Indie Film Release Guide: December 22nd [An ONTD Original]

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Welcome to the last indie film roundup of 2023! There are practically no new releases next weekend, so this post will include all of the upcoming releases for the rest of the year. Lots of major studio films are coming out over the next few days, including Aquaman and The Color Purple from Warner Bros, Migration from Universal, and Anyone But You from Sony. Thankfully, there are also a bunch of indie options, so you will have plenty of films to choose from should you venture out to the theaters this holiday season.

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: December 15th, December 8th, and December 1st.

All of Us Strangers

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Stars: Andrew Scott, Paul Mescal, Claire Foy, Jamie Bell
Writer/Director: Andrew Haigh
Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Romance
Plot: A screenwriter drawn back to his childhood home enters into a fledgling relationship with a mysterious neighbor as he then discovers his parents appear to be living just as they were on the day they died, 30 years before.
What you should know: Loosely based on the novel Strangers by Taichi Yamada.
Where to watch: In theaters



The Iron Claw

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Stars: Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, Holt McCallany
Writer/Director: Sean Durkin
Genre: Biography, Drama, Sport
Plot: The true story of the inseparable Von Erich brothers, who made history in the intensely competitive world of professional wrestling in the early 1980s.
What you should know: Named one of the top films of 2023 by the National Board of Review, and awarded Best Ensemble.
Where to watch: In theaters

Society of the Snow

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Stars: Enzo Vogrincic, Simon Hempe, Rafael Federman, Santiago Vaca Narvaja
Writer: J.A. Bayona, Nicolás Casariego, Jaime Marques, Bernat Vilaplana
Director: J.A. Bayona
Genre: Adventure, Drama, History
Plot: The flight of a rugby team crashes on a glacier in the Andes. The few passengers who survive the crash find themselves in one of the world's toughest environments to survive.
What you should know: Based on a book by Pablo Vierci
Where to watch: In theaters; on Netflix January 4th

Freud’s Last Session

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Stars: Anthony Hopkins, Matthew Goode, Liv Lisa Fries, Jodi Balfour
Writer/Director: Matt Brown
Genre: Drama
Plot: The movie's story sees Freud invite iconic author C.S. Lewis to debate the existence of God. And his unique relationship with his daughter, and Lewis' unconventional relationship with his best friend's mother.
What you should know: Based on the play by Mark St. Germain.
Where to watch: In theaters

Memory

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Stars: Jessica Chastain, Peter Sarsgaard, Brooke Timber, Josh Charles
Writer/Director: Michel Franco
Genre: Drama
Plot: Sylvia is a social worker who leads a simple and structured life. This is blown open when Saul follows her home from their high school reunion. Their surprise encounter will profoundly impact both of them as they open the door to the past.
What you should know: Peter Sarsgaard won the Volpi Cup at the 2023 Venice Film Festival.
Where to watch: In theaters

Miracle in Bethlehem, PA

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Stars: Laura Vandervoort, Benjamin Ayres, Teryl Rothery, Amy Groening
Writer: Laura Kamp Lennon
Director: Jeff Beesley
Genre: Romance
Plot: Just before Christmas, Mary Ann adopts a baby girl to raise alone. She and the infant spend the Christmas stuck in Bethlehem, PA, due to bad weather. Her only choice when the inn is full is to stay with Joe, the brother of the innkeeper.
What you should know: This marks Teryl Rothery's 15th live-action Christmas TV movie since her first back in 1994.
Where to watch: Peacock

Christmas Day

Ferrari

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Stars: Adam Driver, Shailene Woodley, Penélope Cruz, Giuseppe Festinese
Writer: Troy Kennedy Martin, Brock Yates
Director: Michael Mann
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Plot: Set in the summer of 1957, with Enzo Ferrari's auto empire in crisis, the ex-racer turned entrepreneur pushes himself and his drivers to the edge as they launch into the Mille Miglia, a treacherous 1,000-mile race across Italy.
What you should know: Christian Bale was initially cast in the Adam Driver role back in 2015.
Where to watch: In theaters

The Boys in the Boat

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Stars: Joel Edgerton, Callum Turner, Peter Guiness, Sam Strike
Writer: Daniel James Brown, Mark L. Smith
Director: George Clooney
Genre: Biography, Drama, Sport
Plot: A 1930s-set story centered on the University of Washington's rowing team, from their Depression-era beginnings to winning gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
What you should know: Based on the book by Daniel James Brown.
Where to watch: In theaters

The Teacher’s Lounge

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Stars: Leonie Benesch, Michael Klammer, Rafael Stachowiak, Eva Löbau
Writer: Johannes Duncker, Ilker Çatak
Director: Ilker Çatak
Genre: Drama
Plot: When one of her students is suspected of theft, teacher Carla Nowak decides to get to the bottom of the matter. Caught between her ideals and the school system, the consequences of her actions threaten to break her.
What you should know: Official submission of Germany for the Best International Feature Film category of the 96th Academy Awards in 2024.
Where to watch: In theaters

Time Bomb Y2K

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Director: Brian Becker, Marley McDonald
Genre: Documentary
Storyline: An immersive, all-archival retelling of the "Y2K" millennium bug and the mass hysteria that changed the fabric of modern society.
What you should know: Nominated for a couple of awards on the film festival circuit.
Where to watch: Max - December 30th

Expanding

Poor Things (Trailer)
American Fiction (Trailer)

More New Releases

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (Trailer) from Warner Bros
Migration (Trailer) from Universal
Anyone But You (Trailer)
The Color Purple (Trailer) from Warner Bros - Christmas Day

New to Streaming

Maestro (Trailer) on Netflix
Rebel Moon: A Child of Fire (Trailer) on Netflix
Saltburn (Trailer) on Amazon
Maggie Moore(s) (Trailer) on Hulu
The Flash (Trailer) on Amazon - Christmas Day

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This is up a day early due to OP's schedule! What have you been watching lately, ONTD? Seeing anything this weekend?