At The Movies: First Cow, Palm Springs, Greyhound, The Old Guard
BY SCOTTIE KNOLLIN
FIRST COW
Kelly Reichardt is a master of slow-burning storytelling. With “First Cow,” she returns to the Pacific Northwest for her most narrative film yet. Starring John Magaro as a 19th century cook traveling with fur trappers to the Oregon Territory, the film was picked up early on by A24 for distribution. It made its debut at the 2019 Telluride Film Festival before screening at the 70th Berlin International Film Festival, where it competed for the Golden Bear. The film earned a limited release in early March prior to the shutdown of cinemas. When released, critics were praising the film for its rewarding results, most notably with its simplicity, beauty, and precision of storytelling.
First Cow is available as a VOD rental or purchase this weekend.
PALM SPRINGS
Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti star in “Palm Springs,” a romantic comedy by Max Barbakow. Set in the titular California town, Samberg and Milioti play two people who experience a chance encounter at a wedding. The following morning, they find themselves unable to escape each other and the venue, stuck in a sort-of time loop. Writer Andy Siara wrote the first draft of his screenplay while studying at the American Film Institute. After the film’s world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, Neon and Hulu acquired the distribution rights to the film for $17.5 million, making the purchase the festival largest ever.
Palm Springs is available to stream on Hulu this weekend.
GREYHOUND
“Greyhound” is based on the 1955 novel, The Good Shepherd, following the early days of the United States’ involvement in World War II. Tom Hanks, Rob Morgan, and Elisabeth Shue star in the war film that was originally set to be released to theaters last month. After being delayed due to the pandemic, Apple TV+ purchased the distribution rights for nearly $70 million. Critics have been mostly positive about the film, especially highlighting its shorter-than-expected runtime and Hanks’ performance.
Greyhound is available to stream on Apple TV+ this weekend.
THE OLD GUARD
Charlize Theron stars in Gina Prince-Blythewood’s superhero film, “The Old Guard,” releasing to Netflix this weekend. The film follows a pack of mercenaries whoa re actually centuries-old immortals. Originally slated to be produced for theaters by Skydance Media, Netflix signed an agreement in March 2019 to finance the film with Skydance for the worldwide rights to stream the film. The movie was shot on location in Morocco and England.
The Old Guard is available to stream on Netflix this weekend.
