Indie Film Release Guide: January 6th [An ONTD Original]

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It’s the first week of a new year, which always begins a big slowdown in new film releases at the box office. Blumhouse has seized this opportunity to trot out the memeable M3gan, which is receiving surprisingly good reviews, but the other films at the top of the box office charts will be repeats from the last few weeks. Today’s post includes new releases from last week as well, as OP was living life and forgot to make last week’s (what would have been very short) post entirely.

The films listed are from studios other than the “Big Five” - Universal Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., Walt Disney Pictures, and Columbia Pictures unless otherwise indicated. 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: December 23rd, December 16th, and December 9th.

Alice, Darling

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Stars: Anna Kendrick, Kaniehtiio Horn, Charlie Carrick, Wunmi Mosaku
Writer: Alanna Francis
Director: Mary Nighy
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Plot: A young woman trapped in an abusive relationship becomes the unwitting participant in an intervention staged by her two closest friends.
What you should know: This is director Mary Nighy’s directorial debut.
Where to watch: In theaters



Broker

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Stars: Song Kang-ho, Dong-won Gang, Bae Doona, Ji-eun Lee
Writer/Director: Hirokazu Kore-eda
Genre: Drama
Plot: Follows two brokers who sell orphaned infants, circumventing the bureaucracy of legal adoption, to affluent couples who can’t have children of their own. After an infant’s mother surprises the duo by returning to ensure her child finds a good home, the three embark on a journey to find the right couple, building an unlikely family of their own.
What you should know: It’s in Korean.
Where to watch: In theaters

Alcarràs

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Stars: Josep Abad, Jordi Pujol Dolcet, Anna Otin, Albert Bosch
Writer: Carla Simón, Arnau Vilaró
Director: Carla Simón
Genre: Adventure, Drama
Plot: The life of a family of peach farmers in a small village in Catalonia changes when the owner of their large estate dies and his lifetime heir decides to sell the land, suddenly threatening their livelihood.
What you should know: It’s in Catalan, Spanish and English.
Where to watch: In theaters

The Old Way

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Stars: Nicolas Cage, Clint Howard, Abraham Benrubi, Ryan Kiera Armstrong
Writer: Carl W. Lucas
Director: Brett Donowho
Genre: Action, Western
Plot: An old gunslinger and his daughter must face the consequences of his past, when the son of a man he murdered years ago arrives to take his revenge.
What you should know: First traditional Western starring Nicolas Cage.
Where to watch: In theaters; available VOD January 13th

Turn Every Page: The Adventures of Robert Caro and Robert Gottlieb

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Director: Lizzie Gottlieb
Genre: Documentary
Storyline: Follows the iconic Pulitzer Prize-winning author Robert Caro and his editor, the literary giant Robert Gottlieb, in this chronicle of a unique 50-year professional relationship.
What you should know: Winner of a 2022 National Board of Review award.
Where to watch: In theaters

Mars One

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Stars: Cícero Lucas, Carlos Francisco, Camilla Damião, Rejane Faria
Writer/Director: Gabriel Martins
Genre: Drama
Plot: A lower middle class family undergoes a series of challenging and profound changes, reinventing themselves and their family ties along the way.
What you should know: Brazil’s official section for the 95th Academy Awards International Feature Film.
Where to watch: Netflix

Candy Land

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Stars: Olivia Luccardi, Sam Quartin, Eden Brolin, Owen Campbell
Writer/Director: John Swab
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Plot: Remy, a seemingly naive and devout young woman, finds herself cast out from her religious cult. With no place to turn, she immerses herself into the underground world of truck stop sex workers, courtesy of her hosts. Under the watchful eye of their matriarch, and an enigmatic local lawman, Remy navigates between her strained belief system and the code to find her true calling in life.
What you should know: The film was originally scheduled to shoot in Oklahoma, but ended up moving production to Montana.
Where to watch: In theaters, and available VOD

January 6th

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Director: Gédéon Naudet, Jules Naudet
Genre: Documentary
Storyline: Experience a firsthand look at the events that unfolded at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, featuring interviews with members of Congress and exclusive accounts from police officers and first responders.
What you should know: Directors Gédéon Naudet and Jules Naudet also directed a documentary about 9/11. They were filming a documentary about NYC firefighters when the first plane hit, and ended up getting a lot of comprehensive footage of that morning.
Where to watch: Discovery+

Major Studio Releases

M3gan

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Stars: Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, Amie Donald, Jenna Davis
Writer: Akela Cooper, James Wan
Director: Gerard Johnstone
Genre: Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Plot: A robotics engineer at a toy company builds a life-like doll that begins to take on a life of its own.
What you should know: Writer Akela Cooper also wrote 2021’s Malignant.
Where to watch: In theaters

A Man Called Otto

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Stars: Tom Hanks, Mariana Treviño, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Christiana Montoya
Writer: David Magee
Director: Marc Forster
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Plot: Otto is a grump who's given up on life following the loss of his wife and wants to end it all. When a young family moves in nearby, he meets his match in quick-witted Marisol, leading to a friendship that will turn his world around.
What you should know: Based on the book A Man Called Ove, written by Fredrik Backman, and the film adaptation of that book, written by Hannes Holm.
Where to watch: In theaters

More New Releases

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck (Trailer) from Universal

New to Streaming

White Noise (Trailer) on Netflix
The Pale Blue Eye (Trailer) on Netflix
The Kings of the World (Trailer)
The Menu (Trailer) on HBO
Honk for Jesus, Save Your Soul (Trailer) on Amazon
Jurassic World Dominion (Trailer) on Amazon

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What have you been watching lately, ONTD? Seeing anything this weekend?