USA TODAY International Edition
Check out ‘ Little Mermaid,’ ‘ Kandahar’
In addition to seeing family and having a cookout, maybe put “go under the sea” on your Memorial Day to- do list. ● Disney’s new live- action “The Little Mermaid,” a revamped take on the 1989 animated classic with Halle Bailey starring as Ariel, leads a list of new theatrical releases. But if you’re feeling like bingeing movies at home, there are plenty of options there, too, including a Mary Tyler Moore documentary on Max and Keanu Reeves’ latest “John Wick” action film streaming on demand. So if you need a film this long holiday weekend? We got you, fam. ● Here’s a guide to satisfying every cinematic taste:
If you love the Disney remake machine: ‘ The Little Mermaid’
While the original is leagues better, a generation of young Disney fans will totally fall for Bailey, splendid as a teen girl who dreams of seeing the surface world. Her beloved Prince Eric ( Jonah Hauer- King) gets more to do with an expanded narrative, and the new Alan Menken- Lin- Manuel Miranda tunes are swell, yet the redo just doesn’t hit in the same joyous fashion.
Where to watch: In theaters
If you’re jonesing for Gerard Butler: ‘ Kandahar’
Collaborating again with director Ric Roman Waugh (“Greenland”), Gerard Butler stars in the harrowing military thriller as an undercover CIA operative working in Afghanistan. When his mission is compromised by an intelligence leak – and the Taliban as well as other foes are after him – he and his translator ( Navid Negahban) race to reach an abandoned base in Kandahar and catch a flight home.
Where to watch: In theaters
If you’re a Julia Louis- Dreyfus completist: ‘ You Hurt My Feelings’
Julia Louis- Dreyfus plays a novelist who accidentally overhears her therapist husband ( Tobias Menzies) – usually a pretty supportive guy – tell his brother- in- law he doesn’t love her new book. The couple as well as their loved ones navigate insecurities, professional instability and even some silent treatments in Nicole Holofcener’s relatable comedy about the white lies we tell and the truths we don’t to help each other.
Where to watch: In theaters
If you dig a ‘ Meet the Parents’ vibe: ‘ About My Father’
Sebastian Maniscalco co- writes and stars in the comedy as a Chicago hotel manager ready to propose to his girlfriend ( Leslie Bibb). But he needs his grandma’s engagement ring, and the only way he’s getting that is to take his Italian hairdresser dad ( Robert De Niro) on a Virginia country club getaway to hang with her eccentric rich family. Cultures clash and misunderstandings ensue.
Where to watch: In theaters
If you want to see a teen girl annihilate bad dudes: ‘ The Wrath of Becky’
The darkly comic, gleefully violent sequel catches up with teen warrior Becky ( Lulu Wilson), who last killed a bunch of neo- Nazis and this time needs to take righteous vengeance on woman- hating insurrectionists who murdered her friend and took Becky’s beloved dog. ( Seann William Scott co- stars as the baddies’ fearsome leader.) It’s a lean and mean survival movie just begging for a third head- exploding round.
Where to watch: In theaters
If you’re paranoid about social media: ‘ Influencer’
After Instagramming her way through a Thailand getaway, Madison ( Emily Tennant) is a few days away from going home when she befriends the charismatic CW ( Cassandra Naud), who volunteers to show her the best sights and food – as well as a deserted island. Things go awry, though Madison’s boyfriend and a self- help guru also get caught in various plot twists in a thriller big on modern technology but low on character development.
Where to watch: Shudder
If you’re a classic TV sitcom fan: ‘ Being Mary Tyler Moore’
Through Moore’s own words plus interviews with Ed Asner, Rob Reiner and Lena Waithe, the documentary chronicles the beloved actress’s life and work. She was a groundbreaking influence through her iconic comedy roles on “The Dick Van Dyke Show” and “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” which tapped into the feminist movement of the 1960s and ‘ 70s but also faced tragedy and struggles in her personal life.
Where to watch: Max
If you want to see Jason Momoa take over a franchise: ‘ Fast X’
The fact that Momoa’s flamboyantly villainous Dante Reyes is the coolest thing to see in the latest “Fast and Furious” is both good and bad. The actor is quite a playfully devilish sight giving Dominic Toretto ( Vin Diesel) and his crew fits with vengeful scheming and a penchant for the sociopathic. Unfortunately, the franchise’s usually eye- popping action sequences and bonkers situations don’t rise up to Momoa’s level.
Where to watch: In theaters
If you want to cry at a superhero movie: ‘ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’
James Gunn’s gang of space misfits wraps up the trilogy with a fabulous, tear- jerking adventure. Hot- tempered raccoon Rocket ( voiced by Bradley Cooper) gets a touching origin story but also is wounded in a sneak attack, leading Star- Lord ( Chris Pratt) and his teammates on a desperate mission to save the little guy.
Where to watch: In theaters If you live for Keanu Reeves wrecking people: ‘ John Wick: Chapter 4’
Keanu Reeves’ well- dressed hitman just wants to be retired but has to run, shoot and nunchuck his way through a gauntlet of former friends, pesky goons and one sadistic power player ( Bill Skarsgård) to find his freedom from a shadowy cabal of assassins. We feel for Wick more than ever in this fourth film, be it a bullet battle in horrendous Paris traffic or trying to work his way up a long flight of stairs in the film’s most epic scene.
Where to watch: Apple TV, Vudu, Amazon, Google Play