Movies

Michelle Monaghan Watch: First Trailers for Patriots Day and Sleepless

By  · Published on October 7th, 2016

Our first look at two new movies starring one of our favorite actors.

Michelle Monaghan isn’t in enough movies, or maybe it just seems that way because too often she’s saddled with less than stellar roles. It’s a shame as she’s proven herself as being capable of both seriously good acting (Gone Baby Gone, Trucker) and terrific comic delivery (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang), and she even infused the under-appreciated Mission: Impossible III with some unexpected heart and charm in a small role. Good and bad movies alike often benefit from her presence (although not even she could save the abomination that is Pixels.)

You could say we’re Monafans. Okay, maybe don’t say that. The point is we’re supporters of her talents and always happy to see her attached to new projects. The first trailers have dropped for her two latest films, both due in theaters early next year, and while they couldn’t be more different only one looks to take advantage of her acting chops.

First up is the less exciting of the two for us Monaghan fans as she looks to be relegated to the thankless role of “Mark Wahlberg’s worried wife.”

Patriots Day recounts the events surrounding the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing with a focus on the police department from Commissioner Ed Davis (John Goodman) to beat cop Tommy Saunders (Wahlberg). The film follows the story through the city-wide manhunt for the two brothers responsible, but this first trailer is focused mostly on serious faces and flags.

The probable waste of Monaghan aside, the film is most likely going to be a engaging-enough drama thanks to a solid cast and director Peter Berg. He doesn’t get much respect, but the man makes perfectly entertaining movies and has two flat-out fantastic action films to his name with The Rundown and The Kingdom.

This will be the third collaboration between Berg and Wahlberg (no relation) after 2013’s Lone Survivor and the just-released Deepwater Horizon. All three films are based on true events, but if we’re lucky their next pairing will be a long-overdue sequel to The Rundown.

Patriots Day opens January 13th.

Monaghan returns to theaters six weeks later in what appears to be a far meatier (albeit still supporting) role as an Internal Affairs detective investigating a dirty cop.

Jamie Foxx plays the corrupt cop who crosses the wrong people resulting in his son being abducted. He’s after the crooks, but IA is after him and his equally sullied partner.

The film is a remake of the 2011 French hit, Sleepless Night, and is the English debut of Swiss director Baran bo Odar. Most American audiences will be unfamiliar with him, but if you get the chance you should really check out his film The Silence. It’s a dark, methodical thriller that belongs in the same conversation as films like Memories of Murder and Zodiac.

His latest looks far more action-heavy, but said action looks pretty slick as far as the trailer goes. If it sticks to the original then most of the film and action occurs inside a sprawling club as Foxx works his way towards big bad Scoot McNairy. It looks like Monaghan gets a taste of the action too with that briefly glimpsed headbutt.

Sleepless opens February 24th.

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Rob Hunter has been writing for Film School Rejects since before you were born, which is weird seeing as he's so damn young. He's our Chief Film Critic and Associate Editor and lists 'Broadcast News' as his favorite film of all time. Feel free to say hi if you see him on Twitter @FakeRobHunter.