Indie Film Release Guide: May 5th [An ONTD Original]
This weekend brings us the final installment of the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, and that is dominating most of the new release conversation this weekend. It will finally knock Mario out of the top spot after several weeks, but nothing else coming out stands a chance next to either of them.
The films listed are from studios other than the “Big Five” - Universal Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., Walt Disney Pictures, and Columbia Pictures.. 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: April 28th, April 21st, and April 14th.
What’s Love Got to Do With It?
Click to viewStars: Lily James, Shazad Latif, Shabana Azmi, Emma Thompson
Writer: Jemima Khan
Director: Shekhar Kapur
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Plot: In London, an award-winning film-maker documents her best friend's journey into an assisted marriage in line with his family's Pakistani heritage. In the process, she challenges her own attitude towards relationships.
What you should know: Emma Thompson’s role was written specifically for her.
Where to watch: In theaters
You Can Live Forever
Stars: Anwen O'Driscoll, June Laporte, Liane Balaban, Antoine Yared
Writer/Director: Mark Slutsky, Sarah Watts
Genre: Drama
Plot: When lesbian teen Jaime is sent to live in a Jehovah's Witness community, she falls hard for a devout Witness girl and the two embark on an intense affair with consequences that will reshape the rest of their lives.
What you should know: Nominated for a Director’s Guild of Canada Award in 2022.
Where to watch: In theaters, and available VOD
Love Again
Stars: Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Sam Heughan, Céline Dion, Sofia Barclay
Writer: Jim Strouse, Andrea Willson, Malte Welding, Karoline Herfurth, Sophie Kluge, Anika Decker
Director: Jim Strouse
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Plot: A young woman tries to ease the pain of her fiancé's death by sending romantic texts to his old cell phone number, and forms a connection with the man the number has been reassigned to.
What you should know: Based on the novel by Sofie Cramer.
Where to watch: In theaters
Chile ‘76
Stars: Aline Kuppenheim, Nicolás Sepúlveda, Hugo Medina, Alejandro Goic
Writer: Manuela Martelli, Alejandra Moffat
Director: Manuela Martelli
Genre: Drama
Plot: When the family priest asks her to take care of an injured young man he has been sheltering in secret, Carmen is inadvertently drawn into the world of the Chilean political opposition and must face real-world threats she is unprepared to handle, with potentially disastrous consequences for her and her entire family.
What you should know: Nominee and winner of several awards on the 2022 film festival circuit.
Where to watch: In theaters
Land of Gold
Stars: Nardeep Khurmi, Caroline Valencia, Pallavi Sastry, Riti Sachdeva
Writer/Director: Nardeep Khurmi
Genre: Drama
Plot: When truck driver Kiran hears pounding from inside his shipping container and finds Elena, a young Mexican-American girl, his already tumultuous life takes a drastic turn as he seeks to reunite her with her family.
What you should know: Won the Best Drama Script at the 2021 PAGE International Screenwriting Awards.
Where to watch: In theaters
Unrest
Stars: Clara Gostynski, Valentin Merz, Alexei Evstratov, Monika Stalder
Writer/Director: Cyril Schäublin
Genre: Drama, History
Plot: A young watchmaker in 1877 Switzerland gets involved with the rising anarchist movement as new technologies begin to transform money, time and labor in a small town.
What you should know: In several languages.
Where to watch: In theaters
One Ranger
Stars: Thomas Jane, John Malkovich, Dominique Tipper, Dean Jagger
Writer/Director: Jesse V. Johnson
Genre: Action, Thriller
Plot: A gunslinging Texas ranger tracks a bank robber across the desert- only to discover he’s an international terrorist set on detonating a bomb in the heart of London. When the lawman’s partner is killed, he is drawn into partnership with a British intelligence agent and her boss to bring the outlaw to justice - dead or alive.
What you should know: Thomas Jane and Dominque Tipper were both in The Expanse.
Where to watch: In theaters, and available VOD
Anxious Nation
Writer/Director: Laura Morton, Vanessa Roth
Genre: Documentary
Storyline: Takes a deep look into the crisis of anxiety and mental health in America, especially its crippling impact on kids and families. The film gently sets out to lift the veil of shame off talking about mental health, giving insights into how and where anxiety shows up in our children's lives, how it impacts families and what we can do to manage anxiety so it doesn't define us.
What you should know: This is codirector Laura Morton’s first film.
Where to watch: In theaters
Johnny and Clyde
Stars: Megan Fox, Tyson Ritter, Robert LaSardo, Avan Jogia
Writer: Tom DeNucci, Nick Principe
Director: Tom DeNucci
Genre: Action, Adventure, Crime
Plot: Johnny and Clyde are two serial killers who are madly in love and on an endless crime spree. They have their sights set on robbing a prosperous casino - owned by crime boss Alana and guarded by a demonic slayer that she commands.
What you should know: This is co-writer Nick Principe’s first feature screenwriting credit.
Where to watch: In theaters, and available VOD
Death’s Roulette
Stars: Manolo Cardona, Maribel Verdú, Carla Adell, Juan Carlos Remolina
Writer: Gavo Amiel, Frank Ariza, Julieta Steinberg
Director: Manolo Cardona
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Plot: Seven people are kidnapped and suddenly find themselves part of a deadly game.
What you should know: It’s in Spanish.
Where to watch: Paramount+
More New Releases
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (Trailer)
Double Life (Trailer)
New to Streaming
A Man Called Otto (Trailer) on Netflix
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What have you been watching lately, ONTD? Seeing anything this weekend?