Friday Releases: Poor Things

DECEMBER 8, 2023

Poor Things

Directed By: Yorgos Lanthimos
Studio: Searchlight Pictures

From filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos and producer Emma Stone comes the incredible tale and fantastical evolution of Bella Baxter (Stone), a young woman brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe). Under Baxter’s protection, Bella is eager to learn. Hungry for the worldliness she is lacking, Bella runs off with Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo), a slick and debauched lawyer, on a whirlwind adventure across the continents. Free from the prejudices of her times, Bella grows steadfast in her purpose to stand for equality and liberation.

Starring: Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe, Ramy Youssef, Christopher Abbott and Jerrod Carmichael
Genre: Romance | Sci-Fi
Rating: R (for strong and pervasive sexual content, graphic nudity, disturbing material, gore, and language)
Country: Ireland | UK | USA (English, French, & Portuguese)
Runtime: 141 minutes

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Origin

Directed By: Ava DuVernay
Studio: NEON

Post war Japan is at its lowest point when a new crisis emerges in the form of a giant monster, baptized in the horrific power of the atomic bomb.

Starring: Aunjanue Ellis, Jon Bernthal, Vera Farmiga, Audra McDonald, Niecy Nash-Betts, Nick Offerman and Blair Underwood
Genre: Drama | History
Rating: PG-13 (for thematic material involving racism, violence, some disturbing images, language and smoking)
Country: USA (English)
Runtime: 135 minutes

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Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget

Directed By: Sam Fell
Studio: Netflix

Having escaped from the farm, Ginger and Rocky welcome a new little adventurer into their lives. Back on the mainland, the whole of chicken-kind faces a terrible new threat.

Starring: Thandiwe Newton, Zachary Levi, Bella Ramsey, Romesh Ranganathan, David Bradley, Daniel Mays, Jane Horrocks, Imelda Staunton, Lynn Ferguson, Josie Sedgwick-Davies, Nick Mohammed, and Miranda Richardson
Genre: Animation | Adventure | Comedy | Family
Rating: PG (for peril, action and some thematic elements)
Country: UK | USA | France (Englush)
Runtime: 101 minutes

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Fast Charlie

Directed By: Phillip Noyce
Studio: Vertical

Charlie Swift (Pierce Brosnan), aka “Fast Charlie,” is a fixer with a problem: the target he’s whacked is missing his head. And he must prove it’s the intended target to the man who paid for the hit — New Orleans’ most prominent and most ruthless mobster, Beggar Mercado (Gbenga Akinnagbe). Charlie enlists Marcie Kramer (Morena Baccarin), the victim’s ex-wife and a woman with the backbone and skillset Charlie needs. Dragging Marcie back into a past she was determined to escape sends the two of them on a wild and unpredictable odyssey that’s unexpectedly amusing, action propelled, and ultimately heartfelt. Along the way, Charlie and Marcie fight to protect the legacy of Charlie’s best friend and mentor, Stan Mullen (James Caan in his final performance), while bringing down Beggar and his entire operation.

Starring: Pierce Brosnan, James Caan, and Morena Baccarin
Genre: Action | Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller
Rating: Not Rated
Country: USA (English)
Runtime: 90 minutes

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The End We Start From

Directed By: Mahalia Belo
Studio: Republic Pictures + BBC Film

When an environmental crisis sees London submerged by flood waters, a young family is torn apart in the chaos. As a woman and her newborn try and find their way home, the profound novelty of motherhood is brought into sharp focus in this intimate and poetic portrayal of family survival.

Starring: Jodie Comer, with Benedict Cumberbatch, Katherine Waterston, Mark Strong, and Joel Fry
Genre: Drama | International | Thriller
Rating: R (for language, some sexual content and nudity)
Country: UK (English)
Runtime: 102 minutes

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The Peasants

Directed By: DK Welchman & Hugh Welchman
Studio: Sony Pictures Classics

SHAYDA, a brave Iranian mother, finds refuge in an Australian women’s shelter with her six-year-old daughter. Over Persian New Year, they take solace in Nowruz rituals and new beginnings, but when her estranged husband re-enters their lives, Shayda’s path to freedom is jeopardized.

Starring: Kamila Urzędowska, Robert Gulaczyk, Mirosław Baka, Sonia Mietielica, Ewa Kasprzyk, Cezary Łukaszewicz, Małgorzata Kożuchowska, Sonia Bohosiewicz, Dorota Stalińska, Andrzej Konopka, Marcin Rusin and Maciej Musiał
Genre: Animation | Drama | History | International
Rating: R (for violence including rape, sexuality and full nudity)
Country: Poland | Serbia | Lithuania (Polish & Latin)
Runtime: 114 minutes

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Culprits

Directed By: J Blakeson
Studio: Hulu

After a high-stakes heist, a crew of elite criminals have gone their separate ways and have tried to leave their old lives behind, but the past and present collide when a ruthless assassin starts targeting them one by one.

Starring: Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Gemma Arterton, Suzy Eddie Izzard, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, and Niamh Algar
Genre: Comedy | Crime | International | Thriller
Rating: TV-MA
Country: UK (English)
Runtime: — minutes

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The Three Musketeers: Part 1 – D’Artagnan

Directed By: Martin Bourboulon
Studio: Samuel Goldwyn Films

In Part I of the two-part epic adaptation of the beloved classic by Alexandre Dumas, D’Artagnan arrives in Paris trying to find his attackers after being left for dead, which leads him to a real war where the future of France is at stake. He aligns himself with Athos, Porthos and Aramis, three musketeers of the King.

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Our Son

Directed By: Bill Oliver
Studio: Vertical

Nicky (Luke Evans), a book publisher devoted to his work, lives with his husband Gabriel (Billy Porter), a former actor and stay-at-home dad, and their eight year-old son, Owen. Gabriel loves Owen more than anything; Nicky loves Gabriel more than anything. Despite appearances, Gabriel has been dissatisfied with their marriage for some time and files for divorce, leading to a custody battle that forces both of them to confront the changing reality of their love for each other and for their son.

Starring: Billy Porter, Luke Evans, Robin Weigert, Andrew Rannells, Isaac Cole Powell and Phylicia Rashad
Genre: Drama
Rating: R (for some sexual content/nudity and language)
Country: USA (English)
Runtime: 104 minutes

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Anselm

Directed By: Wim Wenders
Studio: Sideshow + Janus Films

In Anselm, Wim Wenders creates a portrait of Anselm Kiefer, one of the most innovative and important painters and sculptors of our time. Shot in 3D and 6K-resolution, the film presents a cinematic experience of the artist’s work which explores human existence and the cyclical nature of history, inspired by literature, poetry, philosophy, science, mythology, and religion. For over two years, Wenders traced Kiefer’s path from his native Germany to his current home in France, connecting the stages of his life to the essential places of his career that spans more than five decades.

Starring: Anselm Kiefer, Daniel Kiefer, and Anton Wenders
Genre: Documentary | International
Rating: Not Rated
Country: Germany (German & English)
Runtime: 93 minutes

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Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever

Directed By: Luke Cormican
Studio: Disney+

The winter holidays are turning out to be especially stressful for Greg Heffley this year. After accidentally damaging a snowplow while making a snowman with best friend Rowley Jefferson, Greg worries he won’t get the new video game console he so desperately wants for Christmas. To make matters worse, he gets snowed in with his family, including his grumpy older brother Rodrick and annoying younger brother Manny.

Starring: Erica Cerra, Christian Convery, Chris Diamantopoulos, Hunter Dillon, Spencer Howell, and Gabriel Iglesias
Genre: Animation | Adventure | Comedy | Family
Rating: PG (for mild rude humor)
Country: USA | Canada (English)
Runtime: 62 minutes

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The Cello

Directed By: Darren Bousman
Studio: Destiny Entertainment

Like many musicians, accomplished Saudi cellist Nasser (Samer Ismail) has aspirations for greatness, though he feels like he’s held back by the old, dilapidated instrument he’s forced to play. When Nasser is offered the chance to take possession of a gorgeous red cello by a mysterious shop owner (Tobin Bell), he finds new inspiration both for his playing and for his composing. What Nasser doesn’t realize is that this cello has a nefarious past. As he prepares for an important audition with a prominent philharmonic, that past shows itself in the form of an ancient conductor (Jeremy Irons) and the suffering and death of those close to him. Nasser must now decide if achieving his dreams is worth the horror that comes with playing such a perfect instrument.

Starring: Jeremy Irons, Samer Ismail, Elham Ali, Souad Abdullah, Tobin Bell and Muhannad Al Hamdi
Genre: Horror | International | Mystery | Thriller
Rating: R (for strong bloody violent content and some grisly images)
Country: Saudi Arabia (Arabic & English)
Runtime: 120 minutes

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Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie

Directed By: Randy Zisk
Studio: Peacock

Monk returns to solve one last, very personal case involving his beloved step-daughter Molly, a journalist preparing for her wedding.

Starring: Tony Shalhoub, Traylor Howard, Jason Gray-Stanford, Melora Hardin, Hector Elizondo, Ted Levine, James Purefoy, and Richard Kind
Genre: Comedy | Crime
Rating: TV-PG
Country: USA (English)
Runtime: 97 minutes

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Lord of Misrule

Directed By: William Brent Bell
Studio: Magnet Releasing

A priest must decide how much she’s willing to sacrifice to save her daughter from the grip of evil.

Starring: Tuppence Middleton, Ralph Ineson, Matt Stokoe, Rosalind March, and Anton Valensi
Genre: Horror | International
Rating: Not Rated
Country: UK | Ireland (English)
Runtime: 104 minutes

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Merry Little Batman

Directed By: Mike Roth
Studio: Amazon Studios

This Christmas, Damian Wayne wants to be a superhero like his dad–the one and only Batman. When Damian is left home alone while Batman takes on Gotham’s worst supervillains on Christmas Eve, he stumbles upon a villainous plot to steal Christmas and leaps at the chance to save the day.

Starring: Luke Wilson, Yonas Kibreab, James Cromwell, and David Hornsby
Genre: Animation | Comedy | Family
Rating: Not Rated
Country: USA | Italy | Finland (English)
Runtime: 92 minutes

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The Portrait

Directed By: Simon Ross
Studio: Saban Films

In the wake of her husband’s devastating accident, a devoted wife becomes consumed by a mysterious portrait that resembles him in his happier days. However, as her obsession intensifies, the painting starts to unleash terror upon her life, leading her to question whether it is possessed by a malevolent force or if she is losing her sanity. Caught between the haunting unknown and her own fears, she must confront her deepest fears and unravel the unsettling truth before it’s too late.

Starring: Natalia Cordova-Buckley, Ryan Kwanten, Isidora Goreshter, Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Virginia Madsen
Genre: Horror | Mystery | Thriller
Rating: R (for violence, some sexual content, language and brief drug use)
Country: USA | US (English)
Runtime: 86 minutes

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A Creature Was Stirring

Directed By: Damien LeVeck
Studio: Well Go USA Entertainment

As a Christmas blizzard rages outside, Faith, a nurse, keeps her daughter Charm locked in her room, injected with “holiday cheer,” methadone, to sustain a delicately balanced fever–“treatment” for a mysterious affliction. When drifters Kory and Liz break in seeking shelter, they quickly discover that Faith’s relationship with Charm stretches the limits of dysfunction, and both of them are concealing the malevolent fifth houseguest lurking in the shadows. Hint: it ain’t Santa.

Starring: Annalise Basso, Scout Taylor-Compton, Connor Paolo, and Chrissy Metz
Genre: Horror
Rating: R (for violence, bloody images, drug content, language and some sexual references)
Country: USA (English)
Runtime: 100 minutes

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The Oath

Directed By: Darin Scott
Studio: Freestyle Digital Media

400 A.D., in a forgotten time of Ancient America, a lone Hebraic fugitive must preserve the history of his fallen nation while being hunted by a ruthless tyrant but rescuing the King’s abused mistress could awaken a warrior’s past.

Starring: Darin Scott, Billy Zane, Eugene Brave Rock, Karina Lombard, Aron Stevens, and Nora Dale
Genre: Action | Adventure | Drama | History | Romance
Rating: PG-13 (for violent content)
Country: USA (English)
Runtime: 104 minutes

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The Sacrifice Game

Directed By: Jenn Wexler
Studio: Shudder

The Blackvale School for Girls, 1971. It’s bad enough that students Samantha (Madison Baines) and Clara (Georgia Acken) can’t go home for the holidays, but things take a deadly turn when a gang of cult killers arrives at their doorstep–just in time for Christmas.

Starring: Mena Massoud, Olivia Scott Welch, Chloë Levine, Gus Kenworthy, Madison Baines, Georgia Acken, and Derek Johns
Genre: Horror
Rating: Not Rated
Country: USA (English)
Runtime: 90 minutes

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All Souls

Directed By: Emmanuelle Pickett
Studio: Lionsgate

A young confidential informant is sent on a dangerous undercover operation. It’s a no-holds-barred look at the vulnerable foot soldiers of the War on Drugs and the young criminals who are pressured to work for the police.

Starring: Moise Amadou, Billie J Bradford, Calvin Clausell Jr., and Mia Love Disnard
Genre: Crime
Rating: R (for violence, drug use, some sexual material and pervasive language)
Country: USA (English)
Runtime: 81 minutes

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Glory To The Heroes

Directed By: Bernard-Henri Lévy & Marc Roussel
Studio: Cohen Media Group

Nearly two years into Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, GLORY TO THE HEROES shows Lévy continuing to fight against fatigued public opinion, the cynicism of chancelleries and, perhaps now more than ever, the weight of silence fallen upon Ukraine. Lévy returns to the frontlines with co-director Marc Roussel after the June 2023 destruction of the Kakhovka dam by the Russians, considered an act of unprecedented ecocide. Lévy and Roussel set out to show the world this devastation as they embed themselves with elite forces, capturing both the horrors of war and the hopefulness of Ukrainian citizens, who display incredible optimism in the face of senseless destruction. With unique access, they capture the horrors of war and the remarkable strength of the Ukrainian citizens.

Starring: —
Genre: Documentary | International | War
Rating: Not Rated
Country: France | Ukraine (French & Ukranian)
Runtime: 89 minutes

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A Father’s Promise

Directed By: Rick Korn
Studio: Abramorama

A FATHER’S PROMISE, which is directed by Rick Korn and executive produced by Sheryl Crow, tells the story of professional musician Mark Barden whose life changed instantly when his son Daniel was murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary. The film follows Barden’s journey from co-founding Sandy Hook Promise, a nonprofit organization that teaches the warning signs of violence and how to seek help to end school shootings and gun violence, to rediscovering his passion for music featuring performances and interviews from Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks, Karen Fairchild of Little Big Town, Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, Bernie Williams, and more.

Starring: Mark Barden
Genre: Documentary
Rating: Not rated
Country: USA (English)
Runtime: 88 minutes

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Total Trust

Directed By: Jialing Zhang
Studio: Film Movement

TOTAL TRUST is an eye-opening and deeply disturbing documentary about surveillance technology, abuse of power and censorship. Through the haunting stories of people in China who have been monitored, intimidated and even tortured, the film sparks a global debate about the dangers that Big Data and AI pose to individual freedoms. A bracing portrait of a society for whom privacy is all but extinct and a warning for democratic states employing unprecedented security tactics, TOTAL TRUST sounds an alarm about the increasing use of surveillance tools around the world. If this is the present, what does our future look like?

Starring: —
Genre: Documentary | International
Rating: Not Rated
Country: Germany | Netherlands (Mandarin & English)
Runtime: 97 minutes

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Concrete Utopia

Directed By: Uhm Tae-Hwa
Studio: 815 Pictures

The world has been reduced to rubble by a massive earthquake. While no one knows for sure how far the ruins stretch, or what the cause of the earthquake may be, in the heart of Seoul there is only one apartment building left standing. It is called Hwang Gung Apartments. As time passes, outsiders start coming in to Hwang Gung Apartments trying to escape the extreme cold. Before long, the apartment residents are unable to cope with the increasing numbers. Feeling a threat to their very survival, the residents enact a special measure.

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Asian Persuasion

Directed By: Jhett Tolentino
Studio: Jhett Tolentino Productions

An underachiever comes up with an outlandish plan to avoid alimony obligations to his fashion executive former wife.

Starring: Dante Basco, Geneva Carr, Paolo Montalban, Celia Au, and Kevin Kreider
Genre: Comedy | Drama | Romance
Rating: R (for language, some sexual references and drug use)
Country: USA | Phillipines (English)
Runtime: 93 minutes

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Lost Cos

Directed By: Robin de Levita
Studio: Robin de Levita Productions

Haunted by the brutal trauma that shaped her life, troubled dental assistant Eni finds escape in Los Cos, a mysterious underground club where cosplay and burlesque intertwine and heroes and villains blur the line between reality and fantasy.

Starring: Evgeniya Radilova, Zoë Vnak, Samantha Rubin, Dena Tyler, and Rocco Nevers
Genre: Action | Crime | Drama
Rating: Not Rated
Country: USA (English)
Runtime: 87 minutes

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The Last Wife

Directed By: Victor Vũ
Studio: 3388 Films

In Vietnam during the Nguyen Dynasty, Linh, the youngest and last wife of the district governor is unable to fulfill her obligation to give birth to an heir. Compounding the insurmountable societal pressure she faces from the older wives, a chance meeting between Linh and her childhood love, Nhan, unravels a string of unexpected events that dramatically changes her life.

Starring: Kaity Nguyen, Thuan Nguyen, Quang Tháng, and Kim Oanh
Genre: International | Romance
Rating: Not Rated
Country: Vietnam (Vietnamese)
Runtime: 132 minutes

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The Perfect Christmas

Directed By: Anthony Hackett
Studio: SONset Friday Entertainment

THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS is a family Christmas comedy, about Michael Perfect, his wife Denise Perfect, and their two children Devin and Michelle Perfect. The Perfects are an American family who experiences a nostalgic holiday that takes place mostly over the course of Christmas Eve. This feature film explores faith, family, and holiday fun. The Perfect Family must navigate the holiday season through outrageous misadventures, criminal activity, posh friends, and crazy predicaments that threaten their opportunity for the “Perfect Christmas.”

Starring: Gigi Orsillo, Cameron Arnett, Stephanie Parker, Anthony Hackett, and Robert Amaya
Genre: Comedy | Family
Rating: Not Rated
Country: USA (English)
Runtime: 96 minutes

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Our (Almost Completely True) Love Story

Directed By: Don Scardino
Studio: Vision Films

When a beautiful, tall, aging Hollywood star and a short, funny Jewish man try online dating, it’s a disaster. But when they randomly meet at a bird store (what are the chances?), he is immediately smitten, but she not so much. As he pursues the woman of his dreams, his charm, sense of humor, and multiple impressions win her over in their heartwarming (almost completely true) love story.

Starring: Mariette Hartley, Jerry Sroka, Bernie Kopell, Tess Harper, Morgan Fairchild, Peter MacNicol, John Rubinstein, and Mindy Sterling
Genre: Comedy | Drama | Romance
Rating: R (for some language)
Country: USA (English)
Runtime: 92 minutes

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In Broad Daylight

Directed By: Lawrence Kan
Studio: ILLUME Films

Based on true events, In Broad Daylight reveals little-known truths about residential care homes for the disabled that hide beneath the headlines. A news organization’s investigative journalism unit receives a tip about the abuse of residents at the Rainbow Bridge Care Home. To expose the home’s wrongdoings, reporter Kay goes undercover to expose the inhumanity therein, in search for the cruel truth under broad daylight.

Starring: David Chiang, Jennifer Yu, Pui-Yue Bo, Charm Man Chan, Henick Chou, and Pak Hon Chu
Genre: Drama | International
Rating: Not Rated
Country: Hong Kong (Cantonese)
Runtime: 106 minutes

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