Friday Releases: Alien: Romulus

Alien: Romulus

Directed by: Fede Alvarez
Studio: 20th Century Studios

While scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station, a group of young space colonizers come face to face with the most terrifying life form in the universe.

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Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn, and Aileen Wu
Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller
R (for bloody violent content and language)
USA | UK (English)
119 minutes

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The Union

Directed by: Julian Farino
Studio: Netflix

Mike, a down-to-earth construction worker, is thrust into the world of super spies and secret agents when his high school sweetheart Roxanne recruits him on a high-stakes U.S. intelligence mission.

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Mark Wahlberg, Halle Berry, Mike Colter, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Alice Lee, Jackie Earle Haley, J.K. Simmons
Action | Comedy | Thriller
PG-13 (for sequences of strong violence, suggestive material, and some strong language)
USA (English)
117 minutes

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Skincare

Directed by: Austin Peters
Studio: IFC Films

Famed aesthetician Hope Goldman (Elizabeth Banks) is about to take her career to the next level by launching her very own skincare line, but her personal and work lives are challenged when rival facialist Angel Vergara (Luis Gerardo Méndez) opens a new skincare boutique directly across from her store. She starts to suspect that someone is trying to sabotage her reputation and business, and together with her friend Jordan (Lewis Pullman) she embarks on a mission to unravel the mystery of who is trying to destroy her life.

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Elizabeth Banks, Nathan Fillion, Lewis Pullman, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Luis Gerardo Méndez
Thriller
R (for sexual content, graphic nudity, language throughout, some violence and brief drug use)
USA | Italy (English)
97 minutes

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Coraline
(2009 Re-Release)

Directed by: Henry Selick
Studio: Focus Features

While exploring her new home, a girl named Coraline (Dakota Fanning) discovers a secret door, behind which lies an alternate world that closely mirrors her own but, in many ways, is better. She rejoices in her discovery, until Other Mother (Teri Hatcher) and the rest of her parallel family try to keep her there forever. Coraline must use all her resources and bravery to make it back to her own family and life.

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Jackpot!

Directed by: Paul Feig
Studio: Amazon MGM Studios

In the near future, a ‘Grand Lottery’ has been newly established in California — the catch: kill the winner before sundown to legally claim their multi-billion dollar jackpot. When Katie Kim (Awkwafina) moves to Los Angeles, she mistakenly finds herself with the winning ticket. Desperate to survive the hordes of jackpot hunters, she reluctantly joins forces with amateur lottery protection agent Noel Cassidy (John Cena) who will do everything in his power to get her to sundown in exchange for a piece of her prize. However, Noel must face off with his slick rival Louis Lewis (Simu Liu), who also seeks to collect Katie’s commission at all costs.

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Awkwafina, John Cena, Ayden Mayeri, Donald Elise Watkins, Sam Asghari, Simu Liu
Action | Comedy
R (for pervasive language, violence, and sexual references)
USA (English)
104 minutes

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The Deliverance

Directed by: Lee Daniels
Studio: Netflix

Ebony Jackson, a struggling single mother fighting her personal demons, moves her family into a new home for a fresh start. But when strange occurrences inside the home raise the suspicions of Child Protective Services and threaten to tear the family apart, Ebony soon finds herself locked in a battle for her life and the souls of her children. Inspired by a true story.

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Andra Day, Glenn Close, Mo’Nique, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor
Horror | Thriller
R (for violent content, language throughout, and some sexual references)
USA (English)
112 minutes

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Rob Peace

Directed by: Chiwetel Ejiofor
Studio: Republic Pictures

Directed, adapted by, and starring Academy Award® nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 YEARS A SLAVE), ROB PEACE follows the true story of a brilliant young man (Jay Will) torn between his father’s shadowed past and his own promising future. Raised by his devoted mother (Academy Award® nominee Mary J. Blige, MUDBOUND), Rob risks everything he has worked for to free his imprisoned father (Ejiofor). Also starring Camila Cabello and based on the New York Times bestseller by Jeff Hobbs.

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Jay Will, Mary J. Blige, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Camila Cabello
Biography | Drama
R (for drug content and language)
USA (English & Portuguese)
119 minutes

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Close To You

Directed by: Dominic Savage
Studio: Greenwich Entertainment

Academy Award Nominee Elliot Page (Juno, The Umbrella Academy, Inception) stars as a trans man who returns to his hometown for the first time in years. On his journey, he confronts his relationship with his family, reunites with a first love, and discovers a newfound confidence in himself. A Toronto International Film Festival premiere.

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Elliot Page, Hillary Baack, Peter Outerbridge, Wendy Crewson
Drama
R (for language)
USA | UK (English)
100 minutes

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Crescent City

Directed by: R. J. Collins
Studio: Lionsgate

When a small southern town is terrorized by a relentless serial killer everyone becomes a suspect… including local authorities. As the body count rises and the dark mystery deepens, the chief detective becomes haunted by the horrors of his past.

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Alec Baldwin, Esai Morales, Terrence Howard, Nicky Whelan
Crime | Horror | Mystery | Thriller
R (for violence, grisly images, language throughout and sexual content)
USA (English)
113 minutes

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My Penguin Friend

Directed by: David Schurmann
Studio: Roadside Attractions

A sweeping family adventure, My Penguin Friend is a triumphant tale of friendship between a lonely father and a little lost penguin who recharges his spirit and heals his family with an unshakable, ocean-crossing loyalty. Humble fisherman João (international star Jean Reno) has turned away from the world in the wake of tragedy. But when he discovers a penguin drifting alone in the ocean, drenched in oil from a spill, his first instinct is to help. To his wife’s (Oscar nominee Adriana Barraza) dismay, he not only rescues the sea creature, but takes the flightless bird under his wing. For the first time in years João starts to feel joy, even if he cannot fathom just how unbreakable a bond is being formed. When the penguin suddenly disappears back into the immense wilds of the ocean, João believes it is impossible that he will ever see his friend again. But thousands of miles away, the penguin is caught in misadventures of his own, determined to use his unique GPS-like powers to find his way back to the place he now considers home. Based on an emotional true story that riveted the world and filmed on the spectacular coasts of Brazil and Argentina, My Penguin Friend is a tale that traverses the magic of the ocean, the beauty of nature, and the transformative power of love.

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Jean Reno, Adriana Barraza
Drama | Family
PG (for thematic content)
USA | Brazil (English)
97 minutes

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The King Tide

Directed by: Christian Sparkes
Studio: Vertical

After the mayor of an idyllic island village discovers a child with mysterious powers awash on their shores, the once peaceful community devolves into civil war, torn over the belief that the child is the next savior.

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Frances Fisher, Clayne Crawford, Michael Greyeyes
Drama | International | Mystery | Thriller
Not Rated
Canada (English)
100 minutes

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Mountains

Directed by: Monica Sorelle
Studio: Music Box Films

In Miami’s Little Haiti, Xavier (Atibon Nazaire) makes a living as a demolition worker while his wife Esperance (Sheila Anozier) holds down two jobs to sustain their cozy household. Their routine is tested when their son Junior (Chris Renois) returns home after dropping out of college. Xavier and Esperance struggle to relate with Junior, who is no longer interested in speaking Creole with them and harbors ambitions of an artistic career path they do not understand. Xavier aspires to buy a more spacious house for his family, but still wakes up every morning, goes to work, and dismantles his neighborhood brick by brick. Yet even as construction vehicles rumble down the block, Little Haiti remains a vibrant community with traditions and rhythms distinctly its own. Monica Sorelle’s tender feature debut is a multigenerational drama that deftly explores the relationships between immigrants and their children, the looming threat of gentrification, and the pursuit of the American dream.

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Atibon Nazaire, Sheila Anozier, Chris Renois
Drama
Not Rated
USA (Haitian, English, & Spanish)
95 minutes

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Consumed

Directed by: Mitchell Altieri
Studio: Brainstorm Media

Literary genius Samuel Beckett lived a life of many parts: Parisian bon vivant, WWII Resistance fighter, Nobel Prize-winning playwright, philandering husband, recluse. But despite all the adulation that came his way, he was a man acutely aware of his own failings. Titled after Beckett’s famous ethos “Dance first, think later,” the film is a sweeping account of the life of this 20th-century icon.

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Devon Sawa, Courtney Halverson, Mark Famiglietti
Horror
Not Rated
USA (English)
89 minutes

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The Greatest Surf Movie in the Universe

Directed by: Vaughan Blakey & Nick Pollet
Studio: Blue Fox Entertainment

In 2034, a deadly virus has wiped out a lot of the global population. In the rush to save humanity, Dr John Fig fast-tracks an experimental vaccine that becomes mandatory in every country around the world. The vaccine works, however, the injection instantly erases the ability to surf and any memory of surfing altogether…. With no idea what they’re supposed to be doing with their lives, the world’s best surfers aimlessly wander off into what’s left of society. Now, it’s up to the Surf God Hughie to pull together a team of former greats who dominated the riding of ocean waves, in a last ditch effort to save surfing. Can this bunch of forgotten outcasts work together to create the Greatest Surf Movie in the Universe, triggering the population’s memories of mondo-tubes, full-rail carves and giant rotating airs? Or are we destined to become a pack of horrendously strook land-lubbing kooks?

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Kelly Slater, Joe Turpel, Griffin Colapinto
Animation | Comedy | International
Not Rated
Australia (English)
82 minutes

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Ryan’s World The Movie: Titan Universe Adventure

Directed by: Albie Hecht
Studio: Falling Forward Films

Everyone loves Ryan. Especially his younger twin sisters, Emma and Kate. Desperate to play with their big brother, they’ll do anything to get his attention, often ruining his cool big-kid plans along the way. But when Emma and Kate’s enthusiasm to impress Ryan lures them into a strange, magical comic book, Ryan knows family comes first. He has to rescue his sisters. He jumps into the magic comic book after them, transforming into his anime superhero alter ego, Red Titan — and he’s now as animated as the mysterious comic book world he lands in.

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Ryan Kaji, Emma Kaji, Kate Kaji
Action | Animation | Comedy | Family | Fantasy
Not Rated
PG (for action/mild violence)
83 minutes

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Red Island

Directed by: Robin Campillo
Studio: Film Movement

Living on one of the last remaining military bases amidst a hedonistic group of French armed forces in 1970s Madagascar, ten-year-old Thomas begins to find cracks in the surface of his family’s blissful existence on the idyllic island. Taking inspiration from his comic book hero Fantomette, Thomas spies on those around him, discovering the hidden and tangled political and sexual lives of the colonizers and the colonized. As relocation looms, Thomas questions whether the memories he has made are ones he should remember fondly.

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Nadia Tereszkiewicz, Quim Gutiérrez, Charlie Vauselle
Drama | International
Not Rated
France | Belgium | Madagascar (French & Malagasy)
117 minutes

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Rule Of Two Walls

Directed by: David Gutnik
Studio: Monument Releasing

In a Belgian village during the tumultuous start of World War I, the Lambert family finds themselves thrust into the heart of the conflict in THE LAST FRONT. At the center is Leonard Lambert (Iain Glen), a devoted husband and father who grapples with protecting his family amidst the chaos of war as German forces advance to their village. Amidst the war, a tender love story blossoms between Adrien Lambert, Leonard’s son, and Louise Janssen, a local villager. Their relationship serves as a beacon of hope and resilience in the face of adversity. With its compelling portrayal of familial bonds, love amidst chaos, and the indomitable human spirit, THE LAST FRONT promises to immerse audiences in a gripping tale of survival, love, and the enduring impact of war on both individuals and communities.

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Lyana Mytsko, Stepan Burban, Diana Berg
Documentary | International
Not Rated
Ukraine (English, Ukrainian, & Russian)
76 minutes

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In The Rearview

Directed by: Maciek Hamela
Studio: Film Movement

In a volunteer aid van occupied by multiple generations of civilians, an authentic and intimate observation of the war in Ukraine unfolds. Each passenger is unique in age, origin and circumstance, but alike in where they find themselves — fleeing their homes while huddled together in a cramped back seat. Bound for Poland, the vehicle operates as their shelter, waiting room, hospital and confessional.

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Documentary
Not Rated
Poland | Ukraine | France (French, Ukrainian, Polish, Russian, & English)
84 minutes

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The Hypnosis

Directed by: Ernst De Geer
Studio: MUBI

André and Vera are a young entrepreneurial couple. They get the opportunity to pitch their female health app at a prestigious competition. Before going there, Vera tries hypnotherapy to quit smoking. From this point, her attitude changes and André starts to behave unexpectedly.

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Asta Kamma August, Herbert Nordrum, Andrea Edwards
Comedy | Drama | International
Not Rated
Sweden | Norway (Swedish, Norwegian, & English)
98 minutes

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bUMS

Directed by: Jason Raphael
Studio: Buffalo 8

Adapted from the one-act off-Broadway play “Bums” by Robert Shaffron, “bUMS” tells the story of dAVID, pETER, sUNSHINE, bROADWAY vIC, mARY, and fRANK who have survived on the streets and have been homeless for decades, as they join an ambitious government-funded program in the hopes of regaining their lives back.

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Justin Rupple, Peter Holden, Ian Stanley, Michael Balin, and Nancy Harding
Drama
Not Rated
USA (English)
177 minutes

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Smoking Tigers

Directed by: So Young Shelly Yo
Studio: Untold Stories

Set in Los Angeles in the early 2000s, Smoking Tigers is a portrait of a lonely 16-year-old Korean American girl named Hayoung who is taken under the wings of three wealthy students she meets at an elite academic boot-camp. As she falls deeper into their world, Hayoung works harder to hide her problematic family and lower-income background from her new friends, only to discover the bittersweet pains of adulthood that will forever shape her life.

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Ji Young Yoo, Jung Joon Ho, Erin Yoo
Drama
Not Rated
USA (English & Korean)
85 minutes

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Y’all Drawn

Directed by: Richard Harris & Maurquis Boone
Studio: Boone & Rich Films

Follow community activists Maurice and Darryl, played by Boone and Rich, as they unwittingly become targets of the notorious drill rap gang, The Park Apes. When a live social media carjacking attempt by the Apes goes hilariously wrong, Maurice seizes their gun and phone, live-streaming an epic humiliation that sets off a wild chain of events. As the Apes vow revenge, the stage is set for a side splitting saga of botched schemes, outrageous showdowns, and brazen attempts on their lives. Will Maurice and Darryl outwit their foes, or will the Apes’ drastic measures lead to their demise?

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Richard Harris, Maurquis Boone, Mona, Dayjia
Comedy
Not Rated
USA (English)
87 minutes

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Marguerite’s Theorem

Directed by: Anna Novion
Studio: OVID

The future of Marguerite, a brilliant student in Mathematics at the prestigious Ecole Normale Supérieure, seems all planned out. The only woman from her promo, she is finishing a thesis she has to expose to an audience of researchers. On the D-day, a mistake shakes all her certainties and all her foundations collapse. Marguerite decides to quit everything to start all over again.

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Ella Rumpf, Jean-Pierre Darroussin, Clotilde Courau
Drama | International
Not Rated
France | Switzerland (French)
113 minutes

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