Scream VI
Following the latest Ghostface killings, the four survivors leave Woodsboro behind and start a fresh chapter.
RATED R FOR STRONG BLOODY VIOLENCE AND LANGUAGE THROUGHOUT, AND BRIEF DRUG USE.
“The original 1996 Scream still isn’t at any risk of being dethroned as the best in the series, but this latest entry does add some much-needed freshness to the proceedings and indicates that there’s still a lot of life left in old Ghostface.” – Sean Farrell, AFPL Journal
“Scream VI builds to a powerful third act of grisly mayhem that is one of the best in the series.” – Simon Thompson, The Playlist
“The latest installment proves Scream still has the chops to outdo itself consistently and cleverly. An effortless balance of dark comedy and intense set pieces make it worth checking out. Come for the return of a beloved franchise, and stay for a killer joy ride through New York City.” – Alejandra Martinez, We Got This Covered
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.
11-year-old Margaret (Abby Ryder Fortson) is uprooted from her life in New York City for the suburbs of New Jersey, going through the messy and tumultuous throes of puberty with new friends in a new school. She relies on her mother, Barbara (Rachel McAdams), who is also struggling to adjust to life outside the big city, and her adoring grandmother, Sylvia (Kathy Bates), who isn’t happy they moved away and likes to remind them every chance she gets. Based on Judy Blume’s classic and groundbreaking novel Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.
RATED PG-13 FOR THEMATIC MATERIAL INVOLVING SEXUAL EDUCATION AND SOME SUGGESTIVE MATERIAL.
“A touching and tender adaptation that does justice to a book which means so much to so many. An enduring, superbly performed triumph.” – Beth Webb, Empire
“Trust Kelly Fremon Craig, the writer-director of The Edge of Seventeen, the best teen movie of the past decade, to translate Blume’s seminal novel into a funny, exhilarating coming-of-age movie that will charm all genders.” – Tara Brady, The Irish Times
“What a wonder that the film adaptation of Judy Blume’s beloved 1970 young adult novel Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret is as lovely, heartfelt and, indeed, deeply radical as the original text.” – Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times
The Last of Us: Season 1
Set 20 years after the destruction of civilization, Joel (Pedro Pascal) is hired to smuggle 14-year-old Ellie (Bella Ramsey) out of a quarantine zone in this drama series based on the PlayStation video game of the same name.
RATED TV-MA. CONTAINS GRAPHIC VIOLENCE, INTENSE ACTION, STRONG LANGUAGE THROUGHOUT, NUDITY, AND THEMATIC MATERIAL.
“This isn’t just a breakthrough video game adaptation. It’s a great show, period.” – Chris Vognar, San Francisco Chronicle
“By leaning just enough on the source material but not so much as to lose sight of the mission, which is to deliver a gut-wrenchingly emotional and poignant story, The Last of Us is not just the perfect adaptation; it’s an adaptation that has the potential to transcend even the original game.” – Jonathan Wright, We Got This Covered
“Druckmann and Mazin have taken this unforgettable story and made it richer and more impactful, letting us live with these characters and this world in a way that we couldn’t in the game. The Last of Us is a monumental success, and in this universe of incredible darkness, Mazin and Druckmann show us the light that makes this story so powerful.” – Ross Bonaime, Collider
Beau Is Afraid
A paranoid man embarks on an epic odyssey to get home to his mother.
RATED R FOR STRONG VIOLENT CONTENT, SEXUAL CONTENT, GRAPHIC NUDITY, DRUG USE, AND LANGUAGE.
“A true American original, and proof that, while the hype surrounding [Aster] may have been early, it wasn’t wrong.” – Nick Schager, The Daily Beast
“Beau Is Afraid is bold, enthralling, and unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. Whether that’s a good or bad thing, well, Aster leaves how we enter this shrieking void up to the viewer.” – Ross Bonaime, Collider
“Its visual imagination is wonderfully unrestrained, compelling in its extremes even when it is so clearly indebted to every movie that Aster hoovered up to get here. Its tone is impressively steadfast in its desire to repel one moment, entrance the next. And its performances are across-the-board astounding in their commitment.” – Barry Hertz, The Globe and Mail
Sisu
During the last desperate days of WWII, a solitary prospector (Jorma Tommila) crosses paths with Nazis on a scorched-earth retreat in northern Finland. When the Nazis steal his gold, they quickly discover that they have just tangled with no ordinary miner. While there is no direct translation for the Finnish word “sisu”, this legendary ex-commando will embody what sisu means: a white-knuckled form of courage and unimaginable determination in the face of overwhelming odds. And no matter what the Nazis throw at him, the one-man death squad will go to outrageous lengths to get his gold back – even if it means killing every last Nazi in his path.
RATED R FOR STRONG BLOODY VIOLENCE, GORE, AND LANGUAGE.
“A hybrid action/war/revenge film with enough octane to blast Michael Bay out of competition.” – Thom Ernst, Original Cin
“It’s a simple story about the power of pure determination and will, and it’s certain to leave you fully captivated from the minute lead actor Jorma Tommila appears onscreen.” – Patrice Witherspoon, Screen Rant
“Sisu is one of those unheralded films that comes seemingly out of nowhere to grab the adventurous movie-goer by the throat. For a perfectly-pitched 90 minutes, it glories in the excesses of gore and violence with an exuberance rarely experienced this side of Quentin Tarantino.” – James Berardinelli, ReelViews
Corsage
Empress Elisabeth of Austria is known for her beauty and fashion trends. But in 1877, she celebrates her 40th birthday and must fight to maintain her public image. With a future of only ceremonial duties in front of her, she rebels against her public image and comes up with a plan to protect her legacy.
NOT RATED. CONTAINS NUDITY, SEXUAL CONTENT, STRONG LANGUAGE, AND THEMATIC MATERIAL.
“Brought to life through Kreutzer’s skillful direction and Krieps’ earnest performance, this surprising royal reimagining offers a fresh perspective on an elusive historical figure.” – Kathy Michelle Chacon, Paste
“Overall, Corsage shows a tantalizing way forward for the hopelessly staid biopic genre: honoring, provoking and upending with verve and humor as it liberates a complex woman from iconography’s deadening glamour.” – Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times
“Having slyly slipped the bonds of the past, Corsage eventually allows its heroine to make a very modern break for it in the film’s (wholly fictional) final act. It’s a fun, coolly outrageous manoeuvre – and the final shot is so freeing, it’s as if the laces on your own invisible corset had suddenly been cut.” – Robbie Collin, The Telegraph
Chess Story
Vienna, 1938: Austria is occupied by the Nazis. Dr. Josef Bartok (Oliver Masucci) is preparing to flee to America with his wife Anna when he is arrested by the Gestapo. As a former notary to the deposed Austrian aristocracy, he is told to help the local Gestapo leader gain access to their private bank accounts in order to fund the Nazi regime. Refusing to cooperate, Bartok is locked in solitary confinement. Just as his mind is beginning to crack, Bartok happens upon a book of famous chess games. To withstand the torture of isolation, Bartok disappears into the world of chess, maintaining his sanity only by memorizing every move. As the action flashes forward to a transatlantic crossing on which he is a passenger, it seems as though Bartok has finally found freedom. But recounting his story to his fellow travelers, it’s clear that his encounters with both the Gestapo and with the royal game itself have not stopped haunting him.
NOT RATED. CONTAINS LANGUAGE AND THEMATIC MATERIAL.
“Chess Story is a nerve-scraping exercise in grand deception.” – Kyle Smith, Wall Street Journal
“Philipp Stölzl craftily melds the genres of period drama and psychological thriller, not for the purposes of reheated nostalgia, but to shed a cold light on the recursions of historical trauma.” – William Repass, Slant
“Although the blandly nondescript title doesn’t exactly suggest the promise of deep intrigue, Philipp Stölzl’s Chess Story masterfully confounds expectations as a tautly calibrated, intricately constructed Chinese puzzle of a period drama set during Nazi Germany’s annexation of Austria.” – Michael Rechtshaffen, Los Angeles Times
Love Again
What if a random text message led to the love of your life? In this romantic comedy, dealing with the loss of her fiancé, Mira Ray sends a series of romantic texts to his old cell phone number… not realizing the number was reassigned to Rob Burns’ new work phone. A journalist, Rob is captivated by the honesty in the beautifully confessional texts. When he’s assigned to write a profile of megastar Celine Dion (playing herself in her first film role), he enlists her help in figuring out how to meet Mira in person… and win her heart.
RATED PG-13 FOR SOME SEXUAL MATERIAL AND SOME STRONG LANGUAGE.
“Playing herself, the singer [Celine Dion] lends freshness and novelty to a plot that’s loaded with all the Rom-Com toolbox clichés, yet still manages to come out from it better than other movies of its sort.” – Natalia Trzenko, La Nación
“Heartwarming, tender and witty. If you enjoy 90’s romcoms like You’ve Got Mail and While You Were Sleeping, you’ll probably enjoy Love Again, too.” – Avi Offer, NYC Movie Guru
The Worst Ones
Set in the suburbs of Boulogne-Sur-Mer in northern France, The Worst Ones captures a film within a film as it follows the production of a feature whose director turns to the local Cité Picasso housing project for casting. Eager to capture performances of gritty authenticity, the director selects four working class teenagers to act in the film to the surprise and consternation of the local community, who question the director’s choice of “the worst ones.” As the director and crew audition, rehearse, film, and interact with their hand-picked cast, jealousies are stoked, lines are crossed, and ethical questions arise, with thought-provoking and at times darkly funny results.
NOT RATED. CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE, SEXUAL REFERENCES, AND THEMATIC MATERIAL.
“Luminously photographed and nimbly edited, The Worst Ones — which won the Un Certain Regard competition at the Cannes Film Festival in 2022 — offers a provocative critique of filmmaking practices. It also presents a subtle defense of the onscreen miracles revealed by the young and the raw.” – Lisa Kennedy, New York Times
“A fascinating look at expectations and how others see our community and us.” – Michael Talbot-Haynes, Film Threat
“The line between fact and fiction always blurs when a camera is pointed at people, but in Lisa Akoka and Romane Gueret’s arresting new feature, it’s more like a game of three-card monte.” – Dmitry Samarov, Chicago Reader
Spoonful of Sugar
Millicent (Morgan Saylor), working on her thesis about children with severe allergies, is hired to babysit little Johnny, a sickly, mute child who suffers from every allergy under the sun. As she discovers Johnny’s dark family secrets things begin to become unhinged.
NOT RATED. CONTAINS STRONG VIOLENCE, NUDITY, SEXUAL MATERIAL, LANGUAGE, DRUG USE, AND THEMATIC MATERIAL.
“The otherwise familiar domestic thriller gets a sinister, LSD-induced horror ride.” – Casey Chong, Fiction Horizon
“Spoonful of Sugar succeeds at being an unnerving thriller, while also providing laughs and hypnotic psychedelic sequences.” – Jon Mendelsohn, CBR
“If you love a double-edged fable that goes from bad to worse to catastrophic, keep an eye out for Spoonful of Sugar.” – Matt Donato, /Film
Paint
Carl Nargle (Owen Wilson), Vermont’s #1 public TV painter, is convinced he has it all: a signature perm, custom van, and fans hanging on his every stroke… until a younger, better artist steals everything (and everyone) Carl loves.
RATED PG-13 FOR SEXUAL / SUGGESTIVE MATERIAL, DRUG USE, AND SMOKING.
“It is the year’s sweetest cinematic surprise so far, containing much of the childlike tenderness and dry whimsy of a Wes Anderson film, minus that director’s sometimes-suffocating obsession with surfaces.” – Kyle Smith, Wall Street Journal
“We need gentle comedies like this in the world; we certainly need more movies that remind us of why we fell in love with Owen Wilson in the first place. Like the work of Carl Nargle, history will hopefully be very kind to what McAdams has created.” – Matthew Monagle, Austin Chronicle
“The film follows its own winding path and covers a lot of emotional ground in 96 minutes, with Michaela Watkins lovely in a key role as Carl’s former lover and colleague. Some movies are more than just a story, they’re a world — and Paint is a world worth visiting.” – Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle
The Policeman’s Lineage
Park Gang-Yoon (Cho Jin-Woong) is the chief of an investigation team that deals with serious crimes. His team has an unrivaled arrest record. Park Gang-Yoon prioritizes making arrests. For that, he doesn’t mind using illegal methods to get information. Choi Min-Jae (Choi Woo-Sik) is a rookie police officer. He is a man of principle. To obtain a secret document about his deceased father, he accepts a mission to monitor Park Gang-Yoon and gather information on his corrupt dealings. He then joins Park Gang-Yoon’s team.
NOT RATED. CONTAINS VIOLENCE, STRONG LANGUAGE, AND THEMATIC MATERIAL.
“The film’s exploration of crime-fighting’s gray areas is familiar; but strong performances, some stylistic flair and a matter-of-fact tone give The Policeman’s Lineage the ring of truth.” – Noel Murray, Los Angeles Times
“Incorporating the better elements of American good cop/bad cop movies and the 2002 Hong Kong masterpiece Infernal Affairs (remade by Martin Scorsese in 2006 as The Departed), The Policeman’s Lineage keeps the viewer guessing for the duration.” – Michael Clark, Epoch Times
“It is a stylish and well-paced police actioner that does enough visually and with its story and characters to sustain its running time and keep hold of the audience to the end.” – Jack Ford, Battle Royale with Cheese
The East
During the post-WW2 Indonesian War of Independence, a young Dutch soldier (Martijn Lakemeier) joins an elite unit led by a mysterious captain known only as “The Turk” (Marwan Kenzari). When the fighting intensifies, the young soldier finds himself questioning – and ultimately challenging – his commander’s brutal strategy to stop the resistance.
NOT RATED. CONTAINS GRAPHIC VIOLENCE, STRONG LANGUAGE THROUGHOUT, NUDITY, SEXUAL CONTENT, AND THEMATIC MATERIAL.
“It’s a thrilling, poignant accomplishment, as uncompromisingly bleak as it is epic in scope.” – Alex Saveliev, Film Threat
“It’s a powerful story told with an eye for the epic.” – Rob Aldam, Backseat Mafia
“The East is an unrelenting condemnation of the Netherlands’ misguided attempt to return its colonial outreach to a time long gone while hitting most (if not all) of the ‘doomed war’ niche genre movie tropes without ever actually teetering into cliche. That’s an ever-tricky move that Taihuttu aces.” – Marc Savlov, Austin Chronicle
Fool’s Paradise
A down on his luck publicist gets his lucky break when he discovers a man recently released from a mental health facility looks just like a method actor who refuses to leave his trailer. With the help of a powerful producer, the publicist helps the man become a huge star, even marrying his beautiful leading lady. Their adventures lead them to cross paths with drunken costars, irreverent unhoused action heroes, unpredictable directors, super agents, and power-mad moguls. Fame and fortune are not all they’re cracked up to be, and the two men must fight their way back to the things that matter the most.
RATED R FOR LANGUAGE, SOME DRUG USE, AND SEXUAL CONTENT.
“A brilliant satire that takes viewers on a journey into discovering what is truly important in life. It’s charming, funny, and absolutely delightful.” – Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky
“Fool’s Paradise is a tour de force comedy performance from Charlie Day.” – Joey Magidson, Awards Radar
“Is it serious? No? Is it meaningful? No. But it’s just so funny.” – Wade Major, NPR
The Swearing Jar
It is a rare and miraculous thing to find your one true soul mate. Carey (Adelaide Clemens) soon learns that finding two of them can pose an even greater problem.
NOT RATED. CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE THROUGHOUT, BRIEF NUDITY, SEXUAL CONTENT, AND SMOKING.
“Considering everything that MacKay and Hewlett attempt and successfully pull off, the minor imperfections of The Swearing Jar are particularly easy to overlook.” – Nick Rocco Scalia, Film Threat
“Understanding that each journey has its own mountains to overcome, MacKay’s film finds strength in our ability to persevere even when forced to take an unexpected path.” – Courtney Small, Cinema Axis
“The Swearing Jar will play with your emotions and your anticipations. But it will also earn every tug on your heartstrings, every reversal of expectation.” – Chris Knight, National Post
First Date
Conned into buying a shady ‘65 Chrysler, shy teen Mike’s (Tyson Brown) eagerly-anticipated first date with the girl-next-door, Kelsey (Shelby Duclos), implodes as he finds himself targeted by criminals, cops, and a crazy cat lady. A night fueled by desire, bullets and burning rubber makes any other first date seem like a walk in the park.
NOT RATED. CONTAINS BLOODY VIOLENCE, STRONG LANGUAGE THROUGHOUT, SEXUAL CONTENT, AND DRUG USE.
“First Date feels like a throwback caper to something you’d find on cable, funny yet full of action with a generous helping of a timeless romance for good measure. It’s the kind of movie you come across and have to see how it ends.” – Monica Castillo, RogerEbert.com
“One of the most tightly written films of the year, this is also one of the funniest.” – Jennie Kermode, Eye for Film
“It feels like the screenwriting and directing duo Manuel Crosby and Darren Knapp decided to go out and make the type of movie they actually like to watch, and the result is a well-executed crime comedy that’s funny and entertaining.” – Louisa Moore, Screen Zealots
Little Richard: I Am Everything
Little Richard: I Am Everything tells the story of the Black queer origins of rock n’ roll, exploding the whitewashed canon of American pop music to reveal the innovator – the originator – Richard Penniman. Through a wealth of archive and performance that brings us into Richard’s complicated inner world, the film unspools the icon’s life story with all its switchbacks and contradictions. In interviews with family, musicians, and cutting-edge Black and queer scholars, the film reveals how Richard created an art form for ultimate self-expression, yet what he gave to the world he was never able to give to himself. Throughout his life, Richard careened like a shiny cracked pinball between God, sex and rock n’ roll. The world tried to put him in a box, but Richard was an omni being who contained multitudes – he was unabashedly everything.
NOT RATED. CONTAINS SEXUAL REFERENCES, LANGUAGE, DRUG USE, THEMATIC MATERIAL, VIOLENT IMAGES, AND SMOKING.
“A long-overdue creation corrective that gives an outwardly revolutionary cultural icon his trailblazing due at the same time it grapples with the conflicted soul that rarely knew a lasting inner peace.” – Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times
“Cortés’s devotion to creating a film in honor and respect of Little Richard is also one of achievement and understanding for those who have been marginalized for being who they are.” – Sabina Dana Plasse, Film Threat
“By the end of this extremely entertaining and informative documentary, the one thing you will come away with is that Little Richard always presented himself the way he wanted us to see him. And, yes, he was indeed as influential as he always said he was.” – Odie Henderson, Boston Globe
To Catch a Killer
Eleanor (Shailene Woodley) is a young police investigator wrestling with the demons of her past when she is recruited by the FBI’s chief investigator (Ben Mendelsohn) to help profile and track the work of a disturbed individual. As the police and FBI launch a nationwide manhunt, they are thwarted at every turn by the individual’s unprecedented behavior. Given her tortured psyche, Eleanor may be the only person who can understand the mind of their assailant and bring him to justice.
RATED R FOR STRONG VIOLENT CONTENT, AND LANGUAGE THROUGHOUT.
“It’s a must for fans of gritty thrillers.” – Stephen Romei, The Australian
“For the most part, To Catch a Killer is a thriller that thrills more than other similar films do, and Shailene Woodley adds another laurel to her already impressive resume.” – Rex Reed, Observer
“While the ending might not land for all, the overall delivery of the film is intense, engaging, and unforgettable.” – Stephanie Archer, Film Inquiry
The Forger
Berlin, 1942. Cioma Schönhaus (Louis Hofmann) is a young Jewish man who won’t let anyone take away his zest for life, especially not the Nazis. Since the best hiding spots are in plain sight, Cioma audaciously adopts the identity of a marine officer to escape being deported like his family before him. Drawing on his art school background, he joins a network of underground rescuers and becomes infamous for his masterfully forged IDs – created with just a brush, some ink, and a steady hand – that save the lives of hundreds of Jews by allowing them to escape the country. Meanwhile, he throws himself into the city’s nightlife and even finds a fragile hope for love during the darkest moments of the war. His talent and propensity for boldness puts him in more and more danger, however, until his only chance of survival is one last forged document – with his own name on it. Based on a true story.
NOT RATED. CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE, SEXUAL CONTENT, THEMATIC MATERIAL, VIOLENT IMAGES, AND SMOKING.
“A very clever film [about] a very clever guy.” – Andy Klein, FilmWeek
“Under normal circumstances, the story of Cioma Schönhaus’ brief career in forgery would be a standard crime drama. But Maggie Peren’s film, The Forger, inverts the genre, with much more at stake than someone pulling off a scheme to get rich.” – Jeffrey Edalatpour, East Bay Express
“An engaging drama that makes the most of the boyish charms of German actor Louis Hofmann…” – Lee Marshall, Screen Daily
Southern Gospel
Given a second chance, a rebellious rock star follows in his father’s footsteps and becomes a preacher. However, his desire to share a message of forgiveness gets tested at every turn.
RATED PG-13 FOR MATURE THEMATIC CONTENT, DRUG USE, SOME VIOLENT CONTENT, SUICIDE, AND LANGUAGE.
“Southern Gospel is better than expected faith entertainment.” – Bobby LePire, Film Threat
“Entertaining and uplifting, the movie really won me over with its inspirational nature.” – Mike McGranaghan, Aisle Seat
“Many aspects of Southern Gospel are predictable, but solid performances from most of the cast members help overcome some clichés of faith-based films. This biopic of Dream Church founder Samuel Allen also benefits from having good original songs.” – Carla Hay, Culture Mix
The Year of the Dog
Matt, a loner alcoholic at rock bottom, struggles to maintain sobriety for 30 days so he can honor his mother’s dying wish, to visit her in hospice, sober. His book-thumping AA sponsor, Fred, offers him refuge at his farm, where Matt finds Yup’ik, a stray Husky with a unique talent. The man and dog relationship is precarious at first, but with the help of a close-knit Montana community, the two strays find a connection and discover what it takes to pull through to the finish line.
RATED PG-13 FOR SOME STRONG LANGUAGE, AND THEMATIC ELEMENTS.
“A triumph! It’s a warm, wise and genuinely heartfelt journey well worth taking.” – Avi Offer, NYC Movie Guru
“The Year of the Dog has a lot going for it, including a moving score, stunning cinematography, and stellar performances. It’s a love letter to people who feel isolated and unseen, giving them hope and reminding them that there are people who care.” – Stephanie Malone, Morbidly Beautiful
“[The] movie connects on some pure, and primal levels. And it has a charmer in Caleb, the rescue dog who plays its beautiful, bright-eyed star. What a good boy. What a simple, sweet film.” – Stephen Whitty, Film Racket
4×4
When petty thief Ciro (Peter Lanzani) tries to rob an ordinary-looking car, he finds out that his target is actually a high-tech machine – one that’s determined to trap him inside unless he can find a way to escape. To make matters worse, someone on the outside is in control of the car, and they seem to have a plan.
NOT RATED. CONTAINS LANGUAGE AND VIOLENCE.
“One of the most inventive and claustrophobic single-location thrillers in recent memory.” – James Marsh, South China Morning Post
“Rather than going for the easy black and white notion of good and evil, Cohn and Gastón dissect their characters with poignant thoughtfulness and care much needed in a time when tensions are heightened.” – Adam Mock, Film Inquiry
“4X4 is a tense 90 minute white knuckle thrill ride that delivers in almost every way possible.” – Dan Tabor, Cinapse
All Eyes
A disgraced podcast host interviews an eccentric farmer who claims to have a monster living in the woods near his house.
NOT RATED. CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE, BLOODY VIOLENCE, AND SMOKING.
“An exciting and thrilling story of a farmhouse full of booby traps.” – Alan Ng, Film Threat
Retrograde
After a jarring encounter with a police officer leaves her with a minor traffic citation, Molly becomes determined to get the ticket dismissed. But when her housemate refuses to testify as a witness, Molly’s pursuit escalates into a self-destructive obsession that threatens her job, her friends, and her morality. Disquieting and intimate, Retrograde explores truth, justice, and accountability through a dryly comic lense.
NOT RATED. CONTAINS LANGUAGE AND THEMATIC MATERIAL.
“Deeply uncomfortable but profoundly rewarding. Retrograde is quite a ride.” – Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, AWFJ.org
“This is a film that captures modern Western entitlement in such a fascinating way each character sees themselves as the lead in their own story, no matter how mind-numbingly boring they may be.” – Daniel Pollock, Battle Royale with Cheese
“Retrograde follows a young woman who lands in the emotional soup when she’s pulled over for careless driving. The unsympathetic lead is exhausting and indefatigable, and worse, reflects us back to ourselves in our worst, quixotic moments.” – Anne Brodie, What She Said
Aloners
A solitary woman re-evaluates her isolated existence after her neighbor dies alone in his apartment.
NOT RATED. CONTAINS THEMATIC MATERIAL.
“It’s a moving drama with an excellent central performance.” – Sabina Dana Plasse, Film Threat
“A reflective interrogation into modern loneliness, as well as the silent brutalities of today’s urban life defined by competition, technology and nonstop productivity.” – Claire Lee, Variety
“A strong first feature debut for writer and director Hong Sung-Eun, Aloners is the perfect ode to the universal feeling of loneliness and isolation that was so deeply intensified during the pandemic.” – Hannah Lodge, Screen Rex
The Killer
Ui-gang is a hit man who has decided to retire. He has a nice house and all the money he needs, but one day his girlfriend takes a trip to Jeju Island and leaves him with a request. Her companion on the trip has a 17-year old daughter Yoon-ji who will be left alone during their three week vacation. Ui-gang reluctantly agrees to look after Yoon-ji and make sure she doesn’t get into trouble.
NOT RATED. CONTAINS STRONG BLOODY VIOLENCE, STRONG LANGUAGE, THEMATIC MATERIAL, SEXUAL MATERIAL, AND DRUG USE.
“Luckily, and perhaps where it counts the most, the action in The Killer is, well, pretty killer. Jang is a confident, competent leading man, slick and entertaining to watch, as gruff as he may come off to his peers and adversaries.” – Fran Hoepfner, The Wrap
“Boasting superbly choreographed fight scenes, The Killer is John Wick on steroids. Slickly filmed, it motors along at a breakneck pace and oozes cool like only Asian cinema can.” – Martin Unsworth, Starburst
“In a word, The Killer slays. It balances heart and emotion with a cold calculation that delivers the body count action fans want in a myriad of ways.” – Douglas Davidson, Elements of Madness
Out of the Loop
Deon Cole, Hannibal Burris, Godfrey, Lil Rel Howery, Jeff Garlin, the late Judy Tenuta, and other notable comics talk about the trials and tribulations of beginning their comedy careers in the city of Chicago, where the comedy scene is as polarized and segregated as the city itself.
NOT RATED. CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE THROUGHOUT, SEXUAL REFERENCES, AND THEMATIC MATERIAL.
“The film could have just been another collection of quips from working stand-up comics, but it digs further into the social and racial dynamics of the city of Chicago and how negotiating that is just as important as the jokes.” – Erik Childress, Movie Madness
“It’s a seriously funny look at the history of Chicago standup comedy.” – Linda Cook, OurQuadCities
“It’s a frequently thankless, competitive, brutal occupation, but when a performer clicks with an audience, it’s also addictive. And Out of the Loop captures the entirety of that experience quite beautifully.” – Steven Prokopy, Third Coast Review
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