By Kristy Puchko | Film | June 4, 2021 |
By Kristy Puchko | Film | June 4, 2021 |
Maybe you’ve seen the trailers for Hugh Jackman’s Reminiscence, the Anthony Bourdain doc, and that bonkers NOT Celine Dion biopic. Still, there are plenty more enticing teasers to check out.
Whether you’re craving poignant documentaries, twisted horror, riveting restoration, or wild animation, we’ve got you covered.
Woe: Coming to On Demand and DVD on June 15.
Synopsis: “One year after their father’s death, Charlie endlessly repairs the old family house while his sister, Betty, decides to sell their father’s car without her brother’s consent - the same car their father committed suicide in. As the two avoid confronting their prolonged grief, mental health, and each other, a hunchbacked creature shadows their every move. Their estranged Uncle Pete, believed to be dead, claims to have answers - if only Charlie and Betty would get out of their own heads and accept help.”
Why We’re Stoked: Sometimes grief isn’t the hardest part.
Gaia: Coming to theaters on June 18, On Demand on June 25.
Synopsis: “An injured forest ranger on a routine mission is saved by two off-the-grid survivalists. What is initially a welcome rescue grows more suspicious as the son and his renegade father reveal a cultish devotion to the forest. When their cabin is attacked by a strange being it’s clear there is a far greater threat in this unrelenting wilderness.”
Why We’re Stoked: Just in time for summer comes a much-needed reminder THE WOODS ARE SCARY!
Working Girls: Opens at IFC Center in NYC on June 18, national rollout to follow.
Synopsis: “Sex work is portrayed with radical nonjudgment in Lizzie Borden’s immersive, richly detailed look at the rhythms and rituals of society’s most stigmatized profession. Inspired by the experiences of the sex workers Borden met while making her underground feminist landmark Born in Flames, Working Girls reveals the textures of a day in the life of Molly (Louise Smith), a photographer working part-time in a Manhattan brothel, as she juggles a steady stream of clients, balances relationships with her coworkers with the demands of an ambitious madam, and above all fights to maintain her sense of self in a business in which the line between the personal and the professional is all too easily blurred. In viewing prostitution through the lens of labor, Borden boldly desensationalizes the subject, offering an empathetic, humanizing, often humorous depiction of women for whom this work is just another day at the office.”
Why We’re Stoked: 35 years since it first debuted, this film from a fearless female director proves relevant in a society that still stigmatizes sex work.
WORKING GIRLS Trailer from Janus Films on Vimeo.
Sisters On Track: Coming to Netflix on June 24.
Synopsis: “Sisters on Track chronicles the coming-of-age story of the Sheppard sisters: Tai, Rainn, and Brooke who were propelled into the national spotlight in 2016 with their first-time wins at the Junior Olympics. The resulting media storm landed the trio on the cover of Sports Illustrated Kids as “SportsKids of the Year” and they were able to move from shelters into their own home. The film offers a rare intimate glimpse into a tight-knit Brooklyn family’s journey to recover from trauma and tragedy. With the support of their mother, Tonia Handy, and the guidance of coach Jean Bell, the Sheppard sisters aim to beat the odds, dream big and aspire to higher education as they are finding their voices as athletes and students - all while processing the growing pains of adolescence. At the heart of the story is the bond between sisters and an entire community of women, passing the baton of self-empowerment and hope through track and field, from one generation to another.”
Why We’re Stoked: Our hearts are not made of stone!
Mary J. Blige’s My Life: Coming to Prime Video on June 25.
Synopsis: “Nine-time Grammy®-winning recording artist and Academy Award-nominated singer and actress Mary J. Blige set the music world on fire with her trailblazing 1994 LP “My Life,” a collection of powerful confessionals about her battles with abuse, depression and addiction that forged a profound and enduring connection with millions of fans around the globe. In Oscar®-winning filmmaker Vanessa Roth’s documentary Mary J. Blige’s My Life, the singer, producer and actress reveals the demons and blessings that inspired the record and propelled her from the soul-crushing world of New York’s housing projects to international stardom. In the process, she celebrates the 25th anniversary of her most influential work by performing the album live for the first time.”
Synopsis: Mary J. Blige. Enough said.
The Legend of the Underground: Airing on HBO and HBO Max on June 29.
Synopsis: “This film is a searing and timely look at the struggle against rampant discrimination that exists in Nigeria today, as seen through the lens of several charismatic, non-conformist youth who fight to live life out loud. Through social media, celebrity and bold creativity, they spark a cultural debate that challenges the ideals of gender, conformity and civil rights in Nigeria.”
Why We’re Stoked: Directors Nneka Onuorah and Giselle Bailey explore the continued fight for queer rights with a documentary alive with color and bravery.
America: The Motion Picture: Coming to Netflix on June 30.
Synopsis: “In this wildly tongue-in-cheek animated revisionist history, a chainsaw-wielding George Washington assembles a team of rabble rousers - including beer-loving bro Sam Adams, famed scientist Thomas Edison, acclaimed horseman Paul Revere, and a very pissed off Geronimo - to defeat Benedict Arnold and King James in the American Revolution. Who will win? No one knows, but you can be sure of one thing: these are not your father’s Founding… uh, Fathers.”
Why We’re Stoked: The promo promises this unhinged animated re-imagining of American history comes from the “founding fathers” who brought us Archer, Spider-Man Into The Spider-Verse and Magic Mike. Plus, its voice cast includes Channing Tatum, Jason Mantzoukas, Bobby Moynihan, Judy Greer, Will Forte, Killer Mike, Simon Pegg, and Andy Samberg.
Masquerade: Coming to theaters, digital and On Demand on July 30.
Synopsis: “Eleven-year-old Casey is home alone — until a group of intruders, led by Rose, break in. They plan to steal her family’s priceless collection of artwork, but their wreckless ambition is outmatched only by Rose’s opportunism. Casey must struggle to survive as the stakes grow ever higher and the invaders prove themselves willing to stop at nothing to get what they want.”
Why We’re Stoked: Bella Thorne headlines a trashy thriller. We’re not mad at it.
Audible: Coming to Netflix on July 1.
Synopsis: “Audible is a cinematic and immersive coming-of-age documentary following Maryland School for the Deaf high school athlete Amaree McKenstry and his close friends as they face the pressures of senior year and grappling with the realities of venturing off into the hearing world. Amaree and his teammates take out their frustrations on the football field as they battle to protect an unprecedented winning streak, while coming to terms with the tragic loss of a close friend. This is a story about kids who stand up to adversity. They face conflict, but approach the future with hope - shouting to the world that they exist and they matter.”
Why We’re Stoked: Clear eyes. Full hearts.
The Boss Baby: Family Business: Coming to theaters and Peacock on July 2.
Synopsis: “In the sequel to DreamWorks Animation’s Oscar®-nominated blockbuster comedy, the Templeton brothers—Tim (James Marsden, X-Men franchise) and his Boss Baby little bro Ted (Alec Baldwin)—have become adults and drifted away from each other. Tim is now a married stay-at-home dad. Ted is a hedge fund CEO. But a new boss baby with a cutting-edge approach and a can-do attitude is about to bring them together again … and inspire a new family business.”
Why We’re Stoked: I mean, Amy Sedaris?
The God Committee: Coming to select theaters and On Demand on July 2.
Synopsis: “When a donor heart unexpectedly arrives at a New York hospital, an organ transplant committee must convene within one hour to decide which of three other patients deserves the life-saving heart. God’s work is now left in the hands of five doctors, including Boxer (Kelsey Grammer), a cynical but brilliant heart surgeon; Jordan (Julia Stiles), an idealistic up-and-comer; and Gilroy (Janeane Garofalo), a weary bureaucrat. As the debate over the heart heats up, ethics and bribes clash, leaving the committee members to question what’s more valuable: morals or money?”
Why We’re Stoked: Garofalo + Stiles + Grammer? The ’90s are back, baby!
Belle: Coming to Japan on July 16.
Synopsis: “Belle follows Suzu, a 17-year-old high school student living in a rural village with her father. For years she has only been a shadow of herself. One day, she enters “U,” a virtual world of 5 billion members on the Internet. There, she is not Suzu anymore but Belle, a world-famous singer. She soon meets with a mysterious creature. Together, they embark on a journey of adventures, challenges and love, in their quest of becoming who they truly are.”
Why We’re Stoked: You had us at speaker-bedecked flying whale.
BELLE by Mamoru Hosoda - Exclusive new trailer from Charades on Vimeo.
Demonic: Opening in Theaters and VOD on August 20.
Synopsis: “From the director of District 9 and Elysium, a young woman unleashes terrifying demons when supernatural forces at the root of a decades old rift between mother and daughter are revealed.”
Why We’re Stoked: Neill Blomkamp is back!
The Year Of The Everlasting Storm: Coming in 2021, following its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival.
Synopsis: “Featuring seven stories from seven auteurs from around the world, the film chronicles this unprecedented moment in time, and is a true love letter to the power of cinema and its storytellers.”
Why We’re Stoked: Another COVID movie may not be welcomed. But what if it offers new shorts from Jafar Panahi, Anthony Chen, Malik Vitthal, Laura Poitras, Dominga Sotomayor, David Lowery, and Apichatpong Weerasethakul?