By John Corrado

New releases for December 22nd and 25th, 2023.

Jeffrey Wright in American Fiction

Theatrical Releases:

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (Wide Release): The DCEU officially comes to a close this week, with more of a whimper than a bang. Jason Momoa returns to the role of Aquaman, and James Wan returns to direct, in what I’m hearing is a messy, undercooked sequel. I didn’t hate the first one (it was a cheesy B-movie adventure), but I can’t say I have much interest in returning to this world.

American Fiction (Limited Release): Cord Jefferson’s feature directorial debut – which won this year’s People’s Choice Award at TIFF – is a blistering and often very funny modern satire. Jeffrey Wright stars as Thelonious “Monk” Ellison, an African-American college professor and failed author who writes a stereotyped “poverty porn” novel as a joke, and must reckon with its success. Wright is excellent in the leading role, with Sterling K. Brown stealing scenes as his brother. It’s a sharp, astute film that is fun to watch with a crowd and talk about afterwards. (TIFF 2023 Review)

The Zone of Interest (Limited Release): Jonathan Glazer’s Cannes Grand Prix winner follows a Nazi commandant (Christian Friedel) and his wife (Sandra Hüller), who are raising their young kids at an opulent home in the shadow of Auschwitz. By focusing almost entirely on this family’s everyday life, Glazer crafts a chilling look at the banality of evil, and how regular people can do despicable things (it has taken on added relevancy with the chilling rise in antisemitism we are seeing around the world). An artistic, disturbing stunner that is hard to shake. (TIFF 2023 Review)

Ferrari (December 25th): Director Michael Mann returns with this biopic of Enzo Ferrari, starring Adam Driver as the Italian automaker and Penelope Cruz as his wife. Set in 1957, a decade after them founding the company, it’s more of a melodrama about marital infidelity and fathers and sons than it is about cars. But the racing scenes are well done, and performances are solid. (Full Review)

The Boys in the Boat (December 25th): George Clooney’s latest as a director focuses on the true story of the University of Washington junior varsity rowing team who competed at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. Callum Turner stars as working class rower Joe Rantz, and Joel Edgerton is the coach. Clooney has crafted an intentionally old fashioned picture; it’s a bit stodgy in places, but works well enough as a traditional underdog sports movie. (Full Review)

The Color Purple (December 25th): Fantasia Barrino, Danielle Brooks, Taraji P. Henson and Colman Domingo star in director Blitz Bazawule’s big screen adaptation of Broadway musical The Color Purple, offering a glitzy reimagining of Alice Walker’s 1982 novel and Steven Spielberg’s 1985 film of the same. Designed to be an awards player. (Full Review)

More Releases: Anyone But You (Wide), Migration (Wide), The Iron Claw (Wide), Society of the Snow (TIFF Bell Lightbox), Anselm 3D (TIFF Bell Lightbox)

Streaming Releases:

Maestro (Netflix): Bradley Cooper directs and stars in this biopic of American composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein. The film – which was a passion project for the actor and director – mainly focuses on Bernstein’s relationship to wife Felicia (Carey Mulligan). If the script has some shortcomings, the film is often gorgeously crafted. It’s carried by strong performances from Cooper and Mulligan, with Matthew Libatique providing striking cinematography. Now streaming on Netflix following a limited run in theatres. (Full Review)

Saltburn (Prime Video): Emerald Fennell’s followup to her Oscar-winning Promising Young Woman follows a socially awkward Oxford student (Barry Keoghan) as he becomes obsessed with his rich classmate (Jacob Elordi) and his affluent family. The performances are good and the film has some stylish elements, but I mostly found this to be a vapid, surface-deep satire. (Full Review)

More Releases: Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire (Netflix), Percy Jackson and the Olympians (Disney+)