Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
Having failed to defeat Aquaman the first time, Black Manta, still driven by the need to avenge his father’s death, will stop at nothing to take Aquaman down once and for all. This time Black Manta is more formidable than ever before, wielding the power of the mythic Black Trident, which unleashes an ancient and malevolent force. To defeat him, Aquaman will turn to his imprisoned brother Orm, the former King of Atlantis, to forge an unlikely alliance. Together, they must set aside their differences in order to protect their kingdom and save Aquaman’s family, and the world, from irreversible destruction.
RATED PG-13 FOR SCI-FI VIOLENCE AND SOME LANGUAGE.
“This is a film that takes big swing after big swing, and leaves us filled up with spectacle, warmth, and a sense that the wait was probably worth it.” – Matthew Jackson, The A.V. Club
“James Wan has delivered. Don’t be fooled by the diminished fanfare because his good work should not go unappreciated.” – Simon Thompson, The Playlist
“Momoa is the best reason to see the movie. He’s as alpha-cool, even jerk-ish, as a ‘maverick’ action star can be while also making you believe his character is fundamentally decent and knows when he’s gone too far and sincerely feels bad about it. And he’s got range.” – Matt Zoller Seitz, RogerEbert.com
Poor Things
Bella Baxter (Emma Stone) is brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe). Under Baxter’s protection, Bella is eager to learn. Hungry for the worldliness she is lacking, Bella runs off with Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo), a slick and debauched lawyer, on a whirlwind adventure across the continents. Free from the prejudices of her times, Bella grows steadfast in her purpose to stand for equality and liberation.
RATED R FOR STRONG AND PERVASIVE SEXUAL CONTENT, GRAPHIC NUDITY, DISTURBING MATERIAL, GORE, AND LANGUAGE.
“Everything in it – every frame, every image, every joke, every performance – gets a gasp of excitement.” – Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
“Imaginative, funny, charming, filthy, wise, engaging, weird, and wonderful, Poor Things is Lanthimos’ best work yet, and a modern adult fairy tale worth treasuring.” – Sean Farrell, AFPL Journal
“Stuffed with rude delights, spry wit, radical fantasy and breathtaking design elements, the movie is a feast. And Emma Stone gorges on it in a fearless performance that traces an expansive arc most actors could only dream about.” – David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter
“Poor Things is the best film of Lanthimos’ career and already feels like an instant classic, mordantly funny, whimsical and wacky, unprecious and unpretentious, filled with so much to adore that to try and parse it all here feels like a pitiful response to the film’s ambitions.” – Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire
Wish
Asha, a sharp-witted idealist, makes a wish so powerful that it is answered by a cosmic force—a little ball of boundless energy called Star. Together, Asha and Star confront a most formidable foe—the ruler of Rosas, King Magnifico—to save her community and prove that when the will of one courageous human connects with the magic of the stars, wondrous things can happen.
RATED PG FOR THEMATIC ELEMENTS AND MILD ACTION.
“Wish is a darling film with fantastic music and amazing voice performances…” – Kristen Lopez, The Wrap
“…I was charmed by Asha’s story and the vibrant world she lives in, and that can make up for any flaws in the execution.” – Rachel LaBonte, Screen Rant
“Wish serves as a throwback to the past, a celebration of the present, and a gentle push into the future.” – Kate Erbland, IndieWire
The Color Purple
A musical adaptation of Alice Walker’s novel about the extraordinary sisterhood of three women who share one unbreakable bond.
RATED PG-13 FOR MATURE THEMATIC CONTENT, SEXUAL CONTENT, VIOLENCE, AND LANGUAGE.
“The craft is gorgeous, but The Color Purple would be nothing without its star turns, and Bazawule’s cast takes your breath away.” – Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times
“This new film resonates powerfully both as an emotional drama and as a welcome addition to the movie-musical canon.” – Alonso Duralde, The Film Verdict
“The Color Purple is a spectacle with big ensemble numbers, powerful solos and duets that will pull on your heartstrings. At a whopping two hours and 20 minutes, it never drags. The music propels the story instead of interrupting. Meanwhile, the performances will have you gasping and cheering.” – Meredith G. White, Arizona Republic
The Iron Claw
The true story of the inseparable Von Erich brothers, who made history in the intensely competitive world of professional wrestling in the early 1980s. Through tragedy and triumph, under the shadow of their domineering father and coach, the brothers seek larger-than-life immortality on the biggest stage in sports.
RATED R FOR LANGUAGE, SUICIDE, SOME SEXUALITY, AND DRUG USE.
“Wrestling, at its best, is a mythic art, an extension of the traditions of ancient Greece — with all the grand pageantry and theater that turns mere mortals into titans. Durkin knows this, and uses all that bigness to startling effect, transforming the tragedy of an American family into a bittersweet legend.” – Clint Worthington, Consequence
“An eerie, beautifully executed study of duty, grief and wrestling, boasting an excellent cast, and a leap forward for its director. A heavyweight collective has just entered the ring.” – Beth Webb, Empire
“Bolstered by a series of fragile, lived-in performances, led by Zac Efron’s astonishing turn as the soulful eldest brother in this seemingly doomed clan, the picture asks troubling questions about fate, fathers and ambition, eventually arriving at some hard-earned answers.” – Tim Grierson, Screen Daily
Wednesday: Season 1
Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega) discovers mysteries in town and about her parents, while learning to control her psychic powers at Nevermore Academy, the boarding school she is sent to after being kicked out of her public high school.
RATED TV-14. CONTAINS BLOODY VIOLENCE, SOME LANGUAGE, DRUG REFERENCES, AND THEMATIC MATERIAL.
“With Ortega electrifyingly glum throughout, Wednesday is worth watching any day of the week.” – Ed Power, The Telegraph
“Ortega kills as the gifted, nihilistic teen who’d rather hang out in a crypt than a club… Gimmicky callbacks to the films and the 1964 TV series are rare and strategically deployed in this streaming iteration of the franchise… Burton’s sensibilities and style are all over this irresistibly quirky, sardonic whodunit… Wednesday is brilliant on every level.” – Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times
“Wednesday retains all the hallmarks that make the stories and the characters special. It succeeds very well at pushing the story outside its usual genre and into something a little more grown-up, and a little more supernatural, but never loses sight of the heart, humor, and kooky horror that have kept us all double-snapping for decades.” – Arezou Amin, Collider
Ferrari
In the summer of 1957, ex-race car driver, Enzo Ferrari, is in crisis. Bankruptcy stalks the company he and his wife, Laura, built from nothing 10 years earlier. Their tempestuous marriage struggles with the mourning of one son and the acknowledgment of another. He decides to counter his losses by rolling the dice on one race – 1,000 miles across Italy, the iconic Mille Miglia.
RATED R FOR SOME VIOLENT CONTENT / GRAPHIC IMAGES, SEXUAL CONTENT, AND LANGUAGE.
“The specter of death haunts the racing scenes in Ferrari. That’s part of their intoxicating charge. But it isn’t just the action that’s fraught with thrilling danger. Every moment of the drama moves with a sense of high-stakes dread, of underlying emotional turbulence.” – Owen Gleiberman, Variety
“Mann shoots this lunatic race from every conceivable angle — with cameras in and out of cars, bearing down on drivers’ faces, agitatedly hovering midair — creating an immersive, visceral intimacy that, as engines whine and thunderously roar, you feel in your bones.” – Manohla Dargis, New York Times
“Ferrari emerges as that rarest of films: the complex, complicated biopic. Like his subject, Mann appreciates beauty and power while never forgetting that beauty can wither and power can destroy; within that matrix of messy contradictions, he creates haunting drama.” – Alonso Duralde, The Film Verdict
I.S.S.
Tensions flare in the near future aboard the International Space Station as a worldwide conflict breaks out on Earth. Reeling from this, the astronauts receive orders from the ground: take control of the station by any means necessary.
RATED R FOR SOME VIOLENCE AND LANGUAGE.
“It’s a surprisingly trenchant story for what seems to be a slight genre thriller, but then again, genre thrillers can be the best vessels for these kinds of messages.” – Katie Walsh, Chicago Tribune
“It is an efficient thrill ride, running about 90 minutes, with every moment used as effectively as possible.” – Nell Minow, RogerEbert.com
“Although its barebones backstories and straightforward storytelling may not leave a massive impact, I.S.S. conveys the dangers of space and human desperation in a way that will leave you gasping for oxygen.” – Elijah Gonzalez, Paste
Good Burger 2
This sequel to the iconic ‘90s feature film based on the sketch from the Nickelodeon comedy series All That follows Dexter Reed (Kenan Thompson) and original cashier Ed (Kel Mitchell) as they reunite in the present day at fast-food restaurant Good Burger with a hilarious new group of employees.
RATED TV-PG. CONTAINS MILD LANGUAGE, CRUDE HUMOR, AND SLAPSTICK VIOLENCE.
“Good Burger 2 sticks to the hits but matures enough to not seem weirdly juvenile. It comes off as endearing and nostalgic fun.” – Jerrica Tisdale, Tell-Tale TV
“Everyone involved in the making of Good Burger 2 seem like they really care about this world and these characters. Ed (Kel Mitchell) and Dexter (Kenan Thompson) are a throwback to classic comedy duos like Abbott and Costello & Laurel and Hardy.” – Korey Coleman, Double Toasted
“Fans of the 1997 effort should be pleased with this revival, which finds its groove quickly and wisely puts Mitchell and Thompson back in charge of silliness.” – Brian Orndorf, Blu-ray.com
Saint Omer
Saint Omer court of law. Young novelist Rama attends the trial of Laurence Coly, a young woman accused of killing her 15-month-old daughter by abandoning her to the rising tide on a beach in northern France. But as the trial continues, the words of the accused and witness testimonies will shake Rama’s convictions and call into question our own judgment.
RATED PG-13 FOR SOME THEMATIC ELEMENTS AND BRIEF STRONG LANGUAGE.
“Saint Omer is a deeply intellectual film – Medea is referenced several times as a frame of understanding – but it’s also heartfelt. There is a compassion to the dispassion: an empathy.” – John Bleasdale, CineVue
“Saint Omer challenges accepted ideas of perspective, of subjectivity and objectivity — and even of what cinema can be when it’s framed by an intelligence that doesn’t accept those accepted ideas.” – Jessica Kiang, Variety
“Saint Omer might be fiction, but Diop does not stray too far from her documentary roots. The film maintains a sense of naturalism even during its most tense moments. Diop’s directing style leans observational, as if she is watching and recording her screenplay’s effect on her performers.” – Lovia Gyarkye, Hollywood Reporter
When Evil Lurks
In a remote village, two brothers find a demon-infected man just about to give birth to evil itself. They decide to get rid of the man but merely succeed in helping him to deliver the inferno.
NOT RATED. CONTAINS GRAPHIC VIOLENCE, DISTURBING IMAGES, TERROR, STRONG LANGUAGE, AND BRIEF NUDITY.
“The cast give it their all, selling every moment of hope, fear, confusion, and agony and making the ever-increasing insanity believable… This has actually been a fairly strong year for horror movies, but this still stands out as one of the best and a possible new classic.” – Sean Farrell, AFPL Journal
“When Evil Lurks is a capital ‘H’ horror film that risks it all and hits the jackpot, pummeling its audience into submissions and still leaving us asking for more.” – Matt Donato, IGN
“Delivering scares at a pace that rarely allows one to catch their breath, and with enough gruesome surprises to consistently startle.” – Nick Schager, The Daily Beast
Lord of Misrule
Rebecca Holland (Tuppence Middleton) has recently taken over as priest of a small town. When her young daughter Grace (Evie Templeton) goes missing at the local harvest festival, a desperate search begins. The closer they edge towards finding Grace, the more secrets emerge from the town’s dark past. Soon, Rebecca must decide just how much she is willing to sacrifice to rescue her daughter from the grip of evil.
NOT RATED. CONTAINS STRONG VIOLENCE, BLOODY IMAGES, STRONG LANGUAGE, BRIEF NUDITY, AND THEMATIC MATERIAL.
“Examines the different way shepherds control their flock, and how blindly those sheep are willing to follow.” – Kevin Wight, The Wee Review
“Lord of Misrule is a solid folk horror package led by two top-quality performances by Middleton and Ineson, making it a worthy watch that may stay with you for a while.” – James Perkins, Starburst
“It possesses an earnestness and polish that affords audiences a morbidly fun and familiar film yet still manages to turn a few expectations on their ears precisely when they need it.” – Matthew Roe, Film Threat
Freelance
An ex special forces operative stuck in a dead-end desk job (John Cena) reluctantly takes on a gig to provide private security for a washed-up journalist (Alison Brie) as she interviews a ruthless—but impeccably dressed—dictator (Juan Pablo Raba). When a military coup breaks out just as she’s about to get the scoop of a lifetime, the unlikely trio must figure out how to survive the jungle, the assassins, and each other in order to make it out alive.
RATED R FOR VIOLENCE AND LANGUAGE.
“This meant-to-be-forgettable action comedy relies heavily on the universal appeal of the ever-charming Cena, which makes it all the more enjoyable. I had a fun time watching this one.” – Louisa Moore, Screen Zealots
Freud’s Last Session
On the eve of the Second World War, two of the greatest minds of the twentieth century, C.S. Lewis and Sigmund Freud converge for their own personal battle over the existence of God. Freud’s Last Session interweaves the lives of Freud and Lewis, past, present, and through fantasy, bursting from the confines of Freud’s study on a dynamic journey.
RATED PG-13 FOR THEMATIC MATERIAL, SOME BLOODY / VIOLENT IMAGES, SEXUAL MATERIAL, AND SMOKING.
“You’d have to be crazy to skip just about any performance by the inestimable Anthony Hopkins, and, despite a scattershot script, there are reasons aplenty to keep this appointment with his crusty, cantankerous take on Sigmund Freud.” – Bill Newcott, The Saturday Evening Post
“…a quietly captivating movie showcasing two terrific actors playing shrewd characters arguing about the big issues of their day like the world order, the dangers of autocracy, and those who would marginalize others to gain absolute power.” – Jeff York, The Establishing Shot
“Thought-provoking & enlightening – with exquisite performances by Anthony Hopkins and Matthew Goode – this mental jousting deftly delineates the perspectives of atheist ‘father’ of psychoanalysis Sigmund Freud and erudite Christian apologist C.S. Lewis.” – Susan Granger, SSG Syndicate
Four Daughters
Between light and darkness stands Olfa, a Tunisian woman and the mother of four daughters. One day, her two older daughters disappear. To fill in their absence, the filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania invites professional actresses and invents a unique cinema experience that will lift the veil on Olfa and her daughters’ life stories. An intimate journey of hope, rebellion, violence, transmission and sisterhood that will question the very foundations of our societies.
NOT RATED. CONTAINS LANGUAGE, MILD VIOLENCE, AND THEMATIC CONTENT.
“The result is a bold and sensational documentary that seamlessly blends reality and adaptation, successfully crafting a story of grief and trauma that is as profound as it is heartbreaking.” – Aidan Kelley, Collider
“It is full of joy and laughter, as well as tears. It is about many things, among them sisterhood, the difficulties of parenting, processing trauma in a patriarchal society, and religious extremism. But most of all, it’s filled with life, and all the triumphs and pleasure, pain and disappointments that go with it.” – G. Allen Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle
“It’s frequently an uncomfortable watch and, at points, prompts prickly ethical questions about the potential for the re-traumatisation of documentary subjects. But, perhaps more unexpectedly, this bold and confrontational film is also joyous, playful and in some ways even empowering.” – Wendy Ide, Screen Daily
The Lesson
Liam (Daryl McCormack), an aspiring and ambitious young writer, eagerly accepts a tutoring position at the family estate of his idol, renowned author J.M. Sinclair (Richard E. Grant). But soon, Liam realizes that he is ensnared in a web of family secrets, resentment, and retribution. Sinclair, his wife Hélène (Julie Delpy), and their son Bertie (Stephen McMillan) all guard a dark past, one that threatens Liam’s future as well as their own. As the lines between master and protégé blur, class, ambition, and betrayal become a dangerous combination in this taut noir thriller.
RATED R FOR LANGUAGE AND SOME SEXUAL CONTENT.
“Unfolding with a tonic intelligence and a slow accretion of menace, Alex MacKeith’s screenplay is smoothly in sync with the specific skills of each performer.” – Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times
“The Lesson is a quiet little film with surprisingly sharp teeth.” – Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic
“It’s a clever bit of noir that keeps a viewer slightly off-balance at all times as the tension builds.” – Liz Braun, Original Cin
Radical Wolfe
From a beat reporter at the Washington Post to an overnight sensation as the leader of the New Journalism movement, Tom Wolfe was at the forefront of reshaping how American stories are told. Recognizing the importance of overlooked subcultures and communities, Wolfe documented everything from rural stock car drivers to hippies in Haight Ashbury to the Apollo Astronauts, and his ability to bridge cultural and class divides while tackling stories central to American Life was unique in fiction and non-fiction. With a distinctive and oft-imitated style all his own, Wolfe’s body of work includes some of the most memorable and culturally impactful stories of the 20th century like The Right Stuff, The Bonfire of the Vanities, and A Man in Full. Radical Wolfe is a look at the man inside the famous white suit, featuring conversations and interviews with those who knew him best, including Michael Lewis, Gay Talese, Lynn Nesbit, Terry McDonell, Tom Junod, Christopher Buckley, Niall Ferguson, and Alexandra Wolfe.
NOT RATED. CONTAINS LANGUAGE.
“It’s a highly entertaining movie that manages to pack in more or less every important thing you’d want to know about Tom Wolfe.” – Owen Gleiberman, Variety
“A short, 71-minute overview of the career of writer Tom Wolfe, it feels like a principled reminder of what journalism used to be, offering Wolfe’s originality, professionalism, and integrity.” – Armond White, National Review
“If there’s a note of reflexive nostalgia in the proceedings, that inevitably has to do not just with the man at the film’s center but with the era that produced him, a time when magazine and print journalism could take writers and make instant celebrities and hugely influential cultural figures out of them. That day is long gone, but Radical Wolfe makes a strong case that it’s well worth remembering.” – Godfrey Cheshire, RogerEbert.com
The Lost King
In this inspiring true story, amateur historian Philippa Langley (Sally Hawkins) believes she has made the archeological find of the century: the lost burial site of King Richard III. She takes on Britain’s most eminent historians, forcing them to rethink the legacy of one of the most controversial rulers in English history.
RATED PG-13 FOR SOME STRONG LANGUAGE AND BRIEF SUGGESTIVE REFERENCES.
“Stephen Frears’ latest based-on-a-true story onscreen endeavor is at the same time compelling and endearing, perhaps because at its core it’s a story about the common man triumphing over naysayers.” – Emily Zemler, Observer
“It’s a feel-good film about dreams, about obsession, about believing in yourself when nobody else seems to be doing it for you, and Hawkins carries it with effortless ease.” – Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times
“It’s a film that calls into question our own biases and accepted notions and encourages one to get out there and find the truth — it could be an adventure after all.” – Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times
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