Comedian Jordan Peele turned filmmaker with his stellar social satire Get Out back in 2017, and he returns to the director’s chair for doppelgänger horror Us. As a child, Adelaide (Lupita Nyong’o) has a traumatic experience in a hall of mirrors after wandering away from her parents at Santa Cruz beach. Years later, she revisits the boardwalk with her husband Gabe (Winston Duke) and their two kids. The fun family vacation soon descends into terror when their beachhouse is invaded by unwelcome guests.
Author turned screenwriter Nic Pizzolatto made his name when he created crime drama True Detective, and he returns to the Texan landscape for his latest feature with French filmmaker Mélanie Laurent on directorial duty. Based upon Pizzolatto’s novel of the same name but adapted for the screen under his pseudonym Jim Hammett, road thriller Galveston follows ailing hitman Roy (Ben Foster) and young escort Rocky (Elle Fanning) as they go on the run from a dangerous mob, and of course, the law. They seek solace in Roy’s hometown, but it’s only a matter of time until their chequered pasts catch up with them.
Chilean writer and director Sebastián Silva explores social cues amongst a group of thirty-something year old men in his indie comedy drama Tyrel. Unfolding across an alcohol-fuelled weekend, the plot centres around Tyler (Jason Mitchell) who is invited by Johnny (Christopher Abbott) to his friend’s birthday celebrations at an isolated cabin in the Catskill mountains. Being the only black guy in the bunch, Tyler begins to feel increasingly uncomfortable when inhibitions are lost, and the culture gap appears to widen.
Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi has enjoyed much critical acclaim with his impactful social-realist movies, and he has turned his directorial gaze to the dusty Spanish suburbs for his latest piece. Mystery drama Everybody Knows follows Laura (Penélope Cruz) who, with her children in tow, returns to her hometown for her sister’s wedding. She reconnects with old flame Paco (Javier Bardem) at the ceremony, but the family fun comes to an abrupt end when her teenage daughter Irene (Carla Campra) goes missing in the night.
Acclaimed writer and director Michael Winterbottom is perhaps best known for his work in the comedy genre, but has stepped into a more abstruse field for his latest feature. The Wedding Guest is a mystery thriller set on a criminal’s journey between Pakistan and India. Armed with weaponry and a pile of fake IDs, Jay (Dev Patel) flies from Britain to track down bride-to-be Samira (Radhika Apte) ahead of her forthcoming nuptials. With unclear motives, he kidnaps the young woman in the dead of night, but the crepuscular job takes an unexpected turn.
