What’s playing this weekend: July 17-19

It's Friday and that means new movies in theatres. Mr. Hollywood, Matt Demers is here to tell us what we can check out this weekend.

It’s the weekend, which means a whole new batch of films are set for release. If you need help deciding what to check out, movie critic Matt Demers, A.K.A Mr. Hollywood, is here to help.

Demers joined CTV’s Your Morning Ottawa on Friday to speak about three new movies you can catch in theatres or on streaming services this weekend: “The Odyssey,” “Steal Away” and “Descendants Five: Wicked Wonderland.

The Odyssey (Rated R)

Acclaimed director Christopher Nolan takes on a timeless tale in what Mr. Hollywood describes as the “most epic movie this summer.”

“It’s a spectacle in every which way. I really love this. It’s jammed with palpable tension,” he said. “Sweeping adventure, and awe-inspiring scale, just like Christopher Nolan does it, and no one does it like him, and this is maybe his best movie.”

Demers praised the film’s star-studded cast which features the likes of Matt Damon, Tom Holland and Anne Hathaway.

Steal Away (Not rated)

“Steal Away” is a mysterious new drama from Canadian director Clement Virgo, who spoke to CTV’s Your Morning Ottawa on Thursday.

“It’s set in a kind of time that’s not present, it’s not the past. I really wanted to create a genre-bending, unique kind of movie experience, so I’m curious to see what the people think of it,” Virgo said.

Mr. Hollywood said he found the film absorbing and it left him “mesmerized.”

“We’re not really sure where it takes place in time, but man, does it tackle a lot of things, including race, power, desire,” Mr. Hollywood said. “It is transfixing in a lot of ways.”

The film was directed by Virgo, and stars Angourie Rice, Mallori Johnson and Lauren Lee Smith.

Descendants: Wicked Wonderland (G)

Now streaming on Disney+, Mr. Hollywood says this fifth installment in the long-running film series should be a hit with the younger crowds.

“Vibrant, the musical moments hit, which is great, and I find the chemistry between these characters is really charming,” Demers said. “So, a fun one, and I think that that kind of young adult audience will eat it up.”

The film stars Kylie Cantrall, Malia Baker and Liamani Segura. It was directed by Kimmy Gatewood.

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Mr. Hollywood’s top five Christopher Nolan films

To honour the legendary director’s newest film, Mr. Hollywood put together a list of his top Christopher Nolan films.

• Memento (2000) – Prime Video
• Oppenheimer (2023) – Netflix
• Inception (2010) – Crave
• Interstellar (2014) – Netflix
• The Dark Knight (2008) – Crave