Indie Film Release Guide: June 21st [An ONTD Original]
This weekend belongs to the third Toy Story sequel, which is set to dominate the box office with $140 milllion in ticket sales. But there are many other films releasing this week - none from major studios, some with larger budgets than others - and several films from the last few weeks holding over, like Late Night.
The films listed 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: June 14th, June 7th, and May 31st.
Wild Rose
Click to viewStars: Jessie Buckley, Julie Walters, Sophie Okenado, James Harkness
Writer: Nicole Taylor
Director: Tom Harper
Genre: Drama, Music
Plot: Fresh out of prison, a Scottish woman juggles her job and two children while pursuing her dream of becoming a country music star. She soon gets her chance when she travels to Nashville, Tenn., on a life-changing journey to discover her true voice.
What you should know: Premiered at TIFF 2018.
Opens in: Select cities
Anna
Stars: Sasha Luss, Helen Mirren, Luke Evans, Cillian Murphy
Writer/Director: Luc Besson
Genre: Action, Thriller
Plot: Beneath Anna Poliatova's striking beauty lies a secret that will unleash her indelible strength and skill to become one of the world's most feared government assassins.
What you should know: Filmed mainly in France
Opens in: Wide
Before Stonewall
Director: Greta Schiller, Robert Rosenberg
Genre: Documentary, History
Storyline: The riots that followed the arrests at New York City's Stonewall Inn in 1969 are widely considered to be a major development in the history of gay and lesbian rights in America. This documentary investigates national cultural perceptions of homosexuality before the event, looking back on previous decades, particularly in regard to conflicts with police and censorship.
What you should know: This is a 1984 documentary, restored and re-released in theaters this month to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Stonewall.
Opens in: Select cities
Child’s Play
Stars: Aubrey Plaza, Mark Hamill, Gabriel Bateman, Brian Tyree Henry
Writer: Tyler Burton Smith
Director: Lars Klevberg
Genre: Horror
Plot: After moving to a new city, young Andy Barclay receives a special present from his mother -- a seemingly innocent Buddi doll that becomes his best friend. When the doll suddenly takes on a life of its own, Andy unites with other neighborhood children to stop the sinister toy from wreaking bloody havoc.
What you should know: No one involved with the original Chucky films is working on this one.
Opens in: Wide
Swinging Safari
Stars: Kylie Minogue, Guy Pearce, Radha Mitchell, Julian McMahon
Writer/Director: Stephan Elliott
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Plot: Local kids get a dose of excitement when a 200-ton blue whale washes up on a beach in 1970s Australia, and their parents find their own good time by drinking and playing games behind closed doors.
What you should know: Filmed in Australia
Opens in: Select cities
Nightmare Cinema
Stars: Mickey Rourke, Richard Chamberlain & Adam Godley, Orson Chaplin
Writer: Sandra Becerril, Alejandro Brugués, Lawrence C. Connolly, Mick Garris, Richard Christian Matheson & David Slade
Director: Alejandro Brugués, Ryûhei Kitamura, David Slade, Joe Dante & Mick Garris
Genre: Horror
Plot: Five strangers converge at a haunted movie theater owned by The Projectionist. Once inside, the audience members witness a series of screenings that shows them their deepest fears and darkest secrets over five tales.
What you should know: Each director was responsible for one of the segments within the film.
Opens in: Select cities
Burn Your Maps
Stars: Jacob Tremblay, Vera Farmiga, Virginia Madsen, Jason Scott Lee
Writer: Jordan Roberts, Robyn Joy Leff
Director: Jordan Roberts
Genre: Adventure
Plot: A family in emotional turmoil is taken by surprise in this quirky adventure where an eccentric 8-year-old American boy, Wes, has an existential epiphany - He believes that he is in fact a Mongolian goat herder.
What you should know: Premiered at TIFF 2016, but just secured distribution.
Opens in: Select cities
Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am
Director: Timothy Greenfield-Sanders
Genre: Documentary
Plot: This artful and intimate meditation on the legendary storyteller examines her life, her works and the powerful themes she has confronted throughout her literary career.
What you should know: The film has won awards at several 2019 US film festivals.
Opens in: Select cities
The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir
Stars: Dhanush, Berenice Bejo, Erin Moriarty, Barkhad Abdi, Ben Miller
Writer: Romain Puertolas, Luc Bossi, Ken Scott
Director: Ken Scott
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Plot: Ajatashatru Lavash Patel has lived all his life in a small Mumbai neighborhood tricking people with street magic and fakir stunts. He sets out on a journey to find his estranged father, but instead gets dragged on a never-ending adventure.
What you should know: This is an adaptation of a novel by the same name.
Opens in: Select cities
Into the Mirror
Stars: Jamie Bacon, Charles Streeter, John Sackville, Beatrice May
Writer: Jamie Bacon, Charles Streeter
Director: Lois Stevenson
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Plot: Daniel is a young man struggling with an inner identity that is desperate to be realised. After leaving his father to move to London, his subconscious desires begin to take control. Led by his new co-worker and upon finding London's Drag hotspot 'Lost & Found' nightclub, Daniel realises his life will never have to be the same again.
What you should know: It clocks in at 65 minutes, which is very short for a feature.
Opens in: Select cities
Also opening: Surprise Me! (Trailer), Round of Your Life (Trailer), The Command (Trailer), Ever After (Trailer), Madame Yankelova’s Fine Literature Club (Trailer), The Quiet One (Trailer)
Source 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
What have you been watching lately, ONTD? Seeing anything this weekend?