Indie Film Release Guide: August 12th [An ONTD Original]

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The big studios have effectively given up on summer, with no new wide releases from any of them coming out this weekend. A24's Bodies Bodies Bodies is taking that as an opportunity to expand outside of NYC & LA, and Lionsgate's Fall is also opening wide, hoping to capture an audience in the face of little competition.

The films listed are from studios other than the “Big Six” - Paramount, Warner Brothers, 20th Century Studios, Universal, Columbia/Sony 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: August 5th, July 29th, and July 22nd.

Emily the Criminal

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Stars: Aubrey Plaza, Theo Rossi, Bernardo Badillo, Jonathan Avigdori
Writer/Director: John Patton Ford
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Plot: Down on her luck and saddled with debt, Emily gets involved in a credit card scam that pulls her into the criminal underworld of Los Angeles, ultimately leading to deadly consequences.
What you should know: This is writer/director John Patton Ford’s first feature film.
Where to watch: In theaters



Fall

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Stars: Grace Caroline Currey, Virginia Gardner, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Mason Gooding
Writer: Jonathan Frank, Scott Mann
Director: Scott Mann
Genre: Thriller
Plot: Best friends Becky and Hunter find themselves at the top of a 2,000-foot radio tower.
What you should know: The film used deepfake technology to change dozens of uses of the word “fuck” so that the movie could be released with a PG-13 rating.
Where to watch: In theaters

Day Shift

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Stars: Jamie Foxx, Dave Franco, Natasha Liu Bordizzo, Meagan Good
Writer: Tyler Tice, Shay Hatten
Director: J.J. Perry
Genre: Action, Comedy, Fantasy
Plot: A hard-working, blue-collar dad who just wants to provide a good life for his quick-witted 8-year-old daughter. His mundane San Fernando Valley pool cleaning job is a front for his real source of income: hunting and killing vampires.
What you should know: This is former stuntman J.J. Perry’s feature directorial debut.
Where to watch: Netflix

Rogue Agent

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Stars: Gemma Arterton, James Norton, Sarah Goldberg, Marisa Abela
Writer: Michael Bronner, Declan Lawn, Adam Patterson
Director: Declan Lawn, Adam Patterson
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Plot: The extraordinary and chilling story of career conman Robert Freegard who masqueraded as an MI5 agent and fooled people into going into hiding, and the woman who fell for him, and then brought him down.
What you should know: This is the feature film debut for the writer-director duo of Declan Lawn and Adam Patterson.
Where to watch: In theaters, and on AMC+

Mack & Rita

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Stars: Diane Keaton, Elizabeth Lail, Taylour Paige, Loretta Devine
Writer: Madeline Walter, Paul Welsh
Director: Katie Aselton
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Plot: A 30-year-old writer spends a wild weekend in Palm Springs and wakes up to find she has magically transformed into her 70-year-old self.
What you should know: Writers Madeline Water and Paul Welsh were both regular performers at UCB.
Where to watch: In theaters

Summering

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Stars: Lia Barnett, Sanai Victoria, Madalen Mills, Eden Grace Redfield
Writer: Benjamin Percy, James Ponsoldt
Director: James Ponsoldt
Genre: Drama
Plot: During their last days of summer and childhood -- the weekend before middle school begins -- four girls struggle with the harsh truths of growing up and embark on a mysterious adventure.
What you should know: Director James Ponsoldt’s last directorial effort was six episodes of Sorry For Your Loss.
Where to watch: In theaters

The Princess

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Writer/Director: Ed Perkins
Genre: Documentary
Storyline: An intimate and immersive look at the life of Princess Diana, examines the overwhelming adoration and intense scrutiny she faced by the media and the public as a member of the royal family.
What you should know: This year marks the 25th anniversary of Princess Diana’s death.
Where to watch: HBO Max

Emergency Declaration

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Stars: Song Kang-ho, Lee Byung-hun, Jeon Do-yeon, Park Hae-joon
Writer/Director: Han Jae-rim
Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller
Plot: While investigating a terroristic threat that goes viral online, Korean authorities discover that a suspect has recently boarded an international flight bound for the United States. When a healthy passenger on the same flight suddenly dies a gruesome death of unknown cause, panic erupts both in-flight and on the ground. With steadily decreasing fuel and international refusals to offer aid, the captain and crew will be forced to take unprecedented emergency measures in an attempt to save the lives of their passengers.
What you should know: It’s in Korean.
Where to watch: In theaters

Free Puppies!

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Director: Christina Thomas, Samantha Wishman
Genre: Documentary
Storyline: When Hurricane Katrina left more than 250,000 pets stranded, the infrastructure of modern pet transport for a nation-wide dog rescue effort was born. Since then, millions of rescue dogs from the rural South have been transported to new homes thanks to the tireless efforts of a grassroots network of dog rescuers.
What you should know: This is the feature documentary debut for directors Christina Thomas and Samantha Wishman.
Where to watch: In theaters, and available via virtual cinemas

Free Chol Soo Lee

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Writer: Carol Dysinger, Julie Ha, Chol Soo Lee
Director: Julie Ha, Eugene Yi
Genre: Documentary
Plot: In 1970s San Francisco, Korean immigrant Chol Soo Lee is wrongly convicted of a Chinatown gang murder. After spending years fighting to survive, journalist K.W. Lee takes an interest in his case, igniting an unprecedented social movement.
What you should know: Nominated for the Documentary Grand Jury Prize at Sundance 2022.
Where to watch: In theaters

More New Releases

Bodies Bodies Bodies (Trailer)
Girl Picture (Trailer)
Inu-Oh (Trailer)
No Way Out (Trailer)

New to Streaming

The Lost City (Trailer) on Amazon
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Trailer) on Amazon

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What have you been watching lately, ONTD? Seeing anything this weekend?