Indie Film Release Guide: August 2nd [An ONTD Original]

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This weekend's big studio release is Hobbes & Shaw, a Fast and Furious series spinoff that is set to take over every premium format theater near you. But if you're hankering for something with 100% less Dwayne Johnson, check out the list below for some alternatives.

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: July 26th, July 19th, and July 12th.

The Nightingale

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Stars: Damon Herriman, Sam Claflin, Aisling Franciosi, Ewen Leslie
Writer/Director: Jennifer Kent
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Thriller
Plot: Set in 1825, Clare, a young Irish convict woman, chases a British officer through the rugged Tasmanian wilderness, bent on revenge for a terrible act of violence he committed against her family. On the way she enlists the services of an Aboriginal tracker named Billy, who is also marked by trauma from his own violence-filled past.
What you should know: From everything I’ve read about this film, I'd highly recommend avoiding it if you are sensitive to violence.
Opens in: Select cities



Love, Antosha

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Director: Garret Price
Genre: Documentary
Storyline: Through his journals and other writings, his photography, the original music he wrote, and interviews with his family, friends, and colleagues, this film looks not just at Anton Yelchin's impressive career, but at a broader portrait of the man. Born in the former Soviet Union to a family of artists, Anton and his parents came to the U.S. when he was six months old. He started acting at nine. He had a genuine curiosity and love for people, for art, and for family. And a willingness to explore, and be open with, the darker parts of himself.
What you should know: Yelchin died in 2016.
Opens in: Select cities

Luce

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Stars: Naomi Watts, Octavia Spencer, Tim Roth, Kelvin Harrison, Jr.
Writer: J.C. Lee, Julius Onah
Director: Julius Onah
Genre: Drama
Plot: A married couple is forced to reckon with their idealized image of their son, adopted from war-torn Eritrea, after an alarming discovery by a devoted high school teacher threatens his status as an all-star student.
What you should know: Naomi Watts and Tim Roth previously played a couple in the American remake of Funny Games.
Opens in: Select cities

Them That Follow

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Stars: Kaitlyn Dever, Walton Goggins, Olivia Colman, Thomas Mann
Writer/Director: Britt Poulton, Dan Madison Savage
Genre: Thriller
Plot: Inside a snake-handling church deep in Appalachia, a forbidden relationship forces a pastor's daughter to confront her community's deadly tradition.
What you should know: The film was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance 2019.
Opens in: Select cities

Tel Aviv on Fire

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Stars: Kais Nashif, Lubna Azabal, Yaniv Biton, Maisa Abd Elhadi
Writer: Dan Kleinman, Sameh Zoabi
Director: Sameh Zoabi
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Plot: Salam, an inexperienced young Palestinian man, becomes a writer on a popular soap opera after a chance meeting with an Israeli soldier. His creative career is on the rise - until the soldier and the show's financial backers disagree about how the show should end, and Salam is caught in the middle.
What you should know: It’s in Arabic and Hebrew.
Opens in: Select cities

Coyote Lake

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Stars: Camila Mendes, Charlie Weber, Adriana Barraza, Neil Sandilands
Writer: Sara Seligman, Thomas James Bond
Director: Sara Seligman
Genre: Thriller
Plot: Two unwanted guests threaten a young woman and her overbearing mother at a small bed-and-breakfast near the U.S.-Mexico border.
What you should know: This is director Sara Seligman’s first feature.
Opens in: Select cities, and available on demand

La Flor

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Stars: Elisa Carricajo, Valeria Correa, Pilar Gamboa, Laura Paredes
Writer/Director: Mariano Llinás
Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Musical
Plot: The first is a B-series, as the Americans used to do. The second is a musical melodrama with a hint of mystery. The third is a spy movie. The fourth is an abyss of cinema. The fifth revisits an old French film. The sixth speaks of captive women in the 19th century.
What you should know: The film is comprised of six episodes filmed in different styles, with each episode starring the same set of actresses. It’s 13 hours long in total, and presented in four parts.
Opens in: NYC. Check out the schedule for the screenings of each part here.

The Operative

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Stars: Diane Kruger, Martin Freeman, Cas Anvar, Rotem Keinan
Writer/Director: Yuval Adler
Genre: Thriller
Plot: Mossad recruits a woman to become an agent and sends her to Tehran on an undercover mission. When her missions become more dangerous, she decides to quit, forcing her boss to find her before she becomes a threat to Israel.
What you should know: Based on Yiftach R. Atir's book The English Teacher.
Opens in: Select cities

Ladyworld

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Stars: Maya Hawke, Ariela Barer, Annalise Basso, Ryan Simpkins
Writer: Amanda Kramer, Benjamin Shearn
Director: Amanda Kramer
Genre: Thriller
Plot: After a catastrophic event, eight girls find themselves stranded in a house without electricity. As they run out of food and water, their sanity begins to crumble, and soon they regress to their baser instincts.
What you should know: Director Amanda Kramer’s most recent feature was 2018’s Paris Window.
Opens in: Select cities

Madness in the Method

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Stars: Jason Mewes, Kevin Smith, Gia Carano, Jaime Camil
Writer: Chris Anastasi, Dominic Burns
Director: Jason Mewes
Genre: Comedy, Crime
Plot: Jason Mewes, attempting method acting in order to gain more respect for himself in Hollywood, slowly descends into madness.
What you should know: Features Stan Lee’s last appearance in a film.
Opens in: Select cities, and available on demand

Also opening: 15 Minutes of War (Trailer), Jay Myself (Trailer), Teacher (Trailer), Pirahnas (Trailer), Is That You? (Trailer), A Score to Settle (Trailer)

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What have you been watching lately, ONTD? Seeing anything this weekend? Nota bene: The Farewell is going wide this week, check your local listings!