With 6 options this week, there’s something for almost everyone. There’s a character-driven drama (Miss Sloane), something for the family (Sing), another try at bringing a video game to the big screen (Assassin’s Creed), an unintentionally funny gangster flick starring Ben Affleck (Live by Night), a pretentious James Franco film (In Dubious Battle) and one of those films where you recognize the entire cast but never remember the movie making it to theaters (A Kind of Murder). Without further adieu, here is what to buy, rent, stream and skip for the week of March 21st:
Buy It!
Miss Sloane —MOVIE HOT TAKE REVIEW—
Super Simple Synopsis: A formidable female lobbyist takes on the gun nuts and gets more than she bargained for… or does she?
Why Buy?
Jessica Chastain. That’s it! That’s reason enough. She’s brilliant in the film and single-handedly carries the movie.
Rent It!
Sing —MOVIE HOT TAKE REVIEW—
Super Simple Synopsis: Animated animal American Idol.
Why Rent?
Do you have kids? If you have kids, change rent to buy and save yourself some babysitting dough. Plop little Billy in front of the TV, go out for brunch and he’ll still be watching when you get home. Don’t have kids? This is a “one and done” viewing. It’s good but not something you want to go back and see again.
Stream It!
Assassin’s Creed –NO REVIEW–
Super Simple Synopsis: They’ve turned the Assassin’s Creed video game into a movie.
Why Stream?
If you have a gaming console, you can stream it right from the console and you’ll feel like you’re playing the game. Although if you have a controller sitting in front of you and try to move Michael Fassbender with the controller, he’s probably not going in the direction you ask. Just saying!
A Kind of Murder –NO REVIEW–
Super Simple Synopsis: Gone Girl meets The Girl on the Train meets Fatal Attraction meets the 1960s.
Why Stream?
Good cast — Patrick Wilson, Jessica Biel, Haley Bennett, Vincent Kartheiser — and decent source material — a usually photogenic Patricia Highsmith novel — Strangers on a Train, The Talented Mr. Ripley and Carol were all adapted from Highsmith’s work — should make for at least something watchable, right?
Skip It!
In Dubious Battle –NO REVIEW–
Super Simple Synopsis: 900 migratory workers rise up against landowners in California apple country in the 1930s.
Why Skip?
James Franco is involved in a lot of films. They are typically comedies or these pretentious pieces of which he occasionally directs. This is one of those he directs. Do you realize the guy was in 7 movies last year? This is called “Doin’ too much!” This film has a hell of a cast — Franco, Nat Wolff, Robert Duvall, Bryan Cranston, Zach Braff, Selena Gomez, Vincent D’Onofrio, Ed Harris, Sam Shepard, Danny McBride — to not ever be heard of.
Live by Night —MOVIE HOT TAKE REVIEW—
Super Simple Synopsis: A bad gangster flick written and directed by Ben Affleck.
Why Skip?
Recently, Affleck admitted he went to rehab for an alcohol problem. This film probably drove him to drink.