On weekends we usually have more free time to watch movies calmly. At Espinof we had focused so far on the most outstanding films that could be seen on television, but since this week we have also expanded with film premieres, streaming launches and news in physical format to offer you a wider range of options. For this we start with 14 essential titles for this weekend from September 17 to 19.
At the cinema
‘Dune’
The long-awaited first installment of the new version of the legendary Frank Herbert novel directed by Denis Villeneuve and with a first-rate cast. A blockbuster that instead of having entertainment as its main motivation looks for something else. Whether you do it better or worse is another matter that should be discovered for yourself in your nearest cinema.
Criticism in Espinof
‘The life ahead’
This 2021 celebrates the 100th anniversary of the birth of Fernando Fernán Gómez and for that reason several of the most outstanding titles of his filmography will enjoy a relaunch on the big screen. This weekend is the turn of a funny comedy about the difficulties of a couple to start a life together. Unforgettable the sequence with José Isbert, which is what stands out the most, but all of it works very well, satirizing the Spanish society of the time quite successfully in passing.
Criticism in Espinof
In streaming
‘Tales at nightfall’
A horror film aimed at children, produced by Sam Raimi and signed by the director of ‘The Son’ that promises to be more stimulating than other Netflix original productions. It also works as an outpost for next Halloween to warm us up before the arrival of more adult productions.
Criticism in Espinof
‘The father’
From the hand of Movistar This powerful drama comes to us that earned Anthony Hopkins a much-deserved second Oscar. Addressing the widely feared Alzheimer’s disease in a devastating way and using even certain codes more typical of horror films, it is also a film that grows after seeing it, something quite unusual in recent cinema.
Criticism in Espinof
‘First Cow’
Kelly Reichardt’s latest work was one of the most critically acclaimed films in recent months and is now landing in Filmin. In it, he uses the western from a simple perspective to tell us about a most peculiar friendship.
Criticism in Espinof
In physical format
‘Black Widow’
This week’s big release in physical form is the latest adventure for the character played by Scarlett Johansson in the MCU. Somewhat overshadowed by the controversy over its launch method, it is an enjoyable entertainment that perhaps does not go too far out of the formula of this superhero universe, but in exchange it knows how to use the ingredients at its disposal and leaves you wanting to see it again. Florence Pugh’s Yelena.
Criticism in Espinof
Black Widow – 4k UHD + Blu-ray Steelbook [Blu-ray]
On open television
‘The dead had a price’
My favorite installment of the dollar trilogy directed by Sergio Leone, starring Clint Eastwood and with music by Ennio Morricone. It is evident that they had more means than in ‘For a handful of dollars’ and that allows a greater ambition that gives rise to an almost round film.
22:00 on Friday at Thirteen
Criticism in Espinof
‘Contagion’
The movie that everyone was talking about when the coronavirus pandemic broke out that has not yet subsided. An effective choral drama directed with solvency by Steven Soderbergh that at the time was seen as good commercial entertainment and that with the passage of time was seen as almost prophetic.
22:10 on Friday at 1
Criticism in Espinof
‘The rock’
One of the heights of action cinema of the 90s in which Michael Bay began to plant the seeds of change that the genre would undergo shortly after. It is one of those films that entertains you a lot no matter how many times you have seen it, partly because of its great cast, but also because of its staging or its great soundtrack.
10:00 PM Saturday at Paramount
Criticism in Espinof
‘The invisible thread’
A twisted and elegant drama by Paul Thomas Anderson that chronicles a unique romance between the characters masterfully played by Daniel Day Lewis and Vicky Krieps. All seasoned with a stimulating dose of suspense and irreproachable staging work.
23:50 on Saturday at 1
Criticism in Espinof
‘Terminator 2: The Last Judgment’
James Cameron pulled out of his sleeve a film that to some extent is a covert remake of the first, the only thing that bet more on action scenes instead of terror to offer us one of the most mythical blockbusters of the 90s.
12:45 am from Saturday to Sunday at Paramount
Criticism in Espinof
‘Deal maker’
I will always see this movie as a perfect example of why Hollywood started to lose interest in mid-budget action movies geared towards adult audiences. And it’s a shame, because this is a most compelling action thriller with some very good work from Samuel L. Jackson and Kevin Spacey to sustain it in dramatic terms.
3:35 pm Sunday at Paramount
‘Risky lies’
A marvelous action comedy that knows how to fully exploit the comic vision of Arnold Schwarzenegger but without charging at any time the need for one to feel the existing threat as something very real. Too bad Cameron never made the sequel he promised.
22:00 on Sunday at Neox
Criticism in Espinof
‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’
A highly entertaining prequel that raises the intensity in its exhilarating final stretch. Before it is true that it gave a certain feeling that it was not really necessary to tell this story, but that does not mean that it continues to be good entertainment.
23:55 on Sunday at 1
Criticism in Espinof