Not sure what movie to watch this weekend? Leave a comment, we’ll help
Looking for the best movie to watch at home? We’ll pick one for you
by Pete Volk · PolygonWe love movie recommendations here at Polygon. Whether it’s horror, sci-fi, action, comedy, thrillers, or just the best of the year, we’re always trying to introduce readers to new and exciting movies they’ll love. But now we want to find the perfect movie for you. (That’s you.)
Each Thursday on Polygon we’ll have an open thread dedicated to helping you, our dear readers, find the perfect watch for this weekend. Looking for a sci-fi movie that will make you contemplate the wonders (or horrors) of the world? We’ve got you. Looking to brush up on world cinema? What about some comfort food? We’ve got you there, too.
From 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. EST, I will be in the comments section down below answering your questions and fielding requests for what you should watch this weekend.
A little bit about me, your curator for this week: I’m Pete Volk, our senior curation editor. I love movies of all stripes, but my main areas of interest are action movies (especially martial arts), classic Hollywood comedies (shout out to the GOAT, Ernst Lubitsch), and keeping up with new releases from around the world (I’ve tallied 154 2023 movies watched and 13 from 2024 so far).
Last week, I watched Rounders (a great poker movie but not a great actual movie) and Damsel (I agree with Petrana’s review — the movie’s not very good but the subversion of fairy-tale tropes is interesting). I also caught up on Shōgun (still excellent!) and Dropout’s Game Changer, finished the latest season of Drive to Survive, and watched the first few episodes of The Gentlemen.
Now it’s time to turn it around to you. What would you like to watch this weekend (or what are you planning to watch)? Leave a request in the comments and I’ll get to it between 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. EST. Details help — let me know what you’re looking for, some idea of your taste as a viewer, and any other relevant info you feel like sharing (like the streaming services you have access to).
This is also a great place to share what you’ve been watching, if you want to talk about that with your fellow Polygon readers! Participation is very welcome, even without questions.
Some examples of good queries from last week:
GetTheDook
Have any recs for a anti-fascist satire fantasy film similar to Starship Troopers? I've been struggling to come up with a good one for my friend who recently discovered that she loves the movie, but can't find anything like it. She liked RoboCop, but it didn't hit quite the same, seemingly because of the less epic/more intimate nature of that film.
Personally, I'll be watching more of Metallic Rouge and rewatching Tsai Ming-liang's The Hole, because I'm a freak like that. Are there any lesser known films from Taiwanese cinema you would recommend? Or mainland China/Hong Kong cinema in general. Genre doesn't matter to me, I'm just looking for lesser known directors and/or films that will give me a better idea of the broad and fractured nature of Chinese/Taiwanese cinema. Thanks!
dw_buddah
What are some of the best Hong Kong action movies to start with? I know the fighting in Cowboy Bebop were inspired by them, so I want to explore the inspirations!
And a separate one, what are some animated movies that feel “good for your soul.” That’s what I use to describe Hayao Miyazaki’s films.
Ryan Gantz
What on earth can I watch with both my 15yo and my 10yo that we will all enjoy?
See you in the comments at 3:30 p.m. EST! Fire away your requests in the meantime.