Indie Film Release Guide: July 16th [An ONTD Original]

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This weekend's competition with Black Widow comes in the form of a couple of sequels. Space Jam: A New Legacy may be an IP-stuffed fusion of animation and live action getting absolutely pummeled by critics, but it's free if you have HBO Max, so that's something! And Escape Room: Tournament of Champions has slightly better reviews, but a much smaller anticipated opening weekend box office. If you're just not that into sequels, read on for some other options.

The films listed are from studios other than the “Big Six” - Paramount, Warner Brothers, 20th Century Fox, Universal, Columbia/Sony 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 9th, July 2nd, and June 24th.

Gunpowder Milkshake

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Stars: Karen Gillan, Lena Headey, Carla Gugino, Michelle Yeoh
Writer: Ehud Lavski, Navot Papushado
Director: Navot Papushado
Genre: Action, Adventure, Thriller
Plot: Three generations of women fight back against those who could take everything from them.
What you should know: Writer/director Navot Papushado also wrote and directed the 2013 film Big Bad Wolves.
Where to watch: Netflix + select theaters, available now



Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain

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Director: Morgan Neville
Genre: Documentary
Storyline: A documentary about Anthony Bourdain and his career as a chef, writer and host, revered and renowned for his authentic approach to food, culture and travel.
What you should know: Anthony Bourdain died in 2018 at age 61.
Where to watch: In theaters

Pig

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Stars: Nicolas Cage, Alex Wolff, Alan Arkin, Cassandra Violet
Writer: Vanessa Block, Michael Sarnoski
Director: Michael Sarnoski
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Plot: A truffle hunter who lives alone in the Oregonian wilderness must return to his past in Portland in search of his beloved foraging pig after she is kidnapped.
What you should know: Film editor Brett W. Bachman also edited the Nicolas Cage films Mandy and Color Out of Space.
Where to watch: In theaters

No Ordinary Man

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Writer: Aisling Chin-Yee, Amos Mac
Director: Aisling Chin-Yee, Chase Joynt
Genre: Documentary
Storyline: An in-depth look at the life of musician and trans culture icon Billy Tipton. Complicated, beautiful and historically unrivaled, this groundbreaking film shows what is possible when a community collaborates to honor the legacy of an unlikely hero.
What you should know: Nominated for Best Canadian Feature Film at TIFF 2020.
Where to watch: In select theaters

Mama Weed

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Stars: Isabelle Huppert, Hippolyte Girardot, Liliane Rovère, Iris Bry
Writer: Jean-Paul Salomé, Antoine Salomé
Director: Jean-Paul Salomé
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama
Plot: A French-Arabic translator for the Paris police anti-narcotics unit, Patience Portefeux interprets the daily calls and conversations between the city’s biggest drug dealers. When she overhears the son of one of her mother’s nurses on the wiretap at work, Patience is moved to protect him. But her involvement in his business quickly escalates and she finds herself in possession of a huge store of hash and the insider knowledge required to move it.
What you should know: Based on the novel by Hannelore Cayre.
Where to watch: In theaters

The Hidden Life of Trees

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Writer: Jörg Adolph, Peter Wohlleben
Director: Jörg Adolph, Jan Haft
Genre: Documentary
Plot: Forester Peter Wohlleben wrote vividly about his experience that trees are able to communicate with each other, a thesis explored here.
What you should know: The film is in several different languages.
Where to watch: In select theaters

Great White

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Stars: Katrina Bowden, Aaron Jakubenko, Kimie Tsukakoshi, Tim Kano
Writer: Michael Boughen
Director: Martin Wilson
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Plot: A fun filled flight to a remote atoll turns into a nightmare for five passengers when their seaplane is destroyed in a freak accident and they are trapped on a raft, 100 miles from shore with man-eating sharks lurking beneath the surface.
What you should know: This is director Martin Wilson’s first feature film.
Where to watch: In theaters

Fear Street: Part 3 - 1666

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Stars: Kiana Madeira, Elizabeth Scopel, Benjamin Flores Jr., Randy Havens
Writer: Phil Graziadei, Leigh Janiak, Kate Trefry
Director: Leigh Janiak
Genre: Horror, Mystery
Plot: The origins of Sarah Fier's curse are finally revealed as history comes full circle on a night that changes the lives of Shadysiders forever.
What you should know: This is the third film in a trilogy based on the Fear Street books by R.L. Stine.
Where to watch: Netflix

Die in a Gunfight

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Stars: Diego Boneta, Alexandra Daddario, Justin Chatwin, Wade Allain-Marcus
Writer: Andrew Barrer, Gabriel Ferrari
Director: Collin Schiffli
Genre: Action, Comedy, Crime
Plot: In New York City, a young guy falls for the daughter of his father's nemesis.
What you should know: Josh Hutcherson and Kaya Scodelario were attached to play the lead roles, but dropped out because of the delays.
Where to watch: In select theaters, and available on demand

The Call

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Stars: Lin Shaye, Tobin Bell, Chester Rushing, Erin Sanders
Writer: Patrick Stibbs
Director: Timothy Woodward Jr.
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Plot: Four friends. One phone call. 60 seconds to stay alive. In the fall of 1987, a group of small-town friends must survive the night in the home of a sinister couple after a tragic accident. Needing only to make a single phone call, the request seems ordinary until they realize that this call could change their life… or end it. This simple task quickly spirals into terror as their worst nightmares become reality.
What you should know: This is the first film written by Patrick Stibbs.
Where to watch: Shudder

Also Opening

Escape Room: Tournament of Champions (Trailer) from Columbia/Sony
Space Jam: A New Legacy (Trailer) from Warner Bros
Josee, The Tiger and the Fish (Trailer)
How to Deter a Robber (Trailer)
Out of Death (Trailer)

New on Streaming

A Classic Horror Story (Trailer) on Netflix
The Empty Man (Trailer) on HBO
Shiva Baby (Trailer) on HBO

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What have you been watching lately, ONTD?