Here are some reviews of films coming out at the theater this week as well as others that may be in theaters or newly on home video.
Opening: Jul. 31, 2020
Wide (United States)
None
Limited (United States)
The Fight
Laura Clifford @ Reeling Reviews
- Excerpt: …it is almost traumatic to be reminded of just how long and how often we have been battered with assaults upon justice and equal rights. Yet overall, the documentary slants toward hope.
Mike McGranaghan @ The Aisle Seat
- Excerpt: Don’t miss one of 2020’s most indispensable documentaries.
Rebuilding Paradise
Mary Ann and Frederic Brussat @ Spirituality & Practice
- Excerpt: Poignant documentary about how the California community nearly destroyed by fire bands together.
Summerland
Laura Clifford @ Reeling Reviews
- Excerpt: While Swale’s construction leans towards the obvious and her third act tragedy rather callously sets the stage for her happy ending, her ingenious use of the Fata Morgana phenomenon shakes her protagonist out of her self absorption and lifts her tale into the realm of wonder.
Mike McGranaghan @ The Aisle Seat
- Excerpt: Gemma Arterton gives one of the year’s best performances here, in a story that tugs on your heartstrings in spite of a few general cliches.
2020 Films In Theaters Now In Select Areas
Amulet
For member reviews of this film, follow this link
Extraction
For member reviews of this film, follow this link
Palm Springs
For member reviews of this film, follow this link
Da 5 Bloods
For member reviews of this film, follow this link
First Cow
For member reviews of this film, follow this link
Greyhound
For member reviews of this film, follow this link
Irresistible
For member reviews of this film, follow this link
John Lewis: Good Trouble
For member reviews of this film, follow this link
The Rental
For member reviews of this film, follow this link
Benjamin
Herman Dhaliwal @ Cinema Sanctum
- Excerpt: Benjamin is a film that wears its heart on its sleeve, and while it may seem like another quirky, unassuming indie on the surface, but underneath all that is something that is really thoughtful, introspective, and unafraid of leaving certain questions unanswered.
Bulbbul
Herman Dhaliwal @ Cinema Sanctum
- Excerpt: While Bulbbul is perhaps not scary in the traditional sense, it is scary in how it digs into the realities that women deal with. It’s an enthralling and visually stunning fable from start to finish.
Dead Dicks
Gregory J. Smalley @ 366 Weird Movies
- Excerpt: …warts and all, ‘Dead Dicks’ is worth a watch to those who find the premise or the mental illness theme compelling. It lags in the middle with a bit too much dialogue, but it starts the third act with two twists that come in quick succession, and ends on a strong note.
Fisherman’s Friends
Herman Dhaliwal @ Cinema Sanctum
- Excerpt: Despite its faults, I was ultimately very charmed by the film. The sheer likability of the cast and lovely music makes the most out of a familiar formula.
Fisherman’s Friends
Jared Mobarak @ The Film Stage
- Excerpt: [The cast has] willingly embraced the clichés to honor a story brimming with the kind of hope we need currently and it’s worth following their lead.
Ghosts of War
Jared Mobarak @ The Film Stage
- Excerpt: While [the supernatural] does effectively give meaning to what occurs, it also undermines the potency of knowing the grief these soldiers experience comes from within.
The Go-Go’s
Mike McGranaghan @ The Aisle Seat
- Excerpt: One of the best rock docs of recent years. A distinct attempt is made to cinematically capture the vibe that made the group so beloved.
Gordon Lightfoot: If You Could Read My Mind
Laura Clifford @ Reeling Reviews
- Excerpt: Editor Alex Shuper seamlessly cuts together vintage and contemporary performances of the same song, a device that showcases just how good Lightfoot still is at eighty.
House of Hummingbird
Mary Ann and Frederic Brussat @ Spirituality & Practice
- Excerpt: A coming-of-age story filled with small moments of spiritual wisdom, including a practice for times of sadness.
Impetigore
Jared Mobarak @ The Film Stage
- Excerpt: To say [too much] would ruin some of the surprises that Anwar has in store since duplicity runs very deep throughout the mythology he has created.
Lake of Death
James Jay Edwards @ The Big Smoke America
The Last Tree
Mary Ann and Frederic Brussat @ Spirituality & Practice
- Excerpt: A compelling coming-of-age drama about a Nigerian immigrant in London.
No Small Matter
Mary Ann and Frederic Brussat @ Spirituality & Practice
- Excerpt: An eye-opening documentary about the great benefits of early childhood education for children and the society at large.
Radioactive
Jared Mobarak @ The Film Stage
- Excerpt: These types of biopics do ultimately end up being more about showcasing their stars anyway. Satrapi almost made it more.
Radioactive
Shelagh Rowan-Legg @ ScreenAnarchy
The Sunlit Night
Jared Mobarak @ The Film Stage
- Excerpt: [Slate’s] ability to be hilarious despite a quiet role like Frances lends an indelible charm that ensures we’re in her corner from the beginning.
The Surrogate
Mary Ann and Frederic Brussat @ Spirituality & Practice
- Excerpt: An ethically rich drama about the complicated choices involved in pregnancy and parenting.
The Tent
Welcome to Chechnya
Mary Ann and Frederic Brussat @ Spirituality & Practice
- Excerpt: A gripping documentary about LGBTQ genocide and a brave band of human rights activists trying to rescue those affected.
Widow of Silence
Mary Ann and Frederic Brussat @ Spirituality & Practice
- Excerpt: An ethically charged and mesmerizing movie about the unusual and yet predictable challenges faced by a half-widow in Kashmir.
Yes, God, Yes
Jared Mobarak @ JaredMobarak.com
- Excerpt: The comedy that arises from making the sweetest, most innocent girl on-screen watch as the others engage in clandestinely hedonistic pleasures from afar is boundless.
