What a busy week! Perhaps that's because distributors are now expanding the theater count of critically-acclaimed movies, such as the widely-heralded, Shakespeare-adjacent Hamnet, starring Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal, as well as Gus Van Sant's less-heralded, rather terrific period thriller Dead Man's Wire. Check the sites below for information.
Hamnet - official U.S. site.
Hamnet - official Canada site.
Dead Man's Wire - official site.
Among new releases, one is clearly ruling them all.
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
The film is now playing, only in movie theaters, via Sony Pictures. Visit the official site for locations and showtimes.
Official synopsis: "Expanding upon the world created by Danny Boyle and Alex Garland in 28 Years Later but turning that world on its head - Nia DaCosta directs 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. In a continuation of the epic story, Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) finds himself in a shocking new relationship - with consequences that could change the world as they know it - and Spike's (Alfie Williams) encounter with Jimmy Crystal (Jack O'Connell) becomes a nightmare he can't escape. In the world of The Bone Temple, the infected are no longer the greatest threat to survival - the inhumanity of the survivors can be stranger and more terrifying."
Check out our review by Shelagh Rowan-Legg: "A more than worthy follow up to last year's film, visually glorious, a story that deepens the narrative, a great sense of ironic humour, and drops enough literal and proverbial needles to make an audience applaud and craving for more."
Flying under the radar are three more genre films.
Night Patrol
The film is now playing, only in movie theaters, via IFC Films.
Official synopsis: "An LAPD officer must put aside his differences with the area's street gangs when he discovers a local police task force is harboring a horrific secret that endangers the residents of the housing projects he grew up in."
Our own J. Hurtado was quite impressed: "A rousingly entertaining collective trauma-centered bloodbath, eschewing the tedious navel gazing that often afflicts such enterprises."
I was quite taken with this low-budget sci-fi/time travel movie.
Space/Time
The film is now available to own or rent, on various Video On Demand platforms, via Epic Pictures.
Official synopsis: "After a fatal test shuts down their project, a disgraced team of scientists enters the criminal underworld to rebuild a forbidden space-bending engine that could rescue humanity or annihilate it entirely."
In my review, I wrote: "Anyone with a proclivity for science fiction, as well as anyone who wonders exactly why the film is titled Space/Time, will enjoy the pace as it accelerates in Act III and appreciate what the filmmakers accomplished with a low budget and a lot of imagination."
Alas, they can't all be winners, though sea monster completists may still want to check it out.
Killer Whale
The film is now playing in select movie theaters, as well as On Demand and On Digital, via Lionsgate.
Official synopsis: "Hold your breath as you witness revenge rise from the deep. After a life-shattering tragedy, Trish tries to comfort her best friend, Maddie, by taking her on a spectacular adventure in a private lagoon halfway across the world. Their peaceful retreat soon becomes a terrifying fight to stay alive when the ocean's most bloodthirsty predator seeks vengeance for a brutal life in captivity. Virginia Garner and Mel Jarnson star in a thrill ride of a movie that will leave you breathless."
Our own Rob Hunter is an expert on sea monsters: "All of this would be easily forgivable, though, if Killer Whale's whale-centric thrills delivered the goods. Unfortunately, while the film is played straight, the effects look like they're straight out of a personal pc."
Beyond the completely new-to-us movies, here are a few reviews that we republished in full this week.
All You Need Is Kill
The film is now playing, only in movie theaters, via GKids. Visit the official site for locations and showtimes.
Official synopsis: "Set in the year 20XX, All You Need Is Kill follows the story of Rita, a resourceful but isolated young woman volunteering to help rebuild Japan after the mysterious appearance of a massive alien flower known as "Darol." When Darol unexpectedly erupts in a deadly event, unleashing monstrous creatures that decimate the population, Rita is caught in the destruction--and killed. But then she wakes up again. And again. Caught in an endless time loop, Rita must navigate the trauma and repetition of death until she crosses paths with Keiji, a shy young man trapped in the same cycle. Together, they fight to break free from the loop and find meaning in the chaos around them."
Our review by Andrew Mack: "If the action scenes were not up to par, boy, would this have been a massive failing on behalf of the studio. ... Cannot shake the feeling that even this feature-length format and time it permits doesn't allow for much beyond typical story structure, beyond the awesome action. "
A Useful Ghost
The film is now playing, only in movie theaters, via Cineverse.
Official synopsis: "March is mourning his wife Nat who has recently passed away due to dust pollution. He discovers her spirit has returned by possessing a vacuum cleaner. Disturbed by a ghost that appeared after a worker's death shut down their factory, his family reject their unconventional human-ghost relationship. Trying to convince them of their love, Nat offers to cleanse the factory. To become a useful ghost, she must first get rid of the useless ones."
Our review by Dustin Chang: "The cold, urban liminal spaces mise-en-scene, as well as retro design of appliances, practical effects and deadpan delivery of the actors, all add to the success of this absurdist yet poignant comedy. A great mix of humor and messaging, A Useful Ghost is an accomplished debut film by a promising director."
A Private Life
The film is now playing, only in movie theaters, via Sony Pictures Classics. Visit the official site for locations and showtimes.
Official synopsis: "The renowned psychiatrist Lilian Steiner (Jodie Foster) mounts a private investigation into the death of one of her patients, whom she is convinced has been murdered."
Our review by Olga Artemyeva: "To get it out of the way, A Private Life isn't a great piece of cinematic art, additionally brought down by a trio of unfortunate endings. At the same time, the sum of its quirks makes it charming enough to become one of these guilty pleasures you don't really need to deny yourself."
Sound of Falling
The film is now playing, only in movie theaters, via Mubi.
Official synopsis: "Four girls, Alma (1910s), Erika (1940s), Angelika (1980s), and Lenka (2020s) each spend their youth on the same farm in northern Germany. As the home evolves over a century, echoes of the past linger in its walls. Though separated by time, their lives begin to mirror each other, revealing shared secrets that have been kept hidden."
Our review by Olga Artemyeva: "one of those films, the charm of which is very hard to articulate clearly to an unsuspecting potential viewer without sounding like a pretentious jerk.
"Two and a half hours of fragmented narrative, which takes place on the same farm in Germany but spans throughout decades and is reminiscent of something akin to Marcel Proust's or James Joyce's stream of consciousness, might not seem particularly invigorating. At the risk of actually sounding like a pretentious jerk - in reality, this is one of the most fascinating and powerful cinematic experiences of the year."
Maldoror
The film is now available on various Video On Demand platforms, via Film Movement. Visit the official site for more information.
Official synopsis: "Belgium, 1995. The shocking disappearance of two young girls leads to the formation of a secret police operation known as Maldoror. Newly recruited officer Paul Chartier is tasked with monitoring a dangerous suspect but soon finds himself in a losing battle against bureaucracy and systemic dysfunction. As official efforts collapse and the case is closed still unsolved, Paul spirals into obsession, pushing him beyond legal and moral boundaries in a relentless pursuit for justice. Inspired by true events, Maldorer is "a propulsive, compelling thriller" (Screen Daily) about crime, punishment and the failures of institutions meant to protect society."
Our review by Martin Kudlac: "[A] tense psychological action thriller that intertwines vintage aesthetics and sanity-challenging obsession."
Now Playing celebrates the theatrical experience.