New movies are flooding into movie theaters this week, which sometimes happens in the wild, wonderful world of genre fare.
We are a relatively small crew of writers, so we cannot cover everything, but these eight films are our top picks, with more -- possibly? maybe? -- coming later.
By far the biggest and most chilling surprise among these new releases comes courtesy of filmmaker Dave Boyle, whose indie comedies we have happily covered over the years. His superb Netflix series, House of Ninjas (2024), revealed his deft ability to stage thrilling action scenes, and now his new thriller finds him looking into the dark corners of Japanese horror.
Never After Dark
The film opens Friday, September 25, only in movie theaters, via Magnolia Pictures & Magnet Releasing.
Our review by J Hurtado: "There is no doubting the fact that what Boyle and his team have created here is easily one of the early frontrunners for the year's most accomplished horror films. Stunningly realized, fastidiously scripted and executed on every level, and genuinely frightening, Never After Dark is a beautiful nightmare from which I never wanted to wake up.
"Just when you think you've seen everything, it is so satisfying to stumble into a film and realize that there is so much more than horror can do in the right hands. It may be his first foray into the genre, but Boyle proves here that he is a student of cinema, and I really hope he sticks around to play some more in this sandbox, because he's got the goods."
Official synopsis: "A wandering medium, Airi (Moeka Hoshi, Shogun), spends her life guiding restless spirits out of the world of the living accompanied by her constant companion: her dead sister Miku (Kurumi Inagaki).
"Summoned to exorcise a spirit from an isolated country house by the new owner, Teiko (Tae Kimura), she comes face to face with a grotesque apparition with powers that defy Airi's experience. Faced with skepticism from Teiko's son, Gunji (Kento Kako), she digs deeper into the house's past until a secret comes to light -- and Airi finds herself hunted by a far more unpredictable force. For the first time, her greatest adversary is not the supernatural, but the living.
"Director Dave Boyle spins a uniquely terrifying and hauntingly atmospheric ghost story."
Primetime
The film opens Friday, September 25, only in movie theaters, via A24 Films.
Buzz buzz buzz. We've already heard a lot of good things from its brief tour of the festival circuit; now we all get to see if it lives up to the hype. Look for our review later this week.
Official synopsis: "From director Lance Oppenheim and starring Robert Pattinson, Merritt Wever, Skyler Gisondo, Matthew Maher and Bokeem Woodbine. Primetime - Inspired by true events.
"In 2006, To Catch a Predator host Chris Hansen sets out to make television history."
Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother
The film opens Friday, September 25, only in movie theaters, via Amazon MGM Pictures and Orion Pictures.
Mahershala Ali in the lead role raises anticipation high, with support from John Cho and Giancarlo Esposito, in what's being described as a crime drama. Look for our review later this week.
Official synopsis: "A devoutly religious hitman, who embarks on a desperate journey across Houston to protect his children after his wife dies, confronting forces closing in and beliefs threatening to unravel."
Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty!
The film opens Friday, September 25, only in movie theaters, via Sony Pictures Classics.
Our review by George Bate: "A stirring meditation on grief with more than enough humor, romance, style, and eccentricity to dance its way into your heart and stay there for a while."
Official synopsis: "Haru and Luis love competing in Tokyo's ballroom dance scene, but after tragedy strikes, Haru withdraws into isolation. When friends coax her back to the studio, she develops an infatuation with the new instructor. She must face what comes next as sparks fly."
Heart of the Beast
The film opens Friday, September 25, only in movie theaters, via Paramount Pictures. Visit the official site for locations and showtimes.
In my head, I've been thinking about this movie as 'Brad Pitt and His Dog,' yet it's directed by David Ayer, who has most recently made a string of job-related action movies (A Working Man, The Beekeeper, The Tax Collector). Look for our review later this week.
Before that, he spent years alternating between highly-charged police-themed thrillers and superhero adventures. In between, he directed Brad Pitt to one of his better performances in Fury (2014), so my fingers are crossed that this dog adventure will exceed my modest expectations.
Official synopsis: "After a harrowing plane crash, Special Forces officer James Belmont (Brad Pitt) and his combat dog, Odin, find themselves stranded deep in the Alaskan wilderness. Together, they are forced into a brutal fight for survival against the elements. From acclaimed filmmaker David Ayer, Heart of the Beast is an intense adventure thriller that explores the unbreakable bond between a man and his best friend as they face their greatest battle yet."
Ryuichi Sakamoto: Diaries
The film enjoys its U.S. premiere at New York City's Metrograph as part of its Sakamoto on Screen, Portraits of an Artist series.
This is a case where the official synopsis says it all.
Official synopsis: "An extension of Omori's short Ryuichi Sakamoto: Last Days, made in close collaboration with Sakamoto's family, Diaries is an intimate portrait of the subject over the three and a half years following his diagnosis with terminal cancer, shown in archival footage and original material at his New York home, receiving regular chemotherapy treatments in hospital, and continuing through all trials and tribulations his creative work, with longtime friend Min Tanaka heard reading passages from Sakamoto's journal.
"A film about living with a finite number of hours ahead that, remarkably, is something other than a doleful threnody; its credits roll to a 1981 song that Sakamoto wrote and performed with Yellow Magic Orchestra: 'Happy End.'"
Opening This Week celebrates the cinematic experience, in movie theaters and at home.