Hello, Yahoo readers! My name is Brett Arnold, film critic and longtime Yahoo editor, and I’m back with another edition of Trust Me, I Watch Everything.
It’s a particularly fun week, with a pair of really good indies hitting theaters alongside the fourth entry in the popular The Conjuring horror franchise. At home, The Naked Gun and Nobody 2, two movies that I recommended when they hit theaters, are now available to rent or buy.
On streaming services you’re likely already paying for, the Tim Robinson-Paul Rudd A24 comedy Friendship hits HBO Max, and Spike Lee’s new film and fifth collaboration with Denzel Washington, Highest 2 Lowest, makes its way to Apple TV+ after a limited theatrical run.
Read on, because that’s not all, and there’s always something here for everyone.
🎥 What to watch in theaters
My recommendation: The Conjuring: Last Rites
Why you should watch it: The fourth entry in the very successful mainline Conjuring franchise is actually the *ninth* entry in the overall Conjuring Universe — or 10th, even, depending on whether you count The Curse of La Llorona, which made a half-assed late-in-the-game effort of connecting to the larger world of these films. There are multiple actual spinoffs, though, that include three Annabelle films and a pair of Nuns.
Even outside the series, the haunted-house-meets-exorcism concept is pretty generic and well-trodden territory. Ever since The Exorcist hit movie screens and set box office records back in 1973, we’ve been inundated with 50-plus years of imitators of varying quality, to the point where “ripoffs of The Exorcist” is a horror sub-genre that still sports a few entries a year.
Vera Farmiga and Mia Tomlinson in The Conjuring: Last Rites (Courtesy of WB/Everett Collection)
I say all that to say, it’s impressive how much The Conjuring: Last Rites works, given these parameters. There are several set pieces in the film that are creepy and tense and effective, and others that are simply incredibly well-executed jump scares — at least one of them actually got my butt out of the seat.
It’s a major improvement on the third installment, The Devil Made Me Do It, which focused more on a court case, as the series goes back to its roots here and follows a family in a spooky haunted house situation that needs the Warrens to show up and sort things out. The (in)famous paranormal investigators take on one last terrifying case involving mysterious entities they must confront from their past.
Mia Tomlinson in The Conjuring: Last Rites. (Courtesy of WB/Everett Collection)
These movies are all based on real-life cases that the Warrens investigated, and this one is no different, dramatizing and Hollywood-ifying the story of the Smurls from West Pittston, Pennsylvania. The “this time, it’s personal” story here involves the Warrens’ daughter Judy and adds an emotional center that these things usually don’t have — and I’ll be damned if I didn’t find it kind of endearing, even if this movie-sanitized version of the Warrens is portrayed softer and more angelic than their real-life extremely controversial counterparts. I also enjoyed seeing Patrick Wilson’s Ed Warren in corny dad mode, razzing his daughter’s new beau.
Simply put, the movie delivers where it needs to to recommend to fans of the series and the genre, though it does feel way too long, at a not-so-brisk 135 minutes, with an endless second act. The earlier entries may have also been fairly epic in length, but you never really felt it as much as you do here. It doesn’t do anything new, but it does what the franchise does well to such a degree that it leaves a good impression after a lackluster previous entry and ends things on a high-enough note.
What other critics are saying: It’s a pretty even split. William Bibbiani at TheWrap writes, “As a scary movie, The Conjuring: Last Rites is a generic film, neither good nor bad. It’s practically begging audiences to judge it on a ‘pass/fail’ basis. As the conclusion of the ‘Conjuring’ series, it’s a little more successful, but not much.” Variety’s J. Kim Murphy says “the story ends up on-rails and the stakes seem smaller than ever, despite a bloated, franchise-high runtime. That this highly derivative horror series bottoms out by over-investing in the Warrens is a sure sign that it is well past its utility.” Hard to argue with either!
How to watch: The Conjuring: Last Rites is now in theaters nationwide.
Bonus recommendation: Twinless
Why you should watch it: What starts as a clever premise quickly evolves into something darker.
The short and spoiler-free synopsis is as follows: Two young men (Dylan O’Brien and James Sweeney) meet in a twin bereavement support group and form an unlikely bromance. The idea of two twins, having both lost their other halves, searching for their own identity as they continue to live on, is so trenchant and emotional in itself. By the time the movie pulls a bait and switch and subverts that idea, it turns into a tragic thriller of sorts.
Dylan O’Brien, James Sweeney in Twinless (Courtesy of Roadside Attractions/Courtesy Everett Collection)
O’Brien gives not just one but two of the best performances this year playing twins, one of whom is only seen in flashback, but the movie’s well-conceived structure is such that they both get tons of screen time. Sweeney, who also writes and directs, is great too, but O’Brien really stands out due to just how different the two characters he’s playing are. It’s a star-making turn, for me at least, having never seen a Maze Runner movie.
It’s as dark and twisted as it is earnest, emotional and funny, a tricky combo pulled off with gusto here by Sweeney. The writing is so smart, and the movie always feels one step ahead of you, which is such an enchanting and rare quality. Twinless is worth seeking out.
What other critics are saying: It’s one of the best-reviewed movies of the year thus far! Lovia Gyarkye of the Hollywood Reporter writes that “Sweeney walks a tightrope, shifting between dry humor, gutting devastation and emotional poignancy with varying degrees of success. But even when Twinless falters, it always steadies itself and succeeds in other ways.” The Guardian’s Ben Lee writes, “For all of its themes of identical mental and physical connection, Twinless is a true original.”
How to watch: Twinless is now in theaters, in limited release.
But that’s not all…
Ruby Cruz, Zoey Deutch, Jonah Hauer-King in The Threesome. (Vertical Entertainment/ Courtesy Everett Collection)
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The Threesome: One of the most interesting things about this movie is that it’s not at all the raunchy sex comedy you’d expect it to be from its title. Instead, it’s a thoughtful and thoroughly modern rom-com that uses the titular incident as a jumping-off point to tell a story about these characters and their incredibly complex relationships. It’s charming! The entire cast is great, but Zoey Deutch really makes an impression. Get tickets.
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The Baltimorons: This warm and gentle and sad and wonderful indie gem really sneaks up on you. The star, who also wrote the film, is newcomer Michael Strassner, and he gives an incredibly endearing performance in what is clearly a very personal story, alongside Liz Larsen, a veteran actress who’s never had a lead role like this in a film before.
After cracking a tooth on Christmas Eve, newly sober Cliff embarks on an adventure through Baltimore with Didi, his emergency dentist who’s nearly twice his age. It’s a fantastic showcase for them both that’s unexpectedly affecting, moving and even life-affirming, making you laugh all the while. It’s a reminder of the power of cinema and that you don’t need millions to make something special. Hopefully, it’ll be streaming by the holidays and become a new perennial classic, like the recent Oscar-nominated The Holdovers. Get tickets.
Michael Strassner, Liz Larsen in The Baltimorons. (Courtesy of IFC FIlms/Everett Collection)
💸 Movies newly available to rent or buy
My recommendation: The Naked Gun
Why you should maybe watch it: The funniest movie of the year is now available to watch at home, though catching it in a packed theater full of strangers guffawing at every gag is still the best way to experience it. It’s likely still playing in your area if you’re interested, but if not, it’s now streamable from your couch.
Liam Neeson stars as the son of Leslie Nielsen’s character, and their names sounding alike is just another layer of joke in a movie with so many laughs, you’ll likely need a revisit to catch up on the ones you missed while recovering from the last one.
Pamela Anderson, Liam Neeson in The Naked Gun. (Courtesy of Paramount/Everett Collection
When it hit theaters, I wrote that Neeson is terrific, harnessing the same “this guy’s a serious actor” energy that Nielsen brought to the role to brilliant comedic effect. Pamela Anderson also stands out as femme fatale Beth Davenport. Their chemistry was undeniable both onscreen and off, and I hope their romance is still going strong, even after the cameras stopped rolling.
The movie has a singular goal: to make you laugh. A lot. It succeeds better than any studio comedy in recent memory. It also kicks off the start of spoof season, with a new Wayans brothers Scary Movie coming out next year. Here’s hoping we get another Naked Gun sequel with a silly number in the title, a possibility that seems more likely by the day as the box office tally crosses $50 million worldwide.
What other critics are saying: They love it! The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw teases that “it finishes with a quite extraordinarily bizarre and offensive tribute which caused the audience I was in to go into gibbering shock.” TheWrap’s William Bibbiani puts it simply: “It’s very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very funny. Very.”
How to watch: The Naked Gun is now available to rent or buy on Amazon, Apple TV and other VOD platforms.
Bonus recommendation: Nobody 2
Why you should watch it: It’s the rare sequel that streamlines and improves upon the original. Beloved character actor Bob Odenkirk returns in the action-comedy sequel that sees his character, Hutch, attempting to vacation with his family only to get caught up in a series of increasingly satisfying and violent set pieces.
As I said when it hit theaters, the plot is barely there, but in a commendable way: It gets in, gets out and doesn’t waste any of our time. We get an upgrade in the big bad department here with Sharon Stone hamming it up as a menacing villain.
Sharon Stone and Daniel Bernhardt in “Nobody 2.” (Courtesy of Universal/Everett Collection)
The biggest improvement comes behind the camera, as Indonesian filmmaker Timo Tjahjanto steps in, stamping this American studio film with his uniquely stylized bloody carnage that fans will recognize from The Night Comes for Us or The Shadow Strays. The action and violence are often shockingly and grotesquely over-the-top, no surprise for fans of the director, but a bit much for general audiences.
It’s a lot of fun, if you’re into this sort of thing. John Wick clones like this live or die by the action within, and thankfully, Nobody 2 delivers in that department. Having the wonderful Odenkirk as your lead is basically a cheat code; he gets some great laughs mid-fight, as his reluctance to participate shines through. You can’t ask for much more out of a brisk, 80-ish minute action flick.
What other critics are saying: It’s a hit! TheWrap’s William Bibbiani really gets it, writing, “It’s like a National Lampoon movie where Chevy Chase is a mass murderer. That’s a great pitch, dang it, and Timo Tjahjanto throws it at 105 miles per hour.” Owen Gleiberman from Variety says, “It’s even more maximally heightened, ridiculous, and diverting” than its predecessor, and he means that as a compliment.
How to watch: Nobody 2 is now available to rent or buy on Amazon, Apple TV and other VOD platforms.
📺 Movies newly available on streaming services you may already have
My recommendation: Friendship
Why you should watch it: The comedy of Tim Robinson is definitely not for everyone, but those who do appreciate his comedy rabidly anticipate his work, and his beloved Netflix sketch comedy series I Think You Should Leave has become something of an obsession for its devotees. If you’ve ever watched that show and wondered, “Could one of these deranged characters ever anchor a feature-length film?” we now have an answer. Quite surprisingly, yes!
Jon Glaser, Raphael Sbarge, Paul Rudd, Jason Veasey, Omar Torres, Craig Frank. (Courtesy of A24/Everett Collection)
Everybody’s comparing Friendship to I Love You, Man, which makes sense, given the premise and the fact that Paul Rudd costars in both, but a better point of comparison might be The Cable Guy. It’s about a suburban dad (Robinson) with an unsatisfied wife (Kata Mara) and a kid who thinks he’s a loser, befriending his super cool neighbor (Rudd) and becoming a little too into him, alienating him and his other pals along the way.
It’s laugh-out-loud hilarious throughout if you find Robinson’s antics amusing, and likely aggravating if you don’t. It also features probably the funniest drug trip sequence of all time, a wonderful subversion of the comedy trope.
What other critics are saying: Critics love it! Chase Hutchinson at TheWrap goes so far as to call it “the year’s best comedy.” Though Robinson’s brand of humor is definitely divisive, with Time’s Stephanie Zacharek aptly summarizing the average nonbeliever view: “How much Tim Robinson is too much? Maybe the exact amount you get in Friendship.”
How to watch: Friendship is now streaming on HBO Max.
Bonus recommendation: Highest 2 Lowest
Why you should watch it: The latest collaboration between iconic American filmmaker Spike Lee and one of the greatest actors of our time, Denzel Washington, takes a while to get going, but once it does, it’s so exhilarating that it more than makes up for the admittedly slow wind-up.
The film is a reimagining of the work of Japanese auteur Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 classic High and Low. If you’re familiar with the original work, Highest 2 Lowest unfolds similarly until it doesn’t, at which point it flourishes into an electric and singular Spike Lee joint that is riveting and undeniably his own.
Denzel Washington in “Highest 2 Lowest.” (Courtesy of A24/Everett Collection)
As I wrote when it hit theaters, it’s an exemplary “late style” work — that is, a film made late in a director’s career that often feels like it’s commenting on the filmmaker’s past art and legacy. It’s clear that Lee sees the main character, Denzel King, as a stand-in for himself, made evident through dialogue about how much King cares about supporting young Black artists.
It’s a movie about an industry titan asking himself, “Am I losing my edge in the modern world?” By the end of the movie, it’s clear the answer is a definitive brushing off of the idea entirely, as Lee shows off in the finale, suggesting he’s been reinvigorated with love for the process of moviemaking again despite all the modern forces working against him.
What other critics are saying: Everybody loves it! Stephanie Zacharek of Time says that it “fulfills every expectation you might want from a modern Spike Lee movie.” The Associated Press’s Lindsey Bahr writes that it “may not reach the heights of some of Lee’s best films, but it’s the kind [of] film that makes you hope Lee and Washington have more to make together.”
How to watch: Highest 2 Lowest is now streaming on Apple TV+.
But that’s not all…
Kerry Washington in Shadow Force. (Juan Pablo Gutierrez/Lionsgate/Courtesy Everett Collection)
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Shadow Force: Kerry Washington and Omar Sy star in this forgettable but watchable action flick from director Joe Carnahan, a veteran of the genre known for Smokin’ Aces, Narc and more recently, the underrated and under-seen Copshop (which is also now streaming on Hulu). An estranged couple with a bounty on their heads must go on the run with their son to avoid their former employer, a unit of shadow ops that has been sent to kill them. Now streaming on Starz.
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Lilo & Stitch: The live-action remake of the 2002 animated Disney favorite is the second-highest-grossing movie of the year worldwide and only one of two movies to make $1 billion this year. If you managed to hold out this long, it’s now available on Disney+ after its lengthy theatrical run. A sequel is already in the works! Now streaming on Disney+.
Maia Kealoha, Stitch (voice: Chris Sanders), Sydney Agudong in Lilo & Stitch. (Courtesy of Disney/Everett Collection)
That’s all for this week — we’ll see you next week at the movies!
Looking for more recs? Find your next watch on the Yahoo 100, our daily updating list of the most popular movies of the year.
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