2019 Nominee Watch – June 28th

We are winding down the month of June with just one wide release this weekend, but also see several big names in some of the limited releases.

And while I haven't included it here, Avengers: Endgame gets some bonus footage this weekend in preparation for the release of Spider-Man: Far From Home next week.

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Yesterday
I feel like someone should have thought of this film long before now, though now feels like the right time in our history to actually make it. Yesterday explores the question of what would happen if one man woke up and was the only person on earth to remember The Beatles? He knows all their hit songs and immediately rises to stardom on the backs of the boys from Liverpool that no one has ever heard of.

I'm glad this is arriving right now, nearly 60 years after the band began their historic rise in the 1960s. There music remains timeless and is the perfect vehicle for a film like this. Even if you don't know all the words, the tunes will be instantly recognizable by audiences around the world and this is a perfect time to introduce a new generation to this classic music.

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I don't feel like there is a ton here in terms of Oscar potential, even with the backing of people involved with films like Slumdog Millionaire. There will surely be a lesson about not leaving behind your friends when you find sudden success, but Oscar buzz will be minimal. And while great, the songs unfortunately don't qualify for Best Original Song because...well, they're not original, except in the world of the film itself.

Limited Releases

• Chulas Fronteras – Remastered version of the 1979 film about the lives and music at the Texas-Mexico border.
• DNA – A young couple joins a clinical trial that experimenting with third party DNA into their baby.
• Drive – Indian action drama in the vein of The Fast and the Furious.
• Euphoria – Alicia Vikander (Tomb Raider) and Eva Green (Sin City: A Dame to Kill For) star as two women visiting a remote retreat to try and deal with the demons of their past.
• Killers Anonymous – Jessica Alba (Sin City) and Gary Oldman (Darkest Hour) star in this action film about an assassination gone wrong that leads to joining support group for killers.
• The Last Whistle – Former LSU head football coach Les Miles lends his name to this story about a high school football coach who must face the consequences of one of his players dying on the practice field.
• Maiden – Documentary look at an all female crew that enters the Whitbread round the world sailing race.
• Ophelia – Daisy Ridley (Star Wars) stars in a film that looks at Hamlet from a different perspective.
• The Other Side of Heaven 2: Fire of Faith – The Groberg family returns to the island nation of Tonga in this sequel to the 2001 film.
• The Other Story – Two girls in Jerusalem struggle to deal with the men they have chosen.
• The Plagiarists – A young couple seeks help from an odd man when their car breaks down in a remote area.
• The Queen – Re-release of the 1968 documentary looking at the drag queen culture.
• The Refuge - A getaway driver finds himself in harm's way when he gets caught up in a job involving casino heist money.
• Three Peaks – A man tries to gain the love of his girlfriend and he young son.
• Chicken Girls: The Movie – A new principle tries to ban singing and dancing at her school. (June 29th)
• Midnight Family – This documentary follows a family-run ambulance service in Mexico City.  (June 29th)
• Pink Wall - A love story told over many years through six distinct moments in the relationship. (July 1st)