Co-directed by Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr., the story follows new student Cady Heron, who is welcomed into the top social food chain by the elite group of popular girls called “The Plastics.”
The conniving queen bee, Regina George, rules the group. She uses her minions, Gretchen and Karen, to help deliver dirty deeds. However, when Cady makes the major misstep of falling for Regina’s ex-boyfriend Aaron Samuels, she finds herself prey in Regina’s crosshairs.
As Cady sets to take down the group’s apex predator with the help of her outcast friends Janis and Damian, she must learn how to stay true to herself while navigating the most cutthroat jungle of all: high school.
Co-written by Emma Seligman and Rachel Sennott and directed by Seligman, Bottoms is a raunchy comedy. The story follows two girls, PJ and Josie, played by Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri. They start a fight club to lose their virginities to cheerleaders.
Their bizarre plan works. The fight club gains traction, and soon the most popular girls in school are beating each other up in self-defense. But PJ and Josie find themselves over their heads and need a way out before their strategy explodes.
Coming-of-age films are rampant. Having one based on June Bloom’s popular classic book for over fifty years is refreshing. Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.
Rachel McAdams as Barbara Simon, Abby Ryder Fortson as Margaret Simon, and Benny Safdie as Herb Simon in Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. Photo Credit: Dana Hawley.
You know you’re in for some honest entertainment. Bloom’s book has affected generations with its timeless coming-of-age story, insightful humor, and candid exploration of life’s biggest questions.
Written and directed by Kelly Fremon Craig, the film follows 11-year-old Margaret, played by Abby Ryder Fortson. Her mother uproots her from her life in New York City to the suburbs of New Jersey.
Kathy Bates as Sylvia Simon and Abby Ryder Fortson as Margaret Simon in Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. Photo Credit: Dana Hawley.
She goes through puberty’s messy and tumultuous throes with new friends in a new school. She relies on her mother, Barbara, played by Rachel McAdams, who struggles to adjust to life outside the big city, and her adoring grandmother, Sylvia, played by Kathy Bates. Sylvia isn’t happy they moved away and likes to remind them every chance she gets.
Abby Ryder Fortson as Margaret Simon, Amari Price as Janie Loomis, Elle Graham as Nancy Wheeler, and Katherine Kupferer as Gretchen Potter in Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. Photo Credit: Dana Hawley.
Written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, Licorice Pizza follows Alana Kane, played by Alana Haim, and Gary Valentine, played by Cooper Hoffman, growing up, running around and falling in love in the San Fernando Valley in 1973. The film tracks Anderson’s take on the treacherous navigation of first love.
The movie also stars Sean Penn, Tom Waits, Bradley Cooper and Benny Safdie.
Co-directed by Manuel Crosby and Darren Knapp, shy high schooler Mike, played by Tyson Brown, finally summons the courage to ask out his badass neighbor Kelsey, played by Shelby Duclos. Only to realize he’s missing an essential element for a successful date – the car. Panicked and low on cash, someone cons him into buying a beat-up ’65 Chrysler.
Mike’s plan to win over Kelsey soon turns into a surreal misadventure when they encounter some mishaps: a pair of cops inexplicably targeted them, a criminal gang, and a vengeful cat lady. A night fueled by desire, bullets, and burning rubber makes any other first date seem like a walk in the park.
The story weaves together elements of dark comedy, teen romance, shoot-’em-up action and classic coming-of-age tale. The rhythm of the trailer is so funny, great timing.
Directed by Stephen Chbosky, Dear Evan Hansen follows Evan, played by Ben Platt, who reprises his Tony-winning performance as an anxious, isolated high schooler aching for understanding and belonging amid the chaos and cruelty of the social-media age.
The show’s Tony winner Steven Levenson wrote for the screen the film with music and lyrics by the show’s Oscar, Grammy and Tony-winning songwriting team of Benj Pasek & Justin Paul, who gave us(La La Land and The Greatest Showman.
If you saw the Tony-winning Broadway hit, you know these Grammy-winning songs. Included is the iconic anthem “You Will Be Found,” “Waving Through a Window,” “For Forever,” and “Words Fail.” The rest of the cast is astounding, including Amy Adams, Julianne Moore, Kaitlyn Dever, Amandla Stenberg, Colton Ryan, Nik Dodani, DeMarius Copes and Danny Pino.
Fortunately, Marc Platt of La La Land, Into the Woods and Mary Poppins Returns is the producer.
For the teenager, Rain Burroughs, played by Madison Iseman, becomes caught in the synthetic psychiatric mumbo-jumbo of labeling and being diagnosed with made-up illness schizophrenia.
I look forward to the day where filmmakers can create a character, going through difficulties and horror without cookie cutting a psychiatric label. It’s lazy writing — without imagination. For example, Harry Potter grew up not knowing he was a wizard and had out-of-the-ordinary things happen around him, but did Rowlings label him or send him to a psychiatrist, no. She wrote a legendary story about a tough childhood, being different, having loyal friends, and saving the world.
Written and directed by Castille Landon, Rain struggles as she tries to figure out which of the disturbing images, harrowing voices, and traumatic feelings she experiences are real and which are all in her mind.
But when Rain goes against her parents, played by Katherine Heigl and Harry Connick, Jr., as they advise her. The shadows and cries from her neighbor’s attic appear to hide a dark secret. She enlists help from Caleb, played by Israel Broussard, the charmingly awkward new boy at school — who himself may not be real.
The movie is a terrifying thriller that takes you inside Rain’s mind as she confronts the frightening hallucinations of her imagination to determine whether there is genuine horror hiding right next door.
Also starring in the movie are Israel Broussard and Eugenie Bondurant.
Written and directed by Zoe Lister-Jones, The Craft: Legacy continues Blumhouse’s cult hit The Craft. The story follows an eclectic foursome of aspiring teenage witches who get more than they bargained for as they lean into their newfound powers. You won’t catch this movie in the theaters as it’s set for on-demand.
The film stars Cailee Spaeny, Gideon Adlon, Lovie Simone, Zoey Luna, Nicholas Galitzine, Michelle Monaghan, and David Duchovny.
