(via Shutterstock)
As the year moves on, so does the ceaseless release of movie trailers.
This post’s selection is a mix of blockbuster and arthouse which neatly matches this blogger’s eclectic taste in films; sometimes you watch something epic and bombastic, sometimes quiet and interior but always with a good story, compelling characters and an intriguing idea at the core.
These three movies seem to have all that and it’s going to be great to soak them all up when they hit a screen, big or small, near me …
(courtesy IMP Awards)
SNAPSHOT
[Daisy] Edgar-Jones stars as Kate Cooper, a former storm chaser haunted by a devastating encounter with a tornado during her college years who now studies storm patterns on screens safely in New York City. She is lured back to the open plains by her friend, Javi (Golden Globe nominee Anthony Ramos, In the Heights) to test a groundbreaking new tracking system. There, she crosses paths with Tyler Owens (Powell), the charming and reckless social-media superstar who thrives on posting his storm-chasing adventures with his raucous crew, the more dangerous the better. As storm season intensifies, terrifying phenomena never seen before are unleashed, and Kate, Tyler and their competing teams find themselves squarely in the paths of multiple storm systems converging over central Oklahoma in the fight of their lives. Twisters is directed by acclaimed, Oscar-nominated Korean-American filmmaker Lee Isaac Chung, director of the films Munyurangabo, Lucky Life, Abigail Harm, and Minari previously, and an episode of Disney+’s The Mandalorian. The screenplay is written by Mark L. Smith (Séance, Vacancy 1 & 2, The Hole, Martyrs, The Revenant, The Midnight Sky, Marsh King’s Daughter). Produced by Frank Marshall and Patrick Crowley. (courtesy First Showing)
Twisters releases 18 July in Australia and 19 July in U.S.
(courtesy IMP Awards)
SNAPSHOT
In India Donaldson’s insightful, piercing debut feature film, 17-year-old Sam (Collias) embarks on a 3-day backpacking trip in the Catskills with her dad, Chris (Le Gros) and his oldest friend, Matt (McCarthy). As the two men quickly settle into a gently quarrelsome brotherly dynamic, airing long-held grievances, Sam, wise beyond her years, attempts to mediate. When lines are crossed and Sam’s trust is betrayed, tensions reach a fever pitch, as Sam struggles with her dad’s emotional limitations & experiences the universal moment when the parental bond is tested. Selected in both Sundance and Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight, Good One is an emotionally expansive work that probes the limits of familial trust, understanding, and ultimately, forgiveness. Good One is written and directed by up-and-coming filmmaker India Donaldson, making her feature directorial debut after numerous short films previously. It’s produced by Diana Irvine, Graham Mason, & Wilson Cameron. (courtesy First Showing)
Good One opens in U.S. on 9 August in limited release.
(courtesy IMP Awards)
SNAPSHOT
Since her sister’s disappearance, Jax (Lily Gladstone) has cared for her niece Roki (Isabel Deroy-Olson) by scraping by on the Seneca-Cayuga reservation in Oklahoma. Every spare minute goes into finding her missing sister while also helping Roki prepare for an upcoming powwow. At the risk of Jax losing custody to Roki’s grandfather, Frank (Shea Whigham), the pair hit the road & scour the backcountry to track down Roki’s mother in time for the powwow. What begins as a search gradually turns into a deep investigation into the complexities and contradictions of Indigenous women moving through a colonized world while at the mercy of a failed justice system. Fancy Dance is directed by newcomer filmmaker Erica Tremblay (of the Seneca-Cayuga Nation), making her narrative feature debut, after a short and the doc films Heartland: A Portrait of Survival and In the Turn previously. The screenplay is by Miciana Alise and Erica Tremblay. Produced by Deidre Backs, Nina Yang Bongiovi, Tommy Oliver, Heather Rae, Erica Tremblay. This initially premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. (courtesy First Showing)
Fancy Dance premieres on AppleTV+ on 27 June (Australia) and 28 June (U.S.( following screenings in select U.S cinemas.