Indie Film Release Guide: November 8th [An ONTD Original]
With a void in the major studio release calendar, the biggest new release this weekend is A24’s Heretic, which goes directly into wide release on its first weekend. Other films coming to your local theater may include the expansion of Anora and a re-release of Godzilla Minus One. Most of the other new releases will be in limited release, like Netflix’s The Piano Lesson and Andrea Arnold’s Bird.
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: November 1st, October 25th, and October 18th.
Heretic
Click to viewStars: Hugh Grant, Sophie Thatcher, Chloe East, Topher Grace
Writer/Director: Scott Beck, Bryan Woods
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Plot: Two young religious women are drawn into a game of cat-and-mouse in the house of a strange man.
What you should know: Filmmakers Scott Beck and Bryan Woods were also responsible for A Quiet Place.
Where to watch: In theaters
The Piano Lesson
Stars: Samuel L. Jackson, John David Washington, Danielle Deadwyler, Ray Fisher
Writer: Virgil Williams, Malcolm Washington
Director: Malcolm Washington
Genre: Drama
Plot: lows the lives of the Charles family as they deal with themes of family legacy and more, in deciding what to do with an heirloom, the family piano.
What you should know: Based on the play by August Wilson.
Where to watch: In select theaters; on Netflix November 22nd
Small Things Like These
Stars: Cillian Murphy, Eileen Walsh, Emily Watson, Clare Dunne
Writer: Enda Walsh
Director: Tim Mielants
Genre: Drama, History
Plot: In 1985, devoted father Bill Furlong discovers disturbing secrets kept by the local convent and uncovers shocking truths of his own.
What you should know: Based on the story by Claire Keegan.
Where to watch: In select theaters
Elevation
Stars: Morena Baccarin, Anthony Mackie, Maddie Hasson, Shauna Earp
Writer: John Glenn, Jacob Roman, Kenny Ryan
Director: George Nolfi
Genre: Action, Sci Fi, Thriller
Plot: A single father and two women venture from the safety of their homes to face monstrous creatures to save the life of a young boy.
What you should know: Filmed in Boulder, Colorado.
Where to watch: In theaters
Bird
Stars: Nykiya Adams, Franz Rogowski, Barry Keoghan, Jason Buda
Writer/Director: Andrea Arnold
Genre: Drama
Plot: Bailey lives with her brother Hunter and her father Bug, who raises them alone in a squat in northern Kent. Bug doesn't have much time to devote to them. Bailey looks for attention and adventure elsewhere.
What you should know: Barry Keoghan dropped out of Gladiator II in order to do this film.
Where to watch: In theaters
Christmas in Miller’s Point
Stars: Matilda Fleming, Maria Dizzia, Ben Shankman, Francesca Scorsese
Writer: Eric Berger, Tyler Taormina
Director: Tyler Taormina
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Holiday
Plot: On Christmas Eve, a family gathers for what could be the last holiday in their ancestral home. As the night wears on and generational tensions arise, one of the teenagers sneaks out with her friends to claim the wintry suburb for her own.
What you should know: The film features Martin Scorsese’s daughter and Steven Spielberg’s son.
Where to watch: In theaters
Meanwhile on Earth
Stars: Megan Northam, Dimitri Doré, Sébastien Pouderoux, Catherine Salée
Writer/Director: Jérémy Clapin
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Sci Fi
Plot: A 23 year-old girl is contacted by an unknown life form claiming to be able to bring her older brother safely back to Earth, who disappeared during a space mission.
What you should know: It’s in French.
Where to watch: In theaters
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
Stars: Kynlee Heiman, Sebastian Billingsley-Rodriguez, Judy Greer, Pete Holmes
Writer: Platte F. Clark, Darin McDaniel, Ryan Swanson
Director: Dallas Jenkins
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Family
Plot: Nobody is ready for the mayhem and surprises that ensue when six of the worst youngsters disrupt the town's yearly Christmas performance.
What you should know: Won the Truly Moving Picture Award at the 2024 Heartland Film Festival.
Where to watch: In theaters
Weekend in Taipei
Stars: Luke Evans, Sung Kang, Lun-Mei Gwei, Virginia Chien
Writer: Luc Besson, George Huang
Director: George Huang
Genre: Action, Thriller
Plot: A former DEA agent and a former undercover operative revisit their romance during a fateful weekend in Taipei, unaware of the dangerous consequences of their past.
What you should know: Shot in Tapei in Summer 2023.
Where to watch: In theaters
The Last Rifleman
Stars: Pierce Brosnan, Clémence Poésy, John Amos, Jürgen Prochnow
Writer: Kevin Fitzpatrick
Director: Terry Loane
Genre: Drama
Plot: A WWII veteran escapes his care home in Northern Ireland and embarks on an arduous but inspirational journey to France to attend the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings, finding the courage to face the ghosts of his past.
What you should know: Inspired by the true story of Bernard Jordan, a British World War II veteran who slipped out of his nursing home in England in 2014.
Where to watch: In theaters, and available VOD
More New Releases
Drive Back (Trailer)
Little Girl Blue (Trailer)
Godzila Minus One Re-release ( Trailer)
New to Streaming
My Old Ass (Trailer) on Amazon
A Man Called Otto (Trailer) on Hulu
The Outrun (Trailer) available VOD
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This is up a day early because I’m traveling tomorrow. What have you been watching lately, ONTD? Seeing anything this weekend?