Six To See week 44 (Dec 23-31)

I already gave you a look back at the best films and series of 2023, but there is also one last Six To See of this year with six new releases from this last week of 2023.

1. The Color Purple: the new musical coming-of-age period drama film directed by Blitz Bazawule from a screenplay by Marcus Gardley, based on the stage musical of the same name, which in turn is based on the 1982 novel of the same name by Alice Walker. It is the second film adaptation of the novel, following the 1985 film directed by Steven Spielberg. He returned to produce this version with Quincy Jones, along with the stage musical’s producers Scott Sanders and Oprah Winfrey, the latter of whom also starred in the 1985 film as Sofia. The film stars Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, Colman Domingo, Corey Hawkins, H.E.R., Halle Bailey, Phylicia Pearl Mpasi, and Fantasia Barrino in her film debut. Fantasia Barrino and Danielle Brooks both reprise their roles from productions of the stage musical. The film tells the story of the life-long struggles of an African American woman living in the south during the early 1900s. The Color Purple was released in theatres on Christmas Day on December 25.

2. The Boys in the Boat: a new biographical sports drama film co-produced and directed by George Clooney from a screenplay by Mark L. Smith, based on the 2013 book of the same name by Daniel James Brown. The film stars Callum Turner and Joel Edgerton. The film follows the University of Washington crew that represented the United States in the Men’s eight at the 1936 Summer Olympic games in Berlin, including the coaches, boatbuilder George Pocock, and the working class student athletes involved, especially rower Joe Rantz, who was effectively abandoned by his family and left to fend for himself at a young age. The Boys in the Boat was released in theatres in the US on Christmas Day on December 25, in the UK it will be released in theatres on January 12, 2024.

3. The Iron Claw: a new biographical sports film based on the life of professional wrestler Kevin Von Erich and the Von Erich family. It was written and directed by Sean Durkin. The film stars Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, Maura Tierney, Holt McCallany and Lily James. It follows the Von Erich family, a dynasty of wrestlers from the 1960s onwards that had enormous success, and popularized the iron claw professional wrestling hold. However, they not only had to battle inside the ring, but fight the ‘Von Erich curse’ outside of it. The film was released in theatres in the US on December 22. It’s releasing in other countries later. I’ll be seeing the film when it premieres at the Film festival in Ostend at the end of January 2024.

4. Ferrari: a biographical drama sports thriller film directed by Michael Mann and written by Troy Kennedy Martin about Enzo Ferrari, the Italian founder of the car manufacturer Ferrari. It is based on the 1991 biography Enzo Ferrari: The Man and the Machine by motorsport journalist Brock Yates. It stars Adam Driver in the lead role as Enzo Ferrari alongside Penelope Cruz, Shailene Woodley, Gabriel Leone, Sarah Gardon, Jack O’Connell and Patrick Dempsey. The film was selected to compete for the Golden Lion at the Venice International Film Festival, where it premiered on August 31, and it was released in theatres on Christmas Day on December 25.

5. What If? Season 2: the second season of the animated anthology series created by A. C. Bradley based on the Marvel Comics series of the same name. It explores alternate timelines in the multiverse that show what would happen if major moments from the MCU films occurred differently. Jeffrey Wright is back as the Watcher, who narrates the series, alongside many MCU film actors reprising their roles. The second season premiered on December 22 with its nine episodes releasing daily until December 30. So that means they are all out now on Disney+. We got to see some characters back from season 1 and we even got a whole new superhero. The episodes are really well made and I look forward to see even more of them which we will because there is a third season coming.

6. Berlin: the new spin-off series of La Casa De Papel aka Money Heist. It’s created by Álex Pina and Esther Martínez Lobato and serves as a prequel to Money Heist, focusing on the life of Andrés de Fonollosa, aka Berlin, before the events of seasons 1 and 2 of the original series. We follow Berlin while at his prime, as he prepares one of his most extraordinary heists in his career as a robber: stealing €44 million in jewels as if it was an illusionism act. It stars Pedro Alonso, Michelle Jenner, Tristán Ulloa, Begoña Vargas, and Julio Peña Fernández. While the name of the series is Berlin, it’s primarily set in Paris. The series premiered on Netflix on December 29.