Friday Releases: Moana 2, Queer, Maria, & The Seed of the Sacred Fig

Moana 2

Directed by: David G. Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, & Dana Ledoux Miller
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures

Walt Disney Animation Studios’ epic animated musical “Moana 2” takes audiences on an expansive new voyage with Moana, Maui and a brand-new crew of unlikely seafarers. After receiving an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors, Moana must journey to the far seas of Oceania and into dangerous, long-lost waters for an adventure unlike anything she’s ever faced.

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Auliʻi Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson, Temuera Morrison, Nicole Scherzinger, Rachel House, Alan Tudyk, Hualālai Chung, Rose Matafeo, David Fane, Awhimai Fraser, Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda, Gerald Ramsey
Animation | Adventure | Comedy | Family | Fantasy | Musical
PG (for action/peril)
USA | Canada (English)
100 minutes

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Queer

Directed by: Luca Guadagnino
Studio: A24

William Lee, an American expat in Mexico City, spends his days almost entirely alone, except for a few contacts with other members of the small American community. His encounter with Eugene Allerton, an expat former soldier, new to the city, shows him, for the first time, that it might be finally possible to establish an intimate connection with somebody.

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Daniel Craig, Drew Starkey, Jason Schwartzman, Henry Zaga, Omar Apollo, Lesley Manville
Biography | Drama | History | Romance
R (for strong sexual content, graphic nudity, strong drug content, language and brief violence)
USA | Italy (English, Spanish, & French)
135 minutes

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Maria

Directed by: Pablo Larraín
Studio: Netflix

The tumultuous, beautiful and tragic story of the life of the world’s greatest female opera singer, relived and reimagined during her final days in 1970s Paris.

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The Seed of the Sacred Fig

Directed by: Mohammad Rasoulof
Studio: NEON

Shot entirely in secret, Mohammad Rasoulof’s award-winning thriller, THE SEED OF THE SACRED FIG, centers on a family thrust into the public eye when Iman is appointed as an investigating judge in Tehran. As political unrest erupts in the streets, Iman realizes that his job is even more dangerous than expected, making him increasingly paranoid and distrustful, even of his own wife Najmeh and daughters Sana and Rezvan.

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Mahsa Rostami, Setareh Maleki, Niousha Akhshi, Missagh Zareh, Soheila Golestani, Reza Akhlaghirad
Crime | Drama | International | Thriller
PG-13 (for disturbing violent content, bloody images, thematic content, some language and smoking)
Germany | France (Persian)
168 minutes

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Dear Santa

Directed by: Robert Farrelly
Studio: Paramount+

When a young boy mails his Christmas wish list to Santa with one crucial spelling error, a devilish Jack Black arrives to wreak havoc on the holidays. From the hilarious minds behind DUMB & DUMBER, Christmas is about to go up in flames.

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Jack Black, Robert Timothy Smith, Keegan-Michael Key, Brianne Howey, Hayes MacArthur, Post Malone
Comedy | Fantasy | Horror
PG-13 (for some language and suggestive material)
USA (English)
107 minutes

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Nutcrackers

Directed by: David Gordon Green
Studio: Hulu

A strait-laced man finds his life suddenly upended when he becomes the caregiver for his rambunctious, orphaned nephews.

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Ben Stiller, Linda Cardellini, Tim Heidecker
Comedy | Drama
Not Rated
USA (English)
104 minutes

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That Christmas

Directed by: Simon Otto
Studio: Netflix

Based on the charming trilogy of children’s books by beloved multi award-winning writer/director Richard Curtis (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, Love Actually, Yesterday), That Christmas follows a series of entwined tales about family and friends, love and loneliness, and Santa Claus making a big mistake, not to mention an enormous number of turkeys!

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Sweethearts

Directed by: Jordan Weiss
Studio: HBO Max

Two college freshmen make a pact to break up with their high school sweethearts over Thanksgiving break, leading them on a chaotic night out in their hometown that puts their codependent friendship to the test.

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Kiernan Shipka, Nico Hiraga, Christine Taylor
Comedy
R (for sexual content, language throughout, teen partying and brief graphic nudity)
USA (English)
98 minutes

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Beatles ’64

Directed by: David Tedeschi
Studio: Disney+

On February 7, 1964, The Beatles arrived in New York City to unprecedented excitement and hysteria. From the instant they landed at Kennedy Airport, met by thousands of fans, Beatlemania swept New York and the entire country. Their thrilling debut performance on The Ed Sullivan Show captivated more than 73 million viewers, the most watched television event of its time. Beatles ’64 presents the spectacle, but also tells a more intimate behind the scenes story, capturing the camaraderie of John, Paul, George, and Ringo as they experienced unimaginable fame.

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The Beatles, George Harrison, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr
Documentary | Music
Not Rated
USA (English)
106 minutes

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Armand

Directed by: Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel
Studio: IFC Films

One of the last days before the school holidays something happens between six year old Armand and Jon. The parents are called in for a meeting, but the school management doesn’t really know what actually happened. Was it just a children’s game or something much more serious? The incident between the two boys triggers a series of events, forcing parents and school staff into a captivating battle of redemption – where madness, desire and obsession arise.

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Our Little Secret

Directed by: Stephen Herek
Studio: Netflix

Two resentful exes are forced to spend Christmas under the same roof after discovering that their current partners are siblings.

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Lindsay Lohan, Ian Harding, Tim Meadows, Jon Rudnitsky, Judy Reyes, Henry Czerny, Chris Parnell, Kristin Chenoweth
Comedy | Romance
TV-14
USA (English)
101 minutes

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The Holiday Club

Directed by: Alexandra Swarens
Studio: Good Deed Entertainment

Sam hates the holidays. Bailey loves them. On a lonely Valentine’s Day, the two women in small-town Ohio meet incidentally, bonding over pastry and an instant attraction. With every passing holiday, they spend more time together… but romance proves elusive.

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Makaela Shealy, Alexandra Swarens, Danielle Meyer, Maddie Small, Catherine Bagent, Joseph Moreland
Comedy
Not Rated
USA (English)
90 minutes

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Living Large

Directed by: Kristina Dufková
Studio: Gébéka Films

A 12 year-old boy was bullied for his weight and he tries to turn things around by dieting and attempting to win over the girl of his dreams.

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Daughter of the Sun

Directed by: Ryan Ward
Studio: Buffalo 8

A 12 year old girl struggles with life on the run as she travels across the country with her father who has Tourette Syndrome. Wanting nothing more than a normal family life, she befriends a community of outcasts in the remote countryside who want to harness a volatile supernatural power her father is hiding.

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Nyah Perkin, Ryan Ward, Lennox Leacock, Courtney Sawyer, Ryan Giesen, Laura Mac
Drama | Fantasy
Not Rated
USA | Canada (English)
108 minutes

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Reinas

Directed by: Klaudia Reynicke-Candeloro
Studio: Alva Film

In 1992, during a tumultuous time in Lima, Peru, Lucia, Aurora, and their mom Elena decide to move to the USA. Reuniting with their estranged father Carlos makes their departure full of mixed emotions like regret, hope, and fear in this ’90s story.

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Abril Gjurinovic, Luana Vega, Jimena Lindo, Gonzalo Molina, Susi Sánchez
Drama | International
Not Rated
Switzerland | Spain | Peru (Spanish)
104 minutes

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My Sweet Land

Directed by: Sareen Hairabedian
Studio: HAI Creative

My Sweet Land is a coming-of-age story set against a multigenerational war in the post-Soviet Caucasus Mountains. It follows an 11-year-old boy named Vrej, growing up in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) who dreams of becoming a dentist in his picture-postcard village with its roaming ducks and golden bees. His sweet land, however, is strewn with mines from previous wars, shaping a country that remains unrecognized to the world. Vrej’s life takes a sudden turn when war erupts, forcing him to flee with his family. He spends his days in exile impatiently waiting for victory, but reality takes a different turn; Armenians lose the war. Upon returning to his surviving village, he confronts the devastation, new power dynamics, and education that prepares children for near-future battles. Vrej must learn the rules of war… but can he carry a nation’s hopes on his young shoulders? The film is a testament to the people of Artsakh, where hope and trauma had shaped their resilience across generations.

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Vrej Khatchatryan
Documentary | International
Not Rated
Ireland | France | Jordan | USA (Armenian)
86 minutes

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Facing Down Under:
A Backpacker Documentary

Directed by: Chris Hartung
Studio: MPI Media Group

Chris has just graduated from high school in Germany. Now: Off to Australia. The documentary amazes with outstanding visuals of landscapes, wildlife, and people that Chris captures with his camera. He experiences the unique atmosphere of the backpacking community, as well as the downsides of the popular Work and Travel system. This travel report is incredibly honest and executed with fresh ideas.

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Chris Hartung
Documentary | Drama | International
Not Rated
Germany (German & English)
84 minutes

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Heavier Trip

Directed by: Juuso Laatio & Jukka Vidgren
Studio: Doppelgänger Releasing

The world’s most ferocious death metal band, Impaled Rektum, is back and ready to unleash hell! Shackled by fate and locked up in a Norwegian prison, the band discovers their lead guitarist’s family reindeer slaughterhouse faces a financial storm. Turo, Lotvonen, Xytrax and Oula hatch a daring escape plan to help. Desperate for the money, and the chance to perform at the ultimate battleground for metal warriors, Impaled Rektum takes a journey through northern Europe to the legendary Wacken music festival. But hot on their trail is a vengeful prison guard, thirsting for revenge, and a sketchy record label executive, weaving lies that could shatter their dreams and worse, compromise the integrity of the band. Amidst the chaos, the band must forge a bond stronger than the darkest riffs — forging alliances with the most unexpected compatriots, including an epic cameo from the Japanese Kawaii-metal band, Babymetal. Only the raw power of metal can determine their fate! Prepare for a relentless odyssey of sound, fury, and the unbreakable spirit of true heavy metal in this sequel to cult classic HEAVY TRIP.

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Johannes Holopainen, Max Ovaska, Samuli Jaskio, Chike Ohanwe, David Bredin
Comedy | International
Not Rated
Finland | Germany | Norway | Lithuania (Finnish)
96 minutes

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Tiddler

Directed by: Andy Martin & Alex Bain
Studio: Magic Light Pictures

Every day, Tiddler tells a different story to his teacher and his friend Johnny Dory about why he’s late for school. His stories stretch from riding on seahorses or swimming around a shipwreck to being captured by a squid! His stories are so great that word of mouth helps them travel through the ocean and so, when Tiddler gets lost, he realizes they may help him find a way home.

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Jayde Adams, Lolly Adefope, Rob Brydon, Theo Fraser, Reuben Kirby, Hannah Waddingham
Animation | Family | International
Not Rated
UK (English)
24 minutes

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In Between Stars and Scars:
Masters of Cinema

Directed by: Yi Zhou
Studio: Yi Zhou Studio

SABBATH QUEEN, a feature documentary filmed over 21 years, follows Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie’s epic journey as the dynastic heir of 38 generations of Orthodox rabbis including the Chief Rabbis of Israel. He is torn between rejecting and embracing his destiny and becomes a drag-queen rebel, a queer bio-dad and the founder of Lab/Shul–an everybody-friendly, God-optional, artist-driven, pop-up experimental congregation. SABBATH QUEEN joins Amichai on a lifelong quest to creatively and radically reinvent religion and ritual, challenge patriarchy and supremacy, champion interfaith love, and stand up for peace, ceasefire, and an end to the Occupation in Israel/Palestine. The film interrogates what Jewish survival means in a difficult rapidly changing 21st century.

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Cameron Crowe, Ennio Morricone, Robert Richardson, Vittorio Storaro, Milena Canonero, Bryan Ferry
Documentary
Not Rated
USA (English)
70 minutes

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Hemet, or The Landlady Don’t Drink Tea

Directed by: Tony Olmos
Studio: BayView Entertainment

This darkly comic crime thriller follows a tyrannical landlady in Hemet, California who lords it over her tenants during an epidemic, pitting them against each other in a web of paranoia spun for deadly results.

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Kimberly Weinberger, Brian Patrick Butler, Aimee La Joie, Randy Davison, Merrick McCartha
Comedy | Crime | Horror | Thriller
Not Rated
USA (English)
89 minutes

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Miss or Misses

Directed by: Daap P. Orr
Studio: Dove Films

A young woman hastily embarks on a wedding. However, a wedding is very much different from a marriage — and marriage is something she does not have the temperament for.

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Hazel Caulfield, Doga Celik, Daisy Harwood, Natalie Hughes
Drama | International
Not Rated
UK (English)
108 minutes

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