By John Corrado

New releases for the week of May 31st, 2024.

Theatrical Releases:

Ezra (Limited): Bobby Cannavale stars in this dramedy, which had a gala premiere at last year’s TIFF, as a standup comic trying to do the best for his autistic son Ezra (William A. Fitzgerald), putting him further at odds with his ex-wife (Rose Byrne). It’s a gently funny and touching film that celebrates neurodiversity, including casting an actually autistic child actor in the leading role. (Full Review)

Backspot (Limited): This high school cheerleading drama, which premiered at TIFF last year, follows Riley (Devery Jacobs), a backspot on her high school cheerleading team, who is selected to join an elite squad with an icy head coach (Evan Rachel Wood). The story is somewhat thin, because it’s a slickly made directorial debut for D.W. Waterson, whose background is as a DJ. (TIFF 2023 Review)

Much Ado About Dying (Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema): Filmmaker Simon Chambers goes to stay with his eccentric gay uncle David at the end of his life in this poignant documentary, which was one of my favourites from last year’s Hot Docs. It begins as a quirky character study of an aging drama queen who clearly loves the camera, and becomes a very moving portrait of a person on their way out. (Hot Docs 2023 Review)

More Releases: Handling the Undead (Limited), In a Violent Nature (Limited), The Commandant’s Shadow (Limited), HAIKYU! The Dumpster Battle (Limited)

Streaming Releases:

Jim Henson: Idea Man (Disney+), Eric (Netflix)