Indie Film Release Guide: September 18th [An ONTD Original]
The anemic box office of Christopher Nolan’s Tenet has the major studios hesitant to release any big-budget new movies in the near future, and they’ve decided to skip this weekend entirely. But it’s a pretty decent weekend for indie releases, with big stars and no-names alike, and they’re spread out everywhere from streaming services to limited theatrical runs.
The films listed are from studios other than the “Big Six” - Paramount, Warner Brothers, 20th Century Fox, Universal, Columbia/Sony and Disney. All films listed will be available at their respective sources on Friday unless otherwise noted. Check out the posts from the past few weeks for more movies that may have already come to VOD: September 11th, September 4th, and August 28th.
The Devil All the Time
Click to viewStars: Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Bill Skarsgård, Haley Bennett
Writer: Antonio Campos, Paolo Campos
Director: Antonio Campos
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Plot: Sinister characters converge around a young man devoted to protecting those he loves in a postwar backwoods town teeming with corruption and brutality.
What you should know: Based on the novel by Donald Ray Pollock
Where to stream: Netflix, available now
Antebellum
Stars: Janelle Monáe, Kiersey Clemons, Jack Huston, Gabourey Sidibe
Writer/Director: Gerard Bush, Christopher Renz
Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Plot: Successful author Veronica Henley finds herself trapped in a horrifying reality and must uncover the mind-bending mystery before it's too late.
What you should know: This is the directors' first narrative feature film, though they have previously worked on many shorts and a documentary together.
Where to stream: VOD
Blackbird
Stars: Susan Sarandon, Kate Winslet, Sam Neill, Mia Wasikowska
Writer: Christian Torpe
Director: Roger Michell
Genre: Drama
Plot: A terminally ill mother arranges to bring her family together one last time before she dies.
What you should know: A remake of the 2014 Danish film Silent Heart.
Where to stream: Virtual cinema and VOD
All In: The Fight for Democracy
Director: Lisa Cortes, Liz Garbus
Genre: Documentary
Storyline: A look at the history, and current activism against voter suppression; barriers to voting that most people don't even know is a threat to their basic rights as citizens of the United States.
What you should know: The documentary prominently features Georgia politician Stacy Abrams.
Where to stream: Amazon Video
The Nest
Stars: Jude Law, Carrie Coon, Anne Reid, Charlie Shotwell
Writer/Director: Sean Durkin
Genre: Drama
Plot: Life for an entrepreneur and his American family begin to take a twisted turn after moving into an English country manor.
What you should know: This is director Sean Durkin’s first film since 2011’s Martha Marcy May Marlene.
Where to watch: In select theaters
Alone
Stars: Jules Willcox, Marc Menchaca, Anthony Heald, Jonathan Rosenthal
Writer: Mattias Olsson
Director: John Hyams
Genre: Thriller
Plot: A recently widowed traveler is kidnapped by a cold blooded killer, only to escape into the wilderness where she is forced to battle against the elements as her pursuer closes in on her.
What you should know: Director John Hyams has directed a lot of television, including episodes of Z Nation and Chicago P.D..
Where to stream: VOD
Lost Girls and Love Hotels
Stars: Alexandra Daddario, Takehiro Hira, Carice van Houten, Kate Easton
Writer: Catherine Hanrahan
Director: William Olsson
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Plot: Margaret finds herself in the glittering labyrinth of Tokyo by night and as a respected English teacher of a Japanese flight attendant academy by day. When she crosses paths with Kazu, a dashing yakuza, she falls in love with him despite the danger and tradition that hinders their chances of being together.
What you should know: Based on the book by Catherine Hanrahan, who adapted her own work for the screen.
Where to stream: VOD
The Secrets We Keep
Stars: Noomi Rapace, Joel Kinnaman, Chris Messina, Amy Seimetz
Writer: Yuval Adler, Ryan Covington
Director: Yuval Adler
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Plot: In post-WWII America, a woman, rebuilding her life in the suburbs with her husband, kidnaps her neighbor and seeks vengeance for the heinous war crimes she believes he committed against her.
What you should know: Noomi Rapace and Joel Kinnaman previously starred together in Child 44.
Where to watch: In select theaters and available VOD
Stage Mother
Stars: Jacki Weaver, Lucy Liu, Adrian Grenier, Mya Taylor
Writer: Brad Hennig
Director: Thom Fitzgerald
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Music
Plot: A conservative church choir director inherits her late son's San Francisco drag club.
What you should know: The film was shot in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Where to watch: In select theaters and available VOD
The Way I See It
Director: Dawn Porter
Genre: Documentary
Storyline: Former Chief Official White House Photographer Pete Souza's journey as a person with top secret clearance and total access to the President.
What you should know: Some of the interviews had to be conducted remotely due to COVID-19.
Where to watch: In select theaters
Spiral
Stars: Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman, Ari Cohen, Jennifer Laporte, Lochlyn Munro
Writer:Colin Minihan, John Poliquin
Director: Kurtis David Harder
Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Plot: Malik and Aaron, a same-sex couple, move to a small town in search of a better environment for them and their 16-year-old daughter. But nothing is as it seems as something sinister lies behind the picturesque homes and welcoming faces of their new neighbors.
What you should know: Won the Audience Award at the OtherWorlds Austin SciFi Film Festival.
Where to watch: Shudder
More New Releases:
A Chef’s Voyage (Trailer)
God of the Piano (Trailer)
H is for Happiness (Trailer)
Alive (Trailer)
The Social Dilemma (Trailer)
Mambo Man (Trailer)
Rialto (Trailer)
Infidel (Trailer)
N.B.: Residue, featured in last week’s roundup, is now available on Netflix.
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What have you been watching, ONTD? See anything good lately?