“The White Tiger”
What You Need to Know: Following an Indian driver who uses his wit and ambition to climb to the top despite an impoverished beginning, “The White Tiger” doesn’t sound too different from the work of director Ramin Bahrani who helms this film. Director of “99 Homes” and “Chop Shop,” the director has worked with an eye for the disenfranchised and class inequality in the past. In “The White Tiger” he pens the script as well, an adaptation of the 2008 novel of the same name by author Aravind Adiga. The film stars Adarsh Gourav in his first leading role alongside Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Rajkumar Rao. “The White Tiger” adds to the crime thriller genre that looks at what it takes for a person to “break bad.”
Release Date: January 22 on Netflix.
“Our Friend”
What You Need to Know: Directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite (“Megan Leavey”) and written by Brad Ingelsby (“The Way Back,”) “Our Friend” follows couple Nicole and Matthew and their best friend Dane who they ask to move in with them as they face down Nicole’s impending death. The film had its premiere in 2019 at the Toronto Film Festival and stars Dakota Johnson, Casey Affleck, and Jason Segel. While the terminally ill wife/girlfriend story has been played out, it would seem “Our Friend” finds new truths and avenues for the premise. A noteworthy celebration of the intimacy of friendship, our critic wrote “The sensitivity of these performances, particularly from Affleck and Segel, offers a reckoning on sincere friendship and the limits of devotion that remains with the viewer, long after the days of waiting and the years of pain have finally come to an end.”
Release Date: January 22 in select theaters and VOD [Review]
“No Man’s Land”
What You Need to Know: Inspired by the real-life area along the Texas-Mexico border known as No Man’s Land, the Conor Allyn (“ExPatriot”) directed film follows a father-son duo who must face repercussions after the son accidentally kills a Mexican boy while patrolling the border. The father, played by Frank Grillo, decides to take the blame and flee from authorities in an effort to save his family as well as travel to seek forgiveness from the dead boy’s father. Time will tell on how sensitively this film plays out as it looks to create its own modern Western. The film co-stars Jake Allyn, Jorge A. Jimenez, Esmeralda Pimentel, and Andie MacDowell.
Release Date: January 22 on VOD.
“The Little Things”
What You Need to Know: Described as a “neo-noir crime psychological thriller,” “The Little Things” is enticing enough by just mentioning that it’s the latest from Denzel Washington. What makes it more interesting is the addition of Rami Malek to the cast, making for an interesting duo as they play the central pair, a Kern County deputy and LA detective who clash while investigating a serial murderer. Directed and written by John Lee Handcock (“The Founder,” “The Blind Side”) the film is darker than what the director typically goes for but the promise of original content and the sheer star power leading the charge makes it an exciting must-see. The film also stars Jared Leto and Natalie Morales.
Release Date: January 29 in theaters and on HBO Max.