Usually I write about recent movies I’ve watched up here, but my backlog of films to write about has gotten shorter and shorter for a couple reasons recently: for one, it’s summer, so I’m finding more reasons to leave the house. But also, my girlfriend and I have been playing a lot of Breath of the Wild.
I’ve never really understood the appeal of Let’s Plays or other game streams, but I’m starting to get an idea for why they’d be so entertaining. Even when you’re not playing, you can still have the same surprises and a-ha moments as the gamer.
But really, the better part is that it becomes a communal experience. It’s not just your reactions, but the reactions of whoever’s playing, too. I realize a great many people have discovered this before me, but it’s been an instructive lesson for someone who’d previously written the entire thing off.
Check out nine trailers from this week below.
Star Wars Resistance
We’re more than a year off from the next Star Wars film, but Disney has something in store to hold fans over: a new animated series set just before The Force Awakens. This is our first look at the show, and it teases several familiar faces from the new films. The series starts October 7th.
Iron Fist
Iron Fist’s first season seemed to get the worst reception of any of Netflix’s Marvel series to date. But it’s coming back for a second season regardless, and so far, it seems to be getting a warmer reception, with this trailer making it look like season two could turn out better. It comes out September 7th.
Next Gen
Netflix has a new film coming up about a young girl who befriends a futuristic robot, who apparently also happens to be some kind of defense system equipped with powerful weapons. It seems a little sappy, but the animation also looks pretty great. The film comes out September 7th.
What Men Want
Um, yes, we have here a gender swapped remake of What Women Want, and as an added bonus, Mel Gibson is nowhere to be found. Taraji P. Henson takes the lead in what looks like an edgier version of the concept, and while Nancy Meyers isn’t back to direct, she is responsible for the story. The film comes out January 11th.
Roma
After the immense success of Gravity, Alfonso Cuarón is returning to something that’s a lot closer to his roots as a director: an emotional film set in Mexico. The film is shot in black and white, and for the first time, Cuarón is also serving as cinematographer, clearly to excellent effect. Netflix is distributing the movie and says it’ll start streaming — and come to some theaters — later this year.
Green Book
Mahershala Ali stars as pianist Don Shirley in this film about a trip the musician took down south in the early ’60s. Ali looks incredible, but I’m a little concerned with how the movie’s (clearly well-intended) outlook on race will actually play out, with Shirley’s obvious grace and genius continually being called into contrast as though it were something strange. The film is directed by Peter Farrelly, who is white, and known for comedies. It’s supposed to come out next year.
The Romanoffs
This trailer is… immensely boring. But look: it’s our first tease of Matthew Weiner’s first series since Mad Men. Apparently, it’s an anthology series, which seems to explain why there are so many different famous people in seemingly disconnected places. The miniseries comes out October 12th.
The Guilty
I love single-location thrillers. There’s just something so engaging about watching one person talk and talk and stress for an hour and a half as they try to untangle some kind of puzzle. The Guilty is about an emergency dispatcher who winds up in the center of an abduction, trying to help resolve matters entirely over the phone. It comes out October 19th.
An Evening with Beverly Luff Linn
I don’t have the slightest idea, but I’m into it.