Indie Film Release Guide: September 3rd [An ONTD Original]
It's September, which will be a relatively quiet month for new films before the onslaught begins in October. The sole major studio release this weekend is Disney’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, which looks to have no real competition at the box office for the next few weeks at a minimum. While that film is obviously going to take the box office crown, there are over a dozen other new films to take in this weekend - check them out below.
The films listed are from studios other than the “Big Six” - Paramount, Warner Brothers, 20th Century Studios, 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: August 27th, August 20th, and August 13th.
Mogul Mowgli
Click to viewStars: Riz Ahmed, Anjana Vasan, Aiysha Hart, Nabhaan Rizwan
Writer: Riz Ahmed, Bassam Tariq
Director: Bassam Tariq
Genre: Drama
Plot: Follows the story of a rapper who, on the cusp of his first world tour, is struck down by an illness that forces him to face his past, his family, and the uncertainty of his legacy.
What you should know: Nominated for Outstanding British Film of the Year at the 2021 BAFTA Awards.
Where to watch: In select theaters
Worth
Stars: Michael Keaton, Stanley Tucci, Amy Ryan, Laura Benanti
Writer: Max Borenstein
Director: Sara Colangelo
Genre: Drama
Plot: An attorney learns a lesson in empathy when he is faced with the near-impossible task of determining how to compensate families who suffered incalculable losses as a result of the September 11th attacks in 2001.
What you should know: Director Sara Colangelo’s last film was 2018’s The Kindergarten Teacher.
Where to watch: Netflix
The Big Scary S Word
Director: Yael Bridge
Genre: Documentary
Plot: Historians, journalists and politicians reveal that, contrary to popular belief, socialism is in fact deeply American.
What you should know: This is director Yael Bridge’s first full-length documentary feature film.
Where to watch: In select theaters
The Gateway
Stars: Frank Grillo, Shea Whigham, Olivia Munn, Keith David
Writer: Alex Felix Bendaña, Michele Civetta, Andrew Levitas
Director: Michele Civetta
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Plot: A social worker assigned to the care of the daughter of a single mother intervenes when the dad returns from prison and lures them into a life of crime.
What you should know: Director Michele Civetta was previously married to Asia Argento.
Where to watch: In select theaters, and available VOD
We Need to Do Something
Stars: Sierra McCormick, Pat Healy, Lisette Alexis, Vinessa Shaw
Writer: Max Booth III
Director: Sean King O’Grady
Genre: Horror
Plot: After Melissa and her family seek shelter from a storm, they become trapped. With no sign of rescue, Melissa comes to realize that she and her girlfriend Amy might have something to do with the horrors that threaten her family.
What you should know: This is director Sean King O’Grady’s first full-length feature film.
Where to watch: In theaters, and available VOD
Who Do You Think I Am?
Stars: Juliette Binoche, François Civil, Nicole Garcia, Guillaume Gouix
Writer: Safy Nebbou, Julie Peyr
Director: Safy Nebbou
Genre: Drama, Romance
Plot: Ghosted by her hunky twentysomething lover, Claire, a middle-aged professor and single mom, creates a fake Facebook profile to do a little undetected online snooping. But when her 24-year-old avatar “Clara” is friended by her ex’s equally attractive roommate, superficial correspondence quickly escalates towards intense intimacy and uncontrollable obsession.
What you should know: Adapted from the novel by Camille Laurens.
Where to watch: In select theaters
Yakuza Princess
Stars: MASUMI, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Tsuyoshi Ihara, Kenny Leu
Writer: Vincente Amorim, Kimi Lee
Director: Vincente Amorim
Genre: Thriller
Plot: The heiress to half of the Yakuza crime syndicate forges an uneasy alliance with an amnesiac stranger who believes an ancient sword binds their two fates. She must unleash war against the other half of the syndicate who wants her dead.
What you should know: Based on the graphic novel Samurai Shiro by Danilo Beyruth.
Where to watch: In theaters, and available VOD
Wild Indian
Stars: Michael Greyeyes, Chaske Spencer, Jesse Eisenberg, Kate Bosworth
Writer/Director: Lyle Mitchell Corbine Jr.
Genre: Thriller
Plot: Decades after covering up his classmate’s murder, Michael has moved on from his reservation and fractured past. When a man who shares his violent secret seeks vengeance, Michael goes to great lengths to protect his new life with his wife and boss from the demons of his past.
What you should know: Nominated for the Dramatic Grand Jury Prize at Sundance 2021.
Where to watch: In theaters, and available VOD
Cinderella
Stars: Camila Cabello, Billy Porter, Nicholas Galitzine, Idina Menzel
Writer/Director: Kay Cannon
Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, Family
Plot: Our heroine is an ambitious young woman whose dreams are bigger than the world will allow, but with the help of her Fab G, she is able to persevere and make her dreams come true.
What you should know: James Corden is in this movie.
Where to watch: In theaters, and on Amazon Prime
The Year of the Everlasting Storm
Stars: Yay Yay Bobby Jones, Catherine Machovsky, Yu Zhang, Dongyu Zhou
Written and Directed by: Anthony Chen (The Break Away), David Lowery (Dig Up My Darling), Jafar Panahi (Life), Laura Poitras (Terror Contagion), Dominga Sotomayor (Sin Titulo, 2020), Malik Vitthal (Little Measures), Apichatpong Weerasethakul (Night Colonies)
Genre: Mystery
Plot: Featuring seven stories from seven auteurs from around the world, the film chronicles this unprecedented moment in time, and is a true love letter to the power of cinema and its storytellers.
What you should know: Nominated for the Golden Eye award at Cannes 2021.
Where to watch: In theaters
Also Opening
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (Trailer) from Disney
Zone 414 (Trailer) from Paramount
Karen (Trailer)
Memory House (Trailer)
New to Streaming
Afterlife of the Party (Trailer) on Netflix
Undine (Trailer) on Hulu
News of the World (Trailer) on HBO Max (9/4)
In the Earth (Trailer) on Hulu
Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles (Trailer) on Disney+
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What have you been watching lately, ONTD?