While this past summer at the movies has been rough by most accounts (though August had a slight surge of quality films), we now find ourselves at that near-180-degree switch that amounts to the fall festival season. With reviews already coming from our writer on the ground at the Venice Film Festival, and the Telluride Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival right around the corner, it’s an exciting time to visit The Playlist. But there is still plenty to see back home in theaters.
READ MORE: The 20 Most Anticipated Films Of The 2016 Venice Film Festival
And so we have this month’s column. The Film of the Month pick is Andrea Arnold‘s glowingly reviewed epic road adventure “American Honey,” which had its premiere earlier this year at the Cannes Film Festival and went on to win the Jury Prize. This film looks like just the vibrant shot in the arm cinema could use at this moment. Take a look and let us know in the comments which films you’re going to check out this month.
“The Light Between The Oceans”
Synopsis: A lighthouse keeper and his wife see their lives change when a baby girl washes upon the shore.
What You Need To Know: We have to confess we’re a bit confused by the release strategy for this film. Even though our reviewer wasn’t head over heels, you’d think distributors Dreamworks and Disney would be more excited for the return of “Blue Valentine” and “Place Beyond The Pines” director Derek Cianfrance. Aside from the fact that it’s an adaptation of an acclaimed bestseller with a none-more-desirable cast, this old-school melodrama would seem like obvious Oscar-bait —except it’s being released on Labor Day weekend, one of the quietest times of the year for film, which would normally indicate that the studio thinks it’s bad. But it’s also in competition at Venice, which suggests otherwise. So what’s going on? Much of the staff here are big Cianfrance fans and we also love the work by “True Detective” DP Adam Arkapaw, so we’re firmly on board even if its backers don’t seem to be showing much faith in it.
Release Date: September 2nd
“Demon”
Synopsis: A man tries to save his daughter’s wedding party when her new husband becomes possessed by a restless spirit.
What You Need To Know: It’s oddly fitting for a film set around a wedding that goes horribly awry that director Marcin Wrona (who sadly committed suicide last year) manages to combine some disparate genres in “Demon.” Per our review from New Directors/New Films this year, though, the trick was pulled off with aplomb: “Wrona combines these seemingly disparate threads to create an unsettling, oddly funny film with more to say than either the average horror film or comedy.” Indeed, this one is an interesting and at times clever take on the possession horror movie, even though it never embraces or fully cares about becoming an actual entry in the genre. There’s much to appreciate here in the film’s subversion of more traditional horror tropes, so it’s a good bet that horror fans and novices alike will dig it.
Release Date: September 9th (Limited)
“Cameraperson”
Synopsis: Cinematographer Kristen Johnson recalls her many years behind the camera through a memoir composed of decades of footage shot all over the world.
What You Need To Know: When we named this highly personal memoir as one of the best documentaries of the year so far, it was for good reason: “One of the most unconventional and surprisingly emotional documentaries of the year, ‘Cameraperson’ is a theorizing of documentary itself…It re-imbues the personal into the format of documentary, reminding us that yes, there is always a human capturing this; it’s not objective, but at least partially someone’s subjective experience.” Made up of outtakes from some of the films that accomplished doc cinematographer Johnson has worked on over the years —films like “Darfur Now,” ‘The Invisible War,” “Fahrenheit 9/11” and “Citizenfour,” among many others— the film is an autobiography of her time behind the camera and the interactions she has with people during the filmmaking process. Believe us when we say that this is not some stuffy, dry exercise in film theory, even though it will probably only reach the most intensely devoted cinephiles. Break through the noise and find this one either at theaters or VOD.
Release Date: September 9th (Limited)
“Kicks”
Synopsis: A 15-year-old recruits his two best friends to help him retrieve his stolen Air Jordan sneakers from a neighborhood thug.
What You Need To Know: We’ve as yet only reported on this film’s trailer and impressive soundtrack featuring hip-hop tracks from classic artists such as Wu-Tang Clan and Mac Dre, as well as newer artists like Iamsu! and RJD2. No doubt, the soundtrack should complement the film’s authentic look at masculinity, pop culture and coming-of-age in the inner city. But just because we haven’t reviewed it yet doesn’t mean we’re not eagerly anticipating Justin Tipping‘s debut film, which went on to win Best Cinematography at the Tribeca Film Festival this year and introduced newcomer lead actor Jahking Guillory. Based on the trailer, “Kicks” certainly looks vibrant, and the reviews from colleagues have also got us primed to seek it out.
Release Date: September 9th (Limited)