First Time's the Charm: 3 directorial debuts you should see in cinemas this long weekend (or after)
There are some great films from first-time directors currently screening at Luna Palace Cinemas that you should check out this long weekend! Here are our recommendations:
1. Past Lives - Dir. Celine Song
One of the best films you’ll see this year is currently screening at Luna, so catch it while you still can!
This is the ultimate “missed connections” movie. Celine Song’s impressive directorial debut follows South Korean childhood friends Nora (Greta Lee) and Hae Sung (Teo Yoo) as they move in and out of each other’s lives, and interrogate the nature of their close relationship over a span of 20 years, where life - a big move overseas, career ambitions, and other romantic interests - seems to get in the way of their unshakable “what if?” reconnection. Past Lives is an emotionally intelligent and quietly affecting exploration of the agency we have over our relationships, and the stories we create for ourselves in order to help us make sense of the powerful but sometimes complicated nature of love.
Watch this movie if:
You are looking for a slow-burn, nuanced romance that will make you reflect on your past (and current) relationships
If you enjoyed movies like: Before Sunset (or the Before Trilogy), The Farewell, In The Mood for Love, Lost In Translation, Columbus
If you are an A24 completionist
2. Scrapper - Dir. Charlott Regan
One of the sweetest movies you’ll see this year, Scrapper is a slice-of-life drama that centres on Georgie, a precocious, resourceful, and tough-as-nails 12-year-old girl who has found a way to live on her own in the suburbs of London after her mother’s death: by stealing bikes and selling them with her best friend. Georgie (Lola Campbell) seems to have it all figured out - until her absent father shows up unannounced, and threatens to mess up her operation. Short, sharp, and boundlessly charming, director Charlotte Regan packs the simple story for her first feature film with a tight script, stylistic flourishes, and delightfully cheeky two-hander performances by Harris Dickinson and Lola Campbell that you can’t help but fall in love with.
Watch this movie if:
You are looking for something to warm your ice-cold heart
You are looking for a movie that you can bring your relatives/parents/grandparents to that you will also enjoy
If you enjoyed movies like: Paddington 2, Little Miss Sunshine, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Moonrise Kingdom
3. Talk To Me - Dir. Danny Phillipou & Michael Phillipou
It’s always a great feeling when you realise you’re watching an Aussie film that you’d happily recommend to people. This is one of those films.
The premise: A demonic artefact in the shape of an embalmed hand that allows people to commune with creepy spirits from “the other side” goes viral, and becomes a sought-after party trick among teenagers in an Australian suburb. It’s all fun and games at first, until, 17-year-old Mia (Sophia Wilde), grieving from her mother’s death, pushes the experience too far, kick-starting a chain of horrifying events that seems impossible to stop.
Talk To Me delivers on all fronts when it comes to modern horror: the expertly cultivated tension, the earned, unflinching moments of gore, and well-defined characters that you can’t help but (hopelessly) root for. It’s also just a lot of fun. Above all, it’s such an assured directorial debut by brothers Danny and Michael Phillipou.
Watch this movie if:
You are looking for a good scare and some cheap thrills
If you enjoyed movies like: Hereditary, It Follows, Smile, Ouija: Origin of Evil, Paddington 2 (okay, just kidding with this one)
You are an A24 completionist
There’s more! While we haven’t had a chance to see them yet, here are two other promising feature films by first-time directors that are also playing at Luna. Check them out and make up your own mind about them:
Theatre Camp - Dir. Molly Gordon and Nick Lieberman
Premise: As the summer holidays roll around, kids gather from all over to attend a scrappy theatre camp in upstate New York that’s a haven for budding performers. After its indomitable founder Joan (Amy Sedaris) falls into a coma, her clueless “crypto-bro” son Troy (Jimmy Tatro) is tasked with keeping the thespian paradise running. With financial ruin looming, Troy must join forces with Amos (Ben Platt), Rebecca-Diane (Molly Gordon), and their band of eccentric teachers to come up with a solution before the curtain rises on opening night.
It Lives Inside - Dir. Bishal Dutta
Premise: An Indian-American teenager struggling with her cultural identity has a falling out with her former best friend and, in the process, unwittingly releases a demonic entity that grows stronger by feeding on her loneliness.
