By John Corrado

New releases for the week of January 10th, 2025.

Theatrical Releases:

Nickel Boys (Limited Release): In bringing Colson Whitehead’s novel to the screen, director RaMell Ross takes a radically new approach to adapting a book, presenting the entire film from the perspective of his characters through POV camerawork. It’s a unique technique that draws us into the story of Elwood (Ethan Herisse) and Turner (Brandon Wilson), two Black boys who become friends at a Florida reformatory school in the 1960s. It’s one of the most technically ambitious and formally daring films of 2024. Opens at TIFF Lightbox in Toronto, before expanding next week. (Full Review)

The Room Next Door (Limited Release): The first English-language feature from Spanish master Pedro Almodóvar, this is an involving, morally complex melodrama following two old friends (played by Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton), who reconnect under extreme sequences. It’s occasionally uneven and can feel heavy-handed in places. But Almodóvar’s characteristic use of colour is quite striking, and the performances by Moore and Swinton are compelling. (Full Review)

The Seed of the Sacred Fig (Limited Release): Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof crafts a layered and unsettling portrait of life in modern day Iran in this dramatic thriller that forced him to flee the country. Set during the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement, which provides a fascinating backdrop, the film follows a man (Misagh Zare) who starts working as a state investigator, and the impact this has on his wife (Soheila Golestani) and two teenaged daughters (Setareh Maleki and Mahsa Rostami). It’s on the Oscar shortlist for International Feature, and is a shoo-in for a nomination. (TIFF 2024 Review)

Young Werther (Limited Release): This modern reimagining takes Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s 18th Century novella The Sorrows of Young Werther and turns it into an enjoyable Canadian rom-com. In this version, Werther (Douglas Booth) is a posh young man from Montreal who travels to Toronto, where he has a “meet cute” with the dashing Charlotte (Allison Pill). It’s all a bit predictable, but still provides for an easily entertaining watch, and Booth is irresistibly charming in the lead. (TIFF 2024 Review)

More Releases: Better Man (Wide), Den of Thieves 2: Pantera (Wide), The Prosecutor (Limited)

Streaming Releases:

Goosebumps: The Vanishing (Disney+), Saint-Pierre (CBC Gem)