Before we launch into this weekend’s new movies, we’d be remiss if we didn’t at least mention The Front Runner, which had a limited release on November 6 (we’ll cover it more fully when it goes nationwide next week). It’s the first movie to come out on Election Day, and probably for good reason: It takes a certain kind of hubris to assume that people will have enough time to vote and take in a movie. It’s an argument for vote-by-mail if we’ve ever heard one. Now that the participatory democracy is done, it’s a perfect time to take a break from recount and runoff news. Here’s what’s coming to a theater near you:
Overlord
This may be as close as we’ll get to Wolfenstein: The Movie. If you want to pay money to watch a bunch of Nazi zombies (Or is it zombie Nazis?) get more dead than undead, then friend, Thanksgiving has come early for you. If you wish your World War II dramas had more cartoonish monsters, or your monster movies contained more epic, historical wartime drama, you’re likewise in luck. Overlord, produced by J.J. Abrams (and likely conceived on a bar napkin), would be scarier if it was about the actual Dr. Mengele and his well-documented, decidedly un-Hippocratic practices, but that’s okay. These days, everyone’s got to have a World War II movie (Tarantino, Nolan, Angelina Jolie, and the Coen Brothers did one), and Overlord is the “Surge energy drink” of them all… so if you like it, go ahead and feel the rush.
The Girl in the Spider’s Web
Is the world ready for more of the Millennium saga? The world has been ready. Bring on the girl who hurts men who hurt women. We still don’t understand why Noomi Rapace was ever replaced (after all, she does just fine in English-language movies — see Prometheus for proof), but somehow Claire Foy’s Lisbeth Salander already feels stronger than Rooney Mara’s, despite the latter’s Academy Award nod. To (some of) we, Mara’s pierced-up face and lack of eyebrows always fell short of being truly convincing. And we’ve already been through director David Fincher’s handling of her character… and suffice to say, we welcome a new interpretation, even if it isn’t from the mind (or pen) of series originator Stieg Larsson.
Inevitable comparisons aside, perhaps Lisbeth Salander will become like James Bond: A character that endures through the decades, taking down the patriarchy whilst being played by a succession of actresses who each give her a unique riff on an iconic look. In Bond’s case, it was the tuxedos, martinis, and womanizing. In Salander’s, it will be health goth, hacker-chic haircuts, and cold, sweet, Scandinavian vengeance.
Watch Now: Prepare for the adaptation of the fourth Millennium book with the original movie trilogy that introduced us to everyone’s favorite vigilante hacker (sorry, Rami Malek) — watch The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest on Fandor!
The Grinch
And speaking of taking up the mantle of a beloved cinematic icon, it seems that Benedict Cumberbatch has one more “voice” in his arsenal. As Dr. Seuss’ most notorious creation besides the Cat in the Hat, Cumberbatch joins the ranks of Boris Karloff, Zero Mostel, Walter Matthau, and Jim Carrey — not a bad club to be in. Somehow, this evolution of the classic Christmas-time villain (who has but Scrooge as real competition in this category) from two-dimensional animation to live-action, to CGI animation feels just right — as if Seuss himself would approve. Plus, we love the doggy dumbwaiter and morning Rube Goldberg machine! Even if you’ve put your Cindy Lou Who days behind you and become the wearer of the grumpy-pants, this tale of resilience in the face of spirit-crushing oppression feels more well-timed than ever. We just have two questions: When do we get an animated Krampus movie, and who gets to star as the voice actor?
Watch Now: Before they became Lisbeth Salander and the Grinch, respectively, Claire Foy and Benedict Cumberbatch starred in the 2011 romantic drama Wreckers, available for streaming on Fandor.
