Every now and then, a genre film arrives out of nowhere to completely rewrite the theatrical rulebook, and this year, that lightning strike is Curry Barker’s Obsession.
The story kicks off when hopeless romantic Bear uses a eerie "One Wish Willow" to make his long time crush, Nikki, fall for him. It works, but with a massive catch: her newfound "love" instantly mutates into a blood soaked, obsessive situationship.
Produced on a shoestring budget of under a million dollars, this relentless piece of supernatural terror has exploded into an absolute box office success in the US. At the center of the madness is breakout star Inde Navarrette, delivering an incredibly unhinged and nuanced performance, cleverly using the horror framework to look at deeper anxieties surrounding control, consent, and women's bodily autonomy. Judging by the squirming and collective nervous laughter from our team during our preview screening, you are going to want to witness this instant cult classic in a packed theater full of gasping, screaming filmhomies.
In English.
Rated M18 for Violence and Sexual Scene.
If you’ve spent any time on the weirder corners of the internet, you’ve probably heard of the "liminal space" Backrooms phenomenon. For the film adaptation, A24 handed the keys to 20 year old YouTube prodigy Kane Parsons, and he delivered an indie hit that is currently leveling the US box office with a genre piece that skips cheap gimmicks in favor of high art psychological horror.
Struggling furniture store owner Clark discovers a bizarre, glowing doorway in his basement that leads directly into the Backrooms—a seemingly infinite, yellow-walled maze that defies all laws of physics. When Clark vanishes into this reality-bending labyrinth, his therapist, Mary, goes in looking for him, only to get trapped in the exact same surreal, mind-warping nightmare.
In English
Rated NC16 for Coarse Language.
The film contains an utterance of religious profanity that exceeds IMDA guidelines. The line has been muted to be kept in line with guidelines.
TW: contains scenes with flashing lights, photosensitive audiences are to be advised
You’re cordially invited to the most chaotic dinner of the year.
Fresh from its buzz heavy Sundance debut, Olivia Wilde’s razor sharp relationship comedy hits right where it hurts. Joe (Seth Rogen) and Angela (Wilde) are stuck in a domestic rut, made worse by the aggressively loud, boundary pushing love life of their upstairs neighbors, Hawk (Edward Norton) and Pina (Penélope Cruz). Hoping to smooth things over, Angela invites them down for a casual dinner party. But as the wine flows, polite small talk is instantly traded for a chaotic, hilariously uncomfortable truth game where social etiquette completely crumbles.
In English
Rated M18 for Mature Content and Coarse Language.
In this sharp, "feel-bad" romantic dramedy, Charlie (Pattinson) and Emma (Zendaya) are the picture perfect Boston couple just days away from their wedding. Their domestic bliss is shattered during a routine pre wedding dinner with their best man and maid of honor when a casual game of "What’s the Worst Thing You’ve Ever Done?" takes a really bad turn.
Emma reveals an incendiary secret from her past that defies the usual "cold feet" tropes, forcing Charlie to decide if he truly knows the woman he is about to marry. As the countdown to the ceremony continues, the film spirals into a tense, darkly comedic exploration of the limits of empathy and the terrifying reality of being truly seen.
In English with english subtitles
Rated M18 for Sexual Scenes and Coarse Language
This film contains an utterance of religious profanity that exceeds classification guidelines. The phrase has been edited to be mute to keep in line with classification guidelines.
TW: Film contains scenes with flashing lights, photosensitve viewers are advised.
