I've had the last 10 days off from work which, after not having any proper time off since the pandemic started 10 months ago, have been nothing short of glorious.
Before heading back to the grind tomorrow, and in follow-up to what I coined months ago as the "Consumption Series" (in hindsight, terrible name... ugh, regrets) I thought I would share a few film recommendations from what I've watched these past few months. Thinking these are potentially less well-known but worth one's time, for sure.
Hunt for the Wilderpeople
This is one categorized by Netflix Canada as a hidden gem - and a hidden gem, indeed! This is an endearing story written and directed by the hilarious Taika Waititi, about a boy in the foster care system who has been sent to live with a quirky woman and her seemingly distant husband. After an unexpected tragedy occurs, the boy and his foster uncle end up on the run, evading capture by law enforcement and social services by hiding in the New Zealand bush. Sam Neill and his companion, young up-and-coming actor Julian Dennison, are delightful.
Captain Fantastic
After raising his kids in the wilderness of the Pacific Northwest, away from the ills and spoils of modern society, a man is forced to confront his own decisions and how they have affected his family's well-being. Viggo Mortensen is great in this, as are all the actors cast as his children. Kathryn Hahn, Steve Zahn and the commanding Frank Langella (who, incredibly, continues to look the same year after year) contribute their own strong performances. This is another hidden gem on Netflix, with writing that challenges the status quo and ideas of conformity, inspired by writer Matt Ross' own lived experiences growing up off the grid.
The Farewell
Not sure if this is streaming anywhere, as hubs and I borrowed this on DVD - yes, DVD! - from the library after seeing a trailer about it on another movie we had borrowed on DVD. (Once more, just for fun... we borrow DVDs from the library!)
This is a story about a family who has chosen to withhold the truth from their mother/grandmother, that she been diagnosed with cancer and given only a few months left to live. This is a brilliant and gut-wrenching film - but how could it not be, with a tagline of, "Based on an actual lie"? I may have ugly cried at the end. Additional note: Awkwafina won a Golden Globe for this one, in the category of Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy. Well deserved.
King of Staten Island
Okay, so most people might know about this one already, if only for the fact that it stars and is written by Saturday Night Live (SNL) cast member Pete Davidson. Davidson plays a young man in his early 20s struggling to move forward in life after his father died fighting a fire years before. Strong performances from Bill Burr, Marisa Tomei and Steve Buscemi, a collaboration with Judd Apatow, plus the fact that the script is based on Davidson's real-life experience equals plenty of reason to give this one a watch. Streaming on Crave with Movies + HBO, this one's got a lot of heart. Also, I dare you to watch this movie and/or trailer and not have "One Headlight" by The Wallflowers stuck in your head for days afterward.
Have you already seen any of these? What did you think? Let me know what else you would recommend!
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