Now Playing: HER PRIVATE HELL, SHEEP IN THE BOX, MANHUNTER: THE FINAL CUT

Our primary focus remains the Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal, Canada, but not all of us could make the trip this year, so instead we cast our eyes on what opened in movie theaters today.

Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey continues to dominate social media and online media coverage, and deservedly so. Beyond that very large elephant in the room, we hasten to point out that other worthy genre films are worth watching.

The new releases are highlighted by new films by Nicolas Winding Refn and Hirokazu Kore-eda. Alternately, a serial killer classic by Michael Mann will be returning to select theaters in an undoubtedly chilling 4K restoration, as well as the intriguing Australian thriller Cruel Hands and a new take on a legendary puppet, Pinocchio Unstrung.

What to see, what to see, what to see in the wild, wonderful world of genre fare this week? Make your pick(s) and then make your plan(s). Here is our guide, updated with links to our coverage.

Her Private Hell
The film is now playing, only in movie theaters, via Neon Releasing.

We have happily followed Nicolas Winding Refn's career for 20 years. I collected nearly all of our writing about his films over the years for a massive article that also has pointers to where each of his films and series are streaming. So please read or bookmark for later consumption.

Our own Kurt Halfyard saw the director's latest feature film on Opening Night at Fantasia last week: "The director is far more interested in mise-en-scène still-lives over coherent storytelling in his latest film, Her Private Hell. ... A trauma-infused fever dream."

Official synopsis: "When a mysterious mist engulfs a futuristic metropolis, unleashing a deadly and elusive entity, a troubled young woman searches for her father. Her quest collides with an American GI on a harrowing odyssey to rescue his daughter from Hell."

Sheep in the Box
The film is now playing, only in movie theaters, via Neon Releasing.

A new film by Hirokazu Kore-eda (Shoplifters, Nobody Knows) is also a cause for celebration. Our own Rino Li talked with the filmmaker about the film and his career: "So I think that as long as you have what happens within the family dynamic reflected very faithfully in society, you can establish a narrative. For me, that's something I'm good at and very efficient -- as a means to make a film within a limited budget."

Our review by Olga Artemyeva: "Sheep in the Box is less a futuristic warning and more of a realistic observation. In the end, Koreeda's film explores the necessity but also ugliness of grief as the process that can not only cause self-harm, but also damage those we surround ourselves with in the wake of loss."

Official synopsis: "In the near future, Otone and Kensuke, a grieving couple who have lost their son, take into their lives a humanoid identical to their late child."

Manhunter: The Final Cut
The film is now playing, only in select movie theaters, via Rialto Pictures. Visit their official site for locations and showtimes.

Viewing this for the first time on broadcast television, I was instantly gripped, even with too-frequent advertising breaks. Seeing it again later (without commercials), the tension was relentless. I was already a Michael Mann fan, thanks to Thief -- I missed The Keep -- but this movie cemented that.

Official synopsis: "The film that redefined the modern thriller. 40 years on, Michael Mann's pulsating, cutting-edge Manhunter: The Final Cut returns to cinemas in a brand new breathtaking 4K restoration supervised by Michael Mann. Coming to the US via Rialto Pictures on July 24th and StudioCanal UK on September 25th, with further international releases this fall.

"A retired criminal profiler (William Petersen) reluctantly returns to the FBI to help track down a serial killer of families and is forced to consult an expert - the imprisoned Dr. Hannibal Lecktor (Brian Cox in a subtly chilling performance).

"The third feature written and directed by Michael Mann is a gripping adaptation of the first of Thomas Harris's famed crime novels and benefits from the filmmaker's typically striking visuals as well as a top notch supporting cast including Tom Noonan as Francis Dolarhyde - the hunted killer known as the Red Dragon or the 'Tooth Fairy' - along with three-time Oscar nominee Joan Allen (The Contender, 2000) as his blind love interest."

Cruel Hands
The film is now playing, only in movie theaters, via Dark Sky Films.

An Australian thriller looks and sounds quite intriguing, per the trailer. Also, Dark Sky Films is a reliable distributor of inviting genre fare.

Official synopsis: "A mother and her young son escape from an abusive husband to an isolated farmhouse, only to find themselves trapped between him and a raging bushfire that surrounds them."

Pinocchio Unstrung
The film is now playing, only in movie theaters, via Viva Pictures in North America and Altitude Film Distribution in the UK.

My initial instinct about a horror version of a friendly children's movie that already saw a couple of versions in the past couple years was decidedly apprehensive. Then I watched the trailer and changed my mind about the possibilities, especially hearing the voice of the awesome Richard Brake.

Official synopsis: "A dark coming-of-age reimagining of Pinocchio, this unsettling tale follows the iconic puppet's disturbing journey toward becoming real."

Now Playing celebrates the cinematic experience, in movie theaters and at home.