Friday Releases: Mufasa: The Lion King, Sonic The Hedgehog 3, & The Brutalist

Mufasa: The Lion King

Directed by: Barry Jenkins
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures

“Mufasa: The Lion King” enlists Rafiki to relay the legend of Mufasa to young lion cub Kiara, daughter of Simba and Nala, with Timon and Pumbaa lending their signature schtick. Told in flashbacks, the story introduces Mufasa as an orphaned cub, lost and alone until he meets a sympathetic lion named Taka–the heir to a royal bloodline. The chance meeting sets in motion an expansive journey of an extraordinary group of misfits searching for their destiny–their bonds will be tested as they work together to evade a threatening and deadly foe.

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Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, Donald Glover, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, John Kani, Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Tiffany Boone, Mads Mikkelsen, Thandiwe Newton, Lennie James, Anika Noni Rose, Blue Ivy Carter
Animation | Adventure | Drama | Family | Fantasy | Musical
PG (for action/violence, peril and some thematic elements)
USA (English)
120 minutes

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Sonic The Hedgehog 3

Directed by: Jeff Fowler
Studio: Paramount Pictures

Sonic the Hedgehog returns to the big screen this holiday season in his most thrilling adventure yet. Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails reunite against a powerful new adversary, Shadow, a mysterious villain with powers unlike anything they have faced before. With their abilities outmatched in every way, Team Sonic must seek out an unlikely alliance in hopes of stopping Shadow and protecting the planet.

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Jim Carrey, Ben Schwartz, Colleen O’Shaughnessey, Natasha Rothwell, Shemar Moore, James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, Idris Elba, Krysten Ritter and Keanu Reeves
Action | Adventure | Comedy | Family | Fantasy | Sci-Fi
PG (for action, some violence, rude humor, thematic elements and mild language)
USA | Japan (English)
109 minutes

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The Brutalist

Directed by: Brady Corbet
Studio: A24

Escaping post-war Europe, visionary architect László Toth arrives in America to rebuild his life, his work, and his marriage to his wife Erzsébet after being forced apart during wartime by shifting borders and regimes. On his own in a strange new country, László settles in Pennsylvania, where the wealthy and prominent industrialist Harrison Lee Van Buren recognizes his talent for building. But power and legacy come at a heavy cost….

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Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn, Raffey Cassidy, Stacy Martin, Emma Laird, Isaach de Bankolé, Alessandro Nivola.
Drama
R (for strong sexual content, graphic nudity, rape, drug use and some language)
USA | UK | Canada (English, Hungarian, Italian, Hebrew, Yiddish)
215 minutes

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The Room Next Door

Directed by: Pedro Almodóvar
Studio: Sony Pictures Classics

Ingrid (Julianne Moore) and Martha (Tilda Swinton) were close friends in their youth, when they worked together at the same magazine. Ingrid went on to become an autofiction novelist while Martha became a war reporter, and they were separated by the circumstances of life. After years of being out of touch, they meet again in an extreme but strangely sweet situation.

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Tilda Swinton, Julianne Moore, John Turturro and Alessandro Nivola
Drama
PG-13 (for thematic content, strong language, and some sexual references)
USA | Spain (English)
107 minutes

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Homestead

Directed by: Ben Smallbone
Studio: Angel Studios

A nuclear bomb is detonated in Los Angeles, and the nation devolves into unprecedented chaos. Ex-Green Beret Jeff Eriksson and his family escape to The Homestead, an eccentric prepper’s fortress nestled in the mountains. As violent threats and apocalyptic conditions creep toward their borders, the residents of The Homestead are left to wonder: how long can a group of people resist both the dangers of human nature and the bloodshed at their doorstep?

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Neal McDonough, Dawn Olivieri, Currie Graham, Susan Misner, Bailey Chase, Jesse Hutch, Kevin Lawson, Kearran Giovanni, Tyler Lofton, Olivia Sanabia, Grace Powell, Caden Dragomer
Action | Drama | Thriller
PG-13 (for some violence and thematic elements)
USA (English)
110 minutes

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The Count of Monte Cristo

Directed by: Alexandre de La Patellière & Matthieu Delaporte
Studio: Samuel Goldwyn Films

Edmond Dantes becomes the target of a sinister plot and is arrested on his wedding day for a crime he did not commit. After 14 years in the island prison of Château d’If, he manages a daring escape. Now rich beyond his dreams, he assumes the identity of the Count of Monte-Cristo and exacts his revenge on the three men who betrayed him.

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Her Body

Directed by: Natálie Císarovská
Studio: Film Movement

Professional Czech high diver Andrea Absolonová’s Olympic dreams are shattered when she suffers a devastating injury while training. Forced to leave the sport she loves, Andrea follows a photographer friend of hers into the world of nude modeling, ultimately reinventing herself as adult actress Lea De Mae and performing in over 80 porn films. Based on the tragic true story, HER BODY chronicles Absolonová’s journey as she navigates the seductive undercurrents of fame and desire, and her quest for self-liberation in this powerful portrait of resilience.

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Natalia Germani, Denisa Baresová, Zuzana Mauréry, Martin Finger, Cyril Dobrý, Zuzana Stivínová
Biography | Drama | International
Not Rated
Czech Republic | Slovakia (Czech)
105 minutes

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The Little Mermaid

Directed by: Leigh Scott
Studio: Lionsgate

Beauty is both deceiving and dangerous in this darkly fascinating twist on Hans Christian Andersen’s classic tale. After archeologist Dr. Eric Prince and his students uncover an ancient pagan temple in the depths of the Caribbean, Eric falls for a mysterious woman who resembles a mermaid he and his team encountered at sea. As their relationship intensifies, she leads Eric deeper into her evil underwater world until he must choose between true love and the destruction of all humanity.

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Mike Markoff, Lydia Helen, Jeff Denton, Sean-Michael Argo, Wayne Gordon
Horror | International
R (for language, some violence and brief nudity)
Saint Kitts and Nevis (English)
88 minutes

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The Painted

Directed by: Sasha Sibley
Studio: Vertical

A 1960s suburban family’s summer plans are unexpectedly interrupted when they are called to a deceased relative’s estate, where they begin to unravel the secrets that haunt the premises — strange occurrences, archaic rituals, and the sinister paintings on the walls.

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Aleksa Palladino, Sean Bridgers, Jadon Cal, Jessica Ruth Bell, Leland Alexander
Horror | Thriller
Not Rated
USA (English)
85 minutes

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Going Viral

Directed by: Vincent Vittorio
Studio: Buffalo 8

Despite failed attempts at V-TV stardom, Beckett craves fame and encounters a deceitful AI, Mr. Viral, who overnight boosts his popularity. But fame’s lure fades as Mr. Viral’s dark scheme threatens Beckett’s life and loved ones.

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Corey Feldman, Shea Pritchard, Aline O’Neill, Alexis Moscoso, Paul Barlow Jr.
Adventure | Comedy | Sci-Fi
TV-PG
USA (English)
90 minutes

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Glue Trap

Directed by: Justin Geldzahler
Studio: Gravitas Ventures

KJ and Dan are struggling to communicate. A few years into a strained relationship, the couple takes a weekend trip to a friend’s cabin to recapture their romance… only to find a dying-but-not-quite-dead mouse stuck to a glue trap. They disagree about how to handle, KJ advocating for a swift death while Dan proposes making the mouse’s last moments as pleasant as possible. The couple compromises and moves on, slowly finding their way back to each other in this idyllic setting. Unfortunately, their serenity is broken by the arrival of a small woman who can be charitably described as “eccentric” — she’s their host’s younger sister and had no idea anyone was staying at the family cabin. No problem if she crashes, right? As the couple struggles to juggle this interloper on top of their already tense dynamic, KJ and Dan begin to worry this obnoxious third wheel may threaten more than their relationship….

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Brittany Bradford, Isaac Jay, Gloria Bangiola, Alex Warheit, Caroline Hertz, Kasey Marr
Comedy | Horror
Not Rated
USA (English)
89 minutes

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Los Frikis

Directed by: Tyler Nilson & Michael Schwartz
Studio: Falling Forward Films

Inspired by true events, Los Frikis is a powerful coming-of-age story set in early 90s Cuba, centering around 18-year-old Gustavo who idolizes his older brother Paco and his punk, “Frikis” bandmates. When word reaches the Frikis of a potential reprieve from the effects of the economic crisis that plunged much of the country into poverty, they do the now unthinkable: self-inject themselves with HIV to live at a government-run treatment home. It’s here they find their own utopia to live and play music freely.

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Héctor Medina, Eros de la Puente, Adria Arjona, Jorge Perugorría
Drama | International
R (for language, sexual content, some graphic nudity and drug use)
USA (Spanish)
105 minutes

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Counted Out

Directed by: Vicki Abeles
Studio: Reel Link Films

Counted Out investigates the biggest crises of our time–political polarization, racial and economic inequity, a global pandemic, and climate change–through an unexpected lens: math. In our current information economy, math is everywhere. The people we date, the news we see, the influence of our votes, the candidates who win elections, the education we have access to, the jobs we get–all of it is underwritten by an invisible layer of math that few of us understand, or even notice. But whether we know it or not, our numeric literacy–whether we can speak the language of math–is a critical determinant of social and economic power. Through a mosaic of personal stories, expert interviews, and scenes of math transformation in action, Counted Out shows what’s at risk if we keep the status quo. Do we want an America in which most of us don’t consider ourselves “math people”? Where math proficiency goes down as students grow up? Or do we want a country where everyone can understand the math that undergirds our society–and can help shape it?

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Documentary
Not Rated
USA (English)
89 minutes

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