Indie Film Release Guide: October 13th [An ONTD Original]
Good news, everyone! This weekend, an independent film is most definitely going to top the box office. It’s not coming from Neon, A24, Bleeker Street, Vertical, or IFC, nor Roadside Attractions or Magnolia, nor is it coming from one of the indie imprints like Focus Features or Searchlight. In fact, it doesn’t hail from a studio at all. Ms. Taylor Swift made a deal directly with AMC and Variance Films to distribute a filmed version of her recent Eras tour, cutting out the studio middleman entirely, and that film is now set to dominate the weekend. Of course, that means that other theatrical offerings are slightly more limited this weekend, but read on for more on those options.
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: October 6th, September 29th, and September 22nd.
Anatomy of a Fall
Click to viewStars: Sandra Hüller, Swann Arlaud, Milo Machado Graner, Antoine Reinartz
Writer: Justine Triet, Arthur Harari
Director: Justine Triet
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Plot: For the past year, Sandra, her husband Samuel, and their eleven-year-old son Daniel have lived a secluded life in a remote town in the French Alps. When Samuel is found dead in the snow below their chalet, the police question whether he was murdered or committed suicide.
What you should know: Won the Palme d’Or at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.
Where to watch: In select theaters; expands later this month
Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour
Director: Sam Wrench
Genre: Music, Documentary
Storyline: Experience the Eras Tour concert, performed by the one and only Taylor Swift.
What you should know: This film was shot during the Los Angeles shows in August of 2023.
Where to watch: In theaters
Dark Harvest
Stars: Casey Likes, Emyri Crutchfield, Dustin Ceithamer, Alejandro Akara
Writer: Michael Gilio, Norman Partridge
Director: David Slade
Genre: Fantasy, Horror
Plot: A legendary monster called October Boy terrorizes residents in a small Midwestern town when he rises from the cornfields every Halloween with his butcher knife and makes his way toward those who are brave enough to confront him.
What you should know: Last film released under the MGM banner before its change to Amazon MGM Studios.
Where to watch: Available VOD
The Mission
Writer/Director: Amanda McBaine, Jesse Moss
Genre: Documentary
Storyline: 26-year-old American missionary John Chau was killed as he attempted to make contact with an Indigenous group off the coast of India, one of the last communities on the planet still living in isolation.
What you should know: Directors Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss last directed Boys State (2020).
Where to watch: In theaters
Dear David
Stars: Justin Long, Andrea Bang, Augustus Prew, Rachel Wilson
Writer: Adam Ellis, Evan Turner, Mike Van Waes
Director: John McPhail
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Plot: A man is haunted by the ghost of a boy named David, who is trying to kill him.
What you should know: Based on a viral Twitter thread by Adam Ellis.
Where to watch: Available VOD
Silver Dollar Road
Writer/Director: Raoul Peck
Genre: Documentary
Storyline: A Black family in North Carolina has been harassed for decades by land developers attempting to take their waterfront property.
What you should know: Director Raoul Peck also directed 2016’s I Am Not Your Negro, a documentary about James Baldwin.
Where to watch: In theaters; on Amazon Prime October 20th
Once Within a Time
Writer: Godfrey Reggio, Jon Kane
Director: Godfrey Reggio
Genre: Comedy, Fantasy
Plot: A comedic apocalyptic vision of the end of the world and the beginning of a new one, with unforgettable views and the innocence and hope of a new generation.
What you should know: The soundtrack is composed by Philip Glass.
Where to watch: In theaters
In the Fire
Stars: Amber Heard, Eduardo Noriega, Lorenzo McGovern Zaini, Sophie Amber
Writer: Conor Allyn, Pascal Borno, Silvia Muraglia
Director: Conor Allyn
Genre: Thriller
Plot: A doctor travels to a remote plantation to care for a disturbed boy who has inexplicable abilities. She ignites a war of science versus religion with the local priest who believes the boy is possessed by the Devil.
What you should know: Star Eduardo Noriega is fluent in Spanish, English, French and Catalan.
Where to watch: In theaters
15 Cameras
Stars: Will Madden, Angela Wong Carbone, Hilty Bowen, James Babson
Writer: PJ McCabe
Director: Danny Madden
Genre: Horror
Plot: When Cam and Sky bought their duplex, it seemed like the perfect investment opportunity for the young couple; a starter home, a mortgage offset by renters, and even a guest room for Sky’s sister, Carolyn. But as Sky and Cam slowly uncover hidden cameras and secrets of the duplex’s previous owner, obsession consumes their marriage and they both fall into destructive forms of voyeurism.
What you should know: The third in a series, after 13 Cameras and 14 Cameras.
Where to watch: Available VOD.
The Road Dance
Stars: Hermione Corfield, Will Fletcher, Mark Gatiss, Morven Christie
Writer: Richie Adams, John MacKay
Director: Richie Adams
Genre: Drama
Plot: A young girl lives in the Outer Hebrides in a small village in the years just before WWI. Isolated and hard by the shore, her life takes a dramatic change when a terrible tragedy befalls her.
What you should know: Filmed on location in Scotland.
Where to watch: In theaters, and available VOD.
More New Releases
The Elderly (Trailer)
Herd (Trailer)
Dangerous Waters (Trailer)
The Smell of Money (Trailer)
And the King Said, What a Fantastic Machine (Trailer)
New to Streaming
Nocebo (Trailer) on Hulu
Empire of Light (Trailer) on Hulu
The Burial (Trailer) on Amazon
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Submitting a day early because I'm busy tomorrow! What have you been watching lately, ONTD? Seeing anything this weekend?