Opening This Week: Seberg, The Invisible Man, Fantastic Fungi, The Assistant, All the Bright Places

BY SCOTTIE KNOLLIN

SEBERG
Director Benedict Andrews (Una) breathes life into the story of actress Jean Seberg. Starring Kristen Stewart as the actress targeted by the FBI’s surveillance program, COINTELPRO, Seberg is a thriller that showcases Stewart’s acting chops and the depth of Seberg’s trauma.

Stewart leads a cast that also includes Jack O’Connell, Anthony Mackie (as Hakim Jamal, whose relationship with Seberg was the reason for the FBI’s surveillance), Margaret Qualley, and Zazie Beetz.

Seberg held its world premiere at the 2019 Venice Film Festival. Amazon Studios acquired the U.S. distribution rights before it premiered and is releasing it in various theaters around the country before bringing it to its streaming platform.

Critics have been mixed on Seberg’s success, with some calling the film’s pace frustrating and the treatment of Seberg’s story superficial. Stewart’s performance earns the most praise. Stephanie Zacharek listed the performance as one of 2019’s best in Time.

Now screening in Fargo.

THE INVISIBLE MAN
H.G. Wells wrote The Invisible Man over a century ago, spawning a hit film in the 1930s that introduced state-of-the-art special effects. Now, in 2020, the story of an invisible stalker gets a reboot. Elisabeth Moss stars in the horror film and earns Hereditary-Toni-Collette-level praise.

This new reboot has been in the works since 2007, expected to be part of the revival of Universal’s cinematic universe. Johnny Depp was originally set to star, but the failure of 2017’s The Mummy put a pause on The Invisible Man. Production resumed in 2019, with a different cast, and it looks like the time between initial production and the film’s release worked in its favor.

Oliver Jackson-Cohen stars as a wealthy scientist at the helm of a controlling relationship with Cecilia Kass (Moss). After Cecilia escapes, her abuser commits suicide…or, does he? Moss shines as the victimized Cecilia, who is branded as crazy until her attacker and his secret, hidden identity come out.

With its release, Universal and the film’s director, Leigh Whannell, have confirmed it is no longer part of any cinematic universe.

Critics have offered major kudos to the film, highlighting Moss’s smart acting and the film’s overall success at offering scares. A separate film/spin-off, The Invisible Woman, is already in the works, with Elizabeth Banks set to direct and star.

Now screening in Fargo, Bismarck, Minot, and Grand Forks.

FANTASTIC FUNGI
Documentary filmmaker Louie Schwartzberg takes viewers on an incredible journey beneath the surface of the earth. Fantastic Fungi is a beautifully shot film that combines breathtaking visuals with incredible conversations with renowned scientists and mycologists.

Critics have praised the film’s ability to shine a light on the beauty of nature. In the Chicago Reader, Leah Pickett siad, “Chances are you’ll never look at a mushroom the same way again.”

Now screening in Fargo.

THE ASSISTANT
Julia Garner and Matthew Macfayden star in Kitty Green’s The Assistant. The drama dives into the horrors of a young female graduate who enters into a professional environment full of bad behaviors.

Serving as a sort-of commentary on the #MeToo movement, even down to taking place in a shady film production office, The Assistant studies its subject with fine detail, giving a voice to women who have been victim to sexually predatory behavior.

The Assistant premiered at the 2019 Telluride Film Festival, where Bleecker Street acquired the rights to the distribution. Critics have given the film mostly-positive reviews, especially noting Garner’s performance as a “powerhouse.”

Now screening in Bismarck.

ALL THE BRIGHT PLACES
Based on the bestselling novel of the same name, All the Bright Places checks many of the boxes of most YA books-to-film adaptations.

Elle Fanning and Theodore Finch star as two teenagers who cross paths in the midst of their own battles with emotional unrest. The story is a refreshing take on an oft-covered topic in young adult literature and the film tries to pay those same tropes with respect.

Filmed in Ohio, the Netflix Original has earned mixed reviews. Fanning is great, as always, but the film fails to rise above the same things audiences have seen before, especially in terms of the recent spat of YA film adaptations.

Now streaming on Netflix.

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