What Even is Film?

On this episode of What Even is Film? We discuss the Invisible man.  

The Invisible Man is a 2020 science fiction horror film written and directed by Leigh Whannell. A contemporary adaptation of the novel of the same name by H. G. Wells and a reboot of The Invisible Man film series of the 1930s-1950s, it follows a woman who, after the apparent suicide of her abusive and wealthy boyfriend, believes she is being stalked by him. She ultimately deduces that he has acquired the ability to become invisible. The film stars Elisabeth Moss, Aldis Hodge, Storm Reid, Harriet Dyer, Michael Dorman, and Oliver Jackson-Cohen. It is an international co-production of the United States and Australia.  Development of a new Invisible Man film began as early as 2007. The project was revived as part of Universal's shared cinematic universe in 2016, intended to consist of their classic monsters, with Johnny Depp attached to star in the title role. After The Mummy was released in 2017 to critical and financial failure, development was halted on all projects. In early 2019, the studio changed their plans from a serialized universe to films based on individualized story-telling, and the project reentered development. Principal photography commenced in July 2019 and wrapped that September in Sydney, Australia.  The Invisible Man was released in the United States on February 28, 2020, by Universal Pictures. The film received positive reviews from critics, with praise for Moss's performance, its inventive modernization of the novel's plot and the combination of scares with "a smart narrative about how women can be manipulated and abused in harmful relationships."

On this episode of What Even is Film? We discuss Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn). 

Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) is a 2020 American superhero film based on the DC Comics team Birds of Prey. It is the eighth film in the DC Extended Universe, and a follow-up to Suicide Squad (2016). It was directed by Cathy Yan and written by Christina Hodson, and stars Margot Robbie, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Rosie Perez, Chris Messina, Ella Jay Basco, Ali Wong, and Ewan McGregor. The film follows Harley Quinn as she joins forces with Helena Bertinelli, Dinah Lance, and Renee Montoya to save Cassandra Cain from Gotham City crime lord Black Mask. Robbie, who also served as producer, pitched the idea for Birds of Prey to Warner Bros. in 2015. The film was announced in May 2016, with Hodson being hired to write the script that November, and Yan signing on to direct in April 2018. The majority of the cast and crew were confirmed by December 2018. Principal photography lasted from January to April 2019 in Downtown Los Angeles, parts of the Arts District, Los Angeles, and soundstages at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California. Additional filming took place in September 2019. Birds of Prey is the first DCEU film and the second DC Films production to be rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America. The film had its world premiere in Mexico City on January 25, 2020, and was theatrically released in the United States in IMAX, Dolby Cinema and 4DX on February 7, 2020, and has grossed $145 million worldwide. The film received praise from critics for its visual style, Yan's direction, and the performances of Robbie and McGregor, but criticism for the screenplay.

On this episode of What Even is Film? We discuss The Gentlemen. 

The Gentlemen is a 2019 action comedy film written and directed by Guy Ritchie, from a story by Ivan Atkinson, Marn Davies, and Ritchie. The film stars Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, Henry Golding, Michelle Dockery, Jeremy Strong, Eddie Marsan, Colin Farrell and Hugh Grant. It follows an American marijuana kingpin in England who is looking to sell his business, setting off a chain of blackmail and schemes to undermine him.

The Gentlemen premiered at the Curzon Mayfair Cinema on December 3, 2019, and was theatrically released in the United Kingdom on January 1, 2020 and in the United States on January 24, 2020, by STXfilms. It received mixed reviews from critics and has grossed $65 million worldwide.

On this episode of What Even is Film? We discuss Underwater.  

Underwater is a 2020 American science fiction horror film directed by William Eubank and written by Brian Duffield and Adam Cozad. The film is produced by Chernin Entertainment and stars Kristen Stewart, Vincent Cassel, Jessica Henwick, John Gallagher Jr., Mamoudou Athie, and T.J. Miller.It follows a group of scientists at the bottom of the ocean who encounter a group of creatures after an earthquake destroys their laboratory.

Underwater was released in the United States on January 10, 2020, by 20th Century Fox. The film has grossed $39 million worldwide and received mixed reviews from critics. It is the last film released under the 20th Century Fox name, before the name was changed to 20th Century Studios by Disney, after their acquisition of Fox and its assets.

In the Season finale we discuss the best movies of 2019 in a truly stacked year!

In the Season finale we discuss the best movies of 2019 in a truly stacked year!

On this episode of What Even is Film? We discuss 1917, 

1917 is a 2019 British epic war film directed, co-written, and produced by Sam Mendes. The film stars George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman, with Mark Strong, Andrew Scott, Richard Madden, Claire Duburcq, Colin Firth, and Benedict Cumberbatch in supporting roles. It is based in part on an account told to Mendes by his paternal grandfather, Alfred Mendes.[6] The film tells the story of two young British soldiers during the First World War who are ordered to deliver a message calling off an attack doomed to fail soon after the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line during Operation Alberich in 1917. This message is especially important to one of the young soldiers, as his brother is taking part in the pending attack. The project was officially announced in June 2018, with MacKay and Chapman signing on in October and the rest of the cast the following March. Filming took place from April to June 2019 in the UK, with cinematographer Roger Deakins and editor Lee Smith using long takes to have the entire film appear as two continuous shots (though media accounts commonly state that it is one).[7][8][9] 1917 premiered in the UK on 4 December 2019 and was released theatrically in the United States on 25 December by Universal Pictures, and in the United Kingdom on 10 January 2020 by Entertainment One Films. The film received praise for Mendes's direction, the performances, cinematography, musical score, editing, sound design and realism. Among its accolades, the film received ten nominations at the 92nd Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, and won three, including Best Cinematography. It also won Best Motion Picture – Drama and Best Director at the 77th Golden Globe Awards, and at the 73rd British Academy Film Awards won a leading seven, including Best Film and Best Direction. It also won the Producers Guild of America Award for Best Theatrical Motion Picture, and Mendes won the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Feature Film.

On this episode of What Even is Film? We discuss Uncut Gems. 

Uncut Gems is a 2019 American crime thriller film directed by Josh and Benny Safdie, who co-wrote the screenplay with Ronald Bronstein. The film stars Adam Sandler, Kevin Garnett, Lakeith Stanfield, Julia Fox, Idina Menzel, and Eric Bogosian. Sandler plays Howard Ratner, a Jewish jeweler and gambling addict in New York City's Diamond District, who must retrieve an expensive gem he purchased to pay off his debts. Filming took place from September to November 2018. The original score was composed by Daniel Lopatin.

Uncut Gems had its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival on August 30, 2019. It entered into a limited release in the United States on December 13, 2019, before a wide release on December 25, by A24. The film received critical acclaim, with its screenplay, direction, editing, Sandler's performance and Darius Khondji's cinematography receiving much of the praise, and was chosen by the National Board of Review as one of the top ten films of 2019, with Sandler also winning Best Actor. It became A24's highest-grossing film domestically, having made $49.5 million.

On this episode of What Even is Film? We discuss Ford v Ferrari

Ford v Ferrari (titled Le Mans '66 in some European territories) is a 2019 American sports drama film directed by James Mangold and written by Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth, and Jason Keller. It stars Matt Damon and Christian Bale, with Jon Bernthal, Caitriona Balfe, Tracy Letts, Josh Lucas, Noah Jupe, Remo Girone, and Ray McKinnon in supporting roles. The plot follows a determined team of American engineers and designers, led by automotive visionary Carroll Shelby and his British driver, Ken Miles, who are dispatched by Henry Ford II and Lee Iacocca with the mission of building the Ford GT40, a new racing car with the potential to finally defeat the perennially dominant Ferrari racing team at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans race in France. In early stages of the film's production, Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt were cast in the starring roles, but those plans fell through. Mangold was then hired in February 2018, and Damon, Bale, and the rest of the cast joined that summer. Filming began in July 2018 in California and lasted a little over two months. Ford v Ferrari had its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival on August 30, 2019, and was theatrically released in the United States on November 15 by 20th Century Fox. The film has grossed $223.8 million worldwide and received acclaim from critics, who lauded the performances and racing sequences. It was chosen by the National Board of Review as one of the ten best films of the year, and at the 92nd Academy Awards received four nominations, including Best Picture, and won Best Film Editing and Best Sound Editing. For his performance, Bale was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Drama and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role.

On this episode of What Even is Film? We discuss Doctor Sleep

Doctor Sleep (sometimes referred to as Stephen King's Doctor Sleep) is a 2019 American horror film based on the 2013 novel of the same name by Stephen King, a sequel to King's 1977 novel The Shining. The film, which also serves as a direct sequel to the film adaptation of The Shining, directed by Stanley Kubrick, is set several decades after the events of the original and combines elements of the 1977 novel as well. Doctor Sleep is written, directed, and edited by Mike Flanagan and stars Ewan McGregor as Danny Torrance, a man with psychic abilities who struggles with childhood trauma. Rebecca Ferguson, Kyliegh Curran, and Cliff Curtis have supporting roles.

Warner Bros. Pictures began developing a film adaptation shortly after Doctor Sleep was published in 2013. Writer-producer Akiva Goldsman wrote a script, but the studio did not secure a budget for the film until the box office success of its 2017 horror film It, also based on a novel by King. Flanagan was hired to rewrite Goldsman's script and direct the film. Flanagan said the film would try and reconcile the differences between The Shining novel and film. Filming began in September 2018 in Georgia, including Atlanta and the surrounding area, and concluded in December 2018.

Warner Bros. Pictures released Doctor Sleep worldwide from October 31, 2019, and in the United States on November 8, 2019. The film received generally positive reviews, with praise for its performances and atmosphere, but with some criticism for its lengthy runtime. Having grossed $72 million worldwide, its performance at the box office was considered to be average due to the success of King's other adaptations, such as It Chapter Two and Pet Sematary, earlier in the year.