An Oscar Winner Speaks Up As Our Pick of the Week

Plus 6 more new releases to watch at home this week on UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD!
Women Talking

Streaming might be the future, but physical media is still the present. It’s also awesome, depending on the title, the label, and the release, so each week we take a look at the new Blu-rays and DVDs making their way into the world. Welcome to this week in Home Video for March 14th, 2023! This week’s home video selection includes Sarah Polley’s Oscar-winning Women Talking, an Argento classic in 4K, and more. Check out our picks below.


Pick of the Week

Women Talking

What is it? A group of women in an isolated religious community meet to decide their response to a tragic truth.

Why see it? I’ll fully admit to a possible bias on this one as I watched Sarah Polley’s latest with my infant daughter asleep on my lap, but this captivating look at women coming together to protect their own is supremely affecting. An adaptation of a novel, it unfolds like a play as the women gather in a barn while the men are away to discuss how they’re going to react to realizations of widespread abuse within their community — stay, fight, or leave. Varied perspectives combat each other as they discuss what brought them to this point and where they’re going next, and it’s a heartbreaking journey towards empowerment. There’s humor and wisdom, and above all there’s humanity given life by Polley’s script/direction and the performances of Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley, Judith Ivey, Frances McDormand, Ben Whishaw, and more.

[Extras: None]


The Best

Fear

What is it? A good girl meets a bad boy, and William Petersen ain’t happy about it.

Why see it? We won’t be pretending that James Foley’s film isn’t more than some trashy 90s thrills, but what gloriously entertaining thrills they are! Mark Wahlberg plays himself, an aggressive wacko posing as a sweetheart, and woos an unsuspecting Reese Witherspoon into her first teen romance. Only her dad (the always terrific Petersen) sees him for the predator he is. A heavy rotation of 90s music fills the air, there’s an iconic fingerblast scene atop a rollercoaster, and Alyssa Milano continues her run of films reminding viewers that she’s all grown up. It’s a solid thriller, but we also get an interesting commentary on the ways we fail our kids through guarded expectations.

[Extras: None]

Leonor Will Never Die

What is it? A retired screenwriter finds herself in an unfinished action script.

Why see it? Charm goes a long way when it comes to filmmaking, and this Filipino gem is the epitome of that statement. The film follows Leonor, an older woman whose youth was spent writing scripts for low budget action movies. An accident leaves her in a coma where she finds herself living her final, unfinished script, complete with action set-pieces, villains, and more. It’s more than a little rough around the edges at times, but it’s also a sweetly creative nod to the importance and power of storytelling. Movies are life, and this passionately creative little comedy is bursting with it.

[Extras: Commentary, featurettes, short film]

Phenomena [4K UHD, Synapse Films]

What is it? A young girl with some buggy friends faces off against a killer.

Why see it? It’s safe to say that Dario Argento’s best film is Deep Red, but if pressed I’d happily admit that Phenomena is my favorite. It’s a big, sprawling horror film delivering faux giallo thrills packaged alongside heavy metal, a hero who controls bugs, a razor-wielding chimpanzee, Donald Pleasence, a deformed killer, bitchy teens, remote European locations, and more. It’s a wild concoction that finds horror, thrills, and bonkers beats while also tossing in gore, maggots, chase scenes, and a sedate Jennifer Connelly. The new 4K looks fantastic as it finds richness in the dark shadows while popping with color and detail. All three cuts of the film are included here in 4K, so if you didn’t already pick up the limited edition this is a must own.

[Extras: Three versions in 4K, commentaries, documentary, featurette]


The Rest

Alice, Darling

What is it? A young woman finds herself in an intervention.

Why see it? Anna Kendrick is primarily known for bubbly, brainy, comedic performances in similarly lightweight films, but here she steps up to the plate for something far more serious. She plays Alice, a young woman in an abusive relationship who heads off for a girls weekend only to discover they’ve actually planned an intervention for her. The film hits the right notes on the topic and finds some minorly harrowing beats, and while there’s not much meat on the bone it works due mostly to the strength of the performances. It’s ultimately as much a story about the importance of friendship as it is a cautionary tale about abuse.

[Extras: Featurette]

The Fan

What is it? An obsessed fan with nothing to lose stalks a baseball player.

Why see it? Sometimes all the ingredients are there but the dish still stinks. So it goes with this thrill-less thriller that’s too busy being ugly and loud that it forgets to entertain. Tony Scott directs but mistakes noise and bombast for character, narrative, atmosphere, mood, and so on. Robert De Niro is the wacko, but it feels too often like a poor man’s riff on Michael Douglas in the vastly superior Falling Down. Wesley Snipes is the pro athlete, and while he’s solid he’s also pretty straightforward. IT’s just a misfire top to bottom.

[Extras: None]

The Whale

What is it? An obese man attempts to reconnect with his young daughter.

Why see it? There are two big names associated with this film — director Darren Aronofsky and actor Brendan Fraser. It’s perhaps telling that the only one being talked about is Fraser as his performance is both eye-catching and affecting. More than that, it’s a comeback of sorts for an actor who was once a blockbuster leading man, and all of that led to enormous acclaim and his recent Best Actor win for the film. No one’s talking about Aronofsky, though, because the film itself isn’t really all that great. Fraser is strong, and the film’s focus on empathy and compassion is evident, but it’s a cruel, arduous journey towards an ending that chooses a fantastical out. At nearly two hours it’s far from an easy watch, but depending on what you get our of it, it might just be a necessary one.

[Extras: Featurettes]


Also out this week:

All Eyes Off Me, The Apology, A Bag of Marbles, The Core [4K UHD], Flamingo Road [Warner Archive], Glorious, Last Hurrah for Chivalry [Criterion Collection], A Man Called Otto, Nazi Spy [Warner Archive], Neptune’s Daughter [Warner Archive], The Prince and the Showgirl [Warner Archive], The Prince of Egypt [4K UHD], Streets of Fire [4K UHD]

Rob Hunter: Rob Hunter has been writing for Film School Rejects since before you were born, which is weird seeing as he's so damn young. He's our Chief Film Critic and Associate Editor and lists 'Broadcast News' as his favorite film of all time. Feel free to say hi if you see him on Twitter @FakeRobHunter.