FILMS ABOUT WOMEN OPENING AND COMING TO STREAMING/VOD
Proxima – Directed by Alice Winocour; Written by Alice Winocour and Jean-Stéphane Bron
“Proxima” charts a different kind of hero’s journey. The astronaut drama is decidedly more grounded than what we’ve come to expect from stories about space exploration. The pic sees “Penny Dreadful” alumna Eva Green playing Sarah, an astronaut and single mom preparing to embark on a year-long mission in space. Despite being told by her mother that being an astronaut is no job for a girl, Sarah has spent her life dreaming of space travel — and working tirelessly to achieve that goal. Her wildest dream is finally coming true, but at a cost. As physically demanding as Sarah’s training is, it’s the prospect of being away from Stella, her seven-year-old daughter, that is causing her the most difficulty. “Proxima” is so intimate, so real, that some scenes would feel at home in a documentary, thanks in no small part to Green’s stellar leading performance. You won’t find melodramatic montages or speeches about traveling into the unknown here. Winocour creates an atmospheric drama full of tension without much actually happening. Sarah’s heading to the stars, but it’s her inner journey that we’re tagging along on. (Laura Berger)
“Proxima” is now available on VOD.
Coded Bias (Documentary) – Directed by Shalini Kantayya
“Coded Bias”
“Coded Bias” reveals the groundbreaking research of MIT researcher Joy Buolamwini, proving that facial recognition algorithms have the power to disseminate racial bias at scale. In June 2020, IBM, Amazon, and Microsoft said they would pause the sale of facial recognition to police. In a pivotal moment for racial equality, and a decisive moment for how Big Tech will yield power, “Coded Bias” is a trailblazing film for public understanding and engagement with the algorithms that impact us all.
Read Women and Hollywood’s interview with Shalini Kantayya.
“Coded Bias” will be available via virtual cinemas November 11. Find screening info here.
Kindred
When her boyfriend Ben (Edward Holcroft) suddenly dies in an accident, mother-to-be Charlotte (Tamara Lawrance) collapses upon receiving the news. She wakes up in Ben’s family home, a crumbling old manor house in the middle of nowhere with Ben’s overbearing mother, Margaret (Fiona Shaw), and his controlling stepbrother, Thomas (Jack Lowden). They are determined to care for her, at least until the baby arrives. Grief stricken and increasingly haunted by visions possibly brought on by the pregnancy, Charlotte accepts their help. But as the days go by she begins to doubt their intentions and her suspicions grow. Are they drugging her and keeping her captive, with the aim of taking her unborn baby? As her visions intensify and the haze of lies grows, Charlotte decides that her only option is to break free from this family once and for all — but at what cost?
“Kindred” is now in theaters and available on VOD.
Animals – Directed by Sophie Hyde; Written by Emma Jane Unsworth
“Animals”: Sundance Institute/Tamara Hardman
Laura and Tyler are two girls who like to party — drink, drugs, and general debauchery infuse their days while their careers and lives remain on hold. As they drift into their 30s, reality begins to bite, but Laura and Tyler will not be tamed so easily. When aspiring writer Laura (Holliday Grainger) meets the devilishly handsome musician Jim (Fra Fee), sparks fly. As their relationship intensifies, Laura’s friendship with Tyler (Alia Shawkat) comes under pressure; Tyler wants to keep the party going, living a life without limitation as Laura begins to settle into her relationship with Jim. But nothing is ever that simple, and Laura begins to struggle with a more strait-laced approach to life. As the fabric of the friendship between Laura and Tyler begins to fray, the bond between these two siren soulmates starts to implode.
Read Women and Hollywood’s interview with Sophie Hyde.
“Animals” will be available on VOD November 10.
Honey Bee – Directed by Rama Rau; Written by Bonnie Fairweather and Kathleen Hepburn
“Honey Bee”
“Honey Bee” is an unpredictable tale of survival that follows the journey of quick-witted Natalie “Honey Bee” Sorensen (Julia Sarah Stone), an underage truck stop sex worker ensnared by her ruthless Romeo-pimp boyfriend, Ryan (Steven Love). Unwittingly, she is taken into foster care with her new family, headed by Louise (Martha Plimpton) and Christian (Peter Outerbridge), in a remote rural area where she discovers there might be more to life than the hand she’s been dealt.
“Honey Bee” will be available on VOD November 10.
Citation
A bright student in Nigeria takes on the academic establishment when she reports a popular professor who tried to rape her. Based on real events.
“Citation” is now available on Netflix.
A Girl Missing
Ichiko (Mariko Tsutsui) is a private home-nurse who has worked for the elder matriarch of the Oishos for years and regards them as her own family. Ichiko’s quiet, routine life is shattered when a young member of the Oishos clan is kidnapped. When it is revealed that the kidnapper is none other than Ichiko’s nephew, her life begins to unravel in this taut thriller.
“A Girl Missing” will be available on VOD November 10.
Lingering – Written and Directed by Yoon Eun-Kyung
Yoo-mi (Se-yeong Lee) decides to leave her younger brother, Ji-yu (So-yi Park), with her mother’s friend who runs the small hotel where her mother committed suicide five years earlier. But as bizarre incidents start to occur in her mother’s old room, Yoo-mi will have to unravel the mystery and discover the truth before it’s too late.
“Lingering” will be available on Shudder November 12.
A Place Among the Dead – Directed by Juliet Landau; Written by Juliet Landau and Deverill Weekes
In this revealing and terrifying meld of fact, fiction, and the fantastical, actress and filmmaker Jules (Juliet Landau), driven by the demons of her past, embarks on a journey at the potential cost of everything she knows and loves.
“A Place Among the Dead” will be available on VOD November 9. Find screening info here.
Where She Lies (Documentary) – Written by Suz Curtis
“Where She Lies” tells the heartbreaking yet ultimately uplifting true story of an assaulted teen, Peggy Phillips, who gives birth out of wedlock in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in 1962. Upon giving birth, Peggy receives conflicting narratives about her infant’s fate, with one doctor claiming that her baby had passed, and another claiming it was thriving. Three decades later, Peggy’s mother reveals on her deathbed that Peggy’s baby is still alive. After a series of new attempts to uncover the truth, including exhuming her infant’s alleged grave, Peggy reaches an impasse when she runs out of money. Almost two decades later, a documentarian helps Peggy uncover the truth about what happened.
“Where She Lies” will be available on VOD November 10.
My Summer as a Goth – Directed by Tara Johnson-Medinger; Written by Tara Johnson-Medinger and Brandon Lee Roberts
After the sudden death of her father, 16-year-old Joey Javitts (Natalie Shershow) is sent to stay with her eccentric grandparents while her author mother promotes her latest novel. Joey promptly falls for the beguiling Goth boy next door, Victor (Jack Levis), and is transformed by him and his merry band of misfits in black.
“My Summer as a Goth” will be available on VOD November 11.
Sleepless Beauty – Written by Aleksandra Khvaleeva
A young woman, Mila (Polina Davydova), is kidnapped by a mysterious organization known as Recreation. Her unknown abductors talk to her through a loudspeaker and set strict rules: she cannot sleep and has to fulfill bizarre and violent tasks if she hopes to stay alive. At first, it looks like someone’s sick idea of entertainment but as the demands become more intense, Mila begins to realize that she is losing control of her own mind and may be a pawn in a twisted and deadly psychological experiment.
“Sleepless Beauty” will be available on VOD November 10.
Lie Exposed
When recovering alcoholic Melanie (Leslie Hope) learns devastating news, she leaves her husband in Toronto and heads to Los Angeles for a bender. In LA, she meets a mysterious tintype photographer and agrees to pose for him at his downtown studio.
“Lie Exposed” will be available on VOD November 10.
FILMS MADE BY WOMEN OPENING AND COMING TO STREAMING/VOD
What We Wanted – Directed by Ulrike Kofler; Written by Ulrike Kofler, Sandra Bohle, and Marie Kreutzer
“What We Wanted”
A couple facing fertility issues finds their marriage tested on a vacation to a Sardinian resort — and the family next door only adds to the tension.
“What We Wanted” will be available on Netflix November 11.
Call Me Brother – Written by Christina Parrish
“Call Me Brother” is a coming-of-age romantic comedy about a brother and sister (Christina Parrish and Andrew Dismukes) in their late teens who are reunited after years of separation, only to discover intimate feelings they struggle to confront. Between immature friends and dysfunctional parents, they find comfort in each other over a wistful and awkward summer weekend.
“Call Me Brother” is now in select theaters and virtual cinemas. Find screening info here.
The German Lesson – Written by Heide Schwochow
Germany, just after the Second World War. Siggi Jepsen (Tom Gronau), a young man in juvenile detention, has to write an essay on “The Joys of Duty.” He can’t get started, the paper stays blank. When he has to repeat the exercise the next day, this time in a cell as punishment, he writes his memories like a man possessed. Memories of his father Jens Ole Jepsen (Ulrich Noethen), a police officer who was one of the authorities in a small, north German village and dedicated himself totally to the duties of office. During the war he had to issue a ban on painting to his childhood friend, the Expressionist artist Max Ludwig Nansen (Tobias Moretti), imposed on him by the National Socialists. He oversees it meticulously and Siggi (Levi Eisenblätter), 11-years-old at the time, is told to help him. But Nansen resists – and likewise builds on Siggi’s help. The two men’s conflict continually escalates – and Siggi stands between them.
“The German Lesson” is now available on VOD.
TV AND EPISODIC PREMIERES
Side Hustle (Premieres November 7 on Nickelodeon)
“Side Hustle” follows best friends, smart and sarcastic Lex (Jules LeBlanc) and confident and tough Presley (Jayden Bartels), as they devise a plan to make money when fireworks accidentally destroy a boat belonging to the dad of their quirky friend and neighbor, Munchy (Isaiah Crews).
The South Westerlies – Created by Catherine Maher; Written by Catherine Maher, Hilary Reynolds, Michelle Duffy, and Hugh Travers (Premieres November 9 on Acorn TV)
Little lies lead to bigger truths in this charming Irish dramedy. Environmental consultant Kate Ryan (Orla Brady) goes undercover in a small town to quell objections to a wind farm. But Kate has a complicated history with Carrigeen. Soon after arriving with her son, she runs into an ex-friend and an old flame and realizes her task won’t be a breeze.
Industry (Premieres November 9 on HBO)
“Industry”: HBO
“Industry” follows a group of hungry, young graduates competing for a limited number of permanent positions at Pierpoint & Co., a leading bank in London, while being thrown head-first into the exhilarating world of international finance. The drama series gives an insider’s view of the high-stakes financial realm through the eyes of an outsider, Harper Stern (Myha’la Herrold), a talented young woman from upstate New York who finds herself and her fellow young grads fueled by raw ambition, youth, romance, and drugs as they aim to impress their mentors and bosses.
A Teacher – Created by Hannah Fiddell (Premieres November 10 on FX on Hulu)
“A Teacher”
High school teacher Claire (Kate Mara) and her student Eric (Nick Robinson) face the ramifications of their affair when it is reported to the authorities in this adaptation of Hannah Fidell’s 2013 film of the same name.
Eater’s Guide to the World – Narrated by Maya Rudolph (Premieres November 11 on Hulu)
Discover the most surprising culinary destinations in “Eater’s Guide to the World.” Join narrator Maya Rudolph on a quest to find the most unexpected places to score an epic meal, while drinking and dining with the locals along the way.
A Queen Is Born – Created by Mari Nunes and Gustavo Mello; Directed by Carla Barros (Premieres November 11 on Netflix)
Alexia Twister and Gloria Groove lead the series, which celebrates drag art and promises to make you shed tears from emotion. In each episode, the duo will use all of their experience to help participants find their inner diva. And they don’t come alone: Alexia and Gloria will have important help from very charismatic specialists during this colorful journey.
Transhood (Documentary) – Directed by Sharon Liese (Premieres November 12 on HBO)
“Transhood”: HBO
Filmed over five years in Kansas City, this documentary follows four kids — beginning at ages 4, 7, 12, and 15 — as they redefine “coming of age.” These kids and their families reveal intimate realities of how gender is re-shaping the family next door in a never-before-told chronicling of growing up transgender in the heartland. The film is a nuanced examination of how families tussle, transform, and sometimes find unexpected purpose in their identities as transgender families. Lighthearted and deeply moving, this story teaches us something new about being human.
Read Women and Hollywood’s interview with Sharon Liese.
SUGGESTED EVENT: A BAM CONVERSATION WITH ISABEL WILKERSON & LYNN NOTTAGE
Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) presents Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Isabel Wilkerson in conversation with Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage on Tuesday, November 10, at 10 a.m. (EST). In this free, livestream event, the influential writers take as their starting point Wilkerson’s recently released, acclaimed book “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent.” The immersive narrative draws parallels between the caste systems of America, India, and Nazi Germany and outlines a revolutionary framework for understanding how caste plays out across civilizations, both historically and today. Visit bam.org to RSVP and for more information.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE WEEK
“Song Without a Name”
“Song Without a Name” Is Peru’s Pick for Oscars’ International Feature Category
“Charter” Named Sweden’s Pick for Oscars’ International Feature Category
“True Mothers,” “Funny Boy,” & “And Tomorrow the Entire World” Join International Oscar Race
Elizabeth Banks, Sigourney Weaver, & Kate Mara Join Abortion Drama “Call Jane,” Phyllis Nagy Directing
Composer to Watch: Anna Calvi of “Peaky Blinders”
Note: All descriptions are from press materials, unless otherwise noted.
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