Indie Film Release Guide: December 3rd [An ONTD Original]

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It’s the calm before the storm at the holiday box office, with no new major studio releases this weekend. Every subsequent weekend of this year brings at least one major new release, if not more, but this weekend belongs to Thanksgiving leftovers like Encanto and House of Gucci and holdovers like Ghostbusters: Afterlife, as well as lots of new indies. In select markets, Dune is coming back to IMAX for a week, so check your local listings.

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: November 24th, November 19th, and November 12th.

Benedetta

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Stars: Virginie Efira, Charlotte Rampling, Daphne Patakia, Lambert Wilson
Writer: David Birke, Paul Verhoeven
Director: Paul Verhoeven
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Plot: A 17th-century nun in Italy suffers from disturbing religious and erotic visions. She is assisted by a companion, and the relationship between the two women develops into a romantic love affair.
What you should know: Based on the book Immodest Acts: The Life of a Lesbian Nun in Renaissance Italy. It’s in French.
Where to watch: In theaters; on VOD December 21st



The Hand of God

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Stars: Filippo Scotti, Toni Servillo, Teresa Saponangelo, Marlon Joubert
Writer/Director: Paolo Sorrentino
Genre: Drama
Plot: The story of a boy in the tumultuous Naples of the 1980s; a tale of fate and family, sports and cinema, love and loss.
What you should know: Won the Silver Lion at the 2021 Venice Film Festival. It’s in Italian.
Where to watch: In theaters; on Netflix December 15th

Single All the Way

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Stars: Michael Urie, Philemon Chambers, Luke Macfarlane, Kathy Najimy
Writer: Chad Hodge
Director: Michael Mayer
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Plot: Desperate to avoid his family's judgment about his perpetual single status, Peter convinces his best friend Nick to join him for the holidays and pretend that they're now in a relationship.
What you should know: Director Michael Mayer is also a Tony winning theater director, an award he nabbed for his direction of Spring Awakening.
Where to watch: Netflix

Flee

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Writer: Amin Nawabi, Jonas Poher Rasmussen
Director: Jonas Poher Rasmussen
Genre: Documentary, Animation
Storyline: Amin Nawabi grapples with a painful secret he has kept hidden for 20 years, one that threatens to derail the life he has built for himself and his soon to be husband. Recounted mostly through animation, he tells for the first time the story of his extraordinary journey as a child refugee from Afghanistan.
What you should know: Denmark’s Oscar submission for Best International Feature Film. It’s in several languages.
Where to watch: Theaters

Wolf

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Stars: George MacKay, Lily-Rose Depp, Paddy Considine, Terry Notary
Writer/Director: Nathalie Biancheri
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Plot: Believing he is a wolf trapped in a human body, Jacob eats, sleeps, and lives like a wolf - much to the shock of his family. When he’s sent to a clinic, Jacob and his animal-bound peers are forced to undergo increasingly extreme forms of ‘curative’ therapies. However, once he meets the mysterious Wildcat, and as their friendship blossoms into an undeniable infatuation, Jacob is faced with a challenge: will he renounce his true self for love
What you should know: Write/director Nathalie Biancheri’s last film was 2019’s Nocturnal.
Where to watch: In theaters

Silent Night

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Stars: Annabelle Wallis, Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, Lily-Rose Depp
Writer/Director: Camille Griffin
Genre: Comedy, Horror
Plot: Nell, Simon, and their son Art are ready to welcome friends and family for what promises to be a perfect Christmas gathering. Perfect except for one thing: everyone is going to die.
What you should know: This is the feature film debut for writer/director Camille Griffin.
Where to watch: In theaters, and on AMC+

Encounter

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Stars: Riz Ahmed, Octavia Spencer, Janina Gavankar, Rory Cochrane
Writer: Joe Barton, Michael Pearce
Director: Michael Pearce
Genre: Sci-Fi, Thriller
Plot: Two brothers embark on a journey with their father, who is trying to protect them from an alien threat.
What you should know: Nominated for four awards at the British Independent Film Awards.
Where to watch: In theaters; available on Amazon Prime December 10th

Death of a Telemarketer

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Stars: Lamorne Morris, Jackie Earle Haley, Haley Joel Osment, Alisha Wainwright
Writer/Director: Khaled Ridgeway
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Thriller
Plot: A smooth-talking telemarketer finds himself at the mercy of the man he tried to swindle.
What you should know: This is the feature film debut for writer/director Khaled Ridgeway.
Where to watch: Netflix

Try Harder

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Writer: Spencer Nakasako
Director: Debbie Lum
Genre: Documentary
Storyline: Seniors at one the best public high schools in the country face the pressure of applying to elite colleges.
What you should know: Director Debbie Lum’s last film was 2012’s Seeking Asian Female.
Where to watch: In theaters; available VOD December 24th

Citizen Ashe

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Writer: T.J. Volgare
Director: Rex Miller, Sam Pollard
Genre: Documentary
Storyline: Charts tennis legend and humanitarian Arthur Ashe’s personal evolution from Grand Slam champion to global activist against a tumultuous backdrop that included the civil rights movement, South African apartheid, and the AIDS epidemic.
What you should know: Co-director Sam Pollard is responsible for many documentaries, including last year’s MLK/FBI.
Where to watch: In theaters

More New Releases

Sword Art Online: Progressive - Aria of a Starless Night (Trailer)
The Sleeping Negro (Trailer)
The End of Us (Trailer)
The Scary of Sixty-First (Trailer)
This Game’s Called Murder (Trailer)
Deadlock (Trailer)
Back of the Moon (Trailer)

New to Streaming

The Power of the Dog (Trailer) on Netflix
We Need to Do Something (Trailer) on Hulu
Hood River (Trailer) on HBO
Listening to Kenny G (Trailer) on HBO
Adrienne (Trailer) on HBO
The Advent Calendar (Trailer) on Shudder

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What have you been watching lately, ONTD?