SEPTEMBER 29, 2023
<Click film’s poster to see info/trailer>
The Creator
Directed By: Gareth Edwards
Studio: 20th Century Studios
From writer/director Gareth Edwards (“Rogue One,” “Godzilla”) comes an epic sci-fi action thriller set amidst a future war between the human race and the forces of artificial intelligence. Joshua (John David Washington, “Tenet”), a hardened ex-special forces agent grieving the disappearance of his wife (Gemma Chan, “Eternals”), is recruited to hunt down and kill the Creator, the elusive architect of advanced AI who has developed a mysterious weapon with the power to end the war… and mankind itself. Joshua and his team of elite operatives journey across enemy lines, into the dark heart of AI-occupied territory… only to discover the world-ending weapon he’s been instructed to destroy is an AI in the form of a young child (newcomer Madeleine Yuna Voyles).
Starring: John David Washington, Gemma Chan, Ken Watanabe, Sturgill Simpson, Allison Janney, and Madeleine Yuna Voyles
Genre: Action | Adventure | Drama | Sci-Fi | Thriller
Rating: PG-13 (for violence, some bloody images and strong language)
Country: USA (English)
Runtime: 133 minutes
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Saw X
Directed By: Kevin Greutert
Studio: Lionsgate
John Kramer (Tobin Bell) is back. The most chilling installment of the SAW franchise yet explores the untold chapter of Jigsaw’s most personal game. Set between the events of SAW I and II, a sick and desperate John travels to Mexico for a risky and experimental medical procedure in hopes of a miracle cure for his cancer — only to discover the entire operation is a scam to defraud the most vulnerable. Armed with a newfound purpose, John returns to his work, turning the tables on the con artists in his signature visceral way through a series of ingenious and terrifying traps.
Starring: Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, Synnøve Macody Lund, Steven Brand, Michael Beach and Renata Vaca
Genre: Horror | Mystery | Thriller
Rating: R (for sequences of grisly bloody violence and torture, language and some drug use)
Country: USA | Mexico | Canada (English)
Runtime: 118 minutes
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PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie
Directed By: Cal Brunker
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Sam, an Indian-American teen, lives in an idyllic suburb with her conservative mother and her assimilated father. Sam’s cultural insecurities grow due to her estranged friend, Tamira, who mysteriously carries around an empty mason jar all the time. In a moment of anger, Sam breaks Tamira’s jar and unleashes an ancient Indian demonic force that kidnaps Tamira. Sam searches for Tamira, following the trail of a young man who performed a deadly ritual, until the demonic entity starts targeting her, murdering her boyfriend and shattering her reality with terrifying visions. Sam must band together with her parents and a sympathetic teacher to save Tamira and put an end to the terror of the demon.
Starring: Mckenna Grace, Taraji P. Henson, Marsai Martin, Christian Convery, Kim Kardashian, North West, Saint West, James Marsden, Kristen Bell, and Finn Lee-Epp
Genre: Animation | Action | Adventure | Comedy | Drama | Family | Fantasy | Sci-Fi
Rating: PG (for mild action/peril)
Country: USA | Canada (English)
Runtime: 92 minutes
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Stop Making Sense
(1984 Re-Release)
Directed By: Jonathan Demme
Studio: A24
Director Jonathan Demme captures the frantic energy and artsy groove of Talking Heads in this concert movie shot at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre in 1983. The band’s frontman, David Byrne, first appears on an empty stage, armed with only an acoustic guitar, and is gradually joined by bassist Tina Weymouth, drummer Chris Frantz, keyboardist Jerry Harrison and a cadre of backup singers as they perform the band’s hits, culminating in an iconic performance featuring Byrne in an enormous suit.
Starring: Talking Heads
Genre: Documentary | Music
Rating: PG (for brief suggestive material)
Country: USA (English)
Runtime: 88 minutes
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Fair Play
Directed By: Chloe Domont
Studio: Netflix
When a coveted promotion at a cutthroat financial firm arises, once supportive exchanges between lovers Emily (Phoebe Dynevor) and Luke (Alden Ehrenreich) begin to sour into something more sinister. As the power dynamics irrevocably shift in their relationship, the couple must face the true price of success and the unnerving limits of ambition. In her feature debut, writer-director Chloe Domont weaves a taut relationship thriller, staring down the destructive gender dynamics that pit partners against each other in a world that is transforming faster than the rules can keep up. Also starring Eddie Marsan, Rich Sommer, and Sebastian De Souza, Fair Play unravels the uncomfortable collision of empowerment and ego.
Starring: Phoebe Dynevor, Alden Ehrenreich, Eddie Marsan, and Rich Sommer
Genre: Drama | Mystery | Thriller
Rating: R (for pervasive language, sexual content, some nudity, and sexual violence)
Country: USA (English)
Runtime: 113 minutes
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The Kill Room
Directed By: Nicol Paone
Studio: SHOUT! STUDIOS + Blue Fox Entertainment
The Kill Room follows an art dealer (Uma Thurman) who teams with a hitman (Joe Manganiello) and his boss (Samuel L. Jackson) for a money laundering scheme that accidentally turns the hitman into an overnight Avant-Garde sensation, forcing the dealer to play the art world against the underworld.
Starring: Uma Thurman, Joe Manganiello, Maya Hawke, Debi Mazar, Dree Hemingway and Samuel L. Jackson
Genre: Thriller
Rating: R (for pervasive language, violence, and drug use)
Country: USA (English)
Runtime: 98 minutes
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57 Seconds
Directed By: Rusty Cundieff
Studio: The Avenue
Josh Hutcherson (The Hunger Games) and Academy Award® winner Morgan Freeman (Million Dollar Baby) star in this heart-racing action thriller. When a tech blogger discovers a time-altering device, he unleashes its power to rewrite the past and seek revenge against the ruthless corporate empire that destroyed his family. But his actions soon trigger a terrifying chain of events, propelling him into a pulse-pounding battle for survival where every second counts.
Starring: Josh Hutcherson, Morgan Freeman, Lovie Simone, and Greg Germann
Genre: Sci-Fi | Thriller
Rating: R (for violence and language)
Country: USA (English)
Runtime: 99 minutes
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The Re-Education of Molly Singer
Directed By: Andy Palmer
Studio: Lionsgate
In college, attorney Molly Singer (Britt Robertson) was the life of every party. Now, she’s about to be fired because she can’t leave her partying ways behind. Molly’s boss, Brenda (Jaime Pressly), tells Molly there’s one way to save her job: re-enroll at her old alma mater, befriend Brenda’s socially awkward son, Elliot (Ty Simpkins), and take him from zero to campus hero. Aided by her best friend (Nico Santos), Molly goes to battle with stuck-up hall monitors, boozed-up frat brothers, and her old archenemy in a hilarious quest through the past to save her future.
Starring: Britt Robertson, Jaime Pressly, Wendie Malick, Ty Simpkins, Holland Roden, and Paul Soter
Genre: Comedy
Rating: R (for sexual content, pervasive language and some drug use)
Country: USA (English)
Runtime: 120 minutes
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Muzzle
Directed By: John Stalberg Jr.
Studio: RLJE Films
After his dog is killed in Skid Row, Jake Rosser (Aaron Eckhart) plummets deep into a sinister underworld to uncover the truth about who may be responsible.
Starring: Stephen Lang, Aaron Eckhart, Nick Searcy, Penelope Mitchell, Diego Tinoco, and Grainger Hines
Genre: Thriller
Rating: Not Rated
Country: USA (English)
Runtime: 100 minutes
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Deliver Us
Directed By: Lee Roy Kunz & Cru Ennis
Studio: Magnet Releasing
When a nun in a remote convent claims immaculate conception, the Vatican sends a team of priests to investigate, concerned about an ancient prophecy that a woman will give birth to twin boys: one the Messiah, the other the Anti-Christ.
Starring: Thomas Kretschmann, Lee Roy Kunz, Marko Leht, Lena Barbara Luhse, Maria Vera Ratti, and Cardinal Russo
Genre: Horror
Rating: Not Rated
Country: USA (English)
Runtime: 103 minutes
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Common Ground
Directed By: Joshua Tickell & Rebecca Harrell Tickell
Studio: Big Picture Ranch
Common Ground is the highly anticipated sequel to the juggernaut success documentary, Kiss the Ground, which touched over 1 billion people globally and inspired the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to put $20 billion toward soil health. By fusing journalistic exposé with deeply personal stories from those on the front lines of the food movement, Common Ground unveils a dark web of money, power, and politics behind our broken food system. The film reveals how unjust practices forged our current farm system in which farmers of all colors are literally dying to feed us. The film profiles a hopeful and uplifting movement of white, black, and indigenous farmers who are using alternative “regenerative” models of agriculture that could balance the climate, save our health, and stabilize America’s economy — before it’s too late.
Starring: Ray Archuleta, Gabe Brown, Rick Clark, Rosario Dawson, Laura Dern, Donald Glover, Woody Harrelson, Mark Hyman, and Jason Momoa
Genre: Documentary
Rating: Not Rated
Country: USA (English)
Runtime: 105 minutes
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Heist 88
Directed By: Menhaj Huda
Studio: Paramount+
Inspired by true events, HEIST 88 is the unbelievable story centered on Jeremy Horne (Courtney B. Vance), a criminal mastermind with an innate ability to convince anyone to do just about anything, who decides to pull one last job before going to prison. He recruits four young bank employees to steal close to $80 million dollars in a daring and brazen assault on the U.S. banking system. The film takes place in a time before widespread computerization and the vast cybersecurity of today.
Starring: Keith David, Courtney B. Vance, Keesha Sharp, Nican Robinson, Rebecca Spence, and Bentley Green
Genre: Crime | Drama
Rating: Not Rated
Country: USA (English)
Runtime: — minutes
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Story Ave
Directed By: Aristotle Torres
Studio: Kino Lorber
South Bronx teen Kadir (Asante Blackk) is a gifted visual artist who loses his way following the death of his younger brother. Overcome with grief and struggling with the pressures of school and family, he escapes into the thrilling yet dangerous world of graffiti gangs. To prove himself and join his neighborhood’s ruling gang, Kadir tries to rob no-nonsense MTA conductor Luis (Luis Guzmán), but is caught off guard when Luis agrees to give Kadir cash if he’ll sit down to have a meal with him. Following their conversation and the delicate, transformative friendship that grows out of it, Kadir sees for the first time how his artistic talent could lead to a better life.
Starring: Asante Blackk, Luis Guzmán, Melvin Gregg, Alex R. Hibbert, and Cassandra Freeman
Genre: Drama
Rating: Not Rated
Country: USA (English)
Runtime: 94 minutes
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Limbo
Directed By: Pou-Soi Cheang
Studio: Capelight Pictures
Hong Kong: Veteran cop Cham Lau and his rookie partner pursue an elusive serial killer who’s targeting ‘lost’ women throughout the city, cutting off their hands and dumping the bodies under piles of trash. But during the investigation, Cham Lau’s life is turned upside down when he crosses paths with Wong To, a criminal whose dark and terrible past is connected to Cham’s own. In a hopeful effort to gain Cham’s forgiveness and find her own form of redemption, Wong To offers to help the detectives find the serial killer. Now, caught between his resentment for Wong To and the heavy consequences of their shared past, Cham must find a way to both stop the killer and save the one person who can save him, too.
Starring: Gordon Lam, Cya Liu, Mason Lee and Hiroyuki Ikeuchi
Genre: Crime | Drama | International | Thriller
Rating: Not Rated
Country: Hong Kong | China (Cantonese, Japanese, & Chinese)
Runtime: 118 minutes
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Head Count
Directed By: Ben Burghart & Jacob Burghart
Studio: SHOUT! STUDIOS
A gun is pointed to Kat’s (Aaron Jakubenko) head. It’s his gun. Or at least it was after he escaped a chain gang and stole it. Luckily for him though, it’s not fully loaded. But how many bullets are left? He can’t quite remember. And now, with an unknown assailant pulling the trigger, Kat is forced to recall exactly what happened to each bullet. While the empty rounds click away, memories of wild animal attacks, run-ins with an impulsive police officer (Ryan Kwanten), a down-to-earth arms dealer, and his ex-lover (Melanie Zanetti) come flooding back. As the pressure mounts, Kat must figure out how many rounds are left and try to devise a plan to escape… one more time.
Starring: Melanie Zanetti, Ryan Kwanten, Aaron Jakubenko, Chris Bylsma, Addam Bramich, and Polaris Banks
Genre: Thriller
Rating: Not Rated
Country: USA (English)
Runtime: 80 minutes
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Surprised by Oxford
Directed By: Ryan Whitaker
Studio: Trafalgar Releasing
Brilliant but emotionally guarded Carolyn Drake arrives in Oxford with the singular goal of attaining her PhD — but through a turbulent friendship with a charming young man, she begins to open herself up to mystery, vulnerability, and love.
Starring: Rose Reid, Nicholas Aaron, Simon Callow, Mark Williams, Ed Stoppard, and Phyllis Logan
Genre: Drama | Romance
Rating: Not Rated
Country: USA (English)
Runtime: 107 minutes
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Nowhere
Directed By: Albert Pintó
Studio: Netflix
Pregnant, alone and drifting in the sea, a woman trapped in a shipping container tries to survive after fleeing a devastated totalitarian country.
Starring: Anna Castillo and Tamar Novas
Genre: Drama | International | Thriller
Rating: Not Rated
Country: Spain (Spanish)
Runtime: 109 minutes
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Nightmare
Directed By: Kjersti Helen Rasmussen
Studio: Shudder
Mona and Robby are a young couple in love. Robby has just landed his dream job, and they’ve scored an amazing deal on a spacious, if run-down, flat. Never mind that it requires quite a bit of renovation. Never mind the neighbors’ constant fighting, and screaming baby… Never mind that Mona is suddenly plagued by night terrors which grow more intense every time she falls asleep… Robby is eager to start a family, despite Mona’s hesitation. Eventually, Mona’s issues spiral dangerously out of control as she becomes convinced that she is being attacked by a mythical demon – the Mare – intent on possessing her unborn child.
Starring: Eili Harboe, Herman Tømmeraas, Dennis Storhøi, Siri Black Ndiaye, and Peter Førde
Genre: Horror | International | Thriller
Rating: Not Rated
Country: Norway (Norwegian)
Runtime: 100 minutes
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Warrior Strong
Directed By: Shane Belcourt
Studio: Quiver Distribution
When BILAL IRVING left his small hometown bound for a basketball career worthy of his athletic gifts, he was sure he would never return. When he’s suspended from the Chinese pro basketball league, he finds himself desperate for an opportunity to repair his image, and what could change a ‘coach-killer’ narrative better than returning home to coach his old high school team? The only problem: his old coach, AVERY SCHMIDT, still holds the reins to the team with an iron fist. It’s only after a near-fatal heart attack that Coach Schmidt is forced to accept a co-coach he stubbornly doesn’t think he needs. What everyone can agree on is that this ragtag team of high school basketball players desperately needs help from someone. They barely get along, let alone know how to play together, and that’s not the only hurdle the team has to overcome. Bilal and Coach Schmidt have some very different opinions on how the team should be run, not to mention a deep emotional rift about their past which has never been resolved. Forced to work together, Bilal and Schmidt have to learn from each other and realize that they both have to grow before they can teach the kids the life lessons they will need to become champions.
Starring: Stephen Kalyn, Julian Young, Raoul Bhaneja, Rosa Blasi, Macaulee Cassaday, and Andrew Dice Clay
Genre: Drama | Sport
Rating: Not Rated
Country: USA (English)
Runtime: 98 minutes
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The Plus One
Directed By: Erik White
Studio: Saban Films
Lizzie (music superstar Ashanti) is looking to have the perfect destination wedding thanks to her doting father (Cedric the Entertainer) but her carefully laid plans are thrown into disarray when her “man-of-honor”, Marshall (Jonathan Bennett, Mean Girls), brings his “ex-from-hell”, Marie. It is going to take an all-out effort from Lizzie’s friends and family to keep Lizzie from losing her mind as her “happily ever after” is faced with ruin. THE PLUS ONE is an uproarious and charming romantic comedy.
Starring: Jonathan Bennett, Michelle Hurd, Cassandra Scerbo, Cedric The Entertainer, and Ashanti
Genre: Comedy | Romance
Rating: PG-13 (for suggestive material, some drug use and language)
Country: USA (English)
Runtime: 94 minutes
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Do Not Disturb
Directed By: Cem Yilmaz
Studio: Netflix
Ayzek, who has been a waiter on ferries for years, becomes unemployed due to the pandemic and eventually finds a job at a hotel on the night shift. However, who knows what will happen to Ayzek on his first night.
Starring: Cem Yilmaz, Ahsen Eroglu, Nilperi Sahinkaya, and Özge Özberk
Genre: Comedy | Drama | International
Rating: Not Rated
Country: Turkey (Turkish)
Runtime: 114 minutes
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On Fire
Directed By: Nick Lyon & Peter Facinelli
Studio: Cineverse
Inspired by true and harrowing events, On Fire tells the story of an ordinary man (Peter Facinelli) that finds his world suddenly torn apart as devastating wildfires rip through the surrounding countryside. With precious moments ticking by, he must flee with his son (Asher Angel) and pregnant wife (Fiona Dourif) if they have any hope of surviving the rapid forces of mother nature.
Starring: Peter Facinelli, Fiona Dourif, Asher Angel, Lance Henriksen, Ashlei Foushee, Glenn Morshower, and Michael Vincent Berry
Genre: Drama | Mystery | Thriller
Rating: PG-13 (for action/peril, disturbing images and some strong language)
Country: USA (English)
Runtime: 80 minutes
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The Jester
Directed By: Colin Krawchuk
Studio: Epic Pictures
After the recent death of their father, two estranged sisters find themselves being stalked by a malevolent being known as The Jester. Revealing himself to be more than just a man in a mask, the evil entity begins to further torment the inhabitants of this small town on Halloween night. The path to defeating this unholy monster lies with the two sisters who realize that the only way to survive is to figure out how to right the wrongs of their dark past.
Starring: Lelia Symington, Michael Sheffield, Cory Okouchi, Matt Servitto, and Ken Arnold
Genre: Horror | Mystery | Thriller
Rating: Not Rated
Country: USA (English)
Runtime: 90 minutes
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Saturday Night Inside Out
Directed By: Connor McBride
Studio: Outsider Pictures
A young man entering a quarter-life crisis finds himself over the course of a fateful Saturday night in Chicago.
Starring: Zach Bradley, Kristi Alsip, Michael C. Hyatt, Alexandra Miller, and Sophie Morrison
Genre: Drama
Rating: Not Rated
Country: USA (English)
Runtime: 90 minutes
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Senior Year: Love Never Fails
Directed By: Jude Okwudiafor Johnson
Studio: Atlas Distribution
In this sequel to “Freshman Year” (2019), CJ and Marcella struggle to protect their relationship against the rising tide of pressure from family, faith, and friends when a devastating discovery upends their lives.
Starring: Heidi Montag, Vernon Davis, Denise Boutte, Asia’h Epperson, Natalia Dominguez, and Benjamin A. Onyango
Genre: Drama | Family | Romance | Sport
Rating: PG-13 (for thematic material)
Country: USA (English)
Runtime: 107 minutes
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