Avatar: The Way of Water
Set more than a decade after the events of the first film, Avatar: The Way of Water begins to tell the story of the Sully family (Jake, Neytiri, and their kids), the trouble that follows them, the lengths they go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay alive, and the tragedies they endure.
RATED PG-13 FOR SEQUENCES OF STRONG VIOLENCE AND INTENSE ACTION, PARTIAL NUDITY, AND SOME STRONG LANGUAGE.
“Avatar: The Way Of Water not only delivers upon everything its predecessor established, but advances them in ways gleaming and ocean-deep, through the eyes and heart of a cinematic storyteller with a passionate and well-documented love of the sea.” – Tomris Laffly, AV Club
“James Cameron has surfaced with a cosmic marine epic that only he could make: eccentric, soulful, joyous, dark and very, very blue. Yes, he’s still leagues ahead of the pack.” – Nick de Semlyen, Empire
“Like the first movie, the technical wizardry won me over and (again, having just rewatched the first movie) the story is deeper and richer.” – Mike Ryan, Uproxx
John Wick: Chapter 4
John Wick (Keanu Reeves) uncovers a path to defeating The High Table. But before he can earn his freedom, Wick must face off against a new enemy with powerful alliances across the globe and forces that turn old friends into foes.
RATED R FOR PERVASIVE STRONG VIOLENCE AND SOME LANGUAGE.
“So if this is it for John Wick, Chapter 4, improbably, goes out as easily the best of the series and a contender for one of the best pure action movies in recent history if not ever made. It’s so good I really kind of hope they end on this. I truly don’t think it can be topped.” – Mike Ryan, Uproxx
“John Wick: Chapter 4’s incredibly staged set pieces, engaging ensemble, and stylish production design coalesce into a modern action masterclass.” – Tom Jorgensen, IGN
“John Wick: Chapter 4 is the return to the greatness we associate with the franchise, particularly after the misstep that is Chapter 3. It is easily my favorite movie of 2023 so far and begs for repeat viewings.” – Alan Ng, Film Threat
Renfield
In this modern monster tale of Dracula’s loyal servant, Renfield (Nicholas Hoult) is the tortured aide to history’s most narcissistic boss, Dracula (Nicolas Cage). Renfield is forced to procure his master’s prey and do his every bidding, no matter how debased. But now, after centuries of servitude, Renfield is ready to see if there’s a life outside the shadow of The Prince of Darkness. If only he can figure out how to end his codependency.
RATED R FOR BLOODY VIOLENCE, SOME GORE, LANGUAGE THROUGHOUT, AND SOME DRUG USE.
“Renfield knows exactly what it wants to achieve and does so effectively, anchored by its lead performances and some very enjoyable super-violent action sequences which earn its R rating honestly.” – Liz Shannon Miller, Consequence
“Though Nicholas Hoult is charming as he struggles to find inner strength, Renfield lives or dies by Nic Cage camping it up. And he delivers.” – Jordan Hoffman, AV Club
“Director McKay seems to understand that special balance between terror and camp, and it’s that which makes Renfield, which premiered this week at the Overlook Film Festival, such a delight to watch.” – Maggie Boccella, Collider
Evil Dead Rise
A twisted tale of two estranged sisters whose reunion is cut short by the rise of flesh-possessing demons, thrusting them into a primal battle for survival as they face the most nightmarish version of family imaginable.
RATED R FOR STRONG BLOODY HORROR VIOLENCE AND GORE, AND SOME LANGUAGE.
“You won’t catch a more satisfying horror film this year. Seek it out.” – Lou Thomas, NME
“Evil Dead Rise‘s scares and gore are so effective, and its cast so committed to the story, that it’s easy to be completely enthralled by Cronin’s movie.” – Marco Vito Oddo, Collider
“Evil Dead Rise is a movie made by sickos for sickos. It’s a fantastic update to the iconic franchise, a movie that upholds the manic glee of Sam Raimi’s original 1980s Evil Dead films while bringing in a taste for the disgusting and upsetting from Fede Álvarez’s 2013 remake.” – Rafael Motamayor, Polygon
The Handmaid’s Tale: Season 5
This season, June faces consequences for her past actions, Serena attempts to raise her profile in Toronto, Commander Lawrence works with Aunt Lydia to reform Gilead, and June, Luke and Moira fight Gilead and continue their mission to save Hannah.
RATED TV-MA. CONTAINS VIOLENCE, STRONG LANGUAGE, SEXUAL CONTENT, NUDITY, AND SMOKING.
“The Handmaid’s Tale no longer comes across as spinning its wheels as the fifth outing offers flickers of hope as June—and the story—moves forward.” – Emma Fraser, The Playlist
“…lots of heavy-hitting drama, and emotional scenes. Some of the biggest events of this season lead to some pretty uncomfortable viewing, but viewers who stick with it will be rewarded with some huge moments that will have repercussions for the final season.” – Abby Cavenaugh, Collider
“Handmaid’s is in a new, fascinating era, one that’s at its best when it’s unbounded from current events…. The show, in its fifth season, excels when it treats its situations as symbolic and its characters as real.” – Daniel D’Addario, Variety
Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant
After an ambush, Afghan interpreter Ahmed (Dar Salim) goes to Herculean lengths to save US Army Sergeant John Kinley’s (Jake Gyllenhaal) life. When Kinley learns that Ahmed and his family were not given safe passage to America as promised, he must repay his debt by returning to the war zone to retrieve them before the Taliban hunts them down first.
RATED R FOR VIOLENCE, LANGUAGE THROUGHOUT, AND BRIEF DRUG CONTENT.
“The Covenant is so self-assured in its noble filmmaking values and beliefs. It makes a knowing nod between two men— and the heroically punishing sacrifices they risked for one another— one of the most moving moments on screen this year.” – Rodrigo Perez, The Playlist
“In The Covenant, Guy Ritchie tells a story of two men, but he’s really giving this war that never succeeded a kind of closure. He uses the power of movies to coax out the heart that fueled our actions, and that made our loss so hard to bear.” – Owen Gleiberman, Variety
“It’s almost as if Ritchie wants to make sure we know he directed this, because it doesn’t seem like ‘a Guy Ritchie film.’ Duly noted, and kudos to the veteran filmmaker for delivering a skillfully made and gripping tale about the hell of modern war and the universal nature of sacrifice, commitment and heroism.” – Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times
The Pope’s Exorcist
Inspired by the actual files of Father Gabriele Amorth (Russell Crowe), Chief Exorcist of the Vatican, The Pope’s Exorcist follows Amorth as he investigates a young boy’s terrifying possession and ends up uncovering a centuries-old conspiracy the Vatican has desperately tried to keep hidden.
RATED R FOR VIOLENT CONTENT, LANGUAGE, SEXUAL REFERENCES, AND SOME NUDITY.
“Avery drives the film at a pace as caffeinated as Amorth himself, and manages to incorporate legitimate scares into a plot halfway between Indiana Jones and a Dan Brown potboiler, with camp touches worthy of Ken Russell.” – Elisabeth Vincentelli, New York Times
“In a world of blockbuster franchises and micro-budget horror – where movies above a certain budget seem to justify their own expense by adopting a detached irony – The Pope’s Exorcist is the kind of goofball sincerity so many of us hunger for. It’s not going to work for everyone, but if you are the kind of viewer who ends up on its wavelength – by god, what a ride.” – Matthew Monagle, Austin Chronicle
“The Pope’s Exorcist will certainly never go down as a classic of the genre, but it’s better than it has any reason to be. Sometimes, the devil you know gets the job done just fine.” – Chris Vognar, Rolling Stone
Polite Society
A merry mash up of sisterly affection, parental disappointment and bold action, Polite Society follows martial artist-in-training Ria Khan who believes she must save her older sister Lena from her impending marriage. After enlisting the help of her friends, Ria attempts to pull off the most ambitious of all wedding heists in the name of independence and sisterhood.
RATED PG-13 FOR STRONG LANGUAGE, VIOLENCE, SEXUAL MATERIAL, AND SOME PARTIAL NUDITY.
“Bursting with playful energy, set to a killer soundtrack, and dripping with personality, Polite Society is a winning, ultra-charming tale of sisterly love.” – Ben Pearson, /Film
“It’s a delight that borrows from everything — westerns, musicals, heist capers, horror, Jane Austen and James Bond — to build its writer and director, Nida Manzoor, into a promising new thing: a first-time filmmaker impatient to evolve cultural representation from the last few years of self-conscious vitamins into crowd-pleasing candy.” – Amy Nicholson, New York Times
“Polite Society turns the idea of high-schoolers fighting the patriarchy into a pulpy, irresistible heist movie replete with visual wit, impressive martial arts, gripping social horror, and undiluted female rage.” – Poulomi Das, The Playlist
LINK FOR LIBRARY COPY COMING SOON.
Last Film Show
Samay, a 9-year-old boy living with his family in a remote village in India discovers films for the first time and is absolutely mesmerized. Against his father’s wishes, he returns to the cinema day after day to watch more films, and even befriends the projectionist, who, in exchange for his lunch box, lets him watch movies for free. He quickly figures out that stories become light, light becomes films, and films become dreams. Samay and his wild gang of friends move heaven and earth to catch and project light to achieve a 35mm film projection. But little do they know that soon they’ll be forced to make heartbreaking choices as an era is approaching to annihilate everything they love about their 35mm dreams.
NOT RATED. CONTAINS MILD LANGUAGE AND THEMATIC ELEMENTS.
“Bursting with life.” – Sheri Linden, Hollywood Reporter
“Cannily mixes the nostalgic celebration of movies like Giuseppe Tornatore’s Cinema Paradiso with the feel-good underdog trope of innumerable films best highlighted by Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire.” – Namrata Joshi, Screen Daily
“Last Film Show is as visually intoxicating (the glimpses of vibrantly colored films, the sight of meals simmering in herbs so gorgeous that you’ll swear you’ll smell the aroma) as it is thematically rich.” – Richard Whittaker, Austin Chronicle
Perfect Addiction
MMA trainer Sienna thinks that she and champion boyfriend Jax are the perfect team. That is, until the day she discovers him cheating on her with her own sister. Bent on revenge, Sienna starts training the one man capable of dethroning Jax: his arch-nemesis Kayden. What begins as payback quickly turns into something much more heated as boundaries are blurred and workouts get steamy. Based on the wildly popular Wattpad webnovel by Claudia Tan with over 86 million reads.
“[A] romantic knockout… Perfect Addiction will keep you entertained from start to finish, and I highly recommend it.” – Jasmine, Fangirlish
“Some might look down on this surprisingly fun sports romance because it was adapted from a racy, self-published Wattpad story. But Perfect Addiction actually holds its own against more ‘traditional’ romantic films — and in some ways surpasses them…” – Monique Jones, Common Sense Media
House of Darkness
Driving home to her secluded estate after meeting at a local bar, a player (Justin Long) out to score thinks his beautiful, mysterious date (Kate Bosworth) will be another casual hook-up. While getting acquainted, their flirtation turns playful, sexy and sinister. Hoping to get lucky, his luck may have just run out.
RATED R FOR SOME BLOODY VIOLENCE / GORE, SEXUAL MATERIAL, AND LANGUAGE THROUGHOUT.
“Few can write this kind of acid-dripping parlor drama with as much bite as LaBute.” – Richard Whittaker, Austin Chronicle
“LaBute rewards patient viewers with two amazing lead performances, crackling dialogue, and genuine suspense. While the film might be flawed, it is imminently watchable.” – Bobby LePire, Film Threat
“With his latest film, House of Darkness, LaBute tries something similar to The Wicker Man. And while the results may not be nearly as outlandish this time around, they do make for an intriguing and occasionally quite witty battle of the sexes, in which not all of the bloodshed is strictly metaphorical.” – Peter Sobczynski, RogerEbert.com
The Man From Toronto
A case of mistaken identity arises after a screw-up sales consultant and the world’s deadliest assassin – known only as The Man from Toronto – run into each other at a holiday rental.
RATED PG-13 FOR VIOLENCE THROUGHOUT, SOME STRONG LANGUAGE, AND SUGGESTIVE MATERIAL.
“Kevin Hart and Woody Harrelson have solid goofball vs. grump chemistry in an entertaining action-comedy.” – Tara Bennett, IGN
“Excellent chemistry by Kevin Hart and Woody Harrelson makes for a fun film…” – Kevin Carr, Fat Guys at the Movies
“As a 110-minute diversion, as a source of some laughs, as an opportunity for two funny guys to be funny — and to be funny with each other — what’s not to like?” – Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle
Maika: The Girl From Another Galaxy
After losing his mother to illness and his best friend to an unexpected move, a young boy discovers a crashed spaceship and makes a new friend with awesome powers (although she does need a little help with her earthly social skills). Together, they embark on a zany, fun-filled adventure while taking on the bad guys and helping Maika find her way home.
RATED PG FOR VIOLENCE, RUDE HUMOR, THEMATIC ELEMENTS, LANGUAGE, AND BRIEF SMOKING.
“This charming, heartfelt film taps into the complicated emotional issues that come with grief, especially childhood grief…” – Monique Jones, Common Sense Media
“As is often the case, I was most taken with the distinctively different approach and cultural perspective brought to a warm-hearted story for children. On that basis alone, it’s easy to recommend.” – Peter Martin, ScreenAnarchy
“Maika: The Girl from Another Galaxy is an adorable and fun children’s film that is also entertaining for adults. It boasts good performances and a story that has enough twists and action to keep even the most active of audiences glued to their screen.” – Emilie Black, Cinema Crazed
Mafia Mamma
While seeing to her long estranged (and now deceased) grandfather’s affairs in Italy, a mild mannered suburban mom (Toni Collette) unexpectedly inherits his mafia empire and finds herself stuck in the middle of a deadly mob war. Guided by the firm’s trusted consigliere (Monica Bellucci), she hilariously defies everyone’s expectations, including her own, as the new head of the family business.
RATED R FOR BLOODY VIOLENCE, SEXUAL CONTENT, AND LANGUAGE.
“Mafia Mamma is a one-joke movie, but it finds ways to keep that one joke funny for 100 minutes.” – Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle
“This high-concept romp demands an over-the-top and facile narrative, and some of the bits are a bit hackneyed, but Mafia Mamma is much more wacky, funny and violent than the too-tame trailers would have you believe. Collette goes for broke in her performance and Hardwicke juggles the tone, style and genre play with ease.” – Katie Walsh, Chicago Tribune
“A fun fish-out-of-water farce with Godfather DNA and a clever female-empowerment kick, Mafia Mamma makes inspired use of Collette, who’s never better than when playing women we oughtn’t to have underestimated.” – Peter Debruge, Variety
Skinamarink
Two children wake up in the middle of the night to find their father is missing, and all the windows and doors in their home have vanished.
NOT RATED. CONTAINS FRIGHTENING & DISTURBING CONTENT, AND VIOLENT IMAGES.
“Ingeniously evoking a child’s response to the inexplicable, Skinamarink sways on the border between dreaming and wakefulness, a movie as difficult to penetrate as it is to forget.” – Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times
“We have a long way to go in 2023, but Skinamarink is already a top contender for the year’s most frightening film.” – Matthew Jackson, AV Club
“It builds a mood that reminded me of being a child awakened in the middle of the night and venturing out into a darkened house, only able to see vague shadows and shapes, while the mind plays tricks and forms the outlines of dark, potentially malicious figures in a corner or at the end of a hallway… no other movie has ever recreated that childlike sense of fear in me before or managed to have me begin to question what I had just seen, and even if the experience of watching it wasn’t beginning to make me go a little bit crazy.” – Sean Farrell, AFPL Journal
Brother’s Keeper
Yusuf and his best friend Memo are pupils at a boarding school for Kurdish boys, secluded in the mountains of Eastern Anatolia. When Memo falls mysteriously ill, Yusuf is forced to struggle through the bureaucratic obstacles put up by the school’s repressive authorities to try to help his friend. But by the time the adults in charge finally understand the seriousness of Memo’s condition and try to get him to the hospital, the school has been buried under a sudden, heavy snowfall. With no way out and now desperate to reach help, teachers and pupils engage in a blame game where grudges, feelings of guilt and hidden secrets emerge, as time ticks mercilessly on and threatens to run out.
NOT RATED. CONTAINS MILD VIOLENCE, SOME LANGUAGE, AND SMOKING.
“A tour de force of anguish and desperation.” – Emiliano Basile, EscribiendoCine
“Uncovers the senselessness behind authoritarian disciplinary measures and their consequences for the most vulnerable.” – Eulàlia Iglesias, Fotogramas
“The film’s increasingly layered portrait of a system designed to turn boys into ‘strong’ men lays bare all the ways it fails those children and the men they become. In a word, it’s stunning.” – Dan Bayer, Next Best Picture
Sam & Kate
Bill (Dustin Hoffman) is the larger-than-life father to Sam (Jake Hoffman), who has returned home to take care of his ailing dad. While home, Sam falls for a local woman, Kate (Schuyler Fisk). And at the same time, Bill starts to fall for her mom, Tina (Sissy Spacek). But finding love is complicated and for these four, it is no different. They all must confront their past in order to make their new love work for the future.
RATED R FOR SOME DRUG USE AND LANGUAGE.
“Sam & Kate doesn’t try to elicit big emotional responses, but that’s exactly why it gets them.” – Richard Whittaker, Austin Chronicle
“As you’d expect from generations of Hollywood royalty, it’s beautifully acted throughout.” – Jayne Nelson, Radio Times
“While the Hollywood legends don’t disappoint, it’s their children who steal the spotlight. Being able to hold your own in—let alone carry—a movie alongside those heavyweights is no easy feat, but it’s especially impressive considering Schuyler and Jake are not household names.” – Emily Bernard, Collider
A Taste of Hunger
A power couple within the Danish gourmet scene run the popular restaurant Malus in Copenhagen. The couple is willing to sacrifice everything to achieve their dream — getting the coveted Michelin star.
NOT RATED. CONTAINS LANGUAGE, SEXUAL MATERIAL, AND MILD VIOLENCE.
“The film is truly a feast for the eyes and ears.” – Ferdosa Abdi, Screen Rant
“Coster-Waldau and Greis-Rosenthal have a fierce chemistry and passion that coats every conversation they have with one another, whether it comes from a place of love or, later, of disdain. They push each other to their limits in nearly every scene, upping the ante with each glance and loaded word.” – Lex Briscuso, Paste
“Greis-Rosenthal delivers a fantastic and fierce performance as Maggie, and it’s impossible to take your eyes off of her, even when she shares the frame with Coster-Waldau. Thanks to her compelling screen presence, and Boe’s dramatically dazzling aesthetic, A Taste of Hunger is a delectable cinematic treat, one that deserves to be savored.” – Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times
The Last Matinee
The audience attending the last showing of a horror film in a small downtown cinema are terrorized by a murderer who begins to pick them off, one by one. The only person to notice that something strange is going on is the projectionist’s daughter.
NOT RATED. CONTAINS GRAPHIC VIOLENCE, BLOODY IMAGES, SEXUAL CONTENT, AND STRONG LANGUAGE.
“Contenti knows how to knock off his cast members with style.” – Andy Crump, Paste
“Tipping his hat to the Italian thriller genre known as giallo, Contenti (who wrote the unfussy script with Manuel Facal) sets up a string of witty, highly specific slayings of audience members unaware they’re both voyeurs and prey.” – Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times
“Fans of horror and Giallo will have plenty to celebrate with The Last Matinee, but even more to celebrate in the announcement of a major new talent.” – Dan Scully, ScullyVision
Bull
Ten years after he was last seen, Bull (Neil Maskel), a vicious mob enforcer, seeks revenge on the gang that double-crossed him. He returns home to methodically track down those who betrayed him and find his beloved son. With the ominous warning: “I’m coming for all of them,” Bull stalks his former gang, leading up to a savage showdown between his wife and her mob boss father (David Hayman).
RATED R FOR STRONG VIOLENCE, LANGUAGE THROUGHOUT, AND SOME DRUG MATERIAL.
“Bull is a magnificently malevolent creation, on the page and in the flesh.” – Roger Moore, Movie Nation
“Writer-director Paul Andrew Williams is a furiously visceral force behind the camera. His knuckleduster direction goes beyond mere muscularity and takes on the daunting persuasive power of a mob enforcer; his storytelling is both thrilling and utterly terrifying.” – Wendy Ide, The Observer
“Paul Andrew Williams and Neil Maskell breathe new life into a familiar one-man-army scenario. Unrelenting, no-nonsense and hard-as-nails — just like its eponymous anti-hero.” – Ian Freer, Empire
Rare Objects
A young woman with a traumatic past seeks to rebuild her life when she begins working at a New York City antique shop.
RATED R FOR LANGUAGE AND SOME DRUG USE.
“It’s a deeply moving film I liked a lot.” – Tim Cogshell, NPR
“Genuinely heartfelt, wise and empowering.” – Avi Offer, NYC Movie Guru
“Rare Objects shows the long and difficult process sexual assault survivors face to reclaim any semblance of normalcy. Katie Holmes continues to grow as a filmmaker and actress in a moving narrative.” – Julian Roman, MovieWeb
Sakra
Based on the classic wuxia novel Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils by Louis Cha (known worldwide by his pen name Jin Yong), Sakra stars Donnie Yen as Qiao Feng, the respected leader of a roving band of martial artists. After he is wrongfully accused of murder and subsequently exiled, Qiao Feng goes on the run in search of answers about his own mysterious origin story—and the unknown enemies working to destroy him from the shadows.
“A stunning achievement. If you have any interest in wuxia, it is a must-see.” – Daniel Eagan, Film Legacy
“Yen clearly put some work into transposing the wuxia novel’s romantic and often incredible conventions into a live-action movie. Sakra is not light on its feet, but it is a surprisingly well-realized star vehicle and adaptation.” – Simon Abrams, RogerEbert.com
“[The] real draw is the action and fight choreography. Because the wirework and special effects paired with the speed at which everyone on-screen is operating makes the dizzying battle scenes exhilarating.” – Jared Mobarak, Hey, Have You Seen…?
The Score
Two small time crooks drive to a secluded cafe for a big ‘score’.
NOT RATED. CONTAINS MILD VIOLENCE, BLOODY IMAGES, STRONG LANGUAGE, SEXUAL REFERENCES, AND DRUG REFERENCES.
“The terrific cast dives into the heightened roles and charged situations with gusto, engaging the audience with the deeper emotions running through each scene.” – Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall
“The songs can seem to operate on their own plane: When Flynn croons through a window, it’s almost surprising to see his breath mist the glass.” – Amy Nicholson, New York Times
“The Score is something wonderfully magical, from the artistry in its simplicity to the tragedy of its raw aspirations.” – Maggie Lovitt, Millennial Falcon Reviews
Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game
An unsettled writer with a fantastic mustache, Roger Sharpe, finds solace and confidence in one thing he has mastered: pinball. When a police raid destroys the only machines he can find in 1970s New York City, he learns the game is illegal. Roger reluctantly joins forces with the Music and Amusement Association to overturn the ban while falling in love with Ellen, an artist and single mother. Roger’s path to save pinball ultimately rescues him. He and Ellen overcome their pasts and take a shot at love. Roger learns what it means to take a chance—and that commitment is the most rewarding gamble of all. Based on a true story.
NOT RATED. CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE.
“The Braggs pull off the vertiginous intricacy of this narrative with playful cheer and breezy charm, which is carried along by the performances, and also by the heartiness of the story itself.” – Richard Brody, The New Yorker
“The film doesn’t burden pinball machines with more meaning than they can stand. Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game is strictly low stakes. This is part of its knowing charm.” – Sheila O’Malley, RogerEbert.com
“With both Mike Faist and Crystal Reed exuding chemistry and enthusiasm, you will want to get some pocket change and pull the plunger on your own pinball cabinet.” – Alex Maidy, JoBlo
Space Oddity
A man seeks help from an insurance company to plan a one-way trip to Mars.
RATED PG-13 FOR SOME STRONG LANGUAGE, SUGGESTIVE MATERIAL, AND THEMATIC ELEMENTS.
“Space Oddity succeeds because it feels comfortable and natural, enabling the audience to better absorb the message within: trauma cannot be healed without facing it; facing it doesn’t mean you have to do it alone.” – Douglas Davidson, Elements of Madness
“Sedgwick’s direction is supple and authentic. The film could easily be too sweet or unbelievable but it’s not. She effortlessly focuses on the story’s profundity and conversely, has a light touch.” – Anne Brodie, What She Said
“Wherever it lands, it is well worth checking out — ultimately it’s a film that makes you feel pretty good, despite shades of gray, about the life we are already living.” – Pete Hammond, Deadline Hollywood
Once Upon a Time in Ukraine
The samurai Akayo enters the territory of Ukraine, seeking revenge on the Japanese Harimoto—a buyer of slaves from a Ukrainian master. On his way, Akayo teams up with the serf Taras, who is also guided by personal revenge and wants to organize the release of his beloved.
NOT RATED. CONTAINS STRONG VIOLENCE THROUGHOUT AND LANGUAGE.
“The fight sequences are so dynamic — and so frequent — that the 90-minute runtime flies by. This is the kind of movie that connoisseurs of over-the-top action like to seek out.” – Noel Murray, Los Angeles Times
“A Slavic stroll down Sergio Leone Lane. It’s just gonzo and goofy enough to make one peruse the credits for the surname ‘Tarantinovich,’ because that’s what writer-director Roman Perfilyev is on about.” – Roger Moore, Movie Nation
“Incredibly stylish, occasionally bloody, and full of dark humor, in the realm of Grindhouse attempts, there’s fun to be had here.” – Aaron Neuwirth, We Live Entertainment
I Was a Simple Man
I Was A Simple Man is a ghost story set in the pastoral countryside of the north shore of O‘ahu, Hawai‘i. Revealed in four chapters, it tells the story of an elderly man facing the end of his life, visited by the ghosts of his past. Incorporating familial history and mythology, dream logic and surrealism, I Was a Simple Man is a time-shifting, kaleidoscopic story of a fractured family facing the death of their patriarch that will take us from the high-rises of contemporary Honolulu to pre-WWII pastorals of O‘ahu and, finally, into the beyond.
NOT RATED. MAY CONTAIN MATURE CONTENT.
“Yogi unfolds the characters’ intimate stories and the region’s history in sharply textured details and rapturous images; he blends social practicalities and metaphysical mysteries with a serene, straightforward astonishment.” – Richard Brody, The New Yorker
“I Was a Simple Man is a slow-burning walk toward the light, a paean for life, and the land and people that shaped it. It’s the kind of love letter that only a lifelong resident of Hawaii like Yogi could make, to a resilient land whose scars will take long to heal.” – Hoai-Tran Bui, /Film
“Layering the spectral hush of Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives over the elegiac domesticity of a late Ozu film like An Autumn Afternoon, the Honolulu-born filmmaker’s singularly Hawaiian second feature is haunted and haunting in equal measure — a reckoning pitched at the volume of a whisper.” – David Ehrlich, IndieWire
Held
A couple’s ailing marriage is put to the test when they are held hostage in an isolated vacation rental by an unseen Voice that commands their every move and threatens harm if they don’t obey.
NOT RATED. CONTAINS STRONG VIOLENCE, SEXUAL CONTENT, THEMATIC MATERIAL, AND LANGUAGE.
“The film is scary not in its extraordinary imaginings but in the mundane familiarity that underpins those imaginings.” – Anna Stafford, The Globe and Mail
“Cannily exploiting #MeToo themes and the opportunities for cinematic mayhem provided by technology-driven smart homes, Held proves an uncommonly thoughtful and provocative suspenser.” – Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter
“Without relying on jump scares, Held keeps the viewer on edge throughout most of the running time, even after we’ve found out what’s going on. It might be a good idea to cancel that anniversary weekend away.” – Martin Unsworth, Starburst
Alienoid
Alienoid follows two Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392) gurus seeking a legendary, time-bending blade as they unexpectedly cross paths with modern-era people hunting down a dangerous alien concealed inside a human’s body.
NOT RATED. CONTAINS VIOLENCE AND SOME LANGUAGE.
“The story is very high concept and the tone is completely aware of itself, leading to a truly enjoyable experience.” – Nadir Samara, Screen Rant
“The movie is bursting at the seams, as if Choi, in his first outing since the 2015 historical action drama Assassination, was drunk on pure filmmaking pleasure and threw every cinematic genre into a gigantic blender.” – Elisabeth Vincentelli, New York Times
“The sheer too-much-ness of Alienoid could have easily been wearying, given its many tangents and supporting characters. Thankfully, writer/director Choi Dong-hoon confirms his hitmaker reputation by balancing over-inflated set pieces with disarming screwball comedy and delightful character actor performances.” – Simon Abrams, RogerEbert.com
Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes
Kato is a middle-aged shop owner in Kyoto, Japan who lives above his cafe. He spends his free time playing in a local band and sometimes thinking about Megumi, the woman in the barbershop next door with whom Kato is infatuated. One evening, after closing up the cafe, Kato is in his room when suddenly he appears on his own computer screen. The Kato on the screen is using the computer from downstairs in the cafe and claims to be from two minutes in the future. Kato is understandably confused and skeptical, but things get really strange when he goes down to the cafe computer, sees himself sitting back in his room, and begins to deliver the same message he heard two minutes before. It’s not long before Kato’s friends discover the phenomenon – which they dub “Time TV” – and devise a plan to go beyond the infinite two minutes.
NOT RATED. CONTAINS MILD LANGUAGE AND VIOLENCE.
“Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes may well be the most endearing film since the equally ambitious and innocuous Last Cut of the Dead, and it’s just as heartwarming.” – Richard Whittaker, Austin Chronicle
“…Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes is a raucous Japanese experiment in the limits of ‘single-take’ cinema and the skills of a small cast to take an inventive concept and make it work for outside viewers.” – Jason Shawhan, Nashville Scene
“The film fizzes with ideas, tapping into our obsession with technology while exploring millennial mores with a keen satirical edge.” – David Parkinson, Radio Times