Weekend Watch - November 2023 Recap

                Welcome back to the Weekend Watch where each week we take a look at a new piece of film or television media and give it a rating, review, and recommendation. This week, we have come to the end of another month of films and will be recapping the most noteworthy releases of the month. They’ll be categorized by their likelihood of making it onto this blog’s list of the Greatest Films of All Time and cementing themselves in cinematic history: Long Shots are those with the toughest road ahead of them, noteworthy for their support from either critics or audiences or for their awards potential but struggling in at least one of those other spots; Possible Things are films that have done a bit better for themselves, earning above average marks from critics and audiences but not quite to a level of “all-time” greatness, and Sure Things are films that need no extra help to cement themselves in history (though they most likely will receive some awards love too). November brought a host of highly anticipated films to theaters and streaming services, but outside of one legitimate success and a few surprise overachievers, the month underperformed overall, leaving us with a decent showing of films but very little in terms of legitimate staying power. Let’s get into it.

Long Shots:

Nyad: This Netflix biopic of distance swimmer Diana Nyad probably stands the best chance of making it out of this category thanks to the strong performances of its two leading ladies – Annette Bening in the titular role and Jodie Foster as her coach Bonnie Stoll – but its formulaic delivery of its real-life story has landed it solidly in the just okay range of both audience and critic scores, so we’ll see.

Sly: Documentaries about Hollywood actors have abounded this year, particularly ones released by Netflix, and I think we’re starting to see an oversaturation take place. This one about the life and career of Sylvester Stallone sounds like one sure to please his fans but that might not have a wide enough fan base to experience the larger success it’ll need to overcome very average critical reception.

The Killer: David Fincher’s latest thriller was one of the year’s most anticipated, but it has landed with a plop rather than a splash in its brief theatrical run and then on its Netflix release. The slow-burn character study of a hired killer looking to maybe get out of the game and get back at those who wronged him has left everyone praising Fincher’s direction but a bit frustrated with the overall film for its slowness and lack of compelling character development.

Thanksgiving: On the other hand, Eli Roth’s holiday slasher is a film that has outdone its expectations, receiving mildly above average audience reviews for the return of classic slasher tropes and fun tongue-in-cheek humor. Will it actually have any staying power beyond the usual cult followings of slasher films? Probably not, but never say never.

Saltburn: Emerald Fennell’s sophomore feature has received the Babylon treatment from critics, deeming it too shocking to be “great”. Whatever. Its Metacritic score of 60 and Tomatometer of 71% mean that its chances of rising much higher on this blog’s list are slim-to-none, but don’t let that stop you from seeing this wild romp through the aristocracy of Britain.

Rustin: Another based-on-a-true-story performance-driven biopic from Netflix that has even slimmer chances of lingering on. Odd tonal choices and an underwhelming third act have left this well-acted film fairly far down on many people’s lists of the year’s best films, and I don’t see Colman Domingo elevating the whole thing by himself – even as phenomenal as his performance is.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes: The adaptation of Suzanne Collins’s prequel novel has managed to hit the perfect note with audiences, earning it a top-25 box office this year and surprisingly solid reviews from fans. Even with a lack of matching support from critics, this film has something going for it that makes it worth checking out.

Napoleon: Oh look, another biopic. It’s almost like formulaic biographical films just don’t hit like they did in the 1990s and 2000s or something. Ridley Scott, Joaquin Phoenix, and Vanessa Kirby being attached to this film keep it at very long odds of rising above, but with three other films just from this year that are based on true stories from the past with great production design, it’s hard to see this historical epic breaking through.

Possible Things:

Fremont: Probably one of the most indie films of the year, this black and white film about an Afghan former translator now working at a fortune cookie factory in the U.S. landed on streaming this month after some very limited theatrical runs. The small amount of audience and critic reviews have been positive, but I don’t know that it’s enough to bring it to the attention of the right people to elevate above the hump that so many decent indie films face when trying to make it as all-timers.

Priscilla: Sofia Coppola’s unique style helps the Priscilla Presley biopic rise above the rank and file, and Cailee Spaeny’s leading performance definitely doesn’t hurt either. Down the road, I won’t be at all surprised if this film’s audience reviews rise much higher than they currently are, but the current Elvis Presley love has hurt its ratings, as it doesn’t paint the rockstar in nearly as positive a light as his biopic last year did. Still, there’s an outside shot it makes it already this year.

Dream Scenario: The comedy horror about a man who finds himself becoming a dream celebrity when everyone seems to be dreaming about him at night might be too wacky to earn the awards love that it’ll need to get from the quality film to all time greatness status. Nicolas Cage as the leading man certainly helps its chances, as does the distribution by A24, so don’t count it all the way out.

Radical: The Sundance hit, starring Eugenio Derbez, about a Mexican schoolteacher looking to improve his students’ experience by radical means has finally hit theaters (at least in my area), and the reviews are staying strongly positive. Unfortunately, with Mexico backing Tótem as its entry for International Feature at awards shows this year, I don’t see it getting enough attention to raise it out of its general anonymity at the moment.

American Symphony: The Netflix documentary about musician Jon Batiste has already landed in many conversations as a frontrunner for the year’s biggest documentary awards, and with Batiste as the subject and Matthew Heineman (Cartel Land) as the director, I can see why. Since its release on Netflix, the audience and critic reviews have been just above average, so it’ll need that awards love to make it a must-see for most moviegoers.

Sure Things:

The Holdovers: The month’s only sure thing is also its best performer, hitting all the notes it was expected to, earning a place on many viewers’ lists of must-watch holiday films going forward. Alexander Payne’s film about a schoolteacher and his troubled student who stay for the Christmas holiday at their boarding school with the school’s head cook in 1970. The combination of strong performances, original story, and throwback visuals make this a must-see and a potential award favorite this year.