30WEST (USA): 3

The Contractor (2022) is a high-stakes action movie directed by Tarik Saleh for his English-language debut. SFC James Harper, a decorated Green Beret, is discharged from the army due to his use of illegal steroids to treat a debilitating knee injury. Desperate for financial stability, he reaches out to his friend Mike, who works for a private military company under fellow veteran Rusty Jennings’ leadership. Despite receiving lucrative offers from numerous military contracting firms, Harper feels a sense of duty to his country. Mike informs him that Rusty conducts undercover operations for the Department of ...

Late Night (2019) is an American comedy-drama film directed by Nisha Ganatra from a screenplay produced by Mindy Kaling. Katherine Newbury, an acclaimed talk show host with extensive experience in comedy, faces declining ratings for her long-running program. Facing pressure from network president Caroline Morton to improve or risk being replaced, Katherine brings on Molly Patel to the writing team. As the only Indian-American woman among a group of white male writers, Molly initially struggles due to her lack of comedy experience. However, she proves her worth by ...

Ben Is Back (2018), an American drama written and directed by Peter Hedges, follows Holly Burns as she returns from church on Christmas Eve to find her son Ben in the driveway. After spending months in rehab for prescription drug addiction, Ben’s sponsor suggested he take a trip home. While happy to see him again, Holly is also cautious of his past struggles and their effect on their family. She agrees to let him stay for 24 hours, under the condition that he does not leave her side. During a holiday shopping trip at the mall, Holly unexpectedly comes across Ben’s former doctor who is now suffering from ...