Two very different takes on similar material (a guy living in NYC has to go back to his parents house when his mom gets sick).
The Hollars…A very generic script gets immediate life with the terrific performance of Margo Martindale as the dying mother. She almost single-handedly elevates the material (which is hampered by every scene involving Sharlto Copeley’s oddly out of place custody drama, estranged wife, and Josh Groban’s creepy youth minister). In a perfect world she’d be nominated for Best Supporting Actress. Grade: B-
Other People…A very different take on the same story that is a lot less comfortable than “The Hollars” although some viewers may miss that cozier touch. It’s not every story about a dying parent that features graphic gay sex or a kid performing a strip tease. But Jesse Plemons is terrific in his first lead movie role. Grade: B