What to watch this weekend: Peter Dinklage as 'Cyrano,' Foo Fighters horror flick 'Studio 666'
There'll probably never be a karaoke throwdown between Peter Dinklage and Dave Grohl, but at least you can swing a double feature of their new films.
This weekend, Dinklage goes from "Game of Thrones" to singing songs of love in a period musical based on the play "Cyrano de Bergerac" while Grohl and his band, the Foo Fighters, dive into some demonic high jinks in a new horror comedy. If you need a third guy who can carry a tune, pop singer Troye Sivan headlines a coming-of-age film about a gay teenager anxiously awaiting medical results after being exposed to HIV.
For Oscar lovers, the Screen Actors Guild Awards air live Sunday on TNT and TBS (8 p.m. EST/5 PST) and will be a good barometer of who's got momentum heading into the Academy Awards on March 27. And if you're looking to catch up on best picture nominees on the big screen, the heartwarming dramedy "CODA" is rereleasing in theaters this weekend. (If you're not ready to go back yet, the Sundance Film Festival award winner is still streaming on Apple TV+.)
Here's a guide to new movies that'll satisfy every cinematic taste, plus some noteworthy theatrical films making their debut on streaming services and on-demand platforms:
'CODA': Oscar-nominated film is coming back to theaters for free
If you're a Peter Dinklage super-fan: 'Cyrano'
The classic love-triangle tale gets a stylistic historical revamp fueled by songs courtesy of the indie rock band The National, with Dinklage as the rapier-witted and lovelorn title character, Haley Bennett as his longtime friend/object of affection Roxanne and Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Christian, the soldier who woos her with Cyrano's help. The tunes are fine but aren't exactly hummable and the melodrama is on full blast, though Dinklage is terrific hitting all the right emotional notes in what turns out to be a one-man show.
Where to watch: In theaters
'Cyrano': The best movie musicals of 2021, ranked
If you prefer your horror on the silly side: 'Studio 666'
The Foo Fighters have done enough enjoyably ridiculous music videos that the idea of Grohl being possessed while recording in a haunted house and playfully killing people seems like a pretty fun time. If only they took the assignment seriously (aside from the scene-stealing Pat Smear). It's trying to be "This Is Spinal Tap" meets "Scooby-Doo" but is instead an unfocused, unfunny mess of horror clichés and B-movie gore.
Where to watch: In theaters
'It's gonna get gory': Dave Grohl gets 'Studio 666' license to kill Foo Fighters in twisted ways
If you want to see parental trauma in real time: 'The Desperate Hour'
The thriller stars Naomi Watts as a recently widowed mother jogging in the woods when she learns that there's been a shooting at her son's high school, leading her to frantically call 911, friends, loved ones and even a mechanic to see if her boy is safe as she races to get back. The film mostly unfolds in live time, yet that urgency and a couple of twists can't help an implausible narrative.
Where to watch: In theaters and on Apple TV, Google Play
If you and your teen need something meaningful to watch: 'Three Months'
Set in South Florida circa 2011, the coming-of-age dramedy casts Sivan as Caleb, a recent high school graduate hoping to go to New York City to study fashion design. After a sexual rendezvous with an HIV-positive stranger involving a broken condom, the impatient Caleb spends his summer waiting to hear about the results of his blood test and getting to know an Indian boy (Viveik Kalra) in his support group. Come for Sivan and his character's caustic wit, stay for the positive messaging.
Where to watch: Paramount+
If you enjoy all-star absurdity: 'Big Gold Brick'
Not a whole lot about this trippy dark comedy makes sense, though that seems to be the point in a way. Emory Cohen ("Brooklyn") stars as a suicidal writer accidentally run over by an enigmatic family man (Andy Garcia), who then hires the guy he almost killed to be his official biographer and chronicle his over-the-top life. The supporting cast includes Megan Fox as Garcia's adulterous wife and Oscar Isaac as the weirdest gangster ever.
Where to watch: In theaters and on Apple TV, Vudu, Google Play
If you're a big softie: 'I’ll Find You'
"Romeo & Juliet" gets a World War II-era tweak with this love story. Robert (Leo Suter) is a talented Catholic opera singer and Rachel is a Jewish violin prodigy who fall for each other and dream of playing Carnegie Hall together. The Nazis invade Poland and take Rachel and her family, leaving Robert on a desperate quest to find her in an old-fashioned but effective drama with a musical heart.
Where to watch: In theaters and on Apple TV, Google Play
If you yearn for a good scary movie: 'Hellbender'
This fabulous punk-rock coming-of-age horror flick unleashes a real-life mother/daughter duo and refreshing originality. Zelda Adams stars as Izzy, a teenager forced by her mom (Toby Poser) to live an isolated mountain existence because of her rare disease. A chance meeting with another young woman (Lulu Adams) and a dare to eat a live worm unlock Izzy's darker side and an investigation into her family's freaky and witchy history.
Where to watch: Shudder
Also on streaming
- Jessica Chastain leads a team of action-ready actresses including Diane Kruger, Lupita Nyong'o and Penelope Cruz in the spy film "The 355," now streaming on Peacock.
- Ryan Reynolds plays a dude who learns he's actually a video game character amid some pretty nifty Oscar-nominated visual effects in "Free Guy," an action comedy newly arrived on Disney+.