CineChat

TrailerChat – 26 August 2020

Welcome to our latest roundup of some of the recently released trailers, with thoughts and feedback from the CineChat team. As always, please let us know your thoughts regarding any of these upcoming movies/shows in the comments or on any of our social media platforms.

Judas and the Black Messiah

From IMDb: The story of Fred Hampton, Chairman of the Illinois Black Panther Party, and his fateful betrayal by FBI informant William O’Neal. Released January 2021

Clare: What a trailer. The use of the music and chanting was so intense, and I can imagine the film will be too. With a cast like this one, you can’t expect anything other than greatness – fingers crossed it will live up to this brilliant trailer.

Mary: Wow Daniel Kaluuya looks incredible in this I’d say he’s a shoo in for a nomination just based on the scenes in the trailer let alone the rest. This is a fantastically made trailer it really packs a punch, I think this is going to be a big success.

Lee: This is a great looking trailer! Just seeing Daniel Kaluuya was enough to get me interested but I love how this builds, teasing the action and drama while that incredible music and chanting that Clare picked up on plays out. And inspired by true events, which always adds extra interest for me.

Matt: My Oscar senses are tingling… Need I say more? I think we’ll be hearing a lot more about this film over the next 8 months. Fantastic trailer!


The Roads Not Taken

From IMDb: Sally Potter’s film follows a day in the life of Leo (Javier Bardem) and his daughter, Molly (Elle Fanning), as he floats through alternate lives he could have lived, leading Molly to wrestle with her own path as she considers her future. Released next month

Clare: Again, another amazing cast. I get more and more taken with Elle Fanning with each role I see her in. This looks moving and heartfelt, but also a little bit offbeat? I’d be very interested to see more. Hopefully it will also be the film that makes me like Javier Bardem. He’s an amazing actor, but I can’t trust him in any role as he plays villain too well!

Mary: Another one for the awards circuit, this has a really impressive cast. We’ve seen what Javier Bardem can do so this is exciting. I’m not entirely sure it’s my type of movie but I’m definitely willing to give it a try based on what I see.

Lee: I wasn’t 100% sure from this what the movie was about and the direction it was headed. After reading the iMDB description, I wouldn’t say I’m any wiser, but I’m certainly more intrigued – “following a day in the life of Leo and his daughter, Molly, as he floats through alternate lives he could have lived”. It certainly looks like an emotional and moving movie, definitely going to check this one out.

Matt: Sally Potter has always made very artistic and somewhat unusual films, so I get the feeling there is more than meets the eye here – though whether or not that will add or detract from the story remains to be seen! However, based on this trailer alone I really like the look of this and look forward to seeing what more is hidden beneath the surface!


Away

From IMDb: An American astronaut struggles with leaving her husband and daughter behind to embark on a dangerous mission with an international space crew. Coming to Netflix in September

Clare: Flip flopped a lot on this. I’m on the record as not being very interested in space movies (and it feels like there are SO many these days) but these feels very melodramatic and cheesy that maybe I would like it? Unsure.

Mary: I am so here for this! It’s about it time Hilary Swank made a comeback she had the ability to be phenomenal so I’m really excited to see this. It is so encouraging to see Netflix backing such diverse ideas.

Lee: Well, this looks like an emotional ride! It looks like it would work well as a movie, but I’m really not sure how well this is going to work as a 10 part series. Hopefully I’ll be more than pleasantly surprised.

Matt: Oh, this is a series? I wish Netflix were a bit clearer in their trailers! I have so say this is a big fat no from me. Over-sentimental, cheesy, melodramatic sludge. Visually parts of this look great (others decidedly not great), and there seem to be hints of great acting… but the tone, script, ‘literal’ dialogue and the desperate blending of genre to try to be “new” (whilst simultaneously copying every cliché in the book) just seems pointless. I don’t think anyone will be talking about this post-release.


Death on the Nile

From IMDb: While on vacation on the Nile, Hercule Poirot must investigate the murder of a young heiress. Released October 2020

Mary: Another movie with a phenomenal cast, are they all in competition to get the best group together? It sure seems like it. I would see this purely for two reasons, any of that cast (especially French and Saunders) and the fact it is Agatha Christie. I don’t need any more information, I’m there.

Clare: Despite an absolutely stunning cast, there is nothing in the world that could make me interested in this film, and that was before ‘directed by Kenneth Branagh’ appeared on screen. I’ll enjoy the pretty promotional images and find greater enjoyment watching paint dry.

Lee: This looked great… that is, until Kenneth Branagh appeared, and I realised this was his follow-up to the absolutely abysmal ‘Murder on the Orient Express’. God, I hope this movie is better than that one! Knives Out recently showed us how a modern whodunnit should be done, so I sincerely hope Branagh has picked up some pointers as I do not want to be falling asleep in the cinema again while watching his drivel.

Matt: I really wanted to like Murder on the Orient Express. But I just didn’t. As a huge Agatha Christie fan (novels, films, TV series, even a Wii game at one point), the story was so under-served and made secondary to Kenneth Branagh’s performance that it became a massive disappointment. He absolutely picked the wrong story as an introduction to Poirot, consequently dismissing one of the greatest narrative twists put to paper. Each character got one scene to develop and so the cast was wasted, Poirot solved things using ‘magic’ instead of logic, random action scenes were shoved in, and the style tried too hard that it was distracting. While I do sense some of the same from this trailer, it almost can’t be worst than Murder on the Orient Express and I shall remain optimistic for now. Branagh might actually benefit from having less spatial constraints in this one and actually let the characters exist! On a lighter note, this is a trailer I’ve waited a long time for and it’s very exciting to see the iconic setting realised on such a vibrant platform. Also some of the casting choices I was initially sceptical about (e.g. French, Saunders, Russell Brand etc.) actually intrigued me the most so that was a nice surprise. But please just don’t ruin Poirot!


The Devil All The Time

From IMDb: Sinister characters converge around a young man devoted to protecting those he loves in a postwar backwoods town teeming with corruption and brutality. Released September 2020

Clare: Oh my what a cast! There’s very little that would make me want to watch this, but wow they’ve assembled some of the truly best and most exciting actors out there. It’s not my genre at all and I can’t help but think the music and pacing of the trailer make it seem a whole lot more exciting than it really us, but Mia Wasikowska, Eliza Scanlen, Robert Pattinson AND Sebastian Stan? It’s going to be hard to ignore.

Mary: This could be the moment Tom Holland really proves himself which for me is a really exciting prospect. You can’t ignore the amazing cast in this film, I have no doubt they are all phenomenal. And the trailer has given us few answers but left us with questions. I’ll give this one a watch.

Lee: I’m with the others – what an incredible cast and a great looking, tense trailer. But it didn’t really interest me at all.

Matt: What I love about this trailer is that is manages to show us so much yet gives nothing away whatsoever! I don’t think it will necessarily be up there in my favourites, but I think this could be a great watch. The vocal performance by Robert Pattinson here is insane – he’s still definitely one to watch!


The Secrets We Keep

From IMDb: In post-WWII America, a woman, rebuilding her life in the suburbs with her husband, kidnaps her neighbor and seeks vengeance for the heinous war crimes she believes he committed against her. Released in September

Clare: I unfortunately get the feeling that the trailer has put the cart before the horse and given away far too much of the film. Beautifully shot, well acted and an intense trailer, there’s just not enough mystery for me to want to watch any more.

Matt: I did make a little excited “Oooh!” sound once I realised what the film was about, but the more it went on I got the feeling that it was going to slip into cliche thriller territory – a bit like the lady-hostage-keeper films Greta (2018) and Ma (2019), except less overtly shit. Though it might just be the way the trailer is cut, so I’d like to be wrong!


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