Look Away (2018)

Released October 12th in the US.

Filmed in Canada.

The story: Maria is a quiet lonely high school senior.

Neither her mother nor father get her and the one girl she can call a friend , really isn't one.

One evening, Maria sees her reflection in the mirror, but her reflection is doing other things than she is.

At first, this scares her, but then Maria begins talking with her reflection.

Her reflection seems to have a lot more confidence than Maria and convinces her that she can help her.

Maria agrees to trade places with her but she soon finds out that her twin has it in for almost everyone in Maria's life.

Stars India Eisley, Penelope Mitchell, Harrison Gilbertson, John C MacDonald, Mira Sorvino, Jason Isaacs, Kristen Harris, Kiera Johnson, Michal Bernstein, Glenn Odero, Adam  Hurtig, Ernie Pitts 

Directed by (& story written) Assaf Bernstein

Rated TVMA

THRILLER/SCIFI

Peacock (2010)

Released on DVD,  April 20th in the US.

Filmed entirely in Iowa.

The story: In small-town Peacock, Nebraska, lonely, quiet, and quite broken John Skillpa resides...

Growing up, John was constantly emotionally abused by his overbearing mother, which has left its scars.

His mother, who lived with him in the home he grew up in has recently passed away.

Now John spends all the time he isn't at work portraying his alter ego,  Maggie.

But no one who knows him actually knows about Maggie.

While Maggie is hanging laundry to dry one day, a train plows through the yard.

To her rescue are many neighbors, with many questions about who she is.

As time passes, people begin questioning John about Maggie, assuming she must be his wife.

John does not refute the assumption and days go on as normal , only now people actually get to know Maggie.

When the town mayor wants to use John/Maggie's yard, John refuses while Maggie agrees, due to the mayor's kind wife.

Then, a woman from John's past arrives with their child needing money.

John was unaware that his mother was paying for his child but with this knowledge, he begins thinking of ways Maggie can help without ruining his child's life.

Stars Cillian Murphy, Bill Pullman, Eden Bodnar, Keith Carradine, Susan Sarandon, Graham Beckel, Josh Lucas, Ellen Page, Flynn Milligan, Chris Carlton, Virginia Newcomb, Jaimi Paige

Directed by ( & story partly written) Michael Lander

Rated PG13

DRAMA/MYSTERY

Boyhood (2014)

Released August 15th in the US.

Filmed in Texas.

The story: Mason is a young boy living with his older sister and single mother.

His mother relocates them due to wanting to attend college to make a better life for them.

Where they land is closer to their maternal grandmother.

Their father is also back in their life after being in Alaska for a while.

Soon Mason's mother is marrying her college professor and Mason and his sister find themselves with a new stepfather and two step-siblings.

But before too long, that marriage breaks up and they are living on their own again.

Now Mason's mother is teaching at a local college.

After a small get-together at their house for Thanksgiving, Mason's mother is on marriage number two.

But just like the last, things don't work out and the small family is living on their own once more.

While spending time with his father and growing into his own, Mason falls in love, sees his older sister off to college, and watches as his father gets married and starts a new family.

Stars  Ellar Coltrane, Lorelei Linklater, Patricia Arquette, Elijah Smith, Steven Chester Prince, Ethan Hawke, Libby Villari, Marco Perella, Jaime Howard, Andrew Villarreal, Ryan Power, Charlie Sexton

Directed by (& story written) Richard Linklater

Rated R
DRAMA

Would You Rather (2012)

Released February 8, 2013 in the US.

Filmed entirely in California.

The story: Iris is a young woman living with and caring for her younger brother who is extremely sick.

She is very worried about him and doesn't know how she will be able to continue to care for him financially.

Iris gets an invitation to a dinner party...but it's not just any kind of dinner party.

The point of the dinner party is said to be a chance at winning money, from a powerful and very wealthy doctor,  just by attending.

Iris is of course apprehensive about the party.

It seems just too good to be true.

But considering others will be attending as well, Iris decides to go to the party.

Unfortunately, shortly after sitting down to dinner, everyone at the party realizes this isn't what it seemed.

The guests are informed that to be eligible to win the prize money, they are expected to go through with torturing each other in some way shape, or form, by request of the man who had invited them to the party.

Just by accepting the invitation and now hearing how the evening will go, no one is able to refrain from participating, no matter how much they resist.
Stars Brittany Snow, Logan Miller, Jeffrey Combs, Jonny Coyne, Enver Gjokaj, Sasha Grey, John Heard, Charlie Hofheimer, Eddie Steeples, June Squibb, Robin Lord Taylor, Robb Wells, Lawrence Gilliard jr

Directed by David Guy Levy 

Not Rated

PREDICTABLE THRILLER

Antibirth (2016)

Released September 2nd in the US.

Filmed in Canada.

The story: Two weeks after some really heavy partying, good-time gal Lou is feeling like complete shit...

She goes to visit an old friend and, after telling her what is going on, her friend suggests that she get a pregnancy test.

Lou blacked out at the party, but she truly believes she would have remembered if she had sex...

When Lou takes a test and discovers the enviable, she cannot believe it.

Lou soon drags her sickly ass to work,  cleaning rooms at a local hotel because she's broke.
When she passes out while in a room, she wakes to find a strange lady who apparently helped her after finding her past out.

Every day things get worse and worse with Lou. Her stomach is growing at an alarming rate and some other really painful and bizarre things are happening to her that don't exactly go along with being pregnant.

Lou goes through each passing day, feeling like shit and getting sicker and sicker until the woman who helped her at work tracks her down to tell her what she believes is really going on.

Stars Natasha Lyonne, Chloe Sevigny, Maxwell McCabe Lokos, Mark Webber, Emmanuel Kabongo, MJ Dionne, Lili Francks, Morgan Bedard, Corey Pascal, Jessica Greco, Meg Tilly

Directed by (& story written) Danny Perez

Not Rated

COMEDY/SCIFI/MYSTERY/HORROR/THRILLER

"I wouldn't call it much of a performance."

Acolytes (2008)

Released September 20th in the US.

Filmed entirely in Australia.

The story: High school students Mark, James, and Chasley are the best of friends.

When Mark claims to know where the body of a young girl who has gone missing is buried, because he saw the killer bury her there, the three go out into the forest to find the spot.

They dig up the body...

Then, because Mark also claims to have seen the vehicle the killer was driving, the three begin looking for the car around town.

When they find it, they make their way into the killer's house, looking for clues as to who he is.

They find his name and address and decide to call him.

You see, Mark and James have it in for the local bully Gary Parker, who just got out of prison.

Gary has been messing with them since they were little and now they have decided they need to get rid of Gary once and for all.

The plan is to blackmail the killer into killing Gary for them...

Stars Holly Turner, Sebastian Gregory, Hanna Mangan Lawrence, Joshua Payne, Michael Dorman, Joel Edgerton, Belinda McClory, Anthony Phelan, Bella Heathcote, Ryan Sheldrake, Harley Bennick

Directed by Jon Hewitt

Not Rated
MYSTERY/THRILLER

The 4th Floor (1999)

Released on video, July 11, 2000 in the US.

Filmed in Canada and New York.

The story: Jane Emelin is an interior designer living and working in New York City.

She is in a serious relationship with very popular, local weatherman Greg Harrison.

When Jane takes Greg to see the apartment she inherited from her Aunt, he is happy for her.

But that changes quickly when Greg realizes that instead of moving to the country with him, Jane will be residing in her newly acquired property.

Soon, trouble ensues for Jane in her new place.

Apparently, her downstairs neighbor has a problem with her. Other neighbors claim that Jane's downstairs neighbor is a recluse and doesn't like anyone.

As time goes on , things get worse and worse no matter what Jane tries.

When Jane finally cannot take another minute of the torture her neighbor is putting her through, and she cannot seem to get any backup from police or friends, she takes matters into her own hands.

Stars Juliette Lewis, William Hurt, Shelley Duvall, Austin Pendelton, Tobin Bell, Artie Lange, Sabrina Grdevich, Lorna Millican, George Pottle, Robert Costanzo, Heidi Jo Markel, Ho Chow

Directed by (& story written) Josh Klausner

Rated R
MYSTERY/THRILLER