It’s official: the SAG-AFTRA strike is over after 118 days!
Since July, actors across the world have been unable to work on or promote any and all film and television whilst the SAG-AFTRA Union have been negotiating with the AMPTP (the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers) for better terms for actors, including fairer pay and image protection in the age of AI.
Though important, and obviously worthwhile with the new terms now agreed upon, it means a number of films and television series released over the past few months went under the radar without the usual stream of interviews, red carpets, buzzfeed puppy videos and Instagram posts from actors to advertise them.
Thankfully, we’re film nerds who keep up – so here are our best recommendations from a great 118 days of film and television.
Joy Ride
Dir. Adele Lim
A hilarious, uplifting celebration of female friendship, led by a quartet with brilliant chemistry, Joy Ride deserved more on all fronts, and would have definitely benefited from the actors doing press together and being allowed to show the fun time it definitely looks like they had while filming. Adele Lim’s salacious comedy sees four unlikely friends join together for one wild trip to their home country in a search for identity; leading to as many hilarious moments as there are poignant.
Where to watch: now available for digital & physical purchase
Gran Turismo
Dir. Neill Blomkamp
This was the definitive surprise film of the year that, sadly without actors promoting it, was publically seen as just another video game film cash in. But, in a shock twist that reminded us not to judge a book by its cover, the Gran Turismo film was actually a tense and emotive story with performances that elevated it to the max. Relative newcomer Archie Madekwe is captivating and lively in the lead as real gamer to racer Jann Marnenborough, and David Harbour gives his best film performance yet as his coach in this true story of the GT Academy, a program that offered the best players of the Gran Turismo video game across the world an opportunity to earn a real-life professional racing career with Nissan.
We just really would’ve liked to have seen Harbour and Madekwe play with some puppies.
Where to watch: now available for digital & physical purchase
Dumb Money
Dir. Craig Gillespie
With potentially the most expedited event to book to film adaptation in history; Craig Gillespie’s GameStop scandal spectacle was good, decent fun with a huge acclaimed cast that would have been riding a high doing press together. The “How Much Do You Really Know About Stocks?” interviews and such would’ve been a nice fun touch to promote a fun, mostly overlooked, movie with a very entertaining line up of talent.
Where to watch: home release not yet confirmed
Theater Camp
Dir. Nick Lieberman & Molly Gordon
Indisputably the indie comedy of the summer, Theater Camp follows the events of a (you guessed it) theater camp in America as the students and teachers alike struggle through their first year without their founder. It is theatrical eccentricity at it’s finest, with, as with many of these films, a large cast of actors who each colour the story in their own unique way. Due to her starring role in this brilliant mockumentary, Molly Gordon was unable to publicly celebrate her directorial debut, a feat she achieved here alongside Nick Lieberman in the feature length adaptation of their short film of the same name from 2020, and we can confidently say she deserves to be celebrated now whenever home purchase is available.
Read our full review of Theater Camp here
Where to watch: home release not yet confirmed
Killers of the Flower Moon
Dir. Martin Scorsese
We’re including this for Lily Gladstone and Lily Gladstone only, because even though she was sharing a screen with cinema greats Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert DeNiro, she gave by far the best performance in Scorsese’s latest epic that she deserved to acknowledge and celebrate.
Today she released a poignant and compassionate statement on Twitter wherein she demonstrated that she is as gracious as she is tenacious – and her performance as Mollie Burkhart matches.
Where to watch: in UK cinemas now
No One Will Save You
Dir.
A film that’s quietly released on streaming ordinarily has little chance at huge success, but without promotion from it’s actor’s all the more so – and No One Will Save You only has one actor. Kaitlyn Dever is the star of this inventive home-invasion sci-fi horror that features almost zero dialogue, and she’s fantastic enough as the sole character for us to recommend this film even if we don’t believe it fully stuck the landing.
Where to watch: Stream on Disney+
Bottoms
Dir. Emma Seligman
Ayo Edebiri was one of the unlucky few with a monumental summer of multiple projects that she couldn’t discuss, including the riotous queer comedy Bottoms, Emma Seligman’s long-awaited follow-up to Shiva Baby. The entire cast is hilarious in this campy, almost-farcical teen movie that follows two friends who form an all-female fight club at their high school in the attempt to seduce the classmates they’re crushing on. It is wild, and should definitely be watched with friends and/ or as packed a cinema screen as you can find.
Where to watch: in UK cinemas now
TELEVISION
Only Murders in the Building
Season 3
Selena Gomez made headlines mid way through the strike by posting behind the scenes content from the third season of her hit show, and therefore violating strike rules. Only Murders has always featured a wildly prestigious cast of guest stars, but trumped itself in it’s third season with the likes of Paul Rudd and even the great Meryl Streep (!) taking recurring roles. Imagine booking the greatest actor of all time on your show, and not being able to even post about it on your Insta stories! Season three is the most whimsical the show has been yet, and worth a watch for the musical numbers alone.
Where to watch: Stream on Disney+
The Fall of the House of Usher
Mike Flanagan’s latest Netflix series inspired by various Edgar Allen Poe works was first and foremost, an impressive ensemble cast of great talents. A loyal collaborator, many actors from previous Flanagan projects return to the screen here alongside new entries to the so called ‘Flanaverse’ that range from newer faces like Kyliegh Curran, to screen legends like Mary McDonnell and Mark Hamill. The star of the show here however, is Carla Gugino, who potentially gives her best onscreen work yet.
In this strike news, we are particularly happy for Kate Siegel, who has happily documented the steady deterioration of her sanity the longer the lack of work went on via some erratic and entertaining videos on her social media.
Where to watch: Stream on Netflix
If the build up to Barbie taught us anything this year, it’s the value of a well executed press tour. We’re overjoyed that the longest strike in SAG-AFTRA history has come to a well deserved conclusion, and bettered many of the working conditions for actors of all levels of success for the future to come.
Give any films listed above you missed a watch, and enjoy the influx of behind the scenes content from your favourite actors as they now can finally discuss their work once more!
Full details of the SAG-AFTRA agreement can be found via their website and social media.
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