Searchlight Pictures (USA): 17

Kinds of Kindness (2024), an absurdist black comedy anthology film, was directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and co-written by Efthimis Filippou. It made its debut at the 77th Cannes Film Festival on May 17, 2024, where Plemons took home the Best Actor award. The film follows a ‘triptych fable’ structure and features three unique yet interconnected tales. 1. The Death of R.M.F. Robert Fletcher is completely under the thumb of his demanding boss and romantic partner, ...

Not Okay (2022) is an American satirical black comedy-drama film written and directed by Quinn Shephard. The protagonist, Danni Sanders, is an aspiring writer employed as a photo editor at Depravity, an online magazine based in New York City. Struggling with her job and social life, Danni turns to her co-worker and social media influencer Colin for some inspiration after getting high on one of his hits. In an effort to impress him, she fabricates attending a writers’ retreat in Paris and spends the following week posting doctored photos of herself from her Brooklyn apartment. To add to the charade, she even ...

Fresh (2022) is an American horror thriller film directed by Mimi Cave, in her directorial debut, from a screenplay by Lauryn Kahn. The movie follows Noa, a disillusioned woman from Portland who has had enough of the rude men she encounters through online dating. However, while at the supermarket one day, she meets Steve, who flirts with her and they exchange numbers. Their first date goes well and they end up having sex. As their relationship progresses over several dates, Steve suggests a weekend getaway for just the two of them. Despite her friend Mollie’s ...

Nightmare Alley (2021) is a neo-noir psychological thriller film co-written and directed by Guillermo del Toro. Based on William Lindsay Gresham’s novel of the same name from 1946, it is the second adaptation following the 1947 version. In 1939, Stan Carlisle sets ablaze a rundown house after hiding a corpse under its floorboards. Later that night, while attending a carnival, he witnesses a disturbed individual consuming a live chicken as part of the geek show. Meeting Bruno, the strongman of the carnival, Stan is offered a temporary job for the evening. After being ...

Nomadland (2020), an American drama, showcases Chloé Zhao’s talents as writer, producer, editor and director. Jessica Bruder’s book Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century inspired the film. In 2011, Fern loses her job at the US Gypsum plant in Empire, Nevada after it shuts down. She had been working there for years with her husband who recently passed away. To embark on a new journey, Fern sells most of her belongings and buys a van to travel the country in search of work. Eventually, she lands a seasonal job at an Amazon fulfillment ...

Jojo Rabbit (2019), a war comedy-drama film written and directed by Taika Waititi, is based on Christine Leunens’s 2008 book Caging Skies. Set in the city of Falkenheim during the fall of Nazi Germany, the story follows ten-year-old Johannes ‘Jojo’ Betzler as he joins the Deutsches Jungvolk, a youth group under the Hitler Youth (HJ). Indoctrinated with Nazi beliefs, he relies on his imaginary friend Adolf – a foolish version of Adolf Hitler. The local HJ training camp is led by Captain Klenzendorf, who struggles with conflicted beliefs. ...

The crime drama film, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017), written, directed, and co-produced by Martin McDonagh, follows Mildred Hayes in the fictional town of Ebbing. Seven months after her teenage daughter Angela was raped and murdered, Mildred is still grieving and frustrated with the lack of progress in the investigation. To draw attention to the case, she rents three abandoned billboards near her home and displays provocative messages: ‘Raped While Dying’, ‘And Still No Arrests?’, ‘How Come, Chief Willoughby?’. Her actions catch the attention of Bill Willoughby, the ...

Clear History (2013) is a comedy TV film, directed by Greg Mottola. In 2003, Nathan Flomm (previously known as bearded and long-haired) was an opinionated and obnoxious business associate of Will Haney in San Jose, California. Haney’s company was preparing to launch a new electric car, which Flomm did not agree with being named ‘the Howard’ after Haney’s son (who was named after the hero of The Fountainhead, Howard Roark). After accepting a severance package and cutting ties with the company, Flomm’s life took an unexpected turn. The Howard became a massive success, causing Flomm to miss ...

The biographical drama film, 12 Years a Slave (2013), is based on the slave memoir Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup. Directed by Steve McQueen and written by John Ridley, it follows the story of Northup, an African American man who was kidnapped in Washington, D.C. in 1841 and sold into slavery in Louisiana for 12 years. Prior to his abduction, Northup was a free man living with his family in Saratoga Springs, New York and working as a violinist. Brown and Hamilton tricked him into taking short-term ...

The survival drama, 127 Hours (2010), was written and directed by Danny Boyle. In April of 2003, experienced hiker Aron Ralston sets out on a solo trip in Utah’s Canyonlands National Park without telling anyone. While on his journey, he meets two lost hikers named Kristi and Megan and helps them find their way. During their time together, they stumble upon an underground pool and spend the afternoon enjoying it. The girls invite Aron to a party the next night and he happily agrees before saying goodbye. Continuing through Bluejohn Canyon, Aron comes across an 800-pound boulder that suddenly breaks loose while he ...

Crazy Heart (2009), an American drama written and directed by Scott Cooper in his feature directorial debut, is based on the 1987 novel of the same name by Thomas Cobb. The story was inspired by country singer Hank Thompson. Otis ‘Bad’ Blake, a 57-year-old alcoholic songwriter and former country music star, now makes a modest living performing in small-town bars throughout the southwestern United States. He has had four failed marriages (although there is mention of a fifth he does not discuss) and no family aside from his 28-year-old son whom he hasn’t ...

(500) Days of Summer (2009) is a romantic comedy-drama film directed by Marc Webb and produced by Mark Waters. The story follows Tom Hansen, an aspiring architect who works as a writer at a greeting card company. His job brings him into contact with a new employee, Summer Finn. Despite their initial differences, they bond over their shared taste in music at a company karaoke night. As they talk about love, Tom’s hopeful beliefs clash with Summer’s more cynical perspective. Meanwhile, Tom’s friend and co-worker McKenzie reveals his hidden feelings for ...

Slumdog Millionaire (2008), a British drama film, is a loose adaptation of the novel Q & A (2005) by Indian author Vikas Swarup. The story follows 18-year-old Jamal Malik, an Indian Muslim from the Juhu slum of Mumbai, who participates in the game show Kaun Banega Crorepati. Before reaching the final question worth ₹20 million, Jamal is wrongfully accused of cheating by the police and subjected to torture. As he gives his answers, we see flashbacks of key moments in his life that have helped him gain knowledge. For instance, when he was five years old, Jamal jumped into a cesspit just to get Bollywood star ...

Hotel Chevalier (2007) is a short film by writer and director Wes Anderson. Starring Jason Schwartzman and Natalie Portman, it follows the story of former lovers reuniting in a Paris hotel room. Running at 13 minutes, the film serves as an introduction to Anderson’s feature The Darjeeling Limited. Filmed on location with a small crew and personally funded by Anderson, it was originally intended as a standalone project. Its first screening was at the Venice Film ...

Notes on a Scandal (2006) is a British psychological drama/thriller directed by Richard Eyre and produced by Robert Fox and Scott Rudin. Based on Zoë Heller’s novel of the same name from 2003, the screenplay was written by Patrick Marber. The story follows Barbara Covett, a London history teacher who has reached retirement age without ever getting married. She holds disdain for her students and colleagues at the ...

Antwone Fisher (2002), the subject of an American biographical drama film, made his directorial debut with Denzel Washington at the helm. The protagonist is a passionate but troubled young man from Cleveland, Ohio, who has a history of violence and is currently serving in the U.S. Navy. His father’s untimely death occurred before his birth and his teenage mother, Eva Mae Fisher, was arrested and imprisoned shortly after giving birth to him. He spent his first years in an orphanage until his mother’s release allowed her to take him in. However, she failed to do so by the time he turned two, and he was placed ...

Boys Don’t Cry (1999) is an American biographical film directed by Kimberly Peirce, and co-written by Peirce and Andy Bienen. The movie follows the story of Brandon Teena, a young transgender man, who faces numerous challenges due to his identity. After being discovered as transgender by a former girlfriend’s brother, Brandon receives death threats and is forced to leave his cousin’s trailer in Falls City, Nebraska. He befriends ex-convicts John Lotter and Tom Nissen, along with their friends Candace and ...