JULY 28, 2023
<Click film’s poster to see info/trailer>
Haunted Mansion
Directed By: Justin Simien
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
A single mom named Gabbie hires a tour guide, a psychic, a priest and a historian to help exorcise her newly bought mansion after discovering it is inhabited by ghosts.
Starring: LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito, Rosario Dawson, Dan Levy, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Jared Leto
Genre: Comedy | Drama | Family | Fantasy | Horror | Mystery
Rating: PG-13 (for some thematic elements and scary action)
Country: USA (English, French, & Spanish)
Runtime: 122 minutes
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Talk To Me
Directed By: Danny Philippou & Michael Philippou
Studio: A24
When a group of friends discover how to conjure spirits using an embalmed hand, they become hooked on the new thrill, until one of them goes too far and unleashes terrifying supernatural forces.
Starring: Sophie Wilde, Alexandra Jensen, Joe Bird, Otis Dhanji, Miranda Otto, Zoe Terakes, Chris Alosio, Marcus Johnson, and Alexandria Steffensen
Genre: Horror | International | Thriller
Rating: R (for strong/bloody violent content, some sexual material and language throughout)
Country: Australia (English)
Runtime: 94 minutes
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Sympathy for the Devil
Directed By: Yuval Adler
Studio: RLJE Films
After being forced to drive a mysterious passenger at gunpoint, a man finds himself in a high-stakes game of cat and mouse where it becomes clear that not everything is at it seems.
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Joel Kinnaman, Kaiwi Lyman, Cameron Lee Price, and Burns Burns
Genre: Action | Thriller
Rating: Not Rated
Country: USA (English)
Runtime: 90 minutes
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The Unknown Country
Directed By: Morrisa Maltz
Studio: Music Box Films
Reeling from a devastating loss, Tana (Lily Gladstone) is pulled back into the world by an unexpected invitation to her cousin’s wedding. She packs up her late grandmother’s Cadillac and hits the open road, driving from her home in Minnesota to South Dakota. After reconnecting with her Oglala Lakota family, Tana sets off to retrace a surreal journey that her grandmother took decades ago, searching for the spot captured in an old family photograph. As she travels, Tana finds connection in the stories of everyday people who’ve settled down far off the main roads including Isaac (Raymond Lee), who provides a pivotal clue to understanding the lost location that could cultivate closure. A personal reverie summoned from a beguiling mix of fact and fiction, The Unknown Country is an arresting debut feature from Morrisa Maltz.
Starring: Lily Gladstone, Raymond Lee, Richard Ray Whitman, Lainey Bearkiller Shangreaux, Devin Shangreaux, and Jasmine Shangreaux
Genre: Drama
Rating: Not Rated
Country: USA (English)
Runtime: 85 minutes
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Susie Searches
Directed By: Sophie Kargman
Studio: Vertical
How far will a podcaster go to capture her audience? Susie, an awkward college student with a failing true-crime podcast, seizes the opportunity to boost her campus and online popularity by solving the mystery of the missing home-town heart-throb. But things take a dark turn as Susie digs out the truth and soon finds herself in over her head.
Starring: Kiersey Clemons, Alex Wolff, Jim Gaffigan, Rachel Sennott, Ken Marino, Alex Moffat, David Walton, Isaac Powell, Geoffrey Owens, and Jared Gilman
Genre: Comedy | Drama | Mystery | Thriller
Rating: Not Rated
Country: USA | UK (English)
Runtime: 105 minutes
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The Baker
Directed By: Jonathan Sobol
Studio: Falling Forward Films
Fearing his estranged son murdered, an elderly baker with a dangerous past and his eight-year-old granddaughter must journey to the crime ridden Big City to uncover clues to his disappearance… all with a giant loaf of bread filled with 100K of high-grade heroin.
Starring: Ron Perlman, Harvey Keitel, Elias Koteas, Joel David Moore, Emma Ho, and Varun Saranga
Genre: Action | Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller
Rating: R (for violence, language and some drug use)
Country: USA | Canada (English)
Runtime: 104 minutes
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An L.A. Minute
Directed By: Daniel Adams
Studio: Buffalo 8
“An L.A. Minute” is a satirical look at fame, success, the star-making machinery and the karma that attaches to all those who worship at the altar of celebrity. Best-selling author Ted Gold faces a moral dilemma when Velocity, an avant-garde performance artist and the living embodiment of integrity, rocks his 1% world.
Starring: Gabriel Byrne, Kiersey Clemons, Lyne Renee, Katherine Kendall, Brianna Baker, Ash Adams,Ned Bellamy, Jake Adams, Ed Marinaro, and Bob Balaban
Genre: Comedy
Rating: R (for sexual content and language)
Country: USA (English)
Runtime: 86 minutes
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KOKOMO CITY
Directed By: D. Smith
Studio: Magnolia Pictures
In the wildly entertaining and refreshingly unfiltered documentary KOKOMO CITY, filmmaker D. Smith passes the mic to four Black transgender sex workers in Atlanta and New York City — Daniella Carter, Koko Da Doll, Liyah Mitchell, and Dominique Silver — who unapologetically break down the walls of their profession. Holding nothing back, the film vibrates with energy, sex, challenge, and hard-earned wisdom.
Starring: Daniella Carter, Koko Da Doll, Liyah Mitchell, Dominique Silver, and Bebé Smith
Genre: Documentary
Rating: R (for strong sexual content, graphic nudity, language throughout, and drug use)
Country: USA (English)
Runtime: 73 minutes
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The Beasts
Directed By: Rodrigo Sorogoyen
Studio: Greenwich Entertainment
In the wake of blockbuster classic Jaws, a new subgenre was born. This new documentary explores the weird, wild cinematic legacy of sharks on film and the world’s undying fascination.
Starring: Denis Ménochet, Marina Foïs, Luis Zahera, and Diego Anido
Genre: Drama | International | Thriller
Rating: Not Rated
Country: Spain | France (French, Galician, & Spanish)
Runtime: 137 minutes
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Bobi Wine: The People’s President
Directed By: Christopher Sharp & Moses Bwayo
Studio: National Geographic Documentary Films
This gripping documentary charts the inspiring activism of Bobi Wine, the pop star-turned-politician seeking to end Uganda’s brutal dictatorship. Rising from the ghetto slums of Kampala to be one of the country’s most beloved superstars, Bobi begins to use his music to call out corruption, then becomes an Independent Member of Parliament to defend the rights of his people. The country’s institutions are controlled by President Museveni, an autocratic tyrant who has held power since 1986. Bobi and his wife Barbie choose to risk their careers, their family, and their lives to challenge him and bring democracy to their country. But the state is determined to silence not only them, but anyone who supports their cause.
Starring: Bobi Wine, Barbie Kyagulanyi, and Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu
Genre: Documentary | Biography
Rating: PG-13 (for strong violent content, bloody images and thematic elements)
Country: USA | UK | Uganda (English)
Runtime: 121 minutes
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The Slumber Party
Directed By: Veronica Rodriguez
Studio: Disney+
Depicting the aftermath of a sleepover birthday party hypnotism gone wrong as best friends Megan and Paige, along with soon-to-be step-sister Veronica, wake up with absolutely no memory of the night before.
Starring: Darby Camp, Emmy Liu-Wang, Valentina Herrera, Dallas Liu, Alex Cooper Cohen, Ramon Jose Rodriguez, Tituss Burgess, and Paula Pell
Genre: Comedy | Family
Rating: Not Rated
Country: USA (English)
Runtime: 105 minutes
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The Mistress
Directed By: Greg Pritikin
Studio: Blue Fox Entertainment
Maddie and Parker move into their dream home when they discover old letters from a lovelorn woman who lived there over 100 years ago. Parker experiences ghostly disturbances while Maddie suspects he’s hiding something dark from his past.
Starring: John Magaro, Chasten Harmon, Kat Cunning, Aylya Marzolf, Alexandra Grey, and James Carpinello
Genre: Horror | Thriller
Rating: Not Rated
Country: USA (English)
Runtime: 102 minutes
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Sons of Summer
Directed By: Clive Fleury
Studio: Lionsgate
In the spirit of Point Break comes this dazzling thriller that mixes crime action and incredible surfing stunts. To mark the anniversary of his father’s death, Sean takes his friends on a road trip to his surfer dad’s favorite beach. But Sean’s drug-dealing friend forces him to do one last favor — steal a heroin shipment from a local mobster — and the crime lord retaliates by kidnapping Sean’s girlfriend in an attempt to get his drugs back. Can Sean get back to town in time to save both her life, and his own?
Starring: Isabel Lucas, Temuera Morrison, Joe Davidson, Steve Nation, Jonathan Weir, Christopher Pate, David E. Woodley, Alex Fleri, and Steve Young
Genre: Action | International
Rating: R (for language and violence)
Country: Australia (English)
Runtime: 88 minutes
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The Bastard Sons
Directed By: Kevin Interdonato
Studio: Cranked Up Films
Life for a crew of organized criminals is disrupted when Vincent Damiano’s father, the family’s boss, is murdered. Vincent’s “bastard” brothers, a group of orphaned souls he raised together, have an idea of who killed their father… his partner, Rome. In a valiant and calculated attempt to regain the business and enact vengeance on Rome, the Bastards wage an all-out war to get their pound of flesh.
Starring: Charles Malik Whitfield, Al Sapienza, Anastasia Ganias, Chuck MacLean, and Kevin Interdonato
Genre: Crime | Thriller
Rating: Not Rated
Country: USA (English)
Runtime: 80 minutes
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War Pony
Directed By: Riley Keough & Gina Gammell
Studio: Momentum Pictures
At 23, Bill (Jojo Bapteise Whiting) just wants to make something of himself. Whether it’s siphoning gas, delivering goods or breeding Poodles, he is determined to hustle his way to the “American Dream”. Meanwhile, 12-year-old Matho (LaDainian Crazy Thunder) can’t wait to become a man. Desperate for approval from his young father, a series of impulsive decisions turns Matho’s life upside down and he finds himself unequipped to deal with the harsh realities of the adult world.
Starring: Jojo Bapteise Whiting, LaDainian Crazy Thunder, Ashley Shelton, Robert Stover, Jesse Schmockel, and Wilma Colhoff
Genre: Drama
Rating: R (for drug and alcohol use involving minors throughout, pervasive language and some violence)
Country: USA | UK (English & Sioux)
Runtime: 115 minutes
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Shrapnel
Directed By: William Kaufman
Studio: Saban Films
When Sean’s (Jason Patric) daughter goes missing on the Mexican border, he teams up with his former Marine partner (Cam Gigandet) to face off against the cartel who kidnapped her.
Starring: Cam Gigandet, Jason Patric, Efrain Villa, Megan Elisabeth Kelly, Teresa Decher, Vincent E. McDaniel, and Guillermo Iván
Genre: Action | Thriller
Rating: R (for violence throughout, language and brief sexuality)
Country: USA (English)
Runtime: 89 minutes
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For the Animals
Directed By: Sadhvi Siddhali Shree & Sadhvi Anubhuti
Studio: Filmhub
With catastrophic numbers of stray dogs roaming the streets of Houston TX, twin activists and philanthropists Tena Lundquist Faust and Tama Lundquist lead the charge and take matters into their own hands to save the animals they love. As more and more strays plague the city causing a public health crisis and attacking its residents, the sisters take to the streets for a hands-on approach.
Starring: Tena Lundquist Faust, Tama Lundquist, Tyson Faust, Greg Travis, Stephanie Plata, and Jane Anne Wesson
Genre: Documentary
Rating: Not Rated
Country: USA (English)
Runtime: 73 minutes
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Nazi Hunters
Directed By: Raymond Ley
Studio: Samuel Goldwyn Films
Shortly after the end of the Second World War: In 1945 and 1946, the men of the British “War Crimes Investigation Unit” drove through northern Germany on the hunt for Nazi criminals. One of them is Captain Anton Walter Freud, the grandson of Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis. Anton Walter Freud fled to London with his family from the Nazis in 1938. Now an intelligence officer, he’s back to track down killers on Allied wanted lists: hitmen in pinstripes, brutal SS henchmen, and ruthless doctors who conducted medical experiments even on children. The soldiers who witnessed the liberation of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp months earlier are not squeamish about it. 24-year-old Freud is a free spirit known for his unorthodox methods. He knows how to make war criminals talk. So he comes across a crime that has hardly been known before, the murder of 20 children in Hamburg in the last days of the war.
Starring: Franz Hartwig, Robin Sondermann, Konstantin Lindhorst, Patrick Güldenberg, and Peter Sikorski
Genre: Documentary | Crime | Drama | History | International | War
Rating: Not Rated
Country: Germany | Italy (German & Italian)
Runtime: 89 minutes
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The First Slam Dunk
Directed By: Takehiko Inoue & Yasuyuki Ebara
Studio: GKIDS
Shohoku’s “speedster” and point guard, Ryota Miyagi, always plays with brains and lightning speed, running circles around his opponents while feigning composure. Born and raised in Okinawa, Ryota had a brother who was three years older. Following in the footsteps of his older brother, who was a famous local player from a young age, Ryota also became addicted to basketball. In his second year of high school, Ryota plays with the Shohoku High School basketball team along with Sakuragi, Rukawa, Akagi, and Mitsui as they take the stage at the Inter-High School National Championship. And now, they are on the brink of challenging the reigning champions, Sannoh Kogyo High School.
Starring: Luis Bermudez, Paul Castro Jr., David Cui Cui, Abby Espiritu, and Masaya Fukunishi
Genre: Animation | Comedy | Drama | International | Sport
Rating: PG-13 (for language, violence and thematic elements)
Country: Japan (Japanese)
Runtime: 124 minutes
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Never Say Never
Directed By: Baoqiang Wang
Studio: China Lion Film Distribution
When a down-on-his-luck former fighter is accosted by a gang of young bandits, he recruits them for his second shot of glory at his upstart training facility. But after his past shady dealings and get-rich-quick schemes come to life, he’s forced to figure out how to lead his students without passing along the stigma of his troubled past.
Starring: Baoqiang Wang, Yongsheng Chen, Andrew Derry, Max Grandi, Adam Kirk, Jonathan Matthews, and Thiago Rodrigues
Genre: Drama | International
Rating: Not Rated
Country: China (Mandarin)
Runtime: 117 minutes
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Site 13
Directed By: Nathan Faudree & Tony Urban
Studio: Terror Films
SITE 13 is a Cosmic Horror film. When Dr. Nathan Marsh awakens from a catatonic state in a mental institution, he must relive his last expedition by watching tapes from the site visit, only to discover he’s unleashed an unstoppable horror.
Starring: Alan Rowe Kelly, Nathan Faudree, Phil Gigante, Tony Urban, and Katie Gibson
Genre: Horror
Rating: Not Rated
Country: USA (English)
Runtime: 87 minutes
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The Essential Church
Directed By: Shannon Halliday
Studio: Atlas Distribution Company
When governments use Covid emergency act edicts to restrict the gathering and worship of the Church, three pastors facing the risk of imprisonment take a courageous stand.
Starring: Scott W. Atlas, Voddie Baucham Jr., Jay Bhattacharya, and Gary Brady
Genre: Documentary | Drama | History
Rating: PG-13 (for some thematic elements and violent content)
Country: USA (English)
Runtime: 126 minutes
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