Indie Film Release Guide: December 16th [An ONTD Original]

[scriptedending]

As you may have already guessed, this weekend belongs to the Na’vi: James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water is set to knock Black Panther: Wakanda Forever from its reign at the top of the box office. No other major studio has elected to face off with Disney, so other options include the award fare that has been released over the past few weeks and the indies listed below.

The films listed are from studios other than the “Big Five” - Universal Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., Walt Disney Pictures, and Columbia Pictures.. 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: December 9th, December 2nd, and November 24th.

Jurassic Punk

Click to view

Director: Scott Leberecht
Genre: Documentary
Storyline: Steve 'Spaz' Williams is a pioneer in computer animation. His digital dinosaurs of Jurassic Park transformed Hollywood in 1993, but an appetite for anarchy and reckless disregard for authority may have cost him the recognition he deserved.
What you should know: Director Scott Leberecht made a documentary in 2014 called Life After Pi, about the visual effects studio that worked on Life of Pi and won an Oscar two weeks after declaring bankruptcy.
Where to watch: In theaters, and available VOD



The Quiet Girl

Click to view

Stars: Catherine Clinch, Carrie Crowley, Andrew Bennett, Michael Patric
Writer/Director: Colm Bairéad
Genre: Drama
Plot: Rural Ireland 1981. A quiet, neglected girl is sent away from her dysfunctional family to live with foster parents for the summer. She blossoms in their care, but in this house where there are meant to be no secrets, she discovers one.
What you should know: Based on the story Foster by Claire Keegan.
Where to watch: In NY and LA theaters; expands February 2023

The Almond and the Seahorse

Click to view

Stars: Rebel Wilson, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Trine Dyrholm, Meera Syal
Writer: Celyn Jones, Kaite O’Reilly
Director: Celyn Jones, Tom Stern
Genre: Drama
Plot: What happens when you're ambushed by time? An archaeologist and an architect fight to re-imagine a future after traumatic brain injury leaves them adrift from the people they love.
What you should know: Co-director Tom Stern was also the film’s cinematographer, operating under the alias of Evan Thomas.
Where to watch: In theaters, and available on VOD.

The Volcano: Rescue From Whakaari

Click to view

Writer: Mark Bailey, Dallas Brennan
Director: Rory Kennedy
Genre: Documentary
Storyline: Portrays human bravery and resilience after a tragic volcano disaster in New Zealand.
What you should know: Director Rory Kennedy has previously directed many documentaries and documentary series.
Where to watch: Netflix

Lullaby

Click to view

Stars: Oona Chaplin, Rámon Rodríguez, Liane Balaban, Kira Guloien
Writer: Alex Greenfield, Ben Powell
Director: John R. Leonetti
Genre: Horror
Plot: A new mother who discovers a lullaby in an ancient book and soon regards the song as a blessing. But her world transforms into a nightmare when the lullaby brings forth the ancient demon Lilith.
What you should know: Director John R. Leonetti is also an award-winning cinematographer.
Where to watch: In theaters, and available VOD

The Apology

Click to view

Stars: Anna Gunn, Linus Roache, Janeane Garafalo, Holland Bailey
Writer/Director: Alison Locke
Genre: Thriller
Plot: Twenty years after the disappearance of her daughter, a recovering alcoholic is preparing to host her family's Christmas celebration when her estranged ex-brother-in-law arrives unannounced, bearing nostalgic gifts and a heavy secret.
What you should know: This is writer/director Alison Locke’s feature directorial debut.
Where to watch: Shudder

Nelly & Nadine

Click to view

Writer: Jesper Osmund, Magnus Gertten
Director: Magnus Gertten
Genre: Documentary
Storyline: Follows opera singer Nelly Mousset-Vos and writer Nadine Hwang, who met and fell in love while imprisoned in Ravensbrück, a German concentration camp, in 1944. Despite being separated in the last months of the war, they later reunite and spend the rest of their lives together. All that is left of the unlikely love story - kept secret for decades - are photos, letters, and Super-8 film reels kept in boxes. Stumbling upon these years later, Nelly’s granddaughter Sylvie begins piecing together Nelly and Nadine’s legacy and uncovering the records of their remarkable love.
What you should know: Won the Teddy Jury Award at Berlinale 2022.
Where to watch: In theaters

High Heat

Click to view

Stars: Olga Kurylenko, Don Johnson, Chris Diamantopoulos, Kaitlin Doubleday
Writer: James Pedersen
Director: Zach Golden
Genre: Action, Comedy
Plot: When the local mafia shows up to burn down her restaurant, Ana, a chef with a meticulous past, defends her turf and proves her knife skills both in and out of the kitchen.
What you should know: Director Zach Golden’s first feature film was 2018’s The Escape of Prisoner 614.
Where to watch: In theaters, and available VOD.

Children of the Mist

Click to view

Director: Diễm Hà Lệ,
Genre: Documentary
Storyline: In a village hidden in the mist-shrouded Northwest Vietnamese mountains resides an indigenous Hmong community, home to 12-year-old Di, part of the first generation of her people with access to formal education. Di recounts her experiences facing the local custom of "bride kidnapping."
What you should know: Winner of the Best Directing award at IDFA.
Where to watch: In theaters

Mindcage

Click to view

Stars: John Malkovich, Martin Lawrence, Melissa Roxburgh, Jacob Grodnik
Writer: Reggie Keyohara III
Director: Mauro Borrelli
Genre: Thriller
Plot: When a copycat strikes, two detectives ask a top serial killer for help.
What you should know: Director Mauro Borrelli’s last film was this year’s WarHunt.
Where to watch: In theaters, and available VOD

More New Releases

Avatar: The Way of Water (Trailer)
The Mean One (Trailer)

New to Streaming

Bardo: False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths (Trailer) on Netflix
Nanny (Trailer) on Amazon
I Love My Dad (Trailer) on Hulu
Banshees of Inisherin (Trailer) on HBO
About Fate (Trailer) on Amazon
Bones and All (Trailer) on VOD
The Fabelmans (Trailer) on VOD

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?