Martin's Musings

To quote a beloved song, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year!” No, I’m not talking about the holiday season specifically. I’m talking about the last three months of the year, when the movie-release schedule really heats up and some of the most anticipated films of the year are released.

And, since the SAG-AFTRA strike was resolved (after 118 days), and actors are now able to promote their work again, things are back to “normal,” so you should be hearing about many of the new releases on talk shows, podcasts, and in magazine profiles. (Hooray!)

Since my last roundup seven weeks ago, I’ve seen 18 more movies (I’m counting two short films), bringing my total for the year so far to 68 new releases — which is more than I saw last year in total, just for the record. Given how many more movies will be released between now and the end of the year, I thought it’d be a good idea to share a roundup of recent releases and what I thought of them now, before there are too many, so these reviews can still be relevant and timely. 

And so, just like I did in the first, second, and third quarters of this year, here in one place (and in reverse-chronological order) is a list of all the movies I’ve seen so far in the fourth quarter of 2023, how I saw them, and a quick review of each one.

The third quarter of 2023 sure did have its ups and downs — where the movies were concerned, anyway.

On the one hand, we had the one-two punch of Barbie and Oppenheimer — or Barbenheimer, if you prefer — movies that broke box office records and were actually very good, proving that sometimes, the hype is actually justified.

But on the other hand, there was the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, which halted production and limited promotion for nearly all new releases. Some release dates were delayed as a result, and movies that did come out often did so quietly. Thankfully, after nearly 150 days, the writers got a great deal from the studios. Hopefully, the actors will get one, too, and soon.

Over these last three months, I saw 14 movies, bringing my total for the year so far to 50. (I’m counting a collection of four short films as one feature.) I’ve shared my thoughts about most of what I’ve seen on Twitter and/or Instagram (Stories), but I haven’t documented my thoughts about everything. So, just like I did in the first and second quarters of this year, here in one place (and in reverse-chronological order) is a list of all the movies I saw in the third quarter of 2023, how I saw them, and a quick review of each one.

You had to be sleeping under a rock to not have heard about Barbenheimer, the portmanteau made by combining the names of this summer’s two most eagerly anticipated movies: Greta Gerwig’s Barbie and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. 

Other than ambitious filmmakers taking large swings and huge ensemble casts full of recognizable faces, the two films do not have much in common; one is a candy-colored comedy based on a popular toy, and the other is a drama about one of the darkest chapters in American history. But the hype over the last few months turned their release on the same day into a legitimate event. Just check out the memes and social media chatter — not to mention the brand partnerships. In response, fans showed up in droves; the two movies together earned more than $235 million at the box office on opening weekend in the United States and Canada.

If you’re someone who’s still on the fence about seeing one or both of these movies, or you’ve somehow managed to avoid all the buzz, let me cut to the chase and share the good news that they’re both worthy of the hype and worth seeing. That’s a bit of a modern-day miracle given we’re living in times when hyperbole and (undeserved) overpromotion are the norm.

What more do you need to know? Here are my thoughts about both films, in reverse alphabetical order.

The new Apple TV+ documentary Stephen Curry: Underrated may not be what fans of the Golden State Warriors’ point guard are expecting.

Despite an opening sequence set on December 14, 2021 — the night Curry broke the record for 3-pointers in a career — the film is not a highlight reel of #30’s time in the NBA. Nor is it a hagiography filled with adoring talking-head interviews. Heck, while it celebrates Curry’s skill as a player and the seeming ease with which he takes shots from outside the paint, that Curry’s style of play has been at the forefront of how the game of basketball has changed in recent years is not the film’s focus.

Instead, Underrated functions more as an origin story for one of the game’s current superstars, a smaller-than-average player who’s had an outsized impact on his teams — and the NBA overall. That’s a good and a bad thing.