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Posted October 25, 2017 by Scott Davis in Features
 
 

The Preview Reel: Jigsaw, Suburbicon, and Thank You for Your Service

Welcome to this week’s “Preview Reel” column, where we look at the week’s upcoming wide-release movies. Last weekend saw four films not make a whole a lot of noise at the box office, with the minor exception of Tyler Perry’s Boo 2! A Madea Halloween, which nabbed the top spot with $21.2 million. This weekend looks like more of the same as we have a trio of new wide releases including the return of a Halloween staple Jigsaw, the black comedy Suburbicon, and the military drama Thank You for Your Service. Let’s see if any of these films can make a dent in the box office before Thor: Ragnarok comes thundering down next weekend.

 

Jigsaw

Jigsaw posterWhat we are excited about: While maybe not as iconic as the Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, or Halloween series, the Saw films were the hit horror franchise in the mid-2000s. The series kind of went off the rails towards the end of its run, but the series did have its moments for gore fans. While it’s not for everyone, this series can produce some fun and scary situations for the characters involved. The gimmick might have run its course by the third or fourth installment, but maybe the series can return to its former glory after being away for seven years.

What we are worried about: After Saw 3D: The Final Chapter “wrapped” things up in 2010, we were hoping that the franchise would be finished. We know that the name Final Chapter doesn’t mean much in the horror world (Friday the 13th Part IV—The Final Chapter (1984) was followed by eight more installments), it did seem like the public lost almost all interest in the Saw movies. The series was running on fumes and it seemed like a good idea to just end it, so we’re wondering why they decided to bring it back. It’s most likely to make a quick buck and not because they have a good idea for a story, which seems to plague the horror genre these days. Maybe we’ll be surprised, but we highly doubt it.

The Buzz: Lionsgate was probably hoping for more buzz when they announced Jigsaw about a year ago, but there was almost none to be found. People might have fond memories of the first couple of Saw movies, but that nostalgia seemed to die with later installments. While there isn’t much competition this Halloween besides Happy Death Day, the movie doesn’t have any reviews, which is never a good thing this late in the game. Look for a quiet opening around $10 million.

Final Thoughts: If you’re in the mood for a Saw movie, we suggest watching the first one at home.

 

Suburbicon

Suburbicon posterWhat we are excited about: This movie is written by the Coen Brothers, directed by George Clooney, and stars Matt Damon. That is a heck of a lot of star power. The movie also has a quirky trailer that mostly works and is kind of giving us a Fargo (1996) vibe. If the Coens can pen another darkly funny script, Clooney can nail the direction, and the acting is up their usual high standards, then this could be something special.

What we are worried about: To be honest, the pedigree and trailers don’t leave us too much to be worried about. The main thing to be concerned about with this movie is that it has some strong negative buzz. This movie debuted at film festivals last month and reviewers have not been kind. While some have been lukewarm/positive, most of them say that the tone is way off. That’s disheartening, but we’ll have to see for ourselves.

The Buzz: As previously mentioned, this movie does not have good buzz. Most critics have been calling this a huge miss and it sits at 38% on Rottentomatoes and 46 on Metacritic. This is the kind of movie that needs good reviews to get on people’s radar, but it will most likely be forgotten. Look for an opening around $7 million.

Final Thoughts: This movie looked like it had a lot of promise, but the reviews have us worried.

 

Thank You for Your Service

Thank You for Your Service posterWhat we are excited about: American Sniper was the biggest movie of 2014 and was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Adapted Screenplay. That film’s screenwriter returns with Thank You for Your Service and seems to be trying to capture the same magic American Sniper did. Miles Teller is one of the best young actors working right now and can hopefully give a performance that catapults him into mainstream stardom. We’re not sure if Thank You for Your Service is that movie, but if it’s as good as American Sniper, Teller could be the next Bradley Cooper.

What we are worried about: While American Sniper was a well-written movie, the film also had a great director in Clint Eastwood. Thank You for Your Service was directed by its writer, Jason Hall. Hall has no previous experience in the directing chair, which makes us a little worried. Eastwood’s direction was the steady hand American Sniper needed, we’re not sure if Hall can provide that same level of experience.

The Buzz: The buzz for this movie is low as there have yet to be any reviews published yet, which is, again, almost never a good thing. We predict a modest opening around $5 million.

Final Thoughts: Thank You for Your Service won’t reach the heights of American Sniper, but if the reviews are positive, this movie could have strong legs in the coming weeks.

Scott Davis

Scott Davis

Scott Davis is a recent graduate of Oakland University where he earned a degree in journalism. He worked for the student newspaper on campus, The Oakland Post, where he became the paper's managing editor. He also earned a minor in Cinema Studies at OU. Scott enjoys all things film and TV related, especially the blockbuster kind. He might be the biggest Christopher Nolan fan you know.