We love going to the movies, but that doesn’t stop us from cozying up at home with Netflix too. In this episode of The Long Take Review, we discuss three films currently available on Netflix: Todd Haynes’ May December, David Fincher’s The Killer, and Nyad, the first narrative feature directed by Oscar-winning documentary filmmakers Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin.
To many critics’ surprise, May December has been warmly received by wider audiences and, less surprisingly, creating a stir on the Internet. Loosely based on the real-life story of Mary Kay Letourneau, Haynes’ funny yet chilling melodrama follows an actress (Natalie Portman) who has been cast to play a woman (Julianne Moore) who went to jail for having a sexual relationship with a seventh grader she later married (Charles Melton). In our review, we discuss what the film might be saying about acting, performance, and truth, as well as share which performance we liked best.
In contrast, David Fincher’s The Killer seems to have quietly come and gone. Starring Michael Fassbender as a professional assassin who tries to work and live by a disciplined mantra, Fincher’s contemplative and ironic thriller wraps high octane action sequences in a thought exercise as methodical and precise as its protagonist aspires to be. Through our discussion, we debate how how successful the titular killer really is, how elevated a genre film this might be, and how much we love Tilda Swinton (that last one was less of a debate).
For us, the most polarizing film among this trio was Nyad, the sports biopic about long distance swimmer Diana Nyad. Intercut with documentary footage and flashbacks to Nyad’s past, this film chronicles the athlete’s somewhat controversial attempts to swim uninterrupted and unaided from Cuba to the Florida Keys. The film stars Annette Benning as Diana Nyad and Jodie Foster as her best friend and coach, Bonnie Stoll. The three of us had very different takes on Annette Benning’s performance, and evaluated the film as both a biopic and an inspirational sports movie.
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Movie News Check-In: Final SAG-AFTRA strike update. National Board of Review awards. Indie Spirit nominations. Godzilla and Wonka hype. 3:29
The Short Take: Our general impressions of May December, Nyad, and The Killer, in that order. (Spoiler-free.) 16:29
The Recommendation Algorithm: Which of these three films would we recommend, and to whom? (Spoiler-free.) 41:49
SPOILER MODE We do reference the other films, but our main discussions begin with May Decembr and then move on to Nyad and The Killer. 52:38
Oscars Watch: Which of these three films has the best chance at Oscar noms? Will Annette Benning ever win an Oscar? 1:54:40
Image Credit: Netflix and IndieWire
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May December/Nyad/The Killer Review