Preview This! ‘Black Widow’

Opening this week on a screen near you:

Black Widow   (2021) PG-13

Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios

Natasha (Scarlett Johansson), the Black Widow, is on the run and discovers a link to her past, her own sister, Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh). The two sisters team up to break their father, Alexei (David Harbour), out of jail in an attempt to save the world.     Black Widow Website

What to Watch For: The film takes place after Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War.

Word on the Street: Florence Pugh beat out Emma Watson, Saoirse Ronan, Dar Zuzovsky, and Alice Englert for the role of Yelena.

My View: I am guessing that they are setting us up for Yelena (Florence Pugh) taking over the Black Widow mantle in the Marvel universe.

I Carry You With Me   (2020) R

Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

Ivan (Armando Espitia), who dreams of being a chef one day, meets Gerardo (Christian Vazquez), a teacher, in a nightclub in Puebla, Mexico. Right away, their attraction is passionate and meaningful. But there is trouble brewing; Ivan has a 5-year-old son whose mother would take away his visitation rights if she discovers that Ivan is gay, and Gerardo’s father, the leader of a ranching empire, considers Gerardo’s lifestyle a blight on the family. Despite his love of Gerardo and his son, Ivan decides to escape the dead end jobs of Mexico for New York to carry out his dream of being a chef, leaving the two most important people in his life behind.       I Carry You With Me Website

What to Watch For: The film was a massive hit on the film festival circuit, winning two awards at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival.

Word on the Street: The film is co-written and directed by Heidi Ewing, who was nominated for an Academy Award for her 2006 documentary Jesus Camp.

My Take: I have heard great things about this film from other film critics.

The Loneliest Whale: The Search for 52   (2021) PG 

Photo courtesy of Bleecker Street Studios

Documentary about a whale, called the ’52 Hertz Whale’, which scientists believe has spent its life in complete solitude. The whale gets its name from the 52 Hz frequency call that the whale makes, a frequency it is thought to be unrecognizable by other whales.     The Loneliest Whale Website

What to Watch For: Leonardo Di Caprio donated 50,000 dollars to help get this documentary made.

Word on the Street: The film is directed by Joshua Zeman, known for his documentary’s Cropsey (2009) and Killer Legends (2014).

My Take: I love films that explore the mysteries of the sea.

Fear Street Part Two:  1978   (2021)  R

Photo courtesy of Netflix

A series of brutal murders have plagued the town of Shadyside for over 300 years. The key to the killings may lay in the events that happened in 1978 at Camp Nightwing, where another Shadysider is possessed with the urge to kill, making camp an all-out fight to survive.      Fear Street Part II Website

What to Watch For: This is the second part of a trilogy. The first film, Fear Street Part 1: 1994, was released last week.

Word on the Street: The films are based on the Fear Street books by legendary writer R.L. Stine.

My Take: I am always ready for a good horror film.