Theatrical Releases: Breakthrough & The Curse Of La Llorona

April 19, 2019 / Leave a Comment

THE CURSE OF LA LLORONA

Directed By: Michael Chaves
Studio: New Line Cinema

Official Synopsis: In 1970s Los Angeles, La Llorona is stalking the night — and the children. Ignoring the eerie warning of a troubled mother suspected of child endangerment, a social worker and her own small kids are soon drawn into a frightening supernatural realm. Their only hope to survive La Llorona’s deadly wrath may be a disillusioned priest and the mysticism he practices to keep evil at bay, on the fringes where fear and faith collide.

Starring: Linda Cardellini, Raymond Cruz, Patricia Velasquez, Sean Patrick Thomas, Jaynee-Lynne Kinchen, Tony Amendola, Irene Keng, and Paul Rodriguez

Genre: Horror | Mystery | Thriller
Country: USA (English, Spanish)
Rating: R (for violence and terror)
Runtime: 93 minutes

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BREAKTHROUGH

Directed By: Roxann Dawson
Studio: 20th Century Fox

Official Synopsis: BREAKTHROUGH is based on the inspirational true story of one mother’s unfaltering love in the face of impossible odds. When Joyce Smith’s adopted son John falls through an icy Missouri lake, all hope seems lost. But as John lies lifeless, Joyce refuses to give up. Her steadfast belief inspires those around her to continue to pray for John’s recovery, even in the face of every case history and scientific prediction. From producer DeVon Franklin (Miracles from Heaven) and adapted for the screen by Grant Nieporte (Seven Pounds) from Joyce Smith’s own book, BREAKTHROUGH is an enthralling reminder that faith and love can create a mountain of hope, and sometimes even a miracle.

Starring: Chrissy Metz, Josh Lucas, Topher Grace, Mike Colter, Marcel Ruiz, Sam Trammel, and Dennis Haysbert

Genre: Biography | Drama | Faith
Country: USA (English)
Rating: PG (for thematic content including peril)
Runtime: 116 minutes

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DISNEYNATURE: PENGUINS

Directed By: Alastair Fothergill & Jeff Wyatt Wilson
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures

Official Synopsis: Disneynature’s all-new feature film “Penguins” is a coming-of-age story about an Adélie penguin named Steve who joins millions of fellow males in the icy Antarctic spring on a quest to build a suitable nest, find a life partner and start a family. None of it comes easily for him, especially considering he’s targeted by everything from killer whales to leopard seals, who unapologetically threaten his happily ever after.

Starring: Ed Helms (Narrator)

Genre: Documentary | Nature
Country: USA (English)
Rating: G
Runtime: 76 minutes

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UNDER THE SILVER LAKE

Directed By: David Robert Mitchell
Studio: A24

Official Synopsis: Sam (Andrew Garfield) is a disenchanted 33-year-old who discovers a mysterious woman, Sarah (Riley Keough), frolicking in his apartment’s swimming pool. When she vanishes, Sam embarks on a surreal quest across Los Angeles to decode the secret behind her disappearance, leading him into the murkiest depths of mystery, scandal, and conspiracy in the City of Angels.

Starring: Andrew Garfield, Riley Keough, Topher Grace, Patrick Fischler, Grace Van Patten, Sydney Sweeney, and Jimmi Simpson

Genre: Comedy | Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller
Country: USA (English)
Rating: R (for strong sexual content, graphic nudity, violence, language throughout and some drug use)
Runtime: 139 minutes

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LITTLE WOODS

Directed By: Nia DaCosta
Studio: Neon

Official Synopsis: Little Woods, North Dakota, a fracking boomtown well beyond its prime. Ollie is trying to survive the last few days of her probation after getting caught illegally running prescription pills over the Canadian border. But when her mother dies, she is thrust back into the life of her estranged sister Deb (James), who is facing her own crisis with an unplanned pregnancy and a deadbeat ex. The two find they have one week to settle the mortgage on their mother’s house or face foreclosure. As bills and pressure mount, Ollie faces a choice: whether to return to a way of life she thought she’d left behind for just one more score or to leave it all behind. A taught and affecting thriller about sisters pushed to extremes from award-winning director Nia DaCosta.

Starring: Tessa Thompson, Lily James, Luke Kirby, James Badge Dale and Lance Reddick

Genre: Crime | Drama | Western
Country: USA (English)
Rating: R (for language and some drug material)
Runtime: 103 minutes

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DRUNK PARENTS

Directed By: Fred Wolf
Studio: Vertical Entertainment

Official Synopsis: Meet Frank and Nancy Teagarten: The staunchly lower upper-class family with their shiny black Range Rover and tasteful Tudor style home. They’re anxiously dropping off their daughter at her first day of college, and the two parents couldn’t be prouder. However, a visit by the repo man shortly after leaves them scrambling to make ends meet & their wealth, it seems, is less secure than we thought! Committed to getting their daughter through college, they hold a house-wide yard-sale coupled by a night of heavy drinking and wake up to some very regrettable decisions. This sees them try to hide their evaporating net worth from friends and family-alike in an ever-increasing downward spiral of elaborate neighborhood schemes.

Starring: Alec Baldwin, Salma Hayek, Bridget Moynahan, Joe Manganiello, Natalia Cigliuti, Jim Gaffigan and Ben Platt

Genre: Comedy
Country: USA (English, Spanish)
Rating: R (for language throughout and crude sexual references)
Runtime: 97 minutes

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HAIL SATAN?

Directed By: Penny Lane
Studio: Magnolia Pictures & Magnet Releasing

Official Synopsis: Chronicling the extraordinary rise of one of the most colorful and controversial religious movements in American history, Hail Satan? is an inspiring and entertaining new feature documentary from acclaimed director Penny Lane (Nuts!, Our Nixon). When media-savvy members of the Satanic Temple organize a series of public actions designed to advocate for religious freedom and challenge corrupt authority, they prove that with little more than a clever idea, a mischievous sense of humor, and a few rebellious friends, you can speak truth to power in some truly profound ways. As charming and funny as it is thought-provoking, Hail Satan? offers a timely look at a group of often misunderstood outsiders whose unwavering commitment to social and political justice has empowered thousands of people around the world.

Starring: Jex Blackmore, Nicholas Crowe, Lucien Greaves, Malcolm Jarry, and Michael Wiener

Genre: Documentary
Country: USA (English)
Rating: R (for graphic nudity, and some language)
Runtime: 95 minutes

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HAGAZUSSA: A HEATHEN’S CURSE

Directed By: Lukas Feigelfeld
Studio: Doppelgänger Releasing

Official Synopsis: In a remote Alpine village in the 15th century, the orphan Albrun grows up to become a marked woman. The scapegoat of ancient superstitions and monstrous misogyny, this self-styled witch begins to assert her otherworldly birthright.

Starring: Haymon Maria Buttinger, Aleksandra Cwen, Claudia Martini, Celina Peter, and Tanja Petrovsky

Genre: Drama | Foreign | Horror
Country: Germany | Austria (German)
Rating: Not Rated
Runtime: 102 minutes

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DADDY ISSUES

Directed By: Amara Cash
Studio: Gravitas Ventures

Official Synopsis: Maya, a 19-year-old queer pixie, spends her days working on her art and cyberstalkng her insta-crush, the sexually fluid fashion designer, Jasmine. One night Maya boldly meets Jasmine IRL, there’s an insta-spark and the two begin an inspiring romantic relationship that gives Maya her first taste of true love and Jasmine the inspiration she needs to jump start her career. It’s all gumdrops and fairytales until Maya discovers Jasmine’s in a co-dependent relationship with a neurotic sugar daddy. What started as a dream come true turns into a beautiful nightmare.

Starring: Madison Lawlor, Montana Manning, Andrew Pifko, Kamala Jones, Jodi Carol Harrison, Seth Cassel, Ronnie Clark, Lissa Danshaw, J.J. Hawkins, Brian Gilleece, and Monte Markham

Genre: Drama
Country: USA (English)
Rating: Not Rated
Runtime: 88 minutes

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STUCK (2019)

Directed By: Michael Berry
Studio: Eammon Films

Official Synopsis: An original pop musical film about six commuters who get stuck together on a New York City subway. Through the power of music, they learn about each other’s lives and, in turn, have a profound effect on one another. Connecting across lines of race, culture and class in a way that only situations of circumstance or happenstance can create, this will be a day that none of them will ever forget.

Starring: Giancarlo Esposito, Arden Cho, Amy Madigan, Ashanti, Omar Chaparro and Gerard Canonico

Genre: Drama | Musical
Country: USA (English)
Rating: PG-13 (for some mature thematic material including images of a sexual assault, and brief strong language)
Runtime: 80 minutes

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BE NATURAL: THE UNTOLD STORY OF ALICE GUY-BLANCHÉ

Directed By: Pamela B. Green
Studio: Zeitgeist Films

Official Synopsis: A documentary searching for Alice Guy-Blaché, who at 23 was the first female director, became a powerful figure in film, then vanished.

Starring: Jodie Foster, Evan Rachel Wood, Ava DuVernay, Julie Delpy, Agnès Varda, Ben Kingsley, Michel Hazanavicius, Catherine Hardwicke, Julie Taymor, and Gale Anne Hurd

Genre: Documentary
Country: USA (English)
Rating: NR
Runtime: 103 minutes

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BREAKING HABITS

Directed By: Robert Ryan
Studio: Good Deed Entertainment

Official Synopsis: Cheated by her stealing, polygamist husband of 17 years, once high-flying corporate exec Christine Meeusen fled penniless with her three young children as her American dream began to unravel. Determined to make a living for her family, she discovered the lucrative business of cannabis farming and met her calling as founder of medicinal-marijuana empire Sisters of the Valley. Shedding her former life, Christine became Sister Kate; on a mission to provide her products to those in need. Fighting off the county sheriff, and protecting her crop from deadly black market thieves, BREAKING HABITS is a story of rebellion, hope and revival.

Starring: Sister Kate

Genre: Documentary
Country: UK (English)
Rating: Not Rated
Runtime: 87 minutes

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HIGH ON THE HOG

Directed By: Tony Wash
Studio: Indican Pictures

Official Synopsis: Big Daddy is the patriarch of an unconventional family that lives in Council Hill where they work on a hog farm They may not be related by blood, but they’ll fight to stay together under any circumstance. However–they are not just family, nor are they just simple hog farmers….they are also growers of high quality marijuana.With the pressure of the DTA government agency coming down on pot distributors around the country, the family must do whatever it takes to keep their crop safe. When a new girl is brought into the fold, the family dynamic and Big Daddy’s crop is threatened in a way he’s never had to face before. And he’ll do anything to protect it.

Starring: Sid Haig, Robert Z’Dar, Joe Estevez, Jesse C. Boyd, Ellie Church, and Walt Sloan

Genre: Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller
Country: USA (English)
Rating: Not Rated
Runtime: 85 minutes

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FAST COLOR

Directed By: Julia Hart
Studio: LD Entertainment

Official Synopsis: Hunted by mysterious forces, a young woman (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) with supernatural abilities must go on the run when her powers are discovered. With nowhere else to go, she flees back to her family and the farmhouse she abandoned long ago. There, while being pursued by the local Sheriff (David Strathairn), she begins to mend the broken relationships with her mother (Lorraine Toussaint) and daughter (Saniyya Sidney) and learns that the power she needed was inside her all along.

Starring: Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Lorraine Toussaint, Saniyya Sidney, Christopher Denham, and David Strathairn

Genre: Drama | Sci-Fi | Thriller
Country: USA (English)
Rating: PG-13 (for a scene of violence and brief strong language)
Runtime: 100 minutes

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RED JOAN

Directed By: Trevor Nunn
Studio: IFC Films

Official Synopsis: In a picturesque village in England, Joan Stanley (Academy Award (R) winner Dame Judi Dench), lives in contented retirement. Then suddenly her tranquil existence is shattered as she’s shockingly arrested by MI5. For Joan has been hiding an incredible past; she is one of the most influential spies in living history… Cambridge University in the 1930s, and the young Joan (Sophie Cookson), a demure physics student, falls intensely in love with a seductively attractive Russian saboteur, Leo. Through him, she begins to see that the world is on a knife-edge and perhaps must be saved from itself in the race to military supremacy. Post-war and now working at a top secret nuclear research facility, Joan is confronted with the impossible: Would you betray your country and your loved ones, if it meant saving them? What price would you pay for peace? Inspired by an extraordinary true story, Red Joan is the taut and emotional discovery of one woman’s sacrifice in the face of incredible circumstances. A woman to whom we perhaps all owe our freedom.

Starring: Stephen Campbell Moore, Sophie Cookson, Tom Hughes, Ben Miles, Nina Sosanya, Tereza Srbova and Judi Dench

Genre: Biography | Drama | Romance
Country: UK (English)
Rating: R (for brief sexuality/nudity)
Runtime: 110 minutes

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RAFIKI

Directed By: Wanuri Kahiu
Studio: Film Movement

Official Synopsis: “Good Kenyan girls become good Kenyan wives,” but Kena and Ziki long for something more. Despite the political rivalry between their families, the girls resist and remain close friends, supporting each other to pursue their dreams in a conservative society. When love blossoms between them, the two girls will be forced to choose between happiness and safety.

Starring: Samantha Mugatsia and Sheila Munyiva

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GRASS (2019)

Directed By: Hong Sang-soo
Studio: Cinema Guild

Official Synopsis: For his 22nd feature as director, Hong delivers a delicious cinematic riddle only he could concoct. In the corner of a small café, Areum (Kim Minhee) sits typing on her laptop. At the tables around her, other customers enact the various dramas of their lives. A young couple charge each other with serious crimes, an old man tries to rekindle a flame with a younger woman, a narcissistic filmmaker works to put together his next project-all while Areum types. Is she merely writing what she hears? Or is she hearing what’s been written? As the dramas inside the café unfold, the plants outside grow taller.

Starring: Kim Min-hee, Jung Jin-young, Ki Joobong, Seo Young-hwa, Kim Sae-byuk, and Ahn Jae-hong

Genre: Drama | Foreign
Country: South Korea (Korean)
Rating: Not Rated
Runtime: 66 minutes

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FAMILY (2019)

Directed By: Laura Steinel
Studio: The Film Arcade

Official Synopsis: Socially inept Kate is tasked with babysitting her equally awkward niece Maddie for her brother. Things go from bad to worse when Maddie runs off to join the Juggalos, meaning Kate must deal with her own issues of social paranoia to help bring her back.

Starring: Taylor Schilling, Brian Tyree Henry, Bryn Vale, Allison Tolman, Fabrizio Guido, Kate McKinnon and Peter Horton

Genre: Comedy
Country: USA (English)
Rating: R (for language, some sexual content and drug use)
Runtime: 83 minutes

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INSTANT DREAMS

Directed By: Willem Baptist
Studio: Synergetic Distribution

Official Synopsis: Instant Dreams is a feature documentary by Willem Baptist (Wild boar, I’m Never Afraid!) about the fascination and love for Polaroids. When Polaroid announced the end of instant film in 2008, the last still working factory was bought by a small group of enthusiasts. Among them is the retired scientist Stephen Herchen who previously collaborated with the inventor of Polaroid and is still trying to unravel the secret of the lost chemical formula.

Starring: Stefanie Schneider, Stephen Herchen, Chris Bonanos, Edwin H. Land, Ayana J.J., Caitlin Fowler, and Angela Riccio

Genre: Documentary | Drama | Science Fiction
Country: Netherlands (English)
Rating: Not Rated
Runtime: 91 minutes

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