“Searching”
Cast: John Cho, Debra Messing
Synopsis: After David Kim’s 16-year-old daughter goes missing, a local investigation is opened and a detective is assigned to the case. But 37 hours later and without a single lead, David decides to search the one place no one has looked yet, where all secrets are kept today: his daughter’s laptop. In a hyper-modern thriller told via the technology devices we use every day to communicate, David must trace his daughter’s digital footprints before she disappears forever.
What You Need To Know: There’s gimmick, there’s commitment and then there’s “Searching” which seems to have hit the sweet spot of somewhere in between. The logline is cheesy and it’s the reliance on modern technology makes the film predisposed to being called “dated” in later years, but John Cho is always a draw and director Aneesh Chaganty, from all reports, has the confidence to back up any concerns. Our critic enjoyed it, saying “How some of the scenes were pulled off is still a mystery to this critic, and all the better for it, as the film has plenty of flair and tension to suck just about anybody into its story.”
Release Date: August 24
“Destination Wedding”
Cast: Keanu Reeves, Winona Ryder
Synopsis: Keanu Reeves and Winona Ryder reunite as the socially awkward Frank and Lindsay. When they meet on their way to a destination wedding, they soon discover they have a lot in common: they both hate the bride, the groom, the wedding, themselves, and most especially each other.
What You Need To Know: August may just be the month for romantic comedies with this, “Crazy Rich Asians” and “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” making themselves known. To be frank, seeing the sentence “Keanu Reeves and Winona Ryder reunite” is enough information to ensure we’ll be tracking this one down as the two demonstrate well-worn chemistry in the trailer for the film. A sardonic and drowsy tale of love, “Destination Wedding” doesn’t look to be a sweeping romance in the typical Hollywood fashion, but it’s bringing together two long adored actors to enjoy more relaxed roles than their most recent fare.
Release Date: August 31
“Little Stranger”
Cast: Domhnall Gleeson, Ruth Wilson, Will Poulter, Charlotte Rampling
Synopsis: Tells the story of Dr. Faraday, the son of a housemaid, who has built a life of quiet respectability as a country doctor. During the long hot summer of 1948, he is called to a patient at Hundreds Hall, where his mother once worked. The Hall has been home to the Ayres family for more than two centuries. But it is now in decline and its inhabitants — mother, son, and daughter — are haunted by something more ominous than a dying way of life. When he takes on his new patient, Faraday has no idea how closely, and how disturbingly, the family’s story is about to become entwined with his own
What You Need To Know: With “What Richard Did,” “Frank” and “Room,” director Lenny Abrahamson is proving himself to be one of today’s most versatile directors, pivoting to different tones and genres with each picture. He reunites with Domhnall Gleeson for his latest film “The Little Stranger” which finds the filmmaker venturing further into horror territory with all of the makings of a classic ghost story. Despite being released so soon, little still has been released about the film, aside from the first trailer, but with such a tremendous track record, just about any work Abrahamson (or Gleeson for that matter) does is going to make us intrigued.
Release Date: August 31