Theatrical Releases: Onward & The Way Back

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<Click film’s poster to see info/trailer>

ONWARD

Directed By: Dan Scanlon
Studio: Pixar Animation & Walt Disney Pictures

Set in a suburban fantasy world, Disney-Pixar’s “Onward” introduces two teenage elf brothers who embark on an extraordinary quest to discover if there is still a little magic left out there.

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THE WAY BACK (2020)

Directed By: Gavin O’Connor
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures

Back in high school, Jack Cunningham (Ben Affleck) had everything going for him. A basketball phenom, he could have punched his ticket to college or even the pros, but, instead, he chose to walk away from the game, forfeiting his future. Jack’s glory days are long gone… but, as it turns out, not forgotten. Years later, he gets the chance to take back his life when he is asked to coach the struggling basketball team at his alma mater. Jack reluctantly accepts, surprising no one more than himself, and as the boys start to come together as a team and win, he may get his last shot at redemption.

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THE BANKER

Directed By: George Nolfi
Studio: Apple TV+

Inspired by true events, “The Banker” centers on revolutionary businessmen Bernard Garrett (Anthony Mackie) and Joe Morris (Samuel L. Jackson), who devise an audacious and risky plan to take on the racist establishment of the 1960s by helping other African Americans pursue the American dream. Along with Garrett’s wife Eunice (Nia Long), they train a working class white man, Matt Steiner (Nicholas Hoult), to pose as the rich and privileged face of their burgeoning real estate and banking empire – while Garrett and Morris pose as a janitor and a chauffeur. Their success ultimately draws the attention of the federal government, which threatens everything the four have built. The drama is directed by George Nolfi (“The Adjustment Bureau”) and produced by Joel Viertel. Brad Feinstein produced under his Romulus Entertainment banner, along with producers Nolfi, Nnamdi Asomugha, Jonathan Baker, David Lewis Smith and Anthony Mackie. The executive producers are Joseph F. Ingrassia, Samuel L. Jackson, Will Greenfield, David Gendron and Ali Jazayeri. “The Banker” is written by Niceole Levy, George Nolfi, David Lewis Smith and Stan Younger from a story by David Lewis Smith, Stan Younger and Brad Caleb Kane.

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SPENSER CONFIDENTIAL

Directed By: Peter Berg
Studio: Netflix

Spenser (Mark Wahlberg) — an ex-cop better known for making trouble than solving it — just got out of prison and is leaving Boston for good. But first he gets roped into helping his old boxing coach and mentor, Henry (Alan Arkin), with a promising amateur. That’s Hawk (Winston Duke), a brash, no-nonsense MMA fighter convinced he’ll be a tougher opponent than Spenser ever was. When two of Spenser’s former colleagues turn up murdered, he recruits Hawk and his foul-mouthed ex-girlfriend, Cissy (Iliza Shlesinger), to help him investigate and bring the culprits to justice. From director Peter Berg, SPENSER CONFIDENTIAL is an action-comedy co-starring Bokeem Woodbine, Marc Maron and Post Malone. Inspired by Robert B. Parker’s Wonderland, a best-selling novel by Ace Atkins.

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EXTRA ORDINARY

Directed By: Mike Ahern & Enda Loughman
Studio: Good Deed Entertainment

Rose, a sweet, small town driving instructor, is gifted with supernatural abilities, “The Talents”, which mean she can talk to the spirit world. Rose has a love hate relationship with her abilities, after seeing what they did to her Dad, Vincent, and tries to ignore the constant small-time spiritual requests from locals — haunted rubbish bins, tractors, children’s bikes, frying pans etc, etc. Yet when her help is requested by Sarah, a teenager whose father, Martin, is being haunted by his deceased nagging wife, she is very tempted… Martin seems like a very nice man! Meanwhile, in a large castle outside town, Christian Winter, a washed up rockstar, has a sinister plan to sell his soul for renewed success. He needs to sacrifice a virgin and puts a spell on Sarah, leaving her in a levitating catatonic state. Martin, bewildered, asks Rose to help him save his daughter. Martin and Rose set about trying to break the spell which requires the speedy exorcism of many ghosts before the spell is complete and Sarah will be dragged into hell. Despite the weird situations they find themselves in — haunted traffic lights; possessed electric eggbeaters — they find out they work really well together. There’s also a building sense of attraction between the two of them, but neither have the confidence to act on it. Christian, aware of their plan to thwart him, finds a way to block Rose’s talents. Rose and Martin must now work together to save the girl, stop a hell hole opening, thwart Christian’s evil plan, deliver a baby, save a dying magpie, get rid of Martin’s ex-wife so maybe they can fall in love a bit before the whole world collapses before their very eyes….

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THE BURNT ORANGE HERESY

Directed By: Giuseppe Capotondi
Studio: Sony Pictures Classics

The art world and the underworld collide in director Giuseppe Capotondi’s elegant and erotic neo-noir thriller, The Burnt Orange Heresy. Set in present day Italy, irresistibly charismatic art critic James Figueras hooks up with provocative and alluring fellow American, Berenice Hollis. He’s a classic anti-hero in the making with a charm that masks his deep ambition, whilst she’s an innocent touring Europe, enjoying the freedom of being whoever she wishes. The new lovers travel to the lavish and opulent Lake Como estate of powerful art collector, Cassidy. Their host reveals he is the patron of Jerome Debney, the reclusive J.D. Salinger of the art world, and he has a simple request: for James to steal a Debney masterpiece from the artist’s studio, whatever the cost. As the couple spend time with the legendary Debney, they start to realize that nothing about artist nor their mission is what it seems. But James is a man of deep, lurking ambition and he will do anything, from arson and burglary to murder, in order to further his career…

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ESCAPE FROM PRETORIA

Directed By: Francis Annan
Studio: Momentum Pictures

Based on the real-life prison break of two political captives, Escape From Pretoria is a race-against-time thriller set in the tumultuous apartheid days of South Africa.

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RUN THIS TOWN

Directed By: Ricky Tollman
Studio: Oscilloscope Laboratories

Naive, young Toronto newspaper reporter Bram (Ben Platt) finds himself doing desk work instead of breaking hard-hitting stories, until he accidentally finds scandalous information about the city’s controversial mayor, Rob Ford (Damian Lewis). Bram attempts to pry information from Ford’s aides, Ashley (Nina Dobrev) and Kamal (Mena Massoud), who are trying to cover Ford’s tracks and spin the story. Written and directed by Ricky Tollman. Scott Speedman co-stars.

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SWALLOW

Directed By: Carlo Mirabella-Davis
Studio: IFC Films

On the surface, Hunter (Haley Bennett) appears to have it all. A newly pregnant housewife, she seems content to spend her time tending to an immaculate home and doting on her Ken-doll husband, Richie (Austin Stowell). However, as the pressure to meet her controlling in-laws and husband’s rigid expectations mounts, cracks begin to appear in her carefully created facade. Hunter develops a dangerous habit, and a dark secret from her past seeps out in the form of a disorder called pica — a condition that has her compulsively swallowing inedible, and oftentimes life-threatening, objects. A provocative and squirm-inducing psychological thriller, SWALLOW follows one woman’s unraveling as she struggles to reclaim independence in the face of an oppressive system by whatever means possible.

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SOMETIMES ALWAYS NEVER
(Triple Word Score)

Directed By: Carl Hunter
Studio: Blue Fox Entertainment

Alan is a stylish tailor with moves as sharp as his suits. He has spent years searching tirelessly for his missing son Michael who stormed out over a game of Scrabble. With a body to identify and his family torn apart, Alan must repair the relationship with his youngest son Peter and solve the mystery of an online player who he thinks could be Michael, so he can finally move on and reunite his family.

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ONLY

Directed By: Takashi Doscher
Studio: Vertical Entertainment

Eva might be the only woman left on Earth. After a mysterious plague threatens to kill all the females on the planet, the relationship of a young couple, Eva and Will, is put to the ultimate test.

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GO BACK TO CHINA

Directed By: Emily Ting
Studio: Gravitas Ventures

The semi-autobiographical film follows spoiled rich girl Sasha Li (Anna Akana), who after blowing through most of her trust fund, is forced by her father (Richard Ng) to go back to China and work for the family toy business. What begins simply as a way to regain financial support soon develops into a life altering journey of self discovery, as Sasha discovers her passion for toy designing and learns to reconnect with her estranged family. A bittersweet portrait of a fractured family, the film also offers an honest look at the human cost of things that are made in China.

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HOPE GAP

Directed By: William Nicholson
Studio: Roadside Attractions & Screen Media Films

The intimate, intense and loving story of HOPE GAP charts the life of Grace (Annette Bening), shocked to learn her husband (Bill Nighy) is leaving her for another after 29 years of marriage, and the ensuing emotional fallout the dissolution has on their only grown son (Josh O’Connor). Unraveled and feeling displaced in her small seaside town, Grace ultimately regains her footing and discovers a new, powerful voice.

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FINAL KILL

Directed By: Justin Lee
Studio: Cinedigm

Billy Zane, Randy Couture and Ed Morrone star in this action-packed thriller about a mercenary hired to protect a couple hiding out in Central America from a ruthless crime family. In his final assignment as a protector, it quickly turns deadly as a group of mafia henchman descend on the tranquil Costa Rican village. Soon the agent learns that the job is far more than it seems and it will take all of his experience to get them out alive. Also featuring Dr. Drew Pinsky, Danny Trejo and Johnny Messner.

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Bacurau
(Nighthawk)

Directed By: Kleber Mendonça Filho & Juliano Dornelles
Studio: Kino Lorber

A few years from now… Bacurau, a small village in the Brazilian sertão, mourns the loss of its matriarch, Carmelita, who lived to be 94. Days later, its inhabitants (among them Sônia Braga) notice that their village has literally vanished from most maps and a UFO-shaped drone starts flying overhead. There are forces that want to expel them from their homes, and soon, in a genre-bending twist, a band of armed mercenaries led by Udo Kier arrive in town picking off the inhabitants one by one. A fierce confrontation takes place when the townspeople turn the tables on the villainous outsiders, banding together by any means necessary to protect and maintain their remote community.

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SORRY WE MISSED YOU

Directed By: Ken Loach
Studio: Zeitgeist Films

Ricky and his family have been fighting an uphill struggle against debt since the 2008 financial crash. An opportunity to wrestle back some independence appears with a shiny new van and the chance to run a franchise as a self-employed delivery driver. It’s hard work, and his wife’s job as a carer is no easier. The family unit is strong but when both are pulled in different directions everything comes to breaking point.

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THE BOOKSELLERS

Directed By: D.W. Young
Studio: Greenwich Entertainment

Antiquarian booksellers are part scholar, part detective and part businessperson, and their personalities and knowledge are as broad as the material they handle. They also play an underappreciated yet essential role in preserving history. THE BOOKSELLERS takes viewers inside their small but fascinating world, populated by an assortment of obsessives, intellects, eccentrics and dreamers.

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FIRST COW

Directed By: Kelly Reichardt
Studio: A24

Kelly Reichardt once again trains her perceptive and patient eye on the Pacific Northwest, this time evoking an authentically hardscrabble early nineteenth century way of life. A taciturn loner and skilled cook (John Magaro) has traveled west and joined a group of fur trappers in Oregon Territory, though he only finds true connection with a Chinese immigrant (Orion Lee) also seeking his fortune; soon the two collaborate on a successful business, although its longevity is reliant upon the clandestine participation of a nearby wealthy landowner’s prized milking cow. From this simple premise Reichardt constructs an interrogation of foundational Americana that recalls her earlier triumph Old Joy in its sensitive depiction of male friendship, yet is driven by a mounting suspense all its own. Reichardt again shows her distinct talent for depicting the peculiar rhythms of daily living and ability to capture the immense, unsettling quietude of rural America.

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Seven Stages To Achieve Eternal Bliss

Directed By: Vivieno Caldinelli
Studio: Marvista Entertainment

In this unorthodox black comedy, a young couple’s Los Angeles home turns into a suicide magnet. After a cult leader committed suicide in the bathtub, the house compels many of his disciples to break-in in order to follow his lead. Unable to move out and pay a higher rent, they are forced to confront the existentialist chaos.

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The Wild Goose Lake

Directed By: Diao Yinan
Studio: Film Movement

Fleeing from the law, gangster Zenong Zhou (Ge Hu) crosses paths with an innocent-looking woman named Aiai Liu (Lun-Mei Kwei). Unbeknownst to Zhou, she holds a significant secret. Zhou must then confront the limits of what he is willing to sacrifice both for this stranger and for the family he left behind. Written and directed by award-winning filmmaker Yi’nan Diao.

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Like Harvey Like Son

Directed By: Rudy Harris
Studio: Adventure Entertainment

This documentary chronicles ultra-runner and high school teacher Harvey Lewis III’s 2018 attempt to break the record for the fastest known time taken to complete the Appalachian Trail. With his 78-year-old father serving as his crew chief, the father-son duo embark on a transformative journey.

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Beneath Us (2020)

Directed By: Max Pachman
Studio: Vital Pictures

The American Dream becomes a nightmare for a group of undocumented day laborers hired by a wealthy couple (played by Lynn Collins and James Tupper). What they hope to be their biggest payday turns into a terrifying fight for survival at the couple’s secluded mansion, and those thought to be helpless must prove they can’t be discarded so easily.

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The Dark Red

Directed By: Dan Bush
Studio: Dark Sky Films

A young woman is committed to a psychiatric hospital claiming that her newborn has been abducted by a secret society called the Dark Red — an ancient, underground cult that harvests and controls an incredibly rare blood type that gives one the power to hear and guide another person’s thoughts. She says that she is special: that she carries a pure and powerful strain of the blood like nothing seen before, and that the society sees her and her child as its next evolution or perhaps its greatest threat, should she turn against them. Is the Dark Red entirely a figment of her imagination a complex coping mechanism to overcome a terrible personal tragedy or is there some truth behind her story?

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Queen Of Paradis

Directed By: Carl Lindstrom
Studio: Indie Rights

After selling out her first exhibition in Los Angeles in 2016, artist Reine Paradis, and her filmmaker husband Carl Lindstrom, embark on a dangerous and surreal road trip across the United States to complete her next body of work. It’s an all-out adventure, an intimate story, and a bold examination of what it takes to make art today.

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FOXTROT SIX

Directed By: Randy Korompis
Studio: MD Pictures

A former marine and his friends struggle to save Indonesia from a ruthless party leader.

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