Indie Film Release Guide: October 25th [An ONTD Original]

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The last Friday in October brings us a couple of monster flicks. One comes in the form of a third Venom installment, which is expected to dominate the box office, and another comes in the form of indie Your Monster. Otherwise, the offerings are all over the place - potential Oscar-winning dramas, stop-motion animated snails, and documentaries about cultural theft, abortion, Bruce Springsteen, and Hitchcock.

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 18th, October 11th, and October 4th.

Conclave

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Stars: Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Lucian Msamati
Writer: Peter Straughan, Robert Harris
Director: Edward Berger
Genre: Thriller
Plot: When Cardinal Lawrence is tasked with leading one of the world's most secretive and ancient events, selecting a new Pope, he finds himself at the center of a conspiracy that could shake the very foundation of the Catholic Church.
What you should know: Won the best film honors at three film festivals, including San Sebastián.
Where to watch: In theaters



Your Monster

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Stars: Melissa Barrera, Tommy Dewey, Meghann Fahy, Edmund Donovan
Writer/Director: Caroline Lindy
Genre: Comedy, Horror, Romance
Plot: After her life falls apart, soft-spoken actress Laura Franco finds her voice again when she meets a terrifying, yet weirdly charming Monster living in her closet. A romantic-comedy-horror film about falling in love with your inner rage.
What you should know: This is writer and director Caroline Lindy’s feature directorial debut.
Where to watch: In theaters

Dahomey

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Writer: Mati Diop, Malkenzy Orcel
Director: Mati Diop
Genre: Documentary
Storyline: The journey of 26 plundered royal treasures from the Kingdom of Dahomey exhibited in Paris, now being returned to Benin. Diop artistically voices a new generation's demands.
What you should know: Won the Golden Bear at Berlinale 2024.
Where to watch: In theaters

La Cocina

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Stars: Raúl Briones, Rooney Mara, Anna Díaz, Laura Gómez
Writer: Alonso Ruizpalacios, Arnold Wesker
Director: Alonso Ruizpalacios
Genre: Drama
Plot: In the heart of a bustling Times Square kitchen, dreams and desperation collide as the staff each chase the elusive American dream.
What you should know: Filmed in NYC.
Where to watch: In theaters

Memoir of a Snail

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Stars: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Eric Bana, Sarah Snook, Jacki Weaver
Writer/Director: Adam Elliot
Genre: Animation
Plot: A bittersweet memoir of a melancholic woman called Grace Pudel - a hoarder of snails, romance novels, and guinea-pigs.
What you should know: This is writer and director Adam Elliot’s first feature since 2009’s Mary and Max.
Where to watch: In theaters

Zurawski vs Texas

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Director: Maisie Crow, Abbie Perrault
Genre: Documentary
Plot: Women denied abortions in Texas despite life-threatening circumstances join forces with a lawyer to file a lawsuit against the state, aiming to restore reproductive rights for themselves and others.
What you should know: Jennifer Lawrence is an executive producer on this film.
Where to watch: In theaters

Magpie

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Stars: Daisy Ridley, Matilda Lutz, Shazad Latif, Pippa Bennett-Warner
Writer: Tom Bateman
Director: Sam Yates
Genre: Thriller
Plot: A couple find their lives turned upside-down when their daughter is cast alongside a controversial major star.
What you should know: Writer Tom Bateman is married to star Daisy Ridley.
Where to watch: In theaters

Don’t Move

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Stars: Kelsey Asbille, Finn Wittrock, Daniel Francis, Dylan Beam
Writer: T.J. Cimfel, David White
Director: Brian Netto, Adam Schindler
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Plot: It follows a seasoned killer as he injects a grieving woman with a paralytic agent. She must run, fight and hide before her body shuts down.
What you should know: The last film co-directed by Brian Netto and Adam Schindler was 2013’s Delivery: The Beast Within.
Where to watch: Netflix

Black Box Diaries

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Writer/Director: Shiori Itô
Genre: Documentary
Storyline: Journalist Shiori Ito investigates her own sexual assault, seeking to prosecute the high-profile offender. Her quest becomes a landmark case, exposing Japan's outdated judicial and societal systems.
What you should know: Nominated for awards at Sundance and SXSW 2024.
Where to watch: In select theaters

My Name is Alfred Hitchcock

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Writer/Director: Mark Cousins
Genre: Documentary
Plot: A fictional Alfred Hitchcock narrates an explanation of some of the lesser known cinematic techniques he used in his movies, richly illustrated with clips from his entire 50-year career.
What you should know: Writer and director Mark Cousins has directed multiple other documentaries about creatives.
Where to watch: In select theaters

More New Releases

Venom: The Last Dance (Trailer)
Let’s Start a Cult (Trailer)
1 Million Followers (Trailer)

New to Streaming

Trap (Trailer) on Max
The Remarkable Life of Ibelin (Trailer) on Netflix
Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band (Trailer) on Hulu
Canary Black (Trailer) on Amazon

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