FEBRUARY 26, 2021
<Click film’s poster to see info/trailer>
TOM & JERRY
Directed By: Tim Story
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
A legendary rivalry reemerges when Jerry moves into New York City’s finest hotel on the eve of the wedding of the century, forcing the desperate event planner to hire Tom to get rid of him. As mayhem ensues, the escalating cat-and-mouse battle soon threatens to destroy her career, the wedding, and possibly the hotel itself.
Starring: Chloë Grace Moretz, Michael Peña, Colin Jost, Rob Delaney, Ken Jeong, Nicky Jam, Bobby Cannavale, and Lil Rel Howery
Genre: Animation | Adventure | Comedy | Family
Country: UK | France | Germany | USA (English)
Rating: PG (for cartoon violence, rude humor and brief language)
Runtime: 101 minutes
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CHERRY
Created By: Anthony and Joe Russo
Studio: Apple TV+
“Cherry” follows the wild journey of a disenfranchised young man from Ohio who meets the love of his life, only to risk losing her through a series of bad decisions and challenging life circumstances. Inspired by the best-selling novel of the same name, “Cherry” features Tom Holland in the title role as an unhinged character who drifts from dropping out of college to serving in Iraq as an Army medic and is only anchored by his one true love, Emily (Ciara Bravo). When Cherry returns home a war hero, he battles the demons of undiagnosed PTSD and spirals into drug addiction, surrounding himself with a menagerie of depraved misfits. Draining his finances, Cherry turns to bank robbing to fund his addiction, shattering his relationship with Emily along the way. Brought to the screen in bold, gritty fashion by visionary directors Anthony and Joe Russo, “Cherry” is a darkly humorous, unflinching coming-of-age story of a man on a universal quest for purpose and human connection.
Starring: Tom Holland, Ciara Bravo, Jack Reynor, Michael Rispoli and Jeff Wahlberg
Genre: Crime | Drama
Country: USA (English)
Rating: R (for graphic drug abuse, disturbing and violent images, pervasive language, and sexual content)
Runtime: 140 minutes
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THE UNITED STATES VS. BILLIE HOLIDAY
Directed By: Lee Daniels
Studio: Hulu
The legendary Billie Holiday, one of the greatest jazz musicians of all time, spent much of her career being adored by fans across the globe, all while the Federal Department of Narcotics targeted her with an undercover sting operation led by black Federal Agent Jimmy Fletcher, with whom she had a tumultuous affair. Inspired by her life story, THE UNITED STATES VS. BILLIE HOLIDAY intimately examines her struggles with addiction, fame and heartbreaking love.
Starring: Andra Day, Trevante Rhodes, Natasha Lyonne, and Garrett Hedlund
Genre: Biography | Drama | Music
Country: USA (English)
Rating: Not Rated
Runtime: 130 minutes
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BILLIE EILISH: THE WORLD’S A LITTLE BLURRY
Directed By: R.J. Cutler
Studio: Neon | Apple TV+
“Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry” tells the true coming-of-age story of the singer-songwriter and her rise to global superstardom. From award-winning filmmaker R.J. Cutler, the documentary offers a deeply intimate look at this extraordinary teenager’s journey, at just 17 years old, navigating life on the road, on stage, and at home with her family, while writing, recording and releasing her debut album “WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?”
Starring: Billie Eilish, Katy Perry, Finneas O’Connell, Justin Bieber, and Maggie Baird
Genre: Documentary | Biography | Music
Country: USA (English)
Rating: R (for language throughout and brief nude sketches)
Runtime: 140 minutes
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TOMATO RED: BLOOD MONEY
Directed By: Juanita Wilson
Studio: Indican Pictures
A small time drifter Sammy Barlach (Jake Weary, “Animal Kingdom”) searches for his next mark, but comes upon Jamalee (Julia Garner, “Ozark”) and her brother that challenges him in unexpected ways.
Starring: Julia Garner, Jake Weary, Anna Friel, and Nick Roux
Genre: Drama | International | Thriller
Country: Ireland | Canada (English)
Rating: Not Rated
Runtime: 112 minutes
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THE VIGIL
Directed By: Keith Thomas
Studio: IFC Midnight
Steeped in ancient Jewish lore and demonology, THE VIGIL is a supernatural horror film set over the course of a single evening in Brooklyn’s Hasidic Borough Park neighborhood. Low on funds and having recently left his insular religious community, Yakov reluctantly accepts an offer from his former rabbi and confidante to take on the responsibility of an overnight “shomer,” fulfilling the Jewish practice of watching over the body of a deceased community member. Shortly after arriving at the recently departed’s dilapidated house to sit the vigil, Yakov begins to realize that something is very, very wrong.
Starring: Dave Davis, Menashe Lustig, Malky Goldman, Fred Melamed, Nati Rabinowitz and Lynn Cohen
Genre: Horror | Mystery | Thriller
Country: USA (English, Yiddish, & Hebrew)
Rating: PG-13 (for terror, some disturbing/violent images, thematic elements and brief strong language)
Runtime: 89 minutes
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MY ZOE
Directed By: Julie Delpy
Studio: Blue Fox Entertainment
Isabelle, a single mother raising her only daughter, takes matters into her own hands after tragedy strikes.
Starring: Julie Delpy, Richard Armitage, Daniel Brühl, Gemma Arterton, Saleh Bakri, Lindsay Duncan and Sophia Ally
Genre: Drama
Country: UK | Germany | France | USA (English)
Rating: R (for brief language/sexual reference)
Runtime: 100 minutes
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NIGHT OF THE KINGS
Directed By: Philippe Lacôte
Studio: Neon
A young man is sent to “La Maca,” a prison in the middle of the Ivorian forest ruled by its inmates. As tradition goes with the rising of the red moon, he is designated by the Boss to be the new “Roman” and must tell a story to the other prisoners. Learning what fate awaits him, he begins to narrate the mystical life of the legendary outlaw named “Zama King” and has no choice but to make his story last until dawn.
Starring: Isaka Sawadogo, Steve Tientcheu, Rasmané Ouédraogo, Abdoul Karim Konaté, Laetitia Ky and Denis Lavant
Genre: Drama | Fantasy | International
Country: France | Côte d’Ivoire | Canada | Senegal (French & Dyula)
Rating: R (for some violent material, language and nudity)
Runtime: 93 minutes
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CRISIS
Directed By: Nicholas Jarecki
Studio: Quiver Distribution
A drug trafficker arranges a multi-cartel Fentanyl smuggling operation. An architect recovering from an Oxycodone addiction tracks down the truth behind her son’s disappearance. A university professor battles unexpected revelations about his employer, a pharmaceutical company bringing a new “non-addictive” painkiller to market. Set against the backdrop of the opioid epidemic, their stories collide in this dramatic thriller from writer/director Nicholas Jarecki (Arbitrage).
Starring: Gary Oldman, Armie Hammer, Evangeline Lilly, Greg Kinnear, Michelle Rodriguez, Luke Evans, Lily-Rose Depp, with Scott Mescudi, and Martin Donovan
Genre: Drama | International | Thriller
Country: Canada | Belgium (English)
Rating: R (for drug content, violence, and language throughout)
Runtime: 118 minutes
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SAFER AT HOME
Directed By: Will Wernick
Studio: Vertical Entertainment
Two years into the pandemic, a group of friends throw an online party with a night of games, drinking and drugs. After taking an ecstasy pill, things go terribly wrong and the safety of their home becomes more terrifying than the raging chaos outside.
Starring: Jocelyn Hudon, Emma Lahana, Alisa Allapach, Adwin Brown and Dan J. Johnson
Genre: Thriller
Country: USA (English)
Rating: Not Rated
Runtime: 82 minutes
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AS LONG AS WE BOTH SHALL LIVE
Directed By: Ali Askari
Studio: Gravitas Ventures
Malcolm (Josh Helman, MAD MAX: FURY ROAD) is thrust into depression after his wife, Sarah (Yael Stone, “Orange is the New Black”), tragically dies. When he meets someone new, Nya (Jennifer Allcott, Slamdance winner KATE CAN’T SWIM), one year later, he finally allows himself to give over to new love. And that’s when he starts seeing his deceased wife, speaking to him about how abandoned she feels, terrorizing him at every turn. Every time he sees her, debilitating headaches cripple him, as well as doubts about his sanity. With the help of his sister-in-law, Dee (Broadway’s Yvonne Cone), and his mentor, Jim (Paul Sorvino, GOODFELLAS), he must reconcile his past with his present in order to forgive himself, mourn properly, hang onto his new love – and not lose his mind in the process.
Starring: Josh Helman, Yael Stone, Jennifer Allcott, Paul Sorvino, and Yvonne Cone
Genre: Drama | Romance | Thriller
Country: USA (English)
Rating: Not Rated
Runtime: 105 minutes
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EVERYBODY’S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE
Directed By: Jonathan Butterell
Studio: 20th Century Studios
Jamie New is a 16-year-old who doesn’t quite fit in. Instead of pursuing a traditional career, he dreams of becoming a drag queen. Uncertain about his future, Jamie knows one thing for sure — he’s going to be a sensation. Supported by his loving mother and amazing friends, Jamie overcomes discrimination and bullying to step out of the darkness — and into the spotlight.
Starring: Max Harwood, Sarah Lancashire, Lauren Patel, Shobna Gulati, Ralph Ineson, Adeel Akhtar, Samuel Bottomley, Sharon Horgan, and Richard E. Grant
Genre: Drama | Musical
Country: USA | UK (English)
Rating: Not Rated
Runtime: — minutes
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THE KILLING OF TWO LOVERS
Directed By: Robert Machoian
Studio: Neon
David desperately tries to keep his family of six together during a separation from his wife. They both agree to see other people but David struggles to grapple with his wife’s new relationship.
Starring: Clayne Crawford, Sepideh Moafi, Chris Coy, Avery Pizzuto, Arri Graham and Ezra Graham
Genre: Drama
Country: USA (English)
Rating: R (for language)
Runtime: 85 minutes
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THE OBITUARY OF TUNDE JOHNSON
Directed By: Ali LeRoi
Studio: Wolfe Video
A wealthy, Nigerian-American teen is pulled over by police, shot to death and immediately awakens, reliving the same day over and over, trapped in a terrifying time loop – forced to confront difficult truths about his life and himself.
Starring: Steven Silver, Spencer Neville, Nicola Peltz, David James Elliott, and Joey Pollari
Genre: Drama
Country: USA (English)
Rating: Not Rated
Runtime: 104 minutes
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TYGER TYGER
Directed By: Kerry Mondragon
Studio: Gravitas Ventures
After robbing a pharmacy, a selfless woman and her mute friend kidnap a drug addict then hit the road to distribute the stolen “life saving” medication, but find themselves trapped in the fringe lands of a law-less and psychedelic city.
Starring: Sam Quartin, Dylan Sprouse, Thea Sofie Loch Næss, Craig Stark, and Eden Brolin
Genre: Western
Country: USA (English)
Rating: Not Rated
Runtime: 92 minutes
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‘TIL KINGDOM COME
Directed By: Maya Zinshtein
Studio: Madman Pictures
In this provocative look at strange political bedfellows, Israeli filmmaker Maya Zinshtein (Forever Pure, DOC NYC 2016) investigates the political alliance between American evangelicals and Israel’s right wing, and their influence on the Trump administration’s foreign policy. Why do American church leaders encourage parishioners to make donations to Israel, even from poor communities? Because they believe Israel’s expansion will play a key role in end-times prophecy, when Christians will be saved and others–including Jews–will perish.
Starring: Pat Robertson, John Hagee, Yossi Dagan, Johnnie Moore Jr., and Yechiel Eckstein
Genre: Documentary | International
Country: UK | Israel | Norway (Hebrew, English, & Arabic)
Rating: Not Rated
Runtime: 76 minutes
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THE INDEPENDENTS
Directed By: Greg Naughton
Studio: RGB Film
THE INDEPENDENTS is a musical comedy/drama about three solo-artists who collide at the same crossroads and discover harmony. Thus is born “RGB” (at least until they come up with a better band name) and what follows is their roller-coaster-ride journey across America for a one last shot at musical glory.
Starring: Rich Price, Greg Naughton, Brian Chartrand, Richard Kind, and Boyd Gaines
Genre: Drama
Country: USA (English)
Rating: Not Rated
Runtime: 97 minutes
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A FIRST FAREWELL
Directed By: Lina Wang
Studio: Cheng Cheng Films
Wang Lina’s experimental debut explores the sensitivity shared by narrative filmmaking and documenting reality, unveiling poetry from the minutiae of Uighurs’ life in Xinjiang like none other. Tailing an endearing boy named Isa in Shaya, her heavenly home village surrounded by textured sand dunes and millennia-old trees, she tugs viewers’ heartstrings with a story about treasures in his carefree childhood and how they gradually fade away, as love, home, and personal advancement get weighed against another for this generation of minority children, who must bid many farewells to assimilate into the more widely acknowledged best life.
Starring: Tajigul Heilmeier, Yasan Kamisu, Kuramu Kasimu, Rahmati Kuramu, and Alinaz Rahmati
Genre: Drama | International
Country: China (Uighur & Mandarin)
Rating: Not Rated
Runtime: 86 minutes
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