By John Corrado

New releases for the week of January 27th, 2023.

Theatrical Releases:

Finn Wolfhard and Julianne Moore in When You Finish Saving the World

Infinity Pool (Wide Release): The latest film from director Brandon Cronenberg (son of David Cronenberg), Infinity Pool is arriving in theatres fresh off of its Sundance premiere. The film stars Alexander Skarsgård and Mia Goth as a couple on a beach vacation that takes a dark turn. I missed the screening, but am looking forward to checking it out soon. I liked Brandon Cronenberg’s previous film Possessor, so I’m curious to see what twisted vision he has in store this time around.

When You Finish Saving the World (TIFF Bell Lightbox): Jesse Eisenberg’s confident and enjoyable directorial debut is a quirky comedy about a mother and son struggling to reconnect. Finn Wolfhard stars as aspiring teenage singer-songwriter Ziggy Katz, and Julianne Moore is his mother Evelyn, who runs a women’s shelter and finds a stand-in for her own increasingly aloof child when she meets Kyle (Billy Byrk), the sensitive son of one of her clients. It’s buoyed along by good performances and Eisenberg’s often witty writing. Wolfhard and Byrk will be joining for live Q&As after the 3:45 pm and 6:30 pm screenings at Lightbox today. (Full Review)

More Releases: Living (TIFF Bell Lightbox), Loudmouth (Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema), Left Behind: Rise of the Antichrist (Limited), Fortress of Skulls (Limited)

Streaming Releases:

You People (Netflix): Eddie Murphy and Jonah Hill star in this Netflix romantic comedy from director Kenya Barris (co-written by him and Hill) that seems to be like a modern riff on Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner. Reviews are somewhat mixed, but I’ll be watching it for Murphy, who has long been one of my favourite comedic actors. (Full Review)

Shrinking (Apple TV+): This new comedy series stars Jason Segel as a psychiatrist still grieving the death of his wife, who decides to take a more hands-on approach in the lives of his patients, much to the chagrin of his older supervisor (Harrison Ford). I previewed the first few episodes, and it’s off to a pretty good start. Even if the show feels a little too light to fully grapple with its heavier themes, it still strikes a decent balance between humour and heart. I’ve always liked Segel as an actor, and this series allows him to showcase his innate ability to thread the needle between comedy and drama, while Ford is delightfully grouchy. First two (of ten) episodes premiere today, with new episodes dropping every Friday.

More Releases: Shotgun Wedding (Prime Video), Teen Wolf: The Movie (Paramount+)