FILMS ABOUT WOMEN OPENING AND COMING TO STREAMING/VOD
Dirty God – Directed by Sacha Polak; Written by Sacha Polak and Susanne Farrell
“Dirty God” takes on the nexus of gendered violence and sexual objectification through the portrait of one young woman. Jade (newcomer Vicky Knight) is trying to rebuild her life after an acid attack by her ex leaves her with scars on her arms, torso, and face. As she contends with PTSD and an ongoing fear of her ex, even after he is imprisoned for his actions, Jade is also forced to adjust to a new position in the world: before the attack, she was considered conventionally attractive. Now she finds herself flailing, and looking for new ways to connect to prospective romantic partners, her family, her friends, and her colleagues. What sets “Dirty God” apart from many other stories about injury and violence against women is its authenticity. Many of Jade’s scars are real: when she was eight, Knight survived a fire and was left with burns on 33 percent of her body. Likewise, many of the experiences Jade has in the movie — the bullying, the mocking, the humiliation, the self-deprecation — are ones Knight has gone through herself. But the movie’s goal of representation didn’t rest solely on the actress’ shoulders: the filmmakers also conducted extensive interviews with other burn survivors, ensuring that Jade’s story was told sensitively, and honestly. (Rachel Montpelier)
Read Women and Hollywood’s interview with Sacha Polak.
“Dirty God” is now available via virtual cinemas.
Ammonite
“Ammonite”: See-Saw Films
In 1840s England, acclaimed but overlooked fossil hunter Mary Anning (Kate Winslet) and a young woman sent to convalesce by the sea (Saoirse Ronan) develop an intense relationship, altering both of their lives forever.
“Ammonite” is now in theaters. Find screening info here.
I Am Greta (Documentary)
“I Am Greta”
Greta Thunberg never expected to become a household name helping to lead the charge on climate activism. Her life, she explains in “I Am Greta,” now seems like a movie or dream, “but a very surreal movie because the plot would be so unlikely.” As its title suggests, the Hulu doc sees Thunberg telling her own “unlikely” story in her own words, featuring never-before-seen footage of the teen trailblazer. Thunberg’s father describes her as having a photographic memory and being “laser-focused.” The shy student with Asperger’s used that laser-focus to learn as much as she could about the climate crisis — and do as much as she could to address it. Frustrated by adults who say we only have one planet and should take care of it yet don’t “give a damn about the climate crisis,” Thunberg resolves to change people’s perspectives. Kicking off with her one-person school strike for climate action outside the Swedish Parliament, “I Am Greta” tracks Thunberg’s rise to fame and influence as she sparks school strikes around the world, forcing her peers and politicians to understand the “magnitude of the problem” and the fact that there are an “infinite number of things” we can do “to make a difference.” The doc concludes with Thunberg’s wind-powered voyage across the Atlantic Ocean to speak at the UN Climate Action Summit in New York City. (Laura Berger)
“I Am Greta” is now available on Hulu.
Wolfwalkers
“Wolfwalkers”
In a time of superstition and magic, a young apprentice hunter, Robyn Goodfellowe (Honor Kneafsey), journeys to Ireland with her father to wipe out the last wolf pack. While exploring the forbidden lands outside the city walls, Robyn befriends a free-spirited girl, Mebh (Eva Whittaker), a member of a mysterious tribe rumored to have the ability to transform into wolves by night. As they search for Mebh’s missing mother, Robyn uncovers a secret that draws her further into the enchanted world of the Wolfwalkers and risks turning into the very thing her father is tasked to destroy.
“Wolfwalkers” is now in theaters. Find screening info here.
Queen of Hearts: Audrey Flack (Documentary) – Directed by Deborah Shaffer and Rachel Reichman
“Queen of Hearts: Audrey Flack”
Octogenarian artist Audrey Flack has always been a trailblazer. “Queen of Hearts” is an intimate portrait of her life and work, as she returns to her canvas for the first time in decades, revealing her longtime struggles as an artist and mother to find her rightful place in the art world.
“Queen of Hearts: Audra Flack” is now available via virtual cinemas. Find screening info here.
Divine Love – Written by Rachel Daisy Ellis and Gabriel Mascaro
It’s the year 2027 in this dystopian, fluorescent sci-fi story of Joana (Dira Paes), who uses her bureaucratic job to convince divorcing couples to stay together. Her secret weapon is Divine Love, an evangelical cult she belongs to that mixes in a little swinging and group fun into its more traditional prayers and services. Joana herself can’t seem to get pregnant by her own husband, but in an attempt to save her own marriage, she prays regularly at a very unusual religious drive-in, looking for a miracle to help her conceive. “Divine Love” is an amped up, sexy, and witty take on a future full of dance parties, ritualistic orgies, cults, and fundamentalist Christianity, and a critique of today’s right-wing-led Brazil.
“Divine Love” is now in select theaters and available via virtual cinemas. Find screening info here.
All Joking Aside – Directed by Shannon Kohli
Charlene Murray (Raylene Harewood) isn’t your average 21-year-old. Inspired by her late father’s unrealized ambitions, she wants nothing more in life than to be a stand-up comic, and is equal parts thrilled and terrified by the fact that she’s finally old enough to get into a comedy club and actually try her material in front of paying customers. Glued to his barstool at the back of the room, with his fourth whiskey of the night in hand, is Bob Carpenter (Brian Markinson), a heckler, experienced comedian, and ultimate mentor to Charlie. As the two slowly feel each other out, what develops is an unlikely friendship based on broken families, a healthy appreciation of sarcasm, and the undeniable rush of making a whole room full of people laugh.
“All Joking Aside” is now available on VOD.
The Broken Hearts Gallery – Written and Directed by Natalie Krinsky
“Broken Hearts Gallery”: Sony
What if you saved a souvenir from every relationship you’ve ever been in? “The Broken Hearts Gallery” follows the always unique Lucy (Geraldine Viswanathan), a 20-something art gallery assistant living in New York City, who also happens to be an emotional hoarder. After she gets dumped by her latest boyfriend, Lucy is inspired to create The Broken Heart Gallery, a pop-up space for the items love has left behind. Word of the gallery spreads, encouraging a movement and a fresh start for all the romantics out there, including Lucy herself.
“The Broken Hearts Gallery” is now available on VOD.
The Giant
Charlotte’s (Odessa Young) life is changed forever when the teenager’s small Georgia town is shaken by the beginning of a series of murders on the same night that her missing boyfriend coincidentally reappears. As an unknown killer on the loose preys on young women over the course of a summer, Charlotte has to navigate this new danger while also struggling to recover from the trauma of her mother’s recent suicide.
“The Giant” is now available on VOD.
Chick Fight
When Anna Wyncomb (Malin Akerman) is introduced to an underground, all-female fight club in order to turn the mess of her life around, she discovers she is much more personally connected to the history of the club than she could ever imagine.
“Chick Fight” is now in theaters and available on VOD.
One Little Finger
Raina (Tamela D’Amico), an American neurologist, uproots her life to research music therapy in India, and finds herself teaching children and adults with disabilities. By bringing them together through music and inspiring them to challenge themselves through their abilities, their lives are transformed.
“One Little Finger” will be available on VOD November 16.
1 Night in San Diego – Written and Directed by Penelope Lawson
“1 Night in San Diego”
Jenna Ushkowitz and Laura Ashley Samuels star as BFFs Hannah and Brooklyn in this raunchy comedy. Hannah, a former reality TV starlet, and Brooklyn, her conscious cuddling best friend, hit the road to San Diego to reconnect with an old high school crush, Christian (Mark Lawson). When he turns out to be super lame, the pair take back the night and go ham in San Diego. Hannah gets recognized in the club by two fans, Kelsey and Delia (Alexandra Daddario and Kelsey Douglas), and the quad hits the town. Things don’t go as planned for Hannah and Brooklyn and their trip turns into a night of chaos, debauchery, and ultimately tests the deepest bonds of their friendship.
“1 Night in San Diego” will be available on VOD November 17.
The New Mutants
In “The New Mutants,” five young mutants, just discovering their abilities while held in a secret facility against their will, fight to escape their past sins and save themselves. The “X-Men” spinoff introduces Danielle (Blue Hunt), a young woman who wakes up from a tragedy to be told that she survived it because she’s “a very uncommon girl.” And she’s not alone — not anymore. Danielle is just one of the young mutants being held for psychiatric monitoring at an isolated hospital.
“The New Mutants” will be available on VOD November 17.
The Princess Switch: Switched Again – Written by Robin Bernheim and Megan Metzger
When Margaret’s (Vanessa Hudgens) Christmas coronation complicates her love life, her double Stacy steps in to save the day. But will a third look-alike ruin their plan?
“The Princess Switch: Switched Again” will be available on Netflix November 19.
Dead Reckoning – Written by Kristin Alexandre and A. Wayne Carter
Tillie Gardner’s (India Eisley) summer romance with local cab driver Niko (K.J. Apa) helps her cope with the tragic death of her parents, who died in a private plane crash a few weeks earlier. What she doesn’t know is Niko’s brother is the terrorist behind the crash, and plans to bomb the upcoming annual Fourth of July beach celebration on Nantucket Island. Will Tillie uncover this secret and prevent a terrible massacre in time?
“Dead Reckoning” is now available on VOD.
FILMS MADE BY WOMEN OPENING AND COMING TO STREAMING/VOD
Come Away – Directed by Brenda Chapman; Written by Marissa Kate Goodhill
“Come Away”: Sundance Institute
When their eldest brother dies, Peter and Alice (Jordan A. Nash and Keira Chansa) seek to save their parents from despair until they are forced to choose between home and imagination, setting the stage for their iconic journeys into Wonderland and Neverland.
Read Women and Hollywood’s interview with Brenda Chapman.
“Come Away” is now in theaters and available on VOD.
Born to Be (Documentary) – Directed by Tania Cypriano
“Born to Be”
Soon after New York State passed a 2015 law that health insurance should cover transgender-related care and services, director Tania Cypriano and producer Michelle Hayashi began bringing their cameras behind the scenes at New York’s Mount Sinai Hospital, where this remarkable documentary captures the emotional and physical journey of surgical transitioning. Lending equal narrative weight to the experiences of the center’s groundbreaking surgeon Dr. Jess Ting and those of his diverse group of patients, “Born to Be” perfectly balances compassionate personal storytelling and fly-on-the-wall vérité.
Read Women and Hollywood’s interview with Tania Cypriano.
“Born to Be” will be available via virtual cinemas November 18.
Hillbilly Elegy – Written by Vanessa Taylor
J.D. Vance (Gabriel Basso), a former Marine from southern Ohio and current Yale Law student, is on the verge of landing his dream job when a family crisis forces him to return to the home he’s tried to forget. J.D. must navigate the complex dynamics of his Appalachian family, including his volatile relationship with his mother, Bev (Amy Adams), who’s struggling with addiction. Fueled by memories of his grandmother Mamaw (Glenn Close), the resilient and whip-smart woman who raised him, J.D. comes to embrace his family’s indelible imprint on his own personal journey.
“Hillbilly Elegy” is now in select theaters. It will be available on Netflix November 24.
The Goddess of Fortune – Written by Silvia Ranfagni, Ferzan Ozpetek, and Gianni Romoli
Arturo (Stefano Accorsi) and Alessandro (Edoardo Leo) have been a couple for over 15 years. Even though their passion and love have formed a close and important affection, their relationship has been in crisis for a long time. The sudden arrival of two children, left in their care for a few days by Annamaria (Jasmine Trinca), Alessandro’s best friend, could provide an unexpected turn to their tired routine.
“The Goddess of Fortune” will be available on VOD November 17.
TV AND EPISODIC PREMIERES
Big Sky (Premieres November 17 on ABC)
Private detectives Cassie Dewell (Kylie Bunbury) and Cody Hoyt (Ryan Phillippe) join forces with Cody’s estranged wife, ex-cop Jenny Hoyt (Katheryn Winnick), to search for two sisters who have been kidnapped by a truck driver on a remote highway in Montana. But when they discover that these are not the only girls who have disappeared in the area, they must race against the clock to stop the killer before another woman is taken.
The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special (Premieres November 17 on Disney+)
“The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special”
Rey leaves her friends to prepare for Life Day as she sets off on an adventure to gain a deeper knowledge of the Force. At a mysterious temple, she is hurled into a cross-timeline adventure. Will she make it back in time for Life Day?
No Man’s Land – Created by Maria Feldman, Ron Leshem, Eitan Mansuri, and Amit Cohen (Premieres November 18 on Hulu)
“No Man’s Land” dives into the depths of the Syrian civil war through the eyes of Antoine (Félix Moati), a young French man in search of his estranged, presumed-to-be-dead sister. While unraveling the mystery, piece by piece, Antoine ends up joining forces with a unit of Kurdish female fighters — fierce women and ISIS’ biggest nightmare — and travels with them in ISIS-occupied territory. Antoine’s journey crosses paths with adventurers and anarchists, spies and innocent victims, and provides a unique look on the tragic events in Syria, and the way they affect the entire world.
Crazy, Not Insane (Documentary) (Premieres November 18 on HBO)
Narrated by Laura Dern, “Crazy, Not Insane” follows Dr. Dorothy Otnow Lewis, a psychiatrist who has dedicated her career to studying murderers and seeking answers as to why people kill. The film explores her lifelong attempts to look beyond the grisly details of homicides and into the hearts and minds of the killers themselves.
I Hate Suzie – Created by Lucy Prebble and Billie Piper (Premieres November 19 on HBO Max)
“I Hate Suzie”: Sky
“I Hate Suzie” is a bold, bracing, original dramedy about the moment in life when the mask slips, asking if any of us can survive being well and truly known. Suzie Pickles (Billie Piper) has her life upended when she is hacked and pictures of her emerge in an extremely compromising position. The eight-part series shows her unraveling as the event ricochets around every area of her life. Episode by episode, we follow her through the stages of shock, denial, fear, shame, bargaining, guilt, anger, and acceptance as Suzie and her best friend and manager, Naomi (Leila Farzad), try to hold her life, career, and marriage together.
Cold Call – Created by Karyn Dougan Buckland and Mark Buckland (Premieres November 19 on Sundance Now)
“Cold Call”: Channel 5
A dark thriller set in Manchester, “Cold Call” follows the story of a single mother caught up in a fraudulent cold call scam that threatens to unravel her life. Following the death of her elderly mother and fueled by a bubbling rage, June (Sally Lindsay) attempts to hunt down those responsible to seek her revenge. Each episode explores just how far a normal woman can be stretched when a very real threat to her — and her family’s — lives presents itself.
Veneno (Premieres November 19 on HBO Max)
“Veneo”
Based on the memoir by Valeria Vegas, “Not A Whore, Not A Saint: The Memories of La Veneno,” “Veneno” brings the most beloved transgender icon of the ‘90s, Cristina Ortiz (La Veneno), to 2020. The series follows Valeria (Lola Rodríguez), a young journalism student who discovers she has more in common with La Veneno than she thought. Through learning more about her, Valeria discovers her chosen family, how to love herself, and the impact of mass media in the life of an enigmatic entertainer.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE WEEK
Gurira in “The Walking Dead”: Jackson Lee Davis/AMC
“Hope” Named as Norway’s Pick for Oscars’ International Film Race
Join the Girls Club for a Conversation with the Creators of “Seduced: Inside the NXIVM Cult”
Gotham Awards Nominations: All Five Best Feature Nods Go to Women-Directed Pics
Danai Gurira, Cherien Dabis, and Stephanie Allain Team Up for “The Fighting Shirley Chisholm”
Something Sour, Something Sweet: VOD and Podcast Picks
Pick of the Day: “Coded Bias”
Garrett Bradley, Regina K. Scully, and Maria Ressa to Be Honored at IDA Documentary Awards
Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Fest’s Final Week to Showcase Works by Felicia Pride & More
Apply Now: Women and Hollywood Editorial Fellowship
Diane Lane on Exploring Grief, Motherhood, and Marriage in Her New Film “Let Him Go”
Note: All descriptions are from press materials, unless otherwise noted.
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