Two genre films have released wide in theaters today -- not three, as I mistakenly reported this past Monday -- but a slew of indie and international films are, in fact, heading to the big screen, and are worthy of your attention.
I've linked to our reviews below, where available.
Normal
The film is now playing, only in movie theaters, via Magnolia Pictures. Visit their official site for locations and showtimes.
Our review by Kurt Halfyard: "When a spectacularly random, and botched bank robbery that screams 'weaponized incompetence,' breaks the town's nothing-ever-happens-here streak, before you can say 'For the greater good,' the team behind John Wick (and Nobody) and Ben Wheatley, the director who made Kill List and Free Fire, have unleashed a holy hellfire of violence and mayhem on main street. "
Lee Cronin's The Mummy
The film is now playing, only in movie theaters, via Warner Bros.. Visit the official site for locations and showtimes.
Our review by Mel Valentin: "Cronin's also proven himself remarkably adept at mixing practical effects and CGI, limiting the latter to moments where an alternative isn't readily available. For that much, horror fans can and should rejoice. More discerning genre fans, however, will see a flawed film that, with one or two (or three) structural adjustments, could have turned into an all-timer and future genre standout."
Here are the films with more limited theatrical releases, sometimes with a VOD component.
Erupcja
The film is now playing, only in movie theaters, via 1-2 Special. Visit the official site for more information.
Our Director in Focus feature on Pete Ohs: "Erupcja is confirmation that Pete Ohs still has many open roads yet to explore, as he fashions each of his films as individual expressions of his artistic creativity."
Our review by yours truly: "Distinctively dry, witty, well-framed and composed, the film is entirely unpredictable. Reminding me of Eastern European New Wave films from the 60s, but also feeling mod and cool and very 'of the moment,' Erupcja is a pure delight."
Marama
The film is now playing, only in movie theaters, via Dark Sky Films and Watermelon Pictures. Visit the official site for locations and showtimes.
Our review by Shelagh Rowan-Legg: "Mārama takes on the gothic to tell the story of a people who lay in the path of colonialism and the horrors they endured at the hands of their colonizers. This debut feature by Taratoa Stappard aims to show some of the real life-horrors of the Gothic era that often gets sidelined in favour of personal stories. Mārama combines the personal and political, not always as strongly as it could, but with beautiful and harrowing imagery."
Mile End Kicks
The film is now playing, only in movie theaters, via Sumerian Pictures. Visit the official site for locations and showtimes.
Our review by Shelagh Rowan-Legg is quoted in the trailer below: "A love letter to young women everywhere."
Official synopsis: "A 24-year-old music critic (Barbie Ferreira) gets romantically involved with two members of the same indie band she is covering, set against Montreal's vibrant indie music scene in 2011."
Amrun
The film is now playing, only in movie theaters, via Kino Lorber. Visit the official site for more information.
Our review by Rino Li: "German-Turkish director Fatih Akin brings Amrum to the screen, based on the childhood experiences of his co-writer, Hark Bohm, on the North Sea island of Amrum, a sparsely populated geestland exposed to the elements during the final months of World War II."
Ballistic
The film is now playing, in movie theaters and On Demand, via Brainstorm Media. Pre-order the On Demand edition right here.
Our review by Daniel Eagan: "Small-town Ohio life is relentlessly dreary in Ballistic, a downbeat drama set around a munitions factory. Far more complicated than the action genre it's positioned in, the film is a serious account of the crippling effects of vengeance." Lena Headey stars.
Here are four films that we've not reviewed yet. All sound enticing, though.
Mother Mary
The film is now playing, only in movie theaters, via A24.
David Lowery wrote and directed. That's enough to raise my expectations. (This is the release that I mistakenly thought would be wide. Instead, it's opening in just a handful of theaters today, will a wide release scheduled for next week. Look for our review then.)
Official synopsis: "Long-buried wounds rise to the surface when iconic pop star Mother Mary (Anne Hathaway) reunites with her estranged best friend and former costume designer Sam Anselm (Michaela Coel) on the eve of her comeback performance."
Mad Bills to Pay
The film is now playing, only in movie theaters, via Oscilloscope. Visit the official site for more information.
This looks like a prototypical NYC picture, with a lotta wild, gritty energy.
Official synopsis: "In a tight knit Dominican American community in The Bronx, Rico (Juan Collado) is hustling his way through the summer, selling bootleg "nutcracker" cocktails out of a beach cooler and chasing girls without a care in the world. But when his teenage girlfriend, Destiny (Destiny Checo), begins crashing at his place with his family, turning their small apartment into a stage for their messy, complicated young love, it's only a matter of time before they're hit with the sobering reality of growing up too fast in a city that waits for no one.
"Writer-director Joel Alfonso Vargas turns his hometown into the heartbeat of his debut feature, teaming up with discovery talent Collado and Checo, to deliver a raw and deeply authentic look at life in The Bronx. With humor and grit, Vargas paints a tender portrait of the chaos and charm of urban life, and the ups and downs of youthful abandon when things take an unexpected turn."
The Whistler
The film is now available, via various Video On Demand platforms, courtesy of Vertical Entertainment. Visit the official site for more information.
Official synopsis: "Reeling from the loss of their daughter, a couple unexpectedly inherit a secluded farm. Hoping to start fresh, they instead encounter a cult claiming it can summon spirits from beyond, forcing them to deal with dark forces and their own inner demons."
Blue Heron
The film is now playing, only in movie theaters, via Janus Films. Visit the official site for locations and showtimes.
Official synopsis: "In the late 1990s, eight-year-old Sasha and her family relocate to a new home on Vancouver Island, but their fresh start is interrupted by increasingly dangerous behavior from the eldest son, Jeremy. At wit's end, their parents are presented with a shattering choice. Award-winning director Sophy Romvari's feature debut is a lyrical and profound testament to the things we carry with us, masterfully chronicling the haze of a languid summer and the hyaline clarity of the moments that defined it."
Now Playing celebrates the cinematic experience, in movie theaters and at home.