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Why doesn’t Chris Evans make good movies anymore?
Plus: Evans' MCU return, a "Say Nothing" review, and vote for your favorite movies and TV shows of 2024.
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We need to talk about Chris Evans.
It’s been five years since Chris Evans tapped into his villainous side as Ransom Drysdale in “Knives Out,” an endlessly rewatchable Massachusetts-filmed mystery that began streaming on Prime Video earlier this week.
It’s also been five years since Chris Evans has made a good movie.
And that streak remains unbroken
“Red One” also began streaming on Prime Video this week. It’s basically a Marvel-ized holiday movie in which Santa (JK Simmons) is kidnapped, leaving Kris Kringle’s right-hand man (The Rock) and a sarcastic civilian sidekick (Evans) to save Christmas.
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Evans has starred in some of my favorite movies of the last 20 years, including Danny Boyle’s “Sunshine” (available to rent), Edgar Wright’s “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” (streaming on Max), and Bong Joon-Ho’s “Snowpiercer” (streaming on Tubi).
After he put down the Captain America shield for a final time (or maybe not!), Evans seemed poised to tackle passion projects, telling Esquire that he now had “the very, very fortunate luxury of pursuing what I want to do.”
Apparently, what Evans wants to do movie-wise falls into two categories:
Bad movies for streaming services: Whether it’s for Netflix (“The Gray Man”), Apple (“Ghosted”), or Amazon (“Red One”), Evans has starred in movies that range from forgettable to awful. Every one of those movies had a reported budget north of $200 million, which at least means Evans likely pocketed eight-figure salaries for each.
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Cameos that involve at most a day’s work: Evans didn’t have to display much range in cameo appearances as himself in the Massachusetts-filmed “Free Guy,” a fictional movie star in the Massachusetts-filmed “Don’t Look Up,” and the Human Torch in “Deadpool vs. Wolverine.”
In a way, this makes sense: Evans told Entertainment Weekly that his post-’Avengers’ plan was to make fewer movies, saying, “I was so busy doing things, I wasn’t actually living my life.” He’s a homebody who loves spending time with his friends and family in the Boston suburbs, he’s recently married, and he wants kids.
Evans has earned the right to make the movies he wants – even if that includes returning to the MCU again, as was reported earlier this week. But selfishly, I would love to see him take on some meatier roles again.
Play or Skip
Since we’re asking Boston.com readers to share their favorite movies and TV shows of 2024, I also asked some of my Boston.com colleagues to share a TV show they’ve been enjoying recently. They came through in a big way, so no skips this week! PLAY ALL:
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“Agatha All Along” (Disney+): “I love anything with Aubrey Plaza, and I thought she had great chemistry with Kathryn Hahn. I really loved the LGBTQ+ representation in this miniseries, it felt like a breath of fresh air amidst the masculine/het Marvel Cinematic Universe.” — Annie Jonas
“Say Nothing” (Hulu): “Adapted from the novel of the same name by Dorchester native Patrick Radden Keefe, this story about The Troubles, the faces of the IRA, and the civilians surrounded by political violence looks at the human cost and moral complexities of war. “Say Nothing” spans decades, but feels current, and balances an engrossing history lesson with an exciting political thriller.” — Katelyn Umholtz
“Happy’s Place” (Peacock) and “Reba” (Netflix): “Both of these series deliver the mid-00’s nostalgia that we’re all aching for in today’s climate. Reba McEntire’s return to TV is as lovely as ever with “Happy’s Place,” and her original sitcom “Reba” is a perfect companion.” — Jessika Landon
Queue & A
Decades before he became a Dunkin’ spokesman, a 17-year-old Ben Affleck landed one of his earliest paid acting gigs in a commercial for what fast food chain?
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Hint: This fast food chain is also the subject of one of comedian (and Arlington native) Dane Cook’s most famous routines. (Fun fact: He also worked there in high school.)
The first person to send the right answer to [email protected] gets a custom streaming recommendation!
PS: Congrats to reader Peter L. for being the first to send the correct answer to last week’s trivia question about a high school classmate of Chris Evans who blew him away on stage. The answer: “Succession” actor Jeremy Strong.
End Credits
With the release of the Golden Globe nominations earlier this week, awards season has officially kicked off in earnest. I’ll have my own top 10 lists for both TV and film coming next week, but before then, I want to hear from you. Vote for your favorite TV shows and movies of 2024, and your picks will run right alongside mine.
That’s a wrap on the latest edition of The Queue. If you’re a fan, please consider recommending this newsletter to your friends.
Until next time, good stream hunting, everyone!
— Kevin
What was your favorite movie, TV show in 2024?
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