What to watch May 31, 2024: Movie awards contenders

Matthew Jacobs
·3 min read
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This is a slow weekend in an already slow summer movie season, so it’s the perfect time to catch up with spring’s best horror release and a handful of new indies that are debuting on digital platforms. 

The contender to watch this week: “The First Omen“

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At a time when many franchises are slowly cratering, “The First Omen” has turned out to be one of 2024’s biggest surprises. Arkasha Stevenson‘s handsome and terrifying prequel depicts the events right before Demian, the OG Antichrist, came around. If that sounds unnecessary, it is — and yet the film’s quality absolutely justifies its existence. “The First Omen” is still playing in a smattering of theaters, having grossed $53.7 worldwide, but now it’s available for $19.99 on VOD. 

Other contenders:

  • “Gasoline Rainbow”: Mubi is having a major year, with two buzzy Cannes titles — “The Substance” and “The Girl with the Needle” — premiering on the back of this coming-of-age festival hit. “Gasoline Rainbow,” directed by the Ross brothers (“Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets”), follows five high school graduates on a wild road trip. It opened in select theaters earlier this month, and it’s available on Mubi and VOD. 

  • “What You Wish For”: The latest Hitchcockian thriller from “The Perfect Host” director Nicholas Tomnay has played horror festivals around the world, and now it’s opening in theaters and bowing on VOD simultaneously. Nick Stahl (“Let the Right One In”) stars as a troubled chef who flees to Latin America and steals another guy’s identity. 

  • “Jim Henson Idea Man”: Ron Howard made a lovable look at the man behind the Muppets and “Fraggle Rock,” which premiered at Cannes and bows on Disney+. 

  • “The Young Wife”: Kiersey Clemons headlines Tayarisha Poe‘s stylish sophomore feature, playing a bride-to-be who’s on the receiving end of her wedding guests’ smothering advice. It’s sort of an anti-rom-com, and it has a stacked supporting cast that includes Sheryl Lee Ralph, Judith Light, Michaela Watkins, Kelly Marie Tran, Leon Bridges, and Aya Cash. 

  • “Hidden Master: The Legacy of George Platt Lynes”: He was best known for his fashion photography, but George Platt Lynes also made an art out of shooting nude men. His life gets the documentary treatment it deserves thanks to director Sam Shahid. Check it out on VOD. 

  • “Poolman”: Chris Pine‘s ill-fated directorial debut, in which he portrays an eccentric community advocate in Los Angeles, opened to minimal fanfare earlier this month. Now it’s on VOD, so you can see what the non-fuss is all about. 

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