Trailer Blitz: Dangerous Animals, The New Boy, Tatami, Materialists, Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, and More
Time to catch up on the movie trailers we missed this week—here’s a list of films hitting screens soon!
“Dangerous Animals” Trailer: Jai Courtney Plays a Psychotic Boat Captain in This Shark-Fueled Horror Thriller From ‘The Loved Ones’ Director Sean Byrne – In Theaters June 6th
They say sharks are some of the most vicious creatures in the ocean, but Aussie actor Jai Courtney might just give them a run for their money. In the new horror thriller Dangerous Animals, he plays a brutal serial killer who uses hungry sharks to dispose of his female victims—just before torturing them. Sharks are lethal and dangerous, but they don’t kill for fun. So, that just might make Courtney's character the most dangerous of them all.
Directed by Australian filmmaker Sean Byrne, known for the cult Aussie prom date horror The Loved Ones and the psychological heavy metal thriller The Devil's Candy, this upcoming film sees Courtney as a sadistic boat captain who traps vacationing surfers on his boat, locks them up, takes them to the middle of the ocean, and uses them as shark bait in a sick attempt at his own demented entertainment.
Hassie Harrison (from the series Yellowstone) plays one of the killer's surfing victims, who manages to free herself on his boat. She soon finds herself fighting for her life as she battles not only the barbaric captain but also the deadly sharks lurking beneath the surface. Though from the looks of things, she might have a better chance surviving the sharks than a crazed Jai Courtney, who seems to be cranking up the crazy to eleven.
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water... who knew the sharks would be the least of your worries? Dangerous Animals is hitting theaters June 6th, via IFC Films. The film will, however, make its world premiere later this month at the Cannes Film Festival as part of the Directors' Fortnight section.
“The New Boy” Trailer: Cate Blanchett Plays a 1940s Nun in Warwick Thornton’s Australian Outback Orphanage Drama – In U.S. Theaters May 23rd
If you think Australian cinema is only about the Mad Max films, Paul Hogan's Crocodile Dundee comedies, and the talking pig franchise Babe and Babe: Pig in the City, well, you're in for a rude awakening. Australia has a long and rich film history steeped in westerns (The Proposition, Ned Kelly), outback noir (Wake in Fright), hypnotic mysteries (Picnic at Hanging Rock), post-apocalyptic thrillers (Mad Max, The Quiet Earth), indigenous stories (Walkabout, Ten Canoes), and much more.
One filmmaker who continues this tradition of Australian outback westerns with an Aboriginal perspective is Warwick Thornton (Mystery Road, Samson and Delilah). His latest film seems to add a touch of magical realism to the mix, blending the harsh realities of the outback with elements of the surreal and spiritual. And as an added bonus, Oscar-winner Cate Blanchett joins the cast, portraying a 1940s nun dressed in a traditional black robe under the scorching sun of the outback. Now that's commitment.
The film is set in a remote monastery deep in the outback, now serving as a home for orphaned children. The makeshift orphanage is led by a strong-willed and independent nun (Blanchett), who introduces a "new boy" to the group. He’s a young Aboriginal child, unable to speak or read English, with no known origins. This "new boy" (played by newcomer Aswan Reid) quickly shows signs of being unlike any other child, possibly possessing a spiritual connection to the outback itself.
The film premiered at Cannes in 2023, earning mostly positive reviews. Co-starring Aboriginal actress Deborah Mailman (The Sapphires) and Aboriginal filmmaker/actor Wayne Blair (director of The Sapphires), The New Boy is making its US debut in theaters on May 23rd.
“Tatami” Trailer: Iranian Judo Fighter Faces Political Pressure and Personal Ambition in This Tense Olympic Sports Drama Starring Arienne Mandi and Zar Amir Ebrahimi – In Theaters June 13th
With the current state of things, some people might prefer to watch films that are less political these days, as some don’t have the bandwidth to hold so much weight from today's issues. But then again, there are films that can't help but be political. These films are inherently political in nature.
For instance, Tatami. It’s a new Persian Olympic sports drama that seems to have all the tension you’d want in a story like this: packed with high stakes, intense competition, and an engrossing narrative about an ambitious athlete caught between her national loyalty and her personal ambition.
Now, take into account that it's about an Iranian female judo fighter who is sent to compete in the World Judo Championships at the Olympics, only to be ordered by the Iranian government to withdraw from the games by faking an injury. The reason? The Iranian government doesn’t want her to compete against an Israeli rival in the finals, fearing that the possible loss of such a high-profile competition could send the wrong message.
With this political backdrop, inspired by real events, the film quickly becomes a statement, highlighting the clash between personal ambition and government control, as well as how authoritarian governing bodies interfere with the progression of peaceful international affairs.
Shot in stark black and white and featuring Iranian-Chilean American actress Arienne Mandi (from Season 2 of Netflix's The Night Agent) in the lead, Tatami marks the first directing collaboration between Israeli-born American filmmaker Guy Nattiv and Iranian-French actress Zar Amir Ebrahimi (Holy Spider, Shayda), who makes her directorial debut. Ebrahimi also costars in the film as the Iranian Olympic Judo coach.
It should be noted that Nattiv won an Oscar for his 2018 short film Skin. He also made a feature film, also called Skin (though unrelated), which was inspired by the true story of an American neo-Nazi skinhead (played by Jamie Bell) trying to reform and start a new life with the help of a Black activist and a new sympathetic girlfriend.
Tatami premiered at the 2023 Venice Film Festival where it earned strong reviews. The film is now slated to open in U.S. theaters on June 13th.
Tatami is also the latest foreign film to use AI technology from the Flawless company, which employs a cutting-edge process to edit and manipulate actors' lips, creating a near-perfect lip-synced English version for English-speaking audiences.
“Materialists” New Retro Trailer: Embrace the 90s Rom-Com Vibes in Celine Song’s Love Triangle Film Starring Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, and Pedro Pascal – In Theaters June 13th
Writer-director Celine Song made a big splash with her Oscar-nominated feature debut Past Lives. It’s a beautifully crafted tale about how our relationships—both past and present—shape who we were, who we are, and who we will be. Considered one of the best films of 2023, it stands out as one of the rare films that uses the simplicity of a reunion between a Korean woman now living in New York and her former childhood friend from Seoul to tell a profound story about love, identity, and the passage of time.
Song returns this summer with her follow-up film, Materialists. Like many sophomore efforts from rising indie filmmakers, it’s stacked with a top-notch cast and a bigger budget. While Song impressed us with her nuanced insights into romantic relationships in Past Lives, she seems to have switched gears with a rom-com throwback. And while it centers around another love triangle, it looks like Song is really tapping into the playful charm and wit of classic romantic comedies of the '80s and '90s. This is clearly evident in the film's newly released trailer, which itself seems to parody a retro '90s rom-com preview, complete with a voice-over and set to a cover of Madonna’s Material Girl. The only thing missing is that old VHS FBI warning label that used to pop up at the beginning of every blockbuster rental.
Starring Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, and Pedro Pascal, Materialists centers on a top-tier professional matchmaker (Johnson) who has a knack for pairing New Yorkers with their perfect matches. However, when it comes to her own love life, she’s completely out of luck. But when she meets a suave and sophisticated Manhattanite (Pascal) who might just be "the one," she unexpectedly bumps into her old flame, a handsome yet underachieving good dude (Evans). Now, she’s faced with a tough decision: pursue the guy she thinks is perfect (Pascal) or the one who makes her feel perfect (Evans).
Materialists is hitting theaters June 13th.
“Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” New IMAX Trailer: Tom Cruise Dangles Off a Plane in the Ultimate Thrill Ride – In Theaters May 23rd
IMAX just might be the perfect format for the new Mission: Impossible movie. Not just because of the thrills and heart-pounding action, but because there’s no better way to see Tom Cruise dangling off a speeding biplane, holding on for dear life as it comes inches from the side of a mountain.
Get a taste of the jaw-dropping stunts, where Tom Cruise literally puts his life on the line for your entertainment, in this new IMAX-exclusive trailer for the upcoming Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning.
It's being billed as the final chapter in Cruise's Ethan Hunt saga, his last film as the IMF agent with a flair for the impossible. But that doesn’t necessarily mean it will be the last Mission: Impossible film, as the franchise could continue with a new star in the lead. Nevertheless, no one should count Cruise out of anything... he’s always ready to surprise us, so expect the impossible to be possible.
Once again directed by Cruise's frequent collaborator Christopher McQuarrie, The Final Reckoning serves as the ultimate conclusion to 2023’s Dead Reckoning, where Ethan Hunt and his IMF team faced off against an all-powerful, evil AI program known as "the Entity." With extraordinary computing power capable of predicting the future, the Entity already knows how Ethan will attempt to destroy it. Now, Ethan must find a way to conceal his plans and do the unforeseeable in order to save the world... one last time.
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning opens in theaters, and in IMAX on May 23rd.
“The Gardener” Trailer: Jean-Claude Van Damme Takes on Assassins with Garden Shears in This New French Action Comedy – In Theaters and VOD June 6th
Here’s a wild scenario to mull over: let’s just say you’re a government official, and you’ve just discovered that the President—or rather, the Prime Minister—has been keeping a secret kill list of all his political enemies, people he wants eliminated ASAP. And, to make matters worse, your name is also on that list. So, what do you do when assassins show up at your door? Well, one thing you could do is make sure your gardener is the gawd damn "Muscles of Brussels"... Jean-Claude Van Damme!
In this new French action comedy, action icon JCVD plays The Gardener! He’s a professional landscaper named Leo, who happens to be working for a senior government official when he discovers the Prime Minister has ordered a hit on him. Leo, being a man who knows his way around hedge shears and pruners—and more importantly, knows how to turn them into lethal weapons—steps in at the right moment to protect the senior official and his family from a savage kill squad.
Also starring Michaël Youn, The Gardener is written and directed by David Charhon, who previously worked with Jean-Claude Van Damme on the 2021 French action comedy The Last Mercenary (still available to stream on Netflix).
The Gardener arrives in select U.S. theaters and on VOD starting June 6th.
“Deaf President Now!” Trailer: New Documentary Unpacks the Historic 1988 Gallaudet Protest for Deaf Leadership – Premiering on Apple TV+ May 16th
Sometimes, young activists at college campuses are unfairly maligned as idealistic do-gooders who live in a bubble, disconnected from the real world and its problems. Well, here’s a new documentary that’s out to change people’s impression of students protesting at college campuses. And believe us when we say, not all college protests look the same... and not all of them sound the same either.
Deaf President Now! is a fascinating account of a historic protest in 1988, where college students at Gallaudet University demanded the school’s newly elected president resign for failing to fully understand the needs of the student body. What makes this different from other college protests is that Gallaudet is a deaf school, and the students were part of the deaf and hearing-impaired community.
It was something the newly appointed president, Elizabeth Zinser, a hearing person who didn't even know sign language, could not fully grasp. She had no understanding of what it truly meant to be deaf, making the students’ demand for change not just about leadership, but about representation.
After weeks of protests and rallies standing up for their right to have a president who could truly represent them, the students at Gallaudet University helped push Zinser out. And in turn, paved the way for their beloved dean, Dr. I. King Jordan, to become the university’s first Deaf president in the school's history.
From Oscar-nominated producer, co-director, and deaf activist (and Dancing with the Stars winner) Nyle DiMarco, and Oscar-winning producer and co-director Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth, Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie), Deaf President Now! will premiere on Apple TV+ later this month on Friday, May 16th.
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“Worth The Wait” Trailer: Lana Condor, Andrew Koji, Ross Butler, Sung Kang, Elodie Yung and More Top Asian Actors Star in This Heartfelt Rom-Com About Love and Second Chances – Premiering on TUBI May 23rd
Who doesn’t love a good love story—especially when it’s four in one? Worth The Wait, directed by Taiwan filmmaker Tom Lin, features a stacked cast of top Asian actors, including Lana Condor (To All the Boys franchise), Andrew Koji (Warrior), Ross Butler (13 Reasons Why), Sung Kang (Fast & Furious franchise), Elodie Yung (The Cleaning Lady) and Osric Chau (Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency). The rom-com follows multiple Asian-American strangers whose lives intertwine as they explore love, loss, and old flames. Premiering on the free ad-supported streaming platform TUBI on Friday, May 23rd.
“Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie” Trailer: Gabby (Laila Lockhart Kraner) Teams Up with Grandma Gigi (Gloria Estefan) for a Wild Road Trip to Save Her Dollhouse with Kristen Wiig – In Theaters September 26th
Get ready for the live-action feature adaptation of Gabby’s Dollhouse, the hit interactive animated series created by Blue's Clues veterans Traci Paige Johnson and Jennifer Twomey for Netflix. In the new film, Gabby (Laila Lockhart Kraner) teams up with Grandma Gigi (Gloria Estefan) for a road trip to Cat Francisco. When Gabby’s prized dollhouse ends up in the hands of eccentric Vera (Kristen Wiig), Gabby embarks on an adventure to reunite the Gabby Cats and save her dollhouse. Featuring a comedic voice cast with Ego Nwodim, Kyle Mooney, Melissa Villaseñor, Thomas Lennon, Jason Mantzoukas, and Fortune Feimster, Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie hits theaters September 26th.
“To Live and Die and Live” Trailer: Snowfall's Amin Joseph Faces Grief, Addiction, and Healing in This New Indie Drama – In Theaters May 16th
Snowfall breakout star Amin Joseph leads this indie drama about a man battling depression and addiction as he returns home to Detroit to bury his stepfather. Thrust into settling his stepfather’s affairs, he embarks on a deeply emotional journey of recovery, facing grief, unresolved trauma, and the challenges of healing. Written and directed by Qasim Basir, To Live and Die and Live also stars Skye P. Marshall, Omari Hardwick, Cory Hardrict, Maryam Basir, and Dana Gourrier. The film hits theaters May 16th.