This Week in Movie Releases: The Fall Guy Retakes the Box Office Throne as Several Lesser-Known Films Diversify the Selection
It's time for our weekly round-up of the many movie releases dropping this week! Universal's The Fall Guy is looking to snatch the box office crown from last week's winner, but the numbers don't look to be as significant as the studio might have wanted. Meanwhile, several other films are rolling out in limited releases across the USA, giving audiences everywhere a chance to diversify their movie-going choices.
Also, Warner Bros. is re-releasing Star Wars: The Phantom Menace in honor of its 20th anniversary, so let's all go cry about how old we are now.
The List:
- The Fall Guy (Universal) The latest entry into the increasingly popular "ished" genre, The Fall Guy stars the charming and extremely hunky Jake Carson (played by WWE superstar John Cena), a guy who poses as a stuntman and gets caught up in a crazy scenario that will have him rescuing a captive princess and battling an evil warlord, or something like that. Seriously though, the synopsis says he's "a man on a mission to save the day," so that's fun. Also, the film is produced by the duo behind the immensely popular franchise, The Maze Runner, so expectations are not exactly low.
What's it doing in the #1 spot then? Well, it's the only wide release of the week, so it's by default, really. It's also the type of mindless, dumded action flick that's perfect for lounging in an air-conditioned theater while the world outside is insanely hot.
- I Saw the TV Glow (Sony) Justice Smith (who you might know from Jurassic World, or more likely, the recent Secret Life of Pets films) is a teenage boy who is obsessed with a supernatural TV show, but when the show is mysteriously canceled, he decides to investigate the matter with his fellow sci-fi enthusiast friends. The saga of this TV show, and the adventures of these three kids, is a delightful mix of Goosebumps and Super 8, with a decidedly adult horror flair thrown in for good measure.
The film also features appearances by Snail Mail singer Lindsey Jordan, Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst, and Phoebe Bridgers, to name a few. You'll have to head to NYC or LA to catch this one in theaters, but given the accolades attached to this project, it's well worth checking out when it expands nationwide on May 17th.
- Wildcat (TriArt) A film that feels like it was made for me, Wildcat is a biographical drama about the struggles of author Flannery O'Connor as she wrote her first novel. The film is written and directed by Ethan Hawke (yes, that Ethan Hawke!), and stars Maya Hawke (his daughter, yes, THAT Ethan Hawke!) as the aspiring writer who must navigate the intricacies of the publishing world, as well as the disappointment of her own father, played by Jake Gyllenhaal (yes, that Jake Gyllenhaal!). It's a fascinating story, and one that deserves a wider audience, so if you're looking for a film to support at your local arthouse theater, this is a great choice.
- Turtles All the Way Down (Fox) Another film that could have been made for me, Turtles All the Way Down is based on John Green's novel of the same name and follows a teenager with OCD who embarks on an adventure to solve a mystery surrounding a fugitive billionaire. This is a great choice for fans of Young Adult novels (looking at you, ONTD), and it's got a pretty fantastic cast too, including Isabela Merced, Judy Reyes, and Shannon Purser (Barb from Stranger Things!).
- The Idea of You (Amazon) Anne Hathaway plays a single mom who falls in love with a member of a boy band in this romantic drama from writer Robinne Lee (who acted in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Hitch, and Being Mary Jane). Also, if you're a Glee fan, you'll get to see Matthew Morrison (Will Schuester) and Harry Shum Jr. (Mike Chang) reunite on the big screen, so that's a draw too.
Where to Watch: I Saw the TV Glow: In NYC and LA theaters The Idea of You: Amazon Prime Wildcat: In theaters Turtles All the Way Down: In theaters Unfrosted: Netflix Slow: In theaters Lost Soulz: In theaters Mars Express: In theaters New Life: In theaters, and available VOD More New Releases: The Fall Guy (Trailer) from UniversalTarot (Trailer) from SonyStar Wars: The Phantom Menace (Trailer) Re-releaseSomething in the Water (Trailer)Jeanne du Barry (Trailer)New to StreamingBeautiful Rebel (Trailer) on NetflixProm Dates (Trailer) on Hulu