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This weekend on HBO Max, subterranean creatures and spies aren’t the scariest things the streamer has to offer — it’s a movie about applying for a job. Ahhhhh!
Don’t worry, the movie in question — the aptly titled Get a Job — is far more entertaining than scrolling through LinkedIn.
The other two movies Watch With Us is recommending — Elevation and Reality — are pretty decent as well.
If you’ve already seen Weapons and have binged through Wednesday season 2, these movies are just the ticket for quality entertainment.
‘Elevation’ (2024)
Did you know that Anthony Mackie starred in one of the most entertaining action movies of the last 12 months? No, I’m not talking about Captain America: Brave New World, I’m talking about Elevation, a film you probably haven’t heard of.
In Elevation, most of humankind has been killed by the Reapers, underground creatures who can’t venture into areas 8,000 feet above sea level. That’s where Earth’s survivors live, including Will (Mackie) and his son Hunter (Danny Boyd Jr), who suffers from a rare lung disease. When his son’s oxygen tank runs low, Will must venture to where the Reapers roam to save his life. But will Will’s quest bring more than just salvation for his son? Will might have discovered the secret to killing the Reapers, but he’ll have to survive long enough to tell the others first.
Elevation is a low-budget sci-fi film with a great premise and a decent enough execution. The film’s visuals are striking, with the beautiful mountain scenery contrasting nicely with the dystopian future its few human characters struggle to live in. Mackie is a solid action hero who doesn’t take himself too seriously, even when the stakes are high and the danger is very real. At 92 minutes, Elevation is brisk and doesn’t overstay its welcome; if it were any longer, you might be poking holes in its paper-thin story.
Elevation is streaming on HBO Max.
‘Get a Job’ (2016)
For Will Davis (Miles Teller), the end of college means he has to do one thing — get a job. That’s easier said than done, as Will, his housemates and friends and his dad Roger (Bryan Cranston) all struggle to land the job of their dreams — or any job at all. As Will navigates the ups and downs of menial jobs and unemployment, he struggles to maintain the optimism that made him so attractive to his girlfriend, Jillian (Anna Kendrick). Can Will keep the love of his life even if his job prospects leave a lot to be desired?
For a movie that made only $23,910 at the box office, Get a Job has a stacked cast that would make it a streaming hit in 2025. Along with Teller, Kendrick and Cranston, the film features Succession’s Nicholas Braun, John Cho, Marc Maron, Alison Brie and Oscar winner Marcia Gay Harden. They all get their moments to shine in a comedy that awkwardly straddles the lines between realism and fantasy. It’s not always successful; the ending is a bit of a cop-out, and it may anger those who are on the job hunt. But it’s a satisfactory comedy that gives some talented actors roles that let their comedic talents shine.
Get a Job is streaming on HBO Max.
‘Reality’ (2023)
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve been hearing a lot about Sydney Sweeney lately. The Euphoria actress unwittingly sparked a controversy with her American Eagle jeans ad, which has invited commentary from just about everyone, including President Donald Trump. What people should be talking about is just how good Sweeney is in the recent HBO movie Reality.
She stars as real-life whistleblower Reality Winner (yes, that’s her real name), a translator for the government who is questioned by two FBI agents about her possible role in a security breach that leaked sensitive information about Russia’s influence in the 2016 presidential elections. Reality claims she’s innocent, but as she’s grilled by the FBI, an uncomfortable truth comes to light, one that may put Reality in jail and threaten the future of American elections.
Based on the actual transcript between Reality and the two FBI agents who questioned her in 2017, Reality is a surprisingly thrilling and tense drama that never sacrifices fact for dramatic license. Everything that happens in the movie happened in real life, which makes Reality’s revelations all the more disturbing. Sweeney is terrific as poker-faced Reality, who withers under pressure and her own desire to brag about her beliefs. It makes you wish the actress would take on more roles like this one and leave the rage-baiting commercials behind.
Reality is streaming on HBO Max.
