Whether you’re planning a date night, a girls night, or even a solo night, movie reviewer Greg Russell has suggestions on some brand new movies you can watch this Valentine’s Day.
First, Russell talked about Judas and the Black Messiah, a new drama starring Daniel Kaluuya and Lakieth Standfield. The true story from 1968 Chicago, follows a man who infiltrates the black panthers and works as an informant.
Daniel Kaluuya said he was “blown away” that he didn’t know anything about this story before now. “I was really taken aback that this kind of world, and this kind of story, and this kind of man had been suppressed in such a visceral way.”
During the filming, the son of the film’s real-life protagonist was on set to help keep the film as authentic to life as possible. Standfield said his presence really helped illustrate and illuminate the events of the story that all really did happen.
Next, Russell got the chance to chat with Robin Wright about her directorial debut in the new film, Land. The story follows a grieving woman, also played by Wright, who goes to the forest to get away from it all. As she struggles in the harsh wilderness, she realizes that people are bound to help one another during difficult times.
Wright said that nature was as much a character in this film as she was. “We were living the movie we were shooting,” she said. “It’s a reminder of human kindness, resilience, and a newfound sense of hope when you feel you’ve lost it all.”
Russell ended on a lighter note, reviewing Kevin James’ new Netflix comedy The Crew. The story follows James as a NASCAR crew chief who has to deal with his boss’s daughter becoming his new boss.
James said he was excited to get working on this workplace comedy, saying that he learned a lot about the world of competitive racing while filming. Other cast members talked about the teamwork that was happening behind the scenes, saying that “everybody wanted to make this as great of a series as possible.”
To see Russell’s full reviews and more, watch the video above.