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Posted September 3, 2016 by Scott Davis in Features
 
 

The Preview Reel: Slim Holiday Pickings

Welcome to another “Preview Reel” column, where we look at the week’s upcoming wide release movies. Labor Day weekend is notoriously slow for the movie industry, and this holiday weekend is no exception.

With two hardly talked about movies being released this weekend, the romantic drama The Light Between Oceans and the supernatural thriller Morgan, it should be a quiet weekend at the cinema. They might not be blockbusters, but let’s see if either film could be a hidden gem.

 

The Light Between Oceans

The Light Between Oceans PosterWhat we are excited about:
Real-life couple Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander headline this adaptation of the bestselling novel, which is pretty much the only thing we are excited about. Fassbender is an Oscar-nominated actor (surprising he has not won one yet), while Vikander is fresh off her win for Best Supporting Actress in The Danish Girl. These are two of the finest actors working today and a World War I romantic drama sounds like a good place for them to show off their talents.

What we are worried about:
The trailers are a little too sappy for our taste and this looks like one of those movies that exists to make you cry. Along the same lines of The Notebook or The Vow, it just seems to be sad for sadness sake rather than be an effective drama. Maybe we are wrong, but the trailers were a little too clichéd for us.

The Buzz:
With the film being based on a bestselling novel and featuring some of the best actors working today, you’d think there’d be more buzz surrounding The Light Between Oceans, but there is almost none. The film has been garnering mostly positive reviews, but it’s still looking at a rough $9 million four-day opening weekend, probably finishing behind Don’t Breathe.

Final thoughts:
It might be a good movie for date night, but other than the high profile actors headlining the film, this looks extremely passable.

 

Morgan

Morgan PosterWhat we are excited about:
Much like the other wide release, the acting is what has us most excited. Kate Mara, Paul Giamatti, and Toby Jones are all fine actors and look like they can elevate any material. The trailers do have a creepy tone, but….

What we are worried about:
We have seen this so many times before. Last year gave us the incredible Ex Machina, and this looks like a lazy rip off of that film. An A.I. horror thriller is just not unique enough anymore, especially when it does not look like this movie is going to go as deep as Ex Machina did. It looks like it will be cheap scares and thrills instead of daring to offer any interesting ideas.

The Buzz:
Much like The Light Between Oceans, there is almost no buzz for this movie. With mostly bad reviews and a non-existent marketing campaign, this should leave theaters rather quickly without making too much noise. Look for around a $6 million four-day weekend opening.

Final thoughts:
Watch Ex Machina instead.

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.