Indie Film Release Guide: May 20th [An ONTD Original]
It’s another quiet weekend for the major studios, leaving an opening for Doctor Strange to threepeat the top spot at the box office, but the new Downton Abbey film from Focus Features should put up decent numbers. Check out that film and other indie offerings 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: May 13th, May 6th, and April 29th.
Men
Click to viewStars: Jessie Buckley, Rory Kinnear, Paapa Essiedu, Gayle Rankin
Writer/Director: Alex Garland
Genre: Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi
Plot: A young woman goes on a solo vacation to the English countryside following the death of her ex-husband.
What you should know: This is director Alex Garland’s third directorial effort, after Annihilation (2018) and Ex Machina (2014).
Where to watch: In theaters
Emergency
Stars: RJ Cyler, Donald Elise Watkins, Sebastian Chacon, Sabrina Carpenter
Writer: K.D. Dávila
Director: Carey Williams
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Thriller
Plot: Ready for a night of legendary partying, three college students must weigh the pros and cons of calling the police when faced with an unexpected situation.
What you should know: Based on the 2018 Sundance prize-winning short film of the same name.
Where to watch: In theaters; available on Amazon Prime May 27th
Downton Abbey: A New Era
Stars: Hugh Bonneville, Jim Carter, Michelle Dockery, Elizabeth McGovern
Writer: Julian Fellowes
Director: Simon Curtis
Genre: Drama, Romance
Plot: The inhabitants of Downton go on a grand journey to the South of France to uncover the mystery of the Dowager Countess’ newly inherited villa.
What you should know: This is a follow up to the 2019 film, which was a follow-up to the series of the same name.
Where to watch: In theaters
Jackass 4.5
Stars: Johnny Knoxville, Eric Andre, Steve-O, Chris Pontius
Director: Jeff Tremaine
Genre: Documentary, Action, Comedy
Storyline: Scenes leftover and cut from the recent Jackass Forever were plentiful enough to constitute a second feature length film.
What you should know: Features all of the same folks from Jackass Forever.
Where to watch: Netflix
Hold Your Fire
Writer: Stefan Forbes, Sabine Hoffman
Director: Stefan Forbes
Genre: Documentary
Storyline: Brooklyn, 1972. Shu'aib Raheem tried to steal guns for self-defense, starting the longest hostage siege in NYPD history. NYPD psychologist Harvey Schlossberg fought to reform police use of violence and save lives by using words, not guns.
What you should know: Nominated for Best Documentary Film at the 2022 Palm Springs International Film Festival.
Where to watch: In theaters
The Valet
Stars: Eugenio Derbez, Samara Weaving, Max Greenfield, Betsy Brandt
Writer: Bob Fisher, Rob Greenberg, Francis Veber
Director: Richard Wong
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Plot: A movie star enlists a parking valet at a Beverly Hills restaurant to pose as her lover to cover for her relationship with a married man.
What you should know: This is the last film role of Carmen Salinas.
Where to watch: Hulu
Cordelia
Stars: Antonia Campbell-Hughes, Johnny Flynn
Writer: Antonia Campbell-Hughes, Adrian Shergold
Director: Adrian Shergold
Genre: Drama, Horror, Thriller
Plot: Cordelia, a young woman living in London, meets her mysterious and alluring neighbor Frank for the first time but quickly becomes suspicious of his motives. With her twin sister away for the weekend, Cordelia is left alone and overcome with paranoia. She begins to unravel and sink back into past traumas the more that Frank tries to charm his way into her life, becoming a danger to herself and others.
What you should know: Adrian Shergold also directed the 2007 adaptation of Persuasion.
Where to watch: In theaters, and available VOD
Digger
Stars: Vangelis Mourikis, Argyris Pandazaras, Sofia Kokkali, Theo Alexander
Writer: Georgis Grigorakis, Maria Votti, Vangelis Mourikis
Director: Georgis Grigorakis
Genre: Drama
Plot: When his estranged son appears with a motorcycle and a grudge, an iconoclastic farmer at war with an encroaching industry must let nature decide the fate of this tumultuous relationship.
What you should know: Released in other countries in 2020, it is only getting a full US release this year.
Where to watch: In theaters
Mondocane
Stars: Dennis Protopapa, Giuliano Soprano, Alessandro Borghi, Barbara Ronchi
Writer: Alessandro Celli, Antonio Leotti
Director: Alessandro Celli
Genre: Action, Sci-Fi
Plot: Taranto is a ghost town that no one dares to enter. The poorest are left fighting for survival, while gangs are competing for territory. Two thirteen-year-old orphans, who grew up together, dream of joining one of the gangs.
What you should know: It’s in Italian.
Where to watch: In theaters; available VOD on June 7th
Good Mourning
Stars: Pete Davidson, Dove Cameron, Megan Fox, Machine Gun Kelly
Writer/Director: Machine Gun Kelly, Mod Sun
Genre: Comedy
Plot: Follows London Clash, a movie star whose world is turned upside down when he must choose between pursuing his one true love and landing a life-changing, starring role in a major motion picture.
What you should know: This is Machine Gun Kelly’s feature length directorial debut.
Where to watch: In theaters, and available VOD
More New Releases
Chip‘n’Dale Rescue Rangers (Trailer) on Disney+
New to Streaming
American Underdog: The Kurt Warner Story (Trailer) on Hulu
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What have you been watching lately, ONTD?