Fans of director Stephen Soderbergh are in for a treat! On February 10th, HBO Max released Kimi, the seventh of his directorial features since 2017. How does this technology-themed thriller rank with the recent filmography of this prolific filmmaker? Find out below in a breakdown of Soderbergh’s last five years.
Ranked best to worst, based on signature Steven Soderbergh appeal:
A crime thriller with style and substance, Soderbergh’s distinct touch looks dark and gorgeous on the Ed Solomon screenplay No Sudden Move. Solomon is known for his work on fun films like Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure and Men in Black, but his newest script is solemn yet entertaining in its dim portrayal of 1950s Detroit. Slow and powerful with a beautiful gangster-themed period look throughout, No Sudden Move is the one recent Soderbergh not to miss.
This unique drama for Soderbergh follows André Holland in an understated performance above the average sports drama. Heavy with professional basketball jargon and tangled corporate interworkings, High Flying Bird effectively portrays its subject with true-to-life personal and professional complexities.
Rife with skewed-angle shots and isolating paranoia, the timely modernity of Kimi was the perfect choice for Soderbergh’s talents. The contrasting color palettes of shadowy yellow lighting and bright futuristic luster highlight Soderbergh’s naturalistic and artsy sides, with the added benefit of a screenplay that is entirely a product of its time. Appropriately referencing the pandemic, data privacy, and issues with overly-powerful tech CEOs, Kimi has a twinge of sci-fi realism amid its classic thriller elements.
Unsane is the same kind of thriller as Kimi, following a woman whose reasonable anxieties lead her to a frustrating predicament. Claire Foy’s character, imprisoned in a hellish psychiatric ward, endures a nightmare too exploitative for some tastes, though no one can deny that the film is well-made on every level.
This simply-constructed work, filmed on the RMS Queen Mary 2, used a small crew and a zero-dollar budget. If viewers can handle conversational films with improvised dialogue, Let Them All Talk has maximal rewards with minimal means.
The most instantly likable of Soderbergh’s recent run of films is also one of the more forgettable. Thankfully, that doesn’t stop it from being a momentarily entertaining viewing experience. Logan Lucky has the high peaks that heist movie lovers crave, with enough ridiculousness to elevate its inability to reach beyond the confines of the genre.
Though it certainly has the bright stamp of Soderbergh’s vision, this star-studded depiction of the Panama Papers scandal falls well below the other films on this list. The Laundromat is proof that having all the pieces for a good movie pasted together does not necessarily add up to something.
All of these feature films are available on top streaming services.