Genre: Comedy
Actor: Alessandro Tiberi, Andrea Dianetti, Angela Finocchiaro, Camilla Filippi, Diana Del Bufalo, Esther Elisha, Fabrizio Colica, Jenny De Nucci, Niccolò Senni, Raoul Bova, Valentina Nappi
Director: Michela Andreozzi
When you think of Italian cinema, Federico Fellini and Spaghetti Westerns probably come to mind. But there are plenty of contemporary movies that reveal the country’s modern side. If youo want to brush up on your Italiano, here are the best movies featuring the Italian langage to stream.
Genre: Comedy
Actor: Alessandro Tiberi, Andrea Dianetti, Angela Finocchiaro, Camilla Filippi, Diana Del Bufalo, Esther Elisha, Fabrizio Colica, Jenny De Nucci, Niccolò Senni, Raoul Bova, Valentina Nappi
Director: Michela Andreozzi
While at first it seems like this third installment in Antoine Fuqua's series of Denzel Washington star vehicles is setting itself up to be a more serious and thoughtful story of personal absolution, it gradually becomes clear that The Equalizer 3 has no story to tell. Very, very little happens in this movie, and all the time we spend with Washington (still somehow compelling, even when he's on autopilot) drinking tea and chatting with locals doesn't lead to any character relationships worth caring for. Fuqua and screenwriter Richard Wenk seem to want to create a sense of familiarity with this Italian town, through which we should ideally see the things Robert McCall grows to value in his violent life. But even the prettiest landscapes (shot by Robert Richardson) can't make up for how empty and misjudged the writing is.
There are approximately two short action scenes in The Equalizer 3, neither of which has the clockwork precision of the fights in the first film, or the environmental inventiveness of the climax of the second film. And while an action movie can aspire to something beyond its action, the fact that this installment has abandoned it completely is a genuinely perplexing choice.
Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller
Actor: Adolfo Margiotta, Agostino Chiummariello, Andrea Dodero, Andrea Scarduzio, Arcangelo Iannace, Beatrice Aiello, Bruno Bilotta, Dakota Fanning, Daniele Ornatelli, Daniele Perrone, Danilo Capuzi, David Denman, Dea Lanzaro, Denzel Washington, Diego Riace, Eugenio Mastrandrea, Gaia Scodellaro, Gianluigi Scilla, Giovanni Scotti, Lucia Zotti, Luigi Catani, Marco Giuliani, Mariarosaria Mingione, Marta Zoffoli, Mauro Cremonini, Melissa Leo, Niccolò Senni, Remo Girone, Salvatore Ruocco, Simona Distefano, Sonia Ammar, Valerio Da Silva
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Many things can be said about Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s whirlwind relationship. It was messy, violent, and indicative of the massive power imbalance that prevails in Hollywood relationships. And the lawsuits that resulted from their offenses against each other were informative too; the ex-couple’s 2022 defamation trial was a landmark case that proved the power social media had in determining not just public opinion but the court’s verdict too. In other words, Depp and Heard’s relationship was an interesting case that warranted analysis and careful speculation. Unfortunately, it doesn’t get that treatment in this Netflix docuseries. Here, director Emma Cooper trades in nuance and expert commentary for cheap shots at both celebrities by way of borrowed clips from the internet. There are no interviews, no deep dives, no studies in this “documentary” (I genuinely struggle to call it that). Instead, it lazily and desperately relies on viral YouTube clips, TikTok videos, and archival footage for content. They are strung together in a haphazard fashion, barely coherent with all the memes and jokey music it employs. The defamation case could’ve been studied from a legal, psychological, or industrial point of view—instead, Cooper chooses to serve this pile of steaming garbage that resembles the media spectacle it claims to expose.
Genre: Documentary
Actor: Amber Heard, Johnny Depp
Director: Emma Cooper
This was an uncomfortable, unnecessary mess of a movie—it’d be a lot faster to just go to Literotica or something. It’s got rough romance dialogue; everyone’s faces are always pressed so close together; and worst of all is even the fight scenes are awkward. Outside of storylines, music from Olivia Rodrigo and Billie Eilish were made to be associated with this movie which mucks up their good name for people that haven't discovered them in neutral conditions. Caterina Ferioli’s performance as the film’s muse Nica, along with Nica’s warm girl-friendships, carries the entire thing to a semblance of watchability. But I'm not trying to give you hope, I'm saying just open your Incognito tab if you're here "for the plot."
Genre: Drama, Romance
Actor: Alessandro Bedetti, Anna Cianca, Caterina Ferioli, Eco Andriolo Ranzi, Eugenio Krauss, Juju Di Domenico, Laura Baldi, Nicky Passarella, Orlando Cinque, Roberta Rovelli, Sabrina Paravicini, Simone Baldasseroni, Sveva Romano Candelletta
Director: Alessandro Genovesi