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The last week in September brought so many films. We had four theatrical releases and a handful of streaming options. Below is my take on this week’s new releases. You can keep up with everything I’m watching by following me on Letterboxd @knighthawk7734.

Apartment 7A (Paramount+)
Starring: Julia Garner, Diane Wiest, Kevin McNally, and Jim Sturgess
Synopsis: This new film is timed to coincide with the season, this film is a prequel to the classic Rosemary’s Baby. In fact, the film takes you right up to a key sequence in that original film. It’s set in 1965 and focuses on dancer Terry Gionoffrio. She’s having a rough go of it after an injury caused her infamy and cost her jobs. Down-on-her-luck, Terry comes across a seemingly sweet older couple, Minnie (Wiest) and Roman (McNally), who offer her a place to stay in a beautiful New York building that happens to be home to a major producer (Sturgess). She takes up the offer, but it indeed turns out to be too good to be true. It’s been a big year for demonic pregnancies, even in horror prequels. We saw that with a prequel to The Omen. We also saw that with Sydney Sweeney in Immaculate. Here, we get a similar idea, this time tied to another franchise. There’s talent in this group and a sufficiently creepy premise, but it sort of fizzles. Garner is fine in the lead role, and there are a few tense sequences, but it isn’t scary enough to achieve its aims or compelling enough to feel like an essential watch.
Rating: Rated R for some violent content and drug use.
Verdict: Two stars out of five

Killer Heat (Prime Video)
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Shailene Woodley, Richard Madden, and Abbey Lee
Synopsis: This new film on Prime Video is a detective mystery. It’s adapted from the book by Jo Nesbo and set on an isolated Greek Island. There, a former NYPD detective (Gordon-Levitt) running from his past is brought in to investigate the murder of a twin (Madden) from a wealthy family. He was hired by the surviving brother’s wife (Woodley) and finds himself drawn into a wild game of family drama, secrets, and lies. There are some good elements here. I like premise, the cast, and the setting in particular. But the flow of the story and the overall mystery isn’t as compelling or well-drawn as it should have been. There are some interesting moments, but the characters feel too flat to draw you into the world before a series of twists at the end. That makes the ending feel rushed and, in the end, this is just OK.
Rating: Rated R for language, some sexual content/nudity and violence.
Verdict: Two stars out of five

Lee (Theaters)
Starring: Kate Winslet, Alexander Skarsgard, Andy Samberg, and Josh O’Connor
Synopsis: This new film focuses on the life and career of famed photographer Lee Miller (Winslet), whose work during World War II has created an enduring legacy. It chronicles her relationship with artist Roland Penrose (Skarsgard) and her work with fellow photographer David Scherman (Samberg). The film follows Miller as she covers the London Blitz and works her way to the front lines during the tail end of WWII. The film features Lee sharing her story with a young reporter (O’Connor) who is trying to learn more of the story behind Miller’s iconic life. I enjoyed this story and the exploration of her life and career. There is something of a twist at the end that added to the emotional impact of the film. Winslet is great here and I think this is a film that’s worth seeking out.
Rating: Rated R for disturbing images, language and nudity.
Verdict: Three and a half stars out of five

Megalopolis (Theaters)
Starring: Adam Driver, Nathalie Emmanuel, Giancarlo Esposito, Aubrey Plaza, Jon Voight, Shia LaBeouf, and Laurence Fishburne
Synopsis: Francis Ford Coppola is one of the greatest directors in American film history, having created a several iconic classics. His latest, Megalopolis, is an ambitious epic. It’s certainly memorable but probably not in the way he intended. This won’t be joining the ranks of Coppola’s great films. In fact, it’s not even a good film. There’s a talented cast that is bogged down by a complicated premise, sometimes-horrific dialogue, and some weird set pieces and story turns. Some of it feels laughable—and people did laugh—but this is likely meant to be taken seriously as a metaphor for how society could be. It fails on nearly every level, creating a disastrous final product that is the worst new film I’ve seen so far in 2024.
Rating: Rated R for sexual content, nudity, drug use, language and some violence.
Verdict: .5 Stars out of five

My Old Ass (Theaters)
Starring: Maisy Stella, Aubrey Plaza, and Percy Hynes White
Synopsis: This new comedy from writer/director Megan Parks finds an 18-year-old Canadian (Stella) on the cusp of a big life change. She’s about to leave her sleepy hometown and head to the big city for college. She’s long wanted a change, but now that it’s here she’s clinging to the life she’s known. While trying drugs with friends in the woods, she comes face-to-face with her 39-year-old self (Plaza), who has plenty of advice about how to improve their lives. She also has a warning about a boy named Chad (White), who soon enters the picture and turns our heroine’s world upside down. This is a tough premise, and it doesn’t always work for me, but when it does there is beauty in the raw emotions in the film. Stella is a joy in the lead role as we travel with her on this journey. There’s also a Third Act twist that heightens the experience. There’s some humor here and some good moments that showcase Parks’ talent as a filmmaker. It doesn’t all work but it’s an enjoyable ride.
Rating: Rated R for language throughout, drug use and sexual material.
Verdict: Three stars out of five

Rez Ball (Netflix)
Starring: Kauchani Bratt, Jessica Matten, Amber Midthunder, and Julia Jones
Synopsis: This new Netflix film is a scripted adaptation of a non-fiction book from Michael Powell about a Native America basketball team in New Mexico competing for a state title after losing a star player. It’s an emotional and sometimes inspiring story; one that celebrates a culture and tenacity of a group of kids and their coaches. This film was written by Sterlin Harjo and Sydney Freeland, who directed the film. I liked the performances and the story here. It starts a little slow but once you get into the action it the crux of the story you can’t help but be drawn into the narrative. This is a neat film that’s worth finding on Netflix.
Rating: Rated PG-13 for thematic elements including suicide, teen drug/alcohol use, language and some crude references.
Verdict: Three stars out of five

The Wild Robot (Theaters)
Starring: Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal, Kit Conner, Mark Hamill, and Bill Nighy
Synopsis: What is it that connects us? What is it that gives us purpose? The new animated film, The Wild Robot, certainly asks some of those questions. It does so in a thoughtful, poignant, and often beautiful way. The film begins with a lone robot—Roz (Nyong’o)—who washes up on an island. She was part of a shipment that got lost in a typhoon. Waking, she follows her programming and tries to find the client she’s meant to serve. The creatures of the island don’t take kindly to the stranger. After a bit of learning and observation, Roz begins to understand her new environment. When an accident leads to a lone egg, Roz becomes its caretaker, finally given a task. When the egg hatches, out pops Brightbill (Conner). With the help of a wily fox named Fink (Pascal), Roz sets about helping Brightbill learn, grow, and prepare for migration. Finding Brightbill gives Roz a purpose, but soon the connection grows beyond that and beyond what she initially expected. The question becomes can Roz and Brightbill find the place where they truly belong? And is that place closer than they might have imagined? This is a unique and beautifully crafted animated feature. The story from Chris Sanders and Peter Brown is deep and emotionally rich. Sanders serves as director here, giving this film a strong and unique animated style. But it’s really about the story—and this unconventional family and the way it changes everyone involved. The voice cast is great here. Ving Rhames, Hamill, Nighy, Matt Berry, and Catherine O’Hara are among the supporting characters. But it’s the lead trio of Pascal, Conner, and Nyong’o that really make it work. I love their dynamics and interaction, and the raw emotion of this journey. It’s been a slower year for animated films, full of a lot of entries to long-running franchise. But this is an original concept and film that really works beautifully. It’s worth taking time to seek out in theaters this weekend.
Rating: Rated PG for action/peril and thematic elements.
Verdict: Four stars out of five

Will & Harper (Netflix)
Synopsis: We all need our friends to lean on during difficult times. That’s an essential takeaway from this road trip documentary featuring Will Ferrell and his friend Harper Steele. The pair have known each other for 30 years, forging a friendship when both were part of the team at Saturday Night Live. Back then, Steele was known as Michael. When she transitioned during the pandemic, it meant a host of changes. The film chronicles a road trip between the two for 17 days across America. It’s a celebration of their friendship and their history, but it’s also a look at America, as the two get a different reception in different parts of the country that is sometimes deeply emotional to watch. I enjoyed the rapport between these two and their conversations on the road. Mostly, it’s an ode to the unconditional love and support of friendship.
Rating: Rated R for language.
Verdict: Three stars out of five

Wolfs (Apple TV+)
Starring: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Austin Abrams, and Amy Ryan
Synopsis: A high-profile woman (Ryan) ends up with a body in a hotel room. She makes a call and connects with a fixer (Clooney), who soon arrives to clear things up. Shortly thereafter, another fixer (Pitt) arrives, called by the hotel. They’re forced to work together, and when the body they’re moving turns out to be alive (Abrams) that makes things even more complicated. That’s the setup for Wolfs, the newest action-comedy from writer/director Jon Watts. It was originally slated for theaters, then moved to streaming with a sequel on the way. When you see the Third Act twist, the sequel makes sense. This film is uneven and sometimes a little slow, but it works when it leans into the chemistry between Clooney and Pitt, who seem to be having fun in these roles. It’s not a great movie but it’s a fun streaming watch.
Rating: Rated R for language throughout and some violent content.
Verdict: Three stars out of five