Indie Film Release Guide: December 28th [An ONTD Original]

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Here it is, the last indie film round-up of 2018! This marks another light week of releases on the indie front, but there are some big, highly anticipated ones in here (and yes, technically many of these films came out on Christmas Day, but I was busy). This week, Annapurna and John C. Reilly go head to head with themselves, and sandstorm's most anticipated release of 2018 makes its debut on the big screen.

The films listed are from studios other than the “Big Six” - Paramount, Warner Brothers, 20th Century Fox, Universal, Columbia and Disney. Note that some of the movies listed are in their first week or two of limited release in the USA, so it may take them a few more weeks (or months) to show up in your local arthouse theater or on VOD. Check out the posts from the past few weeks for more movies that may have just opened near you: December 21st, December 14th, December 7th.

Destroyer

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Stars: Nicole Kidman, Sebastian Stan, Toby Kebbell, Tatiana Maslany
Writer: Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi
Director: Karyn Kusama
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama
Plot: A police detective reconnects with people from an undercover assignment in her distant past in order to make peace.
What you should know: Director Karyn Kusama incorporates the sounds and sights of locations all over Los Angeles in this film. She and writer/husband Phil Hay say they actively seek to write and direct films set in LA.
Opens in: NYC & LA



Vice

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Stars: Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Steve Carell, Sam Rockwell
Written and directed by: Adam McKay
Genre: Biography, Comedy, Drama
Plot: The story of Dick Cheney, an unassuming bureaucratic Washington insider, who quietly wielded immense power as Vice President to George W. Bush, reshaping the country and the globe in ways that we still feel today.
What you should know: To portray Lynne Cheney, Amy Adams stayed in character throughout the duration of the shoot for the first time ever.
Opens in: Wide

On The Basis of Sex

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Stars: Felicity Jones, Armie Hammer, Justin Theroux, Sam Waterston
Writer: Daniel Stiepleton
Director: Mimi Leder
Genre: Biography, Drama
Plot: The story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, her struggles for equal rights, and what she had to overcome in order to become a U.S. Supreme Court Justice.
What you should know: As you may already know, Natalie Portman was originally attached to play RBG, but the project was stuck in development for years.
Opens in: Select cities

Stan & Ollie

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Stars: John C. Reilly, Steve Coogan, Shirley Henderson, Danny Huston
Writer: Jeff Pope
Director: Jon S. Baird
Genre: Biography, Comedy, Drama
Plot: Laurel and Hardy, the world's most famous comedy duo, attempt to reignite their film careers as they embark on what becomes their swan song - a grueling theatre tour of post-war Britain.
What you should know: Reilly and Coogan were the first choices for playing Laurel and Hardy, who writer Jeff Pope idolized.
Opens in: NYC & LA

Take Point

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Stars: Jung-Woo Ha, Sun-kyun Lee, Jennifer Ehle, Kevin Durand
Writer: Myung Chan Kang, Byung-woo Kim
Director: Byung-woo Kim
Genre: Action
Plot: On the day of the U.S. presidential election in 2024, Ahab and his team of elite mercenaries embark on a secret CIA mission to abduct North Korea's Armed Forces Minister in an underground bunker below the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). However, they get caught in the crossfire which causes tensions to escalate to the brink of World War III.
What you should know: Based on the novel by Sang-yeon Park
Opens in: LA

Kill Mobile

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Stars: Dawei Tong, Li Ma, Siyan Huo, Shan Qiao
Writer: Xiao Li, Huan Wang, Si Wang
Director: Miao Yu
Genre: Drama, Comedy
Plot: Seven friends get together for dinner, and decided to play a game where they must share all messages and calls from their cell phones. Hilarity and drama ensue together as everyone's secrets are unveiled and the seven friends find themselves more like strangers to each other.
What you should know: It’s in Mandarin
Opens in: Select cities

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What have you seen lately, ONTD? What films are you planning to see soon?