The Dog Stars, Now Playing, State Theater
At 87 years old Ridley Scott is still producing and directing at an impressive pace. His latest, The Dog Stars, is a Sci-fi drama about a post-apocalyptic world after a virus wipes out most of humanity. Survivors face scavengers called Reapers. The film’s protagonist is Hig (Jacob Elordi), a pilot who survived the virus but lost his wife. Still living in a hanger with his dog and a neighbor, one day he receives a random transmission on the radio. The voice gives him hope for a better life if he can fly to a place called Grand Junction.
Based on a novel by Peter Heller, the film has action and psychological drama with praise for Scott’s thoughtful, earnest direction at a time when other films eschew that style. While the film has mixed reviews, it boasts a great cast including Josh Brolin and Margret Qualley. Scott is a legend, and there aren’t many of them left, whose films deserve to be seen on the big screen.
Also starring Guy Pearce & Allison Janney.
It Ends, Now Playing, State Theater
2026 is the year movies were saved by new independent directors. May brought us Hokum, Obsession, and Backrooms — movies that broke box office records and got a generation into theaters. It Ends has the chops to follow in the footsteps of those films. It Ends follows a group of recent college grads who go out for a late-night drive looking for some food and one last hang out before life takes them in different directions. They become trapped on a never-ending road of with “otherworldly terrors” lurking in the shadows. Eventually, they must decide to accept the state they’re in or try to escape.
It’s interesting to watch a young generation of horror filmmakers wade into such deep, existential waters. These aren’t the slashers of the 80s or 90s. It Ends will divide audiences, despite its good reviews, into those who like a story left open to interpretation and those who want something more upfront. Both are valid, it’s just a style choice.
Starring Mitchell Cole & Akira Jackson.
Primetime, Opens 9/25, State Theater
In Primetime, Robert Pattinson plays Chris Hanson, host of the 2006 TV show To Catch a Predator. The show blended real-life crime stings with “media spectacle.” Always controversial, it raised questions about its ethics on both sides of the camera. To Catch a Predator famously ended its run when they were sued by a relative of one of its criminal suspects.
The film is based around the 2007 Esquire article “Tonight on Dateline, This Man Will Die,” that explored the ethical tensions between justice, entertainment, and ambition. There are no early reviews of the film yet but it’s created a buzz on the film festival circuit signaling the possibilities of award nominations.
Also Starring Anna Faris & Merritt Wever.
