Indie Film Release Guide: July 28th [An ONTD Original]
It’s a Barbenheimer world, and we are just living in it! Unfortunately for Disney’s The Haunted Mansion, it is the sole new big studio release up against these box office juggernauts, and it’s hard to imagine it will scare up impressive numbers this weekend. But as always, there are lots of indie alternatives to all of the major studio fare, including a brand new horror film from A24. Read on for more info on Talk to Me and this weekend’s other indie releases.
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: July 21st, July 14th, and July 7th.
Talk to Me
Click to viewStars: Sophie Wilde, Joe Bird, Alexandra Jensen, Otis Dhanji
Writer: Danny Philippou, Bill Hinzman, Daley Pearson
Director: Danny Philippou, Michael Philippou
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Plot: When a group of friends discover how to conjure spirits using an embalmed hand, they become hooked on the new thrill, until one of them goes too far and unleashes terrifying supernatural forces.
What you should know: This is the feature film debut of directing brothers Danny Philippou and Michael Philippou, who are known as RackaRacka on YouTube.
Where to watch: In theaters
War Pony
Stars: Jojo Bapteise Whiting, Ladainian Crazy Thunder, Robert Stover, Ashley Shelton
Writer: Franklin Sioux Bob, Bill Reddy, Gina Gammell, Riley Keough
Director: Gina Gammell, Riley Keough
Genre: Drama
Plot: Follows the interlocking stories of two young Lakota men on the Pine Ridge Reservation as they grapple with a world built against them and navigate unique paths to manhood.
What you should know: Filmed on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota.
Where to watch: In theaters, and available VOD
Susie Searches
Stars: Kiersey Clemons, Alex Wolff, Jim Gaffigan, Rachel Sennott
Writer: William Day Frank, Sophie Kargman
Director: Sophie Kargman
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Mystery
Plot: An awkward college student who seizes the opportunity to bolster her popularity and her under-the-radar true-crime podcast by solving the disappearance of a classmate.
What you should know: This is co-writer and director Sophie Kargman’s debut feature film.
Where to watch: In theaters, and available on DirecTV
Sympathy for the Devil
Stars: Nicolas Cage, Joel Kinnaman, Burns Burns, Nancy Good
Writer: Luke Paradise
Director: Yuval Adler
Genre: Action, Thriller
Plot: After being forced to drive a mysterious passenger at gunpoint, a man finds himself in a high-stakes game of cat and mouse where it becomes clear that not everything is as it seems.
What you should know: The red hair was a character choice decided by Nicolas Cage.
Where to watch: In theaters, and available VOD
Happiness for Beginners
Stars: Ellie Kemper, Luke Grimes, Nico Santos, Blythe Danner
Writer: Vicky Wight, Katherine Center
Director: Vicky Wight
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Plot: Helen has always lived her life as far from the edge as possible. Newly divorced, she joins a quirky group of strangers on a survival course with the hope of learning how to live - and love - again.
What you should know: Filmed in Connecticut.
Where to watch: Netflix
The Beasts
Stars: Denis Ménochet, Marina Foïs, Luis Zahera, Diego Anido
Writer: Isabel Peña, Rodrigo Sorogoyen
Director: Rodrigo Sorogoyen
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Plot: A middle-aged French couple moves to a local village, seeking closeness with nature where their presence inflames two locals to the point of outright hostility and shocking violence.
What you should know: It’s in French, Galician, and Spanish.
Where to watch: In theaters
Kokomo City
Director: D. Smith
Genre: Documentary
Storyline: A raw depiction of the lives of four black trans sex workers as they confront the dichotomy between the black community and themselves.
What you should know: Won the Sundance Film Festival’s NEXT Innovator Award and NEXT Audience Award, as well as the Berlinale’s Audience Award in the Panorama Documentary section.
Where to watch: In theaters
The Unknown Country
Stars: Lily Gladstone, Raymond Lee, Richard Ray Whitman, Lainey Bearkiller Shangreaux
Writer: Morrisa Maltz, Lily Gladstone, Lainey Bearkiller Shangreaux
Director: Morrisa Maltz
Genre: Drama
Plot: An unexpected invitation rushes a grieving young woman into a lonely road trip through the American Midwest towards the border between Texas and Mexico.
What you should know: Nominated for several awards on the film festival circuit.
Where to watch: In theaters
After the Bite
Director: Ivy Meeropol
Genre: Documentary
Plot: Local residents and thousands of vacationers flock to Cape Cod every summer begin to grapple with this alarming new reality of sharks while following the science to investigate.
What you should know: Ivy Meeropol has directed several other documentary films and series.
Where to watch: HBO/Max
Bobi Wine: The People’s President
Director: Moses Bwayo, Christopher Sharp
Genre: Documentary
Storyline: In Uganda’s 2021 presidential election, music star, activist and opposition leader Bobi Wine, together with his wife Barbie, rallies his people in a dangerous fight for freedom from President Museveni’s oppressive 35-year regime.
What you should know: Won several awards on the 22-23 film festival circuit.
Where to watch: In theaters
More New Releases
Disney’s Haunted Mansion (Trailer)
The First Slam Dunk (Trailer)
The Baker (Trailer)
The Mistress (Trailer)
For the Animals (Trailer)
New to Streaming
The Beanie Bubble (Trailer) on Apple TV+
God’s Country (Trailer) on Hulu
Smoking Causes Coughing (Trailer) on Hulu
Knock at the Cabin (Trailer) on Amazon Prime
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What have you been watching lately, ONTD? Seeing anything this weekend?