Indie Film Release Guide: November 16th [An ONTD Original]

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There are some heavy-hitters being released by the big studios this weekend - Steve McQueen's highly-anticipated Widows, Green Book, Instant Family, and Fantastic Beasts, Etc. But if you're not feeling those choices, I've got some options for you.

The films listed below are from studios other than the “Big Six” - Paramount, Warner Brothers, 20th Century Fox, Universal, Columbia and Disney. 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 9th, November 2nd, October 26th.

At Eternity’s Gate

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Stars: Willem Dafoe, Rupert Friend, Oscar Isaac, Mads Mikkelson
Writer: Jean-Claude Carrière, Louise Kugelberg, Julian Schnabel
Director: Julian Schnabel
Genre: Biography, Drama
Plot: A look at the life of painter Vincent van Gogh during the time he lived in Arles and Auvers-sur-Oise, France.
What you should know: It premiered at Venice, receiving mixed reviews but garnering an award for Willem Dafoe’s performance as van Gogh.
Opens in: NYC & LA



Jonathan

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Stars: Ansel Elgort, Patricia Clarkson, Suki Waterhouse, Matt Bomer
Writer: Gregory Davis, Peter Nickowitz, Bill Oliver
Director: Bill Oliver
Genre: Drama, Sci-fi
Plot: Jonathan is an early riser who works at an architecture firm. John is a night owl and a bit of a mess. The only problem is that they inhabit the same body, which works through careful planning -- until things start to fall apart.
What you should know: This is Ansel and Suki’s third film together, after Insurgent and Billionaire Boys Club.
Opens in: Select cities

Jinn

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Stars: Simone Missick, Zoe Renee, Hisham Tawfiq, Kelvin Harrison, Jr.
Written and directed by: Nijla Mu'min
Genre: Drama
Plot: Summer is a carefree 17-year-old whose world gets turned upside down when her mother, a popular meteorologist, abruptly decides to convert to Islam.
What you should know: It won the Special Jury Award for Narrative Feature at SXSW, and is a nominee for the Audience Award at AFI Fest.
Opens in: LA

CAM

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Stars: Madeline Brewer, Patch Darragh, Melora Walters, Devin Druid
Writer: Isa Mazzei, Daniel Goldhaber, Isabelle Link-Levy
Director: Daniel Goldhaber
Genre:
Plot: Alice, an ambitious camgirl, wakes up one day to discover she's been replaced on her show with an exact replica of herself.
What you should know: Won the Best First Feature Award at Fantasia Film Festival, and the Audience Award at Brooklyn Horror Film Festival.
Opens in: Select cities, and available on Netflix

The Last Race

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Director: Michael Dweck
Genre: Documentary
Storyline: A small-town stock car racetrack, and the tribe of blue-collar drivers that call it home, struggle to hold onto an American racing tradition as the world around them is transformed by globalization and commercialization.
What you should know: Nominee for Best Documentary at Sundance.
Opens in: NYC & LA

The Clovehitch Killer

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Stars: Charlie Plummer, Dylan McDermott, Samantha Mathis, Madisen Beaty
Writer: Christopher Ford
Director: Duncan Skiles
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Horror
Plot: After Tyler finds a cache of disturbing images in his father's possession, he begins to suspect that the man he trusts most in the world may be responsible for a series of unsolved murders.
What you should know: The director’s previous efforts are largely comedic.
Opens in: Select cities and available VOD.

55 Steps

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Stars: Helena Bonham Carter, Hilary Swank, Jeffrey Tambor, Michael Culkin
Writer: Mark Bruce Rosin
Director: Bille August
Genre: Biography, Drama
Plot: A workaholic lawyer helps a psychiatric patient sue a hospital for mistreating its patients.
What you should know: The film screened at TIFF last year and was released in Germany this spring, but is just now getting a US release.
Opens in: Select cities, and available on demand.

The Farm

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Stars: Nora Yessayan, Alec Gaylord, Ken Volok, Rob Tisdale
Written and directed by: Hans Stjernswärd
Genre: Horror
Plot: A young couple gets kidnapped and treated like farm animals after stopping at a roadside diner to eat meat.
What you should know: This is the writer/director’s debut feature.
Opens in: LA

Under the Wire

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Director: Chris Martin
Genre: Documentary
Storyline: Sunday Times war correspondent Marie Colvin and photographer Paul Conroy enter Syria in February of 2012 to cover the plight of Syrian civilians trapped in Homs.
What you should know: A Private War is the fictionalized version of Marie Colvin’s life, now in theaters.
Opens in: NYC & LA

Welcome Home

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Stars: Emily Ratajkowski, Aaron Paul, Ricardo Scamarcio, Katy Louise Saunders
Writer: David Levinson
Director: George Ratliff
Genre: Thriller
Plot: A couple spend a weekend at a vacation rental home in the Italian countryside in an attempt to repair their relationship, but soon become victims of the homeowner's sinister plans.
What you should know: Both Emily and Aaron began their careers starring in music videos.
Opens in: Select cities and available on demand.

Also opening this weekend: Of Fathers and Sons (Trailer), Mobile Homes (Trailer), Anchor and Hope (Trailer), Madness, Farewell (Trailer), The Gilligan Manifesto (Trailer), Speed Kills (Trailer)

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What have you seen recently, ONTD? Anything you're looking forward to seeing, indie or not?