Bad Genius ✏️ / The Nice Guys 👨🏼 / Miss Congeniality 👑
Happy Friday! Sorry for the late newsletter. I decided to escape the New York heat by going to the desert. I wish I was joking.
Today’s recommendation is for three of my favorite crime comedies that range from tense to downright silly.
In movie news: The Oscars announced the rules for next year’s ceremony, including a ten nominee Best Picture field, updated Original Score rules, and an extension of the streaming-first eligibility — movies don’t need to be released theaters to be considered.
Have a great July 4th weekend!
Bad Genius ✏️
Lynn (Chutimon Chuengcharoensukying), a genius high school student who makes money by helping others cheat on tests, comes up with a larger scheme to cheat on the international SAT exam by taking it first in Sydney, Australia. Here’s the trailer.
Why you should watch it: Bad Genius looks, feels, and is even plotted like the most exciting heist movies — think Steven Soderbergh’s Ocean’s 11 or Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver — but it’s about test-taking. The sheer audacity it has to tackle such a benign subject with such white-knuckling tension is reason enough to watch it. It’s lean, mean, fun, funny, dynamic and one of the best heist movies in years. 130 mins.
The Nice Guys 👨🏼
A down-on-his-luck private eye Holland March (Ryan Gosling) is hired to investigate the apparent suicide of a fading porn star in 1970s Los Angeles. Along the way, he crosses paths with muscle-for-hire Jackson Healy (Russell Crowe). Together, they uncover a deeper conspiracy that takes them through the LA criminal underbelly. Here’s the trailer.
Why you should watch it: Director and writer Shane Black has a very specific sense of humor. It’s sharp, a little bit dark, a little bit silly, but it always catches you off guard. The “odd couple” banter between Gosling’s March and Crowe’s Healy is already reason enough to watch The Nice Guys. However, the slapstick comedy, ridiculous plot, and Gosling’s hilarious ability to scream and fall make it a good time from beginning to end. 116 mins.
Miss Congeniality 👑
After uncovering a threat to attack the Miss America pageant, the FBI sends their only female agent Gracie Hart undercover as Miss New Jersey to find the culprit. The only problem: she’s a little rough around the edges. Here’s the trailer.
Why you should watch it: Listen. Miss Congeniality is an artifact of its time, but much of it holds up. Sandra Bullock wasn’t the star she is today, but the persona was there. The iconic line readings, slapstick physical comedy, and April 25th — the perfect date. Every single moment feels iconic. And that’s all wrapped up in an actually compelling crime comedy. The perfect comfort watch. 111 mins.
📽 P.S. You can see every movie I’ve ever recommended right here.
🍅 I’m also a Tomatometer-approved critic on Rotten Tomatoes! You can find new movie reviews here and here.