Indie Film Release Guide: March 29th [An ONTD Original]
This Easter weekend belongs to Godzilla and Kong, with the rest of the films filling out the top spots being holdovers from previous weekends, like Ghostbusters and Dune: Part Two. As always, there are plenty of other options to choose from, and many of those are 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: March 22nd, March 15th, and March 8th.
La Chimera
Click to viewStars: Josh O'Connor, Carol Duarte, Alba Rohrwacher, Isabella Rossellini
Writer: Alice Rohrwacher, Carmela Covino, Vincenzo Nemolato
Director: Alice Rohrwacher
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy
Plot: A young British archaeologist gets involved in an international network of stolen Etruscan artifacts during the 1980s.
What you should know: Nominee for the Palme d’Or at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.
Where to watch: In theaters
Wicked Little Letters
Stars: Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, Jason Watkins, Anjana Vasan
Writer: Jonny Sweet
Director: Thea Sharrock
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama
Plot: When people in Littlehampton--including conservative local Edith--begin to receive letters full of hilarious profanities, rowdy Irish migrant Rose is charged with the crime. Suspecting that something is amiss, the town's women investigate.
What you should know: Reunites Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley, who starred in 2021's The Lost Daughter together, playing the same character.
Where to watch: In select theaters; expands on April 5th
In the Land of Saints and Sinners
Stars: Liam Neeson, Kerry Condon, Ciarán Hinds, Jack Gleeson
Writer: Mark Michael McNally, Terry Loane
Director: Robert Lorenz
Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller
Plot: In a remote Irish village, a damaged father is forced to fight for redemption after a lifetime of sins, but what price is he willing to pay? In the land of saints and sinners, some sins can't be buried.
What you should know: Shot on location in Ireland.
Where to watch: In theaters
Asphalt City
Stars: Tye Sheridan, Sean Penn, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Michael Pitt
Writer: Ben Mac Brown, Shannon Burke, Ryan King
Director: Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Plot: Ollie Cross is a young paramedic assigned to the NYC night shift with an uncompromising and seasoned partner Gene Rutkovsky. Each 911 call is often dangerous and uncertain, putting their lives on the line every day to help others.
What you should know: Director Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire was also responsible for 2017’s A Prayer Before Dawn.
Where to watch: In theaters
The Listener
Stars: Tessa Thompson, Logan Marshall-Green, Derek Cecil, Margaret Cho
Writer: Alessandro Camon
Director: Steve Buscemi
Genre: Drama
Plot: Follows a helpline volunteer who is part of the small army that gets on the phone every night, fielding calls from all kinds of people feeling lonely, broken, etc.
What you should know: Steve Buscemi has a lot of directing experience, mainly in television.
Where to watch: In theaters
The Wages of Fear
Stars: Sofiane Zermani, Alban Lenoir, Ana Girardot, Joseph Beddelem
Writer: Hamid Hlioua, Julien Leclercq
Director: Julien Leclercq
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama
Plot: In order to prevent a deadly explosion, an illicit crack team has 24 hours to drive two truckloads of nitroglycerine across a desert laden with danger.
What you should know: Remake of Henri-Georges Clouzot's 1953 Le Salaire de la Peur.
Where to watch: Netflix
A Cat’s Life
Stars: Capucine Sainson-Fabresse, Corinne Masiero, Lucie Laurent, Nicolas Casar-Umbdenstock
Writer: Guillaume Maidatchevsky, Michaël Souhaité, Maurice Genevoix
Director: Guillaume Maidatchevsky
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Family
Plot: Follows the journey of Clémence and her kitty, Rroû, as they leave Paris to spend the holidays in the countryside. While there, Rroû enjoys the wildlife and befriends Câline, a white kitten who prowls in the woods.
What you should know: The film is originally in French, but the US trailer is in English.
Where to watch: In theaters
Lousy Carter
Stars: David Krumholtz, Martin Starr, Olivia Thirlby, Jocelyn DeBoer
Writer/Director: Bob Byington
Genre: Comedy
Plot: Man-baby Lousy Carter struggles to complete his animated Nabokov adaptation, teaches a graduate seminar on The Great Gatsby, and sleeps with his best friend's wife. He has six months to live.
What you should know: Actors David Krumholtz, Olivia Thirlby, and Macon Blair also appeared together in Oppenheimer.
Where to watch: In theaters, and available VOD
Light
Stars: Christina Roche, Gia Lily, Anna Swan, Tedroy Newell
Writer/Director: Matt Woollard
Genre: Sci-Fi
Plot: After crash-landing in an escape pod on a dark and misty planet, a mother is hunted by an alien creature which is drawn to the lights she must use to find her missing son.
What you should know: Filmed in the UK.
Where to watch: In theaters
Bad Faith
Writer: Alec Baer, Stephen Ujlaki, Christopher Jacob Jones
Director: Stephen Ujlaki, Christopher Jacob Jones
Genre: Documentary
Storyline: Exposes how Christian Nationalism has become the most powerful anti-democratic force in America, with an unparalleled ability to destroy democracy from within.
What you should know: Nominated for Best Documentary at the 2024 Palm Springs Film Festival.
Where to watch: In theaters
More New Releases
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (Trailer) from Warner Bros
DogMan (Trailer)
New to Streaming
Lisa Frankenstein (Trailer) on Peacock
The Beautiful Game (Trailer) on Netflix
Heart of the Hunter (Trailer) on Netfix
Paint (Trailer) on Hulu
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What have you been watching lately, ONTD? Seeing anything this weekend?