Like dentists and their Trident, we at Flavorpill want to bring you authoritative recommendations, but a consensus of opinion tends to allude us. In this new Friday feature, we will spotlight the week’s most worthy new movie release with four reasons why you should see it… and one why you shouldn’t. This week’s inaugural selection: The Hurt Locker, which opens today in New York and L.A.
See it! 1. It’s an Iraq war movie penned by former embedded journalist Mark Boal and directed by war movie devotee Kathryn Bigelow.
2. In addition to star Jeremy Renner as a bomb diffuser, Ralph Fiennes, Guy Pearce and others with Genuine Acting Credentials (patent pending) make cameos.
3. A.O. Scott liked the movie enough to threaten violence in his review for the New York Times: “If The Hurt Locker is not the best action movie of the summer, I’ll blow up my car.”
4. It’s currently hovering at 96% on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.
…Or don’t: 5. Maybe you don’t feel up to watching a disturbing, violent war movie this weekend. In which case: What about Whatever Works?
View the trailer below.