New movies: ‘Stillwater’ is not what you think, but it’s great
If your summer plans don’t include a jaunt to Disneyland, one alternative is hopping aboard the “Jungle Cruise” movie with Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt. It’ll be docking in theaters and on Disney+ on Friday, July 30, but you’ll need premier access if you want to stream it.
Meanwhile, “Stillwater” is a real find, but only if you lose the notion that it’s a standard-issue thriller. Other standouts include a four-star nail-biter, a comedy-drama set in Yosemite with a Danville native in a supporting role and a Netflix melodrama. There’s also David Lowery’s “The Green Knight” with Dev Patel — expect it to be atmospheric and esoteric (not that there’s anything wrong with that).
Here’s our weekly roundup of what to watch, what to ditch.
“Stillwater”: To best appreciate Tom McCarthy’s unconventional “thriller,” ignore its conventional trailer, which insinuates that Matt Damon is going all Liam Neeson on us. There are more layers to be found here than gotcha twists and fist fights. The wistful drama follows an Oklahoma dad (Damon) doing his utmost to spring his daughter (Abigail Breslin) from a French prison where she’s serving a sentence for murdering her girlfriend. While McCarthy doesn’t exactly scale new heights, he excels — just as he did with “The Station Agent,” “Spotlight” and “The Visitor” — in presenting a nuanced view of someone encountering ethical and cultural dilemmas that lead to questioning long-held beliefs. Damon gives one of his most persuasive performances yet as Bill Baker, a gruff guy with a bristling macho walk and righteous temper. Damon and McCarthy never allow Bill to sink into a stereotype; he’s a flawed and resourceful man reckoning with his past. The best elements of “Stillwater” have less to do with crime and punishment than when McCarthy focuses on the complex dynamic that develops between Bill and a French actress/translator (a radiant Camille Cottin) and her curious daughter (an adorable Lilou Siauvaud) and Bill’s battle with his inner demons when his quest taps into something more profound. “Stillwater” is too long (2 hours and 20 minutes) but it’s admirable for its convictions, restraint and complicated insights. Details: 3½ stars; in theaters July 30.
“The Boy Behind the Door”: In David Charbonier and Justin Powell’s stunning directorial debut, an idyllic day for two inseparable boys turns into a nightmare when they’re abducted and trapped in a hillbilly house of horrors. This hurricane-force thriller has justly earned raves on the festival circuit. It announces the arrival of two talented new voices in horror and features exceptional performances from Lonnie Chavis and Ezra Dewey. “Boy” gives you heart palpitations, fillets your nerves and makes you scream at the screen. It’s one of the most efficient and terrifying films I’ve seen. Details: 4 stars; available to stream July 29 on Shudder.
“Playing With Sharks”: Valerie Taylor, the focal point of Sally Aitken’s exciting documentary, is a feminist trailblazer, one of the few female underwater dive celebrities. “Sharks” revisits a rich compilation of her dives and undersea adventures, including her appearance in the outstanding 1971 shark documentary “Blue Water, White Death.” But “Shark” has more to it than that, as it explores Taylor’s ideological evolution from a competitive spearfisher to a devout conservationist advocating against shark massacres. Taylor’s tireless commitment to that cause and her love for what the seas offer are inspiring for young and old alike. Details: 3 stars; available on Disney+.
“Ride the Eagle”: Jake Johnson co-wrote and stars in this tart heart-warmer. He is an ideal fit to play Leif, an aimless L.A-based musician and estranged son trying to complete random tasks that his late New Age-y mom (Susan Sarandon) bequeaths him via a videotape. If he checks all the boxes, he stands to inherit her cozy cabin near Yosemite. Johnson avoids making Leif entirely likeable; he’s equal parts jerk and sweetheart, and that gives “Eagle” a needed edge. Director/co-writer Jake O’Donnell takes full advantage of Johnson’s strengths and the splendor of the Yosemite Valley while Danville native and “The Good Place” co-star D’Arcy Carden pops in as Leif’s ex and J.K. Simmons cameos as a grouchy neighbor. “Eagle” might be modest and simple but it’s also rewarding, a gentle comedy-drama about letting go and growing up. Details: 2½ stars; available July 30 on Amazon, Vudu, Google Play, iTunes, YouTube TV and additional streaming services.
“The Last Letter From Your Lover”: Look no further if you want a solid tear-jerker like the classics Bette Davis used to specialize in. Augustine Frizzell’s film more than fulfills those melodramatic needs and does it with class and splashes of high gloss. “Lover” is another fine adaptation of a popular JoJo Moyes novel. This one’s about a ‘60s down-low love affair that a snoopy journalist Ellie (Felicity Jones) digs up from reading love letters. A cute archivist (Nabhaan Rizwan) helps Ellie on her mission and of course catches her eye. “Letter” turnstiles from present to past with “Big Little Lies’” Shailene Woodley portraying the conflicted spouse of a rich businessman (Joe Alwyn) with eyes for another soul (hunky Callum Turner). Will true love win out? Who cares? It’s the performances that make this worthwhile. Details: 3 stars; available on Netflix.
“Kandisha”: After being assaulted by an ex, Amelie (Mathilde Lamusse) summons a guy-hating Moroccan demoness who goes on a killing spree. Amelie and two friends in Paris then seek to stuff the genie back in the bottle but Kandisha has other plans. Even at a slim 85 minutes, directors Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury take too long to get to the meat and gristle of this “Candyman-”like meal, but once they open the floodgates of terror they more than earn their gore gold medal; a steam-room sequence is grisly and downright weird. Details: 2½ stars; available on Shudder and AMC+.
“Jolt”: Susan Sarandon gets another cameo in this neon-lit, pseudo superhero actioner. The real star, though, is the divine Kate Beckinsale, and she’s dynamite as Libby, a fireball of fury with “impulse control problems.” Her ailment, discovered when she was child, triggers an overwhelming desire to pulverize bullies, sexist cretins and the occasional snobby server. With the assistance of a psychiatrist (Stanley Tucci) and a calming serum, she keeps her killer emotions at bay — most of the time. But when she goes on a date with a cutie accountant (Jai Courtney) who winds up as a corpse her anger management regimen is toast. “Jolt” is the guiltiest of pleasures but it drops its engine halfway through when it throws a bunch of hackneyed plot schematics into the mix. Too bad, Beckinsale deserves better in this one. Details: 2 stars; available on Amazon Prime.
“Son of Monarchs”: Director/screenwriter Alexis Gambis tosses a lot of ingredients into his cerebral gumbo: thoughts on science, immigration, family rituals and cultural identity. It’s a lot to chew on, but Gambis does make it palatable. His film initially seems like it will follow the estrangement and reunion of two brothers: Mendel (Tenoch Huerta Mejia), a scientist working on gene editing technology in New York, and Vicente (Lazaro Gabino Rodriguez), a tradition-bound family man in their hometown of Michoacán, Mexico. But that sibling clash turns out to be just part of “Monarch’s” multi-pronged story arc as the narrative migrates from New York to Mendel’s hometown where he has returned for the funeral of his grandmother. Mendel’s visits home make him want to re-embrace his culture, and the film soars along those sequences along with ones at a secret spot he escaped to where butterflies roam. “Monarchs” doesn’t always work but it’s always intriguing. It received a world premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and won the Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize. It’ll be streaming via the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, which includes a discussion with the director and UC Berkeley doctoral student Aaron Pomerantz. Details: 3 stars; available July 30 at bampfa.org.
“Old”: M. Night Shyamalan’s beach nightmare has its head stuck in the sand. A decent premise — a group of tourists (led by Gael Garcia Bernal) get invited to a remote beach where everyone grows old — is undone by a bad script, overacting, chaotic directorial tricks and an absurdly long running time (1 hour, 48 minutes). How this PG-13 bit of botched goods escaped an R rating from the MPAA is beyond me. At least one snippet of dialogue works: “Are you sure we have time for this?” That would be a hard no considering how many worthwhile horror films are available for streaming. Details: 1½ stars; in theaters now.
Contact Randy Myers at soitsrandy@gmail.com.