2018 Nominee Watch – June 8th

This week brings ​us three films that could all be considered thrillers in their own right. Hereditary opens as the horror entry with Hotel Artemis joining from the action category. The biggest opening of the weekend will likely be Ocean's 8, the spin-off to the original Ocean's Trilogy and fill the heist genre for the weekend.

I have also added a list of films opening in limited release to this week's post with links to the trailer in the title and a very brief summary of what I see in the film.

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Hereditary
I haven't seen as much about this film as the other two releases this weekend​ but after recently watching the trailer I've included here, my heart is racing. Toni Collette (The Sixth Sense) stars as a mother and miniature artist coming to grips with the death of her own mother. 

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If the trailer is any indication, this film will terrorize you in your sleep for some time to come with grisly images and plenty of jump scares. I doubt it will terrorize the Oscars next year as this seems pretty standard fair for the horror genre, which rarely makes an impact with the Academy.​

Hotel Artemis
The trailers for Hotel Artemis have been showing up on television for a few weeks and each time I see one I am increasingly intrigued. With a cast mixing all-stars like Jodie Foster (Silence of the Lambs) and Jeff Goldblum (Jurassic Park) with rising stars like Sterling K. Brown (This Is Us), Sofia Boutella (Atomic Blonde) and Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy), first time director Drew Pearce couldn't have asked for a better ensemble.

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Where I fear this film might veer off the rails a bit is the basic premise. The title hotel is a hospital for criminals in a near future, post-apocalyptic Los Angeles. Run on trust and rules, all hell breaks loose when Goldblum's Wolf King shows up to reclaim property stolen by one of the patients. Sure to provide plenty of twists and turns, witty banter, and of course action, Hotel Artemis likely won't get any Oscar buzz, though Foster is always a wildcard and looks to shine in this role, her first appearance in front of the camera in five years.

Ocean's 8
​I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to this film for a long time. As a huge fan of the original Ocean's 11, I was excited when this spin-off was announced and even more excited by the cast as it was announced. As with Hotel Artemis, Ocean's 8 lands with several established leads, accompanied by rising stars.

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The film follows Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock), sister to George Clooney's Danny Ocean from the original three films, as she puts together a crew of thieves to steal millions of dollars in diamonds during the Met Gala in New York City.

With the departure from the old Ocean's crew, this film also introduces a new director to the mix. I have been a huge fan of Soderbergh's directing in the original Ocean's 11 and Ocean's Thirteen and am a bit worried that we won't get the same style here. However, at the same time, these are different characters and I look forward to seeing a different side of the story.

While there will undoubtedly be cameos from some of the original 11, (Matt Damon and Carl Reiner are confirmed cameos as of this writing) I believe that Bullock along with Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Mindy Kaling, and the rest of her crew will carry this film and show that these women can do anything the men can...and with fewer players to boot!

I looked back to see how the other three films fared with the Academy and none of them garnered any Oscar nominations. I see that trend continuing here, thought this is sure to be a fun film.

Limited Releases
2036 Origin Unknown – 2001: A Space Odyssey crossed with The Martian...on a budget.
211 – Nicholas Cage as a soon to be retired police officer with a young teen caught in the crossfire during a bank robbery.
Araby – A young boy explores the story of a factory worker through a notebook.
Believer – Korean action crime film directed by Lee Hae-young.
Guilty Men – Neo-western Columbian film submitted for Best Foreign Language Film last year.
Half the Picture – Documentary exploring women filmmakers.
Hearts Beat Loud – Heartwarming story of a father and daughter connecting over a shared love a making music.
Nancy – Psychological thriller about a woman trying to reconnect with her long lost parents.
On The Seventh Day – A portrait of migrant workers and the struggle between family and friends.
The Quest of Alain Ducasse – Documentary about chef Alain Ducasse travelling the world to taste some of the best food around.
The Valley – The story of a man trying to come to grips with the suicide death of his teenage daughter.
Westwood: Punk, Icon, Activist – Documentary about fashion designer and activist Vivienne Westwood.
Won’t You Be My Neighbor? – Documentary focusing on Fred Rogers, creator and host of the famous PBS television show Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. Strong Oscar Contender for Best Documentary Feature.
The Workers Cup – Documentary relating the story of a soccer tournament organized for the workers building World Cup facilities for the 2022 World Cup Final in Qatar.
Zoo – The story of a young boy and his efforts to save a young elephant from the zoo in WWII Ireland.