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We had a variety of options at the movies this weekend, and below is my take on all this week’s new films. You can keep up with everything I’m watching by following me on Letterboxd @knighthawk7734.

Daniela Forever (Limited)
Starring: Henry Golding and Beatrice Granno
Synopsis: This is the latest from writer/director Nacho Vigalondo. It’s an interesting sci-fi drama about a man, Nicolas (Golding), who is mired in grief. His girlfriend Daniela (Granno) died six months prior, and he can’t let it go. A friend offers to get him into a program that uses lucid dreaming to help people move on. It’s meant to help him make peace with the past. Instead, he uses the process to bring Daniela back to life and continue their journey. But soon the line between reality and fiction blurs completely. This is an interesting concept. It reminds me of other films, like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Inception, that are about exploring the realities we create. And in the process, we get a few nifty visual flourishes and some good work from Golding and Granno. But, unfortunately, the story from Vigalondo doesn’t match the lofty premise. There is potential and some good moments, but it doesn’t result in an overall satisfying film. The film opened in theaters Friday and comes to VOD July 22.
Rating: Rated R for some language.
Verdict: Two stars out of five

Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight (Limited)
Starring: Embeth Davidtz and Lexi Venter
Synopsis: This film is based on the non-fiction memoir from Alexandra Fuller. Known as Bobo, the story centers on her experiences growing up in Rhodesia (now known as Zimbabwe). The film picks up in 1980 with the country on the cusp of a vote at the end of a Civil War. Bobo (Venter) is a young girl living with an affluent white family that’s part of the ruling class. But this election threatens to change the order and upend the lives they’ve known. Davidtz plays Bobo’s mother Nicola, who is having a particularly hard time with the potential change. As we open the film, she is pressuring many in the country to vote for the “right” candidate, or the one that will maintain the status quo. The film goes through the election and the aftermath, during which time Nicola has to come to grips with leaving her life behind as the family moves away to start over. The film also serves as the directorial debut for Davidtz, who does some solid work in front of and behind the camera. There is a sturdy construction and a solid performance from Venter, who is our POV into the world. The story is likely something American audiences won’t be familiar with; however, I wish we’d explored more of the history of this period and what was going on. The source material being a reflection of a young girl likely limits how deeply this is approached, but it left me wanting more. Despite that, it’s a sturdy and engaging film. The film opened in theaters on Friday and expands to more locations on Friday, July 18.
Rating: Rated R for violent/bloody images, language, sexual assault, and some underage smoking/drinking.
Verdict: Two and a half stars out of five

Sovereign (VOD)
Starring: Nick Offerman, Jacob Tremblay, and Dennis Quaid
Synopsis: This new drama feels like a jarring a timely tale that comes to VOD on Friday. There is a certain social contract we have to have to live in a society. But what happens if someone rejects that social contract? Sovereign looks at just such an individual who feels like the rules and constructs of society don’t apply to them. Jerry Kane (Offerman) is a single father who is a “Sovereign Citizen,” not recognizing the authority of the government, banks, contracts, or even the courts. He travels the country inspiring like-minded followers to squeak out a living. But it’s not what his son, Joe (Tremblay), wants as a life. And with them on the verge of losing their house and Jerry in denial, and things are getting worse. He quickly runs afoul of a local jurisdiction when he’s caught driving without a license. The local chief (Quaid) tries to probe Joe for more information but stalls out. Still, the enmity remains when Jerry is released. It isn’t long before things reach a boiling point. This film comes from writer/director Christian Swegal and it delivers a poignant final product that resonates with the discord in the country. While there is an interesting discussion of this specific point-of-view, the film also succeeds in looking at troubled father-son dynamics. Joe and Jerry are at the heart of the story, but so too is Quaid’s chief of police and his own son, Adam (Thomas Mann). Both men have a very specific view of the world and a very specific definition of what it means to be a man, imparting those to the next generation. It ends with some dire consequences that lead to introspection for at least one father. We also get some good performances. Tremblay shines in another difficult role. Your heart breaks for Joe as we round on the Third Act. But the star of the film is Offerman, who gives a searing performance. He is captivating as Jerry and really helps lift the film to another level. It’s a tough story, but this was an interesting watch. It landed on VOD this Friday.
Rating: Rated R for violence and language.
Verdict: Three and a half stars out of five

Superman (Theaters)
Starring: David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, and Edi Gathegi
Synopsis: In 1978 Christopher Reeve showed us a man could fly. Superman was a wonder that captured people’s attention. Even more than 45 years later, it still does. It spawned three sequels and then our time with Superman on the big screen seemed to fade. But with the dawn of a new century, we’ve twice seen the start of new franchises featuring Superman. The first, from Bryan Singer, came in 2006. Then, in 2013, Zack Snyder birthed the DCEU with Man of Steel. Both were different kinds of films, and each had their fans. Now, 12 years later, Superman is ready to fly again. This time it’s the tentpole for a new vision of the D.C. Universe, this one from director James Gunn who is leading this new D.C. We’ve seen him craft projects already—Suicide Squad the film, Peacemaker on the small screen and the animated Creature Commandos—but a lot is riding on this new film. Does it pave the way for something wonderful? That might be a matter of opinion. This new film features a new Superman (Corenswet) and a new extended world. But it isn’t an origin story. It picks up with Superman already a fixture in the world and at the Daily Planet, his newspaper home. He’s also already entrenched with Lois Lane (Brosnahan), who guards his secret and their relationship. He’s also already at odds with Lex Luthor (Hoult), the world’s smartest man who is infuriated by Superman and other metahumans. He’s well on his way to hatching a plan to be rid of Superman. In fact, as the film opens, that plan is underway. It isn’t long before Luthor finds something that can turn the tide of public opinion. It leaves Superman questioning all he thought he knew about his past, his lineage, and his destiny. Can he overcome those doubts and Luthor’s schemes to be a beacon of hope for the world. As stated, a lot is riding on this film. Not only is it a seeming passion project for Gunn—something he shares in the introduction to the film provided for advance screening audiences—but it’s meant to pave the way for a new universe of films. This not only serves as an introduction to Superman in this world, but a number of other D.C. heroes, including The Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion), Mr. Terrific (Gathegi), Supergirl (Milly Alcock), and Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced). We also see previously introduced characters, like Rick Flag, Sr. (Frank Grillo) and Peacemaker (John Cena). But this isn’t just about the larger world. For any of it to matter, you have to buy into these characters and this story. And that’s where I have mixed feelings. There are sequences and ideas that didn’t work at all for me. One of them is a choice about Superman’s mission and his Kryptonian origins. There are also sequences of the action and world building that feel a bit goofy, which seems at odds with what we think of with Superman. In fact, at times I was frustrated and angry watching sequences of the film. This is especially true during sequences in the first act. I bumped against this vision of D.C. the same way I did years earlier with Suicide Squad. And it’s one of the reasons I have some reservations about this larger world. BUT there are moments of sheer brilliance here. There are some visual sequences that are stunning. There is a sense of humor—one of the things I loved about his Guardians of the Galaxy—that are a lot of fun. There’s also plenty of heart. Brosnahan is a treasure as Lois Lane. It’s a different take on the character, and the film simply soars when she’s on screen. Corenswet is also a delight in his own way as Superman. And when they are together, especially some of their sweetly emotional sequences, I couldn’t help but feel a great swell of passion for the film. Hoult makes for a compelling Lex Luthor. He’s passionate as a villain and makes for a great foil to our heroic leads. I also loved Gathegi as Terrific, Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, and Wendell Piece as Perry White. One of the most heartfelt sequences is between Clark and his father, Pa Kent (Pruitt Taylor Vince).  This is a different take on Superman and a different take on the world. Gunn fuses his unique talents and passions as a filmmaker and creates something that is flawed but also deeply endearing. It isn’t perfect but it’s a compelling ride and a worthy summer blockbuster worth seeing on the big screen.
Rating: Rated PG-13 for violence, action and language.
Verdict: Three and a half stars out of five