What to watch in cinemas this week | Dec. 26–Jan. 1
Nosferatu, Babygirl, A Complete Unknown, and The Seed of the Sacred Fig.
Each week I provide a somewhat-curated list of films to see in cinemas. Meant as more of a resource than weekly essay, you can refer to this series whenever you feel like going to the movies. Also, can check out previous weeks’ selections because those films might still be in theaters.
Note: sorry, forgot to add recommendations for Christmas viewings last week, hope you managed. It’s not too late to watch the greatest of them all, Eyes Wide Shut. Then you can watch it’s spiritual sequel, Babygirl, opening Christmas day in the USA, where Nicole Kidman plays the Tom Cruise role kinda. This is the perfect time to go to the cinemas, where you can properly avoid your relatives and escape for two hours in a world better than ours.
Recommendation of the week
Nosferatu (Robert Eggers)
is the fourth period-piece film from Eggers, following the commercial slump of The Northman. This film, which is based so heavily on IP and previous films, will not be a great indicator of Eggers’s direction as a filmmaker, whether that be towards the mainstream or small- to medium-budget indie. Nonetheless, Nosferatu will be a required viewing for myself and everyone within several feet.
Plot bio: A gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman and the terrifying vampire infatuated with her, causing untold horror in its wake.
In German cinemas next week.
American releases
Babygirl (Halina Reijn)
seems more like fan-service casting and production as a steamy erotic thriller starring young stud Dickinson and America’s favorite cinema-ad actress, but I’ll take it. What I won’t take is the press surrounding Kidman’s “bravery” for doing this role. I’m uninterested in that, especially when The Seed of the Sacred Fig is in cinemas (and opening in Germany this week).
Plot bio: A high-powered CEO puts her career and family on the line when she begins a torrid affair with her much younger intern.
German release in late January.
A Complete Unknown (James Mangold)
will be my ultimate ‘is Timmy a good or bad actor’ film. Not being a fan of both Dunes and aggressively hateful towards Wonka, my patience is running out. If he’s to be the actor of our generation, I would like that to be in good films rather than IP-schlock with big opening weekends. That also doesn’t mean he needs to remain only in indie films. This Dylan bio-pic will therefore be a great indicator.
Plot bio: New York, early 1960s. Against the backdrop of a vibrant music scene and tumultuous cultural upheaval, an enigmatic 19-year-old from Minnesota arrives in the West Village with his guitar and revolutionary talent, destined to change the course of American music.
Opening in Germany in late February.
German releases
The Seed of the Sacred Fig (Mohammad Rasoulof)
is something I recommended and wrote about a few posts ago. I was able to watch in back in the USA and was not disappointed. It’s more relevant that anything you’ve seen this year (unless you watched No Other Land), and I’m excited to watch it with a German audience because, after all, this is Germany’s selection for their foreign language Oscar entry.
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