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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Full Cast & Crew

• 58   Metascore
• 2 hr 50 mins
• Travel, Horror, Fantasy, Action & Adventure
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Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf the wizard and a group of dwarves seek a dragon's treasure, and encounter a series of incredible obstacles over the course of their epic journey.

Screenwriter

Executive producer, co-producer, assoc. producer, cinematographer, production company, extra casting, art director, supervising art director, set decorator, sound/sound designer, sound mixer, supervising sound editor, sound effects, visual effects supervisor, visual effects, visual effects editor, production designer, first assistant director, unit production manager, post production supervisor, production coordinator, production supervisor, second assistant director, supervising animator, hair styles, consultant/advisor, camera operator, choreographer, second unit director, re-recording mixer, script supervisor, first assistant editor, prosthetic makeup effects, senior visual eff. supervisor, makeup supervisor.

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• The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
• Cast & Crew

• Cast & crew

The full cast of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Here you will find an overview of the cast of the movie The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey from the year 2012, including all the actors, actresses and the director. When you click on the name of an actor, actress or director from the movie The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey-cast you can watch more movies and/or series by him or her. Click here for more infomation about the movie.

We have made an overview that includes: actors , directors , the production team , the camera team , writers and other crew members .

Peter Jackson

Victoria Sullivan

Carolynne Cunningham

Guy Campbell

Carolina Jiménez

Andy Serkis

J.R.R. Tolkien

Guillermo del Toro

Philippa Boyens

Actors & actresses.

Martin Freeman

Ian McKellen

Richard Armitage

Graham McTavish

Aidan Turner

Dean O'Gorman

James Nesbitt

Mark Hadlow

Stephen Hunter

William Kircher

John Callen

Peter Hambleton

Elijah Wood

Hugo Weaving

Cate Blanchett

Christopher Lee

Sylvester McCoy

Barry Humphries

Jeffrey Thomas

Michael Mizrahi

Manu Bennett

Conan Stevens

Stephen Ure

Timothy Bartlett

Bret McKenzie

Benedict Cumberbatch

Glenn Boswell

Thomas Robins

Stephen Gledhill

Sonia Forbes Adam

Oscar Strik

Brian Hotter

Mervyn Smith

Ruby Acevedo

Katie Jackson

Isaac Miller

Ella Olssen

Louis Ashbourne Serkis

Sonny Ashbourne Serkis

Ruby Ashbourne Serkis

Terry Notary

Artistic design.

Andy McLaren

Mike Mignola

Ronan Binding

Steven Saunders

Daniel Falconer

Simon Bright

Isadore William Crooks

Richard Wiles

Warren Mahy

Andrew Lesnie

James H. Fisher

Mark Pokorny

Nels Isrealson

Costume & makeup.

Richard Taylor

Ann Maskrey

Charlotte Hayes

Angela Mooar

Flora Moody

Michele Barber

Catherine Maguire

Rick Findlater

Natalie Crane

Leith MacPherson

Steven Boyle

Michael Homick

Mana Hira Davis

Rosalie Button

Sean Button

Genevieve Aitken

Mark Trotter

Tim McLachlan

Steven A. Davis

Morgan Evans

Gemma Weston

Laura Matthews

Ingrid Kleinig

Bernadette Van Gyen

Movie editing.

Jabez Olssen

Matt Dravitzki

Amanda Walker

John Hubbard

Miranda Rivers

Victoria Burrows

Scot Boland

Amy Hubbard

Liz Mullane

Ann Robinson

Eileen Moran

Toby Emmerich

Carolyn Blackwood

Zane Weiner

Helene Takacs

Brigitte Yorke

Howard Shore

Michael Pärt

Karen Elliott

David Farmer

Dave Whitehead

Melanie Graham

Justin Webster

Hayden Collow

Tony Johnson

Michael Semanick

Christopher Boyes

Michael Hedges

Jason Canovas

Brent Burge

Special effects

David Clayton

Graham Binding

Jung Min Chang

Matt Weaver

Christian Rivers

Anna-Louise Gordon

Joe Letteri

Eric Saindon

R. Christopher White

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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Where to watch.

Watch The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey with a subscription on Max, rent on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy on Fandango at Home, Prime Video.

What to Know

Peter Jackson's return to Middle-earth is an earnest, visually resplendent trip, but the film's deliberate pace robs the material of some of its majesty.

Audience Reviews

Cast & crew.

Peter Jackson

Ian McKellen

Martin Freeman

Bilbo Baggins

Richard Armitage

Thorin Oakenshield

Graham McTavish

More Like This

Movie news & guides, this movie is featured in the following articles., critics reviews.

• Little Details
• Pointless Scenes
• Unexpected Details
• Dwarf Fan Theories
• Funny Interviews
• Frustrating Scenes
• Behind the Scenes
• Live vs. Animated

Full Cast of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Actors/Actresses

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey cast list, listed alphabetically with photos when available. This list of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey actors includes any The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey actresses and all other actors from the film. You can view additional information about each The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey actor on this list, such as when and where they were born. To find out more about a particular actor or actress , click on their name and you'll be taken to page with even more details about their acting career. The cast members of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey have been in many other movies, so use this list as a starting point to find actors or actresses that you may not be familiar with.

Items on this list include Christopher Lee and Cate Blanchett.

If you want to answer the questions, "Who starred in the movie The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey?" and "What is the full cast list of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey?" then this page has got you covered.

Christopher Lee

Cate Blanchett

Ian McKellen

Elijah Wood

Orlando Bloom

Stephen Fry

Hugo Weaving

Andy Serkis

Billy Connolly

Martin Freeman

Benedict Cumberbatch

James Nesbitt

Brian Blessed

Evangeline Lilly

Graham McTavish

Barry Humphries

Richard Armitage

Mikael Persbrandt

Sylvester McCoy

Manu Bennett

Aidan Turner

William Kircher

• The Hobbit Trilogy
• Entertainment
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• Tolkien Universe
• Pop Culture
• Film Actors
• People In Film

All about the epic Hobbit trilogy that follows Bilbo Baggins out of the shire and into the great unknown.

MPAA Rating

The hobbit: an unexpected journey (2012), directed by peter jackson / fran walsh / carolynne cunningham / zane weiner.

• AllMovie Rating 7
• User Ratings ( 0 )
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Synopsis by Jason Buchanan

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Where to watch

The hobbit: an unexpected journey.

2012 Directed by Peter Jackson

From the smallest beginnings come the greatest legends.

Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit enjoying his quiet life, is swept into an epic quest by Gandalf the Grey and thirteen dwarves who seek to reclaim their mountain home from Smaug, the dragon.

Martin Freeman Ian McKellen Richard Armitage Graham McTavish Ken Stott Aidan Turner Dean O'Gorman James Nesbitt Mark Hadlow Stephen Hunter William Kircher John Callen Peter Hambleton Jed Brophy Adam Brown Ian Holm Hugo Weaving Cate Blanchett Christopher Lee Andy Serkis Elijah Wood Sylvester McCoy Lee Pace Barry Humphries Jeffrey Thomas Michael Mizrahi Manu Bennett Conan Stevens John Rawls Show All… Stephen Ure Timothy Bartlett Bret McKenzie Kiran Shah Benedict Cumberbatch Glenn Boswell Thomas Robins Ruby Acevedo Katie Jackson Isaac Miller Ella Olssen Louis Ashbourne Serkis Sonny Ashbourne Serkis Ruby Ashbourne Serkis Terry Notary Peter Jackson

Director Director

Peter Jackson

Producers Producers

Carolynne Cunningham Peter Jackson Fran Walsh Zane Weiner Philippa Boyens Eileen Moran Matt Dravitzki Amanda Walker Stephanie Weststrate

Writers Writers

Fran Walsh Philippa Boyens Peter Jackson Guillermo del Toro

Original Writer Original Writer

J.R.R. Tolkien

Casting Casting

Victoria Burrows Amy Hubbard John Hubbard Liz Mullane Scot Boland Ann Robinson Toby Guidry

Editor Editor

Jabez Olssen

Cinematography Cinematography

Andrew Lesnie

Assistant Directors Asst. Directors

Carolynne Cunningham Guy Campbell Emma Cross

Additional Directing Add. Directing

Andy Serkis

Executive Producers Exec. Producers

Toby Emmerich Alan Horn Ken Kamins Carolyn Blackwood

Lighting Lighting

Lee Scott Warrick Peace Simon Oliver Ryan O'Donnell James Kennedy Reg Garside Jamie Garside Craig Farrand Chris Emerre Saxon Ball Matt Andrews

Camera Operators Camera Operators

Cameron McLean Simon Harding

Production Design Production Design

Art direction art direction.

Andy McLaren Paul Tobin Alan Lee John Howe Simon Bright Joshua Barraud Brad Mill Brian Massey Michael Smale

Set Decoration Set Decoration

Ra Vincent Simon Bright Richard Wiles Isadore William Crooks Ben Whale Gillian West-Walker Andrew Short Amber Richards Rosie Guthrie Ruben Allen

Special Effects Special Effects

Warwick Yin Mike McDonald Cameron Hall Jonathan Roy Grindlay Oliver Gee Rodney Ford Doug Falconer Brian Duff Paul Davenport Sheldon Currington Luke Butters Dean Bushby David Booth

Visual Effects Visual Effects

Matt Weaver Joe Letteri Eric Saindon R. Christopher White David Clayton Anna-Louise Gordon Richard Taylor

Stunts Stunts

Sean Button Tim McLachlan Steven A. Davis Mark Trotter Min Windle Tom Cotton Mana Hira Davis Ingrid Kleinig Laura Matthews Michael Homick Bernadette Van Gyen Gemma Weston Genevieve Aitken Rosalie Button Glenn Boswell James Waterhouse-Brown David Stella Bronson Steele Allan Smith Brett Sheerin Kiran Shah Vincent Roxburgh Steve Reinsfield Shane Rangi Lachlan Parkinson David J. Muzzerall Patrick Morrison Jared Meehan Jonny McBride Laura Matthews Tony Marsh Jeremy Hollis Isaac Hamon Winham Hammond Morgan Evans Aron Eastwood Peter Dillon Tom Cotton Andrew Cottle Jonathan Costelloe Scott Chiplin Justin B. Carter Marky Lee Campbell Matt Bennett Brett Beattie

Composers Composers

Howard Shore London Philharmonic Orchestra

Songs Songs

Neil Finn Joanna L'Estrange Forbes Freya Jacklin Sarah Eyden Michael Dore Mary Carewe Jacqueline Barron

Sound Sound

Christopher Boyes Michael Hedges Michael Semanick Chris Ward Brent Burge Hayden Collow Melanie Graham Justin Webster David Farmer Dave Whitehead Tony Johnson Jason Canovas Pete Smith John Simpson Matthew Lambourn

Costume Design Costume Design

Ann Maskrey Bob Buck Richard Taylor

Makeup Makeup

Rick Findlater Michele Barber Catherine Maguire Flora Moody Steven Boyle Deb Watson Jennifer Stanfield Dannelle Satherley Jess Reedy Rachelle O'Donnell Angela Mooar Richard Muller Elizabeth McCarthy Georgia Lockhart-Adams Susan Durno Jayne Donaldson Ricci-Lee Berry Peter Swords King

Hairstyling Hairstyling

Angela Mooar Peter Swords King

New Line Cinema Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer WingNut Films Warner Bros. Pictures

New Zealand USA

Releases by Date

28 nov 2012, 03 dec 2012, 06 dec 2012, 12 dec 2012, 13 dec 2012, 14 dec 2012, 19 dec 2012, 20 dec 2012, 25 dec 2012, 26 dec 2012, 28 dec 2012, 13 apr 2013, 05 nov 2013, 06 nov 2013, 23 mar 2021, 01 jul 2021, 08 apr 2013, 10 apr 2013, 17 apr 2013, 19 apr 2013, 15 nov 2013, 19 oct 2014, releases by country.

• Theatrical M
• Theatrical 12
• Premiere Toronto
• Theatrical PG
• Theatrical 11
• Digital VOD
• Digital Prime Video
• Digital Netflix
• Physical 12
• Digital 12 Extended Edition
• Physical 12 Extended Edition
• Theatrical Κ-12
• Physical DVD / Blu-ray
• Theatrical 12A
• Theatrical T
• Theatrical N-13
• Theatrical B

Netherlands

• Physical 12 DVD / Blu-ray
• TV 12 Net 5

New Zealand

• Premiere M Wellington
• Theatrical M/12

Russian Federation

• Theatrical 6+

South Africa

South korea.

• Theatrical 7
• Physical 11
• Theatrical PG-13
• Premiere PG-13 New York City, New York
• Theatrical 12+

169 mins   More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

Popular reviews

Review by Jay ★★½ 9

so is this technically a musical

Review by Josh Lewis ★★ 7

You could easily cut like 2 hours off of this.

Review by Mario 🟠🟢🔵 ★★★★ 43

I usually rewatch the Lord of the Rings trilogy whenever I'm in the mood for it. Usually I rewatch the Hobbit trilogy afterwards, because I just want to spend more time in Middle-earth. That is usually a bit disappointing, because the Hobbit movies are obviously not nearly as good as the Lord of the Rings movies. This time I'm doing it the other way around, not because I'm in the mood for the Hobbit trilogy, but to have the Lord of the Rings movies to look forward to, and to save me some disappointment.

Review by nickusen

all of the dwarves singing ‘the misty mountains cold’ while gathered around bag end’s roaring hearth is so moving that it *almost* justifies the whole insane exercise. almost.

Review by indi ★★★

me: hm this ain’t it galadriel: SERVING me: never mind! it’s good! great even!

Review by DirkH ★★★★★ 47

Seen in IMAX 3d

Finally. I finally got to see it and find out where I stand. And where I stand is with two big hairy feet smack dab in the middle of Middle Earth. And I love it there.

I have read The Hobbit a couple of times. It is a stunning piece of children's literature that has a light hearted tone and is a wonderful adventure story. Tolkien once wrote a sentence on a piece of paper: 'In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.'. This was not a conscious effort, but it intrigued him. Like everything he has written since he treated this sentence philologically. What does it mean? Where does it come from? What…

Review by barbora ★★★½

i think the problem with this is that it's not as gay as the lotr films

Review by scream queen 🇵🇸 ★★★½

no cgi was needed for martin freeman's height

Review by Adam ★★★½ 4

Bilbo Baggins is just like me fr (I don't like leaving my house)

Review by Mike D'Angelo ★★½ 5

Happily skipped this a year ago, but Desolation of Smaug got much stronger reviews and I still feel some loyalty to Jackson so fine, hit me with some fucking dwarves.

[three long hours later]

MAKE. THE DWARVES. STOP.

Review by 𝚮𝖆𝖗𝖑𝖊𝖖𝖚𝖎𝖓𝖆𝖉𝖊 ❤️‍🔥 ★★ 11

Almost every scene in this is at least three times as long as it should be. Everything between Shire and Rivendell is Snyder's DCEU films level shitshow - bloated, boring, ugly color grading, videogame CGI, one theme song they keep blasting like maniacs. It gets slightly better from there. Slightly.

Martin Freeman is great, Richard Armitage is doing what he can with what he was given and it's a joy to see the actors from the original trilogy. The Gollum scene is excellent and makes the film worth watching.

Review by Mario 🟠🟢🔵 ★★★★ 12

In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit...

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Movie's ratings

• Kinorium 8.1 11 843
• IMDb 7.8 873 164
• Critics 64% 305

Cast & Crew

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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey — Cast & Crew

Peter jackson.

Martin Freeman

Ian McKellen

Richard Armitage

James Nesbitt

Graham McTavish

Dean O'Gorman

Aidan Turner

Stephen Hunter

Sylvester McCoy

Mark Hadlow

John Callen

Peter Hambleton

William Kircher

Andy Serkis

Cate Blanchett

Hugo Weaving

Elijah Wood

Christopher Lee

Barry Humphries

Jeffrey Thomas

Michael Mizrahi

Manu Bennett

Conan Stevens

Stephen Ure

Timothy Bartlett

Bret mckenzie.

Benedict Cumberbatch

Glenn Boswell

Thomas Robins

Ruby Acevedo

Katie jackson.

Isaac Miller

Ella olssen, louis ashbourne serkis.

Ruby Ashbourne Serkis

Sonny Ashbourne Serkis

Luc Campbell

Rose harnett, eloise masters, eva matthews, ollie matthews, culain mcghie, honor mctavish, findlay price, oscar strik, amelia taylor, samuel taylor, ruby vincent, tui vincent, orlando bloom.

Frazer Anderson

Danielle Blake

Jarred blakiston.

Shane Boulton

Jessica buckham, rosalie button.

Melanie Carrington

Brendan Casey

Renee Cataldo

Bruno Du Bois

Sonia forbes-adam.

Ben Fransham

Jed Gard'ner

Stephen gledhill.

Stephen Grey

George Harach

Jamie harrison.

Luke Hawker

Allan Henry

Christian Hipolito

Brian Hotter

Cameron Jones

Robert Kazinsky

Clare Olssen

Jono kenyon.

Paul Kingdom

Dean knowsley.

John Landreth

Lilli latham, tim mclachlan, nathan meister.

Joseph Mika-Hunt

Ravi Narayan

Mary Nesbitt

Peggy Nesbitt

Terry Notary

Jabez Olssen

Shane Rangi

Thomas Rimmer

Miranda Rivers

Tania rodger, gabriela roque lópez, brett sheerin.

Andrew Simon

James R.W. Smith

Dave Stringer

James trevena.

Mark Trotter

Simon Vincent

James waterhouse-brown, hayden j. weal.

James Wells

Richard Whiteside

Philippa Boyens

Guillermo del Toro

J.R.R. Tolkien

Carolynne Cunningham

Zane Weiner

Eileen Moran

Carolyn blackwood, toby emmerich.

Alan F. Horn

Matthew Dravitzki

Amanda walker, andrew lesnie.

Howard Shore

Christopher Boyes

Brent burge, david farmer, matt gruber, michael hedges, chris hiles, tony johnson, michael semanick.

Dave Whitehead

Matthew Iadarola

Jules Woods

Simon Bright

Brian Massey

Andy mclaren.

Ann Maskrey

Richard Taylor

Sequels/Prequels Chronology: 7

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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

• Action/Adventure , Drama , Sci-Fi/Fantasy , War

Content Caution

In Theaters

• December 14, 2012
• Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins; Ian Holm as Old Bilbo; Ian McKellen as Gandalf; Richard Armitage as Thorin; Ken Stott as Balin; Graham McTavish as Dwalin; William Kircher as Bifur; James Nesbitt as Bofur; Stephen Hunter as Bombur; Dean O'Gorman as Fili; Aidan Turner as Kili; John Callen as Oin; Peter Hambleton as Gloin; Jed Brophy as Nori; Mark Hadlow as Dori; Adam Brown Ori; Hugo Weaving as Elrond; Cate Blanchett as Galadriel; Christopher Lee as Saruman; Andy Serkis as Gollum; Sylvester McCoy as Radagast; Barry Humphries as the Great Goblin; Jeffrey Thomas as Thror; Michael Mizrahi as Thrain; Lee Pace as Thranduil; Manu Bennett as Azog; Elijah Wood as Frodo

Home Release Date

• March 19, 2013
• Peter Jackson

Distributor

• Warner Bros.

Movie Review

“Nasty, disturbing, uncomfortable things. Make you late for dinner.”

That’s how hobbit Bilbo Baggins responds when a certain gray-garbed wizard by the name of Gandalf shows up to “invite” Bilbo on an adventure. The hobbit has the temerity to think he can say no.

Then the dwarves show up.

First there’s Dwalin, a mighty warrior nearly as wide as he is tall. Then there’s the aging Balin, as old and frail as Dwalin is stout. And as those two begin rummaging through Bilbo’s well-stocked pantry, 11 more of their bearded kin tumble through his round front door, with Gandalf in tow: Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Fili, Kili, Oin, Gloin, Nori, Dori and Ori. The last dwarf to arrive is the proud, would-be dwarf king Thorin.

Their purpose? Nothing less than launching a brazen assault on the dragon Smaug, who slumbers within a mountain the dwarven people once called home. Sixty years before, Smaug drove the dwarves from Erebor—now called Lonely Mountain—taking up residence and scattering the dwarves into exile throughout Middle-earth.

Now the dwarves believe the time has come to right that ignominious wrong.

There’s just one thing: They need a … burglar. Someone slight and quiet, someone capable of creeping into Smaug’s lair without the ol’ worm noticing. Someone, Gandalf has suggested, like Bilbo Baggins.

Hobbits, however, are hardly natural-born adventurers. They’re more like natural-born gardeners. Thus, Bilbo tries to say no. After all, there’s no guarantee he’d make it back alive. But the dwarves have barely taken their leave of homebody halfling when Bilbo has second thoughts … and races to join them.

It’s an epic, perilous quest, one that leads Bilbo and the dwarves from his cozy hobbit hole into lands that are anything but warm and inviting. Goblins, trolls, giants, orcs, wargs and all manner of other nasties await the short-and-stout company.

As does a certain precious ring … and the guardian who’s loathe to lose it to the reluctant hobbit who wasn’t sure he really wanted to go on this unexpected adventure in the first place.

As was true in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, heroism, loyalty and sacrifice permeate The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, the first of three films from Rings director Peter Jackson bringing British author J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved tale to life on the big screen.

Positive Elements

Early on, a flashback depicts Smaug decimating Erebor and the city of Dale near the mountain. The dwarves are powerless to stop him, and many die trying to resist. This leads to their dispersion, a humiliating end for a proud race.

Thus Jackson’s take on Tolkien’s tale pushes the story to more epic proportions. It’s not just about marching off to reclaim loot from an interloping dragon; it’s about the dwarves reclaiming a kingdom and a sense of dignity and destiny. In this sense, there are parallels between Thorin, the rightful heir to the throne, and Aragorn, who stages a similar struggle in The Lord of the Rings .

More personally, the dwarves repeatedly rescue Bilbo from various dangers. The group eventually ends up at Rivendell, home of Elrond’s elves. And despite Thorin’s hatred from them (they did nothing to help his people battle Smaug when they could have), the elves treat the dwarves kindly, initiating a reconciliation of sorts.

Thorin initially doesn’t think much of Bilbo, either, repeatedly criticizing the hobbit. But when Bilbo risks his life to protect Thorin, the hobbit earns the dwarf leader’s respect.

Talking about his rationale for choosing Bilbo, Gandalf tells the elf queen Galadriel, “Saruman [another wizard] believes that it is only great power that can hold evil in check. That is not what I’ve found. I found it is the small things, everyday deeds of ordinary folk, that keeps the darkness at bay. Simple acts of kindness and love. Why Bilbo Baggins? Perhaps it is because I’m afraid, and he gives me courage.”

Thorin says of his compatriots, “I would take each and every one of these dwarves over the mightiest army. Loyalty. Honor. A willing heart. I can ask no more than that.”

Spiritual Elements

The milieu of The Hobbit is a magical, fantastical one. Gandalf employs wizardly abilities in splitting a huge rock, speaking to a moth, turning pinecones into improvised incendiary devices and using his staff to battle orcs and goblins, among other things. Another wizard, Radagast, communes amongst animals and seems to speak to them. When a plague begins wiping out wildlife in Radagast’s forest, he restores a dead hedgehog to life and seems to (at least temporarily) keep the evil magic that is encroaching at bay.

Radagast is alarmed by the animals’ deaths, which leads him to investigate an abandoned castle where he encounters a malevolent force called the Necromancer. The Necromancer is, in fact, Sauron, and he’s begun to reassert his evil powers in Middle-earth. Radagast discovers that Sauron has begun reanimating (if not quite resurrecting) the deceased spirits of wicked kings (who will later become the Nazgûl). Saruman doesn’t believe such a thing is possible, but Gandalf, Elrond and Galadriel are deeply troubled by Radagast’s report nonetheless.

Throughout the film, we hear references to chance and fate guiding the outcome of events. We also hear about the portents (such as birds returning to Lonely Mountain) that indicate the time has come for the dwarves to retake their home.

Sexual Content

Violent content.

After Bilbo is given a short sword, Gandalf tells him, “True courage is about knowing not when to take a life, but when to spare one.” It’s awesome advice. And Bilbo takes it when he has the chance to kill the wretched keeper of the One Ring of Power, that subterranean interloper known as Gollum.

But Bilbo’s grasp of the concept doesn’t do much to curtail the overall bloodshed shown here.

Those who’ve read The Hobbit might be surprised at the amount of violence presented. That’s due in part to the fact that Peter Jackson has included two major battle sequences not described in Tolkien’s original. As the film opens, we watch the devastation that Smaug wreaks on Dale. Explosions topple towers, unfortunate victims get hurled to and fro. Indeed, Smaug’s attack is akin to a World War II bombing raid in its destructive effect.

The second such scene is a massive battle—similar in scale to the final battle in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King —between armies of orcs and dwarves. The combat is mostly bloodless, but it’s fierce and intense as the age-old foes engage violently, dealing limb- and head-removing blows with various medieval weapons. A culminating beheading is followed by the assailant holding his victim’s bodiless head high, then mockingly bowling it down a slope. Avenging that death, Thorin cuts off the attacker’s hand.

Afterward, the camera pans over a vast battlefield filled with the dead.

A cacophonous clash between two stone giants generates flying boulders. A ferocious melee between Thorin and an orc king ends with the dwarf unconscious and carried in a wolf-like warg’s mouth. Three trolls capture Bilbo and his friends and are on the verge of eating them (we see several dwarves beginning to roast on a spit) when the rising sun turns the trolls to stone. Fissures in a mountain cave send Bilbo and Co. tumbling down a chute into the clutches of a goblin horde. Gandalf’s arrival yields a battle royal as the fleeing dwarves traverse narrow passes and rope bridges. Arrows and swords fly and flash, resulting in the deaths of many goblins, several of which are decapitated. Gandalf slashes the stomach of the enormous Great Goblin, then slashes again across his throat, killing him. Elsewhere, a goblin victim makes a peculiar face before his head rolls bloodlessly off his shoulders.

Gollum brutally beats and kills a goblin that’s fallen into his clutches, and is glad for the food the dead creature provides. He also thinks Bilbo will prove to be a savory morsel, and threatens to eat the hobbit if he loses a game of riddles.

Crude or Profane Language

Discussing the game of croquet, one dwarf says, “Wonderful game if you’ve got the balls for it.” Elsewhere, another dwarf says he looks forward to delivering some “dwarvish iron right up [Smaug’s] jacksy” (British slang for backside ).

Drug and Alcohol Content

That the dwarves are quite fond of ale is an understatement. One scene pictures them imbibing greedily, with the liquid running down their beards as they guzzle. Gandalf drinks a cup of red wine.

Gandalf, Bilbo and Radagast smoke their pipes and blow smoke rings. The latter takes a drag on Gandalf’s pipe at one point, crosses his eyes and blows smoke out his ears in a way that humorously hints at the smoke’s effect.

Saruman disdainfully says that Radagast’s affinity for mushrooms has made him crazy.

Other Negative Elements

We hear a belching contest among the dwarves. Radadast’s hair is filled with bird droppings because he has a nest tucked under his hat. While pondering how best to cook the captured dwarves, a troll quips about their “stinky parts.”

J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit is often viewed as a children’s story in comparison to the more serious Lord of the Rings saga. Indeed, Tolkien imbued his characters in The Hobbit with a dose of whimsy that’s largely absent from the grimmer, gravitas-filled trilogy that follows it.

Peter Jackson didn’t get that memo.

Jackson, who helmed the cinematic versions of The Lord of the Rings trilogy from 2001 to 2003, has crafted a prequel that arguably feels closer in spirit to that story than the book itself does. That’s partly because The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey strives to connect all the narrative dots between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings .

The first result is a tale I suspect many Tolkien fans will approve of (though purists may take issue with the ways Jackson has tinkered). The second result is a movie that is squarely in PG-13 territory in terms of its violence, some of which is magically generated. Decapitations, severed limbs, intense battle sequences and a high body count are just as pulse-quickeningly frenetic as anything in the Rings trilogy. The third result, of course, is a story crammed with bravery and heroism. A fable that inspires as it teaches. A Middle-earth parable that profoundly speaks to all of us who deal with the dilemmas of good and evil in the real world.

Still, my last thought on this first chapter remains: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is not The Hobbit you might remember reading years ago.

A postscript: Much has been made of Peter Jackson’s decision to shoot The Hobbit films at 48 frames per second, twice the 24 frames-per-second rate at which movies are typically filmed. More than a few critics have said the preternaturally high-definition realism of the resulting images has undermined the story. And, personally, I did find it a bit off-putting. A colleague, though, couldn’t even tell the difference. And the story itself is so immersive that whether you think the new technology awesome or annoying, you’ll probably forgot all about it by the time Bilbo and the dwarves begin their adventure in earnest.

Adam R. Holz

After serving as an associate editor at NavPress’ Discipleship Journal and consulting editor for Current Thoughts and Trends, Adam now oversees the editing and publishing of Plugged In’s reviews as the site’s director. He and his wife, Jennifer, have three children. In their free time, the Holzes enjoy playing games, a variety of musical instruments, swimming and … watching movies.

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Lucas Lynggaard Tønnesen, Clara Rugaard, Til Schweiger Lead WWII Thriller ‘Desperate Journey,’ Written by ‘Il Postino’ Director Michael Radford (EXCLUSIVE)

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Lucas Lynggaard Tønnesen (“1899, “Borgen”), Clara Rugaard (“Verona,” “I Am Mother”) and Til Schweiger (“The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare,” “Inglourious Basterds”) lead the international cast of “Desperate Journey,” a newly-announced thriller set in the burlesque world of 1940s Paris.

The film — which has now wrapped production — comes from Emblem Pictures, and was written by two-time Oscar nominee Michael Radford (best known for directing 1994 global sensation “Il Postino”) and directed by Emmy winner Annabel Jankel (“Tell It to the Bees”).

Popular on Variety

“It was a tremendous journey of personal growth for me, working with the extraordinarily talented and creative cast and crew in Budapest,” Jankel said. “Lucas Lynggaard Tønnesen excited us daily with his performance as he grew into and fully embodied the unique character that was Freddie Knoller.”

Added producer Derosa: “Freddie faced extreme situations and emerged with an understanding of life that could benefit us all. He was an exceptional man, and I am deeply grateful to the large crew and cast who worked tirelessly to portray this remarkable story.”

“Desperate Journey” is the first of three planned productions from Emblem Pictures. 

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The 8 Most Thrilling Military Action-Adventure Movies You Can Watch on Netflix

I f you’re craving adrenaline-pumping action and heart-stopping adventure, look no further than Netflix’s collection of military-themed movies. From intense aerial dogfights to gritty ground combat, these films deliver edge-of-your-seat thrills that will keep you glued to the screen. So, grab your popcorn and prepare for an immersive journey into the world of brave soldiers, daring missions, and epic battles.

Top Gun: Maverick

Maverick, played by Tom Cruise, returns after decades as a top Navy aviator to train a new generation of elite pilots for a perilous mission. With stunning aerial sequences and pulse-pounding action, “Top Gun: Maverick” is a must-watch for fans of high-flying adventure.

Follow the story of a reckless yet brilliant squadron leader and his team of elite fighter pilots as they confront mortal dangers and inner demons on a deadly mission. Featuring Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone, “Fighter” delivers breathtaking aerial combat scenes and intense drama.

John Cena stars as a former Marine who springs into action to rescue his wife from ruthless kidnappers. Fueled by adrenaline and determination, he embarks on a relentless pursuit, leading to explosive confrontations and high-stakes showdowns.

Relive the gripping true story of the decisive WWII battle between the United States Navy and the Imperial Japanese Navy in the Pacific. With an ensemble cast including Ed Skrein and Woody Harrelson, “Midway” offers a visceral portrayal of courage and sacrifice in the face of overwhelming odds.

Air Force The Movie: Danger Close

When a special forces aircraft is shot down by a militia group, a group of survivors must hold out on the ground while awaiting rescue. Tension runs high as they face relentless enemy attacks and race against time to survive.

Interceptor

Elsa Pataky stars as the last officer standing on a remote missile defense base, facing off against terrorists armed with stolen nuclear weapons. As the clock ticks down, she must summon all her courage and resourcefulness to prevent a catastrophic disaster.

Sand Castle

Join a reluctant soldier’s platoon on a dangerous mission to repair a hostile village’s water system in post-invasion Iraq. As they navigate treacherous terrain and face unexpected challenges, bonds are tested and courage is put to the ultimate test.

Black Hawk Down

Experience the harrowing true story of U.S. soldiers caught in a deadly firefight during a routine mission in Somalia. With an all-star cast led by Josh Hartnett and Ewan McGregor, “Black Hawk Down” is a visceral portrayal of bravery and brotherhood in the face of overwhelming adversity.

From intense aerial combat to gritty ground warfare, these eight military action-adventure movies on Netflix offer non-stop excitement and pulse-pounding thrills. Whether you’re a fan of historical dramas or modern-day conflicts, there’s something for everyone in this adrenaline-fueled lineup. So, buckle up and get ready for an unforgettable cinematic experience that will leave you on the edge of your seat until the credits roll.

The post The 8 Most Thrilling Military Action-Adventure Movies You Can Watch on Netflix appeared first on New York Tech Media .

2024 Summer Movie Preview: 'Deadpool & Wolverine,’ ‘Furiosa,' and 32 More to Get Excited About

From 'Inside Out 2' to 'I Saw the TV Glow,' there's a lot to look forward to in the coming summer months.

Summer might be the period we expect massive blockbusters to decimate the box office, but compared to most summers, 2024 seems a bit light on the massive sure-thing movies. Maybe that's just because 2024 has already been full of huge spectacles, like Dune: Part Two , Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire , and even A24's Civil War , but this year's summer releases seem less like simply pushing out IP-driven products and more like studios taking some surprising swings for these summer months. Even franchise films like Furiosa , Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes , Twisters , and Alien: Romulus seem like they could go either way, and while Deadpool & Wolverine is likely to be one of the biggest releases of the summer, it's wild to see a summer movie schedule with only a single superhero film coming soon.

Even among the blockbusters, this summer has a line-up of smaller films that have the potential to blow up in the coming months. Films like I Saw the TV Glow by Jane Schoenbrun , Richard Linklater 's Hit Man , Jeff Nichols ' The Bikeriders , Yorgos Lanthimos ' Kinds of Kindness , Sean Wang 's Dìdi , and MaXXXine , could all be surprise hits.

This year's summer movie schedule certainly has the films that are absolutely going to be hits (I'm looking at you, Despicable Me 4 ), but these next few months look like they're full of possible surprises and less inevitable success than most years. As this exciting summer movie season starts up, let's take a look at some of the films coming out that should get you excited for May-August.

'The Idea of You'

Almost every teenage girl has dreamt of seeing their favorite pop star perform live and falling in love in real-time as the boybander gazes down at them from the stage. Now imagine they’re not actually looking at you but at your 40-year-old mother. This is the concept of the hotly anticipated Prime Video romance, The Idea of You . Divorced mom Solène ( Anne Hathaway ) attends Coachella with her teenage daughter to see her favorite pop band, August Moon. There, she bumps into the band’s British, pouty, and dreamy lead singer Harry Styles - I mean, Hayes Campbell ( Nicholas Galitzine ).

The trailer shows Hathaway and Galitzine's star-crossed romance as not only is she a rat-faced nobody (as rat-faced as Anne Hathway can be) but she’s also older than him. Double scandal! Before you roll your eyes at yet another movie adaptation of Harry Styles fan fiction , reviews following the film’s premiere at SXSW were almost unanimously positive. Hathaway’s talents don’t need to be defended as one of current Hollywood’s leading rom-com icons and Galitzine is everywhere you look nowadays . So, whether you’re a mother in your 40s or 25 and still remember being 15 and discovering Wattpad for the first time, The Idea of You is shaping up to be a fun, steamy romp. - Emma Kiely

The Idea of You (2024)

Solène, a 40-year-old single mom, begins an unexpected romance with 24-year-old Hayes Campbell, the lead singer of August Moon, the hottest boy band on the planet.

'The Fall Guy'

'the fall guy' review: ryan gosling and emily blunt lead a moviemaking lover’s dream.

There are three truths in life; we all die, nothing worth achieving is easy, and funny Ryan Gosling is the best Ryan Gosling . After his Oscar-nominated performance as Ken in Greta Gerwig ’s Barbie (as well as a dynamite musical performance at this year’s Academy Awards), Gosling is once again being the silly boy that he is with David Leitch ’s The Fall Guy .

Based on the Lee Majors ABC series from the ‘80s, this action comedy has Gosling taking on the role of veteran stuntman Colt Seavers, who is madly in love with director Jody Moreno ( Emily Blunt ), who also happens to be his ex-girlfriend. When the star of Jody’s next big movie, Tom Ryder ( Aaron Taylor-Johnson ), goes missing, it's up to Colt to figure out what’s really going on, and hopefully win back Jody’s heart.

The action-comedy has already garnered rave reviews since it premiered at SXSW, and Universal seemingly has a lot of confidence in the movie. This makes sense, considering that Gosling’s fame has reached even greater heights since last summer. - Nate Richard

The Fall Guy

Colt Seavers is a stuntman who left the business a year earlier to focus on both his physical and mental health. He's drafted back into service when the star of a mega-budget studio movie, which is being directed by his ex, goes missing.

'Tarot'

Will dumb teens ever quit playing occult games? Following in the path of the likes of 2014’s Ouija , Tarot follows a group of college friends who get way in over their heads when they start playing with a deck of tarot cards. What is supposed to be a foretelling of one’s future becomes an inescapable nightmare as the figures of the cards come to life to torment the friends. As they start to die in similar ways to their fortune, they must figure out how to stop the curse before they all succumb to its wrath. Tarot sports a recognizable cast of young performers including the MCU Spider-Man trilogy’s Jacob Batalon , the standout of 2024’s Mean Girls , Avantika , and Pennyworth ’s Harriet Slater . Tarot was directed and written by the duo of Spenser Cohen and Anna Halberg who previously worked on Expend4ables and 2018’s Extinction . - Emma Kiely

Tarot (2024)

When a group of friends recklessly violates the sacred rule of Tarot readings they unknowingly unleash an unspeakable evil trapped within the cursed cards. One by one, they come face to face with fate and end up in a race against death.

'Unfrosted: The Pop-Tart Story'

Despite his recent comments that movies are dead, it does seem kind of odd that we haven’t seen Jerry Seinfeld in more movies over the years. After making one of the most popular and important sitcoms of all-time, Seinfeld’s only major movie role has been as…Barry B. Benson in the animated film/meme factory The Bee Movie . Yet Seinfeld stars in and makes his directorial debut with, yes, Unfrosted , a film extremely loosely based on the creation of the Pop-Tart. Who could’ve ever guessed that combination? Even wilder is the absurdly excellent cast Seinfeld has lined up for this film, including Melissa McCarthy , Jim Gaffigan , Amy Schumer , Peter Dinklage , James Marsden , Bobby Moynihan as Chef Boyardee, Kyle Mooney , Mikey Day , and Drew Tarver as Snap, Crackle, and Pop, and most exciting, Hugh Grant as Tony the Tiger voice actor Thurl Ravenscroft . If movies are dead, Seinfeld is certainly giving them a hell of a sendoff with this wild directorial debut. - Ross Bonaime

Unfrosted: The Pop-Tart Story

Michigan 1963, business rivals Kellogg's and Post compete to create a cake that could change breakfast forever.

'I Saw the TV Glow'

'i saw the tv glow' review: you'll be talking about this horror film all year | sundance 2024.

There is no movie you’ll see this year or any other quite like Jane Schoenbrun ’s I Saw the TV Glow . The director’s follow-up to the already fantastic We’re All Going to the World’s Fair , it takes us even further into the particulars of growing up, exploring questions of identity and culture with a sharp eye plus an absolutely killer soundtrack. The less that is known about it the better, but the basics are that it involves Owen ( Justice Smith ) and Maddy ( Brigette Lundy-Paine ) who become obsessed with a show called The Pink Opaque. When it is canceled, the two will separate and go in different directions before eventually being drawn back together as they try to come to terms with life outside of the show. Anything else that you need to know is best experienced by letting the film wash over you as Schoenbrun has created a vibrant vision that defies any and all expectations in spectacular fashion - Chase Hutchinson

I Saw the TV Glow

Teenager Owen is just trying to make it through life in the suburbs when his classmate introduces him to a mysterious late-night TV show — a vision of a supernatural world beneath their own. In the pale glow of the television, Owen’s view of reality begins to crack.

'Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes'

Few franchises are as high quality as the recent Planet of the Apes reboot and yet, the series is also massively underrated. The original trilogy, which consisted of Rise of the Planet of the Apes , Dawn of the Planet of the Apes , and War for the Planet of the Apes , was rebooted back in 2011 and put the talented Andy Serkis into the shoes of the protagonist Caesar, an evolved chimpanzee who leads the ape army after the Simian Flu nearly decimates humanity. While Caesar’s story ended with War for the Planet of the Apes , Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes brings in a whole new cast of characters and is set 300 years following Caesar’s death. Kingdom centers around Noa ( Owen Teague ), a chimpanzee hunter, a human girl named Mae ( Freya Allan ), and Proximus Caesar ( Kevin Durand ), who plays a bonobo who has twisted Caesar’s message and legacy for his own gain. Time will tell if this entry measures up to the previous three in quality. Serkis held much of the gravitas and emotional weight behind the three films and it’s safe to say that without him, the series wouldn’t nearly be as good. - Therese Lacson

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

Many years after the reign of Caesar, a young ape goes on a journey that will lead him to question everything he's been taught about the past and make choices that will define a future for apes and humans alike.

'IF'

After making two films about monsters that can’t see with the A Quiet Place franchise, John Krasinski is moving his directing talent to creatures that most people can’t see with IF . Krasinski also wrote and appears in IF , which tells the story of Bea ( Cailey Fleming ), a girl who can see people’s imaginary friends. When she also discovers that her neighbor Cal ( Ryan Reynolds ) can see them too, the pair team up to try and return the imaginary friends to their children. For what seems to be a lovely little kids film, IF has a surprisingly stacked cast and team behind the camera. Leading the voice cast of monsters in Krasinski’s old friend/ The Office boss Steve Carell , as well as Emily Blunt (how’d he ever get her??), Matt Damon , Maya Rudolph , Jon Stewart , Sam Rockwell , George Clooney , Bradley Cooper , Blake Lively , and many, many more. Just as wild is Krasinski is working with two-time Oscar winner Janusz Kamiński behind the camera, and Oscar-winning composer Michael Giacchino . With a massive amount of talent behind it, and the rare original big-budget concept aimed at kids, IF could very well be one of the biggest surprise hits of this summer. - Ross Bonaime

A young girl who goes through a difficult experience begins to see everyone's imaginary friends who have been left behind as their real-life friends have grown up.

'Back to Black'

You know what the world is lacking? Music biopics! Next in the firing line of having their life, warts and all, brought to the screen whether they like it or not is jazz sensation Amy Winehouse . Sam Taylor Johnson ’s predictably titled Back to Black follows the rise and fall of one of the most unique voices of 21st-century music with Industry ’s Marisa Abela playing the singer. The trailer promises a fairly straightforward retelling of Winehouse’s life from recording her first album in her early 20s to the roaring international success of her second album, Back to Black . On top of all this, the trailer advertises the movie as an insight into the “love story that inspired one of the greatest albums in the world” with Jack O’Connell playing Winehouse’s short-time husband Blake Fielder-Civil. The tragic and deeply upsetting life and death of Amy Winehouse is still fresh in the minds of music and movie lovers around the world. No one asked for this film and from the responses of British critics — no one wants it either. - Emma Kiely

Back to Black

It chronicles the life and music of Amy Winehouse, through the journey of adolescence to adulthood and the creation of one of the best-selling albums of our time.

'The Strangers: Chapter 1'

Back in 2008, the simple premise of a couple having their isolated vacation home invaded by three masked killers resulted in one of the most terrifying horror movies of the decade . Bryan Bertino ’s The Strangers brought the motivationless killer to a whole new level with the brutal acts of the masked trio who do it simply because “you were home.” 16 years and a forgettable sequel later, Renny Harlin is stepping up to reboot the series for the first of a planned trilogy. The Strangers Chapter 1 will act as a prequel, promising to tell us “how the strangers became the strangers.” The trailer shows a very similar setup: a couple ( Riverdale ’s Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez ) celebrating their anniversary is staying in a remote cabin in a small town that is not the most welcoming. Just when they settle into the silence and tranquility, a group of masked intruders descends on the house; going from watching them shower to chasing them with axes. It’s one of the most anticipated horror releases of the year and hopefully, it can step in and fill the iconic creepy masks of its predecessor. - Emma Kiely

The Strangers: Chapter 1

A young couple drive cross-country toward a new beginning; unfortunately they have no choice but to stop in a secluded Airbnb in Oregon--and endure a night of terror against three masked strangers.

'Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga'

Nine years ago, George Miller delivered an action blockbuster game-changer in Mad Max: Fury Road . Considering the hell that the movie went through throughout its production, it is nothing short of a miracle that it turned out as great as it was. Despite the acclaim, and despite winning six Oscars, Fury Road wasn’t a smash hit at the box office. Thankfully, its impact just couldn’t be ignored and this summer we’re finally being treated to the prequel Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga .

The Queen’s Gambit star Anya Taylor-Joy takes over the role of Imperator Furiosa from Charlize Theron , as the movie chronicles the daring heroine’s origin story as she faces off against a villain known as Dr. Dementus ( Chris Hemsworth ). Everything we’ve seen from the movie promises a fiery, action-packed prequel that is sure to please franchise diehards. From the trailers alone, Hemsworth looks like he was born to play this kooky new villain and while she may have some big shoes to fill, Taylor-Joy seems to be more than capable of taking over for Theron. - Nate Richard

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

The origin story of renegade warrior Furiosa before her encounter and teamup with Mad Max.

'The Garfield Movie'

At this point, it seems like even Chris Pratt realizes how ridiculous it is that he seemingly now voices every animated character. From The Lego Movie to Onward and last year’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie , Pratt’s voice is now pretty much a part of every kid’s movie. The latest film in his animation takeover is The Garfield Movie , in which he will play the eponymous, lazy, lasagna-eating orange cat. But since you can’t have a movie about a cat that just likes to sleep and eat, The Garfield Movie introduces Garfield’s long-lost father Vic ( Samuel L. Jackson ), who gets Garfield and Odie ( Harvey Guillén ) involved in a wild heist. After a few Garfield films that blended live-action and animation, The Garfield Movie is specifically set in the animated world and directed by Mark Dindal , who previously directed such animated Disney films like The Emperor’s New Groove and Chicken Little . Regardless of anything else, The Garfield Movie gives us Snoop Dogg as a cat, which is certainly the biggest stretch of acting talent to come out of movies this year. - Ross Bonaime

The Garfield Movie

Garfield is about to go on a wild outdoor adventure. After an unexpected reunion with his long-lost father - the cat Vic - Garfield and Odie are forced to abandon their pampered life to join Vic in a hilarious, high-stakes heist.

'Bad Boys: Ride or Die'

Over the years and with only a few installments to its name, the Bad Boys franchise has only grown in popularity. After modest success back in 1995 with the original installment (and Michael Bay ’s first film as director), Mike Lowrey ( Will Smith ) and Marcus Burnett ( Martin Lawrence ) returned eight years later with a sequel that more than doubled the gross of the first film. After a 17-year absence, they came back yet again with Bad Boys for Life , a film that ended up becoming the highest-grossing film of 2020 (because, you know, COVID). But considering the success of the third installment, it looks as though that has made the fourth film, Bad Boys: Ride or Die , a priority, as Smith and Lawrence return to investigate corruption in the Miami police department. Ride or Die also introduces Eric Dane , Ioan Gruffudd , Tiffany Haddish , Melaine Liburd , and Rhea Seehorn into the mix. It will certainly be interesting to see if the upward momentum still exists for this detective duo, as this will be Smith’s biggest theatrical release since his Oscar-winning performance in King Richard and…all that ensued from that win. In a packed summer season, is there still plenty of room for Mike and Marcus? - Ross Bonaime

Bad Boys for Life

'the watchers'.

Who watches The Watchers ? Well, if things go well, hopefully all of us will soon (assuming t he release date doesn’t keep getting switched around ). The feature directorial debut of Ishana Shyamalan (who previously directed the great series Servant and, oh yeah, is the daughter of one M. Night Shyamalan ) tells the story of Mina ( Dakota Fanning ) who is driving along one day and suddenly finds herself stranded in a shelter in Ireland. none of them can leave as there are creatures outside who will come to see them. Get caught outside and you die. It’s a tale as old as time and reminds one a little bit of the recent movie Arcadian as well as the series From though, thankfully, we haven’t gotten to see any of the way this film interprets its creatures just yet. Whatever is in store, it’s a release that already looks great visually and has a solid horror premise that could shape up to another Shyamalan family special. - Chase Hutchinson

The Watchers

Follows Mina, a 28-year-old artist, as she gets stranded in an extensive, immaculate forest in western Ireland. After finding shelter, she becomes trapped alongside three strangers, stalked by mysterious creatures each night.

'Hit Man'

'hit man' review: richard linklater’s take on film noir is a hilarious, sexy gem | tiff 2023.

In a better world, Richard Linklater ’s latest creation, Hit Man , would be a summer blockbuster, arriving in theaters with a smash after taking audiences by storm at both TIFF and Sundance. Alas, the streaming gods got the better of us, and the action-comedy will be arriving on Netflix this June, starring Glen Powell (who also co-wrote the film with his Everybody Wants Some!! director) as a fake hit man who gets himself embroiled in a very real, very dangerous conspiracy when one of his targets ( Adria Arjona ) turns out to be more than he bargained for. Even on the small screen (well, however small the flat-screen in your living room is), Powell and Arjona’s chemistry is sure to be mind-melting, and Linklater seems poised to deliver another hit with his first film since Apollo 10 ½: A Space Age Childhood . - Maggie Boccella

Inspired by an unbelievable true story, a strait-laced professor discovers his hidden talent as a fake hit man. He meets his match in a client who steals his heart and ignites a powder keg of deception, delight, and mixed-up identities.

'Inside Out 2'

Pixar’s history with sequels has been an odd one. While there have been some criticisms in recent years that the studio—once known for their refreshingly original ideas—has relied too much on sequels ( Lightyear in particular didn’t do the studio any favors), some of the studio’s biggest successes have come from sequels like Incredibles 2 and Finding Dory . At this point, 2015’s Inside Out is actually the studio’s highest-grossing non-sequel film, so it only makes sense that it would eventually get a sequel. Inside Out 2 actually seems like the type of story that deserves a sequel, as Riley is now a teenager, which means all sorts of new emotions are making themselves known. In addition to Joy ( Amy Poehler ), Sadness ( Phyllis Smith ), Anger ( Lewis Black ), Fear and Disgust (who are now voiced by Tony Hale and Liza Lapira , respectively), Riley is now inundated with Anxiety ( Maya Hawke ), Envy ( Ayo Edebiri ), Ennui ( Adèle Exarchopoulous ), and Embarrassment ( Paul Walter Hauser ). For the most part, Pixar’s sequels have done a fairly excellent job of expanding the worlds of these original ideas, and Inside Out certainly seems like a world full of potential. Hopefully, Inside Out 2 is more of a Toy Story 3 than a Cars 2 . - Ross Bonaime

Inside Out 2

Follow Riley, in her teenage years, encountering new emotions.

'The Bikeriders'

'the bikeriders' review: jeff nichols hires too many cooks with not enough flavor | lff 2023.

“You’d have to kill me to get this jacket off.” That line in Jeff Nichols ’ The Bikeriders , growled by Austin Butler ’s Benny, is a perfect way to sum up the gritty, stubborn, loyal, and violent nature of the Vandals, a motorcycle club-turned-gang in 1965 Chicago. Benny’s the newest member of the group, and his dedication to his found family quickly becomes indestructible. Benny’s wife Kathy (played by Tony winner Jodie Comer , who wields an accent like no other) is concerned about her husband’s decisions, but she’s no damsel in distress. (In fact, she might be tougher than some of the Vandals.) The group’s leader, Johnny ( Tom Hardy ), has a growing empire on his hands and looks to Benny for some support, but can he handle it? The only thing thicker than the Chicago accents is the cigarette smoke. - Emily Bernard

The Bikeriders

Follows the rise of a midwestern motorcycle club as it evolves over the course of a decade - from a gathering place for local outsiders into a more sinister gang, threatening the original group's way of life.

'Kinds of Kindness'

Yorgos Lanthimos has been on a roll lately, as his extremely idiosyncratic style has started to find surprising success. His last two films, Poor Things and The Favourite , have earned Oscar nominations for Best Picture, with both films winning Best Actress as well ( The Favourite for Olivia Colman and Poor Things giving Emma Stone her second Oscar). But Lanthimos is showing no sign of slowing down with Kinds of Kindness , a collection of three stories that reunites the director with his Poor Things actors Stone, Willem Dafoe , and Margaret Qualley , as well as Jesse Plemons , Hong Chau , The Favourite ’s Joe Alywn , Mamoudou Athie , and Hunter Schafer . Yet maybe most interesting about Kinds of Kindness is that while Lanthimos has recently collaborated with screenwriter Tony McNamara for his last two films, Kinds of Kindness reunites Lanthimos with his co-writer Efthimis Filippou , with whom the pair have written some of the more bonkers works of Lanthimos’ career, like his breakthrough Dogtooth , The Lobster , and most recently, 2017’s The Killing of a Sacred Deer . Lanthimos’ latest films haven’t skimped on the weirdness, but it’s going to be fascinating to see if audiences still embrace Lanthimos and Filippou working together to create a film that will likely be delightfully unhinged, if the first teasers are anything to go by. - Ross Bonaime

Kinds of Kindness (2024)

A man seeks to break free from his predetermined path, a cop questions his wife's demeanor after her return from a supposed drowning and a woman's quest to locate an extraordinary individual prophesied to become a renowned spiritual guide.

'Thelma'

'thelma' review: june squibb goes on an impossible mission in delightful revenge comedy | sundance 2024.

Revenge comes in many forms. In the case of Thelma , it’s a 93-year-old woman. Written and directed by Josh Margolin , who based the film’s premise on something that really happened to his grandmother, the action comedy Thelma tells the story of Thelma Post (played by the always delightful and Oscar-nominated June Squibb ) who gets sucked into the scheme of a phone scammer pretending to be her grandson. Furious, frustrated, and a bit fragile, Thelma gives Mission: Impossible’s Ethan Hunt a run for his money as she ventures across town to take back what is rightfully hers. The determined centenarian does whatever it takes to reclaim her autonomy in what’s both a hilarious and heartwarming adventure. Oh and explosions? You bet. Thelma had its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival and also stars Parker Posey , Clark Gregg , Malcolm McDowell , and Fred Hechinger . - Emily Bernard

Thelma (2024)

When 93-year-old Thelma Post gets duped by a phone scammer pretending to be her grandson, she sets out on a treacherous quest across the city to reclaim what was taken from her.

'A Quiet Place: Day One​​​​​​'

Shh! The long-awaited prequel to the A Quiet Place saga is almost here. Set directly in the wake of the alien invasion seen in the second film, A Quiet Place: Day One , is set to follow Lupita Nyong’o ( Us , Black Panther ) and Joseph Quinn ( Stranger Things ) on “the day the world went quiet.” Not only does the prequel take us back to where it all began, but it will also be set in the buzzing metropolis of Brooklyn. While we’ll certainly still be holding our breath in the theater during moments of near-silent tension, the citizens of New York won’t have John Krasinski ’s hard-earned knowledge about their attackers’ sensitivity to sound. Krasinski, having written and directed the first two films, returns to serve as a producer for the prequel while Michael Sarnoski ( Pig ) directs. Will Nyong’o and Quinn make it through the invasion? We’ll have to head to theaters this summer to find out. - Sam Coley

A Quiet Place: Day One

Experience the day the world went quiet.

​​​​​​'Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 1​​​​​​' & ​​​​​​'Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 2​​​​​​'

June 28 and august 16.

As a director, Kevin Costner first made a name for himself with Dances with Wolves , which would go on to win Best Picture and Costner a Best Director Oscar. After the ambitious disappointment of The Postman , Costner returned behind the camera with Open Range in 2003. And of course, Costner has become as popular as ever in recent years having starred in the hugely popular Yellowstone series. For his first film as director in over two decades, Costner is making another grandly ambitious leap with Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 . Set over the course of the Civil War in the Old West, Horizon is a massive mixture of Costner’s love for the genre, mixed with the grandiosity that he’s attempted in the past. Considering how solid Costner’s work in Westerns has been in the past and how popular Yellowstone has become, Horizon has the potential to become gigantic. - Ross Bonaime

Horizon: An American Saga

Chronicles a multi-faceted, 15-year span of pre-and post-Civil War expansion and settlement of the American west.

'Despicable Me 4'

We all know Despicable Me 4 is probably going to be the biggest film of the summer. Both Minions and Despicable Me 3 ended up making over a billion dollars each worldwide, while 2022’s Minions: The Rise of Gru came extremely close. When talking about the Despicable Me franchise, it’s easy to primarily focus on the Minions and their wild antics—often centered around bananas. But this series has always been a delightfully lovely story of family, in whatever form it may come. Despicable Me 4 continues that tradition with the newest member of the family, Gru Jr., as Gru and his family take on a new villain in Maxime Le Mal (voiced by Will Ferrell ) and his girlfriend Valentina ( Sofia Vergara ). Steve Carell returns as the voice of Gru, and the Minions are still there, doing their nonsense. Look, it’s gonna be inescapable this summer, so hold onto your butts. - Ross Bonaime

Despicable Me 4

Fourth installment of the 'Despicable Me' franchise.

'Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F'

Let’s be honest, we didn’t need a fourth Beverly Hills Cop movie. The first two movies in Eddie Murphy ’s action-comedy franchise are a satisfying combination of laughs and action (although the less said about the third film, the better). After years in development hell, we’re finally getting another Axel Foley adventure anyway with Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F . Eddie Murphy is a comedy legend, there’s no denying that; that being said after his dazzling comeback role as Rudy Ray Moore in Dolemite Is My Name , his most recent output has been less than stellar. Especially after the lackluster Coming 2 America , it would have been very easy to brush off this new Beverly Hills Cop movie, but if the teaser trailer is any indication, this new flick looks to recapture the humor, the charm, and the personality that made the first two movies work as well as they did. - Nate Richard

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley is the fourth film in the popular comedy franchise starring Eddie Murphy. Murphy returns as Axel Foley in the Netflix film alongside returning cast members Judge Reinhold and John Ashton and Bronson Pinchot as Serge. Kevin Bacon and Joseph Gordon-Levitt also star in the sequel as new characters.

'MaXXXine'

She’s a star , okay?! The capper to Ti West ’s triptych slasher genre homage is finally coming to the big screen this summer after we were treated to the one-two punch of X and Pearl back in 2022. Once again starring Mia Goth in the lead role, MaXXXine follows X ’s final girl as she heads west for her big break in Hollywood. After X ’s 70s slasher debut and Pearl ’s technicolor nightmare, MaXXXine will take audiences into the neon-drenched 80s as Maxine Minx finally gets her chance at stardom. But when a killer begins stalking starlets, will she still be able to hold onto her dreams or will they end up in a pool of blood? The star stuffed cast for the slasher also features Halsey , Michelle Monaghan, Giancarlo Esposito, Elizabeth Debicki, Lily Collins, Kevin Bacon, Bobby Cannavale, and Moses Sumney . - Sam Coley

The third film in Ti West's X trilogy, starring Mia Goth.

'Fly Me to the Moon'

Oh boy, this one is gonna get the moon landing conspiracy theorists all excited. Fly Me to the Moon , set during the Space Race of the 1960s, follows the relationship between NASA director Cole Davis ( Channing Tatum ) and NASA’s marketing strategist Kelly Jones ( Scarlett Johansson ). As the problems mount for NASA and it seems like something could certainly go wrong in this massive launch, Jones is assigned to create a fake moon landing, just in case things go wrong. Based on the first trailer, Fly Me to the Moon looks like the type of charming original idea that we don’t see enough of these days, and a fun dramedy that could be a solid respite from the usual summer movie fare. - Ross Bonaime

Fly Me to the Moon (2024)

Marketing maven Kelly Jones wreaks havoc on launch director Cole Davis's already difficult task. When the White House deems the mission too important to fail, Jones is directed to stage a fake moon landing as back-up.

'Longlegs'

Now we aren’t messing around as we’ve arrived at what is both the most anticipated and most mysterious horror movie of the summer. Longlegs , the latest from writer-director Oz Perkins , may have a straightforward plot synopsis, centering on an FBI agent named Lee Harker ( Maika Monroe ) tries to track down a serial killer ( Nicolas Cage ), but oh boy does it look like so much more than that. Each and every trailer has only made the hype build just as the horror gets that much more unsettling. For those who aren’t familiar with Perkins, he is the mind behind the underseen The Blackcoat’s Daughter as well as the recent Gretel & Hansel movie. This looks to be more in line with the former and, if it is anything even close to that magnificent work, we’re in for a truly sinister work of cinema that will leave a mark on your very soul. - Chase Hutchinson

FBI Agent Lee Harker is assigned to an unsolved serial killer case that takes unexpected turns, revealing evidence of the occult. Harker discovers a personal connection to the killer and must stop him before he strikes again.

'Twisters'

Despite Hit Man heading straight to streaming this summer, Top Gun: Maverick fans can still look forward to Glen Powell rocketing onto the big screen — and in all likelihood taking his shirt off — in Twisters . While initially billed as a sequel to the 1996 classic Twister , the upcoming movie appears to be more of a reimagining of the beloved film. With that in mind, Twisters has quite a legacy to live up to. Luckily, if the first trailer is any indication, director Lee Isaac Chung and writer Mark L. Smith have managed to capture exactly what we love so much about the original Bill Paxton, Helen Hunt-led feature. A daring combination of unbridled weather-based action, some deep-fried comedy, and a lightning-struck romance, should make Twisters a worthy follow-up to the fan-favorite original. In addition to Powell, Daisy Edgar Jones, Anthony Ramos, David Corenswet, Kiernan Shipka, Maura Tierney, Katy O’Brien and more will be chasing storms right into theaters this July. - Sam Coley

An update to the 1996 film 'Twister', which centered on a pair of storm chasers who risk their lives in an attempt to test an experimental weather alert system.

'Deadpool & Wolverine'

Oh hello, dear reader. Hope you’re enjoying our movie guide. It’s time to talk about what is sure to be the event of the summer: Deadpool & Wolverine . There are many, many reasons to be pumped for this Marvel-ous adventure. For starters, we’re reunited with Ryan Reynolds ’ quippy, sarcastic, and full-of-energy Deadpool who’s as hilarious as he is unpredictable. (Truly, it feels like Reynolds was born to be the red spandex-wearing Merc with a Mouth.) If that’s not enough to get your butt to the theater, how about the return of Hugh Jackman as Wolverine? Jackman and Reynolds lead the way as two very different (though equally uncanny) X-Men in this dual adventure that launches the foul-mouthed mercenary into the MCU. But how? As the trailer explains, Loki ’s TVA has something to do with it. Emma Corrin steps into a villainous role as Cassandra Nova, and Jennifer Garner is back as Elektra. What else does Marvel have in store for us? Hey, maybe we’ll meet a member of the Fantastic Four. Grab your chimichangas. Shit’s about to get real. - Emily Bernard

Deadpool & Wolverine

Wolverine joins the "merc with a mouth" in the third installment of the Deadpool film franchise.

'Dìdi'

'dìdi' review: a charming directorial debut that falls short of greatness | sundance 2024.

Dìdi has already been making a splash, winning the U.S. Dramatic Audience Award, the U.S. Special Jury Award for its ensemble, and being nominated for the Dramatic Grand Jury Prize at Sundance — and it’s not hard to see why. Director Sean Wang infuses the story of 13-year-old Chris Wang ( Izaac Wang ) with heart, humor, and authenticity. Dìdi’ s specificity and voice elevate it above other young adult films, making it a special and personal experience. Not only does it capture the unique experience of growing up Taiwanese-American, but it also nails what it was like to be a kid in 2008 — particularly the internet culture of the time. Izaac Wang is overflowing with charisma, and it’s a treat to watch him struggle and triumph alike. Sean Wang doesn’t shy away from the messier parts of growing up, allowing Chris to make mistakes and learn from them. The movie shines brightest when it focuses on Chris’ dynamic with the women in his life, specifically his older sister Vivian ( Shirley Chen ), who he often butts heads with, and his mother Chungsing ( Joan Chen ), who has a beautiful arc of her own. Brimming with honesty and hilarity in equal measure, Dìdi is a crowd-pleaser that’s sure to join the ranks of coming-of-age classics. - Taylor Gates

A 13-year-old Taiwanese American boy discovers skating, flirting, and the true essence of maternal love beyond his family's teachings.

'Trap'

Anne Hathaway is not the only one getting more than she bargained for from a pop concert. The master of the twist who hasn’t had too hot of a streak recently ( Knock at the Cabin was decent, the less said about the beach that makes you Old , the better), M. Night Shyamalan is back with his latest psychological thriller, Trap . Doting father Cooper ( Josh Hartnett in a delightful return to leading roles ) is parent of the year for bringing his teenage daughter to see her favorite singer, Lady Raven, live in concert. As the trailer shows , Cooper starts to notice maximum security around the arena, and when he asks a worker what’s going on, he’s told that it’s all a trap for local serial killer The Butcher. Just when you think this is going to be a Tom Cruise -like mission to save one’s daughter, the trailer shows Hartnett’s Cooper check his phone to watch a livestream of a terrified man tied up and gagged. Is Copper The Butcher? It looks to be that way but with Shyamalan, you never know. - Emma Kiely

'Borderlands'

Video game adaptations are becoming “the next big thing” as Hollywood continues to iron out the kinks in the formula, proven by recent successes like The Last of Us and Fallout . Eli Roth looks to continue this trend by infusing his outlandish style into the upcoming adaptation of Borderlands . The film stars Cate Blanchett , Ariana Greenblatt , Jack Black , Jamie Lee Curtis , and Kevin Hart as the rag-tag group of Vaulthunters that must scavenge Pandora. If Roth’s film is anything like the franchise, audiences are in for a wild ride, filled with bandits, monsters, out-of-pocket humor, and wall-to-wall action. Borderlands is one of my favorite game series of all time because of the sheer depth of options and gameplay – it’s one of the most replayable trilogies out there. Hopefully, the film retains that depth, allowing for just as many rewatches as replays. - Garrett Blaney

Borderlands

A feature film based on the popular video game set on the abandoned fictional planet of Pandora where people search for a mysterious relic.

'Cuckoo'

'cuckoo' review: hunter schafer battles dan stevens in gleeful horror trip | sxsw 2024.

There is just something about Cuckoo that has stuck in my brain and won’t go away. Part of this comes down to the great duo of both Dan Stevens and Hunter Schafer , though it is also just the strange mind of writer-director Tilman Singer that holds it all together before breaking it apart. While those who have seen his previous film Luz will know some of what they’re getting themselves into, this is still a whole new work that takes us on a trip in more ways than one. At the center of this is the young Gretchen (Schafer) whose family has moved to a resort where little is what it seems. After taking a job at the hotel, she soon has a terrifying encounter in the night when trying to bike home. The fantastic scene involving shadows is merely the beginning of a film that is an assault on the eyes and ears in the best way possible - Chase Hutchinson

Cuckoo (2024)

A 17-year old girl is forced to move with her family to a resort where things are not what they seem.

'Alien: Romulus'

Though the quality of movies in the Alien franchise largely vacillates between masterpiece and forgettable dud, Alien: Romulus looks like the film is returning back to its survival horror roots with Fede Álvarez ( Don’t Breathe ) at the helm. Set in the time between the original Alien (1979) and Aliens (1986), Romulus leans into the horror elements of the series in a way the previous franchise entries haven’t. Visually and stylistically, Romulus feels reminiscent of the video game Alien: Isolation ( a comparison that even cast member Isabela Merced was making ), which is very good news. Given the thumbs up of approval from Ridley Scott , the film starring Cailee Spaeny , David Jonsson , Archie Renaux , Isabela Merced , Spike Fearn , and Aileen Wu might just be what the franchise needs to jolt it back to life. - Therese Lacson

Alien: Romulus

Young people from a distant world must face the most terrifying life form in the universe.

'​​​​​​​Blink Twice'​​​​​​​

The first trailer for Blink Twice , the directorial debut of Zoë Kravitz , begins with Channing Tatum talking about how everyone is dead, before we cut to a mansion on flames. From there, things get even wilder. Blink Twice follows Frida ( Naomi Ackie ), a waitress who is invited to the private island of the obscenely wealthy Slater King (Tatum). But, naturally, amongst all the partying and good times, there’s something seemingly sinister going on. Blink Twice also features Simon Rex , Alia Shawkat , Kyle MacLachlan , Christian Slater , Geena Davis , and Haley Joel Osment , and looks like a debaucherous wild time. Coming out near the end of the summer, Blink Twice seems like the type of late-August surprise that could make a much bigger-than-expected splash. - Ross Bonaime

Blink Twice

When tech billionaire Slater King meets cocktail waitress Frida at his fundraising gala, he invites her to join him and his friends on a dream vacation on his private island. As strange things start to happen, Frida questions her reality.

'The Crow'

Goth kids, rejoice! Starring Bill Skarsgård and FKA Twigs , The Crow is a remake of the 1994 cult classic. While the original film is associated with Brandon Lee ’s tragic death , The Crow of 2024 has been trapped in developmental hell since 2008, with a long list of directors and stars attached to it. From Bradley Cooper to Jason Momoa , the film ultimately landed Rupert Sanders ( Snow White and the Huntsman ) as the director and Skarsgård in the place of Eric Draven, the resurrected musician bent on getting revenge for the death of him and his fiancée. After the trailer drop , it’s hard to imagine anyone other than the It star leading the film. Oozing gothic and emo aesthetic, The Crow might just be able to live up to the legacy of this franchise. - Therese Lacson

The Crow (2024)

A modern re-imagining of the beloved character, The Crow, based on the original graphic novel by James O'Barr.

Unexpected Journey (2016)

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Anyone but You on Netflix, Monkey Man, and every new movie to watch at home this weekend

The Shakespeare-inspired rom-com finally comes to streaming

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Share All sharing options for: Anyone but You on Netflix, Monkey Man, and every new movie to watch at home this weekend

Greetings, Polygon readers! Each week, we round up the most notable new releases to streaming and VOD, highlighting the biggest and best new movies for you to watch at home.

This week, Monkey Man , the new action thriller starring and directed by Dev Patel, makes its debut on VOD. That’s not the only recent release coming to streaming this week, as the sapphic crime thriller Love Lies Bleeding starring Kristen Stewart and Katy O’Brian is also available to purchase and rent this weekend. The romantic comedy Anyone but You and the dark comedy drama Miller’s Girl come to Netflix, while the debut horror thriller Humane , directed by Caitlin Cronenberg, arrives on Shudder.

Here’s everything new that’s available to watch this weekend!

New on Netflix

Anyone but you.

Where to watch: Available to stream on Netflix

Genre: Romantic comedy Run time: 1h 44m Director: Will Gluck Cast: Sydney Sweeney, Glen Powell, Alexandra Shipp

Sydney Sweeney ( Euphoria ) and Glen Powell ( Top Gun: Maverick ) star in this romantic comedy loosely based on William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing as Bea and Ben, two young singles who become cold toward one another after an otherwise great first date. After unexpectedly being reunited at a destination wedding in Australia, the pair agree to pretend to be dating in order to ward off their exes. Shenanigans ensue!

Miller’s Girl

Genre: Black comedy drama Run time: 1h 33m Director: Jade Halley Bartlett Cast: Martin Freeman, Jenna Ortega, Dagmara Domińczyk

Martin Freeman ( The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey ) and Jenna Ortega ( Wednesday ) star in this thriller about a high school writing teacher who is seduced by a rich, bored, and manipulative young student. Things obviously go very, very badly.

From our review :

What Miller’s Girl does best — and what gives Ortega the chance to absolutely own this movie — is capture the particular era of adolescence where girls can easily swing back and forth between adulthood and childhood without warning. Ortega gets the chance here to play an outright predatory vamp and a giggling, shy schoolgirl without the sense that either one is a front or a put-on for Cairo. Her adult personality isn’t fully formed yet, and while she’s trying out faces the way she tries out words like “vituperative” in her writing, they’re still all part of her — and they’re all part of the reason Mr. Miller should know better than to engage with her as anything but a student.

New on Shudder

Where to watch: Available to stream on Shudder

Genre: Horror Run time: 1h 33m Director: Caitlin Cronenberg Cast: Jay Baruchel, Emily Hampshire, Sebastian Chacon

The feature debut from Caitlin Cronenberg is a horror thriller worthy of the family name. Set during a worldwide ecological collapse, Humane follows estranged siblings who learn that their father and mother have chosen to take part in a nationwide euthanasia program as a form of public service. When things go awry, the family will have to choose one of their own to offer up as a substitute participant. Naturally, things get personal.

New to rent

Where to watch: Available to rent on Amazon , Apple , and Vudu

Genre: Action thriller Run time: 2h 1m Director: Dev Patel Cast: Dev Patel, Sharlto Copley, Pitobash

Dev Patel stars in his directorial debut as an unnamed street kid who, years after his village was burned to the ground, earns a living as a monkey-masked fighter in an underground boxing club. He embarks on a campaign of brutal violence to exact revenge on the men responsible.

When Monkey Man finally shifts into gear for its action scenes, there’s a clearer vision at work — though perhaps “clear” isn’t the word for it. Patel, working with fight choreographer Brahim Chab and cinematographer Sharone Meir ( Whiplash ), shoots the fights up close and personal with a frenetic handheld camera that judders and whip-pans with the force of every blow, and deftly stitches these shots together into head-spinning, unbroken runs of movement. Influenced by Korean, Indonesian, and Bollywood action movies , what the style sometimes lacks in clarity it makes up in ferocity and impact. The desperation of Kid’s first bathroom battle with Rana is brilliantly conveyed (Kher is fantastic in an old-school heavy role), and the extended climax is intermittently stunning, although the editing sometimes struggles to maintain focus when things get busy.

Love Lies Bleeding

Genre: Romantic thriller Run time: 1h 44m Director: Rose Glass Cast: Kristen Stewart, Katy O’Brian, Jena Malone

The new thriller from Saint Maud director Rose Glass follows Lou (Kristen Stewart), a reclusive gym manager who falls in love with Jackie (Katy O’Brian), an ambitious bodybuilder who passes through town on her way to a Las Vegas competition. When Jackie runs afoul of Lou’s criminal father (Ed Harris), the two must find a way to escape their precarious situation in hopes of building a better life together.

Arthur the King

Where to watch: Available to rent on Amazon , Apple, and Vudu

Genre: Adventure Run time: 1h 47m Director: Simon Cellan Jones Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Simu Liu, Juliet Rylance

Mark Wahlberg stars in this new adventure thriller as Michael, a professional adventure racer desperate for one last chance at winning. After convincing a sponsor to back him, he and his team of fellow adventurers embark on a grueling 435-mile endurance race through the Dominican Republic. Pushed to his limits, Michael befriends a wounded stray dog he nicknames Arthur, who inspires him to press forward when all hope of winning seems lost.

Housekeeping for Beginners

Genre: Drama Run time: 1h 47m Director: Goran Stolevski Cast: Anamaria Marinca, Alina Serban, Samson Selim

This family drama from Of an Age director Goran Stolevski follows the story of Dita (Anamaria Marinca), a woman who promises her ailing partner Suada (Alina Serban) on her deathbed to raise her children. Having never wanted to be mother before, Dita is nonetheless faced with the challenge of opening her heart and forging a bond with her new family.

Genre: Drama Run time: 1h 35m Director: Lila Avilés Cast: Naíma Sentíes, Montserrat Marañón, Marisol Gasé

This heartfelt family drama centers on Sol (Naíma Sentíes), a 7-year-old girl spending the day at her grandfather’s house while her mother, aunts, and relatives prepare a surprise birthday party for her father. As the day wears on, Sol slowly realizes that the tragic truth under the otherwise joyous occasion, and is forced to reckon with how her life and world are about to change forever.

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Every Movie Releasing in Theaters in May 2024

We are heading into summer blockbuster season, and May will feature several highly anticipated films.

While some audiences prefer to wait for streaming, watching films from the comfort of their home, many cinephiles continue to head to the movie theater each weekend to see the latest releases. It's hard to argue that anything can beat the theatrical experience, especially during the summer blockbuster season, when big-budget visual spectacles are seemingly released every week.

However, the beginning of 2024 has already started strong. In April 2024, audiences saw the release of several highly anticipated films, such as The First Omen , Monkey Man , and, most recently, Challengers . With many more films on the horizon, movie enthusiasts will have a few busy months ahead of them this year. That being said, May 2024 alone boasts several intriguing releases, with films like Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes being among the most anticipated. So, without further ado, here's a list of every movie coming to theaters in May 2024 .

The Fall Guy

Watch it in theaters on may 3.

Ryan Gosling, who received an Academy Award nod for Best Supporting Actor for Barbie , has now teamed up with Bullet Train director David Leitch for The Fall Guy , an explosive action film based on the 1980s TV series of the same name. The film follows Colt Seavers (Ryan Gosling), a Hollywood stuntman who is invited by his ex-girlfriend, Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt), to perform stunts for the star of her high-budget movie. However, when the star goes missing, Colt must go to any length to find him so that he can reconcile with his ex, whom he still loves. The Fall Guy opens in cinemas on May 3, 2024.

Tarot is an upcoming horror thriller that could prove to be the ideal summer flick for fans of the genre. The film, starring Humberly Gonzalez, Avantika, Jacob Batalon, and Larsen Thompson, follows a group of college friends who find themselves in a pinch after breaking the sacred rules of Tarot cards. With death seemingly unavoidable, the teenagers must find a way out of their grim predicament. Tarot will be available in theaters on May 3, 2024.

Tarot (2024)

Kingdom of the planet of the apes, watch it in theaters on may 10.

Usually, modern reboots go sideways and seldom succeed; however, the Planet of the Apes trilogy ( Rise , Dawn , War ) found plenty of success once the first reboot film was released in 2011. With so much transpiring in the first three movies, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes , the eagerly anticipated sequel, offers a lot of hope for the franchise's fans.

Planet of the Apes: Facts you Didn't Know About the Franchise

Set many years after Caesar's reign, apes now dominate the world while humans struggle under the tyrannical rule of a vicious ape king. Amid it all, a young ape embarks on a journey that forces it to question everything it has been taught about the past and make difficult decisions that will determine the future of both species.

Watch It in Theaters on May 17

We have a lot of what-ifs in our lives, but most children have only one: meeting their imaginary friends in real life. IF , written and directed by John Krasinski , portrays the narrative through the lenses of Ryan Reynolds and Cailey Fleming, who play Cal and Bea, respectively.

In the film, a young girl goes through an emotional journey when she sees her abandoned imaginary friends following a traumatic incident. However, would this adventure provide her with valuable experiences that will help her heal from her troubled past, or will it only make things worse? IF will be released theatrically on May 17, 2024.

The Strangers: Chapter 1

The Strangers is a popular horror franchise that has released two films so far, the first in 2008 and the second in 2018. While the first film was highly praised, the second garnered mixed reviews; nonetheless, Lionsgate Films intends to revive the franchise with a new installment, The Strangers: Chapter 1 .

31 Best Horror Movies on Hulu to Watch Right Now

The plot revolves around a young couple forced to spend the night in a remote cabin when their car breaks down in a countryside town. Although everything appears to be peaceful, the problem arises when three masked intruders begin tormenting them for no reason. The Strangers: Chapter 1 will be available in theaters on May 17, 2024.

Babes is an upcoming comedy film starring Michelle Buteau and Ilana Glazer that explores the hardships of pregnant women as well as the bond that develops among females during this period. The film, which serves as Pamela Adlon's directorial debut, follows Eden, who becomes pregnant from a one-night stand with a stranger and decides to raise the baby. However, she is not alone in her struggle as her married best friend, who is also a mother of two, is willing to accompany her along the journey. Babes will open in cinemas on May 17, 2024.

Babes (2024)

Furiosa: a mad max saga, watch it in theaters on may 24.

Along with Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes , Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is the most anticipated film of May. The film serves as a prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road and tells the origin story of Furiosa, who was abducted from the Green Place many years ago by the merciless bike horde led by Dementus. As war rages among other tyrants, Furiosa must summon the resolve to survive and find her way back home. The film, starring Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth, will be released in theaters on May 24, 2024.

The Garfield Movie

The Garfield Movie is an upcoming animated adventure comedy featuring Chris Pratt , Samuel L. Jackson, Hannah Waddingham, and Ving Rhames as voice actors. It is directed by Mark Dindal, known for his earlier works Chicken Little and The Emperor's New School , and will be released in theaters on May 24, 2024, via Columbia Pictures. The official synopsis for the film is as follows:

"Garfield, the world-famous, Monday-hating, lasagna-loving indoor cat, is about to have a wild outdoor adventure! After an unexpected reunion with his long-lost father – scruffy street cat Vic – Garfield and his canine friend Odie are forced from their perfectly pampered life into joining Vic in a hilarious, high-stakes heist."

While these are some of the most anticipated theatrical releases coming out in May 2024, here's a list of every other film you should be looking forward to:

• Want Love?...
• Jeanne du Barry
• Dragonkeeper
• Mars Express
• Finding the Money
• I Saw the TV Glow
• Evil Does Not Exist
• Thabo and the Rhino Case
• Not Another Church Movie
• The Image of You
• Back to Black (wide release)
• The Blue Angels
• Queen of the Deuce
• The Commandant's Shadow
• Terra Infirma
• Robot Dreams
• In a Violent Nature
• The Dead Don't Hurt
• Young Woman and the Sea (limited theatrical release)
• Haikyuu!! The Dumpster Battle
• Summer Camp
• Hidden Master: The Legacy of George Platt Lynes

Former pirate Johnny Depp returns to the screen as King Louis XV. But will audiences care?

It’s a long way from “Pirates of the Caribbean” to the Palace of Versailles.

But that’s the journey of Johnny Depp , who goes from playing an 18th-century pirate scoundrel to an 18th-century monarch, France’s King Louis XV, in the French-language film “Jeanne du Barry” ( in theaters Thursday ). The movie officially marks Depp's acting comeback from Hollywood limbo.

Think of "Jeanne du Barry" as a subtitled combination of “Napoleon” and “Pretty Woman," a stunningly costumed and photographed exploration of how a dynamic modern woman turns stereotypes and preconceptions upside down.

The film opened the Cannes Film Festival last May, where a tense Depp told journalists , "I don't have much further need for Hollywood."

The star will no doubt prefer the publicity surrounding his screen return to the glaring spotlight ignited by his 2022 defamation case against his ex-wife, actress and model Amber Heard. Though a civil jury ultimately awarded Depp $10 million and Heard $2 million , the trial exposed shocking claims of mutual physical and emotional abuse.

Depp, 60, started out targeting a career in rock 'n' roll, and over the decades, he has played with icons ranging from Joe Perry to Jeff Beck. But his switch to acting, turbocharged by his ‘80s TV series “21 Jump Street,” led to three best actor Oscar nominations (no wins) and an iconic role in the “Pirates" franchise.

Here's what we know about Depp’s latest star turn.

Where is 'Jeanne du Barry' streaming?

"Jeanne du Barry" is in theaters only for five days (May 2-6). The movie will stream on Apple TV+ at a later date.

Does Johnny Depp speak French in his new movie 'Jeanne du Barry'?

Yes, Depp delivers all his lines in French in this French movie with English subtitles. His accent is excellent, although his lines are kept concise – more short statements than rambling speeches – to best keep the illusion that he's a native speaker.

Why does Depp, who is from Kentucky, speak French? From 1998 to 2012, he was in a relationship with French actress and singer Vanessa Paradis. The couple share two children and spent their time together shuttling between the U.S. and France.

What is Johnny Depp’s new movie 'Jeanne du Barry' about?

“Jeanne du Barry” is based on true events. The title character was a French commoner turned courtesan (a polite term for high-class prostitute) who lived from 1743 to 1793. She was eventually introduced to King Louis XV, who not only took her as a mistress but also grew deeply fond of the spirited, intelligent woman.

The relationship between the king and the courtesan gathered steam after the king’s wife died, but their love affair scandalized high society. As the French Revolution neared, upending the rule of monarchs, du Barry’s fate took an unexpected turn.

Who else is the cast of 'Jeanne du Barry'?

The true force behind “Jeanne du Barry” is Depp’s co-star, Maïwenn Aurélia Nedjma Le Besco, 48, known simply as Maïwenn. She plays du Barry, but also co-wrote and directed the film. Maïwenn, whose professional incarnations have included stand-up comedian, actress and filmmaker, has had a complex personal life.

She met French director Luc Besson (“The Fifth Element”) when she was just 12 (he was 29), married him at 16, and immediately had a daughter with him, Shanna. When she was 20 in 1996, Besson left her for his “Fifth Element” star Milla Jovovich.

Maïwenn stirred controversy when she was quoted in Britain's The Independent as saying Depp was "scary" and difficult to work with on the set. She later clarified those comments , saying she was simply referring to the actor's inherent star status.

Is Johnny Depp planning to make another ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ movie?

Speculation and rumors continue to swirl around whether Depp will ever return to his role as Captain Jack Sparrow, a perpetually drunk and exceedingly crafty pirate who pilots his Black Pearl while plundering treasure around the Caribbean. The movie series, based on a Disney theme park ride of the same name, ran from 2003 to 2017 and has grossed $4.5 billion worldwide.

But while another installment would provide a lucrative payday for Depp, fans should temper expectations. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer cryptically told ComicBook.com in March that “we're gonna reboot ‘Pirates.’ ” But whether Depp will be a part of such a comeback remains unclear.

During the Depp v. Heard trial, the actor was asked by Heard's lawyer Ben Rottenborn : "The fact is, Mr. Depp, if Disney came to you with $300 million and a million alpacas, nothing on this earth would get you to go back and work with Disney on a 'Pirates of the Caribbean' film? Correct?"

Depp's curt response: “That is true.”

Beyoncé and Blue Ivy Carter Star in New Film, 'Mufasa: The Lion King'

CBS Photo Archive

Beyoncé and Blue Ivy are tag-teaming in a new movie.

ABC reports that the mother-daughter duo has been cast in an upcoming Barry Jenkins film, "Mufasa: The Lion King." The action-packed trailer debuted Monday (April 29) on "Good Morning America."

Beyoncé Sends Her New Friend Tyler Flowers, a Gift And a Note Proclaiming Their Friendship

"This story begins far beyond the mountains and the shadows, on the other side of the light. A lion was born without a drop of nobility in his blood. A lion who would change our lives forever," says the voiceover in the tease. "The earth will shake. Destiny awaits you."

Beyoncé will reprise her role as Nala from the 2019 live-action "Lion King" alongside Donald Glover as Simba. Her daughter, Blue Ivy, will portray Kiara,  the daughter of King Simba and Queen Nala. The cast also includes Aaron Pierre as the voice of Mufasa and Tiffany Boone as Sarabi.

Barry Jenkins, known for award-winning films "If Beale Street Could Talk" and "Moonlight," discussed what inspired him to give Mufasa an origin story.

"The journey of this film is kind of understanding how someone can build a family out of these very disparate parts," he told the outlet. He also hopes this will inspire "how people who may be alone can find strength by coming together."

His connection to the classic 1994 tale was rooted in his taking up residence with his sister, watching her raise her two sons as a single mom.

"It's the first time you see children really process grief in a way that is very direct and blunt, and yet the film presents it in a way that they're made whole," he explained. "So it had this very special meaning for me. That was a really hard time for my sister and I, but this was something that was really beautiful."

"Mufasa: The Lion King" is slated to premiere on December 20.

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Tags: Don't-Miss Indies / Lists

Film Independent Wed 5.1.2024

Don’t-Miss Indies: What to Watch in May

by Su Fang Tham

In the 1990s and 2000s, May (and specifically Memorial Day) typically marked the beginning of Summer Movie Season. Multiplexes nationwide were packed to the emergency exits with big names, big explosions and (presumably) big box office. The film industry has changed since then, obviously, and summer no longer packs the same high-octane punch that it once did. But in this evolution, release schedule space has opened up for a stellar month of Don’t-Miss Indies titles.

JEANNE DU BARRY

When You Can Watch: May 3  

Where You Can Watch: Theaters

Director: Maiwenn  

Cast: Maiwenn, Johnny Depp, Benjamin Lavernhe, Melvin Poupaud, Pierre Richard

Why We’re Excited: In 18th-century France, Jeanne Vaubernier (Maïwenn, also the film’s director), a common girl eager to climb the social ladder uses her distinct charms to convince her lover, the Count du Barry (Melvin Poupaud) to introduce her to the King, Louis XV (Depp). The Count organizes the meeting through the intermediary of the influential Duke of Richelieu (Pierre Richard). But it soon becomes clear that Jeanne’s true intensions include making Versailles her own domain. It’s love (or at least ambition and lust) at first sight between the impetuous social-climber and the King. With Jeanne as his courtesan, the King rediscovers his taste for life, so much so that he can no longer do without her and decides to make her his official favorite.

When You Can Watch:  May 3  

Where You Can Watch: Theaters, Fi Presents  

Director: Ethan Hawke  

Cast: Maya Hawke, Rafael Casal, Philip Ettinger, Cooper Hoffman, Steve Zahn, Laura Linney  

Why We’re Excited: One of this May’s Film Independent Presents screenings, Wildcat is Film Independent Spirit Award winner Ethan Hawke’s ( Blaze ) fifth directing feature. A biographical drama about Southern Gothic author Flannery O’Connor and her troubled journey toward publishing her first novel, the story begins in 1950, when a 24-year-old Flannery (played by Ethan’s IRL daughter and Stranger Things star, Maya Hawke) is diagnosed with the same disease that took her father’s life. As she visits her mother Regina (Linney) in Georgia, her health crisis drives her deeper into spiritual—and literary—exploration. Following our May 5 screening, there will be a Q&A with Ethan Hawke, moderated by Film Independent President Josh Welsh.

THE LAST STOP IN YUMA COUNTY

When You Can Watch:  May 10  

Where You Can Watch: Theaters (Limited), VOD, Fi Presents

Director: Francis Galluppi  

Cast: Jim Cummings, Jocelin Donahue, Richard Brake  

Why We’re Excited: Premiering at genre Mecca Fantastic Fest last year, this old school crime thriller is writer-director Francis Galluppi’s feature debut. The neo-Western heist caper follows a traveling knife salesman (Cummings, a Spirit Awards nominee for Thunder Road ) who is stranded while waiting at a rest stop in rural Arizona. When two bank robbers stumble into the diner after fleeing their latest heist, the salesman soon finds himself caught in a violent hostage crisis. Galluppi, Cummings, Donahue, and cinematographer Mac Fisken will be on hand for a Q&A following our May 1 Film Independent screening . Producer Atif Malik is a Member of Film Independent.

THE IDEA OF YOU

When You Can Watch:  May 2  

Where You Can Watch:  Amazon Prime

Director: Michael Showalter   

Cast: Anne Hathaway, Nicholas Galitzine, Ella Rubin, Reid Scott  

Why We’re Excited: For this May-December romcom, writer-director Showalter ( The Eyes of Tammy Faye , Hulu’s The Dropout ) has adapted Robinne Lee’s debut novel from 2017. Spirit Awards alum Hathaway ( The Devil Wears Prada , Les Misérables ) plays 40-year-old single mom Solène, who decides to bring her teenage daughter to Coachella. When she meets the lead singer of “the hottest boyband on the planet,” Hayes (Galitzine, of the Starz series Mary & George )—16 years her junior—sparks fly and the two unexpectedly cultivate a budding romance. The closing film of last month’s SXSW festival, the movie was shot in Georgia. Film Independent’s DNA is prevalent throughout this project: writer and EP Jennifer Westfeldt is a Fast Track Fellow, while cinematographer Jim Frohna is a Directing Lab Fellow. The producing team also includes Fellow Jordana Mollick and member Cathy Schulman.

Where You Can Watch: Theaters  

Director: Katherine Propper  

Cast: Sauve Sidle, Alexander Brackney, Malachi Mabson  

Why We’re Excited: In her feature debut, filmmaker Katherine Propper examines ambition and friendship, set to a hip-hop soundtrack that will surely please fans of SoundCloud rap. After his best friend Wesley (Stillwell) overdoses at a party, aspiring rapper Sol (Sidle, also in his feature debut) leaves home on a journey of self-discovery through Texas. On the way, he joins a crew of artists en route to Los Angeles to make it in the music world. Associate Producer Dana Reilly is a Member of Film Independent.

LITTLE WING  

When You Can Watch: March 13  

Where You Can Watch: Paramount+   

Director: Dean Israelite  

Cast: Brooklynn Prince, Che Tafari, Kelly Reilly, Brian Cox  

Why We’re Excited: One of our April Fi Presents screenings, this coming-of-age drama is based on a 2006 Susan Orlean article from the New Yorker . Reeling from her parents’ divorce and dreading the loss of their home, teenager Kaitlyn “Kat” (Prince) and best friend Adam (Tafari) are given two pigeons by a family friend. But they soon find themselves dragged into the world of competitive pigeon racing once Kat gets the idea of stealing a prized racing pigeon worth $120,000 from renowned breeder Jaan (Brian Cox from HBO’s Succesion ), in the hopes of saving her house. Check out the post-screening Q&A with Israelite, producer Naomi Despres, and writers John Gatins and Susan Orlean here .

Director: Chris Pine  

Cast: Chris Pine, Annette Bening, John Ortiz, Ariana DeBose, DeWanda Wise  

Why We’re Excited: Best known for his roles as Captain Kirk in the Star Trek films as well as the star of projects ranging from The Finest Hours to Wonder Woman , Chris Pine is the latest actor to turn his attention to directing. Co-written with Ian Gotler, the Lebowski -esque neo-noir comedy follows eccentric pool cleaner Darren, an eccentric but well-intentioned activist always trying to make things better for his fellow Angelenos. When a femme fatale (Wise) asks for his help to tackle corruption in the city, he enlists the help of his best pal Dianne (two-time Spirit Award nominee, Bening) to uncover a water heist in his hometown. Producer Patty Jenkins is a Film Independent Member.

THE BLUE ANGELS

When You Can Watch: May 17  

Where You Can Watch: Theaters (IMAX) and Amazon Prime (May 23)  

Director: Paul Crowder  

Why We’re Excited: Filmed for IMAX, this Amazon MGM Studios docuseries is a unique, in-depth look into the elite precision flying demonstration team of the United States Navy, aka the “Blue Angels.” With never-before-seen footage that takes you inside the cockpit of an F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet, the film—from producer J.J. Abrams and Top Gun: Maverick star Glen Powell—follows a squadron for a year, from the demanding selection and training regimen through the arduous eight-month show season across the globe. Viewers can enjoy the theatrical experience in IMAX for one week before the film streams globally on Prime. The producing team also includes Film Independent Members Hannah Minghella and Allison Sokol.

When You Can Watch: Now  

Where You Can Watch:  Netflix  

Creator: Steven Zaillian  

Cast: Andrew Scott, Dakota Fanning, Johnny Flynn, Eliot Sumner  

Why We’re Excited: Previously made famous to viewing audiences by Matt Damon in the 1999 feature adaptation of the Patricia Highsmith’s 1995 novel, this limited series’ Tom Ripley is played by Andrew Scott, a recent Spirit Award nominee for All of Us Strangers . Set in 1950s New York, cunning conman Tom Ripley (Scott) is hired by a wealthy industrialist to coax his playboy son Dickie Greenleaf (Flynn) home from an extended sojourn in Italy. But stepping into Greenleaf’s lavish world of riches proves too tempting for Tom—he’ll soon stop at nothing to claim the luxurious lifestyle as his own. Already garnering Emmy buzz after last month’s debut, the series is shot entirely in black-and-white. Line producer Joe Guest is a Film Independent Member.

Where You Can Watch:  Theaters (Limited)  

Directors: Marija Kavtaradzė  

Cast: Greta Grinevičiūtė, Kęstutis Cicėnas, Pijus Ganusauskas, Laima Akstinaitė  

Why We’re Excited: From Film Independent Senior Programmer Jenn Wilson: “Marija Kavtaradze’s film  Slow,  a winner at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, is about something that’s rarely depicted on film–a romantic relationship between a heterosexual woman and a man, but in this case, the man in question happens to be asexual. Elena (Greta Grineviciute), a dance teacher, meets Dovydas (Kestutis Cicenas), a sign language interpreter, when a group of deaf students comes to take her dance class. They have instant chemistry and start hanging out, but when things start to get more intense, Dovydas (Kestutis Cicenas) reveals something unexpected: he’s an asexual man. But he’s not aromantic, which means he does not have a sexual attraction to women but can have romantic feelings for women. Greta decides to give a relationship with Dovydas a chance, but because this is a new experience for Greta, they run into conflicts. The performances in the film by the two leads are excellent, but the most spectacular thing is the storytelling and specificity about this segment of the population (asexual/aromantic) that mainstream society tends to know so little about. Of course everyone falls in a different place on the spectrum of sexuality, and the film is a great examination, no matter where you fall, of romantic feelings vs. sexual feelings and whether one can exist without the other. Slow is such a fascinating film, and Marija Kavtaradze and her performers are exciting new discoveries to watch out for.”

Film Independent Fellow or Member

Film Independent Presents Screening, Q&A

Microbudget

Filmmaker or Lead Characters of Color

Film Independent Spirit Award Winner or Nominee

Female Filmmaker

LGBT Filmmaker or Lead LGBT Characters

First-time Filmmaker

(Header: Lost Soulz )