USA TODAY International Edition
Warm up for Super Bowl with ‘ Brady’
The Super Bowl is just more than a week away but Hollywood’s wasting no time putting together some all- star matchups at the movies. ● This weekend, football comedy “80 for Brady” teams NFL quarterback Tom Brady with Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Sally Field and Rita Moreno. ( For the record, that’s five Oscars and seven Super Bowl victories among them.) And twist- happy filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan returns with “Knock at the Cabin,” a new thriller starring “Guardians of the Galaxy” regular Dave Bautista and Jonathan Groff. ● Here’s a guide to new movies that will satisfy every cinematic taste, plus some noteworthy theatrical films making their streaming and on- demand debuts:
If you live for a wide variety of G. O. A. T. s: ‘ 80 for Brady’
Played by Fonda, Tomlin, Field and Moreno, a group of aging New England Patriots fans decides to take their Tom Brady fandom to the next level and attend the Super Bowl in this earnest sports comedy. The movie’s packed with awkward dancing and bad jokes, and there’s no end to the far- fetched silliness, but the A- list actresses seem to be having fun and, believe it or not, Brady swoops in for the most sentimental moment in the movie.
● Where to watch: In theaters
If you’re a big fan of the Twistmaster General: ‘ Knock at the Cabin’
Shyalaman’s best films get at existential nightmares, and this one’s an apocalyptic doozy. A family ( Groff, Ben Aldridge and Kristen Cui) vacationing at a Pennsylvania cabin are invaded by a group of armed strangers – with a huge leader ( Bautista) – who has a stomach- turning order: sacrifice a loved one or doom mankind. Bautista is fantastic in a well- crafted thriller that upends expectations and is less bleak than it sounds.
● Where to watch: In theaters
If you need a real- life pick- me- up: ‘ True Spirit’
Peppered with peppy pop music and empowering messages, the earnest but uplifting drama tells the true tale of Jessica Watson ( Teagan Croft), an Australian teen who sets out to be the youngest person to circumnavigate the world in her pink- splashed sailboat. What keeps it from diving into maudlin waters is Jessica’s dynamic with her gruff coach ( Cliff Curtis) and hellish scenes where she hangs on for dear life through gnarly storms.
● Where to watch: Netflix
If you want to see Frank Grillo kill a bunch of people: ‘ Little Dixie’
Grillo, a regular in the Marvel movies and “Purge” franchise known for art- house action films, gets his hands seriously dirty ( and bloody) here as Doc, an ex- special forces operative who is caught up in a feud between a Mexican drug cartel and his old buddy, now a governor ( Eric Dane). Doc’s teen daughter is kidnapped by a vicious enforcer ( Beau Knapp) and heads roll on the way to getting her back.
● Where to watch: In theaters and on Apple TV, Vudu, Google Play, Amazon
If you’re all about social satire: ‘ A Lot of Nothing’
A wealthy Black couple ( Y’Lan Noel and Cleopatra Coleman) watch a newscast showing the racist white cop next door ( Justin Hartley) shooting an unarmed kid and decide to take matters into their own hands. Yet no one is who they seem and everyone has a different viewpoint in Mo McRae’s timely and clever film, which starts off like gangbusters ( though gets a little convoluted) and lets its two leads shine.
● Where to watch: In theaters and on Apple TV, Vudu, Google Play, Amazon
If you adore cartoon cats with attitude: ‘ The Amazing Maurice’
Much cooler than Garfield will ever be, the title feline ( voiced by Hugh Laurie) of the animated Terry Pratchett adaptation takes his cash- grabbing rat infestation schemes from town to town with his piper pal Keith ( Himesh Patel) and a crew of rodents. Their misadventures lead them to a poor locale where they help the mayor’s quirky daughter ( Emilia Clarke) tackle food- shortage vanishings and one creepy villain.
● Where to watch: In theaters
If you’ve ever encountered an enraged infant: ‘ Baby Ruby’
Using scary- movie tropes as metaphors for postpartum depression struggles, the psychological horror film casts Noémie Merlant (“Portrait of a Lady on Fire”) as a popular lifestyle blogger chronicling her pregnancy. New motherhood proves tricky when she butts heads with her husband ( Kit Harington) and other neighbor moms and, worst of all, is at a disconcerting loss when her newborn is constantly angry – to a disturbing degree.
● Where to watch: In theaters and on Apple TV, Google Play
More on streaming
● The Marvel superhero sequel “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” starring Letitia Wright and Oscar nominee Angela Bassett, is now on Disney+ as well as Apple TV and Google Play.
● Damien Chazelle’s period Hollywood epic “Babylon,” starring Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt, is available on Apple TV and other on- demand platforms.
● “Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile,” the musical comedy featuring Shawn Mendes as a singing reptile, streams on Netflix beginning Saturday.