Yeah, it frustrates me that it’s still not announced to go on Max next month despite the new A24 collaboration. And You Hurt My Feelings (also A24) is going to Paramount late in January, so I don’t know when we can expect those things to turn up on Max.
Recent text exchange with a friend:
Me: “You have to see Past Lives. It’s incredible. It’s streaming nowhere. [link to the trailer]”
Him: “I love A24, so I’m sure I’ll like it. I assume you mean it’s streaming everywhere?”
Me: “No.”
When I saw my parents this month, they of the right-wing politics and the brutally unadventurous movie taste, I actually gambled on spending some capital as a reliable recommender on trying to get them to watch Past Lives. They won’t generally venture out and watch foreign-language stuff, and I disclosed to them that probably half of this movie is spoken in Korean, but I still gave it the hard sell and then showed them the trailer. My mom was very interested by the end. Fingers crossed that I can broaden their horizons ever so slightly. Normally I wouldn’t bother to try to get them to broaden their tastes, but Past Lives felt worth the try.
That more broadly ties in with something about the movie year: it was not only good in my book, but I think it produced a large quantity of things that are broadly accessible even to people with narrow tastes. My parents are the natural litmus test I use. They liked Oppenheimer. They also liked Air and Dream Scenario. They’re looking forward to Killers of the Flower Moon. They’re going to watch The Holdovers at my recommendation once it hits wider streaming tomorrow. I’m guessing they would also like The Color Purple, Margaret, Bottoms, May December, Priscilla, You Hurt My Feelings, and others. This is decidedly not a Shape of Water year where the critical darlings are just worlds away from anything normies would want to spend their time with. I’m surprised that some critics I like have talked about this being a disappointing/down year. I don’t see it that way at all.
I had no regrets after I just broke down and paid the $6 to rent it. Not something I do very often, but it paid off my suspicion that it would be worth breaking with my usual customs for.
Yeah, I had actually seen that video after posting my list but before master posted it here, and it was one of the ones I was referencing when I said:
Especially since I watch many of his videos and his opinions frequently line up with mine on the individual movies as they came out, so I’m not entirely sure what he was disappointed with. I swore the whole time that his countdown was making its way to 1. Past Lives, and then that didn’t make the list or even get an honorable mention? He must not have seen it or something; he didn’t do an individual review for that one, so it’s possible he’s missed it.
At the risk of repeating myself because I mentioned earlier that it was coming: The Holdovers is now on Peacock. One of the more broadly recommendable films of the year, where I expect that most anyone will like it at least some extent and many will love it. Even as someone who is less effusive about this movie than others: see it if you haven’t. It would be fair to classify it as a Christmas movie, but I’d say it’s more seasonal than holiday-specific, so I’d say it’s still ripe for a watch right now.
The Creator is now on Hulu in case you missed it in theaters. I didn’t think it was great, but probably still worth a watch from the couch if you’re already subscribed.
