Big Eyes

Big Eyes has built a devoted audience in Australia on Hoopla, and in the US on fuboTV and Philo among viewers who want their drama to earn its emotional beats. A tight runtime that never overstays its welcome. 3,627 people have weighed in on TMDB, and the verdict leans heavily positive. Amy Adams's performance alone is worth the time investment. Start it on Hoopla whenever you need something guaranteed to land.

Whatever else is competing for your attention this week, Big Eyes is worth clearing space for. Character-driven storytelling at its most effective — Big Eyes earns every emotional beat it goes for. In the late 1950s and early '60s, artist Walter Keane achieves unbelievable fame and success with portraits of saucer-eyed waifs. However, no one realizes that his wife, Margaret, is the real painter behind the brush. Although Margaret is horrified to learn that Walter is passing off her work as his own, she is too meek to protest too loudly. Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 2014. The performances in Big Eyes do a lot of work in the silences between the dialogue. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

Big Eyes is what you recommend to people who say they do not really watch much. It stands on its own even without an obvious comparison point. Best experienced as a single, sustained watch from start to finish. Amy Adams carries the material with a performance that rewards close attention. Worth starting sooner rather than later.