New & Upcoming Indie Films

Director James Gray’s personal, coming-of-age story spotlights the generational pursuit of the American Dream. Paul is part of a tight-knit Jewish family who has worked hard to ensure the success of their sons. But when Paul befriends a Black kid at school, he soon realizes not everyone has equal opportunities to achieve the American Dream. The film features a star-studded cast that includes Anne Hathaway, Jeremy Strong and Anthony Hopkins – with the latter’s performance already generating awards season buzz.

Cate Blanchett stars as the titular role of Lydia Tár, a world-renowned classical musical conductor who is preparing for the most important performance of her career. As she preps, it becomes increasingly evident that she is battling a troubled temperament and continues to sink further into a personal and professional crisis. The film currently holds a 92 percent Certified Fresh Rotten tomatoes score, with The New York Times predicting it will be “one of the year’s most talked-about movies,” while IndieWire claimed it is “one of the boldest and most exciting movies in years.” Blanchett is expected to receive her seventh Oscar nomination for the role, and possibly her third win.

“Till” is perfect for spotlighting black resistance – this year’s Black History Month theme. The film explores the 1955 lynching of 14-year-old Emmett Till through his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, and her relentless pursuit of justice that ultimately helped spark the civil rights movement. The film currently has a 98 percent Certified Fresh Rotten Tomatoes score with Variety writing, “This story deserves your attention.”

This fictionalized drama spotlighting the Jane Collective – an underground group that helped women receive safe, illegal abortions before 1973 – couldn’t be timelier. When Joy, a 1960s housewife, discovers her very wanted pregnancy is very life-threatening, she petitions a hospital board to obtain an abortion. However, the all-male board denies her request. Before long, Joy joins the activist ranks of the Jane Collective and the film shifts into one about women, emancipation, autonomy and power.

Loosely based on director Elegance Bratton’s experience as a young, gay, unhoused Black man who – after running out of options – joins the military in 2005. Framed against the backdrop of the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy and the War on Terror, the protagonist experiences unexpected camaraderie, strength and support from his new community that him – and his life – forever. The Hollywood Reporter called it, “one of the most stirring portraits of queer Black masculinity since ‘Moonlight.’”

Check out these films in theaters, and available from Swank soon.