Malcolm & Marie

A director and his girlfriend come home from a premiere and argue until dawn. That is the whole film: two actors, one location, one uninterrupted fight. How it was made is as notable as what it is. It was shot in secret during the early pandemic, between 17 June and 2 July 2020, at the Caterpillar House in Carmel-by-the-Sea. No more than twelve people were allowed on set at once, and the cast and crew quarantined before, during and after. Sam Levinson shot it on black-and-white 35 mm. Zendaya and John David Washington star and both produced alongside Kid Cudi. Netflix bought it for 30 million dollars in September 2020, outbidding HBO and Amazon. Reviews split. The performances drew praise while Levinson's script, particularly its score-settling with critics, drew a lot of fire. The twelve-year age gap between the leads became its own argument, which Zendaya waved off by pointing out she is an adult capable of making her own choices. Who it is for: people who enjoy watching two actors go the distance. Who it is not for: viewers who need plot, or who have no patience for very long arguments.