Friday Releases: The Wild Robot, Megalopolis, & Saturday Night

The Wild Robot

Directed by: Christopher Sanders
Studio: Universal Pictures | DreamWorks Animation

The epic adventure follows the journey of a robot–ROZZUM unit 7134, “Roz” for short — that is shipwrecked on an uninhabited island and must learn to adapt to the harsh surroundings, gradually building relationships with the animals on the island and becoming the adoptive parent of an orphaned gosling.

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Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal, Kit Connor, Bill Nighy, Stephanie Hsu, Mark Hamill, Catherine O’Hara, Matt Berry, and Ving Rhames
Animation | Adventure | Sci-Fi
PG (for action/peril and thematic elements)
USA (English)
101 minutes

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Megalopolis

Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola
Studio: Lionsgate

MEGALOPOLIS is a Roman Epic set in an imagined Modern America. The City of New Rome must change, causing conflict between Cesar Catilina (Adam Driver), a genius artist who seeks to leap into a utopian, idealistic future, and his opposition, Mayor Franklyn Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito), who remains committed to a regressive status quo, perpetuating greed, special interests, and partisan warfare. Torn between them is socialite Julia Cicero (Nathalie Emmanuel), the mayor’s daughter, whose love for Cesar has divided her loyalties, forcing her to discover what she truly believes humanity deserves.

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Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito, Nathalie Emmanuel, Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne, Talia Shire, Jason Schwartzman, Kathryn Hunter, Grace VanderWaal, Chloe Fineman, James Remar, D. B. Sweeney, and Dustin Hoffman
Drama | Sci-Fi
R (for sexual content, nudity, drug use, language and some violence)
USA (English)
138 minutes

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Saturday Night

Directed by: Jason Reitman
Studio: Sony | Columbia Pictures

At 11:30pm on October 11, 1975, a ferocious troupe of young comedians and writers changed television — and culture — forever. Directed by Jason Reitman and written by Gil Kenan & Reitman, Saturday Night is based on the true story of what happened behind the scenes in the 90 minutes leading up to the first broadcast of Saturday Night Live. Full of humor, chaos, and the magic of a revolution that almost wasn’t, we count down the minutes in real time until we hear those famous words….

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Gabriel LaBelle, Rachel Sennott, Cory Michael Smith, Ella Hunt, Dylan O’Brien, Emily Fairn, Matt Wood, Lamorne Morris, Kim Matula, Finn Wolfhard, Nicholas Braun, Cooper Hoffman, Andrew Barth Feldman, Kaia Gerber, Tommy Dewey, Willem Dafoe, Matthew Rhys, and J. K. Simmons.
Biography | Comedy | Drama | History
R (for language throughout, sexual references, some drug use and brief graphic nudity)
USA (English)
109 minutes

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Lee

Directed by: Ellen Kuras
Studio: Roadside Attractions | Vertical

Lee, the directorial feature from award-winning Cinematographer Ellen Kuras, portrays a pivotal decade in the life of American war correspondent and photographer, Lee Miller (Kate Winslet). Miller’s singular talent and unbridled tenacity resulted in some of the 20th century’s most indelible images of war, including an iconic photo of Miller herself, posing defiantly in Hitler’s private bathtub. Miller had a profound understanding and empathy for women and the voiceless victims of war. Her images display both the fragility and ferocity of the human experience. Above all, the film shows how Miller lived her life at full-throttle in pursuit of truth, for which she paid a huge personal price, forcing her to confront a traumatic and deeply buried secret from her childhood.

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Apartment 7A

Directed by: Natalie Erika James
Studio: Paramount+

When a struggling, young dancer (Julia Garner) suffers a devastating injury, she finds herself drawn in by dark forces when a peculiar, well-connected, older couple promises her a shot at fam40

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Julia Garner, Dianne Wiest, Jim Sturgess, and Kevin McNally
Horror | Thriller
R (for some violent content and drug use)
USA | Australia | UK (English)
104 minutes

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Killer Heat

Directed by: Philippe Lacôte
Studio: Amazon Studios

A thrilling, contemporary mystery in classic noir style, Killer Heat follows private eye Nick Bali (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), an American expat in Greece, hired to investigate the supposed accidental death of young shipping magnate Leo Vardakis (Richard Madden) on the island of Crete. The victim’s sister-in-law (Shailene Woodley) doesn’t believe the official police report. But what exactly happened to Leo, and why? Despite the sun-drenched beauty of its exotic Mediterranean locale, Nick finds darkness at every turn: where the rich and powerful Vardakis family rule like gods, where jealousies run deep, and anyone could be a suspect.

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Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Shailene Woodley, and Richard Madden
Crime | Drama | Mystery | Romance | Thriller
R (for language, some sexual content/nudity and violence)
USA (English & Greek)
97 minutes

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Azrael

Directed by: E.L. Katz
Studio: IFC Films | Shudder

In a world in which no one speaks, a mysterious, devout community hunts down a young woman named Azrael (Samara Weaving) who has escaped their imprisonment. Recaptured by its ruthless leaders, she is to be sacrificed to pacify an evil which resides deep within the surrounding wilderness — but Azrael will stop at nothing to ensure her own freedom and survival. From the seeds of this gritty, relentless parable of sacrifice and salvation, comes an immersive, real-time, action horror tale from the visionary minds of Simon Barrett and E.L. Katz.

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Samara Weaving, Vic Carmen Sonne, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett
Action | Horror
R (for strong bloody violence and gore)
USA | Estonia (English)
85 minutes

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Amber Alert

Directed by: Kerry Bellessa
Studio: Lionsgate

An ordinary rideshare becomes a high-stakes game of cat and mouse when Jaq (Hayden Panettiere) and Shane (Tyler James Williams) receive an alert of a child abduction on their phones. Quickly realizing they are behind a car that matches the description of the kidnapper’s, Jaq and Shane desperately race against time to save the child’s life.

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Hayden Panettiere, Tyler James Williamsm, Kevin Dunn, Saidah Arrika Ekulona, Kurt Oberhaus
Thriller
PG-13 (for violent content, disturbing images, thematic material and language)
USA (English)
90 minutes

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Haunted Heart

Directed by: Fernando Trueba
Studio: Vantage Media

On a beautiful remote island in Greece, young and spirited Alex joins the team of a boutique seaside restaurant as their new waitress. Despite her femme-fatale charm quickly winning the heart of the charismatic Enrico, she instead falls for the enigmatic restaurant manager Max, a reclusive American who settled on the island decades ago. As the seasons pass, sexual tensions rise, and tourists come and go, Enrico begins to unearth disturbing clues about Max’s dark and mysterious past. Blinded by her feelings, Alex chooses to ignore his warnings, as the story slowly slides into a harrowing tale of survival.

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Matt Dillon, Aida Folch, Juan Pablo Urrego
Romance | Thriller
Not Rated
USA | Spain | Colombia (English, Spanish, Greek, French, & Italian)
128 minutes

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She Taught Love

Directed by: Nate Edwards
Studio: Hulu

Frank Cooper, an actor spiraling with distractions, meets Mali Waters, a sports agent living for the present. Drawn together at the worst possible moment, as Mali faces her mortality, they must learn to love and live in the moment.

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Darrell Britt-Gibson, Natasha Marc, D’Arcy Carden, Arsema Thomas, Taissa Farmiga
Drama | Romance
R (for language throughout, drug use and sexual references)
USA (English)
102 minutes

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Succubus

Directed by: R.J. Daniel Hanna
Studio: SHOUT! STUDIOS

A new father struggling with fatigue, emotional insecurities, and a failing marriage joins a dating app, only to swipe right on what may be an inhuman presence.

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Brendan Bradley, Olivia Grace Applegate, Rosanna Arquette, Rachel Cook, Emily Kincaid, Ron Perlman, Derek Smith
Drama | Horror | Thriller
Not Rated
USA (English)
103 minutes

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Rez Ball

Directed by: Sydney Freeland
Studio: Netflix

In the heart of Chuska, New Mexico, the Chuska Warriors, a high school basketball team rich in Native American heritage, face their greatest challenge. After the loss of their star player, the team must unite like never before to keep their dreams of a state championship alive. This is more than just a game; it’s a journey of resilience and unity, a true underdog story deeply rooted in Native American culture.

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Kauchani Bratt, Jessica Matten, Julia Jones, Amber Midthunder, and Kiowa Gordon
Drama | Sport
PG-13 (for thematic elements including suicide, teen drug/alcohol use, language and some crude references)
USA (English)
111 minutes

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Sleep

Directed by: Jason Yu
Studio: Magnet Releasing

SLEEP follows newlyweds Hyun-su (Lee Sun-kyun, PARASITE) and Soo-jin (Jung Yu-mi), whose domestic bliss is disrupted when Hyun-su begins speaking in his sleep, ominously stating, “Someone’s inside.” From that night on, whenever he falls asleep, Hyun-su transforms into someone else, with no recollection of what happened the night before. Overwhelmed with anxiety that he may hurt himself or their young family, Soo-jin can barely sleep because of this irrational fear. Despite treatment, Hyun-su’s sleepwalking only intensifies, and Soo-jin begins to feel that her unborn child may be in danger.

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Edson Camacho, Kim Gook Hee, Yoon Kyung-ho, Lee Sun-kyun, Jung Yu-mi
Comedy | Horror | International | Mystery | Thriller
Not Rated
South Korea (Korean)
95 minutes

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Bagman

Directed by: Colm McCarthy
Studio: Lionsgate

In the dark horror film BAGMAN, a family finds themselves ensnared in a nightmare as they are hunted by a malevolent, mythical creature. For centuries and across cultures, parents have warned their children of the legendary Bagman, who snatches innocent children and stuffs them into his vile, rotting bag–never to be seen again. Patrick McKee (Sam Claflin) narrowly escaped such an encounter as a boy, which left him with lasting scars throughout his adulthood. Now, Patrick’s childhood tormentor has returned, threatening the safety of his wife Karina (Antonia Thomas) and son Jake (Caréll Vincent Rhoden).

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Sam Claflin, Steven Cree, Antonia Thomas, Adelle Leonce, William Hope
Horror
PG-13 (for terror, violent content and strong language)
USA (English)
92 minutes

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Escape From Extinction Rewilding

Directed by: Matthew R. Brady
Studio: American Humane

The sequel to American Humane’s award-winning documentary, Escape from Extinction, introduces rewilding–a proven method for sustainable conservation that has the potential to bring back hundreds of thousands of species from the brink of extinction. Narrated by Academy Award winner Meryl Streep, the film follows tireless conservation efforts of leading organizations implementing rewilding practices across a diverse array of species in equally diverse environments.

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Meryl Streep
Documentary
Not Rated
USA (English)
90 minutes

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The Universal Theory

Directed by: Timm Kröger
Studio: Oscilloscope Laboratories

Set in 1962 at a quantum mechanics conference in an isolated lodge nestled amid the towering landscapes of the Swiss Alps, THE UNIVERSAL THEORY is the story of a gifted young physicist, his curmudgeonly mentor, and an enigmatic jazz pianist who knows things about our wunderkind scientist that he’s never told another living soul. German director Timm Kröger–himself also a cinematographer–films his tale with an eye for the majestic natural beauty that surrounds our characters, effectively evoking the paranoid postwar era. Driven by astonishing twists and improbable coincidences, THE UNIVERSAL THEORY unravels a captivatingly complex chronicle with brain-tickling suspense.

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Vindicating Trump

Directed by: Dinesh D’Souza
Studio: SDG Releasing

Dinesh D’Souza examines the political, legal, and attempted-assassination obstacles faced by Donald Trump in his quest to retake the White House.

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Dinesh D’Souza, Alina Habba, Siaka Massaquoi, Nick Searcy, Donald Trump, Lara Trump
Documentary
PG-13 (for some strong language, violent content and crude references)
USA (English)
96 minutes

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Notice To Quit

Directed by: Simon Hacker
Studio: Whiskey Creek Releasing

Andy Singer, a struggling New York City realtor, finds his world crashing down around him when his estranged 10-year-old daughter, Anna, shows up unannounced on his doorstep in the middle of his eviction.

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Isabel Arraiza, Ryan Patrick Bachand, Michael Bakkensen, Eric Berryman
Drama
PG-13 (for strong language and a crude image)
USA (English)
91 minutes

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The Lost Holliday

Directed by: Jussie Smollett
Studio: AMC Theatres Distribution

When Cassandra Marshall (Vivica A. Fox), arrives in Los Angeles to plan the funeral for her estranged son, Damien Holliday (Jabari Redd), she finds the arrangements are already being handled… by her son’s husband, Jason Holliday (Jussie Smollett) — a man and a marriage she knew nothing about. Through Damien’s relationship with Jason and their adopted daughter. Arielle, along with the help of Jason’s sister, Cheyenne (Brittany Hall) and best friend, Duck (Marquise Vilson) — Cassandra learns more about her son in death than she ever knew during his life.

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Vivica A. Fox, Jussie Smollett, Jabari Redd, Marquise Vilson, Brittany S. Hall, Miriam A. Hyman
Drama
Not Rated
USA (English)
96 minutes

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Plan B

Directed by: Brandon Tamburri
Studio: Quiver Distribution

When a one night stand with her awkward neighbor leaves her pregnant, a young woman decides to quickly sleep with a successful businessman and tell him he’s the father of her unborn baby.

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Jamie Lee, Jon Heder, Shannon Elizabeth, Tom Berenger, Kate Flannery, Michael Lombardi, Vernon Davis
Comedy | Romance
Not Rated
USA (English)
90 minutes

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Bolt From The Blue

Directed by: Jack Martin
Studio: Good Deed Entertainment

An overlooked engineer is sent to Alaska to scope out an eccentric scientist’s claim that capturing lightning can be a new source of renewable energy. Upon her arrival, she discovers the research center is just one guy, a self-proclaimed doctor.

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Matt Walsh, Kate Flannery, Evan Holtzman, Katie Baker, Kevin Michael Martin
Adventure | Comedy | Sci-Fi
PG (for language, mild peril and thematic elements)
USA (English)
90 minutes

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Paul McCartney and Wings:
One Hand Clapping

Directed by: David Litchfield
Studio: Trafalgar Releasing

Directed by David Litchfield, this film captured a moment when Paul McCartney and Wings had found and defined their signature sound. Filmed over four days at Abbey Road Studios in August 1974, the film provides an insight into the inner workings of the band as they work and play together in the studio. Including performances of tracks from Wings masterpiece Band on the Run (released in 1973), intimate footage of the band hanging out in the studio, combined with audio interview snippets, the film also includes previously unreleased in full footage of a solo acoustic performance by Paul called The Backyard Sessions. In addition to the film, this screening event includes an introduction by Paul McCartney recorded exclusively for movie theatre audiences as well as unseen Polaroids of the band.

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Geoff Britton, Howie Casey, Geoff Emerick, Denny Laine, Linda McCartney, Paul McCartney
Documentary | International | Music
Not Rated
UK (English)
67 minutes

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Lancelot of the Lake
(50th Anniversary)

Directed by: Robert Bresson
Studio: New Yorker Films

This stylized and unglamorous French drama by Robert Bresson presents the Arthurian legend as seen through the eyes of Lancelot du Lac (Luc Simon), one of the most prominent Knights of the Round Table. After returning empty-handed from the quest to find the Holy Grail, the restless Lancelot begins an affair with Queen Guinevere (Laura Duke Condominas), a relationship that threatens to have far-reaching consequences for the once-great court of Camelot.

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Luc Simon, Laura Duke Condominas, Humbert Balsan, Vladimir Antolek-Oresek, Patrick Bernhard
Drama | Fantasy | International | Romance
Not Rated
France | Italy (French)
85 minutes

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Empire Waist

Directed by: Claire Ayoub
Studio: Blue Fox Entertainment

Lenore Miller is a plus size, insecure teen whose talent for fashion is discovered by her confident, plus-sized classmate, forcing her into the spotlight–and into the path of both bullies and new friends. Lenore’s father Mark (Rainn Wilson) is her biggest cheerleader, but the fears of her image-conscious mother (Missi Pyle) and Lenore’s own insecurities prevent her from wearing her own designs. Will Lenore ever feel the self-love she inspires in others?

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Mia Kaplan, Jemima Yevu, Rainn Wilson, Missi Pyle, Jolene Purdy
Comedy | Drama
PG-13 (for thematic elements, suggestive material, teen partying and some language)
USA (English)
94 minutes

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Veteran 2: I, the Executioner

Directed by: Ryoo Seung-wan
Studio: Capelight Pictures

The veteran detectives renowned for always getting their man are back in action! Detective Seo Do-cheol (HWANG Jung-min) and his Major Crime Investigation Division tirelessly track down criminals day and night, often at the expense of their personal lives. When the murder of a professor reveals links to past cases, suspicions of a serial killer arise, plunging the country into turmoil. As Major Crimes delves into the investigation, the killer taunts them by publicly releasing a teaser online, indicating the next victim, and intensifying the chaos. To tackle the escalating threat, the team brings in idealistic rookie officer Park Sun-woo (JUNG Hae-in), leading to unexpected twists in the case’s trajectory.

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The Curse of the Necklace

Directed by: Juan Pablo Arias Muñoz
Studio: ESX Entertainment

The Davis family is going through some tough times in 1960: Laura and Frank have separated because after years of Frank’s unpredictable alcohol infused temper, Laura has taken action and thrown him out of the house. She has gone back to work as a nurse which her 11-year-old Ellen and 16-year-old Judy, don’t like any more than their dad does. To try to get Laura back, Frank gives her a beautiful antique necklace he finds in an old 1938 evidence bag at the station, and though Laura doesn’t want to be “bought,” Frank leaves the necklace at the house where Laura and the girls live. Unfortunately, the necklace is a conduit for the tormented soul of an evil boy from long ago, and Laura and her daughters find themselves in terrible danger from a little boy who no longer exists.

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Violet McGraw, Madeleine McGraw, Sarah Lind, Henry Thomas, Roma Maffia
Horror
R (for bloody violence)
USA (English)
96 minutes

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Mother Nocturna

Directed by: Daniele Campea
Studio: Buffalo 8

Agnese is a wolf biologist who gets back to her husband and daughter after a long hospitalization in a mental institution. The moon has an occult power over Agnese, whose mind begins to disrupt and her body transforms, while the visions of the “God of the woods” intrude on reality. She will deal with the ghosts from the past, locked in a house surrounded by woods, where nightmares take over, and obscure presences become ever more disturbing.

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Susanna Costaglione, Sofia Ponente, Edoardo Oliva, Elena Battarin, Vincenzo Mambella, Ricardo Pellegrini
Drama | Horror | International | Mystery
Not Rated
Italy (Italian)
100 minutes

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Abruptio

Directed by: Evan Marlowe
Studio: Anchor Bay Entertainment

Les Hackel hates his life. He works a dead-end job, was just dumped by his high-maintenance girlfriend, and still lives with his nagging mom. One night, he discovers a fresh incision behind his neck. His friend Danny tells him it’s a bomb, that someone has implanted one in his neck, too. And then the messages start coming in, forcing Les to carry out missions with deadly results. Les is partnered up with a series of oddball characters to commit heinous tasks. The violence escalating around him, Les pieces together the clues that reveal the horrific plans to breed a monstrous race of beings.

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James Marsters, Hana Mae Lee, Christopher McDonald, Jordan Peele, Robert Englund, and Sid Haig
Animation | Horror
Not Rated
USA (English)
94 minutes

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Wolves, Pigs and Men
(1964 Re-Release)

Directed by: Kinji Fukasaku
Studio: Film Movement

Three brothers, Kuroki, Jirō, and Sabu, find themselves pitted against each other as rivals in the underground world of the Yakuza. Jirō, alongside his girlfriend Mizuhara, plots to rob Sabu and his gang, stealing 20 million yen. However, when Kuroki learns of Jirō’s scheme, he journeys to track down his brothers and take the money for his own rival gang.

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Ken Takakura, Kin’ya Kitaôji, Shinjirô Ebara, Sanae Nakahara, Hiroko Shima
Action | Crime | Drama | International
Not Rated
Japan (Japanese)
95 minutes

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I Am Nevenka

Directed by: Icíar Bollaín
Studio: Buena Vista International

Nevenka Fernández was 23 years old when she started working at the City Council of Ponferrada, a small Spanish city. She was young, beautiful and full of dreams. But the mayor, accustomed to exercising his power, was immediately infatuated with her. Instead of putting up with it, Nevenka stood up and she faced her entire city, the media and the public opinion of a whole country who chose to pigeonhole her and spoke of her as a calculating exploiter, questioning her intimate life and behavior and undermined her dignity. Despite all this controversy, Nevenka Fernández obtained the first conviction for sexual harassment of a politician in Spain in 2002.

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Mireia Oriol, Ricardo Gómez, Urko Olazabal, Mabel del Pozo, Lucía Veiga, Carlos Serrano
Drama | International
Not Rated
Spain | Italy (Spanish)
112 minutes

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Americans With No Address

Directed by: Stephen Wollwerth & Julia Verdin
Studio: Robert Craig Films

The Robert Craig Films team spent three weeks on a bus touring 20 major cities across 18 states to capture the essence of what is causing the homeless crisis in America and produced their findings in the Americans With No Address documentary. Having this perspective of what is truly causing the homelessness problem has helped the team greatly in producing their complimentary feature film No Address, a narrative film that will help bring more awareness to the problem. They were interested in learning more about what solutions have been implemented and proven to show positive changes in the community. The team interviewed policy leaders, mission directors, clinical specialists, CEOs of national nonprofits, executive directors of local and regional nonprofits, influencers, those who had experienced homelessness, and those who were still struggling. Trauma, mental health, substance abuse, lack of affordable housing, and economics are all factors for the drastic increase in homelessness in our country. Several scenes from the feature film No Address appear in the documentary, providing a narrative perspective of these various issues.

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William Baldwin, Patricia Velasquez, Amy Grant, Ty Pennington, Julia Verdin
Documentary
Not Rated
USA (English)
85 minutes

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