Indie Film Release Guide: August 21st [An ONTD Original]
This weekend, after 20+ consecutive days of 1,000+ deaths in the United States from coronavirus, movie theaters are opening in many cities and states across the country. Of course the offerings will be fairly limited to start, since theaters in two of the biggest cities in the country remain closed, but there are a few films in this week's roundup that are opening in theaters this weekend.
The films listed are from studios other than the “Big Six” - Paramount, Warner Brothers, 20th Century Fox, Universal, Columbia/Sony and Disney. All films listed will be available at their respective sources on Friday unless otherwise noted. Check out the posts from the past few weeks for more movies that may have already come to VOD: August 14th, August 7th, and July 31st.
Unhinged
Click to viewStars: Russell Crowe, Caren Pistorius, Jimmi Simpson, Gabriel Bateman
Writer: Carl Ellsworth
Director: Derrick Borte
Genre: Thriller
Plot: After a confrontation with an unstable man at an intersection, a woman becomes the target of his rage.
What you should know: Owns the title of “first movie to open nationwide in theaters after the pandemic shutdown”.
Where to watch: In theaters
Random Acts of Violence
Stars: Jesse Williams, Jordana Brewster, Jay Baruchel, Niamh Wilson
Writer: Jay Baruchel, Jesse Chabot, Justin Grey, Jimmy Palmiotti
Director: Jay Baruchel
Genre: Horror
Plot: A pair of comic book writers begin to notice scary similarities between the character they created and horrific real-life events.
What you should know: This is director Jay Baruchel’s second feature after 2017’s Goon: Last of the Enforcers.
Where to stream: Shudder, available now
The 24th
Stars: Trai Byers, Thomas Haden Church, Bashir Salahuddin, Aja Naomi King
Writer: Kevin Willmott, Trai Byers
Director: Kevin Willmott
Genre: Drama, History
Plot: The true story of the all-black Twenty-Fourth United States Infantry Regiment, and the Houston Riot of 1917.
What you should know: Director Kevin Willmott won an Oscar in 2019 for the adapted screenplay of BlacKkKlansman.
Where to stream: Available VOD
Tesla
Stars: Ethan Hawke, Eve Hewson, Hannah Gross, Kyle MacLachlan
Writer/Director: Michael Almereyda
Genre: Biography, Drama
Plot: A freewheeling take on visionary inventor Nikola Tesla, his interactions with Thomas Edison and J.P. Morgan's daughter Anne, and his breakthroughs in transmitting electrical power and light.
What you should know: Won the Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize at Sundance 2020. This award honors a film that highlights science or technology, or is about a scientist, engineer or mathematician.
Where to stream: Available VOD
Cut Throat City
Stars: Ethan Hawke, T.I., Wesley Snipes, Terrence Howard
Writer: P.G. Cuschieri
Director: RZA
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama
Plot: Set after Hurricane Katrina, four boyhood friends out of options reluctantly accept an offer to pull off a dangerous heist in the heart of New Orleans.
What you should know: This is the third feature film that RZA has directed, after 2012’s The Man with the Iron Fists and 2017’s Love Beats Rhymes.
Where to watch: Select theaters
Chemical Heats
Stars: Lili Reinhart, Austin Abrams, Sarah Jones, Kara Young
Writer: Richard Tanne, Krystal Sutherland
Director: Richard Tanne
Genre: Drama, Romance
Plot: A high school transfer student finds a new passion when she begins to work on the school's newspaper.
What you should know: Based on the novel Our Chemical Hearts by Krystal Sutherland.
Where to stream: Amazon
Words on Bathroom Walls
Stars: Charlie Plummer, Taylor Russell, AnnaSophia Robb, Walton Goggins
Writer: Nick Naveda
Director: Thor Freudenthal
Genre: Drama
Plot: Diagnosed with a mental illness halfway through his senior year of high school, a witty, introspective teen struggles to keep it a secret while falling in love with a brilliant classmate who inspires him to not be defined by his condition.
What you should know: Based on the novel by Julia Walton.
Where to stream: Select theaters
The Vanished
Stars: Anne Heche, Thomas Jane, Jason Patric, Alex Heydon
Writer/Director: Peter Facinelli
Genre: Action, Mystery, Thriller
Plot: A husband and wife will stop at nothing to find her missing daughter, who disappeared on a family camping trip. When the police don't catch any leads, the duo take over.
What you should know: Director Peter Facinelli (who is best known by OP as Mike Dexter from Can’t Hardly Wait) also appears in the film.
Where to stream: Available VOD
Desert One
Director: Barbara Kopple
Genre: Documentary
Storyline: Using new archival sources and unprecedented access, master documentarian Barbara Kopple reveals the story behind one of the most daring rescues in modern US history: a secret mission to free hostages of the 1979 Iranian revolution.
What you should know: Director Barbara Kopple has directed dozens of other documentaries since 1976. Her first, Harlan County, USA, was selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.
Where to watch: Select theaters, and virtual cinemas
Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula
Stars: Gang Dong-Won, Lee Jung-hyu, Lee Re, Kim Min-Jae
Writer: Yeon Sang-ho, Ryu Yong-jae
Director: Yeon Sang-ho
Genre: Action, Horror, Thriller
Plot: Jung-seok, a soldier who previously escaped the diseased wasteland, relives the horror when assigned to a covert operation with two simple objectives: retrieve and survive. When his team unexpectedly stumbles upon survivors, their lives will depend on whether the best-or worst-of human nature prevails in the direst of circumstances.
What you should know: This is a sequel to Train to Busan; it’s in Korean and English
Where to watch: Select theaters, and available VOD
More New Releases:
The August Virgin (Trailer)
The Sleepover (Trailer)
The Pale Door (Trailer)
African Violet (Trailer)
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What have you been watching lately, ONTD?