By John Corrado

New releases for the week of February 23rd, 2024.

Theatrical Releases:

Seagrass (Limited Release): Canadian filmmaker Meredith Hama-Brown’s feature directorial debut Seagrass is a patient, well-acted character drama that captures the slow deterioration of a biracial family unit. Set during a family retreat on the Pacific coast, the film features fine performances from Ally Maki as a Japanese-Canadian woman facing cracks in her marriage, as well as Luke Roberts as her husband, and Chris Pang and Sarah Gadon as a fellow interracial couple that they meet. Premiered at TIFF last year, where it was awarded the International Film Critics FIPRESCI Prize. (Full Review)

Io Capitano (Limited Release): This Oscar nominee for Best International Feature is directed by Italian filmmaker Matteo Garonne (Gomorrah), and tells the story of Seydou (Seydou Sarr) and Moussa (Moustapha Fall), two teenage boys from Senegal who embark on a journey from West Africa towards Italy. I’ll be watching it soon so will report back. (Full Review)

Drive-Away Dolls (Wide Release): Ethan Coen, one half of the filmmaking duo the Coen Brothers, goes solo for this lesbian road trip comedy. It follows two young women (played by Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan) who end up on the run with a mysterious briefcase, which sounds like classic, darkly comic Coen territory. I missed the press screening for this one, but reviews are pretty good, and I’m curious to check it out.

More Releases: Tenet (Re-Release), Spaceman (Limited), Ordinary Angels (Limited), Queen Tut (Limited), Stopmotion (Limited), Suze (Limited), Bring Him to Me (Limited), Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba – To The Hashira Training (Limited)

Streaming Releases:

Avatar: The Last Airbender (Netflix), Mea Culpa (Netflix), The Braid (Paramount+), Jenny Slate: Seasoned Professional (Prime Video), The Holdovers (Prime Video)