Awesome Movies

Every Frame a Painting is back. The world is healing. Or not; they’re doing only a limited series, after all. But we’ll take it. Without much fanfare, YouTube’s OG film essay channel launches straight into the history, strengths, and weaknesses of the sustained two-shot – a film perspective where two characters stay in a single scene for a long time.

Christopher Reeve was the Superman. But his life tragically changed when an accident left him paralyzed from the neck down. Super/Man goes behind the scenes of Reeve’s life and how he and his loved ones turned the final arc of his life into a triumphant advocacy for medical research and assistance for people with disabilities. Premieres 9.21.24.

(PG-13) “Bad sh*t happens to people I care about, do you understand?!” Gamerstrix made this dramatic look at Hugh Jackman’s appearances as the one and only Wolverine, prior to his return with Deadpool. It highlights the abuse and tragedies that Logan has gone through in his long life. To paraphrase Jables, Wolverine’s real power… is to move you.

(PG-13: Language) A man on his way to post bail for his cousin is assaulted and robbed by the local police themselves. Unfortunately for the crooked cops, their “victim” is a former Marine, and they’re about to reenact Rambo. Writer and director Jeremy Saulnier may have cooked a sleeper in this thrilling action flick. Premieres 9.6.24 on Netflix.

(PG-13) A more mature and ambitious film from the creators of Loving Vincent. Based on Wladyslaw Reymont’s eponymous novel, The Peasants is a tragic love triangle set in early 20th-century rural Poland. The film was first shot in live action then turned into oil paintings, which were then stitched together in animated form. Now on Netflix in the US.

(PG-13) Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Himesh Patel star as two middling cops investigating a murder that has upended their otherwise picturesque island town. Except they already know who did it. What they don’t know is just how bad things are about to get. This comedy crime thriller also stars Lily James, Tim Blake Nelson, and Jim Gaffigan. Premieres 8.23.24.

First released in 1996, DC’s Kingdom Come paired classical art with modern superheroes. More than its grand alternate future story, it was Alex Ross’ stunning watercolor paintings that cemented the books’ place in history. This upcoming feature-length documentary features new interviews with Ross and co-writer Mark Waid, along with their contemporaries.

(PG-13) 2024 is shaping up to be a banner year for horror films. And what better way to cap things off than with Art the Clown himself? The immortal slasher is back to terrorize Sienna, Jonathan, and the unfortunate souls who happen to be around them. Director Damien Leone promises that Terrifier 3 will reveal more about Art’s intentions. Premieres 10.11.24.

Set 20 years after the first film, Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II stars Paul Mescal as a grandson of the former emperor, now enslaved by the current regime. The movie also stars Pedro Pascal as a general who trained under Maximus, and Denzel Washington as a slave manager, trader, and a cruel man with lofty ambitions. Premieres 11.22.24.

Despite living in a concrete world, many millennials are unnecessarily aware – or even afraid – of quicksand. Weird History traces the surprisingly ancient lineage of this pop culture trope until its height in the 1980s. Unfortunately, the video weighs us down with the fear again by sharing real life tragedies related to the sticky trap.

Writer-directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods must be sick of strangers knocking on their doors. Their horror film Heretic sees a pair of eager missionaries forced to play bizarre games in a man’s labyrinthine house. Who knew that Hugh Grant channeling Michael Caine’s diction would make such a compelling villain? Premieres Fall 2024.

(PG-13) A widow offers her son and his wife a large amount of money to move in with them. Despite her husband’s warnings, the expectant mother pushes him to accept the offer. If you think you know where this is going, you don’t. No one does. All we have is this crazy-ass trailer for A24’s The Front Room. Kathryn Hunter looks to be a beast here. Premieres 9.6.24.

(PG-13: Language) Director and writer Yorgos Lanthimos (Poor Things) is back with another absurdist film. Kinds of Kindness is a dark comedy comprised of three stories. There’s a man whose faith in his incredibly controlling father figure is about to break, a missing woman who seems to return as someone else, and a sleazy cult. Premieres 6.21.24.

(PG-13) When he’s told that he has a terminal illness, a hitman waxes romantic the way hitmen do: he puts out a hit on himself. Turns out the diagnosis was incorrect, but the game is already afoot. We were hoping that Dave Bautista’s debut lead role would be more akin to his stint in Blade Runner 2049, but this budget Kill Bill could be fun too. Premieres 9.13.24.

A 93-year-old grandma and her friend set out to get her money back from a phone scammer in this heartwarming comedy. Thelma pokes fun at action movie tropes while tackling the struggles of the elderly to remain independent. June Squibb (who is actually 94 years old!) plays the lead role alongside the late Richard Roundtree. Premieres 6.21.24.

We’ve yet to see the fourth installment in the Bad Boys franchise, but the early buzz is that it’s another great action flick. This brief behind-the-scenes clip shows how Will Smith wielded a special camera rig to capture a visual that flips between a reverse perspective and a first-person view during a gunfight. We wonder if Will gets a camera operator credit.