JOHN WICK
(Lionsgate) Keanu Reeves, Michael Nyqvist, Alfie Allen, Willem Dafoe, Ian McShane, Adrianne Palicki, John Leguizamo, Bridget Moynahan. Directed by David Leitch and Chad Stahelski
Sometimes movies come out of nowhere to just blow audiences away. John Wick is one of those. Although the story of an ex-hitman being forced out of retirement after having everything he loves taken away from him isn’t anything novel, the action sequences here have generated some of the most buzz of any films this year. Everyone who’s seen it has raved; I tend to listen to recommendations like that.
See the trailer, clips, interviews and B-roll video here.
For more on the movie this is the website.
Release formats: Standard, IMAX (opens Thursday)
Genre: Action
Rating: R (for strong and blood violence throughout, language and brief drug use)
16 Stones
(Candlelight) Shona Kay, Brad Johnson, Mason D. Davis, Allan Groves. After witnessing the persecution of Mormons in 19th century Missouri, a young man is moved to prove the truth of the Book of Mormon by finding one of the stones touched by the finger of God part of the books of Mormon. Yes, it’s a faith based fiction, Mormon-style.
See the trailer here.
For more on the movie this is the website.
Release formats: Standard
Genre: Faith-Based Adventure
Rating: PG (for some violence and thematic elements)
23 Blast
(Ocean Avenue) Mark Hapka, Stephen Lang, Alexa PenaVega, Dylan Baker. The true story of Travis Freeman, a Kentucky teenager who was blinded by an optic nerve infection. Refusing to give up, he continues to play football for his high school team and serves as an inspiration to his teammates and his town.
See the trailer here.
For more on the movie this is the website.
Release formats: Standard
Genre: True Sports Drama
Rating: PG (for mild action, rude humor, some thematic elements and brief scary images)
Dear White People
(Roadside Attractions) Tyler James Williams, Tessa Thompson, Kyle Gallner, Dennis Haysbert. At an Ivy League school, an African-American themed party which has been popular through the years throws the campus into a turmoil when some of the African-American students object. The students and faculty are forced to confront their own attitudes in regards to race as battle lines are drawn – and crossed.
See the trailer and clips here.
For more on the movie this is the website.
Release formats: Standard
Genre: Comedy
Rating: R (for language, sexual content and drug use)
Exists
(Lionsgate) Dora Madison Burge, Samuel Davis, Roger Edwards, Chris Osborn. After an accident in Texas’ Big Thicket woods, five campers discover they’ve awoken something evil and not quite human. Surviving the night is going to be a lot more difficult than it sounds. From the twisted mind of The Blair Witch Project director Eduardo Sanchez.
See the trailer and a clip here.
For more on the movie this is the website.
Release formats: Standard
Genre: Horror
Rating: R (for language throughout, some violence, sexual content and drug use)
Happy New Year
(Yash Raj) Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Abhishek Bachchan, Boman Irani. An international dance competition has teams from around the world competing for national pride and glory. Not Team India though. They have something different on their mind – and something far more dangerous.
See the trailer here.
For more on the movie this is the website.
Release formats: Standard (opens Thursday)
Genre: Bollywood
Rating: NR
Ouija
(Universal) Olivia Cooke, Ana Coto, Darren Kagasoff, Lin Shaye. When her sister dies in a disturbing accident, a young woman yearns to contact her on the other side one last time. Finding a Ouija board, she and her friends try to make that connection. What they connect with is the malevolent force that her dead sister had awakened – and now wants to claim them all.
See the trailer, clips, interviews and B-roll video here.
For more on the movie this is the website.
Release formats: Standard (opens Thursday)
Genre: Supernatural Horror
Rating: PG (for some thematic elements)
St. Vincent
(Weinstein) Bill Murray, Melissa McCarthy, Chris O’Dowd, Naomi Watts. A single mom forced to work long hours to make ends meet is left with no choice but to have her next door neighbor watch her son. An unlikable smoker, drinker and gambler, he drags the boy off on the stops that make his day – the race track, the strip club and a local dive bar. Soon though the boy and the man find themselves making a difference in each other’s lives.
See the trailer, clips, interviews, featurettes, a promo, premiere footage and B-roll video here.
For more on the movie this is the website.
Release formats: Standard
Genre: Comedy
Rating: PG-13 (for mature thematic material including sexual content, alcohol and tobacco use, and for language)
The Trial
(Star Cinema) John Lloyd Cruz, Jessy Mendiola, Gretchen Barretto, Richard Gomez.. The Philippines is rocked by the allegations that a mentally challenged young man assaulted and raped his teacher. Now his friends and a crusading lawyer join forces to prove to the court – and the world – that he didn’t do it.
See the trailer here.
For more on the movie this is the website.
Release formats: Standard
Genre: Crime Drama
Rating: NR