Indie Film Release Guide: September 1st [An ONTD Original]
The good news? Bottoms expands to more theaters this weekend! The bad news? Aside from Denzel’s latest, The Equalizer 3, there is nothing big releasing over the holiday, so you may have to do some hunting if you’re looking for something new to watch. As always, there are new indies listed below, and you may want to look at previous week’s posts to see what you may have missed.
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: August 25th, August 18th, and August 11th.
All Fun and Games
Click to viewStars: Natalia Dyer, Asa Butterfield, Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, Laurel Marsden
Writer: J.J. Braider, Eren Celeboglu, Ari Costa
Director: Eren Celeboglu, Ari Costa
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Plot: A group of Salem teens discover a cursed knife that unleashes a demon that forces them to play gruesome, deadly versions of childhood games where there can be no winners, only survivors.
What you should know: This is co-director Eren Celeboglu and Ari Costa’s first feature film.
Where to watch: In theaters, and available VOD
Astrakan
Stars: Mirko Giannini, Jehnny Beth, Bastien Boullion, Théo Costa-Marini
Writer: Clara Bourreau, David Depesseville
Director: David Depesseville
Genre: Drama
Plot: When Samuel, a young orphan, is sent to live with foster parents, he is gradually forced to face the demons he's holding on to internally, as well as those that exist within his new family.
What you should know: It’s in French.
Where to watch: In theaters
Beaten to Death
Stars: David Tracy, Thomas Roach, David Curtain, Justan Wagner
Writer: Benjamin Jung-Clarke, Sam Curtain
Director: Sam Curtain
Genre: Horror
Plot: A desperate choice leads Jack down a path that leaves him beaten and bruised as he struggles against man, nature, and his own insanity.
What you should know: Filmed in Australia.
Where to watch: In theaters
Ernest and Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia
Stars: Lambert Wilson, Pauline Brunner, Michel Lerousseau, Céline Ronté
Writer: Agnès Bidaud, Didier Brunner, Guillaume Mautalent, Sébastien Oursel
Director: Julien Chheng, Jean-Christophe Roger
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Plot: Ernest and Célestine return to Ernest's country to have his broken violin repaired. They discover that music is banned throughout the country. They will attempt to right this injustice in order to bring joy back to bear country.
What you should know: It’s in French.
Where to watch: In theaters
The Good Mother
Stars: Hilary Swank, Olivia Cooke, Jack Reynor, Dilone
Writer: Madison Harrison, Miles Joris-Peyrafitte
Director: Miles Joris-Peyrafitte
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Plot: After the murder of her estranged son, a journalist forms an unlikely alliance with his pregnant girlfriend to track down those responsible for his death. Together, they confront a world of drugs and corruption.
What you should know: Filmed predominantly in NYC in the summer of 2022.
Where to watch: In theaters
Marisol
Stars: Esmeralda Camargo, Liana Mendoza, Max Pelayo, Mia King
Writer: Claire Audrey Aguayo
Director: Kevin Abrams
Genre: Drama
Plot: When 17-year-old Marisol Rivera is accused of a crime the same night she finds out she's undocumented, she flees her small Texas border town and goes on the run. Navigating the painful realities of a new identity and an uncertain future, she travels north in search of her mother and answers she may never find.
What you should know: Filmed in Austin, Texas.
Where to watch: In theaters
We Kill For Love
Director: Anthony Penta
Genre: Documentary
Storyline: A documentary that goes in search of the forgotten world of the direct-to-video erotic thriller, an American film genre that once dominated late night cable television and the shelves of neighborhood video stores.
What you should know: This is Anthony Penta’s feature directorial debut.
Where to watch: Available VOD
The Mountain
Stars: Thomas Salvador, Louise Bourgoin, Martine Chevallier,
Laurent Poitrenaux
Writer: Naïla Guiguet, Thomas Salvador
Director: Thomas Salvador
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
Plot: Pierre, a Parisian engineer, goes up in the Alps for his work. Irresistibly attracted by what surrounds him, he camps out alone high in the mountains and leaves behind his everyday life. Up there he meets Léa, a chef of an alpine restaurant, while mysterious glows glitter in the deep mountain.
What you should know: Won the Director’s Fortnight Award at Cannes 2022.
Where to watch: In theaters
Mr. Jimmy
Director: Peter Michael Dowd
Genre: Documentary
Storyline: A Japanese guitarist dedicates his life to honoring rock musician Jimmy Page, recreating vintage Zeppelin concerts note-for-note in small Tokyo clubs.
What you should know: This is Peter Michael Dowd’s feature directorial debut.
Where to watch: In theaters
Nandor Fodor and the Talking Mongoose
Stars: Simon Pegg, Minnie Driver, Christopher Lloyd, Tim Downie
Writer/Director: Adam Sigal
Genre: Adventure, Comedy
Plot: When famed paranormal psychologist Dr. Nandor Fodor investigates a family's claim of a talking animal, he uncovers a mysterious web of hidden motives. Soon, everyone becomes a suspect in his relentless pursuit of the truth.
What you should know: Based on events from the 1930’s on the Isle of Man.
Where to watch: In theaters; available VOD September 19th
More New Releases
The Equalizer 3 (Trailer) from Sony
Don’t Look Away (Trailer)
King of Killers (Trailer)
Orca (Trailer)
Zombie Town (Trailer)
Goldfish (Trailer)
New to Streaming
The Venture Bros.: Radiant Is the Blood of the Baboon Heart (Trailer) on HBO Max; September 2nd
Perpetrator (Trailer) on Shudder
Moving On (Trailer) on Hulu
Choose Love (Trailer) on Netflix
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?