Victorian Psycho, Paper Tiger and Bitter Christmas lead new indie openings with a handful of notable expansions as the market moves towards the Thanksgiving holiday.
A24’s Club Kid expands to 27 screens across top markets in week 2, up from a strong start at 6 theaters in New York and LA. Adds more locations next week ahead of a nationwide expansion over Thanksgiving weekend. Fox Searchlight is bumping Martin McDonagh’s Wild Horse Nine to 2,175 screens from 1,100.
I Play Rocky from Amazon MGM moves to 29 locations from 7 with a few additions in New York, LA and Philly plus Boston, Chicago, D.C., Austin, Phoenix, San Francisco and Toronto ahead of a push to 2,000 theaters next week. Independent Film Company jumps Mouse to 375 screens from last week’s limited opening on 3. Closure from 1-2 Special expands to 5 locations from 1 NYC theater, adding LA, San Francisco and Atlanta and Clairidge Cinemas in Montclair, NJ.
NEW: Zachary Wigon’s period horror thriller Victorian Psycho from Bleecker Street creeps onto 1,206 screens. Set in Victorian England, it stars Maika Monroe (Longlegs) as eccentric governess Winifred Notty who arrives at Ensor House, a remote gothic manor, where strange happenings including disappearing staff stir suspicion that she is not what she seems. With Jason Isaacs (The White Lotus), Ruth Wilson (Down Cemetery Road) and Thomasin McKenzie (Jojo Rabbit). Based on the popular novel of the same name by author Virginia Feito, who also wrote the film’s screenplay.
The film premiered in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes.
Neon busts out James Gray’s Cannes-premiering crime drama Paper Tiger in limited release at six theater in New York (Angelika, AMC Lincoln Square, Alamo Brooklyn) and LA (Vista, AMC Century City, AMC Grove) including 35MM screenings in both cities and upcoming in Portland, Seattle, Dallas, Austin, San Francisco, Boston, Chicago, and Philadelphia. At 85% Rotten Tomatoes Certified Fresh, see Deadline review.
Adam Driver, Miles Teller and Scarlett Johansson star in the intense drama about two brothers who become entangled in a scheme that turns out to be too good to be true. As they try to navigate their way through the dangerous world of the Russian mafia, family bonds begin to fray with life-altering consequences. Set in Queens in NYC where Gray was born and raised, the film was recently nominated for two Gotham Film Awards including Best Feature and Best Supporting Performance for Driver.
Paper Tiger opened the New York Film Festival and São Paulo International Film Festival, screened at BFI London Film at Virginia Film Festival where James Gray received the Outstanding Achievement in Directing Award. He was also recognized with the Auteur Award at the SCAD Savannah Film Festival, the Director Award at Mill Valley Film Festival, the Leon Cakoff Prize at São Paulo, and the Pardo alla Carriera (Career Achievement Award) at the Locarno Film Festival. Miles Teller received the Artist of Distinction Award at Newport Beach Film Festival.
Pedro Almodovar’s latest, Bitter Christmas, is out in New York (Angelika, Film at Lincoln Center) and LA (Laemmle Royal, AMC Burbank) from the iconic Spanish director’s longtime North American distribution partner Sony Pictures Classics. The pic tells parallel stories, one set in 2004 around Elsa (Bárbara Lennie), a failed feature film director working in advertising and commercials. The second unspools in 2026 with Raúl (Leonardo Sbaraglia), a screenwriter and director, writing a script that turns out to be the story of Elsa, her boyfriend Bonifacio (Patrick Criado) and friends Patricia (Victoria Luengo) and Natalia (Milena Smit). Premiered at Cannes, see Deadline review. RT Certified Fresh at 84%.
Faith-based God With Us, writer-director Jimmy Jenkins’ modern-day parable, opens in 432 theaters for what was initially a one weekend theatrical event run via Variance Films and Blue Harbor Entertainment. Presales have been strong and the run has been extended beyond the weekend, for some theaters through the week. The modern day inner city retelling of the biblical Nativity story follows a young couple whose faith and love are tested after a miraculous pregnancy sparks hope and conflict.
Noting: TIFF-premiering animated Singapore period drama The Violinist by Ervin Han and Raúl García is playing at the Laemmle Noho. Winner of the Cristal prize for Best Feature Film at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival.
Sean Ono Lennon’s documentary ThreeASFOUR: Full Circle about the innovative New York fashion collective debuts at Film Forum in NYC. Premiered at Tribeca Festival.