- Speaking of unwanted superhero reboots, Cop Car, the movie that got director Jon Watts the rather unenviable gig of helming the next Spider-Man series, is out today in limited release. It’s a sharp-edged, ruthless little B-movie, with some clever storytelling, a grizzled Kevin Bacon turn, and a brief but unforgettable appearance by the great Shea Whigham. Read more about it in this month’s indie guide.
- Also starting a limited run today is the excellent documentary Call Me Lucky, in which comic-turned-filmmaker Bobcat Goldthwait (World’s Greatest Dad, God Bless America) tries his hand at non-fiction, profiling groundbreaking Boston stand-up Barry Crimmins. Goldthwait—who’s also proven himself this week to be a sensible guy in general—is just as adept a documentarian as a fiction storyteller, and he admirably showcases a comic whose name you probably don’t know, but should. More here.
- And finally, the week’s best new release is the astonishing Diary of a Teenage Girl, the story of a young cartoonist’s sexual awakening in San Francisco, circa 1976. Keenly observed performances by Bel Powley, Alexander Skarsgård, and Kristen Wiig, Marielle Heller’s astute writing and direction (she adapted Phoebe Gloeckner’s graphic novel) and a view of female teenage sexuality that’s seldom seen in movies big or small make this one of the most impressive and important pictures of the year.