Indie Film Release Guide: March 19th [An ONTD Original]

[scriptedending]

Once again, it’s a bit of a slow week for new releases, but box offices all over the country are beginning to buzz again as more and more theaters reopen. It seems as though we may be in for a bit of a lull as far as flashy new releases until the first big thing in theaters, but thankfully, most indie movies are plentiful and available in the comfort of your own home.

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: March 12th, March 5th, and February 26th.

Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal

Click to view

Writer: Jon Karmen
Director: Chris Smith
Genre: Documentary, Crime, Drama
Plot: Reenactments drive this documentary investigating the mastermind behind a scam to sneak the kids of rich and famous families into top US universities.
What you should know: Director Chris Smith also directed Fyre.
Where to stream: Netflix, available now



Rose Plays Julie

Click to view

Stars: Ann Skelly, Orla Brady, Aidan Gillen, Annabell Rickerby
Writer/Director: Joe Lawlor, Christine Molloy
Genre: Drama
Plot: In this intimate exploration of identity, trauma and power, a young woman seeks out her birth mother, inadvertently triggering a string of events which change both their lives.
What you should know: Writer/director duo Joe Lawlor and Christine Molloy have worked on several other films and shorts together.
Where to stream: Virtual cinemas

Wojnarowicz

Click to view

Director: Chris McKim
Genre: Documentary
Storyline: A fiery and urgent documentary portrait of the New York painter/photographer/musician/writer who emerged in the 1980s as an internationally known firebrand. A fiercely political, unapologetically queer artist, David Wojnarowicz was especially critical of mainstream indifference to AIDS, the epidemic that would take his life at age 37.
What you should know: Director Chris McKim also directed last year’s Freedia Got a Gun.
Where to stream: Virtual cinemas

The Fever

Click to view

Stars: Regis Myrupu, Rosa Peixoto, Johnatan Sodré, Edmildo Vaz Pimentel
Writer: Pedro Cesarino, Maya Da-Rin, Miguel Seabra Lopes
Director: Maya Da-Rin
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Plot: Justino, a 45-year-old Desana native, is a security guard at the Manaus harbor. As his daughter prepares to study medicine in Brasilia, Justino is taken over by a mysterious fever.
What you should know: It’s in Portuguese.
Where to stream: Virtual cinemas

Food Club

Click to view

Stars: Stina Ekblad, Karoline Hamm, Troels Lyby, Kirsten Olesen
Writer: Anne-Marie Olesen
Director: Barbara Topsøe-Rothenborg
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Plot: Follows three longtime girlfriends from elementary school who are coming into their prime and finding a new lease on life after participating in a cooking course in Italy.
What you should know: It’s in Danish, English and Italian.
Where to stream: Available VOD

Last Call

Click to view

Stars: Jeremy Piven, Taryn Manning, Bruce Dern, Zach McGowan
Writer: Greg Lingo, Paolo Pilladi
Director: Paolo Pilladi
Genre: Comedy
Plot: A real estate developer returns to his old Philly neighborhood and must decide to raze or resurrect the family bar.
What you should know: “Darby Heights” isn’t a real thing, but it’s based on the very real area of Upper Darby.
Where to stream: In theaters, and available VOD

Phobias

Click to view

Stars: Alexis Knapp, Lauren Miller Rogen, Charlotte McKinney, Hanna Mae Lee
Writer: Broderick Englehard, Camilla Belle, Maritte Lee Go, Joe Still, Jess Varley, Chris von Hoffman
Director: Camilla Belle, Maritte Lee Go, Joe Still, Jess Varley, Chris von Hoffman
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Plot: Five dangerous patients, suffering from extreme phobias at a government testing facility, are put to the ultimate test under the supervision of a crazed doctor and his quest to weaponize fear.
What you should know: Each segment has a different director.
Where to stream: Available on demand

In Theaters Only

City of Lies

Click to view

Stars: Johnny Depp, Forest Whitaker, Toby Huss, Dayton Callie
Writer: Christian Contreras
Director: Brad Furman
Genre: Biography, Crime, Drama
Plot: Russell Poole and Jack Jackson investigate the murders of rappers Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur.
What you should know: Based on the book by Randall Sullivan.
Where to watch: In theaters

The Courier

Click to view

Stars: Benedict Cumberbatch, Merab Ninidze, Rachel Brosnahan, Jessie Buckley
Writer: Tom O’Connor
Director: Dominic Cooke
Genre: Thriller
Plot: Cold War spy Greville Wynne and his Russian source try to put an end to the Cuban Missile Crisis.
What you should know: Director Dominic Cooke previously directed Benedict Cumberbatch in The Hollow Crown
Where to watch: In theaters

Major Studio Release

Happily

Click to view

Stars: Joel McHale, Natalie Zea, Natalie Morales, Kerry Bishé
Writer/Director: BenDavid Grabinski
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Plot: A dark romantic comedy. Tom and Janet have been happily married for years. But a visit from a mysterious stranger leads to a dead body, a lot of questions, and a tense couples' trip with friends who may not actually be friends at all.
What you should know: This is writer/director BenDavid Grabanski’s feature directorial debut.
Where to watch: In theaters, and available VOD

More New Releases

Doors (Trailer)
Enforcement (Trailer)
Martha: A Picture Story (Trailer)

New to Streaming

Zack Snyder’s Justice League (Trailer) on HBO Max

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?