We’ve covered SXSW for more than a decade, and although we’ll miss going to Austin to cover in person this year, we’ve been sent screening links for films and TV to screen and review to give you a heads up for what will be coming for you to see in theaters and streaming soon. Adding capsule reviews as we see more so you’ll know what to watch for.
I Love Boosters – Opening Night! Writer/Director Boots Riley assembles an all star cast in a romp about a crew of professional shoplifters who take aim at a cutthroat fashion maven. Why? It’s like community service! Starring Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie, Taylour Paige, Lakeith Stanfield, Poppy Liu, Elza Gonzalez, Will Poulter, Don Cheadle and Demi Moore.
Phoenix Jones: The Rise and Fall of a Real Life Superhero – Bayan Jonah directs this bizarre story starring Phoenix Jones, Rainn Wilson, John Ronson and Ghost. In 2010, reports began surfacing of a masked vigilante named Phoenix Jones in a black-and-gold supersuit who became a media sensation, stopping crime on the streets of Seattle, armed with pepper spray, a taser, and a team of costumed crime fighters. But that didn’t last long when they found out who he really was. Ten years later, as protesters seize six blocks of Seattle and declare a no cop zone, Phoenix reemerges. Is he really a hero, or a weirdo hiding behind a mask?
My NDA – Directors Juliane Dressner and Miriam Shor (Actress in TV’s Pluribus) do a deep dive into examining the unfair restrictions of non-disclosure agreements used to keep workers from reporting racism, sex crimes and political cover-ups. Three people bound by these agreements, which aren’t agreeable at all, create personal risk for each one of them. They expose how a simple intellectual agreement can be used to weaponize silence, manipulation and control creating emotional trauma and lack of work they can’t even discuss with their therapist.
Stages – Director Ryan Booth (has worked with Elton John, Chris Stapleton, Billie Eilish and more) in a film here about singer/songwriter Ben Garza (David Ramirez) on a comeback but as a solo. He decides to let his former tour manager Rita (Jolene) get him an opening act for his first-ever solo tour following the break-up of his band. He has a lot on his plate juggling his family life, fighting to stay relevant, without being upstaged by his spotlight-stealing opener who is also a songwriter, Jessie Ramos (Leslie Grace). Can they develop a good working relationship writing new songs together as they perform in musical capitals across the country? Ramirez and Grace are talented with mellow voices that blend well. Can they keep working together? Loved the scenes where he gets inspired by visiting a former bandmate who is teaching kids how to use tech to make music.
Margo’s Got Money Troubles – David E. Kelley’s got a new series starring Elle Fanning, Michelle Pfeiffer, Nicole Kidman, and Nick Offerman, directed by Dearbhla Walsh and Kate Herron. About a young mother (Fanning) and her ex-Hooters waitress mother Pfeiffer), and ex-wrestler father (Offerman) as they face all the obstacles in the way. Streaming in April on Apple TV.
