate – confronted by his evil double and all that nasty stuff lurking inside himself.
We talked about how Heidecker got involved in the project, what Peele shared with him about the larger world of the Tethered and whether or not he’d come back for more adventures in this wonderfully warped world.
Moviefone: how did you sort of initially get involved with the project?
Tim Heidecker: I got the call from my agent t, meet with Jordan who wanted to talk to me about the movie and I said, “Okay, sure. Let’s talk.” Knowing he was doing something cool, he just said, “I wrote this part in the movie, I think you’d be great for it and I hope you can do it.” And that was pretty much it. I was onboard.
Jordan has talked pretty openly about how he has the whole world of “Us” figured out. But how much of that did he share with you, especially when it came to the characters you play?
Not much. I’m happy he’s got it figured out, but we focused on the scenes that were in the movie. And we talked a little bit about the overall concept of the tethered and how Tex is this version of Josh. So it informed a little bit of the humor that you see in the way Tex moves and the way he communicates and stuff. But no he didn’t lay down his map of the whole thing. But I was happy. I don’t need to know. I didn’t want to know everything. I didn’t want to read the ending of the script because I just wanted to see it like everybody else.
Did you end up reading it?
No. I did not read the last five pages. I wasn’t in at, first of all, so what do I need? Why do I need to know? I want to see it. I want to be surprised.
Can you talk about the look of Tex?
Well the look for Tex is informed by the way that the tethered look and their jumpsuit was going to be uniform with everybody else and there’s only so much we can do with everything else. There was some creative makeup and making new look a little more whole and gaunt. It was a little more collaborative with the Josh character and the style that he would have. And the tattoos of course were just fun. I had a guy that I know that I worked with once in mind for Josh. And Jordan was also thinking about tattoos. I said, “Oh, I got it. I know who this guy is now.” We enjoyed building that and talking about what kind of ironic rock and roll tee shirts this guy would wear. He’s a guy that wants to be seen as dangerous and edgy. But he’s also rich and as a dad. And so it was a mix of that; the weekend warrior kind of guy.
Whose idea was it to have the kimono over his jumpsuit?
I think it’s in the script. I think Jordan who’s making all these moves happen. We went back and forth on the kimonos. I have the backup kimono at home with me, which I love. But the one they picked was like, this was going to look good with blood on it, that’s for sure.
Warner Bros.
Well, I was going to ask her, are you a fan of the horror genre?
I’m not really a horror nerd. I don’t see them all when they all come out. But the good ones. You know, that’s the great thing about “Get Out” was there was a quality to it that is above the fray of some of the other ones. But I love “The Shining” and David Lynch movies I think are in a lot of ways horror movies. But I don’t see all of the “Friday the 13th” movies or anything.
There’s a great moment where Tex holds out his hand and then whips it back in the “too slow” motion. Where did that come from?
You know what’s bugging me is I can’t remember and I don’t have the script anymore because you get these scripts that are watermarked and they expire. So I can’t see if it’s in the original script. I’m going to say it is. So much of what’s good in that movie was in the script and I was just a lucky to have a good script. You’ve got to sell it, too, so I’m doing my part.
What was it like working with Jordan? You guys share a very rich comedy background obviously.
It was a blast. We speak the same language comedy wise. We knew each other a little bit. Him and his producing partner Ian and everybody involved in making the movie seems to be really happy I was there. He thought it was this cool move that he put me in the movie. He just thought it was like this subtle, kind of a strange move that he didn’t just go to another, more known actor or something. I don’t know. He just thought it was a fun move for him to pull to put me in the movie. And the fact that he could make those kinds of decisions on a big movie like that. And he’s going to put Tim Heidecker in this movie. I think he was just really enjoyed having me there.
I’m just an actor in a movie and I’m just happy to be there. I come on time and I’m an easy guy to work with. I think. I try to be and I try to be light and make jokes and not be a pain in the ass. So it was really fun and it was collaborative in that Jordan wanted my feedback and let me improvise around the lines a little bit. It was a blast. It was one of only movies I’ve done where I went to set when I wasn’t required to be on set because it was fun to be there. It was fun to be around those people and see him work and focus in on making the movie.
There are rumors that there will be an “Us”-themed haunted house at a Universal this Halloween. Would you want to attend?
Oh my god. If they will hooked me up with a free pass for me and my wife, I would be happy to go. I don’t know if I would pay to go, that’d be a strange experience. But that would be cool. Now that you say it, I can picture the whole thing. It sounds cool. Rabbits and stuff.
Jordan has teased that there could be other movies in this universe. If he mounted a sequel or spin-off, would you come back?
Of course. I would pick up his call on the first ring.
“Us” is available on digital HD now and Blu-ray tomorrow.
Jordan Peele’s follow-up to the Oscar-nominated “Get Out” is as terrifying and thrilling as his first film — and as searing in its social commentary. Lupita Nyong’o and Winston Duke star as a married couple who take their kids to her family beach home. Haunted by a traumatic childhood experience, she begins to worry something bad its going to happen — and her worst fears come true. Available on Digital HD June 4.
This heartwarming animated tale centers on a girl named June, who used to be a fearless thrill-seeker but who has seemingly grown out of her creative playtime pursuits. Then, she stumbles on an abandoned amusement park and uses her imagination (and the help of talking animals) to return the park to its former glory. Available on Digital HD June 4.
Vincent D’Onofrio makes his directorial debut with this Western adventure about a kid named Rio Cutler(Jake Schur) who teams up with Sheriff Pat Garrett (Ethan Hawke) and infamous outlaw Billy the Kid (Dane DeHaan) in a mission to rescue his sister from their villainous uncle (Chris Pratt). Available on Digital HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on June 4.
‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Season 3 (June 5)
Hulu’s Emmy-winning dystopian novel is back with June aka Offred (Elisabeth Moss) ready to ignite a revolution. Season 2 ended with June nearly escaping Gilead with her baby. Instead, she gave the infant girl to Emily (Alexis Bledel) to take with her to Canada, and stayed behind to save her older daughter Hannah — and take down the patriarchy.
The sci-fi anthology series returns with three new episodes after a long absence due to making the “choose your own adventure”-style movie “Bandersnatch.” The cast includes Miley Cyrus, Anthony Mackie, Andrew Scott, Topher Grace, and more stars. As always, the episodes explore twisted, high-tech near-future where humanity’s greatest innovations and darkest instincts collide.
The revival/sequel follows up on the 1993 miniseries based on Maupin’s books. Mary Ann (Laura Linney) returns home to San Francisco 20 years after leaving her daughter Shawna (Ellen Page) and ex-husband Brian (Paul Gross) to pursue her career. She’s soon drawn back into the orbit of Anna Madrigal (Olympia Dukakis) and the residents of 28 Barbary Lane.
The political drama Netflix saved after ABC cancelled it deals with all new issues after two seasons following Tom Kirkman (Kiefer Sutherland), a low-level Cabinet member who suddenly is catapulted to the position of President of the United States. Now, President Kirkman faces a new political reality: campaigning.
Netflix scooped up this sci-fi thriller after it debuted at Sundance. In a post-apocalyptic world, a robot (voiced by Rose Byrne) raises a human child called Daughter. But their world is upended by the arrival of a stranger (Hilary Swank) from the outside.
Terry Gilliam’s ode to Don Quixote was long, long, long in the making — the director began working on in 1989. The project was considered cursed and even fueled the 2002 documentary, “Lost in La Mancha.” Gilliam finally got it off the ground, with Adam Driver starring as a cynical advertising executive drawn into the fantastical world in the mind of a cobbler (Jonathan Pryce).
The movie arrives on Blu-ray and DVD on June 4 (and is already available on Digital HD).
No, Madea herself is not the person being memorialized. But she is being retired by Tyler Perry after this film. A family reunion turns somber and leads the whole family to travel to backwoods Georgia, where sordid secrets threaten to spill out. Of course, Madea takes charge of organizing the funeral because, as she notes, “I’ve been burying a lot of men. A lot of ’em.”
The movie arrives on Blu-ray and DVD on June 4 (and is already available on Digital HD).
Julianne Moore stars as a free-spirited divorcee who joyfully spends her nights at dance clubs around Los Angeles. She soon finds herself thrust into an unexpected new romance, filled with the joys of budding love and the complications of dating.
The movie arrives on Blu-ray and DVD on June 4 (and is already available on Digital HD). Bonus features including a making-of featurette.
A Film Trilogy by Ingmar Berman – ‘Through a Glass Darkly,’‘Winter Light,’ and ‘The Silence’ (June 4): The legendary director’s three films get a new 2K restoration from Criterion. The three films, linked thematically, find Bergman moving away from the expressionism of his earlier work to explore belief and alienation in the modern age.
TV WORTH WATCHING
‘So You Think You Can Dance’ Season 16 Premiere, Fox (June 3, 9 p.m.)
The dance competition series returns with Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy joined by new judges Laurieann Gibson (an Emmy nominee and Lady Gaga’s longtime choreographer) and “SYTYCD” alum Dominic “D-Trix” Sandoval.
‘The 73rd Annual Tony Awards,’ CBS (June 9, 8 p.m.)
James Corden hosts Broadway’s biggest night once again. “Hadestown” and “Tootsie” vie for Best Musical, while Bryan Cranston and Adam Driver face off in Best Actor in a Play. See the full list of nominees here.
‘Big Little Lies’ Season 2 Premiere, Fox (June 9, 9 p.m.)
The new season of the Emmy-winning show finds the so-called Monterey Five — Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, Laura Dern, and Zoe Kravitz — haunted by the lies they continue to tell, about what really happened to Alexander Skarsgard‘s Perry Wright, the abusive husband of Kidman’s Celeste. Complicating everything is Perry’s formidable mother (Meryl Streep), who is in town asking questions about his death.
Tim Burton‘s live-action remake of “Dumbo” topped the box office with $45 million from 4259 screens, making it the lowest opening of any live-action Disney movie so far.
How much lower is that than recent Disney remakes? “Beauty and the Beast” debuted with $174 million in 2017, “The Jungle Book” opened with $103 million, in 2016 and “Cinderella” rang up $67 million in its first weekend in 2015.
Poor reviews might have helped ground the big-eared elephant: It has a 50% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences, however, gave it an “A-” Cinemascore.
The film, which stars Colin Farrell, Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito, Eva Green, had a budget of $170 million, which might be made up with overseas ticket sales. The movie took in $71 million from foreign markets for a global start of $116 million.
“Dumbo’”s $45 million opening is, however, better than Burton’s last film: “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children,” (also starring Eva Green), opened with $28.8 million in 2016 from 3522 screens.
Universal
Last weekend’s champ, “Us,” took in $33 million in its second weekend. It’s now passed $128 million in ticket sales in North America. That makes it the 7th-ranked R-rated horror film, just behind “The Conjuring” which finished its box-office run with $137 million.
Disney/Marvel
“Captain Marvel” landed in third place for its third weekend, with an additional $20 million. It’s now surpassed $350 million in domestic ticket sales and $990 million worldwide. The billion-dollar club beckons.
Neon
Everything was not alright, alright, alright for Matthew McConaughey, who suffered the lowest opening of his career with “The Beach Bum.” The R-rated stoner comedy from “Spring Breakers” director Harmony Korine earned only $1.8 million from 1,100 screens. That was still enough for it to crack the Top 10.
The film, which premiered at South by Southwest, was initially going to have a platform release, but instead opened nationwide with very little marketing.
Anti-abortion drama “Unplanned” pulled in $6.1 million from 1,060 venues. It’s currently battling “Five Feet Apart,” which earned an estimated $6.25 million, for fourth place.
