Captain America: Brave New World
Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) has officially taken up the mantle of Captain America. After meeting with newly elected U.S. President Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford), Sam finds himself in the middle of an international incident. He must discover the reason behind a nefarious global plot before the true mastermind has the entire world seeing red.
rated pg-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, and some strong language.
“Giancarlo Esposito clearly relishes chewing the scenery in each of his moments as the scheming Sidewinder, and Tim Blake Nelson kills in every sense of the word as one the franchise’s most disturbing and coldly vicious villains to date. The presence of these two alone actually manages to elevate the entire movie.” – Sean Farrell, AFPL Journal
“[Ford’s] presence—along with a winning turn from Anthony Mackie as the patriotic title character—makes this adventure a sturdy return to franchise form.” – Nick Schager, The Daily Beast
“Even for its flaws, Captain America: Brave New World feels like the series may be finding its soul again.” – Richard Whittaker, Austin Chronicle
Mickey 17
The unlikely hero, Mickey Barnes (Robert Pattinson) has found himself in the extraordinary circumstance of working for an employer who demands the ultimate commitment to the job… to die, for a living.
rated r for violent content, language throughout, sexual content, and drug material.
“Patterson kills it in the main role(s)… If you’re inclined to enjoy beautifully crafted, oddball, unsubtle, auteur-driven movies that take surprisingly deep and moving looks at precisely what it is that makes us ourselves, then you can’t go wrong giving this a watch.” – Sean Farrell, AFPL Journal
“For all the cruelty and buffoonery that might surround his hero, Bong lets us in on a revelation: what we’re really watching is a man learning that it’s OK for him to be happy.” – Clarisse Loughrey, The Independent
“Bong keeps things zipping along, and with such nimbleness that the movie’s heavier ideas never weigh it down. He jabs rather than pounds as he takes on targets — authoritarianism, comic-book heroics, the vanity of power — while playfully mixing moods and acting styles.” – Manohla Dargis, New York Times
Black Bag
Black Bag is a gripping spy drama about legendary intelligence agents George Woodhouse (Michael Fassbender) and his beloved wife Kathryn (Cate Blanchett). When she is suspected of betraying the nation, George faces the ultimate test – loyalty to his marriage or his country.
rated r for language including some sexual references, and some violence.
“The result is absolutely delicious, a svelte piece of entertainment that feels like a vintage yarn yet very much represents our own current anxieties, questions of sustaining trust in relationships and high-stake careers.” – Monica Castillo, RogerEbert.com
“Black Bag may be rooted in the mind, but it is inextricably connected to the heart, especially in matters of love and trust, betrayal and murder. That’s what makes a Soderbergh genre exercise such a deliciously satisfying cinematic morsel: It is pure fun, but also deeply layered with larger existential themes, making for a delightful romantic spy drama that cannot be missed.” – Katie Walsh, Seattle Times
“Soderbergh and Koepp, for their part, express their own fervent belief: in the seductive glamour of espionage and the magnetism of Blanchett’s and Fassbender’s interlocking gazes—which is to say, in the enveloping artifice and power of movies. Great is their faithfulness indeed.” – Justin Chang, The New Yorker
Dune: Prophecy: Season 1
10,000 years before Paul Atreides, Valya (Emily Watson) and her sister, Tula Harkonnen (Olivia Williams) fight threats and establish what will be Bene Gesserit in the series inspired by the Dune prequel novel Sisterhood of Dune.
rated tv-ma. contains bloody violence, nudity, strong sexual content, language, thematic content, and drug use.
“It’s been compared to Game of Thrones, and while it’s an apt comparison, Dune: Prophecy exists in its own universe, and is a strategizing sci-fi headtrip with outstanding effects and production values. I’m certainly hooked.” – Randy Myers, The Mercury News
“Dune: Prophecy makes great use of sweeping locales, offering a refreshing reprieve from CGI-heavy programs that don’t ever quite feel authentic. Here, things feel real, from the stakes to the warm-lit halls and even the mysterious power of the Sisterhood.” – Mary Siroky, Consequence
“It is certainly beautiful to look at and features the franchise’s signature asymmetrical spaceships and top-drawer costuming. But this is very much its own show and can be enjoyed even if you’re only vaguely familiar with the source material.” – Ed Power, The Telegraph
Presence
A family moves into a suburban house and becomes convinced they’re not alone.
rated r for violence, drug material, language, sexuality, and teen drinking.
“This is an enormously satisfying watch for haunted house movie fans, favoring sustained anxiety over big scares and practical effects over digital trickery.” – David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter
“Presence isn’t afraid to be narratively predictable, because it’s out there visually. It’s an art film that also works as a spellbinding horror film, and it might be the best thing Soderbergh has done in ages.” – Bilge Ebiri, Vulture
“If the genre trappings seem familiar, it’s the prowling, ghostlike vantage of the camera that makes all the difference: Soderbergh has elected to tell this haunted-house story entirely from the perspective of the haunter. Shooting in wide-angled long takes that range in tenor from voyeuristic languor to nerve-shredding anxiety, he transforms a domestic horror exercise into another Soderberghian tour de force.” – Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times
The Woman in the Yard
Seriously injured, Ramona (Danielle Deadwyler) now must care for her 14-year-old son (Peyton Jackson) and 6-year-old-daughter (Estella Kahiha), alone in her rural farmhouse. Then one day a lone, spectral woman shrouded entirely in black appears in their yard. Ramona assumes the woman (Okwui Okpokwasili) is lost or demented, but as she creeps nearer & nearer to the house, it becomes clear she is no ordinary figure and her intentions are anything but peaceful. Now Ramona must rally to protect herself and her children from the grasp of the woman who simply won’t leave them alone.
rated pg-13 for terror, some violent content / bloody images, suicide-related content, and brief strong language.
“It’s a shame the movie has such a goofy name, which throws a shroud over a powerful and unique cinematic experience.” – Jordan Bassett, NME
“More unsettling than outright terrifying, The Woman in the Yard is smaller-scale horror that works as a return to fundamentals for a talented filmmaker, and is further proof of Danielle Deadwyler’s immense skill as a lead performer who knows how to pull off the psychological ramp-up required for a movie like this.” – Steve Greene, IGN
“Some genre fans will be disappointed by the film’s slow-burn style and the cryptic nature of Sam Stefanak’s screenplay, including its twist ending that’s open to interpretation. But for anyone more interested in cerebral horror and less in watching arteries gushing and entrails popping out, The Woman in the Yard offers considerable rewards.” – Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter
The Alto Knights
Two of New York’s most notorious organized crime bosses, Frank Costello and Vito Genovese (both played by Robert De Niro), vie for control of the city’s streets. Once the best of friends, petty jealousies and a series of betrayals place them on a deadly collision course that will reshape the Mafia (and America) forever.
rated r for violence and pervasive language.
“If there was any doubt as to De Niro’s greatness, it’s laid to rest in these face-to-face confrontations. No star could’ve held his own quite so effectively against De Niro.” – Peter Debruge, Variety
“The Alto Knights is an impressive film, taking inherently interesting material and doing very well not to foul it up. Sure, it’s something we’ve seen de Niro do before, but it leaves you wanting more of it, as he fits this mold perfectly.” – Perry Norton, Film Threat
“De Niro infuses Costello with a kind of avuncular charm, while Genovese has the fiery temper and paranoid fury to match Jake La Motta in Raging Bull. It’s a privilege to witness one of the best actors of all time, still at the top of his game.” – Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times
Better Man
Better Man is based on the true story of the meteoric rise, dramatic fall, and remarkable resurgence of British pop superstar Robbie Williams, one of the greatest entertainers of all time. The film is uniquely told from Williams’ perspective, capturing his signature wit and indomitable spirit. It follows Robbie’s journey from childhood, to being the youngest member of chart-topping boyband Take That, through to his unparalleled achievements as a record-breaking solo artist – all the while confronting the challenges that stratospheric fame and success can bring.
rated r for drug use, pervasive language, sexual content, nudity, and some violent content.
“A fun, bombastic, brilliantly choreographed and totally enthralling film.” – Kaleem Aftab, Time Out
“What’s so inspiring about Better Man is that it represents the culmination of such a smart collection of choices, ones that add up to create a true portrait of an artist.” – Liz Shannon Miller, Consequence
“Gracey paints a fabulously entertaining and touching picture of an insecure, complicated man hauling himself from a quicksand of grasping fans, greedy impresarios, unresolved addictions and father-son dysfunction.” – Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times
The Seed of the Sacred Fig
Investigating judge Iman grapples with paranoia amid political unrest in Tehran. When his gun vanishes, he suspects his wife and daughters, imposing draconian measures that strain family ties as societal rules crumble.
rated pg-13 for disturbing violent content, bloody images, thematic content, some language, and smoking.
“The film itself is a mesmerisingly gripping and controlled parable-thriller in which the paranoia, misogyny and rage of the Iranian state are mapped seamlessly onto an ordinary family unit.” – Robbie Collin, The Telegraph
“Rasoulof crafts an extraordinarily gripping allegory about the corrupting costs of power and the suppression of women under a religious patriarchy that crushes the very people it claims to protect.” – Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire
“It clocks in at three hours but not a scene feels superfluous as its central quartet – dad, mum, two teenage daughters – squabble, fall out and finally implode in a subversive final act.” – Phil de Semlyen, Time Out
The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie
Porky and Daffy, the classic animated odd couple, turn into unlikely heroes when their antics at the local bubble gum factory uncover a secret alien mind control plot. Against all odds, the two are determined to save their town (and the world!)… that is if they don’t drive each other crazy in the process.
rated pg for cartoon violence / action and rude / suggestive humor.
“It’s a modern story that pays homage to the vintage stylings of this pair of characters, a blast from the past that should last for a new generation of cartoon aficionados.” – John Kirk, Original Cin
“The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie is a looney good time, and a grand return to the big screen for the classic characters.” – Rafael Motamayor, IGN
“The entire project — including a handful of fun fourth-wall-shattering asides — is crafted with love and a genuine respect for the franchise.” – Peter Debruge, Variety
My Dead Friend Zoe
Engaged in a mysterious relationship with her dead best friend from the Army, a female Afghanistan veteran comes head to head with her Vietnam vet grandfather at the family’s ancestral lake house.
rated r for language.
“[Sonequa Martin-Green gives] a star-making performance that will likely go down as one the year’s best… [has] an emotional gut-punch of a reveal that will stick with viewers… one of the best films of the year so far.” – Sean Farrell, AFPL Journal
“To be able to understand these universal experiences on a deeper level because of this film is a true gift. Even if you don’t have a Zoe, just know that you’re never truly alone.” – Jason Delgado, Film Threat
“My Dead Friend Zoe opens wounds and douses them in peroxide — the immediate sensation stings, but eventually cleanses and soothes.” – Matt Donato, Collider
Bottoms
PJ (Rachel Sennott) and Josie (Ayo Edebiri) start a fight club as a way to lose their virginities to cheerleaders. Their bizarre plan works. The fight club gains traction and soon the most popular girls in school are beating each other up in the name of self-defense. But PJ and Josie find themselves in over their heads and in need of a way out before their plan is exposed.
rated r for crude sexual content, pervasive language, and some violence.
“Bottoms is a brilliantly bizarre movie that pushes boundaries and packs a punch—literally.” – Laura Babiak, Observer
“What Seligman, Sennott and Edebiri have given us is nothing less than a Heathers for this generation. It hits you, and it feels like a kiss.” – David Fear, Rolling Stone
“Bottoms is unlike any high-school comedy you’ve ever seen. It’s a satire of victimization, a satire of violence, and a satire of itself. It walks a tightrope between sensitivity and insanity (with a knowing bit of inanity), and it’s full of moments that are defiantly what we once used to call incorrect.” – Owen Gleiberman, Variety
Evil Does Not Exist
In the rural alpine hamlet of Mizubiki, not far from Tokyo, Takumi and his daughter, Hana, lead a modest life gathering water, wood, and wild wasabi for the local udon restaurant. Increasingly, the townsfolk become aware of a talent agency’s plan to build an opulent glamping site nearby, offering city residents a comfortable “escape” to the snowy wilderness. When two company representatives arrive and ask for local guidance, Takumi becomes conflicted in his involvement, as it becomes clear that the project will have a pernicious impact on the community.
not rated. contains mild violence, bloody images, and smoking.
“Evil Does Not Exist, the new film from Drive My Car director Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, is a slow-burning wonder, an eco-fable of meditative beauty and menace, down-to-earth realism, and mythic resonances.” – Liam Lacey, Original Cin
“However you choose to interpret it, Evil Does Not Exist lingers, magnificently and furiously.” – Barry Hertz, The Globe and Mail
“Hamaguchi presents an uncomplicated tale about contemporary issues—corporate greed, climate change—packed with so many complex narrative beats that it plays like a dense 19th century novel. It’s simple, but it explains life itself.” – Murtada Elfadl, AV Club
The End
A Golden Age-style musical about the last human family.
rated pg-13 for some violent content and language.
“A mixture of domestic drama, apocalyptic fable and old-fashioned (and unironic) Hollywood musical, The End is an audacious and frequently enrapturing experience, with superb performances at its emotional heart.” – Tim Grierson, Screen Daily
“With his maiden foray into drama, the writer/director continues to prove himself one of modern cinema’s true greats.” – Nick Schager, The Daily Beast
“The End carries that rare sense of a lack of compromise––a fully realized world from a visionary director. It’s exhilarating to simply exist in this world that Oppenheimer and his team (including co-writer Rasmus Heisterberg) craft.” – Caleb Hammond, The Film Stage
Viêt and Nam
In the underground coal mines, Nam and Viet, young miners, face danger and darkness. One prepares to leave for a new life, but they must find Nam’s father’s remains, a soldier lost in a faraway forest, retracing the past through memories.
not rated. contains graphic nudity, sexual content, violent imagery, thematic material, and language.
“Sad but beautiful and rich with symbolism, this tale will haunt the viewer long after its striking, heartbreaking final sequence.” – Sean Farrell, AFPL Journal
“In exploring how the ruptures of the past map themselves onto relationships in the present, [Quy] elegantly approaches a familiar theme: how war reverberates throughout generations, imposing on witnesses and their successors.” – Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter
“Viêt and Nam is a series of excavations, and, for all its gentle cadences—a shot of jungle leaves rustling in the wind about approximates the story’s rhythm—it seems to unearth new mysteries and paradoxes by the minute.” – Justin Chang, The New Yorker
Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person
Sasha is a young vampire with a serious problem: she’s too sensitive to kill. When her exasperated parents cut off her blood supply, Sasha’s life is in jeopardy. Luckily, she meets Paul, a lonely teenager with suicidal tendencies who is willing to give his life to save hers. But their friendly agreement soon becomes a nocturnal quest to fulfill Paul’s last wishes before day breaks.
not rated. contains violence, language, and thematic content.
“Ariane Louis-Seize’s debut feature plays like a coming-of-age genre mash-up, and features a tortured blood-sucker protagonist reminiscent of Only Lovers Left Alive, A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night or even The Hunger, although it is narratively and stylistically striking enough to make its own impact.” – Nikki Baughan, Screen Daily
“The smokescreen of a vampire movie lets it navigate treacherous waters with levity, deftly touching on difficult topics.” – Conor Bryce, Film Ireland
“…Ariane Louis-Seize’s delightful Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person drives a wooden stake of complexity through vampire mythology, offering a fresh new take through a pacifistic protagonist.” – Randy Jones, RogerEbert.com
Young Hearts
Elias (14) feels attracted to his new neighbor Alexander (14). Soon he realizes that he’s truly in love for the first time. The interactions with his friends and family bring more questions than answers. Confused by his burgeoning feelings, Elias tries to sort out his inner chaos to prove that he is worth Alexander’s heart.
not rated. contains partial nudity, brief strong language, and teen drinking.
“Young Hearts is a film that doesn’t traffic in big plot twists or dramatic reveals. It’s a film that treasures fragile thoughts and feelings, rare in a film these days.” – G. Allen Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle
“Sweet and earnest, this is the kind of film that’s easy to wrap your arms around because it understands that coming of age is inherently traumatic. It needn’t be overly dramatized.” – Robert Daniels, RogerEbert.com
“With lovely, natural cinematography by Pieter Van Campe, a story that believably strikes at themes many will relate to, and a stellar young cast, Young Hearts is one of the best films of the year so far. It’s full of heart, emotionally resonant, and exactly the sort of movie I wish existed when I was that age. By the end, it feels like these characters are real people, and I will never forget them.” – Sean Farrell, AFPL Journal
Being Maria
Maria Schneider (Anamaria Vartolomei) is a promising, young French actress. When she gets the lead in a feature film directed by an acclaimed Italian filmmaker and starring one of America’s most beloved actors, it seems like the opportunity of a lifetime. Her collaborators, director Bernardo Bertolucci and star Marlon Brando (Matt Dillon) seem to be bringing out the best in Maria, sharing a warm rapport and mentorship with the 19-year old girl. Until one day, when the two men conspire to shoot a crucial sex scene as a harrowing assault without letting Maria in on the plan. The film goes on to be lauded as a fearless artistic breakthrough, but for Maria, it’s the beginning of a living hell. Based on the behind-the-scenes true story of the making of Last Tango in Paris, Jessica Palud’s sensitive biopic centers Maria’s story for the first time.
not rated. contains pervasive language, thematic content, sexual content, mild violence, drug use, and smoking.
“Maria Schneider’s story is a tragic and often infuriating one, and Being Maria captures the complexity of the situation.” – Sheila O’Malley, RogerEbert.com
“…the film is buoyed by Vartolomei’s constant pursuit of the truth, and by the intensity with which Maria is always searching to see herself reflected in the eyes of those looking at her — our eyes very much included.” – David Ehrlich, IndieWire
“Being Maria is a film that tries and mostly succeeds in immersing us in the experience of the French actress Maria Schneider, cast and almost certainly abused and exploited in a movie that would both make her name, and ruin it, to say nothing of the psychological damage it probably left her with.” – Roger Moore, Movie Nation
Magazine Dreams
Killian Maddox is consumed by his dream of becoming a world famous bodybuilder and one day gracing the cover of fitness magazines. He lives a lonely, regimented life, and his relentless drive for perfection only pushes him deeper towards self destruction, but beneath his tenacious pursuit of superstardom lies a desperate, aching need for human connection.
rated r for violent content, drug use, sexual material / nudity, and language.
“Magazine Dreams creates a character haunting in his extremity. But his dream becomes ours, as does the heartbreaking prospect of it being snuffed before our eyes.” – Owen Gleiberman, Variety
“It is an intimate, somber, uncompromising cinematic portrait of a desperate soul in the vein of Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler, if it were cross-bred with Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver. The film will haunt you long after the lights fade.” – Alex Saveliev, Film Threat
“A brutal study of physical extremity and psychological meltdown built around an entirely astonishing lead performance from Jonathan Majors.” – Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times
Survive
Julia and her loving husband celebrate their son’s birthday on their boat in the middle of the ocean. When a violent storm nearly capsizes them, the family awakes in a desert land. Earth has undergone a tragic polarity reversal, draining water from the oceans. After her husband’s death, Julia must save her children in a world where hungry creatures from the abyss hunt for fresh flesh!
not rated. contains strong bloody violence, peril, and some strong language.
“With its constant changing of locations, threat and stakes, Survive is a welcome entry into the pantheon of survival horror.” – Kat Hughes, THN
“…there’s no accusing Survive of being dry, swinging for the fences in a narrative that plays out somewhere between The Day After Tomorrow and Mad Max.” – Joel Harley, Starburst
“Between the premise and the lively score, Survive is decent enough B-movie background noise that closely mirrors Dante’s Peak until something truly remarkable occurs: a barrage of fast-moving man-eating crabs become the top of the proverbial food chain.” – Robert Daniels, RogerEbert.com
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