NEW MOVIES: April 25-May 1, 2024, “Challengers,” “Unsung Hero,” “Breathe,” “Cash Out”

CHALLENGERS

CHALLENGERS

Challengers is a 2024 American romantic sports film directed by Luca Guadagnino and written by Justin Kuritzkes. The plot follows a professional tennis champion (Mike Faist) who plots a comeback with the help of his wife (Zendaya), a former tennis prodigy who retired after an injury, as he goes up against another player (Josh O’Connor), who also happens to be his former best friend and wife’s former lover.[3]

After being delayed from its initial September 2023 release date and pulled out from its slot as the opening film of the 80th Venice International Film Festival due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strikeChallengers premiered in Sydney, Australia, on March 26, 2024, and is scheduled to be released in the United States by Amazon MGM Studios on April 26, 2024. The film received critical acclaim, with the cast performances (especially Zendaya) being the main highlight.

Premise

Tashi Duncan, a former tennis prodigy turned coach after a career-ending injury, is married to a champion on a losing streak. Her strategy for her husband’s redemption takes a surprising turn when he must face off against his former best friend, Tashi’s former boyfriend.[3]

Cast

  • Zendaya as Tashi Duncan[4]
  • Josh O’Connor as Patrick Zweig[4]
  • Mike Faist as Art Donaldson[4]
  • Darnell Appling as New Rochelle Final Umpire
  • AJ Lister as Lily Donaldson
  • Nada Despotovich as Tashi’s Mother
  • Naheem Garcia as Tashi’s Father
  • Hailey Gates as Helen
  • Jake Jensen as Finn Larsen[5]

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UNSUNG HERO

UNSUNG HERO

Unsung Hero is an upcoming American Christian drama film directed by Richard Ramsey and Joel Smallbone. The film follows the Smallbone family, including Rebecca (stage name Rebecca St. James) and Joel and Luke Smallbone of For King & Country, who become Christian recording artists.

Plot

In 1991, the Smallbone family moved from Australia to Nashville, Tennessee.

Cast

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BREATHE

BREATHE

Breathe is an upcoming American science fiction action thriller film directed by Stefon Bristol, written by Doug Simon, and starring Jennifer HudsonMilla JovovichQuvenzhané WallisCommon, and Sam Worthington. The film is set in a world where oxygen levels on Earth have dropped making it impossible to live on the planet’s surface without specialised equipment.

Cast

Production

In December 2019, Doug Simon’s screenplay Breathe was revealed to be on that year’s “Black List” of the most-liked unproduced screenplays in Hollywood.[1] In May 2022, it was announced that Sam WorthingtonJennifer HudsonMilla JovovichQuvenzhané Wallis, and Common were set to star in the film, to be directed by Stefon Bristol.[2]

Filming took place on location in Pennsylvania in late 2022.

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CASH OUT

CASH OUT

Cash Out is an upcoming American action film starring John TravoltaKristin DavisLukas HaasQuavo, and Joel Cohen. It was directed by Ives, and written by Dipo Oseni and Doug Richardson. The film is scheduled to be released on April 26, 2024.

Plot

In the tense thriller Cash Out, John Travolta is Mason, the leader of a high-end crew of thieves that hang it up for good after a double-cross spells a near miss with the law. Still, when thrust into his younger brother Shawn’s hare-brained scheme to rob a bank—and tempted by what could be his biggest score ever—Mason jumps right back into his old ways. Then the heist goes awry, and the thieves are trapped inside the bank with hostages while surrounded by SWAT teams, the FBI, and Interpol. Among the authorities waiting to nab the crew is someone Mason knows well: lead negotiator Decker (Kristin Davis) — Mason’s former lover.”

Cast

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4/23/2024#”Challengers,” “Unsung Hero,” “Breathe,” “Cash Out”

NEW MOVIES: April 18-24, 2024, “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare,” “Abigail,” “Sasquatch Sunset,” “Villains Inc.”

THE MINISTRY OF UNGENTLEMANLY WARFARE

THE MINISTRY OF UNGENTLEMANLY WARFARE

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is an upcoming spy action comedy film directed and co-written by Guy Ritchie. It is based on Damien Lewis’s 2014 book Churchill’s Secret Warriors: The Explosive True Story of the Special Forces Desperadoes of WWII. The film portrays a heavily fictionalized version of Operation Postmaster.

The film will be released in the United States on April 19, 2024.

Plot

Based in part on real historical events, the film’s storyline is about the Special Operations Executive, a covert British World War II organization formed in 1940 at the instigation of Prime Minister Winston Churchill for conducting espionage and sabotage in Nazi-occupied Europe. SOE operations contributed significantly to the Allied victory over Nazi Germany and were forerunners of modern-day black operations and irregular warfare.[2]

Cast

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ABIGAIL

ABIGAIL

Abigail is a 2024 American vampire horror film[3] directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett from a screenplay written by Stephen Shields and Guy Busick. Based on and a reimagining of the 1936 Universal Classic Monsters film Dracula’s Daughter, the film stars Alisha Weir as the eponymous daughter of Count Dracula, alongside Melissa BarreraDan StevensKathryn Newton, William Catlett, Kevin DurandAngus Cloud, and Giancarlo Esposito.

A reboot of Dracula’s Daughter was announced to be in development in April 2023, with Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett attached as directors, and Shields and Busick hired to write the screenplay. It was also announced that the film would be a co-production between Bettinelli-Olpin, Gillett, and Chad Villella‘s Radio Silence ProductionsJames Vanderbilt, Paul Neinstein, and William Sherak’s Project X Entertainment, and Tripp Vinson‘s Vinson Films. Barrera was cast that same month, with Weir, Stevens, Newton, Durand, Cloud, and Catlett hired the next month, and Esposito rounding out the main cast in June.

Principal photography began that month in Dublin, Ireland, but was suspended at the beginning of July due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. Filming resumed at the end of that month and wrapped in December. This was the last film that Cloud worked on during his lifetime, as he died on July 31, 2023, shortly after wrapping filming of his scenes. Brian Tyler, a frequent collaborator of Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett, was hired to compose and conduct the film’s score.

Abigail had its world premiere at the Overlook Film Festival on April 7, 2024, and is scheduled to be released by Universal Pictures on April 19, 2024.

Premise

The film focuses on a group of kidnappers who capture and must watch over Abigail, the daughter of a powerful underworld figure from whom they demand a $50 million ransom. However, they soon get more than what they bargain for when they realize that they are trapped inside with no ordinary little girl but a vampire child who hunts them down one by one.[4]

Cast

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SASQUATCH SUNSET

SASQUATCH SUNSET

Sasquatch Sunset is a 2024 American surreal comedy film directed by David Zellner and Nathan Zellner, and written by David Zellner. Starring Riley KeoughJesse Eisenberg, Christophe Zajac-Denek, and Nathan Zellner. The film follows a family of Sasquatch over one year. Ari Aster served as an executive producer under his Square Peg banner. It had its world premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2024. Bleecker Street released the film on April 12, 2024.

Plot

The film follows a family of Sasquatch over one year.

Cast

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VILLAINS INC.

VILLAINS INC.

After the death of their boss, Beatrix, Cain and Harold are left destitute living in an abandoned grocery store. Beatrix is determined that they will fight on their own and take over the world by any means necessary.

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4/16/2024#”The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare,” “Abigail,” “Sasquatch Sunset,” “Villains Inc.”

 

NEW MOVIES: April 11-17, 2024, “Civil War,” “Arcadian,” “Housekeeping for Beginners,” “The Long Game”

CIVIL WAR

CIVIL WAR

Civil War is a 2024 dystopian action film written and directed by Alex Garland.[4] The film stars Kirsten DunstWagner MouraCailee SpaenyStephen McKinley Henderson, and Nick Offerman. Its plot follows a team of journalists who travel across the United States during a rapidly escalating Second American Civil War, which has engulfed the entire nation.

Civil War had its world premiere at South by Southwest on March 14, 2024, and is scheduled to be theatrically released in the United States by A24 and in the United Kingdom by Entertainment Film Distributors on April 12, 2024. The film received positive reviews from critics.

Premise

In the near future, a team of journalists travel across the United States during a rapidly escalating multiparty civil war that has engulfed the entire nation.[5][6] The film documents the journalists struggling to survive during a time when the U.S. government has become a dystopian dictatorship and partisan extremist militias regularly commit war crimes.[6][5]

Cast

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ARCADIAN

ARCADIAN

Arcadian (formerly titled Sand and Stones) is a 2024 action horror film written by Michael Nilon, directed by Ben Brewer, and starring Nicolas Cage.

The film premiered at South by Southwest on March 11, 2024, followed by a theatrical release in the United States on April 12, 2024, by RLJE Films.

Premise

A father and his twin teenage sons fight to survive in a remote farmhouse at the end of the world.

Cast

Production

In October 2022, it was announced that Nicolas Cage would star in the film.[2] In November, Jaeden MartellMaxwell Jenkins, and Sadie Soverall had joined the cast, and filming began in Dublin, Ireland.[1] In February 2023, it was announced that filming wrapped and that the film was in post-production.[3]

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HOUSEKEEPING FOR BEGINNERS

HOUSEKEEPING FOR BEGINNERS

Housekeeping for Beginners (MacedonianДомаќинство за почетнициromanizedDomaḱinstvo za početnici) is a 2023 drama film written, directed and edited by Goran Stolevski. It stars Anamaria MarincaAlina Serban, Samson Selim, Vladimir Tintor, Mia Mustafi, and Dżada Selim. It is an international co-production between North MacedoniaCroatiaSerbiaKosovoPolandAustralia and the United States.

The film premiered on 6 September 2023, at the 80th Venice International Film Festival, where it won the Queer Lion. It was selected as the Macedonian entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 96th Academy Awards.[4] It was released in the United States on 5 April 2024, and later in Australia on 9 May 2024.

Summary

Dita is forced to raise her girlfriend’s two daughters even though she has never aspired to be a mother. A touching tale about an odd family’s battle to be together emerges when their separate wills collide.

Cast

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THE LONG GAME

THE LONG GAME

The Long Game is a 2023 American historical drama film adaptation of Humberto G. Garcia’s 2010 novel Mustang Miracle. The film is directed by Julio Quintana and stars Jay Hernandez, Julian Works, Jaina Lee OrtizBrett CullenOscar NuñezPaulina ChávezGregory Diaz IV, José Julián, Cheech Marin, and Dennis Quaid.

The film is scheduled to be released theatrically in the United States by Mucho Mas Media on April 12, 2024.

Plot

The Long Game tells a true story of the San Felipe Mustangs, a group of Mexican-American youths located in Del Rio, Texas. In the 1950s, the group set out to play golf at a white country club in town. Despite prejudice, the Mustangs overcame these obstacles to become the 1957 Texas state champions.[1][2]

Cast

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4/9/2024#”Civil War,” “Arcadian,” “Housekeeping for Beginners,” “The Long Game”

NEW MOVIES: April 4-10, 2024, “Monkey Man,” “The First Omen,” “Someone Like You,” “The Old Oak’

MONKEY MAN

MONKEY MAN

Monkey Man is a 2024 American action thriller film directed by Dev Patel, who co-wrote the screenplay with Paul Angunawela and John Collee.[5][6] The film marks the directorial debut of Patel, who co-produced the film and stars in the lead role, alongside Sharlto CopleyPitobashSobhita DhulipalaSikandar KherVipin SharmaAshwini Kalsekar, Adithi Kalkunte, and Makarand Deshpande.

Monkey Man had its world premiere at South by Southwest on March 11, 2024, and is scheduled to be released in the United States by Universal Pictures on April 5, 2024.[7][8]

Premise

Kid, an anonymous young man, sets on a journey to hunt down a group of corrupt leaders who are responsible for his mother Neela’s death. However, Kid’s journey of exacting revenge soon makes him become the savior of the poor and powerless people, who are tormented by the corrupt leaders.[9]

Cast

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THE FIRST OMEN

THE FIRST OMEN

The First Omen is an upcoming American supernatural horror film directed by Arkasha Stevenson, who co-wrote the screenplay with Tim Smith and Keith Thomas from a story by Ben Jacoby. It is a prequel to The Omen (1976), being the sixth film in The Omen franchise. The film stars Nell Tiger FreeTawfeek BarhomSônia BragaRalph Ineson, and Bill Nighy.

The First Omen is scheduled to be released in the United States by 20th Century Studios on April 5, 2024.

Premise

The plot follows an American woman sent to work at a church in Rome who uncovers a sinister conspiracy to bring about the birth of the Antichrist.[2]

Cast

  • Nell Tiger Free as Margaret Daino, an American sent to Rome to work at an orphanage before taking the veil[a]
  • Sônia Braga as Sister Silvia, the Abbess of Vizzardeli Orphanage in Rome
  • Ralph Ineson as Father Brennan, a priest who warns Margaret of a conspiracy within the church[b]
  • Bill Nighy as Cardinal Lawrence, a senior member of the Catholic church
  • Tawfeek Barhom as Father Gabriel, a member of the Catholic clergy working at the orphanage
  • Maria Caballero as Luz Valez, Margaret’s roommate at Vizzardeli
  • Nicole Sorace as Carlita Skianna, an older child at Vizzardeli
  • Charles Dance[4]

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SOMEONE LIKE YOU

SOMEONE LIKE YOU

  • Director: Tyler Russell
  • Writer: Karen Kingsbury, Tyler Russell
  • Stars: Sarah Fisher, Jake Allyn, Lynn Collins
  • Genre: Romance
  • Release Date: 2024-04-02
  • Run Time: 118
Based on the novel by #1 NYTimes bestselling author Karen Kingsbury, “Someone Like You” is an achingly beautiful love story. After the tragic loss of his best friend, a grieving young architect launches a search for her secret twin sister.

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THE OLD OAK

THE OLD OAK

The Old Oak is a 2023 drama film directed by Ken Loach and written by Paul Laverty. It is a co-production between the United Kingdom, France and Belgium.[1]

After its world premiere at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, where it competed for the Palme d’Or, the film was released in the United Kingdom on 29 September 2023, by StudioCanal. The film was nominated for Outstanding British Film at the 77th British Academy Film Awards.

Premise

Pub landlord TJ Ballantyne, living in a previously thriving mining community in County Durham, struggles to hold onto his pub and keep it as the one remaining public space where people can meet in the town. Meanwhile, tensions rise when Syrian refugees are placed there, but Ballantyne strikes up a friendship with one of the refugees, Yara.[3][6]

Cast

  • Dave Turner as TJ Ballantyne
  • Ebla Mari as Yara
  • Claire Rodgerson as Laura
  • Trevor Fox as Charlie
  • Chris McGlade as Vic
  • Col Tait as Eddy
  • Jordan Louis as Garry
  • Chrissie Robinson as Erica
  • Chris Gotts as Jaffa Cake
  • Jen Patterson as Maggie
  • Arthur Oxley as Archie
  • Joe Armstrong as Joe
  • Andy Dawson as Micky
  • Maxie Peters as Tommy
  • Debbie Honeywood as Tania
  • Neil Leiper as Rocco

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4/2/2024# “Monkey Man,” “The First Omen,” “Someone Like You,” “The Old Oak’

NEW MOVIES: March 28-April 3, 2024, “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” “Carol Doda Topless at the Condor,” “Asphalt City,” “Problemista”

GODZILLA X KONG: THE NEW EMPIRE

GODZILLA X KONG: THE NEW EMPIRE

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire[a] is a 2024 American monster film that is the sequel to Godzilla vs. Kong (2021) and features Godzilla and Kong in a team-up against new enemies. The film is directed by Adam Wingard, produced by Legendary Pictures, and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is the fifth film in the MonsterVerse franchise. It is also the 38th film of the Godzilla franchise, the 13th film in the King Kong franchise, and the fifth Godzilla film to be completely produced by an American film studio.[b] The film stars Rebecca HallBrian Tyree HenryDan StevensKaylee HottleAlex Ferns, and Fala Chen. Hall, Henry and Hottle reprise their roles from the previous film. In the film, Kong encounters more of his species in the Hollow Earth and must unite with Godzilla to stop their tyrannical leader and a powerful, climate-changing Titan from destroying the surface.

Premise

The film follows Godzilla and Kong, as they unite together against a mysterious Hollow Earth threat, and also focuses on the previously untold origins of the Titans and Skull Island.[6]

Cast

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CAROL DODA TOPLESS AT THE CONDOR

CAROL DODA TOPLESS AT THE CONDOR

Carol Ann Doda (August 29, 1937 – November 9, 2015) was an American topless dancer based in San Francisco, California, who was active from the 1960s through the 1980s. She was the first public topless dancer in the United States.[1]

In 1964, Doda made international news, first by dancing topless at the city’s Condor Club, then by enlarging her bust from size 34 to 44 through silicone injections. A year later, she was arrested along with the owners of the Condor Club, but all three of them were later cleared of charges.[2] Her breasts became known as Doda’s “twin 44s” and “the new Twin Peaks of San Francisco”.[3]

On June 19, 1964,[12] when Doda was 26 years old, the Condor’s publicist, “Big” Davy Rosenberg[15] gave Doda a “monokini” topless swimsuit designed by Rudi Gernreich.[7] She performed topless that night, the first noted entertainer of the era to do so. The act was an instant success.[7] Two months after she started her semi-nude performances, the rest of San Francisco’s Broadway was topless, followed soon after by entertainers across America.[9] Doda became an American cultural icon of the 1960s.[citation needed] She was profiled in Tom Wolfe‘s 1969 book The Pump House Gang,[16] and appeared that same year as Sally Silicone in Head, the 1968 film created by Jack Nicholson and Bob Rafelson, and featuring The Monkees. The movie was produced by Columbia Pictures.[17] She also appeared in a Golden Boy parody with Annette FunicelloSonny Liston, and Davy Jones.[18]

 

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ASPHALT CITY

ASPHALT CITY

Asphalt City (originally titled Black Flies) is a 2023 American thriller drama film directed by Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire and written by Ryan King and Ben Mac Brown, based on the 2008 novel Black Flies by Shannon Burke. It stars Sean PennTye SheridanGbenga Akinnagbe, Raquel Nave, Kali ReisMichael PittKatherine Waterston, and Mike Tyson.

The film premiered at the 76th Cannes Film Festival on May 18, 2023. It is set to be released theatrically by Vertical Entertainment and Roadside Attractions on March 29, 2024.

Premise

In preparation for medical school, Ollie Cross joins veteran paramedic Gene Rutkovsky on a drive through New York City.

Cast

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PROBLEMISTA

PROBLEMISTA

Problemista is a 2023 American surrealist comedy film written, directed, and co-produced by Julio Torres. It stars Torres, Tilda SwintonRZAGreta LeeCatalina SaavedraJames Scully, and Isabella Rosselini. The film follows a struggling aspiring toy designer from El Salvador who starts working for an erratic art-world outcast in New York City, hoping to stay in the country and realize his dream before his work visa expires.

Cast

Production

In July 2021, it was announced that Tilda Swinton would star in the film and Julio Torres would costar in and direct it, from a screenplay he wrote, with A24 set to finance and distribute.[4] In November 2021, RZAIsabella RosselliniGreta Lee, Spike Einbinder, Laith Nakil, Larry OwensJames Scully and Greta Titelman joined the cast of the film. Emma Stone serves as a producer under her Fruit Tree banner.[5]

Principal photography began by November 2021, in New York City.[6]

 

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3/26/2024#”Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” “Carol Doda Topless at the Condor,” “Asphalt City,” “Problemista”

 

NEW MOVIES: March 21-27, 2024, “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire,” “Knox goes Away,” “The Peasants,” “You Can Call Me Bill”

GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE

GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is a 2024 American supernatural comedy film directed by Gil Kenan, who co-wrote it with Jason Reitman. It is the sequel to Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021) and the fifth film in the Ghostbusters franchise. The film stars Paul RuddCarrie CoonFinn WolfhardMckenna GraceCeleste O’Connor, and Logan Kim reprising their roles from Afterlife, alongside Bill MurrayDan AykroydErnie HudsonAnnie Potts, and William Atherton reprising their characters from the earlier films, while Kumail Nanjiani and Patton Oswalt also join the cast. In the film, years after again stopping the apocalyptic deity Gozer the Gozerian in Summerville, Oklahoma, the veteran Ghostbusters must join forces with their new recruits to save the world in New York City from a powerful death-chilling adversary who seeks to build a spectral army.

Premise

In Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, the Spengler family decide to leave Summerville, Oklahoma and go back to where it all started – the iconic New York City firehouse – and help the original Ghostbusters, who’ve developed a top-secret research lab to take busting ghosts to the next level! But when the discovery of an ancient artifact unleashes an evil force, Ghostbusters new and old must join forces to protect their home and save the world from a second Ice Age.

Cast

Additionally, Emily Alyn Lind has been cast in an undisclosed role.

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KNOX GOES AWAY

KNOX GOES AWAY

Knox Goes Away is a 2023 American crime thriller film directed by Michael Keaton and written by Gregory Poirier. It stars Keaton, James MarsdenSuzy NakamuraJoanna KuligRay McKinnonJohn HoogenakkerLela LorenMarcia Gay Harden, and Al Pacino.

It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 10, 2023, and was released theatrically in the United States on March 15, 2024, by Saban Films.

Plot

John Knox, a contract killer diagnosed with a fast-moving form of dementia called Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, vows to spend his final days attempting to redeem himself by saving the life of his estranged adult son. Knox finds himself in a race against the authorities as well as the ticking clock of his own rapidly deteriorating mind. – FilmNation Entertainment

Cast

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THE PEASANTS

THE PEASANTS

The Peasants (PolishChłopi) is a novel written by the Polish author Władysław Reymont in four parts between 1904 and 1909. He started writing it in 1897, but because of a railway accident and health problems, it took seven years to complete. The first parts of the story were published in the weekly magazine Tygodnik Illustrowany. The novel has been translated into at least 27 languages. Władysław Reymont received the 1924 Nobel Prize in Literature for this work.

Description

Each of the four parts represents a season in the life of the peasants – Autumn (published in 1904), Winter (published in 1904), Spring (published in 1906), and Summer (published in 1909). This division underlines the relationship of human life with nature.

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YOU CAN CALL ME BILL

YOU CAN CALL ME BILL

“You Can Call Me Bill” is an intimate documentary that delves into the remarkable life and career of the legendary actor William Shatner. Here’s a concise summary and information about the cast:

  1. Summary:
    • Directed by Alexandre O. Philippe, the film chronicles William Shatner’s journey over nine decades on Earth.
    • It strips away the masks he has worn while embodying countless characters, revealing the man behind the iconic roles.
    • The documentary explores lessons learned, reflections, and significant moments in Shatner’s life, including his adventures in outer space in 2021.
    • Shatner shares his evolving feelings about space travel, emphasizing concerns about global warming and our interconnected planet.
  2. Cast:
    • William Shatner: The iconic actor himself, who is about to turn 93 years old.

The film provides a unique glimpse into the life of a living legend, touching on themes of curiosity, environmental awareness, and the enduring impact of his work in Star Trek and beyond.

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3/19/2024#”Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire,” “Knox goes Away,” “The Peasants,” “You Can Call Me Bill”

NEW MOVIES: March 14-20, 2024, “One Life,” “American Society of Magical Negroes,” “Arthur the King,” “Uniting”

ONE LIFE

ONE LIFE

One Life is a 2023 biographical drama film directed by James Hawes.[3] It is based on the true story of British humanitarian Sir Nicholas Winton as he looks back on his past efforts to help groups of Jewish children in German-occupied Czechoslovakia to hide and flee in 1938–39, just before the beginning of World War II. The film stars Anthony Hopkins and Johnny Flynn as Sir Nicholas, with Lena OlinRomola GaraiAlex SharpJonathan Pryce, and Helena Bonham Carter in supporting roles.[4]

One Life had its world première at the Toronto International Film Festival on 9 September 2023, and its European première at the 2023 London Film Festival. It was released in the United Kingdom on 1 January 2024 by Warner Bros. Pictures.[5][6][1] The film received mostly positive reviews, with praise for the performances of the cast, particularly Hopkins’.

Plot

When 29-year-old London stockbroker Nicholas Winton visits Czechoslovakia in 1938, just weeks after the Munich Agreement was signed, he encounters families in Prague who had fled the rise of the Nazis in Germany and Austria. They are living in poor conditions, with little or no shelter or food and in fear of the invasion of the Nazis. Winton is introduced to Doreen Warriner, head of the Prague office of the British Committee for Refugees from Czechoslovakia (BCRC). Horrified by the conditions in the refugee camps, Winton decides to save Jewish children himself. Actively supported by his mother Babette, herself a German-Jewish migrant who has since converted to the Church of England, he overcomes bureaucratic hurdles, collects donations and looks for foster families for the children brought to England. Many of them are Jews who are at imminent risk of deportation. A race against time begins as it is unclear how long the borders will remain open before the inevitable Nazi invasion.

Cast

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AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MAGICAL NEGROES

AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MAGICAL NEGROES

The American Society of Magical Negroes is a 2024 American satirical comedy film[2] written, directed, and produced by Kobi Libii in his directorial debut. It stars Justice SmithDavid Alan Grier, An-Li Bogan, Drew TarverMichaela WatkinsAisha HindsTim BaltzRupert Friend and Nicole Byer.

The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2024, and will be followed by a theatrical release by Focus Features in the United States on March 15, 2024.

Premise

Aren is recruited into a magical society of African Americans to follow their lifelong cause: to make the lives of white people easier.[2]

Cast

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ARTHUR THE KING

ARTHUR THE KING

Arthur the King is an upcoming American adventure film directed by Simon Cellan Jones, written by Michael Brandt, and starring Mark WahlbergSimu Liu, and Juliet Rylance. It is based on the 2016 non-fiction book Arthur – The Dog Who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home by Mikael Lindnord. In the film, the captain of an adventure racing team befriends a wounded stray dog named Arthur, who accompanies the team on a grueling 435-mile (700-km) endurance race through the Dominican Republic.

The film was announced in 2019 as a Paramount Players release. It moved to Lionsgate in June 2020 and filming began in the Dominican Republic in January 2021. The film is scheduled to be released by Lionsgate on March 15, 2024.

Plot

A group of mountain climbers venture into the mountains to compete while coming face with a surviving stray who becomes attached to the head of the climbers.

Cast

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UNITING

UNITING

College reunion dramedy led by Michelle Harrison and Jesse L. Martin. The film is set to premiere in select Cineplex theaters across Canada on Friday, March 15. Gravitas Ventures, an Anthem Sports & Entertainment Company, has acquired the U.S. rights to Re: Uniting and will then release the film on digital and cable on demand on June 4, 2024.

“When Rachel, played by Michelle Harrison, receives life-changing news, she secretly grapples with her mortality while playing host to her friends who have grown up and gone their separate ways since college. Carrie, a mother of 3, Natalie, a workaholic neurosurgeon, former football star turned sportscaster Collin, and playboy man-child Danny join Rachel and her husband at their picturesque home on the beautiful and secluded Bowen Island,” reads the movie’s synopsis.

“As soon as they are all together it’s like no time has passed; they laugh, drink and dance the night away. Rachel’s nostalgia is echoed by the group as they realize how much time has gone by, and how much they have all changed. As secrets are revealed, they are forced to change the way they look at their futures.”

Uniting was written and directed by Laura Adkin. The film stars Jesse L Martin (Law & Order, The Irrational, RENT), Michelle Harrison (The Flash), Roger Cross (War For the Planet of the Apes), David James Lewis (Child’s Play), Carmen Moore (Nancy Drew), and Bronwen Smith (Firefly Lane). The movie was produced by Krista Rand, while Stirling Bancroft served as director of photography.

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NEW MOVIES#”One Life,” “American Society of Magical Negroes,” “Arthur the King,” “Uniting”

 

NEW MOVIES: March 7-13, 2024, “Cabrini,” “Kung Fu Panda 4,” “Love Lies Bleeding,” “American Dreamer”

CABRINI

CABRINI

Cabrini is an upcoming American biographical drama film directed by Alejandro Gómez Monteverde and written by Rod Barr, based on a story by both. The film details the life of Catholic missionary Francesca Cabrini, portrayed by Cristiana Dell’Anna, as she encounters resistance to her charity and business efforts in New York City.[1] The film explores the sexism and anti-Italianism faced by Cabrini and others in New York City during the late 19th century.[2]

Cast

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KUNG FU PANDA 4

KUNG FU PANDA 4

Kung Fu Panda 4 is a 2024 American animated martial arts comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Universal Pictures. It is the fourth installment in the Kung Fu Panda franchise, and the sequel to Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016). The film was directed by Mike Mitchell, co-directed by Stephanie Ma Stine (in her feature directorial debut), written by Darren Lemke and the writing team of Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger and produced by Rebecca Huntley. It features Jack BlackDustin HoffmanJames HongBryan Cranston, and Ian McShane reprising their roles from the previous films, with AwkwafinaKe Huy QuanRonny ChiengLori Tan Chinn, and Viola Davis joining the cast as new characters. In the film, Po (Black), who must find and train his successor as the new Dragon Warrior, teams up with a fox bandit named Zhen (Awkwafina) to defeat evil sorceress “The Chameleon” (Davis).

Premise

Po, who is set to become the Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace, searches for his successor as the new Dragon Warrior while fighting a new shapeshifting foe called “The Chameleon”.[5]

Voice cast

Director Mike Mitchell stated that Masters Tigress, Monkey, Crane, Mantis, and Viper—known collectively as the Furious Five—would make an appearance in the film and that they are “off on their missions,” with producer Rebecca Huntley confirming that there will be “a glimpse of the Furious Five.”[7][8]

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LOVE LIES BLEEDING

LOVE LIES BLEEDING

Love Lies Bleeding is a 2024 romantic thriller film directed by Rose Glass from a screenplay she co-wrote with Weronika Tofilska and starring Kristen StewartKaty O’BrianJena MaloneAnna BaryshnikovDave Franco, and Ed Harris. Set in the 1980s, it chronicles the relationship between a reclusive gym manager with a crime family and an ambitious bodybuilder.

Love Lies Bleeding premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 20, 2024. It will be released theatrically in the United States by A24 on March 8, 2024, and in the United Kingdom by Lionsgate UK on May 3, 2024.

Premise

In the 1980s, reclusive gym manager Lou falls hard for Jackie, an ambitious bodybuilder headed through town to Las Vegas in pursuit of her dream. But their love ignites violence, pulling them deep into the web of Lou’s crime family.[2]

Cast

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AMERICAN DREAMER

AMERICAN DREAMER

American Dreamer is a 2022 American black comedy film directed by Paul Dektor (in his feature debut) and written by Theodore Melfi. Based on a segment from the radio show This American Life, it stars Peter Dinklage as a professor who tries to buy the estate of a lonely widow played by Shirley MacLaineKim QuinnDanny PudiDanny Glover, and Matt Dillon also star.

The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 11, 2022. It is scheduled to be released in the United States on March 8, 2024.

Premise

Dr. Phil Loder, a low-level adjunct professor of economics at Harvard, has always dreamed of owning a home. His wish becomes possible when a lonely widow offers Phil her sprawling estate for pennies. The deal, however, is too good to be true.

Cast

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3/5/2024#”Cabrini,” “Kung Fu Panda 4,” “Love Lies Bleeding,” “American Dreamer”

 

NEW MOVIES: Feb. 29 – March 6, “Lo Capitano,” “Navalny,” “Elio,” “The Chosen: Season 4 – Episodes 7-8”

LO CAPITANO

LO CAPITANO

Io capitano (lit. ’Me Captain’) is a 2023 drama film directed by Matteo Garrone, from a screenplay written by Garrone with Massimo Gaudioso, Massimo Ceccherini and Andrea Tagliaferri.[3]

The film, an international co-production between Italy, Belgium, and France, is based on an original idea by Garrone and is inspired by actual stories of migrants’ African routes to Europe. It was shot in Senegal, Morocco, and Italy.

It competed for the Golden Lion at the 80th Venice International Film Festival, winning the Silver Lion for Matteo Garrone’s direction and the Marcello Mastroianni Award for Seydou Sarr’s performance.[4] It was released in Italy on 7 September 2023. Io Capitano received critical acclaim and was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 81st Golden Globe Awards, and Best International Feature Film at the 96th Academy Awards.

Plot

Seydou and Moussa, two Senegalese teenagers, leave their hometown, Dakar, to reach Italy and escape poverty. They transit through Mali equipped with a false passport, and although a policeman discovers the scam, they avoid prison in exchange for 50 dollars. Once in Niger, they face the desert until they enter Libya, where they are arrested and taken to separate detention centers.

Seydou is subjected to torture but manages to get out, as another inmate pushes him to offer himself as a bricklayer like him. Having worked well, both are released, and their trip to Tripoli is paid for. In the Libyan capital, Seydou meets Moussa, with whom he resumes his journey towards Europe.

When they turn to a fixer, Ahmed, who organizes the crossings in the Mediterranean Sea, not having enough money, they are offered only one option: Seydou will have to drive the boat. Instructed by Ahmed on how to steer the vehicle, Seydou leads all the passengers safely to Sicily.

Cast

  • Seydou Sarr as Seydou
  • Moustapha Fall as Moussa
  • Issaka Sawagodo
  • Hichem Yacoubi
  • Doodou Sagna
  • Khady Sy
  • Bamar Kane
  • Cheick Oumar Diaw[1]

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NAVALNY

NAVALNY

Navalny is a 2022 American documentary film directed by Daniel Roher.[2][3] The film revolves around Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and events related to his poisoning.[4] HBO Max and CNN Films produced it. The film premiered on January 25, 2022, at the Sundance Film Festival, where it received critical and audience acclaim and won the Audience Award in the US Documentary competition and the Festival Favorite Award.[5] It also won the Best Documentary Feature at the 95th Academy Awards, won the award for Best Political Documentary at the 7th Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards, and picked up Best Documentary at the 76th BAFTA Awards ceremony.[6]

Synopsis

The film tells about the events related to the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and the subsequent investigation into the poisoning. On August 20, 2020, Navalny was poisoned with a Novichok nerve agent,[7] falling sick during a flight from Tomsk to Moscow, and was hospitalized in serious condition. Navalny was taken to a hospital in Omsk after an emergency landing there and put in a coma. Two days later, he was evacuated to the Charité hospital in Berlin, Germany. The use of the nerve agent was confirmed by five Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) certified laboratories. Navalny blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin for his poisoning, while the Kremlin repeatedly denied involvement.[8][9]

The film shows how Bellingcat journalist Christo Grozev and Maria Pevchikh, the head investigator for Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation, reveal the details of a plot that indicates Putin’s involvement.[10]

The director described the film as “the story of one man and his struggle with an authoritarian regime.”[11][12]

 

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ELIO

ELIO

Elio is an upcoming American animated science fiction adventure film produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is written and directed by Adrian Molina (in his feature directorial debut) and produced by Mary Alice Drumm. The film stars the voices of Yonas Kibreab, America FerreraJameela Jamil, and Brad GarrettElio follows an eleven-year-old boy named Elio Solis (Kibreab), who accidentally becomes the intergalactic Ambassador of planet Earth after being beamed up to the Communiverse by aliens for making contact. Elio must form new bonds with eccentric alien lifeforms and survive formidable trials.

The film was officially announced at the D23 Expo in September 2022, with Molina and Drumm attached to the project as writer/director and producer, respectively, while Kibreab and Ferrera were revealed to be cast in the lead voice roles. Jamil and Garrett joined the cast in June 2023.

Premise

For centuries, people have called out to the universe looking for answers—in Disney and Pixar’s all-new movie Elio, the universe calls back! The original feature film introduces Elio, an underdog with an active imagination who finds himself inadvertently beamed up to the Communiverse, an interplanetary organization with representatives from galaxies far and wide. Mistakenly identified as Earth’s ambassador to the rest of the universe, and completely unprepared for that kind of pressure, Elio must form new bonds with eccentric alien lifeforms, survive a series of formidable trials and somehow discover who he is truly meant to be.[2]

— Pixar

Voice cast

  • Yonas Kibreab, as Elio Solis, is an eleven-year-old boy mistakenly identified by aliens as Earth’s ambassador.[3]
  • America Ferrera as Major Olga Solis, Elio’s mother who runs a top-secret military project.[3]
  • Jameela Jamil as Ambassador Questa, a cobra/manta ray-like alien ambassador.[4]
  • Brad Garrett as Ambassador Grigon, a bulky, four-legged alien ambassador.[4]

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THE CHOSEN: SEASON 4 – EPISODES 7-8

THE CHOSEN: SEASON 4 – EPISODES 7-8

The Chosen is an American Christian historical drama television series. Created, directed, and co-written by filmmaker Dallas Jenkins, it is the first multi-season series about the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. Primarily set in Judaea and Galilee in the 1st century, the series centers on Jesus and the people who met, followed, or interacted with him. The series stars Jonathan Roumie as Jesus, alongside Shahar Isaac, Elizabeth Tabish, Paras Patel, Noah James, and George H. Xanthis.

After Jenkins noted there had never been a multi-season, episode-based portrayal of Jesus that could be “binge-watched” like shows on streaming mediums such as Netflix,[1] he set out to create the series in partnership with Angel Studios, formerly VidAngel. Intending to differ from previous portrayals of Jesus, he crafted a story arc that focused more on the people who encountered Jesus and viewed him through their eyes.[1] He has stated in interviews that he sought to present Jesus in a way that was more “personal, intimate, [and] immediate.”[2]

According to a 2022 analysis commissioned by the producers, 108 million had seen at least part of the show through the app and streaming platforms.[4] The Come and See Foundation funds translation into as many as 600 languages.[5]

Synopsis

The first season is set in 1st century Galilee, where Jesus starts to build a group for his ministry,[6] inviting several people with different backgrounds.[7] As he performs his first miracles, Jesus calls the redeemed woman Mary Magdalene; the stonemason Thaddeus; the choir member Little James; the fishermen SimonAndrewBig James, and John; the caterer Thomas and vintner Ramah; and the tax collector Matthew to follow him. As the group travels through Samaria, following his meeting with Nicodemus, Jesus launches his public ministry after revealing himself to Photina, a Samaritan woman.

Beginning in Samaria, the second season moves into nearby regions such as Syria and Judea, where Jesus continues to build his group of students.[7] As he continues to perform miracles while preparing for an important sermon, Jesus additionally calls John the Baptizer‘s disciple Philip, the architect Nathanael, and the Zealot Simon Z. As word of Jesus continues to spread throughout the region,[6] he encounters both opportunities and difficulties.[8] The season culminates with preparations for the Sermon on the Mount with the help of the business apprentice Judas Iscariot.

The group returns to Capernaum in the third season, with the increasing popularity of Jesus troubling different societal and political groups, including the Romans and the Pharisees.[9][10] Following the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus sends his twelve apostlestwo by two, to preach and perform miracles without him, leading the disciples to face their biggest challenge yet. Jesus then returned to his hometown, Nazareth, which resulted in a shift to his ministry in the year of his popularity. At the season’s climactic end in the Decapolis and at the Sea of Galilee, Jesus feeds thousands with loaves and fish and then walks on the water.

In the fourth season, after feeding the thousands, walking on water, and then traveling to Jerusalem, Jesus is left to bear the weight of his mission alone as his adversaries converge on him. At the same time, his disciples struggle to keep pace with him.[11][12]

Main cast

  • Shahar Isaac as Simon Peter
  • Jonathan Roumie as Jesus
  • Elizabeth Tabish as Mary Magdalene
  • Paras Patel as Matthew
  • Noah James as Andrew
  • Janis Dardaris as Zohara (season 1)
  • Lara Silva as Eden (seasons 1, 3, and 4; guest season 2)
  • Shaan Sharma as Shmuel
  • Nick Shakoour as Zebedee
  • George H. Xanthis as John
  • Shayan Sobhian as Big James (season 1, episodes 1–4)
  • Erick Avari as Nicodemus (season 1)
  • Kian Kavousi as Big James (season 1, episodes 5–8)
  • Brandon Potter as Quintus (seasons 1, 3, and 4; recurring season 2)
  • Kirk B. R. Woller as Gaius (seasons 1, 3, and 4; recurring season 2)
  • Giavani Cairo as Thaddeus
  • Jordan Walker Ross as Little James
  • Abe Bueno-Jallad as Big James (seasons 2–4)
  • Joey Vahedi as Thomas (seasons 2–4; guest season 1)
  • Yasmine Al-Bustami as Ramah (seasons 2–4; guest season 1)
  • Vanessa Benavente as Mary (seasons 2–4; guest season 1)
  • Yoshi Barrigas as Philip (seasons 2–3)
  • Austin Reed Alleman as Nathanael (seasons 2–4)
  • Alaa Safi as Simon Z. (seasons 2–4)
  • Luke Dimyan as Judas Iscariot (seasons 3–4; guest season 2)
  • Ivan Jasso as Yussif (seasons 3–4; recurring seasons 1–2)
  • Amber Shana Williams as Tamar (seasons 3–4; recurring season 2; guest season 1)
  • Elijah Alexander as Atticus Aemilius Pulcher (seasons 3–4; recurring season 2)
  • Reza Diako as Philip (season 4)
  • David Amito as John the Baptizer (season 4; recurring seasons 1–3)

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2/27/2024#”Lo Capitano,” “Navalny,” “Elio,” “The Chosen: Season 4 – Episodes 7-8”

 

NEW MOVIES: Feb. 22-28, 2024, “Dune: Part Two,” “Ordinary Angels,” “Drive Away Dolls,” “Golden Years”

DUNE: PART TWO

DUNE: PART TWO

Dune: Part Two is an upcoming American epic science fiction film directed by Denis Villeneuve, who co-wrote the screenplay with Jon Spaihts. The sequel to Dune (2021), it is the second of a two-part adaptation of the 1965 novel Dune by Frank Herbert, and follows Paul Atreides as he unites with the Fremen people of the desert planet Arrakis to wage war against House HarkonnenTimothée ChalametRebecca FergusonJosh BrolinStellan SkarsgårdDave BautistaStephen McKinley HendersonZendayaCharlotte Rampling, and Javier Bardem reprise their roles from the first film, with Austin ButlerFlorence PughChristopher Walken and Léa Seydoux joining the ensemble cast.

Premise

Paul Atreides continues his journey, united with Chani and the Fremen, as he seeks revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family and endeavors to prevent a terrible future that only he can predict.[3]

Cast

Additionally, Tim Blake Nelson and Anya Taylor-Joy have been cast in undisclosed roles.

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ORDINARY ANGELS

ORDINARY ANGELS

Ordinary Angels is an upcoming American drama film directed by Jon Gunn and written by Meg Tilly and Kelly Fremon Craig. It stars Hilary SwankAlan RitchsonNancy Travis, and Tamala Jones.

The film is scheduled to be released by Lionsgate on February 23, 2024.[2]

Premise

Inspired by a true story, in 1994 Louisville, Kentucky, a hairdresser rallies the community to help a widowed father save the life of his critically ill young daughter after Louisville is hit by a major snowstorm from the 1994 North American cold wave.[3]

Cast

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DRIVE AWAY DOLLS

DRIVE AWAY DOLLS

Drive-Away Dolls is an upcoming American comedy road film directed by Ethan Coen. Coen wrote the screenplay and edited the film with his wife Tricia Cooke; they also produced the film with Robert Graf and Working Title Films’ Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner. It stars Margaret QualleyGeraldine ViswanathanBeanie FeldsteinColman DomingoPedro PascalBill Camp, and Matt Damon.

Drive-Away Dolls is set to be released in the United States by Focus Features on February 23, 2024.

Premise

This comedy caper follows Jamie, an uninhibited free spirit bemoaning yet another breakup with a girlfriend, and her demure friend Marian who desperately needs to loosen up. In search of a fresh start, the two embark on an impromptu road trip to Tallahassee, but things quickly go awry when they cross paths with a group of inept criminals along the way.

Cast

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GOLDEN YEARS

GOLDEN YEARS

Plot: What’s the story about?

Alice and Peter are celebrating their retirement – and, with it, a new phase in their lives. However, shortly after the couple’s retirement party, a sudden tragedy befalls Alice’s best friend, Magalie. Peter, sympathetic to the suffering of Magalie’s widower, Heinz, invites him on the retirement cruise their children gave them. Alice had hoped this trip would infuse fresh life into their marriage, but instead of enjoying their time together, they are drifting further apart. Disappointed and hurt, Alice doesn’t reboard the cruise ship during a shore excursion and instead embarks on a journey of self-discovery, taking her across Southern Europe and bringing her into a community of older people finding joy outside traditional notions of gender, marriage, and the later years of one’s life.

Who stars in  Golden Years: Cast List

Who’s making Golden Years: Crew List

A look at the Golden Years behind-the-scenes crew and production team.

Director

Barbara Kulcsar

Screenwriters

Company

Music Box Films

Production Companies

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2/20/2024#”Dune: Part Two,” “Ordinary Angels,” “Drive Away Dolls,” “Golden Years”