Indie Film Release Guide: October 18th [An ONTD Original]
Smile 2 is this weekend’s biggest release, as presumably studios expected Joker: Folie à Deux to still be doing big business at the box office. In the indie realm, Anora finally gets its big screen debut after pockets of Q&A screenings, and Ketchup Entertainment’s Goodrich premieres.
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: October 11th, October 4th, and September 27th.
Anora
Click to viewStars: Mikey Madison, Mark Eidelshtein, Karren Karagulian, Yura Borisov
Writer/Director: Sean Baker
Genre: Drama, Comedy, Romance
Plot: Anora, a young sex worker from Brooklyn, meets and impulsively marries the son of an oligarch. Once the news reaches Russia, her fairytale is threatened as the parents set out for New York to get the marriage annulled.
What you should know: Writer/director Sean Baker also edited the film.
Where to watch: In select theaters; expands on November 1st
Exhibiting Forgiveness
Stars: André Holland, John Earl Jelks, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Andra Day
Writer/Director: Titus Kaphar
Genre: Drama
Plot: A Black artist on the path to success is derailed by an unexpected visit from his estranged father, a recovering addict desperate to reconcile. Together, they struggle and learn that forgetting might be a greater challenge than forgiving.
What you should know: This is writer/director Titus Kaphar’s first feature film.
Where to watch: In theaters
Goodrich
Stars: Michael Keaton, Mila Kunis, Carmen Ejogo, Poorna Jagannathan
Writer/Director: Hallie Meyers-Shyer
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Plot: Andy Goodrich's life is upended when his wife enters a rehab program, leaving him on his own with their young kids. Goodrich leans on his daughter from his first marriage, Grace, as he ultimately evolves into the father Grace never had.
What you should know: The writer and director Hallie Meyers-Shyer is the daughter of Nancy Meyers.
Where to watch: In theaters
Woman of the Hour
Stars: Anna Kendrick, Daniel Zovatto, Tony Hale, Nicolette Robinson
Writer: Ian McDonald
Director: Anna Kendrick
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Plot: Cheryl Bradshaw, a single woman looking for a suitor on a hit 1970s TV show, chooses charming bachelor Rodney Alcala, unaware that, behind the man's gentle facade, he hides a deadly secret.
What you should know: This movie is loosely based on a true story.
Where to watch: Netflix
Rumours
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Rolando Ravello, Charles Dance, Nikki Amuka-Bird
Writer: Evan Johnson
Director: Evan Johnson, Galen Johnson, Guy Maddin
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Horror
Plot: The leaders of seven wealthy democracies get lost in the woods while drafting a statement on a global crisis, facing danger as they attempt to find their way out.
What you should know: Co-direct Guy Maddin has been working in film since 1985.
Where to watch: In theaters
Union
Director: Stephen Maing, Brett Story
Genre: Documentary
Storyline: A group of current and former Amazon workers in New York City's Staten Island challenges one of the world's largest companies in a unionization battle.
What you should know: Won the U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.
Where to watch: In theaters
The Line
Stars: Alex Wolff, Bo Mitchell, Halle Bailey, Austin Abrams
Writer: Ethan Berger, Zack Purdo, Alex Russek
Director: Ethan Berger
Genre: Drama
Plot: A university student lives life without fear of consequences.
What you should know: Premiered at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival.
Where to watch: In theaters
Nocturnes
Writer/Director: Anirban Dutta, Anupama Srinivasan
Genre: Documentary
Storyline: Amidst the lush Eastern Himalayan forests, moths convey a mysterious message. Under the cover of night, two inquisitive observers illuminate this clandestine universe, unraveling the secrets whispered by these enigmatic creatures.
What you should know: There are a LOT of bugs in the trailer, FYI .
Where to watch: In theaters
Brothers
Stars: Josh Brolin, Peter Dinklage, Taylour Paige, M. Emmet Walsh
Writer: Etan Cohen, Macon Blair
Director: Max Barbakow
Genre: Action, Comedy
Plot: Two criminal twin brothers, one trying to reform, embark on a dangerous heist road trip. Facing legal troubles, gunfights, and family drama, they must reconcile their differences before their mission leads to self-destruction.
What you should know: This is M. Emmet Walsh’s final film credit.
Where to watch: Amazon
Bookworm
Stars: Elijah Wood, Nell Fisher, Morgana O’Reilly, Millen Baird
Writer: Toby Harvard, Ant Timpson
Director: Ant Timpson
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Drama
Plot: 11-year-old Mildred's world is turned upside down when her estranged father, the washed-up magician Strawn Wise, comes to look after her and agrees to take her camping to find a mythological beast known as the Canterbury Panther.
What you should know: Won the award for Best International Feature at 2024’s Fantasia Fest.
Where to watch: In theaters
Expands
We Live in Time (Trailer)
More New Releases
Smile 2 (Trailer) from Paramount
Die Alone (Trailer)
High Tide (Trailer)
Allswell in New York (Trailer)
New to Streaming
The Shadow Strays (Trailer) on Netflix
MadS (Trailer) on Shudder
MaXXXine (Trailer) on Max, October 18th
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What have you been watching lately, ONTD? Seeing anything this weekend?