Self-Isolation Media Recommendations #3

Posted by Explosion Network | Apr 9, 2020 | Uncategorized | 0

With cinemas closed and everyone (hopefully) practising social distancing, we are going to provide you with some suggestions to help you get by until things (hopefully) get back to normal. We’ll also provide some alternatives for films that were meant to come out in cinemas this week.

Let us know your own recommendations in the comments below or on Twitter.

Cinema Alternatives

The New Mutants

Directed by: Josh Boone
Written by: Josh Boone and Knate Lee
Starring: Maisie Williams, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Heaton, Alice Braga, Blu Hunt and Henry Zaga

Synopsis:
In an isolated hospital, a group of young mutants is being held for psychiatric monitoring. When strange occurrences begin to take place, both their new mutant abilities and their friendships will be tested as they battle to try and make it out alive.

Has there been a more troubled film in recent history that The New Mutants? Shot in 2017 for a 2018 release, the film was delayed for reshoots, reshoots that apparently never happened. The film was pushed back further in the wake of the Disney’s acquisition of Fox and was set to finally hit cinemas before Covid-19 dealt the film another blow. There is no current release date for The New Mutants, despite most of Disney’s slate getting new dates. There are rumours that it may be released on Disney+ in the wake of an interview with Bob Iger where he said they may bring more films straight to the service, like they are doing with Artemis Fowl.

Alternative:

Brightburn

Rotten Tomatoes: 57%
IMDB: 6.1
Metacritic: 44

Year of Release: 2019
Directed by: David Yarovesky
Written by: Brian Gunn and Mark Gunn
Starring: Elizabeth Banks, David Denman, Jackson A. Dunn, Matt Jones and Meredith Hagner

Synopsis:
After a difficult struggle with fertility, Tori Breyer’s dreams of motherhood come true with the arrival of a mysterious baby boy. Brandon appears to be everything Tori and her husband, Kyle, ever wanted — bright, talented and curious about the world. But as Brandon nears puberty, powerful darkness manifests within him, and Tori becomes consumed by terrible doubts about her son. Once Brandon begins to act on his twisted urges, those closest to him find themselves in grave danger.

Rationale:
The New Mutants is meant to be a horror film set in the X-Men Universe, so why not watch this horror-based interpretation of Superman’s origin story. Produced by James Gunn, Brightburn was a relatively good financial success given its low budget.

Find out where you can watch Brightburn here.

Alternative:

Sucker Punch

Rotten Tomatoes: 22%
IMDB: 6.0
Metacritic: 33

Year of Release: 2011
Directed by: Zack Snyder
Written by: Zack Snyder (Story and Screenplay by) and Steve Shibuya (Story by)
Starring: Emily Browning, Abbie Cornish, Jena Malone, Vanessa Hudgens, Jamie Chung, Carla Gugino, Oscar Isaac, Jon Hamm and Scott Glenn

Synopsis:
A young girl, Babydoll, is locked away in a mental asylum by her abusive stepfather, where she will undergo a lobotomy in five days’ time. Faced with unimaginable odds, she retreats to a fantastical world in her imagination where she and four other female asylum inmates plot to escape the facility. The line between reality and fantasy blurs as Babydoll and the others, plus a mysterious guide, fight to retrieve the five items that will let them break free from their captors in time.

Rationale:
This Zack Snyder original is definitely not everyone’s cup of tea but it has developed a small cult following and a lot of the girls are regularly cosplayed still. Also set in a mental institution and with a promising young cast for the time, Sucker Punch is at least visual interesting and worth a try.

Find out where you can watch Sucker Punch here.

The Hunt

Directed by: Craig Zobel
Written by: Nick Cuse and Damon Lindelof
Starring: Betty Gilpin, Ike Barinholtz, Amy Madigan, Emma Roberts, Ethan Suplee and Hilary Swank

Synopsis:
Twelve strangers wake up in a clearing. They don’t know where they are, or how they got there. They don’t know they’ve been chosen… for a very specific purpose… The Hunt. In the shadow of a dark internet conspiracy theory, a bunch of elites gathers for the very first time at a remote Manor House to hunt humans for sport. But the elites’ master plan is about to be derailed because one of the hunted, Crystal, knows The Hunters’ game better than they do. She turns the tables on the killers, picking them off, one by one, as she makes her way toward the mysterious woman at the center of it all.

Like The New Mutants, The Hunt has had a tough time getting to the cinema. It was originally meant to be released in September 2019 but was delayed in the wake of two mass shootings. It is now available to rent on various services for $24.99. Universal have released the first 10 minutes of the film if you would like to give it a try.

Alternative:

The Hunger Games

Rotten Tomatoes: 84%
IMDB: 7.2
Metacritic: 68

Year of Release: 2012
Directed by: Gary Ross
Written by: Suzanne Collins (Screenplay by, Based on the Novel by), Gary Ross (Screenplay by), Billy Ray (Screenplay by)
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Lenny Kravitz, Stanley Tucci and Donald Sutherland

Synopsis:
Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the evil Capitol of the nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games. A twisted punishment for a past uprising and an ongoing government intimidation tactic, The Hunger Games are a nationally televised event in which “Tributes” must fight with one another until one survivor remains. Pitted against highly-trained Tributes who have prepared for these Games their entire lives, Katniss is forced to rely upon her sharp instincts as well as the mentorship of drunken former victor Haymitch Abernathy. If she’s ever to return home to District 12, Katniss must make impossible choices in the arena that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

Rationale:
The franchise that made Jennifer Lawrence a household name, it is also primarily about humans hunting each other, albeit it in a televised game show setting.

Find out where you can watch The Hunger Games here.

Alternative:

The Purge

Rotten Tomatoes: 40%
IMDB: 5.7
Metacritic: 41

Year of Release: 2013
Directed by: James DeMonaco
Written by: James DeMonaco
Starring: Ethan Hawke, Lena Headey, Adelaide Kane and Max Burkholder

Synopsis:
In a future America devastated by crime and overcrowded prisons, the government provides a 12-hour period once a year when all criminal activity (including murder) is legal. A man attempts to protect his family from an intruder during one such period.

Rationale:
The film that launched a horror franchise and major part in building Blumhouse Pictures. Like The Hunt, it features commentary on the class difference.

Find out where you can watch The Purge here.

Movie of the Week

Long Shot

Rotten Tomatoes: 82%
IMDB: 6.9
Metacritic: 67

Year of Release: 2019
Directed by: Jonathan Levine
Written by: Paul King and Simon Farnaby
Starring: Seth Rogen, Charlize Theron, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Andy Serkis, June Diane Raphael, Bob Odenkirk and Alexander Skarsgård

Synopsis:
When Fred Flarsky reunites with his first crush, one of the most influential women in the world, Charlotte Field, he charms her with his self-deprecating humor and his memories of her youthful idealism. As she prepares to make a run for the Presidency, Charlotte hires Fred as her speechwriter. A fish out of water on Charlotte’s elite team, Fred is unprepared for her glamourous lifestyle in the limelight. Sparks fly as their unmistakable chemistry leads to a round-the-world romance and a series of unexpected and dangerous incidents.

Rationale:
One of the most surprisingly good comedies from last year. Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron have amazing chemistry and is a reminder that Charlize Theron can do pretty much anything. Some of the funniest content in 2019.

Find out where you can watch Long Shot here.

TV to Binge

Avatar: The Last Airbender

Rotten Tomatoes: 100%
IMDB: 9.2
Metacritic: 74

Year of Release: 2005 – 2008
Created by: Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko
Episodes: 61 x 23 minute episodes
Starring: Zach Tyler Eisen, Mae Whitman, Jack DeSena, Dante Basco Jessie Flower, Dee Bradley Baker, Mako, Greg Baldwin, Grey DeLisle and Mark Hamill

Synopsis:
The world is divided into four nations — the Water Tribe, the Earth Kingdom, the Fire Nation and and the Air Nomads — each represented by a natural element for which the nation is named. Benders have the ability to control and manipulate the element from their nation. Only the Avatar is the master of all four elements. The ruthless Fire Nation wants to conquer the world but the only bender who has enough power, the Avatar, has disappeared … until now. His tribe soon discovers that Aang is the long-lost Avatar. Now Katara and Sokka must safeguard Aang on his journey to master all four elements and save the world from the Fire Nation.

Rationale:
One of the great animated series. With a great story, told perfectly over 3 seasons, Avatar: The Last Airbender was something completely different to any other animated show being made at the time. Still an amazing show that is worth checking out, especially ahead of it’s upcoming live action adaptation on Netflix.

Find out where you can watch Avatar: The Last Airbender here.

Self-Isolation Media Recommendations #3

Cinema Alternatives

The New Mutants

Alternative:

Brightburn

Alternative:

Sucker Punch

The Hunt

Alternative:

The Hunger Games

Alternative:

The Purge

Movie of the Week

Long Shot

TV to Binge

Avatar: The Last Airbender

About The Author

Explosion Network

Leave a ReplyCancel reply

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Self-Isolation Media Recommendations #3

Cinema Alternatives

The New Mutants

Alternative:

Brightburn

Alternative:

Sucker Punch

The Hunt

Alternative:

The Hunger Games

Alternative:

The Purge

Movie of the Week

Long Shot

TV to Binge

Avatar: The Last Airbender

About The Author

Related Posts

Leave a ReplyCancel reply

LATEST POSTS