Category Archives: Movies

Dark Sky Films Drops Blood-Soaked Single-Night Thriller HUMAN This Month

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A woman home alone. A dating app mishap. And a whole lot of blood.

Dark Sky Films brings HUMAN to select theaters and VOD on October 23, following a West Coast premiere the night before at Laemmle Glendale. Director Matt Stuertz (Tonight She Comes, RWD) takes audiences through a claustrophobic nightmare that unfolds over one terrible evening.

The film follows Dani Ferris (Jackie Kelly), exhausted and alone, who just wanted a little late-night distraction before bed. Instead, she gets dragged into a supernatural horror show packed with bodily fluids and emotional chaos. Every relationship becomes a gamble. Every hour brings a new threat.

Stuertz keeps the tension cranked as Dani rides out a night of friends, lovers, enemies, guns, and things far beyond natural. The single-night structure keeps things tight. The practical effects keep things gross. Critics at Fright Fest and Obscura Film Fest have already called it relentless, vibrant, and stomach-turning in the best way.

The cast includes Brock Russell, Cecily Dowd, Jeffrey Decker, and Mia Sydney. David Neiss wrote the script.

For indie horror fans craving something unstable and hallucinatory, this one’s landing just in time for Halloween season.

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Paul Greengrass’s “The Uprising” Hits Home Video With Andrew Garfield Leading Robin Hood-Inspired Rebellion

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Paul Greengrass brought his signature gritty realism to medieval England, and now you can watch it at home.

“The Uprising” just landed on digital, with 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and a limited edition Steelbook arriving November 3. The film stars Andrew Garfield as the leader of a rebellion against King Richard II, drawing from the true events that inspired the Robin Hood legend.

Greengrass, known for “Captain Phillips” and the Bourne films, turns his visceral style on 1381 England. The result is what Screenrant called “a riveting cinematic epic” that puts audiences right in the middle of the revolt.

The home release comes loaded with bonus material. There’s behind-the-scenes footage with Garfield and Greengrass breaking down the film’s historical roots, plus looks at the detailed sets and costumes that transformed modern locations into 14th-century England. Eight deleted scenes round out the extras.

It’s a story about ordinary people standing up to power, the kind of underdog tale that resonates whether it’s set in the Middle Ages or today. And with Greengrass’s documentary-like approach, it feels less like a costume drama and more like you’re there in the mud and chaos.

For filmmakers looking to blend historical accuracy with modern energy, this one’s worth studying.

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Henry Jaglom’s ‘Sitting Ducks’ Gets 4K Restoration, Screens at Baltimore Fest

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A forgotten crime comedy from 1980 is getting new life in 4K.

Henry Jaglom’s “Sitting Ducks” screens at the New/Next Film Fest in Baltimore this weekend, freshly restored from the original 35mm camera negative. The film follows two small-time thieves who steal cash from the mob and head for Miami in a limousine, dreaming of escape to Costa Rica.

The restoration came together through a collaboration between Hope Runs High and Cinématographe, with help from the Academy Film Archive. Vinegar Syndrome handled the 4K scan in Connecticut, and Marcus Johnson of Emulsional Recovery completed frame-by-frame digital work and color grading.

Jaglom, who died in 2025, carved out his own strange corner of American independent cinema. He started in editing, helping Jack Nicholson cut “Easy Rider” in 1969, then went on to write and direct over 20 films. “Sitting Ducks” was his third feature and played Cannes back in the day. Time Out called it “an instantly likeable triumph of optimism over opportunism.”

The film screens Sunday at 5:45pm at the Charles Theatre.

This is the second Jaglom restoration to hit screens, with more on the way. For a generation of filmmakers who worked outside the system, these restorations matter. Jaglom’s work has been underseen for decades, and 4K brings it back where it belongs.

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BOT LOVE Documentary Asks If AI Intimacy Can Replace Human Connection

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A new documentary wants to know: if artificial intimacy feels real, does it matter that it isn’t?

BOT LOVE, from director Tyler Funk, premieres October 21 on CBC and CBC Gem. The film follows real people navigating relationships with AI companions, each for different reasons.

Nick, a young man on the autism spectrum, finds relief in an AI that offers consistency and patience where human relationships require exhausting effort. Denise turns to AI after painful experiences left her struggling to trust people. For both, this isn’t escapism. It’s survival.

The doc also tracks the developers building the systems that make this possible. Eugenia Kuyda created one of the world’s most popular AI companions. Anthony and Bryan Mitchell are fusing gaming, porn, and AI into an interactive sexual experience. Justin Harrison uses AI to reconstruct the dead so relationships can continue after loss.

“I never thought I’d see another technology transform our lives as quickly as the internet did,” Funk says. “AI has arrived with astonishing speed.” One developer told him AI could be “either the biggest existential threat or the most beautiful technology.” That tension runs through every frame.

Funk’s previous film, ANYTHING FOR FAME, premiered on Paramount+ and Showtime in 2024. This one feels more urgent. Millions of people are already using AI as a companion, advisor, or lover. BOT LOVE doesn’t judge them for it. It just asks what happens next.

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Kerry Washington and Omar Sy Go on the Run in Joe Carnahan’s “Shadow Force,” Now on 4K and Digital

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A former special forces power couple fights for their family in Shadow Force, the new action thriller from Joe Carnahan now available on 4K and Digital.

Kerry Washington and Golden Globe nominee Omar Sy star as Kyrah and Issac, ex-leaders of an elite multinational unit called Shadow Force. Their mistake? Falling in love. To protect their son, they vanished. But with a bounty on their heads and their former team closing in, their quiet life explodes into full-scale war.

Carnahan, who co-wrote the script with Leon Chills, brings his signature kinetic style to the 104-minute R-rated thriller. The cast also includes Mark Strong, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Cliff “Method Man” Smith, and Jahleel Kamara.

Lionsgate’s home release comes loaded with extras, including an audio commentary with Carnahan and editor Kevin Hale, a making-of doc, location breakdowns, and a deep dive into the film’s final gunfight. There’s also a featurette on the leads’ stunt and weapons training.

Shadow Force delivers exactly what action fans want: a tight premise, a stacked cast, and a director who knows how to stage chaos.

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Clark Duke’s Crime Thriller STRANGLEHOLD Hits Digital This Friday

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Clark Duke returns to his Arkansas roots with STRANGLEHOLD, a gritty crime thriller about desperation and bad decisions hitting digital platforms and VOD this Friday.

Ashley Benson stars as Bailey, a small-town Arkansas stripper tired of scraping by. With Christmas approaching and an infant daughter to think about, she hatches a plan to rob the club where she works. Her accomplice? Ex-military husband Tim, played by Jake Lacy. It’s a scheme fueled by Instagram envy and the desire to give their kid something better than barely getting by.

Duke, who made his directorial debut with the Vince Vaughn crime drama Arkansas, co-wrote STRANGLEHOLD with Chandler Duke and Billington Garrett. The cast includes Justin Long, Ron Perlman, Elle King, David Arquette, Brian Posehn, and Chris Redd.

For Duke, this marks his second feature behind the camera. Before directing, he built a career as an actor in projects like The Office, Hot Tub Time Machine, and Kick-Ass. He’s already prepping his third feature, an adaptation of Jonathan Lethem’s novel You Don’t Love Me Yet.

STRANGLEHOLD arrives at a moment when stories about economic struggle and morally messy characters feel especially urgent. Duke knows this territory, he’s from Arkansas, and he’s not afraid to show the ugly side of chasing the American dream.

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Sundance Hands Out Over $1 Million to 19 Doc Projects as Program Nears 25 Years

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Sundance Institute just dropped over $1 million across 19 documentary projects from 14 countries. The grants support filmmakers at every stage, from early development through final edits.

The Documentary Film Program turns 25 next year. Since launching in 2002, it’s become a lifeline for nonfiction storytellers navigating everything from funding gaps to censorship threats. This year’s slate spans topics from Indigenous activism to internet preservation,gorilla communication to undocumented queer poets.

Nearly 65% of proposals came from outside the U.S. Projects have roots in Canada, Denmark, France, India, Iran, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Qatar, Romania, Tunisia, the U.K., the U.S., and South Korea.

Several familiar names landed grants. Julian Brave NoiseCat, whose Sugarcane became the first Indigenous-directed doc nominated for an Oscar, returns with Alcatraz is an Idea about the 1969 occupation. Emmy winner Drew Xanthopoulos got support for My Friend the Bear. David Alvarado’s All Shall Be Saved follows his Luis Valdez doc that won the Library of Congress prize earlier this year.

The mix includes first-timers too. Thirty-seven percent of grantees are directing their first feature doc.

Past Sundance Doc Fund projects include All That Breathes, Crip Camp, No Other Land, Sugarcane, and The Territory. The program is backed by Open Society Foundations, John Templeton Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, and Free People.

For indie filmmakers working outside the system, this kind of unrestricted funding can mean the difference between finishing a film and abandoning it halfway through.

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Sundance Institute Grants Over $1 Million to 19 Documentary Projects

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Nineteen documentary filmmakers from 14 countries are getting some serious financial backing from Sundance Institute’s Documentary Fund. The organization just announced over $1 million in unrestricted grants for nonfiction projects at every stage of production.

The timing matters. The Documentary Film Program turns 25 next year. Since 2002, it’s been a lifeline for indie doc makers, offering money, creative support, and industry connections without the usual strings attached.

This year’s slate spans from development to post-production. Four projects are still in early stages, 12 are actively shooting, and three are in post. The geographic spread is impressive. Almost 65% of proposals came from outside the U.S., with funded projects rooted in Canada, Denmark, France, India, Iran, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Qatar, Romania, Tunisia, the U.K., the U.S., and South Korea.

The themes cut deep. Memory, archives, borders, environmental collapse, generational trauma. Several filmmakers are using science to blur the lines between human and nature.

Notable names include Julian Brave NoiseCat, whose Sugarcane made history as the first Oscar-nominated documentary feature directed by a North American Indigenous filmmaker. Emmy-nominated director Drew Xanthopoulos returns with My Friend the Bear after his Emmy-winning Fathom. David Alvarado’s All Shall Be Saved follows his 2025 Library of Congress prize winner American Pachuco.

Paola Mottura and Kristin Feeley, who run the Documentary Film Program, say the group reflects “the inventive and varied nonfiction work that continues to push the form forward.”

For indie doc makers fighting to get their stories seen, that million bucks isn’t just funding. It’s validation.

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New Doc Digs Into the Spectacular Failure of Exorcist II

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After Point Blank and Deliverance made him a bankable name, John Boorman got the gig of a lifetime: directing the sequel to The Exorcist for Warner Brothers. What followed became one of Hollywood’s most legendary disasters, a bomb so complete it nearly killed his career and changed how studios greenlit projects.

Now there’s a documentary about it. Boorman and the Devil, directed by David Kittredge, pulls Boorman himself out of retirement to talk about what went wrong, along with Linda Blair, Louise Fletcher, and filmmakers like Karyn Kusama, Mike Flanagan, and Joe Dante. The film digs into the wreckage, but it’s not a hit piece. It’s about ambition, risk-taking, and what happens when artists swing for the fences and miss.

Critics are calling it riveting, funny, and surprisingly poignant. IndieWire said it’s “magical” and “dazzling.” The Wall Street Journal called it “altogether fascinating.” Even Time Out weighed in: this doc “exorcises the demons of cinema’s biggest film failures.”

It’s available now on Prime, Apple, Google Play, and Fandango. For indie filmmakers, it’s a reminder that failure’s part of the deal, and sometimes the most interesting stories come from the biggest crashes.

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New Documentary Traces 20 Years of Research Linking What We Eat to How We See and Think

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A new health documentary follows an Irish scientist’s two-decade quest to prove that nutrition affects vision and brain health in ways we’ve barely begun to understand.

“A Vision for Vision,” directed by two-time Emmy winner Wayne Chesler, tracks Professor John Nolan’s research into carotenoids, the plant-based pigments found in marigolds, eyes, and the brain. The film spans locations from marigold fields in Mexico to research labs in Ireland, omega-3-rich waters off Norway, and elite performance centers in Singapore.

Nolan, who founded and directs the Nutrition Research Centre Ireland, has spent over 20 years studying how targeted nutrition might support vision, memory, and aging. His recent trials, including the re-MIND, CARES Trial 2, and CREST AMD studies, found that supplements combining carotenoids, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamin E showed positive effects on Alzheimer’s symptoms, improved working memory in healthy adults, and better visual performance in patients with early macular degeneration.

The doc arrives as conversations around preventative health gain traction. Nolan’s pitch is straightforward: aging happens, disease doesn’t have to, and earlier intervention through nutrition could change outcomes.

The film drops on digital and VOD November 3. For indie filmmakers covering health and science, it’s a reminder that some of the most compelling stories live in labs, not studios.

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