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 The final weekend in May was packed with new options. Below is a look at the new movies I saw this week. You can keep up with everything I’m watching by following me on Letterboxd @knighthawk7734.

Backrooms (Theaters)
Starring: Renate Reinsve and Chiwetel Ejiofor
Synopsis: This is the new film that comes from director Kane Parsons, based on his popular YouTube series. That gives the film a built-in audience, and it pulled crowds this weekend. It focuses on a furniture store manager, Clark (Ejiofor), who is having a rough time. Business is beyond slow, and his personal life is in shambles. His most consistent human contact is with his therapist, Mary (Reinsve), who has some issues of her own. When he discovers a secret portal to another realm in the depths of his store, it opens up a whole new mystery for Clark. The mystery threatens to envelope him and his whole life. It’s an interesting concept with nearly endless options for how the story can develop. Since it’s culled from a long-running web series, that made it easier to pull together a plot for the film. And yet, the ending is still wide open enough to leave you considering all the possibilities. I enjoyed the production, and I thought Ejiofor and Reinsve give solid performances. I’d seen a couple YouTube shorts, but mostly went into this cold. It held my attention, but it felt a little amorphous and lacked some concrete explanation for the phenomenon and resolution for my taste. There are a few jump scares, but this is more of a cerebral thriller than a straight horror film. I thought it was interesting but not especially memorable.
Rating: Rated R for language and some violent content/bloody images.
Verdict: Two and a half stars out of five

The Breadwinner (Theaters)
Starring: Nate Bargatze, Mandy Moore, Colin Jost, and Will Forte
Synopsis: Nate Bargatze has developed quite a following over the years. His simple, relatable comedy is always a warm welcome that has created a number of devoted fans. It’s also the inspiration for a new summer comedy. In The Breadwinner, Bargatze plays a father who is a top car salesman and a master of his craft at work. But when he’s plunged into the domestic duties normally handled by his wife, things go off the rails quickly. Nate (Bargatze) is the top salesman for the Toyota of Nashville. It’s a title he takes pride in, also enjoying the yearly Titans tickets and a chance to be recognized with his wife, Katie (Moore), and three girls. He lives a good, simple life. His role is to bring in the funds to support their life, while Katie takes care of pretty much everything else. Along the way, Katie developed a handy tool—the Starminder—to help her and the girls stay on top of things. It becomes so popular in her community that she’s given a chance to explore making it a business. That leads to an appearance on Shark Tank to get the capital needed to launch the project on a larger scale. She gets an offer—contingent on Nate taking time off to take care of the household while Katie is away. He readily agrees but soon finds out he had no idea what he was in for taking Katie’s place. Over the span of a month Nate tries—and fails—to fill in at home. He tries to follow Katie’s plan. He tries a plan of his own. All of it leads to more than a few bumps in the road leading to Katie’s big launch. This is a fun film. If you’re a fan of Bargatze’s stand up, this is going to be in your wheelhouse. But it also works if you haven’t seen him on stage. It’s fun, over the closing credits, to see the pieces of his routines over the years that helped inspire plot points in the film. But the film is a fun ride all its own. There’s a diverse supporting cast of funny folks that help make it work. Nate’s co-workers are played by Zach Cherry and Kamil Nanjiani, while Forte, Jost, and Kate Berlant are among those who help populate the rest of his life and sphere. It’s a great cast that helps bring some dynamic and fun characters to the screen. But this is really about Bargatze. He has a breezy quality to his screen presence, often selling sequences with just a look or a reaction. He’s at home in this part and in this kind of comedy, selling all the bits and making for a fun time at the movies. The Breadwinner isn’t deep or complex, but it’s a fun time at the movies. It moves at a good pace, has plenty of jokes, and delivers a fun story in its 100-minute run time. It’s a great night out at the movies for the family.
Rating: Rated PG for some mild suggestive references.
Verdict: Three and a half stars out of five

Miss You, Love You (Max)
Starring: Allison Janney and Andrew Rannells
Synopsis: This new comedy comes from writer/director Jim Rash, and focuses on a woman who is grieving. Diane (Janney) recently lost her husband, who was her tether to their life in New Mexico. They moved to New Mexico for his painting, leaving behind a rich life in New York. And Diane never really made connections. Now, with her son tied up elsewhere, his assistant Jamie (Rannells) arrives to help with the planning. But it’s not what it appears, and over the course of a week they learn more about each other and the man that ties them together—Diane’s missing son. This is essentially a two-hander. Stories of grief and loss often make for rich material for films, and at times this one explores some interesting depths. It is mostly focused on Diane and Jamie, their connection, their past, and the things they need to work through to be able to move forward and heal. It allows for some good work from Janney and Rannells, who have some powerful back-and-forths throughout the film. At times, it hews closer to feeling like a stage play in the best possible way. It’s a simple story, and at just 97 minutes it doesn’t wear out its welcome. But as the story moves forward, the plot begins to feel a bit too thin—especially since Diane’s son Tyler is present only in references and via text messages. It’s an interesting enough streaming watch that makes the most of its limited story.
Rating: TV-MA
Verdict: Two and a half stars out of five

Pressure (Theaters)
Starring: Andrew Scott and Brendan Fraser
Synopsis: We often take weather forecasters for granted. It’s a tough job, especially in dynamic climates. There are plenty of jokes about forecasts, and forecasters, that don’t get it right. But knowing the weather can be crucial. The new film Pressure, which had preview screenings on Memorial Day and opens wide on Friday, is a historical drama about possibly the most important forecast in history. It follows the chief meteorologist for the Allies during the run up to the invasion of Normandy. It’s a great look behind the scenes at the biggest moment of World War II. The film follows James Stagg (Scott). He’s a Captain in the British military, and at the request of Winston Churchill he’s just been assigned to allied command. At home, he has a pregnant wife who is due any day, making it a tense time to be away from home. But he reports to headquarters and quickly discovers that he’s come at a crucial moment. It’s Friday afternoon, and the invasion of Normandy—D-Day—is set for Monday morning. He’s there to verify the forecast for Allied Commander Dwight Eisenhower (Fraser), and he doesn’t have much time to nail it. Making things more challenging is an American officer, Irving Krick (Chris Messina), who has a history with Eisenhower and nailing forecasts in relatively calm environments. But in Northern Europe, things can change quickly. As Stagg dives into the data, his approach rankles his colleagues, especially Krick. When he clashes in his view of the forecast, it forces a showdown between the men, and puts Eisenhower in a difficult position when determining the invasion that will change the war. This is a fascinating film. D-Day, even all these decades later, remains a crucial point in history. We’ve seen many films about World War II, but none that looked at the crucial meteorological moments that led to making the decision to invade on June 6, 1944. In fact, that wasn’t even the original date. It was originally set for June 5, and it was thanks to Stagg’s work and persuasion that the invasion fleet didn’t sail into a massive storm. The film is based on the stage play from David Haig, who co-wrote the screenplay with director Anthony Maras. They have a great feel for the material and for building the drama and tension in a story that—for the most part—takes place in rooms where men are arguing their points. This is a strong cast. In addition to the leads, the film features Damien Lewis and Kerry Condon, among others. Messina does a nice job as Krick, bringing depth to what could have been a one-dimensional part. And I enjoyed Fraser as Eisenhower. He brings depth and intensity to the part and plays it well. But this film soars behind the wings of Scott. He’s a great, quiet lead in the film. He brings a quiet intensity to the role and plays a variety of emotional sequences. You’re invested in Stagg and his journey, which is crucial to making this work. This is a unique and engaging look at the work that went into D-Day. It also includes a recreation of the invasion itself which remains quite stirring. I was deeply moved and entertained by the film. It’s one of my favorites of the year so far.
Rating: Rated PG-13 for war violence, bloody images, some strong language, and smoking
Verdict: Four stars out of five

Propeller: One-Way Night Coach (Apple TV)
Starring: Clark Shotwell and Kelly B. Eviston
Synopsis: This new short film is directed by John Travolta, based on his children’s book of the same name. It follows a boy named Jeff (Shotwell) and his mother (Eviston) on a cross-country flight. It’s set back in the glory days aboard a series of TWA planes. The story is narrated by Travolta, who also appears in a minor role. It’s something of a family affair with several of his family members taking on parts, too. It’s a nice, glossy production that makes for a pleasant enough watch. Clocking in at just an hour, it’s not a big commitment. It likely will appeal to audiences of all ages and is a pleasant but forgettable watch. It’s nice to see Travolta working on a passion project, but it’s not likely to become a classic.
Rating: TV-PG
Verdict: Two stars out of five