The Rule of Jenny Pen (2024)

Released March 7, 2025, in the US.

Filming location(s) unknown.

The story: Stefan Mortensen is an elderly judge.

One day, while holding court, he suffers a stroke.

The next thing he knows, he is wheelchair bound and in a rest home.

Stefan is suffering from all this change, but he is hopeful that once he recovers, his life will be back to normal.

He shares a room with aging rugby player Tony Garfield, who Stefan soon finds out is tormented by, without consequence,  another elderly resident, Dave Crealy.

Mr. Crealy happens to have been an employee at the rest home, who, of course, knows how to get around the place without any of the caretakers catching on.

So when he begins harassing and brutalizing Stefan, the caretakers will not listen.

You see, Mr. Crealy, who is never without his accomplice, eyeless handpuppet Jenny Pen, plays the role of a confused man who is in need of help from the caretakers.

But the reality is that Mr. Crealy is a bully who gets away with tormenting the other residents.

So much so that he is a danger to them all.

Stars Geoffrey Rush, Ian Mune , George Henare , Fiona Collins , Yvette Parsons , John Lithgow , Bruce Phillips , Richard Chapman , Maaka Pohatu , Annie Ruth , Hilary Norris , Nick Blake

Directed by (& story partly written) James Ashcroft

Rated R
MYSTERY/THRILLER/HORROR

Cobweb (2023)

Released October 20th in the US.

Filmed in Bulgaria.
The story: Young Peter, who lives with his mom and dad in an old house, is unable to sleep.

Every night, he hears noises in the wall in his bedroom...

His parents check, but they hear nothing.

The problems at home are also showing up at school. 

When his new, very nice substitute teacher visits his home to check on him, his mother is completely bothered.

Soon, Peter finds himself home all the time and completely isolated, other than being with his parents, now that they believe homeschooling is the answer for him.

But when the noises in the wall turn into voices that seem to know Peter, things get really complicated.

Stars Woody Norman , Lizzy Caplan , Antony Starr , Cleopatra Coleman , Luke Busey , Anton Kottas , Jay Rincon , Aleksandra Dragova , Jivko Mihaylov , Alexander Carra , Iliyan Nikolov

Directed by Samuel Bodin

Rated R
MYSTERY/THRILLER/HORROR

The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (2025)

Released on Hulu instant streaming, October 22nd in the US.

Filmed entirely in California.

The story: Caitlin is a young mother who is expecting.

One day at work, she meets Polly Murphy, who is looking for an apartment.

The two seem to hit it off a bit and then part ways.

Fast forward to after Caitlin's baby is born.

She is out shopping with her two kids when she runs into Polly.

After chatting a while, Polly notices Caitlin could probably use some help with the kids.

She offers to babysit for Caitlin is she ever needs her to, claiming that she used to be a nanny.

They exchange numbers and part once more.

Caitlin looks into Polly's reference and thinks she is legit so she calls her.

Right away, Polly steps into the nanny role seemingly like a pro, which satisfies Caitlin.

But there really is a sinister reason for the fact that Polly has made her way into Caitlin and her family's life.

Stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Maika Monroe , Raul Castillo , Martin Starr , Riki Lindhome , Mileiah Vega , Lola Contreras , Nora Contreras , Yvette Lu , Shannon Cochran , Arabella Olivia Clark

Directed by Michelle Garza Cervera

Rated R
REMAKE/MYSTERY/THRILLER

Spaceman (2024)

Released February 23rd in the US.

Filmed in the Czech Republic and New York.

The story: Jakub is a scientist who has become the first Czech astronaut.

He has currently been on a six-month mission, alone on Jupiter, to explore the end of the solar system.

This makes him quite the hero with the people of his country, but not so much with his wife, who is currently pregnant with their child.

Because of the many demons Jakub faces, he feels, against his wife's wishes, that he must be the person to do this mission.

While in space, going through the regular, daily motions, Jakub encounters what he believes is possibly contamination to his spacecraft in the shape of a giant spider...

After some time, he realizes that what he believed was a virus is actually an alien spider who has come in peace to join him to learn about him and his mission...

Jakub cannot believe what is happening and doesn't know if it is real or his imagination.

But the spider quickly grows on him, causing Jakub to remember all the things in his life that have led up to this point.

Stars Adam Sandler , Isabella Rossellini , Kunal Nayyar (voice), Paul Dano , Carey Mulligan , Lena Olin , Petr Papanek , Marian Roden , Zuzana Stivinova , John Flanders , Sunny Sandler , Sinead Phelps

Directed by Johan Renck

Rated R
SCIFI/MYSTERY

The Boogeyman ; Stephen King's (2023)

Released June 2nd in the US.

Filmed entirely in Louisiana.

The story: The recent death of high school student Sadie and her little sister Sawyer's mother has devastated them, but Sadie is having the hardest time.

Their father, Will, is there, but he doesn't exactly know how to go about helping his girls deal with their grief, although he is a therapist.

After Will sees Sawyer and Sadie off to school for the day, he is visited by Lester Billings, an unexpected visitor who says he needs to speak to Will because he's a therapist.

Will doesn't usually see clients without an appointment, but Lester is adamant that he talk to him.

Will sits and allows Lester to tell him what is going on. 

He is clearly in distress and explains that all three of his children were killed by "something" that lives in the darkness, something that kills children while their parents are not looking...

But Lester believes people will think he is responsible because his story seems too outrageous.

When Will excuses himself to call the police, thinking Lester is crazy, Lester offs himself in Will's deceased wife's studio.

Or does he?

Stars Vivien Lyra Blair , Sophie Thatcher , Chris Messina , David Dastmalchian , Cristala Carter , Madison Hu , Lisa Gay Hamilton , Leeann Ross , Maddie Nichols , Rio Machado , Marin Ireland

Directed by Rob Savage

Rated PG13

MYSTERY/THRILLER/SCIFI/HORROR

The First Omen (2024)

Released April 5th in the US.

Filmed in Italy and Serbia.

The story : Rome , 1971.

Young , American nun Margaret Daino has come all the way from her hometown of Pittsfield , Massachusetts to begin a new life , living and working at a Catholic orphanage.

She is very excited to be there, brought into the church by a wise Cardinal who she loves and trusts and has known all her life.

Soon she meets even younger Carlita , who is an orphan the nuns keep locked away in a room by herself.

Margaret has much sympathy for Carlita and cannot imagine she could do anything wrong enough to be locked away from the world.

When the nuns notice Margaret taking a liking to Carlita , they try to sway her from paying much attention.

All of this confuses poor Margaret and soon she is approached by a priest who asks her to get the birth records of Carlita , who he claims is a child the church helped bring into the world as the Antichrist.

Margaret believes the priest to be out of his mind but after finding said files and realizing he was right , she begins plotting her and Carlita's escape.

Stars Nell Tiger Free , Bill Nighy , Sonia Braga , Maria Caballero , Ishtar Currie Wilson , Dora Romano , Eugenia Delbue , Donatella Bartoli , Tawfeek Barhom , Nicole Sorace , Federica Santoro , Ralph Ineson , Andrea Arcangeli , Charles Dance , Guido Quaglione , Anton Alexander , Michelangelo Dalisi

Directed by Arkasha Stevenson

Rated R
PREQUEL/HORROR/SCIFI 

Takeout (2025)

Made for Tubi, airing on instant streaming September 19th in the US.

Filming location(s) unknown.

The story: There is a serial killer on the loose who the media refers to as the Dollkeeper, due to leaving creepy dolls at the scene of each crime. 

Working the night shift this evening at the local diner are manager Harper, cook Bennie, and waitress Nova.

Nova happens to see the latest news coverage about a missing woman who could easily be missing due to the killer. 

The news cast also includes mention of a big reward for any help tracking the killer down.

Before long, a strange customer shows up. He gives Nova a bad feeling.

She convinces Bennie that the strange guy in the dining area is the killer.

While talking about it, Harper appears, complaining that they aren't working.

Bennie and Nova then convince Harper of the same thing they are thinking.

The three concoct a quick plan to check out the strange guy's car, with Nova getting his keys and getting into the car.

What Nova finds is more than enough proof that the guy who gives her the creeps is the killer, only the three run into one small problem.

There is no call-out service....

Stars Nkone Mametja , Darron Meyer , Jandile Lujabe , Deoudone Pretorius , Damien Wantenaar , Alex McGregor , Keeno Lee Hector , Nikita Faber , Robyn Scott , Daniel Janks , Grant Ross , Gia Capouya

Directed by (& story written) Jem Garrard

Not Rated 

MYSTERY/THRILLER

Good Boy (2025)

Released October 3rd in the US.

Filming location(s) unknown.

The story: Todd is a very sick man.

He has been receiving experimental treatment for his illness, but things aren't going well.

Alongside him is his faithful dog, Indy.

When Todd decides he needs to get away, he takes Indy out to his grandfather's old house in the woods.

There, many strange things happen to the point that the whole experience is a completely terrifying one for Indy.

No matter what happens out there though, Indy stays by Todd's side, always guarding and watching over him with his life.

Stars Indy the dog, Shane Jensen, Arielle Friedman, Larry Fessenden, Max the dog , (voice) Anya Krawcheck, (voice) Stuart Rudin , Hunter Goetz, Noah Manzoor

Directed by Ben Leonburg

Rated PG13

THRILLER/MYSTERY/HORROR

The Deeper You Dig (2019)

Released June 5 , 2020 in the US.
Filmed entirely in New York.

The story : Ivy , a woman who makes a living as a tarot card reader , lives a quiet life with her 14-year-old daughter Echo.

Down the street from them Kurt just moved into an old , beatup house which he will restore and flip.

One evening , when Kurt is returning home after dinner and drinks , he accidentially runs over Echo , who had been sledding into the road...

Because he had been drinking , Kurt decides he just cannot call the police.

Instead , he takes Echo to his house with the intention of burying her and when the ground gets softer , he does just that.

Soon Kurt begins having visions of Echo , which ends up making him a bit crazy.

So crazy that she literally gets into Kurt's head.

Stars Toby Poser , Zelda Adams , John Adams , Inderpreet Singh Khangura , Milli Lupinetti , Joan Poser , Bob Lane , Izzy Figueredo , Rick Miller , Shawn Wilson

Directed by ( & story written) John Adams , Zelda Adams & Toby Poser

Not Rated

MYSTERY/THRILLER/HORROR/SCIFI

Skincare (2024)

Released August 16th in the US.

Filmed in California.

The story: Hope Goldman is a famous aesthetician.

She is on the verge of releasing her own skincare line and is very proud of it.

One day , Hope finds that there is a new skincare professional who has moved in right across the way from her shop.

This worries her at first and then angers her once she meets the owner, Angel Vergara.

Soon , Hope sees more and more of her clients visiting Angel while she sees less and less clients in general.

It's not helping matters that her rent is due, and she cannot afford it.

After getting to know a friend of a friend, who claims to be a life coach, Hope begins seeing things in a new light.

But that doesn't last long because apparently someone is trying to ruin her life and her business by sabotaging her every move.

Stars Elizabeth Banks , Lucy Barrett , Michaela Jae Rodriguez , Wendie Malick , Lewis Pullman , Luis Gerardo Mendez , Nathan Fillion , Jason Manuel Olazabal , Erik Palladino , Ella Balinska , Medalion Rahimi  , Jesse Saler , John Pollono , James Logan , Ivana Rojas , Georgia Leva , Julie Chang

Directed by (& story partly written) Austin Peters

Rated R

MYSTERY/THRILLER

Restless (2024)

Released May 23 , 2025 in the US.

Filmed in England.

The story: Nicky is a quiet woman who lives alone with her cat and likes baking as a way to wind down.

One day, unexpectedly, she finds that she has a new neighbor moving into the duplex beside her.

Quickly, Nicky finds her new neighbor loud among other things.

She tries speaking to him, but he really doesn't do much to change his behavior.

It seems every other day, Nicky's neighbor is having a party with loud music.

Nicky tries getting her neighbors involved to sign a petition to get her neighbor to stop the noise, but no one wants to get involved.

At her wits' end, Nicky takes her spare key for her neighbor's house and takes matters into her own hands.

But that only makes matters worse.

Then, when her cat goes missing, she really loses control.

Just when she thinks the only way to end the nonsense is to kill her neighbor, another, much easier revenge solution arises.

Stars Lyndsey Marshal , Kate Robbins , Aston McAuley , Matt Emery , Declan Adamson , Denzel Baidoo , Gillian Daniels , Ken Doherty , Peter Dean , Jay Fisher , Ciara Ford , Juliet Guiness , Tom Keller

Directed by (& story written) Jed Hart

Not Rated

DRAMA/MYSTERY/THRILLER

Catching Fire : The Story of Anita Pallenberg (2023)

Released May 3 , 2024 in the US.

Filming location(s) unknown.

The story: When Anita died in 2017 at the age of 75, her son Marlon and his kids began going through her things in search of legal papers.

What they found was her manuscript.

A diary of sorts, all typed, consisting of memories and experiences that became her life.

Marlon believes it is her way of being seen and heard for who she really was, and the time for that is now.

A war baby of German/Italian descent. Residing in Rome and attending school in Germany.

Anita caused her family much trouble, and she couldn't wait to spread her wings and fly away.

At 19, she had already done some modeling and acting, but wanting to be in movies, she traveled to New York.

She could barely speak English.

It was 1963, and with some phone numbers and charm, Anita found herself in the downtown scene.

She began washing the paint brushes of Jasper Johns and met Andy Warhol and his rabbits, all while making lifetime friendships.

She was modeling, but didn't take it seriously, although it helped her travel the world.

Before she knew it, she was in Munich at a Rolling Stones concert, where she found herself backstage due to a dare.

Right away, she took to Brian Jones, and before long, they were inseparable.

Things were great for a while, and then the couple began using psychedelics.

Anita stopped modeling, and things were fine, until they weren't.

Brian was changing, and he was becoming harder for Anita to deal with.

When Anita, Brian, and Keith all took a trip together and Brian ended up in the hospital, Anita and Keith carried on without him.

Soon they were becoming a couple, and when finally able to live together, they were always together.

Things were strong between Anita and Keith until the hard drugs moved into their relationship, changing the whole scene once again.

Through it all, Anita raised two children, acted in movies, and carried on,  living every day with a passion that was unseen by many of her close friends.

Stars Marlon Richards, Volker Schlondorff, Metka Kosak, Stash Klossowski (voice), Marianne Faithfull (voice), Keith Richards, Angela Richards, Theda Zawaiza, Kate Moss, Sandro Sursock (voice), Scarlett Johansson

Directed by Alexis Bloom & Svetlana Zill

Not Rated

HISTORY/BIOGRAPHY/DOCUMENTARY

"I've been called a witch. A slut...and a murderer.

I've been hounded by the police and slandered by the press.

Maybe people confuse me with the characters I've played in films.

Like I'm an empty sign, onto which they project their fantasies and their shortcomings.

But I don't need to settle the scores.

I'm reclaiming my soul."

Kid 90 (2021)

Released through Hulu, on instant streaming,  March 12th in the US.

Filmed in Los Angeles.

The story: Soleil Moon Frye was born on August 6, 1976.

She had a very regular childhood, with supportive but separated parents and two stepbrothers, with whom she was very close.

Soleil's life couldn't have been any better.

She started out acting in movies in 1982 at the age of 2. 

By 1984, when Soliel was 7 years old, she landed the lead role in the new TV show 'Punky Brewster'.

The show itself wasn't a very popular one, but the character of Punky Brewster was a big hit with kids.

When the show ended completely in 1988, Soliei went on to play small roles in other TV shows and movies, all the while, camera in hand.

She was only 13, and she struggled with body issues, not being taken seriously, and being unable to get significant roles like she once had with 'Punky Brewster'.

Soleil carried on, doing teenager things, going to school, meeting people, and spending so much time with so many famous friends while filming and writing about all that was going on in her life at any given time.

Today, as a married mother of two, Soleil has finally opened the vault, giving us a rare glimpse into all that was her life.

Showing us what she saw, who she knew, who she lost, what she did, and how she thought during those years as a young teenager, straight into adulthood.

Stars Soleil Moon Frye , Stephen Dorff , Perry Farrell , David Arquette , Peter Bici , Claude Duhamel , Balthazar Getty , Brian Austin Green , Mark Paul Gosselaar, Cherie Johnson , Heather McComb , Danny Boy OConnor , Freddie Prinze Jr 

Directed by Soleil Moon Frye

Rated TVMA
HISTORY/BIOGRAPHY/DOCUMENTARY/TV

The Last Showgirl (2024)

Released January 20, 2025 in the US.

Filmed entirely in Las Vegas.
The story: Shelly Gardner is a Las Vegas showgirl and she loves it.
Dancing as a showgirl is really all she's ever known.
She has been performing in the famous Le Razzle Dazzle show for the last three decades of her life, and she wouldn't have changed a thing about any of it.
Now middle-aged with an estranged daughter who is about to graduate college , Shelly has no other aspirations for her future, only to continue on dancing in the show no matter what.
But times are changing, and when she and her fellow dancers are forced into doing fewer shows a week, no one really thinks anything of it.
That is, until one night, they get the word that in two weeks' time, Le Razzle Dazzle will be closing for good.
Stars Pamela Anderson , Kiernan Shipka , Brenda Song , Dave Bautista , Jamie Lee Curtis , Billie Lourd , Linda Montana , John Clofine , Gypsy Wood , Melina Blitz , Eliseo Duque , Jason Schwartzman
Directed by Gia Coppola
Rated R
DEPRESSING DRAMA

On the Rocks (2020)

Released October 23rd in the US.

Filmed in New York.

The story: Laura is a very happily married, mother of two young daughters who makes a living by writing novels.

One late night, she is awoken by a kiss from her husband, Dean, who has been away on business.

But the kiss worries her...

Laura believes Dean was acting very strange.

The next day, wondering still about that kiss, Laura calls up her father, worldly and charismatic Felix, whom she believes will be able to shed some light on Dean's behavior for her.

Felix doesn't want to believe that there is anything to be suspicious about Dean, but will go to any length possible to help Laura figure out what is going on, if in fact there is anything going on.

The father and daughter begin spending much-needed time together, trying to figure out Dean's actions, all while he is working.

Stars Rashida Jones , Marlon Wayans , Alexandra Mary Reimer , Anna Chanel Reimer , Jenny Slate , Bill Murray , Musto Pelinkovicci , Jessica Henwick , Juliana Canfield , Liyanna Muscat , Barbara Bain , Mike Keller , Zora Casebere , Zoe Bullock , Melissa Errico , Chase Sui Wonders , Elizabeth Guindi

Directed by (& story written) Sophia Coppola

Rated R
DRAMA/COMEDY

The Beanie Bubble (2023)

Made for Apple TV+, released on instant streaming July 28th in the US.

Filmed entirely in Georgia.

Based on truths.

The story: In 1983, struggling toy salesman Ty Warner met, by chance, struggling Robbie (AKA Patricia Roche).

Ty was the child of a toy salesman, and Robbie was a mechanic who had many childhood aspirations.

The two became quick friends and decided to go into business together, selling stuffed animal cats...

After some time, they attended a toy convention which helped their business take off.
By 1993, Ty and Robbie's business became Ty Inc., and that's when they began manufacturing what is known to the world today as Beanie Babies.

Ty and Robbie, by now, were an off-again/on-again couple, as well as business partners.

After the 5 years that college student Maya (AKA Lina Trivedi) was on board at Ty Inc., she introduced Ty to internet sales, which really helped the business.

While having windows put into his new house, Ty met and fell in love with saleswoman/single mother Sheila (AKA Faith McGowan).

By now, Ty had a complicated relationship with Robbie, mostly because of him trying to oust her from Ty Inc. and his commitment to Maya, as his right-hand man was also beginning to dwindle.

Sheila wanted to just live her life single and raise her two daughters the best she could.

Ty convinced her, while allowing her children to fall in love with him through his stuffed animals, that he was the one for her.

It didn't hurt Ty Inc. that Sheila's daughters were the ones to create some of the very first/top-selling Beanie Babies.

But it all came crashing down around Ty when he began using and manipulating the ones who helped him soar.

Stars Zach Galifianakis , Elizabeth Banks , Kurt Yaeger , Tracey Bonner , Jeff Schine , Geraldine Viswanathan , Sweta Keswani , Ajay Friese , Arjun Dhillon , Sarah Snook , Madison Johnson , Delaney Quinn , Carl Clemmons Hopkins , Jason Burkey , Callie Johnson , Brian Troxell , Veanna Black

Directed by Kristen Gore & Damien Kulash

Rated R
HISTORY/DRAMA/COMEDY

Nosferatu (2024)

Released December 25th in the US.

Filmed Czech Republic, Romania, and Canada.

The story:  Germany, 1838.

Young newlyweds Ellen, who has a need to be close because she has been plagued by nightmares since childhood, and Thomas, who loves Ellen more than life itself and will do anything for her, are to be separated for some time.

Against the lovers wishes, of course.

Thomas' employer needs him to secure a real estate deal that will send him into the Carpathian Alps.

Thomas needs to go because it will promise his job position.

While Thomas is away, Ellen begins having episodes and becomes ill.

When she is not sick, she yearns for her husband's return.

Thomas arrives at the home of his client to sign papers, but almost instantly also becomes sick.

So sick, that many days and nights go by, keeping Thomas prisoner and unable to return to his bride.

When the deal is done, the new homeowner leaves his castle and makes his way to his new home, killing off almost everyone around him.

Then bringing plague to his new hometown.

When Thomas finally arrives home, he isn't well. 
Ellen nurses him until he is able to function on his own once again.

But soon, everyone they love and care about is dying.

It is up to Ellen and Thomas to stop the evil upon them all.

Stars Lily Rose Depp , Bill Skarsgard , Nicholas Hoult , Simon McBurney , Aaron Taylor Johnson , Emma Corrin , Adela Hesova , Milena Konstantinova , Ralph Ineson , Claudiu Trandafir , Katrina Bila , Gherghina Bereghianu , Robert Russell , Curtis Matthew , Jordan Haj , Willem Dafoe

Directed by (& story partly written) Robert Eggers

Rated R
Some Dacian, Romanian, and Romani w/English subtitles

REMAKE/HORROR/MYSTERY/THRILLER

Crumb Catcher (2023)

Released September 24th in the US.

Filming location(s) unknown.

The story: Shane and Leah have just been married.

While they talk through their wedding photos being taken , Leah's mother interrupts.

This upsets Shane , and he takes off in a huff.

Fast forward , it's the next morning.

Shane wakes up rough after apparently getting drunk last night.

He checks his pocket for an envelope of money, but finds it empty.

He has no idea what happened to it.

Leah arrives with wedding gifts , eager to get on the road to their honeymoon destination.

In their car now in the parking garage , the car wont start just yet.

While waiting , a pesky waiter from their wedding party dashes to talk with them.

Leah is annoyed by him. 

The man talks and talks , apologizing for their wedding cake topper and hands them a bottle of champagne.

Soon the couple are off.

When they arrive at the home they will be spending their honeymoon at , Shane begins getting texts from someone named Rose , saying they need to talk about last night...

Shane has no idea who Rose is or what she means by that , but keeps it to himself.

After not too long , Leah sees headlights in the driveway.

Next a knock on the door startles the couple , only to find it is that pesky waiter , now holding their wedding cake with its topper intact.

They dont want to let him in , but they do , and that single action makes for a very long night.

Stars Rigo Garay , Ella Rae Peck , Rebecca Watson , Eddie Castillo , David Macke , Kyle Mumford , John Speredakos ,  Lorraine Farris

Directed by (& story partly written) Chris Skotchdopole

Not Rated

MYSTERY/THRILLER 

Beastie Boys Story (2020)

Released on Apple TV+ through instant streaming , April 24th in the US.

Filmed entirely in New York.

The story : In early 2020 , Michael Diamond AKA Mike D and Adam Horovitz AKA Ad-Rock take the stage in Brooklyn , New York at The King's Theatre , without their friend Adam Yauch AKA MCA.

There , the longtime friends of over 40 years , tell the long windy story of the Beastie Boys.

The story they adapt from their book of the same name.

Mike and Adam tell us how the Beastie Boys met and came to be a music group.

Their transition from a punk group , with friends Kate Shellenbach and John Berry, to a rap group without them but finally being signed to Def Jam , who marketed the trio as giant stars.

They tell of their love for music and what they turned that love into.

Filled with many ups and downs , Mike and Adam pour their hearts out , always paying tribute to their beloved friend/band founder Adam Yauch who passed away in 2012 , while showing us videos and clips of themselves , along with friends , through the years.

Stars Michael Diamond , Adam Horovitz , David Cross , Ben Stiller , Steve Buscemi , (voice) Spike Jonze , (voice) Bill Hadar

Directed by (& story partly written) Spike Jonze

Rated TV MA

DOCUMENTARY/BIOGRAPHY/HISTORY/MUSIC/TV

"In memory of Adam Yauch."

Drowning Mona (2000)

Released March 3rd in the US.

Filmed in California.

The story: In the small town of Verplanck, upstate New York, everyone has a vanity plate.

A vanity plate identifying themselves.

Verplanck is a town infamous for the car company Yugo testing its cars there...

Anyway, everyone who lives there knows each other, and most things that go on around town are just a bit off.

One morning, unlike any other around Verplanck, Mona Dearly sets off to work.

But instead of taking her car, she takes her son Jeff's.

On her way, things take a turn for the worse when she tries to apply the brakes, heading straight for a guardrail, and the brakes do not work.

Mona goes straight over a cliff and into the river below, killing Mona.

Quickly, the news hits everyone in town.

When the police begin investigating the crash, they start believing that Mona's crash and death were no accident.

Mostly because Mona wasn't a very nice person to anyone who knew her.

Stars Bette Midler , Tracey Walter , Casey Affleck , Marcus Thomas , Danny DeVito , Peter Dobson , Paul Ben Victor , Paul Schulze , William Fichtner , Kathleen Wilhoite , Robert Arce , Neve Campbell , Jamie Lee Curtis , Mark Pellegrino , Raymond O Connor , Will Ferrell , Lisa Rieffel , Brittany Peterson

Directed by Nick Gomez

Rated PG13

DARK COMEDY

"You know, you're my brother...can't you just do a brotherly deboning or something?..."

Nonnas (2025)

Released May 9th in the US.

Filmed entirely in New Jersey.

Based on truths.

The story: As a child, Joe Scaravella had a great love for his mother and grandmother.

He also, along with everyone else in their big family, loved their cooking.

It always brought everyone together, and Joe fondly remembers that time in his life as a really happy time.

Fast forward to present day.

Joe has just lost his beloved mother.

She left him some money and a letter, a letter Joe doesn't want to open because it will mean it is the last thing his mother will ever say to him...

After his best friends try talking him into doing something he would never do before with the money she left him, Joe goes out on his own and decides to buy a restaurant.

But not any restaurant.

Joe's vision is to hire as many "Nonnas" as possible, who love to cook and will cook their most beloved dishes for all who will love and appreciate them.

It's a great idea, but it will cost a lot of money, as well as being quite the task, because Joe and his friends know absolutely nothing about owning and running a restaurant.

Stars Theodore Helm , Jamie Eddy , Jack Casey , Kate Eastman , Karen Giordano , Adam Ferrara , Tammy Pescatelli , Lorraine Bracco , Drea de Matteo , Joe Manganiello, Brenda Vaccaro , Susan Sarandon , Talia Shire , Linda Cardellini , Michael Rispoli , Quincy Dunn Baker , Jimmy Smagula

Directed by Stephen Chbosky

Rated PG
DRAMA/COMEDY/HISTORY

I Care a Lot (2020)

Released February 19, 2021, in the US.

Filmed in Massachusetts and England.

The story: Marla is a confident woman.
She has made a career as a professional, court-appointed legal guardian, typically for the elderly whose doctors claim they can no longer care for themselves.

But instead of doing what is right, Marla is trying to get rich.

She schemes, with many people working along with her, to take these elderly people out of their homes and put them in assisted living facilities.

Then, while those people are safely locked away from what they know, Marla makes sure to sell off all of their belongings.

When Marla is informed by her doctor friend of a well-off elderly woman who is in the early stages of dementia and has no living family, it seems like a very easy gig.

Big problems arise though when the woman's son, who no one knew about, comes looking for his mother.

Stars Rosamund Pike , Eiza Gonzales , Macon Blair , Damian Rice , Alicia Witt , Dianne Wiest , Nicholas Logan , Isiah Whitlock Jr , Peter Dinklage , Chris Messina , Liz Eng , Georgia Lyman

Directed by (& story written) J Blakeson

Rated R
MYSTERY/THRILLER/DARK COMEDY

I See You (2019)

December 6th in the US.

Filmed in Ohio.

The story: Greg Harper is a policeman who is investigating the recent disappearance of a local 10-year-old boy.

The case is the cause of much stress for Greg.

His home life isn't great either, as he is struggling with the recent infidelity of his wife Jackie, while their young teen son Connor is extremely angry about the situation.

Also, lately, things around their family home have been strange.

Things are going missing and being in spots where they would not normally be.

But everyone in the house disregards it for the most part.

When the man Jackie was involved with shows up unexpectedly, things get really bad.

So bad that Greg and Jackie end up having to hide his body...

Stars Riley Caya , Jon Tenney , Helen Hunt , Judah Lewis , Gregory Alan Williams , Erika Alexander , Allison Gabriel , Adam Kern , Nicole Forester , John Newburg , AJ Ransom , Libe Barer , Owen Teague 

Directed by Adam Randall

Rated R
MYSTERY/THRILLER

Tragedy Girls (2017)

Released October 20th in the US.

Filmed entirely in Kentucky.

The story: BFF's Sadie and McKayla are high school seniors who just happen to be obsessed with death...

They also have an Instagram page , dedicated to death but feel it doesn't get the attention it deserves.

There is a serial killer lurking around their small town, and the girls have been studying everything about the murders.

When they kidnap the serial killer, they do believe they have one-upped him.

Sadie and McKayla decide that they will start killing off people around town, blaming the serial killer for the killings, of course, but still taking in and feeding on all the attention surrounding the mystery.

Stars Brianna Hildebrand , Austin Abrams , Alexandra Shipp , Kevin Durand , Jack Quaid , Nicky Whelan , Craig Robinson , Timothy V Murphy , Katie Stottlemire , Josh Hutcherson , Elise Neal , Andy Bethea , Keith Hudson , Savannah Jade , William Tokarsky , Loren Lester , Rosalind Chao 

Directed by (& story partly written) Tyler MacIntyre

Rated R
DARK COMEDY/THRILLER/MYSTERY/HORROR

Coming Home in the Dark (2021)

Released October 1st in the US.

Filming location(s) unknown.

The story: Hoaggie and Jill are a married couple who both happen to be school teachers.

They are taking their two teen sons on a road trip vacation through New Zealand.

Everything is going well until they stop by a quiet road for a picnic.

While there, the family is approached by two strange men.

After questioning them and invading the family's space, the men decide to rob the family at gunpoint.

The family complies, but that isn't good enough for the two drifters.

Slowly, the family is put through tortures one by one until the drifters learn something about Hoaggie's past that makes their torturous rampage all the more meaningful.

Stars Erik Thomson , Miriama McDowell , Frankie Paratene , Billy Paratene , Daniel Gillies , Matthias Luafutu , Alan Palmer , Desray Armstrong , Sam Carter , Ike Hamon , Bailey Cowan , Timon Zeiss

Directed by ( & story partly written) James Ashcroft

TVMA

MYSTERY/THRILLER/HORROR

Suburbicon (2017)

Released October 27th in the US.

Filmed entirely in California.

The story: It is 1959 in the suburban community of Suburbicon.

Nothing bad ever happens in Suburbicon, and everyone always gets along.

Young Nicky Gardner lives with his father, wheelchair-bound mother, and aunt in Suburbicon, and everything seems idyllic.

That is, until one horrifying evening when his family home is robbed and his mother loses her life.

This hits Nicky hard, but he still has his aunt, father, and favorite uncle to look out for him.

When Nicky attends the police station along with his father to pick the men who robbed them and killed his mother out of a lineup, his father says he doesn't recognize the men.

But Nicky knows that's not true.

After talking with his father about it, and his father flat out denies knowing what the men looked like, Nicky begins putting the pieces together.

Stars Matt Damon , Julianne Moore , Noah Jupe , Gary Basaraba , Karimah Westbrook , Tony Espinosa , Leith Burke , Alex Hassell , Mather Zickel , Oscar Isaac, Steve Monroe , James Handy

Directed by (& partly written) George Clooney

Rated R
MYSTERY/THRILLER

Des (2020)

Released as a three-part mini series, October 15th in the US.

Filmed in London and England.

Based on truths.

The story: On February 8 , 1983 a plumbing company was called out to 23 Cranley Gardens in Muswell Hill of North London due to a drainage problem.

The worker on the job called the police, explaining that what he had found he believed may very well be human remains...

After the police examined the bones found and talked with the worker, they understood they needed to talk with the tenant who lived in the attic of the apartment building, 37-year-old Dennis Nilsen.

Later that evening, while questioning Nilsen in his home, the police were quickly directed to more human remains by Nilsen, which he had been storing inside his house for quite some time.

Nilsen was arrested shortly thereafter and questioned by police extensively.

The fact that Nilsen had committed murders of more than one person was inevitable, proving such in great detail to get justice was a whole other story.
Stars Daniel Mays . Barry Ward , David Tennant , Jason Watkins , Ron Cook , Faye McKeever , Joel Morris , Ben Bailey Smith , Bronagh Waugh , Jay Simpson , Alex Bhat , Andy Jaye , Chanel Cresswell , Jonathan Coy , Oscar Salem , Cal MacAninch , Neil Edmond , Ross Anderson

Directed by (& story partly written) Lewis Arnold 

Not Rated

HISTORY/BIOGRAPHY/DRAMA/THRILLER/TV/SERIES

Trap ; M Night Shyamalan's (2024)

Released August 2nd in the US.

Filmed entirely in Canada.

The story: Doting father Cooper is escorting his young daughter Riley to a concert this evening by her most favorite musical artist, Lady Raven.

Riley could not be more excited about the whole thing, and Cooper is thrilled to get to spend that quality time with her.

After entering the venue, Cooper notices an overwhelming amount of law enforcement around.

At first, this isn't much of a concern, but while the concert is going on, he notices what seems like men with their children being taken out of their seats and out of the arena.

This clearly worries Cooper, and for good reason. He happens to be quite the notorious serial killer....

Cooper thinks quickly and begins moving about the venue, checking things out.

When Riley wants to buy a t-shirt, Cooper gets the scoop on what all the law enforcement around is about.

He begins understanding that law enforcement is onto him being there, but they just don't know exactly who they are looking for.

Cooper must stay calm and clever to get himself out of the arena and not completely found out.

Stars Josh Hartnett , Ariel Donoghue , Saleka Shyamalan , Jonathan Langdon , Mark Bacolol , Marnie McPhail , Kid Cudi , Russ , Hayley Mills , Marcia Bennett , M Night Shyamalan , Alison Pill 

Directed by (& story written) M Night Shyamalan

Rated PG13

MYSTERY/THRILLER

Trial by Fire (2018)

Released May 17th in the US.

Filmed in Georgia.

Based on truths.

The story: In Corsicana, Texas, on December 23, 1991, at 9:04AM, a fire broke out in the home of Cameron Todd Willingham and his wife Stacy.

Inside the house were the couple's three daughters, all under 3 years old.

Stacy was not at home. Todd escaped the fire, but none of their children did...

Right from the beginning, the police did not believe Cameron's story.

During the investigation, evidence of a liquid accelerant was found in the home.

At the police station, while talking to Cameron and Stacy about what was going on at the time, the police asked why they should believe Cameron's claims of innocence now, considering he has been guilty of many crimes in the past that he had not been so honest about.

But Cameron never failed to claim his innocence about the fire and his daughter's deaths.

Very soon after, Cameron was arrested for the murder of his children.

During his trial, witnesses stepped up with claims that Cameron was guilty, which were considered all lies by Cameron and his wife.

Stacy's testimony never once indicated that she believed in his guilt, knowing that he truly loved his children.

Cameron Todd Willingham only wanted a fair trial, with no explanation of why anyone would lie about him or what really happened.

On January 8, 1992, Willingham was convicted of the murder of his three daughters.

He was offered a life sentence in exchange for his guilty plea, but he refused to plead guilty, so in the end, he was sentenced to death.

Prison life with a murder conviction was hard for Cameron. He wrote to Stacy, but she refused to visit or even write back.

Now, he was really all alone. Living on death row, never knowing when anyone's time there would be up.

After a long seven years, just one day, life for Cameron began taking new light.

Stars Lena Levings , Katie McClellan , Jack OConnell , Emily Meade , Jeff Perry , Chris Coy , David Wilson Barnes , Darren Pettie , Carlos Gomez , Blake Scott Lewis , McKinley Belcher , Laura Dern

Directed by Edward Zwick

Rated R
HISTORY/BIOGRAPHY/DRAMA

Get Low (2009)

Released April 27 , 2010, in the US.

Filmed in Georgia.

The story: Felix Bush is a hermit who has been living alone for the last 30 years.

One day, while out working on his land, Felix is approached by someone he doesn't know and told that someone that he does know has passed.

This gets Felix thinking. He would like to arrange a funeral for himself.
He travels to the friend's funeral to pay his respects and afterwards finds himself at the church in town.

After Felix takes care of an unforeseen situation, he makes his way back home.

The very next day, the town's two funeral directors make their way to Felix's place, the younger of the two having to be the one who approaches him for practice.

When Felix realizes why the men are there, he sits down for some arranging.

Felix asks how the funeral would go, meaning who would attend and what would be said.

The young funeral director explains that it would be people who know him.

But not many people know Felix, and he knows this. But he also realizes that many people have heard stories about him.

Whether they are true or not, no one really knows.

So Felix comes up with the idea that anyone who has a story to tell about Felix should be invited to his funeral and tell that story.

Although he wants the after party before his funeral so he is able to attend.

All of this seems really out of the ordinary for the funeral directors, but they are willing to uphold his wishes.

What no one learns until after all the arrangements have been made, though, is that Felix has a secret that he wants out, and this is the only step towards that happening.

Stars Robert Duvall , Gerald McRainey , Lucas Black , Lori Beth Sikes , Bill Murray , Bill Cooper , Linds Edwards , Andrea Powell , Chandler Riggs , Danny Vinson , Sissy Spacek , Bill Cobbs

Directed by Aaron Schneider

Rated PG13

DRAMA/COMEDY/MYSTERY

Talk To Me (2022)

Released July 28, 2023 in the US.

Filmed entirely in Australia.

The story: Mia is a young woman battling with the memory of her mother's suicide last year.

Instead of taking comfort in staying with her father, she has taken up short-term residency with friend Jade, her little brother Riley, and their mother.
Mia cannot get over her mother's passing no matter how much she tries, and today marks its anniversary, which doesn't help.

Attempting to get Mia out of her slump, Jade gets her to go to a party.

Mia agrees to take Riley along as well, although Jade doesn't agree with the decision.

At the party, a group of people decide they want to try their hand at an out-of-this-world game.

The game involves an embalmed hand and conjuring spirits...

While said lone player plays along, the rest of the group watches while recording what happens with their phone.

Jade isn't all about the game, but Mia is and decides she will be the one who plays for the group.

What everyone sees is terrifying but equally exciting. 

After so many seconds, the conjuring of the spirit is ended, and life goes on without any hitches.

But the people who play become obsessed with playing and decide they need to play more and more, each one involved taking their turn as the sole player.

When Mia plays again, she believes she sees her mother, which makes her crave playing.

After 14-year-old Riley sits in on two of these events, he wants to play as well, although Jade forbids him to play.

Riley whines that he isn't allowed to be involved in playing until Mia gives in to his pleas.

What ends up happening, no one would have ever guessed, and it's just the beginning of a very dangerous end.

Stars Ari McCarthy , Sunny Johnson , Sophie Wilde , Alexandra Jensen , Joe Bird , Miranda Otto , Cookie the dog , Hamish Phillips , Kit Erhart Bruce , Jayden Davison , Marcus Johnson , Kidaan Zelleke , James Oliver , Jett Gazley , Zoe Terkes , Jude Turner , Helene Philippou

Directed by (& story partly written) Danny Philippou & Michael Philippou

Rated R
HORROR/MYSTERY/THRILLER

Polytechnique (2009)

Released February 6th in the US.

Filmed in Canada.

Based on truths.

The story: In 1989, Marc Lepine was an extremely tormented 25-year-old man.

After being rejected for entry into the Canadian Forces, he began multiple different college studies from 1982 until 1988.

None of which interested him, nor did he believe he was good at any of them.

He applied for entry into the engineering school Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal in Canada twice, but he wasn't accepted due to not having the correct training.

At this point in Lepine's life, there was one thing he certainly believed.

He hated women, whom he considered feminists, because the way he seen things,  the government was easy on them and gave them so-called handouts when men always had to work much harder for the same result.

This was a long time coming for Lepine.

Lepine blamed almost all that had gone wrong in the last 7 years of his life on feminists, and now he was at the end of his rope over it.

On the afternoon of December 6, 1989, Lepine entered Ecole Polytechnique and accomplished the unthinkable...

Stars (voice) Martin Watier , Adam Kosh , Maxim Gaudette , Sebastien Huberdeau , Karine Vanasse , Evelyne Brochu , Pierre Yves Cardinal , Pierre Leblanc , Francesca Barcenas , Eve Duranceau , Mathieu Ledoux , Larissa Corriveau , Manon Lapointe , Kim Lavack Paquin , Johanne Marie Tremblay

Directed by (& story partly written) Denis Villeneuve

Not Rated

B&W

HISTORY/DRAMA

"In Memoriam 

Genevieve Bergeron , Helene Colgan , Nathalie Croteau , Barbara Daigneault , Anne-Marie Edward , Maud Haviernick , Maryse Laganiere , Maryse Leclair , Anne-Marie Lemay , Sonia Pelletier , Michele Richard , Annie St-Arneault , Annie Turcotte , Barbara Maria Klucznik-Widajewicz , Sarto Blais 

This film is also dedicated to the families of the victims and the students, faculty and staff of the Montreal's Polytechnique School."

The Woman in the Window (2021)

Released on Netflix, instant streaming May 14th in the US.

Filmed entirely in New York.

The story: Anna is a woman suffering from agoraphobia.

She is a child psychiatrist who has been fighting her own demons along with the help of her own appointed psychiatrist.

For the last ten months, Anna has been living alone in a large house, separated from her husband and 8-year-old daughter.

She does have a tenant living at the house as well, but he isn't there that often.

When a new family moves in across the street, Anna takes notice.

Quickly, the 16-year-old son Ethan of that family makes his way to Anna's house and then into her heart, bringing her a gift she really appreciates.

Shortly thereafter, Anna is visited by Ethan's mother, Jane.

The two hit it off on that first night, talking much girl talk over wine.

Anna does not see Jane in person after that but instead is visited by her said husband, who is looking for his wife.

Jane had mentioned he is a jealous man, and when Anna believes she has seen Jane being killed by him in their house across the street and then does not see Jane at all after that, she believes she needs to get the police involved.

Many things surface as a result.

Stars Amy Adams , Wyatt Russell , Fred Hechinger , Julianne Moore , Gary Oldman , Jennifer Jason Leigh , Brian Tyree Henry , Jeanine Serralles , Anthony Mackie , Mariah Bozeman , Daymien Valentino

Directed by Joe Wright

Rated R
MYSTERY/THRILLER

Take Shelter (2011)

Released November 2nd in the US.

Filmed entirely in Ohio.

The story: Curtis is a husband and the father of a young daughter who is deaf.

He does his best at making a living, while his wife does her part to pitch in.

When Curtis watches a storm roll in one day and notices the rain that falls with it isn't like any rain he's seen before, he becomes concerned.

Soon, he begins seeing many strange things that no one around him sees, as well as experiencing some really complex nightmares.

Curtis starts to think that he may have a mental illness, as it runs in his family.

He decides to try and get help, but the help he gets doesn't help at all.

Next, Curtis takes it upon himself to take out a loan and fix up his storm shelter because he really believes there is a bad storm on its way, even though no one else sees or experiences anything out of the ordinary.

Everyone around him thinks he is losing it, and just when Curtis starts to believe that as well,  as he watches his life falling apart around him, he is awakened and surprised one night by a real-life storm.

Stars Michael Shannon , Jessica Chastain , Tova Stewart , Shea Whigham , Katy Mixon Greer , Natatsha Randall , Ron Kennard , Robert Longstreet , Heather Caldwell , Scott Knisley , Marianna Alacchi

Directed by (& story written) Jeff Nichols

Rated R

DRAMA/MYSTERY/THRILLER/SCIFI

Significant Other (2022)

Released October 7th in the US.

Filmed in Oregon.

The story: Harry and Ruth are a young couple.

Harry has recently talked Ruth into a backpacking trip through the Pacific Northeast with him.

As reluctant as Ruth is, due to anxiety , among other issues, Harry has convinced her there is nothing to be worried about at all.

He has hiked the same trails a bunch of times.

Things go well the first night, although Ruth gets spooked by what appears to be a deer during the night.

Harry takes Ruth to a beautiful spot the next day and proposes to her.

Instead of being excited and accepting, Ruth has a panic attack and loses her shit on Harry.

After making up, Ruth is off to have some alone time when she stumbles upon a cave...

What she sees inside that cave really rattles her, so much so that Harry is now the last person Ruth is going to trust.

Stars Jake Lacy , Maika Monroe , Loudon McCleery , Teal Sherer , (voice) Andrew Morgado , (voice) Marcella Lentz Pope , Matthew Yang King , Dana Green

Directed by (& story written) Dan Berk & Robert Olsen

Rated R
MYSTERY/THRILLER/SCIFI