From Love at First Sight to My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3, Should You Add These To Your Watchlist?
From the statistically probability of love at first sight to a big, fat family reunion in Greece, the writers of Pop Culture Planet can’t get enough of these new movies.
Cassandro
If you like heartfelt dramas with a dose of excitement then Cassandro is the movie for you. The film is based on the true story of Saúl Armendáriz, a Mexican American exótico, or luchador performer in drag, called Cassandro, who wrestles across the world while being openly gay.
Gael García Bernal wonderfully captures the flamboyantly innocent persona of Armendáriz while also being extremely entertaining in the ring, leaving viewers captivated. Armendáriz is an outsider, not just because he’s gay, but because he’s trying to do what other exóticos don’t do… win. He uses his speed, small statue, and sexual charm to entertain the crowd and gain support. Along with the struggles of being openly gay as a Luchador, viewers see Saúl’s battle with his sexual orientation outside the ring.
This isn’t your typical action-packed wrestling movie, it truly is a spectacle. While the film does include various setbacks and scenes of adversity, it never fully lands its climax. Despite this, Gael García Bernal’s acting more than makes up for it, showcasing the rise to stardom of one of the biggest groundbreaking wrestlers in Lucha Libre culture. The cast also includes the likes of international superstar Bad Bunny, Raúl Garcia, Roberta Colindrez, Joaquín Cosío, and Mexican professional wrestler El Hijo del Santo.
Cassandro is playing in select theaters and will release on Prime Video on September 22.
- Sam Wong-Schultz
Love at First Sight
Based on the book The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith, Love at First Sight follows Hadley (Haley Lu RIchardson) and Oliver (Ben Hardy) who fall in love on their flight from New York to London. They lose each other at customs and the possibility of ever seeing each other again seems improbable, but fate has other plans.
This rom-com is a big win for Netflix, with Richardson and Hardy elevating the material and delivering truly charming and authentic performances. Jameela Jamil is a fun addition as their airport guardian angel keeping their connection on track. Sweet, wholesome, full of stats, and a dash of Shakespearean quirk, Love at First Sight is a surprising delight.
Love at First Sight is streaming on Netflix.
- Kristen Maldonado
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3
Expanding upon the two previous franchise films, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 follows the Portokalos family on a reunion trip to Greece. In an effort to return her late father’s journal to his childhood friends, Toula (Nia Vardalos) finds herself attempting to connect to her heritage in a small village full of love and community.
The film is a continuous celebration of Greek culture and family, capitalizing on the connection and community aspect of the family’s heritage. The gorgeous setting of Greece will have you wanting to plan your next mediterranean vacation — that blue water cannot be beat! While the storyline was heartwarming, many of the plot points and side characters felt like an afterthought. The film also lacked the laugh out loud moments that the previous movies in the series based their success on. If you’re a big fan of the original films, it is worth a watch, but it doesn’t add anything new, exciting, or original to the franchise.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 is playing in theaters.
- Jordan Bohan
