Welcome to Believe me, I watch everythinga weekly guide to notable new films releasing or becoming available every Friday.
It’s a busy week at the movies! Godzilla minus zero, the highly anticipated sequel to the Japanese film Godzilla minus one, debuted nationally in the United States alongside New wild horse, an Oscar-winning actor with Sam Rockwell and John Malkovich (read our interview with the stars here). I play Rocky is also debuting in select theaters ahead of a wider release in a few weeks.
If you prefer a movie night at home, you can rent or buy Zach Cregger’s hit film Resident Evil, or Chris Hansen/To catch a predator movie Prime time.
When it comes to streaming services you’re probably already paying for, Samara Weaving and Kyle Gallner will charm you. Caroline Caroline, now on Netflix, and Super Soldiers 3 debuts on Hulu.
Let’s go!
🎥 What to watch at the cinema
The most buzzed release: Godzilla minus zero
Why you should see it: Godzilla minus one, Japanese manufacturing Godzilla film, became an unexpected global hit after its 2023 debut. Its melodramatic story of a Japanese fighter pilot brought an almost arthouse sensibility to what would otherwise have been a blockbuster monster movie spectacle.
The sequel Godzilla minus zero double down on these elements. Although the human melodrama unfortunately overwhelms this time around, the film still delivers breathtaking action and destruction where it counts in a big and exciting way.
Minus zero sports an R rating, the first in the franchise’s 72-year history, and there’s a new level of brutality to the violence here that really underlines the “Godzilla the films are metaphors for nuclear war and the atomic bomb. The film talks a lot about the trauma a population faces in the aftermath of war, which manifests itself in several ways.
Two years have passed since the events of Minus oneand Japan faced agonizing struggles to recover and finally return to daily life. Just as humanity has managed to cling to a hard-won peace, a new threat arises, instantly dashing all hope.
The film opens with the introduction of a new monster – other reviews have revealed this, but I found it best left untouched – and that early set piece is great. This new monster becomes the centerpiece of the film’s best sequence, an aerial combat between Kaiju and humans on planes.
However, any time the film isn’t in blockbuster action sequence mode, it slows down to the point where you’ll probably check your watch. There’s a new complication in the mix involving a survivor of a past Godzilla attack, and I’m not sure the film explores it properly. There is another character who lost his wife and child, which leads to a memorable dream sequence set in New York. I found these images unforgettable and his ideas about revenge powerful.
Godzilla minus zero may not feature enough Godzilla for some of the lizard’s most die-hard fans, but its exploration of big ideas similar to those explored in Chris Nolan’s Best Picture award-winning film Oppenheimer still makes it much more impactful than your average giant monster movie.
What other reviews are saying: It gets mostly good reviews, but they all have reservations like mine. The AV Club’s Matt Schimkowitz wrote that it’s “not a bad movie, and it’s an above-average movie.” Godzilla movie. But it’s also a different kind of throwback, harkening back to the days when you weren’t yelled at for checking your watch during human scenes. ” Jake Coyle of the Associated Press was even less enthusiastic, writing: “If every Godzilla the film is heading towards its finale, Minus zero Don’t stick the landing.”
How to watch: Godzilla minus zero is now playing in cinemas nationwide.
The expected darling of the Oscars: New wild horse
Why you should see it: What New wild horse lacks originality, which it more than makes up for with its wicked sense of humor and its moving reflection of a man facing the end of his life and trying to find meaning in it.
Martin McDonagh, the beloved Irish filmmaker whose previous efforts earned him several Oscar nominations, from Three billboards outside of Ebbing, Missouri has The Banshees of Inisherin, returns to familiar territory here. The premise itself seems identical to the setup from its debut, back in 2008. In Bruges, a personal favorite of mine that stars Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson as hitmen laying low after a difficult job.
New wild horse follows CIA agents Chris (John Malkovich) and Lee (Sam Rockwell) as they are sent to Easter Island shortly before Chile’s 1973 coup. As the longtime partners struggle with their dark pasts and current conspiracies, Chris’s new bond with two rebellious students threatens to derail everyone’s trip to this isolated paradise.
By placing the film in the context of very real historical events, McDonagh adds a layer of social commentary and criticism of American interventionism abroad. At the same time, the film is hysterical and hilarious, full of the sardonic wit and cracking dialogue that McDonagh is known for. Most of the laughs come from the bickering between Rockwell and Malkovich, both of whom are Oscar-worthy. Malkovich’s lack of discretion, such as when he openly discusses staging military coups to anyone within earshot, is particularly funny. There’s a running gag involving Steve Buscemi’s character that has a great and very silly outcome.
New wild horse may not provide a litany of new ideas, but it engages with old ones in a way that is both entertaining and thought-provoking.
What other reviews are saying: It’s well commented! Amy Nicholson of the Los Angeles Times writes, “Only classic zany comedians have delivered dialogue as blithely as Malkovich does here, with zingers that float unburdened by the heaviness of the real world.” » Mashable’s Kristy Puchko, meanwhile, says the film is “deepened by its repetition,” citing connections to its stars’ previous roles.
How to watch: New wild horse is now playing in cinemas nationwide.
Another solid option: I play Rocky
Why you should see it: Anthony Ippolito’s performance as Sylvester Stallone is so eerie that there are a few shots in the film where your mind tricks you into thinking you’re watching stock footage of Stallone’s creation. Rocky. Stallone’s manner of speaking and entire personality is so distinctive that a sustained imitation shouldn’t work, but Ippolito sells it so well that it’s not a problem at all.
Rocky is one of the greatest and most exciting underdog stories of all time, so making a movie about it is already something of a cheat code.. But what really makes it sing is Stallone’s journey to getting Rocky – and himself – on the big screen is an underdog story all its own.
The film begins with Stallone calling himself Mike, although his real name is Sylvester. He’s an unknown actor with the unshakable belief that he wasn’t just meant to write Rocky – he was supposed to be Rocky Balboa. When told “no” at every turn, Stallone bets everything on himself, staying the course by betting his head against seemingly impossible odds.
Much of the film’s momentum comes from negotiations with the studio, which does everything in its power to ensure that Rocky without Stallone in the lead role, while the actor remains outraged, saying he won’t let them do it. Everyone thinks he’s crazy, but it’s this self-confidence and his refusal to give up on his dream that makes the film so moving and effective. There is a poetic dimension here, even if the film becomes a little repetitive with the back and forth of “this guy won’t play Rocky” and “this guy must play Rocky.”
In the end, Ippolito is completely sold out. It’s charming!
What other reviews are saying: They like it! David Rooney of the Hollywood Reporter writes, “The thing that holds the film together is Ippolito, who masters Stallone’s slurred, growling diction, hangdog expression and imposing physicality without ever losing sight of his insecurities at this unproven stage of his career.” » Owen Gleiberman of Variety writes: “The pleasure of I play Rocky is that he understands the karmic way in which the history of Rocky – the underdog who triumphs against all odds – was taken up in the saga of how Stallone got the film off the ground. “
How to watch: I play Rocky is now playing in select theaters before expanding on November 20.
But that’s not all…
Bill Hader plays the Cat in the Hat in a new animated adaptation. (Warner Bros. /Courtesy Everett Collection)
Cat in the Hat: There’s “overdoing it”, and then there’s this. This new adaptation of the 1957 Dr. Seuss classic adds so much lore and complication that it barely resembles the very simple story it’s based on. The film immediately sets up a Monsters, Inc.-a Seussian-like world in which Seussian creatures like the Cat in the Hat are assigned to bored children to help them have a good day. He ends up in the care of siblings Gabby and Sebastian as they adjust to life in a new town. Known for pushing boundaries, the Cat in the Hat is an agent of chaos who must prove himself or risk losing his magic hat forever. It’s incredibly busy and borrows from several children’s films, without ever settling on one energy. Get tickets.
Jimmy: KJ Apa, Archie in the TV series Riverdale, is excellent as Jimmy Stewart in this film, which tells the life story of an actor who didn’t get as much attention as his movie stardom. It’s much more about his time in the U.S. Army and how, despite the Hollywood system begging him to use his celebrity to stop serving, Stewart felt obligated to fight for his country anyway, his movie career be damned. I wish the movie spent more time on the Hollywood stuff, but there’s always room for a sequel, I suppose. Get tickets.
💸 Movies newly available to rent or purchase
Biggest release: resident Evil
Why you should watch it: There have already been seven resident Evil films – six of them in a more action-oriented series starring Milla Jovovich, four of which were made…
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