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From a dark comedy thriller about a $28 billion inheritance to a biker queer BDSM rom-com, we're talking about the upcoming hits of arthouse cinema. What all the films have in common is that they are all releases from New York studio A24, which is known for its aesthetic and bold films and turned arthouse into the main trend of the decade.
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“Inheritance Hunter”
John Patton Ford's new film (“Emily the Criminal”) is exactly the type of darkly comedic intellectual thriller that makes us remember why we love the combination of high style and low moral standards so much. At the center of the plot is Beckett Redfellow (immaculately played by Glen Powell), a sophisticated outsider who decides to reclaim the multi-billion dollar family fortune that his relatives once separated his mother from. Seven arrogant relatives stand in the way of the coveted $28 billion figure, and Beckett is ready to prove that “accidents” happen more often, the higher the price of the question. Powell's screen partner is the magnetic Margaret Qualley (“Substance”), whose appearance adds the necessary share of fatal charm and emotional tension to the film.
The film, which will be released in Ukrainian cinemas on February 26, has brilliant roots: the script managed to be on the prestigious Hollywood Black List, and it was inspired by the cult British film of 1949 “Good Hearts and Crowns”, which is included in the top 100 films of all time according to Time magazine. John Patton Ford masterfully transfers the classic scheme of “social climbing through serial murders” to the modern scenery of luxurious estates, filming a sharp satire on privilege and greed, where the visual perfection of the frame in the style of A24 contrasts with the cold-blooded cruelty of the main character's plans.
In Ukrainian cinemas: from March 12
“Pillion”
A film by debuting director Harry Leighton, which had its world premiere in the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival last year, where it won the Best Screenplay award. It is a loose adaptation of Adam Mars-Jones' novel Box Hill, exploring the limits of loyalty and power. The story focuses on Colin (Harry Melling), a shy “quiet” from the suburbs, whose monotonous life changes dramatically after meeting Ray (Alexander Skarsgård), the charismatic and domineering leader of a gay biker club. Becoming a “pillionaire” (a passenger on the back seat of a motorcycle) and Ray's willing submissive, Colin is immersed in a world of leather, speed and strict rules, where his ideas about love, relationships and his own “self” undergo a radical transformation.
The film skillfully balances the line between domestic comedy and frank sexual drama, abandoning the cliché of macho bikers in favor of the authenticity of the duo of vulnerable Melling and magnetic Skarsgård. Real members of the Gay Bikers Motorcycle Club were involved in the filming, which added a special texture and truthfulness to the film. “Pillion” does not just show an erotic subculture, but asks a deep question: is complete submission to a partner a form of true calling, or is it just a change of one type of suffocation for another?
In Ukrainian cinemas: from March 26
“Love doesn't love”
This film by Norwegian director Kristoffer Storrer is probably the most intriguing melodrama of the upcoming season, promising to dissect the anatomy of modern relationships. A24 studio has assembled a truly explosive cast for this project: Zendaya and Robert Pattinson, known for their ability to deeply transform emotionally, play the main roles.
The plot centers on a young couple whose seemingly perfect relationship is threatened on the eve of their wedding. What begins as a light romantic story quickly transforms into a psychological detective of feelings, when unexpected confessions and hidden facts from the past force the characters to question everything they knew about each other. And the result is a film not just about a crisis of trust, but a real intellectual drama about how close we are willing to let another person into the darkest corners of our souls.
In Ukrainian cinemas: from April 2
“Mother Mary”
Billed as an “epic pop melodrama” with occult overtones, this musical is arguably the most ambitious project in A24's current portfolio. Director David Lowery, known for his visual perfectionism in “The Legend of the Green Knight,” this time immerses the viewer in the whirlpool of psychosexual relationships between pop star Mary (Anne Hathaway) and cult designer Sam (Mikaela Coel). Their fateful meeting occurs because of Mary's need for a dress for a triumphant comeback tour, which forces the former friends to reunite in the intimate and tense space of the atelier.
For Hathaway, this role was a real acting challenge and, according to her, an exercise in giving up control: the actress abandoned her usual “polished” style of acting, improvising in vocal scenes and completely dissolving in the chaos of her heroine. The atmosphere of the film, which Lowry himself compares in intensity to “Apocalypse Now”, is complemented by a stellar supporting cast, in particular Hunter Shafer in the role of a silent assistant, as well as a soundtrack from the stars of modern music – Charli XCX, Jack Antonoff and FKA Twigs. The film promises to be an exquisite spectacle on the verge of high fashion, mysticism and painful frankness, where every look is sharp as a blade, and every song is a real ritual. The film is scheduled for release in the US on April 17, and the start date in Ukrainian cinemas is still unknown.
“The Death of Robin Hood”
“The Death of Robin Hood” from director Michael Sarnosky is a radical and dark deconstruction of one of the world's most famous myths. Forget the noble outlaw who “steals from the rich and gives to the poor”; Sarnosky, the director of the hits “Swine” and “A Quiet Place: Day One,” presents us with the truth hidden behind the age-old ballads. Hugh Jackman embodies the image of a cruel and weary outsider named Robin Hood, who bluntly declares: “I am a monster.” The film focuses on a critically injured Robin, who, finding himself in the hands of a mysterious woman, is forced to rethink his bloody past of murder and robbery.
Jodie Comer plays the role of the same mysterious savior, who, according to the director, is not at all the classic Lady Marian of legends. Her heroine reveals another side of life to Robin, and it is their complex emotional dance that gives the film a piercing sensitivity against the backdrop of continuous violence and grief. The film also stars Bill Skarsgård (in an unusual image of Little John) and Murray Bartlett. “The Death of Robin Hood” promises to be a harsh thriller about the search for redemption when the number of your sins is no longer countable. Its release in American cinemas is scheduled for June 19, and there is no Ukrainian premiere date yet.