Review: "The Laundromat" is an Entertaining Mishmash of Ideas

Scene from The Laundromat (2019)

When Adam McKay released The Big Short four years ago, it was considered one of the most groundbreaking films of the year. How was it that the man behind such broad comedies as Step Brothers could produce a film this dense (let alone entertaining) about such a complicated story? It's a technique that has to lead him to explore other areas of economics and politics with the Dick Cheney film Vice, but most of all it felt like a taunt to other ambitious filmmakers to try and take on the headiest of subjects and make a film that not only informs but entertains. Considering that he went on to win an Oscar off of The Big Short, it was a proposition that was hard to deny and makes sense why Netflix decided to accept the latest project from Steven Soderbergh.

It would be an understatement to call Soderbergh an ambitious filmmaker. For 30 years now, he has tested his own capabilities in bringing a narrative to life. Why this is his second film with Netflix for 2019 following High Flying Bird: a feature-length film shot entirely on an iPhone. The Laundromat sets out to explore the Panama Papers and offshore banking scandals that are just as exciting as anything in The Big Short. While it's true that both of these are different films with different culprits, it feels more than usual like Soderbergh isn't blazing his own trail, but instead following a trend and not doing a great job of keeping up. Is the film entertaining? Sure. Will you learn something? Most likely. However, it's a bit of a pill at times and gets too lost in its own style.

Soderbergh Enters the Oscar Race with "The Laundromat" (2019) Trailer

Scene from The Laundromat (2019)

It's looking more and more like Roma was only the tee-off for what Netflix wanted to do in an Oscar campaign. With the recent announcement of 10 theatrical releases, the streaming service is clearly wanting to be taken seriously with films like The Irishman and Marriage Story lobbying for attention. The latest to join the conversation is director Steven Soderbergh's The Laundromat, which has among other things Oscar-winning talent in Gary Oldman (The Darkest Hour) and Meryl Streep (Sophie's Choice). It's been one of the few exciting films that have yet to make their mark on the season with a trailer, and now that there is one, it's time to start getting excited about Soderbergh and the Oscars again. Boy, how it's been a while.

Netflix Announces a Bold Theatrical Release Schedule for 10 Films

Scene from The Irishman (2019)

This past week has been an exceptional time to be a streaming service. If you managed to manage to make it through the weekend without seeing an ad for Disney+'s The Mandalorian, you're one of few. Even Netflix has gotten their fair share of news, announcing a Breaking Bad movie called El Camino and, in more important Oscar news, a lot of information about what to expect this Fall season. Yes, there are the obvious suspects with The Irishman and Marriage Story leading potential races, but more importantly, they have announced their own release strategy, their biggest single season of theatrical programming yet. With an announcement of 10 theatrical releases, it looks like the streaming service is starting to make their transition to conventional Oscar player, which could make this one of the most exciting seasons yet.