Weekly Update for January 4: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You

FILMS ABOUT WOMEN OPENING

Rust Creek – Directed by Jen McGowan; Written by Julie Lipson (Also Available on VOD)

An ordinary woman must summon extraordinary courage to survive a nightmare odyssey in this harrowing survival thriller. Sawyer (Hermione Corfield) is an ambitious, overachieving college senior with a seemingly bright future. While on her way to a job interview, a wrong turn leaves her stranded deep in the frozen Kentucky woods. Suddenly, the young woman with everything to live for finds herself facing her own mortality as she’s punished by the elements and pursued by a band of ruthless outlaws. With nowhere left to run, she is forced into an uneasy alliance with Lowell (Jay Paulson), an enigmatic loner with shadowy intentions. Though she’s not sure she can trust him, Sawyer must take a chance if she hopes to escape alive.

State Like Sleep – Written and Directed by Meredith Danluck (Also Available on VOD)

“State Like Sleep”

One year after the mysterious death of her Belgian actor husband (Michiel Huisman), American photographer Katherine (Katherine Waterston) returns to Brussels, a city filled with memories of the life she’s tried to leave behind. Their marriage was rocky, but Katherine’s return to the city forces her to finally confront her grief as she packs up the flat they once shared. In doing so, though, she discovers a web of secrets that propel her to probe the circumstances of her husband’s last days. Following in his footsteps, Katherine plunges into Brussels’ underground club scene, where she encounters a mysterious woman and a secret group of friends. At the same time, she meets Edward (Michael Shannon), a fellow American, who offers the possibility of a new future as she comes to terms with her troubled past.

Read Women and Hollywood’s interview with Meredith Danluck.

Communion (Documentary) – Written and Directed by Anna Zamecka (Opens in LA)

Living amid domestic instability and teenaged volatility, a sister and brother play out their lives on camera. At fourteen, Ola is already functioning as the woman of the house, cooking and cleaning for her lethargic father and helping her energetic autistic brother, Nikodem, prepare for his first Holy Communion. Throughout, she longs for her mother, whose absence is never explained, yet always deeply felt. As the date of Communion nears, it becomes an opportunity for the family to meet up and Ola is entirely responsible for planning the perfect family celebration. “Communion” is a portrait of young womanhood and crash course in growing up that teaches us that no failure is final, and that change is possible and needed, especially when love is in question.

Find screening info here.

Lionheart – Directed by Genevieve Nnaji (Available on Netflix)

“Lionheart”:TIFF

Running a company can be challenging, especially if you are a female in a male-dominated industry. Looking to prove her worth, Adaeze (Genevieve Nnaji) steps up to the challenge when her father is forced to take a step back due to health issues.

Read Women and Hollywood’s interview with Genevieve Nnaji.

Being Rose

“Being Rose”

After being diagnosed with serious health issues, ex-cop Rose Jones (Cybill Shepherd), goes on a road trip to search for her estranged son. Along the way, she falls in love with Max (James Brolin), a handsome old cowboy, who has come to a crossroads of his own.

FILMS MADE BY WOMEN OPENING

“An Impossible Love”

An Impossible Love – Directed by Catherine Corsini; Written by Catherine Corsini and Laurette Polmanss (Opens in the UK)

At the end of the 1950s, Rachel (Virginie Efira), a young office clerk living in a provincial town, meets Philippe (Niels Schneider), a well-educated man from a wealthy family. They share an intense but short-lived romance, from which a daughter is born. Over the next 50 years, their lives will be shaped by the unconditional love between a mother and her daughter, overshadowed by the impossible love of a woman for a man that rejects her, and of a daughter for an absent and abusive father.

Escape Room – Written by Maria Melnik and Bragi F. Schut

This psychological thriller is about six strangers who find themselves in circumstances beyond their control and must use their wits to find the clues or die.

TV PREMIERES

“I’m Sorry”: TM & Turner Entertainment Networks

Surviving R. Kelly (Docuseries) (Three-Night Event Concludes January 5 on Lifetime)

In the ground-breaking documentary series “Surviving R. Kelly,” women are emerging from the shadows and uniting their voices to share their stories. Celebrated as one of the greatest R&B singers of all time, R. Kelly’s genre defining career and playboy lifestyle has been riddled with rumors of abuse, predatory behavior, and pedophilia. Despite damning evidence and multiple witnesses, to date, none of these accusations have seemingly affected him. For the first time ever, survivors and people from R. Kelly’s inner circle are coming forward with new allegations about his sexual, mental, and physical abuse. They are now finally ready to share their full story and shed light on the secret life the public has never seen.

Good Trouble – Created by Joanna Johnson, Peter Paige, and Bradley Bredeweg (Premieres January 8 on Freeform)

“Good Trouble”

New friends. New relationships. New stories. A spin-off of “The Fosters,” “Good Trouble” follows Callie and Mariana Foster (Maia Mitchell and Cierra Ramirez) as they start their new lives in Los Angeles.

I’m Sorry – Created by Andrea Savage (Season 2 Premieres January 9 on truTV)

This season, Andrea (Andrea Savage) lands herself in new cringeworthy scenarios as she questions her theoretical market value as a prostitute, learns the downsides to having a child that can read, and discovers that comedy bits can sometimes go too far. Through it all, she is joined by her husband, Mike (Tom Everett Scott), their inquisitive daughter, Amelia (Olive Petrucci), and her divorced parents (Kathy Baker and Martin Mull).

Fam – Created by Corinne Kingsbury (Premieres January 10 on CBS)

“Fam”: CBS Broadcasting

Clem’s (Nina Dobrev) upbringing and teen years left a lot to be desired, but she pulled herself up, and built a fantastic life — great job, terrific apartment, and an amazing fiancé (Tone Bell), Nick, a college professor from a well-to-do, “normal” family. Nick’s warm and supportive parents, Rose and Walt (Sheryl Lee Ralph and Brian Stokes Mitchell), embrace Clem and complete the family she always wanted. But when Clem’s wild-child half-sister, Shannon (Odessa Adlon), appears on their doorstep to escape their train wreck of a dad, Nick agrees that Clem can help her avoid all the mistakes she made, and they invite her to move in. As the family Clem chose and the family she has blend, Clem realizes that this happy fam may be the perfection she’s been seeking.