149 Movies Like Raya and the Last Dragon (2021) (Page 9)

Inspired by her own mother, director Hilda Hidalgo tells the story of Violeta, a 72-year-old woman with an enviable appetite for life. After divorcing her husband of more than forty years, Violeta now lives alone in the beautiful home in which she grew up. When she discovers that the bank is threatening to repossess her beloved house, she is determined to hold on to it against her children's wishes, and no matter the cost.

Violeta at Last is, above all, a movie about a woman determined to face the future on her own terms.

Genre: Drama

Actor: Alejandra Portillo, Álvaro Marenco, Arnoldo Ramos, Eugenia Chaverri, Gustavo Sánchez Parra, Ivette Guier, Olger González

Director: Hilda Hidalgo

It shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that the mix of ideas and aesthetics that gave us Her has roots in Japan. Borrowing from the country’s poeticism, attention to detail and just appreciation for beauty; Tony Takitani is Her’s quiet and delicate elder brother-film, and one of the best this genre has to give. After spending a solitary childhood, a Japanese kid with the American name Tony grows up to be a successful technical illustrator. Without the time for the outside world or any luck with it, Tony indulges in his work and by extension his loneliness until he suddenly falls a distinctive young woman. Tony Takitani is a slow film, which quickly becomes a memorable experience due to its profound study of loneliness.

Genre: Drama

Actor: Hidetoshi Nishijima, Issei Ogata, Issey Ogata, Miho Fujima, Rie Miyazawa, Shinohara Takahumi

Director: Jun Ichikawa

Rating: Unrated

Genre: Comedy, Romance

Actor: Ana Abad-Santos, Archie Adamos, Carlo Aquino, Charlie Dizon, Donna Cariaga, Gardo Versoza, Iyah Mina, Jun Jun Quintana

Director: Dwein Ruedas Baltazar

I'm still stuck between calling The Tour 23 a clever marketing trick or a feast for the senses. Contradictions have always nested at the heart of the brand, between beauty and its toxic standards, so it's self-aware of them to highlight that in an audience-facing film. It's undeniable that the VS shows have held spectacle in high regard and cultivated a fanbase that outnumbers the actual consumers, but this film will feel like a treat even if you don't care for luxury wear. Even more, it's perhaps a bit too likable: it's lush without being kitschy, it's woke without the overt politics, it's fun, but not a joke, and most of all, it brings us closer to the visions of creators from around the world who have so much more to give than what they've given Victoria's Secret.

Genre: Documentary

Actor: Adriana Lima, Adut Akech, Adwoa Aboah, Candice Swanepoel, Doja Cat, Emily Ratajkowski, Gigi Hadid, Hailey Bieber, Imaan Hammam, Iris Law, Julia Fox, Lily Aldridge, Naomi Campbell, Sui He, Taylor Hill, Tess McMillan, Valentina Sampaio, Winnie Harlow, Yseult, Ziwe Fumudoh

Director: Cristina Sánchez Salamanca, Korty Eo, Lola Raban-Oliva, Margot Bowman, Umi Ishihara

Straight to the point and without any overly elaborate set-ups or personal anecdotes, Shane Gillis' Beautiful Dogs is a sort of back-to-basics approach to stand-up comedy that proves surprisingly effective. Over the course of about 50 minutes, Gillis' jokes move smoothly and freely—loose in structure but still clearly centering around very American notions of authority and masculinity (revolving around the military and U.S. history), which the comedian is quick to poke holes in. Gillis' humor is definitely of the lowbrow variety though, and while this in itself isn't a bad thing, a number of his jokes begin to repeat their point to no additional effect, usually relying on low-hanging fruit. Gillis skirts and occasionally dips into offensive territory, which he fully acknowledges. And while some of the stuff in this special is a little tasteless, at least Gillis is sheepishly honest about it.

Genre: Comedy, Documentary

Actor: Shane Gillis

Director: John McKeever, McKeever

Genre: Documentary

Actor: Sara Quin, Tegan Quin

Director: Erin Lee Carr

Rating: R

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Family

Actor: Angelina Jolie, Ariana Greenblatt, Betsy Graver, Brooklynn Prince, Bryan Cranston, Chaka Khan, Danny DeVito, Davina Sitaram, Dean Phillippi Sr., Eleanor Matsuura, Hannah Bourne, Helen Mirren, Indira Varma, Jacqueline Ramnarine, Jeremy Oliver, Kevin Mathurin, Kriss Dillon, Max Dowler, Mike White, Owain Arthur, Phillipa Soo, Ramón Rodríguez, Roberto Vivancos, Ron Funches, Sam Rockwell

Director: Thea Sharrock

Rating: PG

In depictions of organized crime, we’re used to the stone-cold crime boss, and the conflicted, unwilling crime lord, but Miss Shampoo presents a new version of the gangster– one that’s fallen head over heels in love. The film plays out in hilarious ways, with the humor expected from writer-director Giddens Ko, and Daniel Hong and Vivian Sung are able to inject some heart into their performances with surprising chemistry. That being said, the film is clearly more interested in mocking organized crime, so the film feels more skewed towards Tai rather than Fen. It’s still really entertaining, though Miss Shampoo had so much more it could have shown, had it focused equally on Fen’s perspective.

Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Romance

Actor: Bai Jing Yi, Bruce He, Chih-ju Lin, Chu Chung-heng, Duan Chun-hao, Duncan Chow, Duncan Lai, Honduras, Hong Yu Hong, Hsia Teng Hung, Hsin-Ling Chung, Kai Ko, Ke-Li Miao, Kent Tsai, Mei-Man Jin, Teng-Hung Hsia, Tsai Chang-Hsien, Tzu-Chien Kuo, Vivian Sung, Wei-min Ying

Director: Giddens Ko

As a story, Knuckle Girl settles for the simplest beats, at times strung together by odd, obligatory choices (for example, a training montage that comes out of nowhere, or the film's abrupt ending). It's not particularly sophisticated as far as thriller narratives go. But taken as a showcase for boxing-centered action, the film really sets itself apart from many countless action movies on streaming. The fist-fights here are brutal and kinetic, shot through lots of dynamic footage and crunchy sound design—making every punch that's thrown feel desperate. And in the lead role, Ayaka Miyoshi makes for a convincing, everyman action star who always seems in over her head but perseveres all the same.

Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller

Actor: Ayaka Miyoshi, Eishin, Goki Maeda, Hideaki Ito, Kanata Hosoda, Kotona Minami, Masaki Miura, Narimi Arimori, Ruka Matsuda, Satoshi Jinbo, Yoshimasa Kondô, Yosuke Kubozuka, Yuichi Yasoda

Director: Chang

As the first original Filipino film on Prime Video, Ten Little Mistresses can often feel stuck as an entertaining pitch for a film rather than a fully fleshed out story. Like many mystery-comedies, this is a movie that relies on its star power and its big twists over any convincing narrative or thematic ideas. But oddly enough, the sooner you accept this, the easier the film goes down. As a loud and proud example of camp comedy, even its most ridiculous and incongruous elements feel like an authentic expression of Filipino humor; it never tries to pander to a Western audience that might be expecting something more familiar to their sensibilities. And with a cast this dedicated to out-chewing the scenery from each other, it's hard not to get swept up in the insanity of it all.

Genre: Comedy, Mystery

Actor: Adrianna So, Agot Isidro, Angie Castrence, Arci Muñoz, Carmi Martin, Cherry Pie Picache, Christian Bables, Dolly Dulu, Donna Cariaga, Eugene Domingo, Iana Bernardez, John Arcilla, Kate Alejandrino, Kris Bernal, Pokwang, Sharlene San Pedro

Director: Jun Robles Lana

Genre: Comedy, Romance, TV Movie

Actor: Benjamin Ayres, Carolyn Scott, David Pinard, David Rosser, Jinny Wong, Lillian Doucet-Roche, Mallory Jansen, Steven Vlahos, Will Kemp

Director: Peter Wellington

Rating: G

As a sluggishly paced, three-hour spiritual drama with little dialogue and even less plot, Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell certainly won't convert anybody who isn't already interested in slow cinema. Even those who don't mind these types of films in which "nothing happens" might feel that it doesn't weave its themes of faith and suffering tightly enough. But there's more than enough beauty to contemplate here, courtesy of Dinh Duy Hung's stunning cinematography, which invites us to simply inhabit the world and to stop looking for answers. This may sound like a copout, but it's quite the experience to have a film force you to rethink how you're viewing it, as you're viewing it.

Genre: Drama

Actor: Chi Nguyen, Le Phong Vu, Nguyen Thi Truc Quynh, Nguyen Thinh, Vu Ngoc Manh

Director: Pham Thien An