Indie Film Release Guide: September 24th [An ONTD Original]
Can a musical about “high school student” Evan Hansen combat Shang-Chi in its fourth weekend at the box office? We’ll discover the answer to that question after Universal’s Dear Evan Hansen opens, but as of now, it looks like a pretty close competition. Aside from DEH, there are no new releases from major studios this weekend, so check out some of the indie releases 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: September 17th, September 10th, and September 3rd.
I’m Your Man
Click to viewStars: Maren Eggert, Dan Stevens, Hans Löw, Wolfgang Hübsch
Writer: Jan Schomburg, Maria Schrader
Director: Maria Schrader
Genre: Comedy, Romance, Sci-Fi
Plot: In order to obtain research funds for her studies, a scientist accepts an offer to participate in an extraordinary experiment: for three weeks, she is to live with a humanoid robot, created to make her happy.
What you should know: It’s in German, based on the short story by Emma Braslavsky.
Where to watch: In theaters
The Guilty
Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Riley Keough, Christina Vidal, Eli Goree
Writer: Nic Pizzolatto
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Plot: A demoted police officer assigned to a call dispatch desk is conflicted when he receives an emergency phone call from a kidnapped woman.
What you should know: Based on the Danish film, written by Gustav Möller and Emil Nygaard.
Where to watch: In theaters; on Netflix October 1st
Oasis Knebworth 1996
Director: Jake Scott
Genre: Documentary, Music
Storyline: On 10th and 11th August 1996, 250,000 young music fans converged on Knebworth Park to see Oasis play two record breaking, era defining shows. The landmark concerts sold out in under a day with over 2% of the UK population attempting to buy tickets. Featuring a setlist packed from beginning to end with stone cold classics, including Champagne Supernova, Wonderwall and Don't Look Back In Anger, the Knebworth concerts were both the pinnacle of the band's success and the landmark gathering for a generation.
What you should know: Since 1991, director Jake Scott has tackled documentaries, features and music videos, including ones for Oasis.
Where to watch: In theaters for select dates worldwide, beginning today
El Planeta
Stars: Ale Ulman, Amalia Ulman, Nacho Vigalondo, Genoveva Garcia Castanon
Writer/Director: Amalia Ulman
Genre: Comedy
Plot: Amidst the devastation of post-crisis Spain, mother and daughter bluff and grift to keep up the lifestyle they think they deserve, bonding over common tragedy and an impending eviction.
What you should know: It’s in Spanish.
Where to watch: In theaters
The Most Beautiful Boy in the World
Writer/Director: Kristina Lindström, Kristian Petri
Genre: Documentary
Storyline: Fifty years after the premiere of Death in Venice, Björn Andrésen, the former teen star who once embodied legendary character Tadzio in Visconti’s masterpiece, takes us on a remarkable journey of personal memories, cinema history, stardust and tragedy in what could be Björn’s last attempt to finally get his life back on track.
What you should know: Nominated for the Grand Jury Prize in World Cinema Documentaries at Sundance 2021.
Where to watch: In theaters
Saint-Narcisse
Stars: Félix-Antoine Duval, Thomas Niles, Tania Kontoyanni, Alexandra Petrachuk
Writer: Martin Girard, Bruce La Bruce
Director: Bruce La Bruce
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Plot: When a young man who thought his mother was dead discovers that she may still be alive, he goes on a quest to find her. His journey takes him to a remote cabin in the woods where his mother lives in exile with a mysterious young woman.
What you should know: Winner of the Fanheart3 Award at the 2020 Venice Film Festival.
Where to watch: In theaters
Sankofa
Stars: Kofi Ghanaba, Oyafunmike Ogunlano, Alexandra Duah, Nick Medley
Writer/Director: Haile Gerima
Genre: Drama
Plot: A Black American fashion model on a photo shoot in Africa is spiritually transported back to a plantation in the West Indies where she experiences first-hand the physical and psychic horrors of chattel slavery, and eventually the redemptive power of community and rebellion as she becomes a member of a freedom-seeking Maroon colony.
What you should know: This 1993 film is getting a re-release from Array. When it was initially completed, no company would distribute it, so director Haile Gerima went on a roadshow tour from city to city.
Where to watch: Netflix
Surge
Stars: Ben Whishaw, Hammed Animashaun, Jasmine Jobson, Laurence Spellman
Writer: Rupert Jones, Rita Kalnejais, Aneil Karia
Director: Aneil Karia
Genre: Thriller
Plot: A stripped back thriller about a man who goes on a bold and reckless journey of self-liberation, set over 24 hours in London .
What you should know: This is writer/director Aneil Karia’s first feature film.
Where to watch: In theaters
East of the Mountains
Stars: Tom Skerritt, Mira Sorvino, Annie Gonzalez, Victoria Summer Felix
Writer: Thane Swigart
Director: S.J. Chiro
Genre: Drama
Plot: Ben Givens, a retired heart surgeon and recent widower who learns he has terminal cancer. Determined to navigate his final days on his own terms, he shares the news with no one-not even his daughter -instead traveling back to his boyhood home in Eastern Washington with only his dog in tow. But the journey does not go as planned; the familiar landscape triggers memories and a connection with a kind stranger inspires new insight.
What you should know: Based on the novel by David Guterson.
Where to watch: In theaters
On These Grounds
Director: Garrett Zevgetis
Genre: Documentary
Storyline: A viral video shows a white policeman throwing a Black teenager from her school desk. One woman helps the girl, faces the officer, and dismantles the system.
What you should know: Originally titled Spring Valley.
Where to watch: In theaters, and available VOD
Also Opening
Dear Evan Hansen (Trailer) from Universal
Man in the Field: The Life and Art of Jim Denevan (Trailer)
Lone Wolf (Trailer)
Aware: Glimpses of Consciousness (Trailer)
This is the Year (Trailer)
Through the Glass Darkly (Trailer)
The Village Detective: A Song Cycle (Trailer)
New on Streaming
The Starling (Trailer) on Netflix
Promising Young Woman (Trailer) on HBO
Gemini (Trailer) on Hulu
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What have you been watching lately, ONTD?