Hello and welcome to the Geeky Brummie Film Roundup! Each week we run through the biggest new cinema releases and why you should be excited for them. Hollywood has apparently decided that this week is the week to explore what it is to be a man…
Usual disclaimer: unless otherwise stated, I haven’t seen these movies yet so all of my opinions are based on trailers, early reviews and other rumours and buzz.
The Smashing Machine
The Smashing Machine follows the story of real-life UFC champion Mark Kerr, as he approaches the end of his career and faces up to the health issues that come from a lifetime of pushing his body to its limits and getting punched for a living. An almost unrecognisable Dwayne Johnson stars as Kerr, while Emily Blunt plays his girlfriend Dawn Staples.
Based on an HBO documentary of the same name, this follows a long tradition of introspective films about the personal lives of martial artists and the toll their careers have taken on them – see also The Wrestler and The Fighter. Both of those films were popular with the Academy come awards season, and it looks as though Johnson might be hoping for something similar here. He can do the fight scenes in his sleep, and he clearly already has the physique for the part, all of which has freed him up to focus his energy on his acting skills. There’s plenty of material outside of the ring for him to work with – Kerr was addicted to painkillers, and his relationship with Staples had some ups and downs. The film will also look at his friendships with fellow fighters, and how they can be maintained even when trying to knock each other out.
The Rock isn’t known for his acting range, but this feels very much in his wheelhouse, and it’s clear from the trailer that director Benny Safdie has drawn the best from his star. Emily Blunt, who worked with Johnson in Jungle Cruise, is always a good reason to watch any film. Again, her character is a meaty one for an actress to get her teeth into – someone watching from outside the ropes while the man she loves pours his passion into a sport and lifestyle that is ruining his health. It wouldn’t surprise me if one or both of them is coming up in conversations about golden statues in the next few months.
There should be something for everyone here, whether you want to watch the brutal fight scenes in the ring or the tender character study holding them all together – expect blood, sweat and tears.
- The Smashing Machine on IMDB
- The Smashing Machine on Rotten Tomatoes
Him
Promising young up-and-coming American football star Cam (Tyriq Withers) finds his career derailed when he is attacked and left with a nasty head injury. To get back on track, he’s sent to train with legendary quarterback Isaiah (Marlon Wayons). But Isaiah’s training methods are unconventional and brutal. Will Cam make it through to become the greatest of all time?
Like The Smashing Machine, Him is a sports movie about the lengths some men will go to in order to be the best. But that is where the similarities end. Him is produced by Jordan Peele, and like much of his work it has strong horror elements mixed in with heavy symbolism and slick style – this was very clearly not based on a documentary. It clearly has a lot to say about the price of fame and ambition, and the destruction that comes with toxic masculinity, although the critics have not been too positive about how well it gets those messages across. It sounds as though there are times where the style slightly outweighs the substance. But there is a lot of promise in the premise, and Peele is usually a good sign of quality.
Casting-wise, the big name here is Marlon Wayons – an actor best known for the likes of White Chicks, but he looks like he’s taking things a lot more seriously here. Withers hasn’t been in much stuff yet – he was in this summer’s remake of I Know What You Did Last Summer, plus a few teen roles on the telly – but the reviews have given him some praise for this and bagging a lead role in a Jordan Peele movie will be a huge shot in the arm for his career (just ask Daniel Kaluuya).
It might not quite live up to its promise, but Him is exactly the kind of bold and inventive take on the horror genre that should be encouraged at the box office.
- Him on IMDB
- Him on Rotten Tomatoes
Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror
If you’re starting to feel like this week is all about shirtless men full of muscles and testosterone, here is a documentary about a musical about a transvestite Transylvanian (and his quest to create a shirtless man full of muscles and testosterone, but that’s beside the point). Featuring interviews with the cast, including Richard O’Brien and Susan Sarandon, and celebrity fans like Jack Black, Strange Journey charts the creation and release of the greatest cult movie of all time.
Whether you see it at the cinema or the theatre, Rocky Horror is an incredibly unique experience. When else is it considered entirely normal to turn up to a screening in fishnet tights armed with a bag of rice and a newspaper and yell over the top of half the dialogue? There are so many traditions associated with it nowadays that it’s hard to imagine how it started out before all of that had built up around it – audiences sitting in respectful silence wearing T-shirts and jeans. So the story of its rise to success should be genuinely fascinating for fans and the uninitiated alike.
- Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror on IMDB
- Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror on Rotten Tomatoes
If you only see one film this week…
The Smashing Machine sounds pretty smashing.
Still in cinemas and worth a watch
- One Battle After Another – Completely gripping from start to finish, Paul Thomas Anderson’s most action-packed film is one of the best this year. DiCaprio is great as expected, but the rest of the cast are also excellent – special mention to Sean Penn’s truly awful villain, who keeps looking like a racist RFK Jr, and Chase Infiniti as DiCaprio’s daughter. Thrilling and well worth catching on the big screen.
- The Long Walk
- Demon Train: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle
Trailer of the Week
I’ve already featured the early teaser trailer for Frankenstein as Trailer of the Week before, but given it’s a passion project of one of my favourite directors I make no apologies for letting this lightning bolt strike twice. The new trailer released this week gives us a much clearer look at many of the characters, including Jacob Elordi’s creature, Oscar Isaac’s Frankenstein, and Mia Goth’s Elizabeth, as well as plenty of the gothic fantasy vibe that Del Toro does best. Watch out for this one coming to life in the cinemas when it’s released in about a month’s time.
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