Indie Film Release Guide: December 23rd [An ONTD Original]

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You might think that this year of all years, studios would realize the futility of a Christmas Day theatrical exclusive release, but nope! Two of this week’s biggest releases, Promising Young Woman and One Night in Miami, open in theaters exclusively on Christmas before arriving on VOD in January, thanks to the shortened theatrical window agreements that have been made this year. But people who don’t feel comfortable heading to the theaters will have plenty of new releases to choose from: Soul, The Midnight Sky, and of course Wonder Woman 1984 will all be available on streaming services by Christmas.

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: December 18th, December 11th, and December 4th.

Promising Young Woman

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Stars: Carey Mulligan, Bo Burnham, Allison Brie, Adam Brody
Writer/Director: Emerald Fennell
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama
Plot: A young woman, traumatized by a tragic event in her past, seeks out vengeance against those who cross her path.
What you should know: Writer/director Emerald Fennell starred as Camilla Parker Bowles on the The Crown, and was the show-runner for S2 of Killing Eve.
Where to watch: In theaters; available to stream in January



One Night in Miami

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Stars: Kingsley Ben-Adir, Eli Goree, Aldis Hodge, Leslie Odom, Jr.
Writer: Kemp Powers
Director: Regina King
Genre: Drama
Plot: A fictional account of one incredible night where icons Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X, Sam Cooke, and Jim Brown gathered discussing their roles in the civil rights movement and cultural upheaval of the 60s.
What you should know: Writer Kemp Powers wrote the screenplay for this film based on his own stage play.
Where to watch: In theaters; available to stream in January

The Midnight Sky

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Stars: George Clooney, Felicity Jones, David Oyelowo, Caoilinn Springall
Writer: Mark L. Smith
Director: George Clooney
Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Plot: This post-apocalyptic tale follows Augustine, a lonely scientist in the Arctic, as he races to stop Sully and her fellow astronauts from returning home to a mysterious global catastrophe.
What you should know: Based on the book Good Morning, Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton.
Where to stream: Netflix, available now

Sylvie’s Love

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Stars: Tessa Thompson, Nnamdi Asomugha, Eva Longoria, Aja Naomi King
Writer/Director: Eugene Ashe
Genre: Drama, Music, Romance
Plot: A woman working at her father's record store in Harlem in the late 1950s meets an aspiring saxophone player.
What you should know: Writer/director Eugene Ashe last wrote and directed 2012’s Homecoming.
Where to stream: Amazon Prime, available Christmas

We Can Be Heroes

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Stars: Taylor Dooley, Pedro Pascal, Priyanka Chopra, YaYa Gosselin
Writer/Director: Robert Rodriguez
Genre: Action, Comedy, Drama, Family
Plot: When alien invaders kidnap Earth's superheroes, their children must team up and learn to work together if they want to save their parents and the world.
What you should know: Follows 2005’s The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl 3-D.
Where to stream: Netflix, available Christmas

excuse me, I love you

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Director: Story Syndicate, Paul Dugdale
Genre: Documentary, Music
Storyline: Ariana Grande takes the stage in London for her Sweetener World Tour and shares a behind-the-scenes look at her life in rehearsal and on the road.
What you should know: Director Paul Dugdale has been responsible for directing dozens of live music specials and documentaries.
Where to stream: Netflix, available now

The Dissent

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Director: Bryan Fogel
Genre: Documentary, Crime
Storyline: When Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi disappears in Istanbul, his fiancée and dissidents around the world piece together the clues to a murder and expose a global cover up.
What you should know: Director Bryan Fogel also directed the 2018 Oscar-winning documentary Icarus.
Where to stream: In theaters; available VOD on January 8th

Pinocchio

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Stars: Federico Ielapi, Roberto Benigni, Rocco Papaleo, Massimo Ceccherini
Writer: Massimo Ceccherini, Matteo Garrone, based on the novel by Carlo Collodi
Director: Matteo Garrone
Genre: Drama, Fantasy
Plot: Old woodcarver Geppetto's puppet creation, Pinocchio, magically comes to life with dreams of becoming a real boy. Easily led astray, Pinocchio tumbles from one misadventure to another as he is tricked, kidnapped and chased by bandits.
What you should know: Yes, this is Roberto Benigni’s second Pinocchio movie, and no, he does not play Pinocchio in this one.
Where to watch: In theaters

Greenland

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Stars: Gerard Butler, Morena Baccarin, Roger Dale Floyd, Scott Glenn
Writer: Chris Sparling
Director: Ric Roman Waugh
Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller
Plot: A family struggles for survival in the face of a cataclysmic natural disaster.
What you should know: Chris Evans was originally attached to star, with Neill Blomkamp directing, but they both dropped out due to scheduling conflicts.
Where to stream: Available now on VOD

More New Releases

Wonder Woman 1984 (Trailer) from Warner Bros, on HBO
News of the World (Trailer) from Universal, in theaters
Soul (Trailer) from Disney, on Disney+

New to Streaming

After We Collided (Trailer) on Netflix
You Cannot Kill David Arquette (Trailer) on Hulu
Spree (Trailer)

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What have you been watching lately, ONTD? Watching anything on Christmas??