Indie Film Release Guide: December 11th [An ONTD Original]

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All of this week's featured films are available in the comfort of your home, via virtual cinema or digital purchase or streaming. If you have a favorite local theater, please make sure to check out what they are streaming - rentals are one of the only ways they are currently making any money. There are couple of films doing limited runs this week just to qualify for the Oscars, like Minari and Gunda, and they may be available in your local virtual cinema, so look for those if you're interested. But since the options for viewing them are so limited (for example, the Minari screenings at Lincoln Center virtual cinema are already sold out), I'll post about those films in more detail once they are more widely available in early 2021.

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: December 4th, November 25th, and November 20th.

I’m Your Woman

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Stars: Rachel Brosnahan, Marsha Stephanie Blake, Arinzé Kene, Frankie Faison
Writer: Julia Hart, Jordan Horowitz
Director: Julia Hart
Genre: Crime, Drama
Plot: In this 1970s set crime drama, a woman is forced to go on the run after her husband betrays his partners, sending her and her baby on a dangerous journey.
What you should know: Director Julia Hart also directed Fast Color and Miss Stevens.
Where to stream: Amazon Prime



Wild Mountain Thyme

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Stars: Emily Blunt, Jamie Dornan, Jon Hamm, Christopher Walken
Writer/Director: John Patrick Shanley
Genre: Drama, Romance
Plot: The headstrong farmer Rosemary Muldoon has her heart set on winning her neighbor Anthony Reilly’s love. The problem is Anthony seems to have inherited a family curse, and remains oblivious to his beautiful admirer. Stung by his father Tony Reilly's plans to sell the family farm to his American nephew, Anthony is jolted into pursuing his dreams in this comedic, moving and wildly romantic tale.
What you should know: Director John Patrick Shanley’s most famous film is 1987’s Moonstruck.
Where to stream: In theaters, and available VOD

Alex Wheatle

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Stars: Sheyi Cole, Robbie Gee, Jonathan Jules, Elliot Edusah
Writer: Alastair Siddons, Steve McQueen
Director: Steve McQueen
Genre: Drama
Plot: Alex Wheatle follows the true story of award-winning writer, Alex Wheatle, from a young boy through his early adult years. Having spent his childhood in a mostly white institutional care home with no love or family, he finally finds not only a sense of community for the first time in Brixton, but his identity and ability to grow his passion for music and DJing. When he is thrown in prison during the Brixton Uprising of 1981, he confronts his past and sees a path to healing.
What you should know: This is part four of Steve McQueen’s five-part Small Axe series.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime

Funny Boy

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Stars: Arush Nand, Brandon Ingram, Ruvin De Silva, Rehan Mudannayake
Writer: Deepa Mehta, Shyam Selvadurai
Director: Deepa Mehta
Genre: Drama
Plot: Explores Arjie's sexual awakening from a young boy to a teenager who falls in love with a male classmate, just as political tensions escalate between the Sinhalese and Tamils in the years leading up to the 1983 uprisings.
What you should know: This is Canada’s entry for the 2021 Best International Feature Film category at the Oscars.
Where to stream: Netflix

The Prom

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Stars: Meryl Streep, James Corden, Nicole Kidman, Kerry Washingon
Writer: Bob Martin, Chad Beguelin, Matthew Sklar, Jack Viertel
Director: Ryan Murphy
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Musical
Plot: A troupe of hilariously self-obsessed theater stars swarm into a small conservative Indiana town in support of a high school girl who wants to take her girlfriend to the prom.
What you should know: Based on the 2018 Broadway musical of the same name.
Where to stream: Netflix

Archenemy

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Stars: Joe Manganiello, Skylan Brooks, Zolee Griggs, Paul Scheer
Writer: Adam Egypt Mortimer, Luke Passmore
Director: Adam Egypt Mortimer
Genre: Action, Adventure
Plot: Max Fist claims to be a hero from another dimension who fell through time and space to earth, where he has no powers. No one believes his stories except for a local teen named Hamster.
What you should know: Nicolas Cage was originally slated to play Max Fist.
Where to watch: In theaters, and available VOD

Assassins

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Director: Ryan White
Genre: Documentary
Storyline: An account of the two women convicted of assassinating Kim Jong-un's half-brother, Kim Jong-nam. The film follows the women's trials in an attempt to understand whether they are trained killers or simply pawns.
What you should know: Director Ryan White last directed 2019’s Ask Dr. Ruth.
Where to watch: In theaters and virtual cinemas

Wander Darkly

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Stars: Sienna Miller, Diego Luna, Beth Grant, Tory Kittles
Writer/Director: Tara Miele
Genre: Drama
Plot: New parents Adrienne and Matteo are forced to reckon with trauma amidst their troubled relationship. They must revisit the memories of their past and unravel haunting truths in order to face their uncertain future.
What you should know: Writer/director Tara Miele has recently directed on Batwoman and Arrow.
Where to stream: Available VOD

Farewell Amor

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Stars: Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine, Zainab Jah, Jayme Lawson, Joie Lee
Writer/Director: Ekwa Msangi
Genre: Drama, Music, Romance
Plot: Reunited after 17 years, an Angolan immigrant is joined in the U.S. by his wife and daughter. Now strangers sharing a one-bedroom apartment, they discover a shared love of dance that may help them overcome the distance between them.
What you should know: The film was a nominee for the Dramatic Grand Jury Prize at Sundance 2020.
Where to stream: In theaters and available VOD

Queer Japan

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Director: Graham Kolbeins
Genre: Documentary, LGBT
Storyline: Trailblazing artists, activists, and everyday people from across the spectrum of gender and sexuality defy social norms and dare to shine in this kaleidoscopic view of LGBTQ+ culture in contemporary Japan. From glossy pride parades to playfully perverse underground parties, Queer Japan pictures people living brazenly unconventional lives in the sunlight, the shadows, and everywhere in between.
What you should know: It’s in Japanese.
Where to stream: In virtual cinemas, and available VOD

Let Them All Talk

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Stars: Meryl Streep, Gemma Chan, Dianne Wiest, Candice Bergen
Writer: Deborah Eisenberg
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Plot: A famous author goes on a cruise trip with her friends and nephew in an effort to find fun and happiness while she comes to terms with her troubled past.
What you should know: Filmed on the cruise liner Queen Mary 2 during a real cruise from New York to Southampton.
Where to stream: HBO Max

More New Releases

The Stand In (Trailer) (Paramount)
The Weasels’ Tale (Trailer)
Parallel (Trailer)
The Never List (Trailer)
Finding Yingying

New to Digital

Wolfwalkers (Trailer) on Apple TV+
Rent-A-Pal (Trailer) on Hulu
Midnight Family (Trailer) on HBO Max
Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch Musical! (Trailer) on Hulu
The Burnt Orange Heresy (Trailer) on Starz

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What have you been watching lately, ONTD?