The Big Picture · Discussion · Interview
June 3, 2022/ 71 min/ Sean Fennessey
Sean flies solo through ten movies worth streaming this week, from an Indian action epic to a Cronenberg-adjacent clone thriller, then sits down with David Cronenberg to talk Crimes of the Future, aging, and giving actors no direction at all.
19 films across 2 segments.
AI-generated This episode was transcribed and analyzed with AI models. The matches aren't perfect — expect the occasional misheard title or a link to the wrong film.
10 Movies to Stream Right NowSean's picks, one man's opinion
S.S. Rajamouli's Telugu epic, 185 minutes of historical fantasy, musical numbers, and buddy comedy about two Indian revolutionaries fighting the British Raj. On Netflix, and briefly the highest-grossing Indian film ever before KGF: Chapter 2 overtook it.
Akiva Schaffer's live-action/animation mashup, with Andy Samberg and John Mulaney voicing the title chipmunks thirty years after their show got canceled. On Disney+; Sean calls it the spiritual cousin of Who Framed Roger Rabbit, minus the same execution.
Andrew Ahn's Pride and Prejudice riff, written by and starring Joel Kim Booster alongside Bowen Yang, set among friends vacationing on Fire Island. On Hulu; originally developed for Quibi.
Rob Jabbaz's Taiwanese outbreak movie, a couple reuniting as a pandemic turns people homicidal. Extremely graphic splatter horror, on Shudder.
The traditional making-of/deleted-scenes companion to Jackass Forever, with Jeff Tremaine, Spike Jonze, and Johnny Knoxville narrating the stunts that didn't make the cut. On Netflix, oddly, while Jackass Forever itself is on Paramount+.
Daniel Roher's documentary following Alexei Navalny's investigation into his own poisoning, shot like a spy thriller. On HBO Max after CNN+ folded before it could premiere there.
Riley Stearns' deadpan sci-fi: in a world where the terminally ill can order clones of themselves, Karen Gillan has to fight hers to the death, trained by Aaron Paul. On AMC+.
Justin Kurzel's drama on the life of the man behind Australia's 1996 Port Arthur massacre, with Caleb Landry Jones, Judy Davis, Essie Davis, and Anthony LaPaglia. Deliberately hard to watch, and, Sean says, non-judgmental about it. On AMC+.
Richard Linklater's rotoscoped memory piece, narrated by Jack Black, about growing up in Houston during the moon landing. On Netflix.
Sam Jones' documentary on Tony Hawk still attempting tricks in his fifties that he couldn't land at 28. On HBO Max.
In conversation
Cronenberg's return to body horror after eight years away, from a script he wrote two decades ago and shelved. Stars Viggo Mortensen, Léa Seydoux, Kristen Stewart, and Scott Speedman; produced by Robert Lantos, who convinced him it had only gotten more relevant.
Cited for its all-CG twin-headed lizard creature, a sign of how far the visual-effects toolkit has come since.
Ralph Fiennes told Cronenberg it was the least direction he'd ever gotten from a filmmaker, and meant it as a compliment.
His son Brandon's film, shot in Budapest the same year Cronenberg shot Crimes of the Future in Athens.
Rachel Weisz is producing a new series adaptation; Cronenberg passed on getting involved, feeling he'd already said what he had to say with it.
Vincent Cassel's performance here is why Cronenberg wants him for his next film, The Shrouds.
His actual most recent film before Crimes of the Future, which came together after a decade of working with Bruce Wagner.
Almost became a network series at CBS, NBC, and ABC in the past, until the networks wanted the exploding heads taken out.
Also mentioned raised along the way
Also recommended Tape
In passing Top Gun: MaverickThe IrishmanKGF: Chapter 2Bros
Chip 'n Dale comparisons Who Framed Roger RabbitFree GuyThe Polar ExpressBeowulf
Directors' back catalogs DrivewaysThe Art of Self-DefenseJackass ForeverWaking LifeA Scanner DarklyDazed and ConfusedThe School of RockI Am Trying to Break Your Heart: A Film About Wilco
Not films filtered out: TV, games, ads
TV Better Call SaulLe Bureau des LégendesBarry
Podcasts The Prestige TV Podcast
Ads Boar's HeadNOS EnergyTalkAboutPD.comFanDuelFIFA World Cup Launch Edition