The Dead Don't Hurt
Having made his debut as writer/director with the intimate family
drama Falling, Viggo Mortensen now takes on the western genre
with The Dead Don't Hurt. Along with writing, directing, producing and composing the score,
Mortensen takes the role of Holger Olsen, a Danish immigrant to 1860s America who falls for a
French Canadian woman, Vivienne Le Coudy (Vicky Krieps). When Holger leaves to fight in
the civil war, Vivienne is left to fend for herself against the
predatory men who control their small town. [In cinemas June 7th]
Hit Man
Inspired by a real life story, director Richard Linklater's Hit Man stars Glen Powell (who co-wrote the script with Linklater) as Gary Johnson, a college
professor who moonlights as an undercover agent for the New Orleans
police. A master of disguise, Johnson poses as a hitman to entrap those
seeking the services of such a professional. Things get messy when he
falls for a woman (Adria Arjona) seeking his fake services. [On
Netflix June 7th]
The Watched
Released in the UK and Ireland as The Watched and in North America as The Watchers, Ishana Night Shyamalan's feature directorial debut is
adapted from A.M. Shine's novel 'The Watchers'. The film stars Dakota Fanning, Georgina Campbell, Oliver Finnegan and Olwen Fouere as four strangers trapped in a
building in the remote woods of western Ireland, where mysterious
creatures stalk them by night. [In cinemas June 7th]
Sorcery
Directed by Christopher Murray and co-written
with Pablo Paredes, Sorcery is inspired by a true story of witchcraft accusations in 19th
century Chile. Set on a remote island in the 1880s, the film
stars Valentina Véliz Caileo as a young indigenous girl using
otherworldly powers to avenge her father's brutal death at the hands of
colonisers. [In cinemas June 14th]
Birthday Girl
Directed by Michael Noer (Papillon) and co-written with Jesper Fink, Birthday Girl stars Trine Dyrholm and Flora Ofelia Hofmann Lindahl as Nanna and Cille, a mother and daughter who join a cruise to
celebrate the latter's 18th birthday. When Cille is sexually assaulted,
Nanna becomes determined to find her daughter's attacker before they
disembark. [On VOD June 17th]
The G
Writer/director Karl R. Hearne draws inspiration from
events involving his own family for thriller The G. The film stars Dale Dickey as Ann Hunter, aka "The G",
who along with her husband has her assets seized by a corrupt legal
guardian. Confined to an eldercare facility, Ann works alongside her
granddaughter to find a way out and take revenge on those who wronged her.
[In cinemas June 21st]
The Bikeriders
Written and directed by Jeff Nichols (Midnight Special; Loving). The Bikeriders is inspired by the work of Danny Lyon, a photographer who chronicled the biker gangs of the US MidWest in the
1960s. The film stars Jodie Comer, Austin Butler and Tom Hardy as members of Chicago biker gang The Vandals. As the gang heads
down a dark path of crime and violence, the three find their allegiances
tested. [In cinemas June 21st]
Deadland
One of our favourite discoveries on last year's festival circuit was
director Lance Larson's feature debut Deadland. A sweaty SouthWest neo-noir with supernatural elements, the film sees a
Mexican-American border patrol agent (Roberto Urbina) caught up in a
mystery involving an immigrant (Luis Chávez) who appears to come back from the dead. [On VOD June 24th]
Horizon: An American Saga
Kevin Costner is back in the saddle with his first film as director since 2003's
western classic Open Range. Co-written with Jon Baird, Horizon: An American Saga is a two-part epic (which Costner hopes to eventually expand to
four parts) that follows several characters during the American Civil War
and expansion of the American West. [In cinemas June 28th]
Kinds of Kindness
Having previously collaborated on Dogtooth, The Lobster and The Killing of a Sacred Deer, director Yorgos Lanthimos reteams with
writer Efthimis Filippou for Kinds of Kindness. The film spins three stories respectively involving a man trying to
control his life, a policeman whose missing wife returns as a very
different person, and a woman searching for a spiritual
leader. The ensemble cast features Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Willem Dafoe, Margaret Qualley and Hong Chau. [In cinemas June 28th]