Ah, movies how we love thee!
You give us all kinds of escape from the mundanity of everyday life and we are all the richer for your presence in our lives, especially when pandemics seem to go out of their way to make reality even bleaker than it is normally.
These three films offer some darkness and light but they are, I think we can all agree, not completely rooted in reality – hopefully not because who wants a robot or zombie apocalypse, right now? – and thus perfect for putting the grimness of the world outside at arm’s length, or even further if possible, for just a little while.
So cook up that popcorn, settle back in your comfy seat and indulge your imagination for a while …
SNAPSHOT
Lori and Doug, a longtime couple break up just days before Lori’s little sister Bea’s wedding. In order to not disrupt the fun, the couple decides to pretend they’re still together until the weekend is over. (synopsis via Flickering Myth)
We Broke Up release in USA on 23 April; international dates unavailable at this time.
THE MITCHELLS VS. THE MACHINES
SNAPSHOT
The Mitchells vs. The Machines centers on Katie Mitchell, a creative outsider who is accepted into the film school of her dreams, only to see her plans of meeting “her people” dashed when her nature-loving dad Rick elects to take the whole family, including Katie’s wildly positive mom Linda, her quirky little brother Aaron and the family’s delightfully chubby pug Monchi, on a road trip to Katie’s school for one final family-bonding trip before she leaves for college. Their plans are interrupted by a tech uprising all around the world as the electronic devices people love decide it’s time to take over and, with the help of two friendly malfunctioning robots, will have to get past their problems and work together to save each other and the world!The voice cast is led by Abbi Jacobson (Broad City) as Katie Mitchell, Danny McBride (Despicable Me, The Angry Birds Movie) as Rick Mitchell, Maya Rudolph (Big Hero 6) as Linda Mitchell, director Mike Rianda as Aaron. It will also feature the voices of Eric Andre (The Lion King) as tech inventor Mark Bowman and Oscar winner Olivia Colman as Siri-like voice assistant called PAL. Additional cast includes Fred Armisen, Beck Bennett, Charlyne Yi, Sasheer Zamata, Jay Pharoah, Chrissy Teigen, John Legend, Conan O’Brien, Elle Mills, Alex Hirsch, and Griffin McElroy. (synopsis (c) Coming Soon)
The Mitchells vs. The Machines premieres on Netflix on 30 April.
SNAPSHOT
The Walking Dead meets The Revenant. When a virus ravages a mountain community the survivors must flee from the monsters it created into the barren wilderness. Scavenging, freezing and dying, one family will fight for their lives against marauders hellbent on revenge. As humanity clings to hope, their only chance for survival involves forming an alliance with the very same monsters that came calling. Forget Everything and Run, also known as just F.E.A.R., is co-directed by filmmakers Geoff Reisner (director of Terrordactyl and numerous shorts + cinematographer) and Jason Tobias (an actor making his feature directorial debut). The screenplay is written by Jason Tobias, from a story by Reisner & Tobias. (synopsis courtesy Flickering Myth)
Forget Everything and Run releases direct to DVD / VOD in UK on 26 April.