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 v

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 

Uncle Peckerhead (2020)

Released August 11th in the US.

Filmed New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York.

The story: Judy, Max, and Mel are three roommates who happen to have a band together.

Their current plan, with Judy leading the way, is to skip town with nothing left to lose and get their band exposed by playing a small tour, so they can hopefully get signed.

Judy has planned everything out perfectly.

Just when the three are ready to set sail, they are unexpectedly without a vehicle.

Judy jumps into motion once more , making flyers along with Max and sticking them on every van windshield they can find.

After leaving their last flyer Judy and Max are surprised to be approached by the person who was in that van.

At first, the man gives them a very hard time for leaving the flyer and when Judy and Max see that he just happens to be not looking, they walk off.

But the man soon follows them and eventually convinces them that he can drive them wherever they need to be, no questions asked.

Judy really reluctantly accepts the stranger's proposal but she has absolutely no idea what she has gotten herself and her friends into.

Stars Chet Siegel , David Bluvband , Ruth Lolla , Maureen McGowan , Amir Khan , Jeff Riddle , Ruby McCollister , Shannon ONeill , Sean Michael Wilkinson , Owen Iverson , David Littleton 

Directed by (& story written) Matthew John Lawrence

Rated TVMA

COMEDY/HORROR

Sorry To Bother You (2018)

Released July 13th in the US.

Filmed entirely in California.

The story: Cassius Green is a young man, renting the garage of his uncle's Oakland home, who is also in desperate need of a job.

During an interview for a telemarketer position, Cassius is confused and surprised to find he has got the job.

The very next day he is raring to go, but things don't go that well.

The job is commission work and if you are an employee who does your job well, you have the rare and most-wanted opportunity to work your way up...upstairs.

After some time, and things don't seem to get any better, Cassius has an unexpected conversation with a fellow employee that completely changes his work life.

Before his eyes, everything changes.

Just when the other employees, including his girlfriend, are beginning to stand against the company, Cassius finds himself upstairs.

Quickly, things get really weird and it makes Cassius question if the money and the success are all actually worth it.

Stars LaKeith Stanfield , Robert Longstreet , Tessa Thompson , Terry Crews , Michael X Sommers , Steven Yeun , Jermaine Fowler , Omari Hardwick , Kate Berlant , Danny Glover , (voice) David Cross , Armie Hammer , (voice) Patton Oswald , (voice) Lily James , Forest Whitaker , (voice) Rosario Dawson 

Directed by (& story written) Boots Riley

Rated R
DRAMA/COMEDY/SCIFI

Milli Vanilli (2023)

Released through instant streaming on Paramount+, October 24th in the US.

Filming location(s) unknown.

The story: In 1986, Paris, French Fabrice Morvan met German Robert Pilatus while Fabrice was teaching dance.

Robert was a breakdancer.

The two bonded quickly, moved in together and became the best of friends.

The two had lots of energy and danced like there was no tomorrow.

They would have dance parties at their place that became so popular that they soon found themselves performing onstage at a local club.

Next they were dancing backup on a popular German dance show.

It seemed things were only on the up and up.

Fabrice and Robert caught the eye of German music producer Frank Farian, known for creating the popular disco group Boney M.

Frank wanted to make Fabrice and Robert famous as well.

In 1988, the guys signed a contract with Frank, becoming Milli Vanilli and, after waiting what seemed like forever, were brought into the studio.

Fabrice and Robert's role was to lip sync, as the main singers to a song actually sung by two other singers.

It didn't seem like too much of an issue at the time and it only made things better when after releasing their first album in Germany it topped the charts.

Milli Vanilli were on their way.

They became so popular in Germany that Arista decided to sign them.

No one questioned that the said singers' voices had all been pre-recorded. Most of the behind the scenes stuff was hidden from every other live musician involved on Milli Vanilli's Arista release.

Fabrice and Robert believed America was where it was happening and couldn't wait to get there.

Their arrival only strengthened their popularity.

But it wasn't until performing a show live in Connecticut in 1989 that the cat finally was out of the bag for good.

Nothing was quite the same for Fabrice and Robert after that faithful show.

Stars Fabrice Morvan , Carmen Pilatus , Rob Sheffield , Gil Kaufman , Toby Gad , Ingrid Segieth , Brad Howell ,  Charles Shaw , Linda Rocco , Jodie Rocco , Thomas Stein , Downtown Julie Brown , Timabland , Stephen Hill , John Davis , Hanif Abdurraqib

Directed by Luke Korem 

Rated TVMA

DOCUMENTARY/HISTORY/MUSIC/BIOGRAPHY/TV

"Lies are taking the elevators while the truth takes the stairs."