Indie Film Release Guide: January 3rd [An ONTD Original]

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This weekend does not have a ton of new releases, as studios are banking on the carryover audiences from the releases of the last two weeks. What this weekend does have is two movies named The Damned, which is kinda fun! Movies with generic titles like that get released all the time, but not usually two films with the same generic title in the same week.

The films listed are from studios other than the “Big Five” - Universal Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., Walt Disney Pictures, and Columbia Pictures. Note that some of the movies listed are in their first week or two of limited release in the USA, so it may take them a few more weeks (or months) to show up in your local arthouse theater or on VOD. Check out the posts from the past few weeks for more movies that may have just opened near you: December 25th, December 20th, and December 13th.

Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl

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Stars: Ben Whitehead, Peter Kay, Lauren Patel, Reece Shearsmith
Writer: Mark Burton, Nick Park
Director: Merlin Crossingham, Nick Park
Genre: Adventure, Family
Plot: Gromit's concerned that Wallace has become over-dependent on his inventions, which proves justified when Wallace invents a "smart gnome" that seems to develop a mind of its own.
What you should know: Marks the first new Wallace & Gromit film since the death of Wallace's voice actor from the previous 5 films, Peter Sallis, in 2017.
Where to watch: Netflix



Harbin

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Stars: Hyun Bin, Park Jeong-min, Jeon Yeo-been, Jo Woo-jin
Writer: Min-Seong Kim, Woo Min-ho
Director: Woo Min-ho
Genre: Action, History, Thriller
Plot: Follows Korean independence activists who launched a daring attack in Harbin against the Japanese to gain their country's independence.
What you should know: It’s in Korean and Japanese.
Where to watch: In theaters

The Damned

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Stars: Odessa Young, Joe Cole, Siobhan Finneran, Rory McCann
Writer: Jamie Hannigan, Thordur Palsson
Director: Thordur Palsson
Genre: Drama, Horror, Mystery
Plot: A 19th-century widow has to make an impossible choice when, during an especially cruel winter, a foreign ship sinks off the coast of her Icelandic fishing village.
What you should know: Garnered a Special Mention at the 2024 Cork International Film Festival.
Where to watch: In theaters

The Damned

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Stars: Duncan Vezain, Jeremiah Knupp, René W. Solomon, Chris Hoffert
Writer/Director: Roberto Minervini
Genre: Drama, History
Plot: In the winter of 1862, during the Civil War, the U.S. Army sends a volunteer company to patrol the uncharted Western territories.
What you should know: Minervini had the set built in Montana, then let the cast live in it for two months. The dialogues and thoughts expressed are the ones the actors came up with while living in the wilderness imagining to be soldiers in the Civil War.
Where to watch: In theaters

From Ground Zero

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Stars: Aws Al-Banna, Kenzi Al Balbisi, Mohammed Kamel, Damo Nidal
Director: Reema Mahmoud, Muhammad Al Sharif, Ahmed Hassouna, Islam Al Zeriei, Mustafa Kolab, Nidal Damo, Khamis Masharawi, Bashar Al Balbisi, Tamer Nijim, Ahmed Al Danaf, Alaa Islam Ayoub, Karim Satoum, Alaa Damo, Aws Al Banna, Rabab Khamis, Etimad Washah, Mustafa Al Nabih, Hana Eleiwa, Wissam Moussa, Basel El Maqousi, Neda'a Abu Hasna, Mahdi Kreirah
Genre: Documentary, Animation, Drama
Plot: A collection of revealing stories from 22 Palestinian filmmakers living through war, who capture their lives in Gaza amidst war. Using a blend of animation, documentary, and fiction, they create a powerful testament to the steadfastness of the human spirit.
What you should know: Palestine's Official Submission to the 97th Academy Awards.
Where to watch: In theaters

The Last Republican

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Director: Steve Pink
Genre: Documentary
Storyline: In the wake of the January 6 Capitol riot, Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger teams up with director Steve Pink, to shed light on the events and hold those responsible accountable.
What you should know: Director Steve Pink was also responsible for Hot Tub Time Machine, of which Kinzinger counts himself a fan.
Where to watch: In theaters

Bloody Axe Wound

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Stars: Sari Arambulo, Molly Brown, Eddie Leavy, Jeffrey Dean Morgan
Writer/Director: Matthew John Lawrence
Genre: Horror, Comedy
Plot: Abbie Bladecut is a teenager torn between the macabre traditions of her family's bloody trade and the tender stirrings of her first crush. In the small town of Clover Falls, Abbie's father, Roger Bladecut, has built an infamous legacy by capturing real-life killings on tape and selling them to eager customers, but as Abbie delves deeper into the grisly family business, she begins to wonder if it's time to take the family tradition in a new direction.
What you should know: Co-stars Sari Arambulo and Eddie Leavy also co-starred in the series A.P. Bio.
Where to watch: In theaters

When it Rains in LA

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Stars: Monroe Cline, Natasha Stricklin, Leslie Stratton, Eric Roberts
Writer: John Sillup
Director: David M. Parks
Genre: Crime, Horror, Thriller
Plot: Following an Eastern European girl's escape from trauma, she goes on a vacation with friends, where she confronts her unresolved past and the consequences of her relocation.
What you should know: Eric Roberts has close to 800 credits on IMDB.
Where to watch: In theaters and available VOD on January 7th

The Monster Beneath Us

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Stars: Becca Hirani, Nicola Wright, Jennifer Lim, Marshall Hawkes
Writer/Director: Sophie Osbourne
Genre: Horror, Thriller, Mystery
Plot: Yorkshire, 1898. A grieving woman and her son return to her late ex-husband's house, only to find they are not alone.
What you should know: Filmed in Yorkshire, England.
Where to watch: In theaters

Major Studio Re-Release

Se7en

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Stars: Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Spacey, Gwyneth Paltrow
Writer: Andrew Kevin Walker
Director: David Fincher
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Plot: Two detectives, a rookie and a veteran, hunt a serial killer who uses the seven deadly sins as his motives.
What you should know: Nominated for one Oscar in 1996, for Film Editing.
Where to watch: In IMAX theaters

Recent New Releases

Babygirl (Trailer)
A Complete Unknown (Trailer)
Nosferatu (Trailer)
Nickel Boys (Trailer)
Vermiglio (Trailer)

New to Streaming

Cunk on Life (Trailer) on Netflix
The Front Room (Trailer) on Max
The Fall Guy (Trailer) on Amazon Prime
Mother’s Instinct (Trailer) on Hulu
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 (Trailer) on Peacock

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What have you been watching lately, ONTD? Seeing anything this weekend?