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

[scriptedending]

It’s a pretty muted weekend for the big studios. Bruce Springsteen’s Western Stars from Warner Brothers and Sony’s Black and Blue are the only two films debuting from the majors, with a couple of other wide releases from smaller studios rounding out the weekend. Jojo Rabbit, The Lighthouse, and likely Best Picture contender Parasite are all expanding to more theaters this weekend, so keep an eye out for those, as well as the films highlighted below.

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

The Current War

Click to view

Stars: Tom Holland, Benedict Cumberbatch, Michael Shannon, Katherine Waterston
Writer: Michael Mitnick
Director: Alfonso Gomez-Rejon
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Plot: The dramatic story of the cutthroat race between electricity titans Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse to determine whose electrical system would power the modern world.
What you should know: The film premiered at TIFF two years ago to poor reviews, and then the The Weinstein Company went under so the planned release was scrapped. The director was able to recut the film once it was bought by another studio for distribution, hence it being called the “director’s cut.” The new version also has a completely new score.
Opens in: Wide



Synonyms

Click to view

Stars: Tom Mercier, Quentin Dolmaire, Louise Chevillotte, Uria Hayik
Writer: Nadav Lapid, Haim Lapid
Director: Nadav Lapid
Genre: Drama
Plot: A young Israeli man absconds to Paris to flee his nationality, aided by his trusty Franco-Israeli dictionary.
What you should know: It’s in French, Hebrew and English.
Opens in: Select cities

Burning Cane

Click to view

Stars: Wendell Pierce, Karen Kaia Livers, Dominique McClellan, Braelyn Kelly
Writer/Director: Phillip Youmans
Genre: Drama
Plot: Amongst the cane fields of rural Louisiana, an aging mother struggles between her religious convictions and the love of her son.
What you should know: Won Best Narrative Feature at Tribeca, with additional wins for best actor and cinematography.
Opens in: Select cities

Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

Click to view

Director: Midge Costin
Genre: Documentary
Storyline: An exploration of the history, artistry, and emotional power of cinema sound, as revealed by legendary sound designers and visionary directors, via interviews, clips from movies, and a look at their actual process of creation and discovery.
What you should know: The film features in-depth interviews with sound designers and directors.
Opens in: Select cities

Frankie

Click to view

Stars: Isabelle Huppert, Sennia Nanua, Ariyon Bakare, Vinette Robinson
Writer: Ira Sachs, Mauricio Zacharias
Director: Ira Sachs
Genre: Drama
Plot: Three generations grappling with a life-changing experience during one day of a vacation in Sintra, Portugal, a historic town known for its dense gardens and fairy-tale villas and palaces.
What you should know: It’s in English, French and Portuguese.
Opens in: Select cities

One Piece: Stampede

Click to view

Stars: Johnny Young Bosch, Chô, D.C. Douglas, Kyle Hebert
Writer: Clint Bickham, Takashi Otsuka, Atsuhiro Tomioka
Director: Takashi Otsuka
Genre: Animation, Anime
Plot: Pirates from around the world gather at the Pirates Expo to join the hunt for Gol D. Roger's lost treasure.
What you should know: Based on the story by Eiichiro Oda.
Opens in: Select cities

Paradise Hills

Click to view

Stars: Emma Roberts, Danielle Macdonald, Awkwafina, Eiza González
Writer: Brian DeLeeuw, Nacho Vigalondo, Alice Waddington
Director: Alice Waddington
Genre: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Plot: Uma is a teen girl who wakes up in an apparently idyllic school for young ladies to reform rebel girls.
What you should know: Alice Waddington’s directorial debut premiered at Sundance earlier this year.
Opens in: Select cities

The Cat and the Moon

Click to view

Stars: Skyler Gisondo, Alex Wolff, Camrus Johnson, Stefania LaVie Owen
Writer/Director: Alex Wolff
Genre: Drama
Plot: While his mother seeks treatment in rehab, teenager Nick comes to New York to stay with Cal, a Jazz musician friend of his late father's. During his stay he makes friends who show him what the city has to offer.
What you should know: This is Alex Wolff’s feature directorial and writing debut.
Opens in: Select cities

The Kill Team

Click to view

Stars: Nat Wolff, Alexander Skarsgård, Adam Long, Jonathan Whitesell
Writer/Director: Dan Krauss
Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller
Plot: A young American soldier in Afghanistan is disturbed by his commanding officer's behavior and is faced with a moral dilemma.
What you should know: Based on the 2013 documentary of the same name.
Opens in: Select cities

Countdown

Click to view

Stars: Elizabeth Lail, Peter Facinelli, Anne Winters, Charlie McDermott
Writer/Director: Justin Dec
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Plot: When a nurse downloads an app that claims to predict the moment a person will die, it tells her she only has three days to live. With the clock ticking and a figure haunting her, she must find a way to save her life before time runs out.
What you should know: This is Justin Dec’s feature directorial debut.
Opens in: Wide release

Also opening: The Girl on the Third Floor (Trailer), Farming (Trailer), Portals (Trailer), Made in China (Trailer), Fire & Rain (Trailer), Full Count (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?