Theatrical Releases: I Know What You Did Last Summer, Eddington, & Smurfs

I Know What You Did Last Summer

Directed by: Jennifer Kaytin Robinson
Studio: Columbia Pictures

When five friends inadvertently cause a deadly car accident, they cover up their involvement and make a pact to keep it a secret rather than face the consequences. A year later, their past comes back to haunt them and they’re forced to confront a horrifying truth: someone knows what they did last summer… and is hell-bent on revenge. As one by one the friends are stalked by a killer, they discover this has happened before, and they turn to two survivors of the legendary Southport Massacre of 1997 for help.

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Madelyn Cline, Chase Sui Wonders, Jonah Hauer-King, Tyriq Withers, Sarah Pidgeon, Billy Campbell, Gabbriette Bechtel, and Austin Nichols, with Freddie Prinze Jr., Jennifer Love Hewitt
Horror
R (for bloody horror violence, language throughout, some sexual content and brief drug use)
USA | Australia (English)
111 minutes

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Eddington

Directed by: Ari Aster
Studio: A24

In May of 2020, a standoff between a small-town sheriff (Joaquin Phoenix) and mayor (Pedro Pascal) sparks a powder keg as neighbor is pitted against neighbor in Eddington, New Mexico.

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Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Luke Grimes, Deirdre O’Connell, Micheal Ward, Austin Butler, Emma Stone
Comedy | Drama | Western
R (for strong violence, some grisly images, language, and graphic nudity)
USA | Finland (English)
148 minutes

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Smurfs

Directed by: Chris Miller
Studio: Paramount Animation

When Papa Smurf (John Goodman) is mysteriously taken by evil wizards, Razamel and Gargamel, Smurfette (Rihanna) leads the Smurfs on a mission into the real world to save him. With the help of new friends, the Smurfs must discover what defines their destiny to save the universe.

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Rihanna, James Corden, Nick Offerman, JP Karliak, Daniel Levy, Amy Sedaris, Natasha Lyonne, Sandra Oh, Jimmy Kimmel, Octavia Spencer, Nick Kroll, Hannah Waddingham, Alex Winter, Maya Erskine, Kurt Russell, John Goodman.
Animation | Adventure | Comedy | Family | Fantasy | Musical
PG (for action, language and some rude humor)
USA | Belgium | Italy (English)
92 minutes

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Guns Up

Directed by: Edward Drake
Studio: Vertical

Guns Up follows Ray Hayes (Kevin James), an ex-cop and devoted husband and father who leads a dangerous double life as a mob henchman. On the brink of leaving “The Family” and making his dream of opening a diner with his wife Alice (Christina Ricci) a reality, his final job goes off the rails. With the clock ticking, Ray has one night to get his unsuspecting family out of the city before he gets snuffed out.

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Kevin James, Christina Ricci, Maximilian Osinski, Luis Guzmán, Melissa Leo
Action | Comedy
R (for strong violence, language and brief drug use)
USA (English)
92 minutes

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Finally Dawn

Directed by: Saverio Costanzo
Studio: Samuel Goldwyn Films

A young Roman woman during the 1950s is on the verge of becoming engaged to a man. She goes to Cinecittà to do an audition as an extra and is thrust into this almost infinite night during which she discovers herself.

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Lily James, Rebecca Antonaci, Joe Keery, Rachel Sennott, Alba Rohrwacher, Willem Dafoe
Drama | History
Not Rated
USA | Italy (English & Italian)
119 minutes

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Saint Clare

Directed by: Mitzi Peirone
Studio: Quiver Distribution

In a small town a solitary woman is haunted by voices that lead her to assassinate ill-intended people and get away with it, until her last kill sucks her down a rabbit hole riddled with corruption, trafficking and visions from the beyond.

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Bella Thorne, Rebecca De Mornay, Ryan Phillippe, Frank Whaley
Horror | Mystery | Thriller
Not Rated
USA (English)
92 minutes

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Cloud

Directed by: Kiyoshi Kurosawa
Studio: Sideshow | Janus Films

A stylish, subversive thriller from suspense-maverick Kiyoshi Kurosawa (Cure, Pulse), concerning Yoshii, an ambitious, yet directionless, young factory worker from Tokyo who side hustles in the murky realm of black market reselling, cheating buyers and sellers alike. After swindling his way into loads of cash, he becomes slowly disconnected to humanity, moving out of the city, shunning his girlfriend, and hiring a devoted assistant. But after a series of mysterious, sinister incidents occur, he begins to suspect his former victims could be plotting the ultimate revenge. A master of carefully simmering tension to a bloody crescendo, Kurosawa delivers a searing portrait of digital greed and vengeance.

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Masaki Suda, Kotone Furukawa, Daiken Okudaira, Amane Okayama, Yoshiyoshi Arakawa
Action | Drama | Horror | International | Thriller
Not Rated
Japan (Japanese)
124 minutes

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Guns & Moses

Directed by: Salvador Litvak
Studio: Concourse Media | Pictures from the Fringe

Mo Zaltzman is a beloved Hasidic rabbi in a dusty desert town. When his congregation is violently attacked, police quickly arrest a young white nationalist who threatened them in the past, but Rabbi Mo doesn’t believe the troubled teen is a killer. Since no one else will investigate, Rabbi Mo becomes the detective. As the bodies pile up, he must learn how to use a gun to battle the real enemy. At the heart of the film is the unexpected bond between the rabbi and the anti-Semite, as well as Mo’s looming fear that he won’t pull the trigger if he has to… and that he will.

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Mark Feuerstein, Neal McDonough, Dermot Mulroney, Christopher Lloyd
Crime | Thriller
Not Rated
USA (English)
94 minutes

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Bury Me When I’m Dead

Directed by: Patrick Clement
Studio: Vertical

After failing to fulfill his wife Catherine dying wish to be buried deep in the woods, a series of unexplainable, horrific events leads Henry to believe she’s returned from beyond the grave to get revenge on him and his pregnant mistress, Rebecca. With danger lurking around every corner and a vindictive father-in-law out to get him, Henry resorts to desperate measures to protect himself, Rebecca, and their unborn child.

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Devon Terrell, Charlotte Hope, Makenzie Leigh, Roxanne Hart, Richard Bekins, Mike Houston
Horror | Mystery | Thriller
Not Rated
USA (English)
90 minutes

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Unicorns

Directed by: Sally El Hosaini & James Krishna Floyd
Studio: Cohen Media Group

Unable to deny the spark between them the pair are forced down the unexpected path of transformation, where they must question their identities and confront their individual truths. Co-directed by Sally El Hosaini and filmmaker-actor James Krishna Floyd, the film alternates between the thrill of raw desire, the gravity of familial responsibility, and the transformative power of being seen for who you really are. Ben Hardy and newcomer Jason Patel shine in this summer’s must-see romance, Unicorns.

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Ben Hardy, Kate Lindsey, Jason Patel, Sagar Radia, Ali Afzal
Drama | Romance
Not Rated
USA | UK | Sweden (English & Gujarati)
119 minutes

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Shari & Lamb Chop

Directed by: Lisa Dapolito
Studio: Kino Lorber

Before Fred Rogers and Jim Henson, there was Shari Lewis, a children’s television pioneer whose whimsical characters and ebullient spirit have guided generations of children as they came of age. Raised in the Bronx by a proud feminist mother and a professor father who moonlighted as Peter Pan the Magic Man, Shari became a multitalented dancer, singer, and magician. But when an injury sidelined her dance aspirations, she channeled her creativity into a passion for ventriloquism, creating the now beloved sock puppet characters Charlie Horse, Hush Puppy and, of course, Lamb Chop. From her early years of TV success to the crush of her show’s cancellation to her 1990s comeback in her 60s, Lisa D’Apolito’s heartfelt doc charts the life, loves, and career hits and misses of the spunky perfectionist whose talent and perseverance stand as a testament to women’s power and forever changed the landscape of children’s entertainment. Featuring interviews with ventriloquists inspired by Lewis alongside nostalgia-rich clips and home movies, this vibrant portrait brims with the same warmth, wit, and magic that defined her, celebrating the power of imagination and the inner child within.

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Shari Lewis, David Copperfield, Darci Lynne Farmer, Megan Piphus, Sarah Sherman
Documentary
Not Rated
USA (English)
92 minutes

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Woken

Directed by: Alan Friel
Studio: Dark Sky Films

A woman who wakes up from an accident with no memory of who she is, and the realization that the human race is close to extinction.

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Out of the Nest

Directed by: Arturo A. Hernández, Andrew Gordon, & Veerapatra Jinanavin
Studio: Well Go USA Entertainment

In the Kingdom of Castilia, a dark force rises again. Days from the coronation of the new Emperor and Empress, their seven royal fledglings are taken, and it’s up to one hero to return them safely — a teenage delivery boy, Arthur the Goat. His dreams of becoming a world-class barber are put on hold when he becomes a parent overnight. If he’s going to keep the rambunctious toddlers safe on their journey, he must first grow up, discover his own past and, along the way, awaken forgotten champions. Can Arthur return the heirs and ultimately save the kingdom?

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Jeff Schu, Jinanavin Veerapatra
Animation | International
Not Rated
Thailand | China (English & Thai)
84 minutes

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The Banished

Directed by: Joseph Sims-Dennett
Studio: Brainstorm Media

After her brother mysteriously goes missing, Grace ventures into the dangerous wilderness to find him. As she uncovers the horrific truth of his disappearance, she is faced with a darkness which threatens to claim her as well.

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Meg Eloise-Clarke, David Beelen, Steve Brekalow, Hayley Buckley, Taylor Buoro
Horror | International
Not Rated
Australia (English)
97 minutes

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Drowning Dry

Directed by: Laurynas Bareisa
Studio: Dekanalog

To celebrate Lukas’ victory at the martial arts tournament and Tomas’ birthday party, two sisters organize a weekend at the country house. With their kids, they go swimming in a nearby lake, relax and discuss family finances. After the near tragic accident of one of the children, the sisters become single mothers.

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Paulius Markevicius, Karolis Kasperavicius, Greta Grineviciute, Gelmine Glemzaite
Drama | International
Not Rated
Lithuania | Latvia (Lithuanian)
88 minutes

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Life After

Directed by: Reid Davenport
Studio: Multitude Films | Independent Lens

In 1983, a disabled Californian woman named Elizabeth Bouvia sought the “right to die,” igniting a national debate about autonomy, dignity, and the value of disabled lives. After years of courtroom trials, Bouvia disappeared from public view. Disabled director Reid Davenport narrates this investigation of what happened to Bouvia and her story’s relevance today. LIFE AFTER coalesces the missing voices of the disability community in the contemporary debate about assisted dying. Davenport looks at the ways that disabled people have and continue to die prematurely–whether murdered by a hospital in the case of Michael Hickson in Texas, or with the support of parents and community in the case of Wisconsin teen Jerika Bolen. Davenport’s exploration brings him to Canada, where safeguards have been lifted to allow disabled people unprecedented access to Medical Aid in Dying (MAID), even if their deaths are not reasonably foreseeable. In Ontario, Davenport interviews disabled computer programmer Michal Kaliszan, who contemplated MAID when his only alternative was entering an institution. In a society where ableism and poor healthcare can limit options, the autonomy of a disabled individual is often compromised. LIFE AFTER demonstrates how assisted dying may not represent choice when oftentimes it is seen as the only option.

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Ash Kelly, Rebecca Castner, Michal Kaliszan, Ann Gulliver, Julie Farrar
Documentary
Not Rated
USA (English)
99 minutes

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Death & Taxes

Directed by: Justin Schein & Robert Edwards
Studio: 8 Above Distribution

DEATH & TAXES is a feature documentary about wealth, inequality, and the American Dream, viewed through the lens of the estate tax. It is also the very personal story of a father and son at odds over what kind of inheritance we want to leave our kids and our country. Filmmaker Justin Schein’s father, Harvey Schein, liked to say he lived the so-called “American Dream”: rising from poverty in Depression-era Brooklyn to great financial success as one of America’s top CEOs of the 1970s. But Harvey Schein also spent the last 20 years of his life fixated on trying to keep his hard-earned wealth from the taxman–an obsession that almost broke the Schein family apart. More broadly, inherited wealth and the tax system that shields it have badly distorted American democracy, perpetuating racial and economic inequity in the country. Filmed over more than 20 years, and weaving intimate family footage with interviews with prominent experts from all sides of the debate, DEATH AND TAXES tells this crucial story through the tale of one American family.

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Clive Davis, Matthew Desmond, Anand Giridharadas, Darrick Hamilton, Paul Krugman
Documentary
Not Rated
USA (English)
85 minutes

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Heightened Scrutiny

Directed by: Sam Feder
Studio: Fourth Act Film

Fearless civil rights lawyer Chase Strangio battles at the Supreme Court for transgender adolescents’ access to gender-affirming healthcare, confronting not only the legal system but also a media landscape that distorts public perception and threatens the struggle for trans rights. With the dangerous SCOTUS decision upholding the ban on life-saving healthcare, HEIGHTENED SCRUTINY is an urgent call to action against bigotry and injustice.

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Gina Chua, Jelani Cobb, Lydia Polgreen, Chase Strangio
Documentary
Not Rated
USA (English)
85 minutes

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Jujutsu Kaisen: Hidden Inventory / Premature Death – The Movie

Directed by: Shota Goshozono
Studio: GKIDS

Before they were enemies, Satoru Gojo and Suguru Geto were high school classmates and friends. The two most powerful sorcerers are tasked with protecting Riko Amanai, a student who has been designated to be sacrificed as the Star Plasma Vessel, until she can fulfill her duty. Pursued by a religious cult and other curse users, they are the only sorcerers capable of carrying out such a difficult task — but this mission will set their destinies, and challenge the two sorcerers in ways unimaginable. Featuring newly remastered sound and original content, the beloved and deeply emotional “Hidden Inventory / Premature Death” arc from the global phenomenon JUJUTSU KAISEN returns to the big screen, reaching all new heights for fans and newcomers alike.

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Aya Endô, Takehito Koyasu, Anna Nagase, Yûichi Nakamura, Takahiro Sakurai
Animation | Action | Fantasy | International
Not Rated
Japan (Japanese)
110 minutes

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No Sleep Till

Directed by: Alexandra Simpson
Studio: Factory 25

When the coastal Florida town of Atlantic Beach is threatened by an impending hurricane, locals prepare for a mandatory evacuation. But as the last tourists depart and residents board-up their homes, a few wanderers feel strangely compelled to remain. Among them are two-long time friends who embrace willful ignorance in pursuit of their dream gig, a local teenager who bikes alone through the darkening night, and an obsessive storm chaser who recognizes this might be the opportunity of his career. As if haunted by the soon-to-be ghost of their hometown, they venture into the night and face the threats that await them with fascination and dread. Ominous and dream-like in equal measure, the debut from Alexandra Simpson–and the latest feature from the thriving collective Omnes Films (CHRISTMAS EVE IN MILLER’S POINT, EEPHUS)–is a hypnotic take on the disaster movie.

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Jordan Coley, Xavier Brown Sanders, Brynne Hofbauer Taylor Benton
Drama
R (for some language)
USA | Switzerland (English)
93 minutes

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Collective Monologue

Directed by: Jessica Sarah Rinland
Studio: Grasshopper Film

Composed of intimate and fragmented moments of animals and careers in a community of zoos and animal rescue centers across Argentina, Collective Monologue explores the beings that continue to inhabit these polemic institutions. Zookeeper Maca dedicates both night and day to the captive animals. She has been caring for them for over twenty years in a mutual bond that moves beyond imagined boundaries, dissolving the power relationship between human-animal.

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Alicia Delgado, Franco Elio Itri, Juanita, María José Micale, Macarena Santa María Loydi
Documentary | International
Not Rated
Argentina (Spanish)
104 minutes

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A Cool Fish 2

Directed by: Xiaozhi Rao
Studio: Well Go USA Entertainment

Sanjin, the little brother of Yiwu-based businessman Chen, ventures to Southeast Asia to expand his business and prove his mettle. Just as he strikes a deal with a television station, his business is hit by a global recession and a terrorist attack. Will Sanjin choose to be devoured by darkness, or will he be reborn from the ashes?

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Zhang Yu, Suxi Ren, Binlong Pan, Marisa Anita
Comedy | Crime | International
Not Rated
China (Mandarin, English, Thai)
122 minutes

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