Why Watch That Radio

On this episode of Why Watch That, the Critic and the Referee give a quick preview of this year’s Sundance Film Festival.

For more information on Sundance and how to attend, click here for the official website!

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On this episode of Why Watch That:

MOVIE SNEAK PEEK

The White Tiger

Website: Netflix

Synopsis: Balram Halwai (Adarsh Gourav) narrates his epic and darkly humorous rise from poor villager to successful entrepreneur in modern India. Cunning and ambitious, our young hero jockeys his way into becoming a driver for Ashok (Rajkummar Rao) and Pinky (Priyanka Chopra-Jonas), who have just returned from America. Society has trained Balram to be one thing — a servant — so he makes himself indispensable to his rich masters. But after a night of betrayal, he realizes the corrupt lengths they will go to trap him and save themselves. On the verge of losing everything, Balram rebels against a rigged and unequal system to rise up and become a new kind of master. Based on the New York Times bestseller and 2008 Man Booker Prize-winning novel.

Release Date: January 22, 2021

Directed by: Ramin Bahrani

Screenplay by: Ramin Bahrani

Based on Arvind Adiga’s novel

Starring: Adarsh Gourav, Rajkummar Rao, and Priyanka Chopra Jonas

Distributor: Netflix

Genre: Drama

Running Time: 2 hours 11 minutes

Rated R

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On this episode of Why Watch That:

MOVIE SNEAK PEEKS

My Little Sister 

Website: Film Movement

Synopsis: Lisa, once a brilliant playwright, no longer writes. She lives with her family in Switzerland, but her heart remains in Berlin, beating in time with that of her twin brother Sven, the famous theatre actor. Since Sven has been suffering from an aggressive type of leukemia, the relationship between them has become even closer. Lisa does not want to accept this blow of fate, she does everything in her power to bring Sven back on stage. For her soulmate she neglects everything else and even risks losing her husband. Her marriage goes awry, but Lisa only has eyes for her brother, who reflects her deepest longings and awakens in her the desire to be creative, to feel alive again.

Release Date: In select theaters and virtual cinemas January 15, 2021

Directed by: Stéphanie Chuat and Véronique Reymond

Screenplay by: Stéphanie Chuat and Véronique Reymond 

Starring: Nina Hoss, Lars Eidinger, Marthe Keller, Jens Albinus, and Thomas Ostermeier

Distributor: Film Movement

Genre: Drama

Running Time: 1 hour 39 minutes

Not Rated 

The Marksman 

Website: Official Site

Synopsis: Hardened Arizona rancher Jim Hanson (Liam Neeson) simply wants to be left alone as he fends off eviction notices and tries to make a living on an isolated stretch of borderland. But everything changes when Hanson, an ex-Marine, witnesses 11-year-old migrant Miguel (Jacob Perez) fleeing with his mother Rosa (Teresa Ruiz) from drug cartel assassins led by the ruthless Mauricio (Juan Pablo Raba). After being caught in a shoot-out, an injured Rosa begs Jim to take her son to safety to her family in Chicago. Defying his step-daughter Sarah (Katheryn Winnick), Jim sneaks Miguel out of the local U.S. Customs and Border Patrol station and together, they hit the road with the group of killers in pursuit. Jim and Miguel slowly begin to overcome their differences and begin to forge an unlikely friendship, while Mauricio and his fellow assassins blaze a cold-blooded trail, hot on their heels.

Release Date: In theaters January 15, 2021

Directed by: Robert Lorenz

Screenplay by: Chris Charles, Danny Kravitz, and Robert Lorenz

Starring: Liam Neeson, Katheryn Winnick, Teresa Ruiz, Juan Pablo Raba, and Jacob Perez

Distributor: Open Road Films and Briarcliff Entertainment

Genre: Action, Thriller

Running Time: 1 hour 47 minutes

Rated PG-13

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On this episode of Why Watch That:

TV SEASON FINALE

Star Trek: Discovery 

Website: CBS All Access

TV SERIES PREMIERE

30 Coins

Website: HBO

TV MOVIE

Elizabeth Is Missing

Website: PBS

MOVIE FIRST LOOK

Pieces of a Woman

Website: Netflix

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On this episode of Why Watch That:

MOVIE SNEAK PEEK

Herself 

Website: Prime Video

Synopsis: Single mother Sandra (Clare Dunne) escapes her abusive partner with her two young children, only to find herself trapped in temporary accommodation. After months of struggling, she draws inspiration from one of her daughter’s bedtime stories and hits upon the idea of self-building an affordable home. She finds an architect who provides her with plans and is offered land by Peggy (Harriet Walter), a woman she cleans for. Aido (Conleth Hill), a building contractor, appears willing to help, too. But as her past rears its head in the form of Gary (Ian Lloyd Anderson), her possessive ex, and as bureaucrats fight back against her independent spirit, will Sandra be able to rebuild her life from the ground up?

Release Date: In theaters December 30, 2020 and on Prime Video January 8, 2021

Directed by: Phyllida Lloyd

Screenplay by: Clare Dunne and Malcolm Campbell

Starring: Clare Dunne, Harriet Walter, Conleth Hill, Ian Lloyd Anderson, Ruby Rose O’Hara, and Molly McCann

Distributor: Amazon Studios

Genre: Drama

Running Time: 1 hour 37 minutes

Rated R

NETFLIX TV SNEAK PEEK

Lupin

Website: Netflix

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On this episode of Why Watch That, we highlight the following shows (in alphabetical order):

The Capture (Peacock)

The Flight Attendant (HBO Max)

The Good Fight (CBS All Access)

Grey’s Anatomy (ABC)

I May Destroy You (HBO)

Little Fires Everywhere (Hulu)

Mrs. America (Hulu)

My Brilliant Friend: The Story of a New Name (HBO)

Ozark (Netflix)

Raised by Wolves (HBO Max)

Schitt’s Creek (Pop)

We Are Who We Are (HBO)

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On this episode of Why Watch That, we highlight the following shows (in alphabetical order):

Belgravia (Epix)

The Crown (Netflix)

Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO)

Homeland (Showtime)

The Mandalorian (Disney+)

Narcos: Mexico (Netflix)

Normal People (Hulu)

The Queen’s Gambit (Netflix)

Ramy (Hulu)

Young Sheldon (CBS)

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On this episode of Why Watch That:

MOVIE SNEAK PEEKS

News of the World

Website: Official Site

Synopsis: Five years after the end of the Civil War, Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd (Hanks), a veteran of three wars, now moves from town to town as a non-fiction storyteller, sharing the news of presidents and queens, glorious feuds, devastating catastrophes, and gripping adventures from the far reaches of the globe. In the plains of Texas, he crosses paths with Johanna (Helena Zengel, System Crasher), a 10-year-old taken in by the Kiowa people six years earlier and raised as one of their own. Johanna, hostile to a world she’s never experienced, is being returned to her biological aunt and uncle against her will. Kidd agrees to deliver the child where the law says she belongs. As they travel hundreds of miles into the unforgiving wilderness, the two will face tremendous challenges of both human and natural forces as they search for a place that either can call home.

Release Date: In theaters December 25, 2020

Directed by: Paul Greengrass

Screenplay by: Paul Greengrass and Luke Davies

Based upon the novel by Paulette Jiles

Starring: Tom Hanks, Helena Zengel, Mare Winningham, Elizabeth Marvel, Ray McKinnon, and Bill Camp

Distributor: Universal Pictures

Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Western

Running Time: 1 hour 58 minutes

Rated PG-13

Wonder Woman 1984

Website: HBO Max

Synopsis: In “Wonder Woman 1984,” the fate of the world is once more on the line, and only Wonder Woman can save it. This new chapter in the Wonder Woman story finds Diana Prince living quietly among mortals in the vibrant, sleek 1980s — an era of excess driven by the pursuit of having it all. Though she’s come into her full powers, she maintains a low profile, curating ancient artifacts and only performing her superheroic acts incognito. But now, Diana will have to step directly into the spotlight and muster all her wisdom, strength and courage in order to save mankind from a world of its own making.

Release Date: In theaters and streaming on HBO Max December 25, 2020

Directed by: Patty Jenkins

Screenplay by: Patty Jenkins, Geoff Johns, and David Callaham

Based onWonder Woman by William Moulton Marston

Starring: Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Kristen Wiig, Pedro Pascal, Robin Wright, and Connie Nielsen

Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures

Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy

Running Time: 2 hour 31 minutes

Rated PG-13

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On this episode of Why Watch That:

MOVIE SNEAK PEEKS

Soul

Website: Disney+

Synopsis: What is it that makes you...YOU? Pixar Animation Studios’ all-new feature film “Soul” introduces Joe Gardner (voice of Jamie Foxx) – a middle-school band teacher who gets the chance of a lifetime to play at the best jazz club in town. But one small misstep takes him from the streets of New York City to The Great Before – a fantastical place where new souls get their personalities, quirks and interests before they go to Earth. Determined to return to his life, Joe teams up with a precocious soul, 22 (voice of Tina Fey), who has never understood the appeal of the human experience. As Joe desperately tries to show 22 what’s great about living, he may just discover the answers to some of life’s most important questions.

Release Date: December 25, 2020

Directed by: Pete Docter and Kemp Powers

Story and Screenplay by: Pete Docter, Mike Jones, and Kemp Powers

Starring (voices): Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey, Graham Norton, Rachel House, Phylicia Rashad, Donnell Rawlings, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, Angela Bassett, Daveed Diggs, Alice Braga, and June Squibb

Distributor: Disney+

Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy

Running Time: 1 hour 40 minutes

Rated PG

Shadow in the Cloud

Website: Redbox

Synopsis: In the throes of World War II, Captain Maude Garrett (CHLOË GRACE MORETZ) joins the all-male crew of a B-17 bomber with a top-secret package. Caught off guard by the presence of a woman on a military flight, the crew tests Maude’s every move. Just as her quick wit is winning them over, strange happenings and holes in her backstory incite paranoia surrounding her true mission. But this crew has more to fear…lurking in the shadows, something sinister is tearing at the heart of the plane. Trapped between an oncoming air ambush and an evil lurking within, Maude must push beyond her limits to save the hapless crew and protect her mysterious cargo.

Release Date: In select theaters and on VOD & Digital January 1, 2021

Directed by: Roseanne Liang

Screenplay by: Max Landis and Roseanne Liang

Starring: Chloë Grace Moretz, Nick Robinson, Beulah Koale, and Taylor John Smith

Distributor: Vertical Entertainment & Redbox Entertainment

Genre: Action, Horror, War

Running Time: 1 hour 23 minutes

Rated R

Promising Young Woman

Website: Official Site

Synopsis: From visionary director Emerald Fennell (Killing Eve) comes a delicious new take on revenge. Everyone said Cassie (Carey Mulligan) was a promising young woman ... until a mysterious event abruptly derailed her future. But nothing in Cassie's life is what it appears to be: she's wickedly smart, tantalizingly cunning, and she's living a secret double life by night. Now, an unexpected encounter is about to give Cassie a chance to right the wrongs of the past in this thrilling and wildly entertaining story.

Release Date: In theaters December 25, 2020

Directed by: Emerald Fennell

Screenplay by: Emerald Fennell

Starring: Carey Mulligan, Bo Burnham, Alison Brie, Connie Britton, Adam Brody, Jennifer Coolidge, Laverne Cox, Max Greenfield, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Chris Lowell, Sam Richardson, Molly Shannon, and Clancy Brown

Distributor: Focus Features

Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama

Running Time: 1 hour 53 minutes

Rated R

NETFLIX TV SNEAK PEEK

Bridgerton

Website: Netflix

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On this episode of Why Watch That:

MOVIE SNEAK PEEKS

Sylvie’s Love

Website: Prime Video

Synopsis: In Sylvie's Love, the jazz is smooth and the air sultry in the hot New York summer of 1957. Robert (Nnamdi Asomugha), a saxophonist, spends late nights playing behind a less-talented but well-known bandleader, as member of a jazz quartet. Sylvie (Tessa Thompson), who dreams of a career in television, spends her summer days helping around her father's record store, as she waits for her fiancé to return from war. When Robert takes a part-time job at the record store, the two begin a friendship that sparks a deep passion in each of them unlike anything they have felt before. As the summer winds down, life takes them in different directions, bringing their relationship to an end. Years pass, Sylvie's career as a TV producer blossoms, while Robert has to come to terms with what the age of Motown is doing to the popularity of Jazz. In a chance meeting, Sylvie and Robert cross paths again, only to find that while their lives have changed, their feelings for each other remain the same. Writer/director Eugene Ashe combines romance and music into a sweeping story that brings together changing times, a changing culture, and the true price of love.

Release Date: December 23, 2020

Directed by: Eugene Ashe

Screenplay by: Eugene Ashe

Starring: Tessa Thompson, Nnamdi Asomugha, Aja Naomi King, Jemima Kirke, Tone Bell, Alano Miller, Erica Gimpel, Ryan Michelle Bathe, and Lance Reddick, with Wendi Mclendon-Covey and Eva Longoria

Distributor: Amazon Studios

Genre: Drama, Music, Romance

Running Time: 1 hour 50 minutes

Rated PG-13

The Midnight Sky

Website: Netflix

Synopsis: This post-apocalyptic tale follows Augustine (George Clooney), a lonely scientist in the Arctic, as he races to stop Sully (Felicity Jones) and her fellow astronauts from returning home to a mysterious global catastrophe.

Release Date: December 23, 2020

Directed by: George Clooney

Screenplay by: Mark L. Smith

Based on the novel “Good Morning, Midnight” by Lily Brooks-Dalton

Starring: George Clooney, Felicity Jones, David Oyelowo, Kyle Chandler, Demián Bichir, and Tiffany Boone

Distributor: Netflix

Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

Running Time: 1 hour 58 minutes

Rated PG-13

One Night in Miami...

Website: Prime Video

Synopsis: On one incredible night in 1964, four icons of sports, music, and activism gathered to celebrate one of the biggest upsets in boxing history. When underdog Cassius Clay, soon to be called Muhammad Ali, (Eli Goree), defeats heavy weight champion Sonny Liston at the Miami Convention Hall, Clay memorialized the event with three of his friends: Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir), Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr.) and Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge).

Based on the award-winning play of the same name, and directed by Regina King, One Night In Miami... is a fictional account inspired by the historic night these four formidable figures spent together. It looks at the struggles these men faced and the vital role they each played in the civil rights movement and cultural upheaval of the 1960s. More than 40 years later, their conversations on racial injustice, religion, and personal responsibility still resonate.

Release Date: In Miami theaters on December 25, 2020, in select US theaters on January 8, 2021, and on Prime Video January 15, 2021

Directed by: Regina King

Screenplay by: Kemp Powers

Based on the Stage Play “One Night In Miami...” by Kemp Powers

Starring: Kingsley Ben-Adir, Eli Goree, Aldis Hodge, Leslie Odom Jr., Joaquina Kalukango, and Nicolette Robinson, with Beau Bridges and Lance Reddick

Distributor: Amazon Studios

Genre: Drama, History

Running Time: 1 hour 54 minutes

Rated R

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