Indie Film Release Guide: November 13th [An ONTD Original]
This weekend marks an uptick in releases, likely tied to the approximate start of what will be a long, strange award season. Besides Mank, the most obvious and likely award-contender of the bunch, other films like Ammonite, Wolfwalkers, and The Life Ahead will also be seeking awards buzz. If you were just looking at the actors involved, you’d think that Hillbilly Elegy would be included on that list, but the dreadful critical response seems to have dampened any hope on that front.
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: November 6th, October 30th, and October 23rd.
Ammonite
Click to viewStars: Kate Winslet, Saoirse Ronan, Gemma Jones, Fiona Shaw
Writer/Director: Francis Lee
Genre: Biography, Drama, Romance
Plot: In 1840s England, acclaimed but overlooked fossil hunter Mary Anning and a young woman sent to convalesce by the sea develop an intense relationship, altering both of their lives forever.
What you should know: Filmed on-location in Lyme Regis, a town in West Dorset, England, where the real Mary Anning worked and collected fossils in the early 1800s.
Where to watch: In theaters; will be available VOD on December 4th
Mank
Stars: Gary Oldman, Amanda Seyfried, Lily Collins, Charles Dance
Writer: Jack Fincher
Director: David Fincher
Genre: Biography, Drama
Plot: 1930s Hollywood is reevaluated through the eyes of scathing wit and alcoholic screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz as he races to finish Citizen Kane.
What you should know: The six year break between Gone Girl (2014) and this film is the longest period that David Fincher’s gone without directing a film since he began his career.
Where to watch: In theaters; on Netflix 12/4
Hillbilly Elegy
Stars: Amy Adams, Haley Bennett, Glenn Close, Gabriel Basso
Writer: Vanessa Taylor
Director: Ron Howard
Genre: Drama
Plot: A Yale law student drawn back to his hometown grapples with family history, Appalachian values and the American dream.
What you should know: Based on the book by J.D. Vance.
Where to stream: Netflix
Monsoon
Stars: Henry Golding, Parker Sawyers, David Tran, Molly Harris
Writer/Director: Hong Khaou
Genre: Drama, Romance
Plot: Kit, a young British Vietnamese man, returns to his birth country for the first time in over 30 years. He was just eight years old when he and his family escaped Saigon as 'boat refugees' after the Vietnam War. No longer familiar with this country and unable to speak his native language, Kit embarks on a personal journey from Saigon to Hanoi in search of a place to scatter his parents’ ashes. Along the way he meets his estranged family through Lee and falls for Lewis, an American whose father had fought in the war. During his travels, Kit finally starts to connect to the memories of his parents and his own roots.
What you should know: This is director Hong Khaou’s second feature film, following 2014’s Lilting.
Where to stream: Available VOD
Make Up
Stars: Molly Windsor, Joseph Quinn, Stefanie Martini, Theo Barklem-Biggs
Writer/Director: Claire Oakley
Genre: Drama
Plot: On a remote holiday park in Cornwall, a young woman is drawn into a mysterious obsession when she suspects her boyfriend has cheated on her.
What you should know: Nominated for the SXSW Adam Yauch Hörnblowér Award at SXSW 2020.
Where to stream: Virtual cinemas
The Climb
Stars: Michael Angelo Covino, Kyle Marvin, Gayle Rankin, Judith Godrèche
Writer: Michael Angelo Covino, Kyle Marvin
Director: Michael Angelo Covino
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Plot: A look at the friendship between two guys that spans over many years.
What you should know: Based on a short made in 2018 by the same writer/director pair.
Where to stream: In theaters
Coded Bias
Director: Shalini Kantayya
Genre: Documentary
Plot: An exploration of the fallout of MIT Media Lab researcher Joy Buolamwini's startling discovery of racial bias in facial recognition algorithms.
What you should know: Nominated for the Documentary Grand Jury Prize at Sundance 2020.
Where to stream: Virtual cinemas
The Giant
Stars: Odessa Young, Ben Schnetzer, Jack Kilmer, Madelyn Cline
Writer/Director: David Raboy
Genre: Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Plot: A teenager's small town life is changed forever when a series of murders begin on the same night that her missing boyfriend suddenly reappears.
What you should know: This is director David Raboy’s feature film directorial debut.
Where to stream: Available VOD
Wolfwalkers
Stars: Honor Kneafsey, Eva Whittaker, Sean Bean, Simon McBurney
Writer: Jericca Cleland, Will Collins, Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart
Director: Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Family
Plot: A young apprentice hunter and her father journey to Ireland to help wipe out the last wolf pack. But everything changes when she befriends a free-spirited girl from a mysterious tribe rumored to transform into wolves by night.
What you should know: From the same people who brought us The Secret of Kells.
Where to stream: In theaters; available on AppleTV+ December 11th
I Am Greta
Director: Nathan Grossman
Genre: Documentary
Storyline: Follows teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg on her international crusade to get people to listen to scientists about the world's environmental problems.
What you should know: This is director Nathan Grossman’s first feature documentary in English.
Where to stream: Hulu
More New Releases
Dreamland (Trailer)
Freaky (Trailer)
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (Trailer)
Recon (Trailer)
Return to Splatter Farm (Trailer)
Chick Fight (Trailer)
The Life Ahead (Trailer)
New to Streaming
Sputnik (Trailer) on Hulu
Doolittle (Trailer) on HBO
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What have you been watching lately, ONTD?