Before the month of October ends, here are the movies that really are must-see, to give you “thrills and chills down your spine,” over the Halloween weekends.
Big Budget Films
Nightcrawler (R for violence, profanity and graphic images) Jake Gyllenhaal stars in the title role of this character-driven crime thriller, with Rene Russo, Riz Ahmed, Bill Paxton and Ann Cusack. Written and directed by Dan Gilroy – his directorial debut – it is the story of a driven freelance journalist who stumbles upon the underground world as he covers the crime beat in Los Angeles.
Watch the Nightcrawler trailer:
Independent & Foreign Films
ABCs of Death 2 (Unrated) This is a horror sequel featuring another 26 short comedies by 26 different directors, each titled for a different letter of the alphabet, from A is for Amateur to Z is for Zygote. Cast includes Martina Garcia, Tristan Risk, Beatrice Dalle and Andy Nyman. (In English, Hebrew, Japanese, French and Portuguese)
Watch the trailer of ABCs of Death 2:
All You Need Is Love (Unrated) Sigourney Weaver narrates this inspirational documentary chronicling the daily lives, dreams and plight of Burmese children attending the Good Morning School in Mae Sot, Thailand in defiance of the dictates of their own country’s repressive regime.
All You Need Is Love was directed by Stuart Cameron. The focus is on the lives of the children living on the Thailand-Myanmar border. Produced by Stuart Cameron and Meddy Ezrah Ortega, a Portfolio Films America production, irt was executive produced by Suzy Amis Cameron, Patrick Dunn, and Stu Higton.
Before I Go to Sleep (R for profanity and graphic violence) Screen adaptation of the S.J. Watson best seller of the same name revolving around an amnesiac (Nicole Kidman), due to a traumatic accident in her past. Her husband (Colin Firth) has to remind her every morning that her memory is erased every time she falls asleep. One day, new terrifying truths emerge, that make her question everyone around her. With Mark Strong, Anne-Marie Duff and Adam Levy.
Bitter Honey (Unrated) Female empowerment documentary exposing the betrayal and violence visited upon abused Balinese women stuck in polygamous marriages. (In Indonesian with subtitles)
The tourist paradise is anything but paradise for some local women because the polygamous men often have multiple brides without consulting their spouses. The documentary was filmed over seven years and shows an in-depth expose of the families, as women from three polygamous families tell their stories. There is coercion, betrayal, and domestic violence, as the women struggle for their rights.
Braddock (Unrated) Cinematic tribute to a tiny town in Pennsylvania of historical significance as it tries to reinvent itself in order to remain relevant in the 21st Century.
God the Father (R for violence) Mafia documentary in which former Colombo crime family mobster Michael Franzese recounts finding his faith and being born again after learning that his own father had taken out a contract on him.
The Hazda: Last of the First (Unrated) Anthropological examination one of the world’s last remaining tribe of hunter-gatherers, the Hazda, who have lived in Africa’s Rift valley for the past 50,000 years. Narrated by Alfre Woodard, and featuring commentary by primatologist Jane Goodall and geneticist Spencer Wells.
Hit by Lightning (Unrated) Romantic comedy about an aspiring writer (Jon Cryer) who gets more than he bargained for when the passionate lover (Stephanie Szostak) he meets online suddenly announces she’s married and pressures him to murder her rabbi hubby (Jed Rees). With Will Sasso, Alexis Maitland and Sean Tucker.
Horns (R for sexuality, profanity, rape, disturbing violence, drug use and graphic nudity) Daniel Harry Potter- Radcliffe stars in this horror fantasy as the prime suspect in his girlfriend’s (Juno Temple) murder who wakes up with horns growing out of his head after a night of heavy drinking. Featuring Max Minghella, Joe Anderson and Kelli Garner.
Magical Universe (Unrated) Retrospective revisiting the final decade in the career of Al Carbee (1914-2005), an eccentric, Barbie-obsessed artist who worked with dolls as his medium.
Missionary (R for violence, profanity and sexuality) Romance drama about a struggling single-mom (Dawn Olivieri) who embarks on a passionate affair with a Mormon (Mitch Ryan) only to watch him go berserk when she reconciles with her estranged husband (Kip Pardue). Support cast includes Connor Christie, Randy Molnar and Dushawn Moses.
Plot for Peace (Unrated) Historical documentary chronicling the previously-unknown role played by mysterious, French businessman Jean-Yves Olivier in freeing Nelson Mandela and toppling South Africa’s Apartheid regime. (In English, French, Portuguese, Afrikaans and Spanish)
Private Peaceful (Unrated) Romance drama, set in Devon, England, and revolving around two brothers (Jack O’Connell and George MacKay) who fall in love with the same girl (Alexandra Roach) before enlisting in the army and being shipped off to fight in Flanders fields during World War I. With Maxine Peake, Frances de la Tour and the late Richard Griffiths.
Showrunners (Unrated) Behind-the-scenes documentary illustrating everything involved in the making of a TV series, from the creation of the concept, to the production, to the writing, to the casting, to the shooting, to the airing.
True Son (Unrated) Political documentary chronicling 22 year-old Stanford grad Michael Tubbs campaign for a seat on Stockton, California’s City Council. It was the year that records were being made for the number of homicides in the area, almost all by young men, and the city was heading for bankruptcy. Michael galvanizes the young people to create a movement to Reinvent Stockton.
