With the long weekend looming, and a desire to spend most of it doing nothing at all, these recently released films are providing the culture hit we’ve been craving. From Kiwi Andrew Dominik’s Marilyn Monroe biopic to Olivia Wilde’s much-discussed psychological thriller (with what we have heard is a pretty great twist), we recommend grabbing some popcorn, pouring a pét nat, and whiling away the weekend in front of the big screen.
1. Blonde
Directed by New Zealander Andrew Dominik, this highly-anticipated film stars Ana De Armas as Marilyn Monroe in a story based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Joyce Carol Oats. In a bold style that blurs fact and fiction, Dominik has set out to portray the Hollywood icon through a unique lens, offering audiences unprecedented insight into what life as both Marilyn Monroe and Norma Jeane was like, in an approach that De Armas called “the most daring, unapologetic and feminist take on her story I had ever seen.”
Sign up to our free EDM subscription today.
2. Amsterdam
The recently-released feature introduces an unlikely trio that find themselves in Amsterdam after the World War I and form a pact to protect each other no matter what. After witnessing a murder, becoming suspects, and uncovering the outrageous plot, director David O. Russell’s ridiculous genre-bending drama follows all that ensues. It’s an unbelievably star-studded cast with Margot Robbie, Robert DeNiro, Taylor Swift, Chris Rock, and Anya Taylor Joy, led by Christian Bale at his absolute best, making for an essential watch this long weekend.
3. Three Thousand Years of Longing
Starring Tilda Swinton and Idris Elba, this fantastical, eccentric epic follows the story of a lonely narratologist who encounters a magical Djinn while on holiday in Istanbul, who offers her three wishes in exchange for his freedom.
4. The Woman King
The incomparable Viola Davis stars as a fierce warrior general in this groundbreaking historical epic that centres around the Agojie — an all-female group of warriors who were tasked with protecting the African Kingdom of Dahomey in the 17th, 18th and 19th Centuries. Inspired by real events, this powerful film is being touted as the Black, female Braveheart, and promises Davis at her absolute best.
5. Don’t Worry Darling
Harry Styles, Florence Pugh and Chris Pine star in this psychological thriller, set in an isolated, 1950s utopian community called The Victory Project. Directed by Olivia Wilde, the film follows a housewife as she starts to wonder about what actually lies below the surface of the blissful life in her town, a curiosity that uncovers more than a few deep, dark secrets.
6. Pinocchio
In the soon-to-be-released remake of Disney’s 1940 classic, Pinocchio, Tom Hanks stars as Geppetto in a modern retelling of the tale we all know and love (with a few extra twists). A nostalgic affair for anyone who loved the original, the newest iteration of this heart-warming story is sure to win a new legion of fans for the puppet who just wanted to be a real boy.
