FALCON LAKE
Other movies
ERUPCJA
Director: Pete Ohs
Pack your bags for a weekend in Warsaw, Poland in the company of an ensemble cast of characters who criss-cross, connect and re-connect at pivotal junctures. Bethany (Charli XCX) is on a romantic getaway with Rob (Will Madden), who plans to propose, but she hasn’t been entirely honest about her past, or her friendship with Nel (Lena Góra) a florist. Every time they meet there’s a seismic event, an Erupcja (eruption) which leads them down different paths. With Jeremy O. Harris on hand for advice, Pete Ohs’ film resonates, capturing a mood that feels fresh and filled with possibilities. The film is reminiscent of the New Wave and the Before series, but, like Bethany, Eurpcja is its own force.
NORMAL
Director: Ben Wheatley
Normal's night of reckoning and west-meets-east thrills and blood-spills is dark, absurdly funny and drenched in its own B movie with A movie viewing sensibility. Back in trenchant Free Fire form, Ben Wheatley directs Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul, the Nobody movies) from a script by Odenkirk and John Wick creator Derek Kolstad. It's mid-winter, and Odenkirk is Ulysses, a laid-back, somewhat oblivious sheriff on a temporary job in a tiny Minnesota town where all is certainly not what it seems — as heavily signalled by an ultra-violent prologue featuring a yakuza standoff in Osaka. Normal is the name of this burg of 1,890 cheerful inhabitants (including cameos from Henry Winkler and Lena Headey), but the film is decidedly anything but.
HIJRA
Director: Shahad Ameen
A grandmother and her two granddaughters journey from Taif to Mecca. When the eldest granddaughter vanishes, the two remaining women travel north to find her, with their search highlighting the deep cultural and generational bonds between Saudi women. Set against the backdrop of the Hajj pilgrimage, Hijra portrays the intimate and emotional odyssey of these women, which evolves into a spiritual quest. Their journey carries the weight of an entire heritage and offers an emotional, powerful and insightful look at identity. Shot across eight Saudi cities, the film provides a deep dive into the nation’s rich cultural tapestry. Actress Khairia Nazmi infuses the story with profound emotion due to her strength and energy.