Chang Can Dunk is a is a throwback Disney sports flick
After perfecting his craft in the world of shorts and episodic television, director Jingyi Shao transitions into features with his debut, Chang Can Dunk from Disney +. The director also pens the screenplay for the film, which follows Chang (Bloom Li), a 16-year-old Asian American high school student in the marching band with a love of basketball.
Sharper is a good ole fashioned con flick
The con is on in director Benjamin Caron’s sophomore film Sharper, a joint production with A24. Brian Gatewood and Alessandro Tanaka pen the film’s screenplay, which opens with text explaining what a “sharper” is. A “sharper” uses their sharp mind to swindle for a living. We soon meet our first character New York antiquarian bookshop owner Tom (Justice Smith).
Swallowed is a strong body horror flick
After a brief hiatus, Carter Smith returns to the horror genre in Swallowed. Smith also pens the film’s screenplay. After a drug run turns disastrous, two friends, Benjamin (Cooper Koch) and Dom (Jose Colon), must survive a nightmarish ordeal of drugs, bugs, and horrific intimacy.
Michelle Monaghan saves Blood from the doldrums
Director Brad Anderson teams up with writer Will Honley for his latest thriller, Blood from Vertical Entertainment. Jess (Michelle Monaghan), a nurse and mother recently separated from her husband Patrick (Skeet Ulrich), moves her daughter Tyler (Skylar Morgan Jones) and young son Owen (Finlay Wojtak-Hissong) back into her family farmhouse.
Rose Blood is superior Friday The 13th fan film
Friday The 13th superfan Peter Anthony makes his directorial debut in Rose Blood: A Friday the 13th Fan film. It wasn’t until I saw Jeremy Brown’s Vengeance A Friday The 13th Fan Film a few years ago that I started taking fan films seriously.
She Said deservers an audience in the comfort of your own
A life-changing historical moment comes to the big screen in She Said from Universal Pictures. Maria Schrader directs the film from a screenplay by Rebecca Lenkiewicz. The script adapts the 2019 nonfiction book She Said: Breaking the Sexual Harassment Story That Helped Ignite a Movement by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey.
Imani is a soulful take on The Long Kiss Goodnight
After directing music videos for a range of artists over the past several years, Mike Ho has turned his attention to film with the release of Imani. The film is the first feature-length project for Ho and will be streaming on BET +. Amaleka McCall and Tu-Shonda Whitaker pen the film’s screenplay, which in the simplest of terms, utilizes elements from the 1996 actioner, The Long Kiss Goodnight.
Typical action fuels High Heat
Director Zach Golden transitions to the action genre for his sophomore feature, High Heat, from Saban Films. Screenwriter James Pedersen makes his debut with the film. Former KGB operative Ana (Kurylenko) has left that life behind and turned chef.
The Best Man: Final Chapters is a worthy close to the franchise
Peacock brings Malcolm D. Lee’s iconic Best Man franchise to television in The Best Man: The Final Chapters. It’s been nine years since we last saw Harper Stewart (Taye Diggs), Robin Stewart (Sanna Lathan), Lance Sullivan (Morris Chestnut), Jordan Armstrong (Nia Long), Julian Murchison (Harold Perrineau), Candace Murchison (Regina Hall),Quentin “Q” Spivey (Terrence Howard) and Shelby Taylor (Melissa De Sousa).
Christmas Bloody Christmas earns a slot on the naughty list
Kris Kringle is another murderous rampage in the RLJE film release, Christmas Bloody Christmas, written and directed by Joe Begos. On the eve of Christmas, fiery record store owner Tori Tooms (Riley Dandy) wants to get drunk and have some fun. At Tori’s workplace, Robbie (Sam Delich) harbors an unrequited crush on Tori, and all he wants for Christmas is to break out of the friend zone so he can be with her.
Will Smith and director Antione Fuqua avoid slave movie tropes in Emancipation
Following his much-deserved Oscar win for last year’s King Richard, Will Smith returns in Emancipation from Apple TV+. Action and thriller genre specialist Antoine Fuqua directs the film from a script by William N. Collage.
Darby & The Dead is a harmless teen comedy
After utilizing his directorial talents in the world of episodic television for the past few years, Silas Howard returns to features in Hulu’s Darby and The Dead. Becca Greene pens the screenplay from a story by Winnoah Wims. Darby Harper (Riele Downs) is your typical high school-aged teenager with one notable difference.