"A queer, witchy thriller." Mubi has revealed the first US teaser trailer for The Five Devils, a French film from director Léa Mysius who originally broke out a few years before with her little film titled Ava. This already premiered at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival in the Directors' Fortnight, and is set to open in the US this March. Vicky lives with her mother Joanne and father Jimmie, a man struggling to find his place. When Vicky's aunt Julia arrives after being released from prison, her presence brings back the past in a violent, magical way. She has some special powers that allow her to connect to the past through smells. It's a unique film, with a magical performance by the young actress Sally Dramé as Vicky - who is the real heart & soul of it. This also stars Adèle Exarchopoulos as her mom, Swala Emati, Moustapha Mbengue, Patrick Bouchitey, Daphne Patakia, & Hugo Dillon. Not much footage to see so far, worth a quick look anyway. https://onfs.net/3WPjk3i

"There are people out to hurt us!" Netflix has unveiled an official trailer for a British psychological thriller titled The Strays, marking the feature directorial debut of actor Nathaniel Martello-White. He wrote and directed this film, which will be available for streaming this February on Netflix is anyone is curious. "A perfect life... a perfect lie... An upper-middle-class woman's perfectly crafted life begins to unravel with the arrival of two shadowy figures in her town." A Black woman's meticulously crafted life of privilege starts to fall apart when two strangers show up in her quaint suburb and begin to mess with her mind. The film stars Ashley Madekwe, Justin Salinger, Michael Warburton, Caroline Martin, Bukky Bakray, Maria Almeida, and Samuel Paul Small. This looks like a made-for-TV suburbia thriller, lacking any style or any original ideas, borrowing so much from Jordan Peele's mind. Might grab the attention of a few viewers. https://onfs.net/40h9EBy

"My wife didn't even want me to come out here... Seems like the whole word's falling apart." Gravitas Ventures has revealed an official trailer for an indie film titled The Integrity of Joseph Chambers, the latest from the director of the highly rated The Killing of Two Lovers. This premiered at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival, and also stopped by the Champs-Élysées, Melbourne, Nashville, Newport Beach, Denver, and Montclair Film Festivals last year. A family man, hoping to prove his survivalist capabilities and manliness to his family, decides to irresponsibly head off into the woods and go deer hunting by himself. His boredom is short-lived, however, when in the blink of an eye, Joe undergoes a traumatic experience.. Starring Clayne Crawford, Jordana Brewster, Michael Raymond-James, & Jeffrey Dean Morgan. This film looks like it a compelling thriller with some psychological elements that push it deeper into the mind of this man. https://onfs.net/3HiLEFx

"Prolonged exposure to solar radiation generated a thin layer of noble gas, resulting in the creation of a new planetary crust." Another experimental short film to melt your mind and make you think in new ways. Rehousing Technosphere is the creation of Copenhagen-based filmmakers Wang & Söderström, who create art installations and videos like this to express unique ideas. This time they're addressing Earth itself. The short features funky 3D CGI shapes that interact and roll around to represent a changing planet. "This speculative animated film takes place on Earth in a distant future. Playing with the tone and structure of a nature documentary, it offers glimpses into how life forms adapt to a new planetary ecology." This film takes us into a desert-like colorful world. New species exploit a layer of the planet's crust by digging, foraging, and designing new homes. I wish there was more to the narrative, though it's an entrancing watch nonetheless. https://onfs.net/3wZZLuZ

"Do you know anything about sea creatures?" An early festival promo trailer has debuted for a film titled Sea Sparkle, which is premiering soon at the 2023 Berlin Film Festival in a few more weeks, playing in the Generation section. It has a release date set in Belgium, but it is still seeking distribution internationally. When her father dies at sea, Lena starts desperately looking for the cause, convinced a massive sea monster is to blame. Her relentless push against the tide reveals a tale of anger and grief, yet also of the strength and comfort the ocean provides. The family drama follows a fisherman who dies at sea and his teenage daughter who's determined to prove that he was killed by a magical sea creature. Said to be inspired by the writer's personal experiences. This stars Saar Rogiers, Dunia Elwaleed, Sverre Rous, Valentijn Dhaenens, and Hilde De Baerdemaeker. This one mixes the young girl's punk attitude with a mysterious sea beast concept, though unfortunately it does not look as good as it should. Still curious to see how it plays anyway. https://onfs.net/3DvkSsG

"He deserves his revenge." Check out this early teaser trailer for an indie action film from Chile titled The Fist of the Condor, which is premiering at the 2023 Rotterdam Film Festival - underway right now. This is the latest film from a Chilean indie director named Ernesto Díaz Espinoza, who is best known for his rad low budget action films including Kiltro, Mirageman, Mandrill (we reviewed this one back in 2009). This one also stars Marko Zaror, who also produced and has appeared in plenty of his films before. A group of martial artists from around the world search for a book that contains the ancient secrets of how to overcome the limits of the human body - tracking down one man known as El Guerrero. The cast also includes Gina Aguad, Eyal Meyer, Man Soo Yoon, Jose Manuel, & Fernanda Urrejola. This is clearly a throwback tribute to cheesy action films from the 80s & 90s, with a training montage in the mountains and epic fights on the beach. It actually does look pretty damn cool, and the fights do seem like they'll be thrilling to watch. https://onfs.net/3RzyPf3

"His life is not yours to take!" She wants that revenge anyway. An official trailer has debuted for a film titled The Nomad, made by NYC-based filmmaker Daniel Diosdado. There's not much else worthwhile featuring this week in terms of new movie trailers, hence why this is being posted. Doesn't look so good. When a reporter filming a story about an atheist serial killer targeting the city's priests comes face to face with the killer, she must choose between turning him in and breaking the news... or perhaps directing him towards her abusive father and wrapping up her own story. The Nomad stars Lauren Biazzo, Dietrich Teschner, Vanessa Calderón, Anthony Goss, and Marianne Goodell. This looks like more faith-based nonsense filmmaking, covering up intense religious propaganda with a generic thriller story about a killer. Have fun. https://onfs.net/3Rmx8Bx

Why go to film festival if not to discover some of the best up-and-coming filmmakers? The 2023 Sundance Film Festival has just wrapped and after screening over 100 new films. Was it a success? Absolutely. The festival returned to an in-person event in the snowy city of Park City, Utah after two years of virtual festivals during the pandemic. Sundance is famous for being the place where directors like Kevin Smith and Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez made their mark, breaking into the industry with their first indie films. In recent years they've also been responsible for launching Damien Chazelle (Whiplash in 2014), Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station in 2013), Dee Rees (Mudbound in 2017), Ari Aster (Hereditary in 2018), Lulu Wang (The Farewell in 2019), and Boots Riley (Sorry to Bother You in 2018). At Sundance 2023, the festival decided to feature a selection of mostly unknown, first-time filmmakers and it paid off. This is one of their best line-ups in years, with an especially strong selection of high quality indie films from a new generation of artists. https://onfs.net/40eLJTw

"We're all just men. We're not invincible, just trying to walk a line between courage and fear." Saban Films has unveiled a new US trailer for the Australian crime thriller called Transfusion, marking the feature directorial debut of Matt Nable. It's now arriving in the US in March this year, after first playing in Australia earlier in January. A former Special Forces is operative thrust into the criminal underworld to keep his only son from being taken from him. In between performing his roles in the Avatar sequels for James Cameron, which were also filmed in Australia, Sam Worthington took on this role. He plays a father suffering from PTSD and without identity after retiring from the Special Air Service regiment (SAS) of the Australian Army. The thriller also features Phoebe Tonkin, Edward Friday Carmody, Matt Nable, Jeremy Lindsay Taylor, and Sam Cotton. It looks pretty generic overall, though there might be some good performances. https://onfs.net/3HmdEZ4

"Not giving 'the wave' is just a symbol of what we've become as a society." Road rage is dangerous!! Don't let it take over you. This Canadian short film titled A Simple F*!&ing Gesture is about a couple that gets super pissed in their car one evening. After playing at festivals the past few years, it's now online to watch for free. While stuck in traffic, emotions escalate for a husband and wife when another driver doesn’t give them a "thank you wave" after they cut in. Comparing him to a symbol of all that is wrong in the world, they are terrified when he pulls over to confront them. Starring Paul Bates, Christy Bruce, Chuck Shamata. At only 8 mins, this is a fast and easy watch, and a nice reminder that anger comes all too easily these days. https://onfs.net/3jrdqHY

"Talk to me about literature!" Saban Films has revealed an amusing official trailer for a comedy titled A Little White Lie, which will be out on VOD to watch starting in March. Another of these uninteresting new films that despite having a good cast, will probably turn out pretty mediocre from the looks of it. When a handyman living in New York City is mistaken for a famous and famously reclusive writer, he's brought to a prestigious university where he is to deliver a keynote address to save the school's literary festival. "Shriver must do whatever it takes for his shot at love in this fish-out-of-water comedy." It's based on the book called Shriver. The film stars Michael Shannon as Shriver, with Kate Hudson, Zach Braff, Kate Linder, Aja Naomi King, plus Da'Vine Joy Randolph and Don Johnson. This looks like a wacky mix up with a fun ensemble of talented actors, but will it be any good? Maybe it has a good few good laughs? Have a look. https://onfs.net/3l0A62c

"We are gonna have to take control." Lionsgate has unveiled an official trailer for an action thriller titled The Weapon, yet another of these extremely bland, derivative action films they're always dumping out on VOD right away. Actor Tony Schiena is making his directorial debut, and also stars as the lead character. Dallas is a one-man killing machine on a mysterious rampage... His attacks on biker gangs and meth labs anger the Vegas mob boss who's holding Dallas's girlfriend hostage. But who is Dallas working for? Even torture won't make him talk... and he won't stop until justice is served. The film's cast also includes Cuba Gooding Jr., Sean Patrick Flanery, Jack Kesy, Bruce Dern, and Annalynn McCord. This looks as boring and as uninteresting as any action film can, with the most generic and obvious plot ever. Just skip it. https://onfs.net/3WZV7HI

"Now you look like the Michelin Man. This ain't no beauty contest." Sony Pictures has finally unveiled the official trailer for the Big George Foreman movie, formerly called Heart of a Lion. After being delayed from opening last year, this boxing biopic is now to set open in April, and the movie's full title is seriously: Big George Foreman: The Miraculous Story of the Once and Future Heavyweight Champion of the World. Yowza. The biopic tells the life story and follows the boxing career of the legendary George Foreman. He is a two-time world heavyweight champion and an Olympic gold medalist (and creator of the George Foreman Grill). Directed by acclaimed filmmaker George Tillman Jr., the film stars Khris Davis (seen in Judas and the Black Messiah) as Foreman and it also stars Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker as Foreman's trainer and mentor Doc Broadus. The cast also includes John Magaro, Sonja Sohn, Erica Tazel, Sam Trammell, Deion Smith, Judd Lormand, Al Sapienza, and Sullivan Jones as Muhammad Ali. This looks like a fairly generic biopic, telling a story we've seen many times before of a boxer making a comeback. https://onfs.net/3Jt3HvD

"You shouldn't take a risk if you're gonna figure out what it is you're missing." Shout Factory has released their official US trailer for The Magic Flute, an epic fantasy adventure thriller based on the classic Mozart opera of the same name. This premiered at the 2022 Zurich Film Festival last year and it already opened in Europe in the fall. It's now set for a US release in theaters this March. The Magic Flute is a reimagining of Mozart's opera classic and stars Jack Wolfe, F. Murray Abraham, Iwan Rheon, Stéfi Celma, Asha Banks, Stefan Konarske, Niamh McCormack, Amir Wilson, and Tedros Teclebrhan. This follows 17-year-old Tim Walker as he travels from London up to the Austrian Alps to attend the legendary Mozart boarding school. There he discovers a centuries-old forgotten passage into the fantastic world of Mozart's "The Magic Flute." This looks like another Harry Potter ripoff, with a school and serpent and witches and more. It seems like made-for-TV junk that we should probably be avoiding anyway. I wish this looked better. https://onfs.net/3HNTYi3

From last year's Slamdance Film Festival, arriving in February in theaters - take a look at this micro budget indie. Fandor has revealed the full official trailer for an indie film called Hannah Ha Ha, opening next month after more than a year of waiting. It first premiered at the 2022 Slamdance Film Festival last year, where it won the Best Performance Award and the Grand Jury Prize during the fest. "While the narrative's modesty is charming, there is a hidden subtlety and depth to this movie that makes it stand out from a lot of other festival fare." Hannah lives a content, hard-working life in the small town where she grew up. To her visiting older brother, she's just wasting her time. As their Summer together winds down, Hannah gets what wasting time really means. Starring Hannah Lee Thompson, Roger Mancusi, Avram Tetewsky, and Betsey Brown. This one is really only for fans of indie flicks and quaint dramas about drifting through life. https://onfs.net/3JxE4cR

"So we're both lousy friends." Roadside Attractions has revealed an official trailer for an under-90-minutes dark comedy titled Moving On, the latest from filmmaker Paul Weitz (of About a Boy, In Good Company, Little Fockers, Being Flynn, Grandma). This actually premiered at TIFF 2022 last year, and recently played at the Palm Springs Film Festival, with a theatrical release set for March coming up next month. Two old friends reconnect at a funeral and decide to revenge on the widower who messed with them decades before. Along the way, each woman learns to make peace with the past and with each other. Jane Fonda & Lily Tomlin star as the two old friends, along with Malcolm McDowell, Richard Roundtree, Catherine Dent, and Marcel Nahapetian. This does look like it has some funny scenes and sharp dialogue, though the rest of the cliched story doesn't seem that great. Still will be worth watching just for Fonda and Tomlin. https://onfs.net/3Yit9bp

"The road to the end begins 2/10." The new trailer for the 10th Fast and the Furious movie, titled Fast X, drops on February 10th in just a few weeks. Leading up to that big reveal, Universal Pictures has unveiled a new "legacy trailer" for the original movie that started it all - The Fast and the Furious from 2001. With 10 days to go until the new trailer, they'll be dropping a "legacy trailer" for each of the 9 movies that come before Fast X. We'll add them below over the next 10 days before the main event. This first trailer is for the action classic starring Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, and Jordana Brewster. It's just a 60 sec re-cut of the trailer from the past (can you believe its been 22 years?!) but it's cool to see anyway. I'm still amazed they've been able to keep this series going all the way to 10 movies, even as they get cheesier and more ridiculous every time, but that's why audiences keep watching. Does anyone else live their life a 1/4 mile at a time? Or is it just Dom? Whether you like it or not, another F&F is speeding into theaters soon. https://onfs.net/3YdtMTA

"The final battle for the FP." XYZ Films has revealed an official trailer the next film in the ongoing indie sci-fi action comedy series The FP, continuing with FP - 4EVZ arriving this February. It's skipping theaters and heading to VOD directly. This is a follow-up to the other sequels FP2: Beats of Rage (2018) and FP3: Remix Revelation / Escape from Bako (2021). A legendary family of rhythm game warriors must battle their way deep into the future to save what remains of a booze fueled humanity from a horrific calamity that threatens to turn them all stone cold sober 4 EVZ. Jason Trost returns again as JTRO, with Tallay Wickham, Art Hsu, Lib Campbell, Ryan Gibson, Mike O'Gorman, and Bru Muller. This next one looks uber trippy, borrowing from Scott Pilgrim and Star Wars of course, with all the expected low budget sci-fi touches. I'm surprised one of the Trosts is still making these FP movies, but why not if someone is still watching. Enjoy. https://onfs.net/3YdykJB

Typically, when people talk about their favorite filmmakers, names of directors with never-ending success come to mind – with careers full of culturally impactful, memorable movies that have marked an entire generation. M. Night Shyamalan is a somewhat popular name in these types of conversations, but much of his filmography suffers tremendously from inconsistent quality. At the turn of the millennium, he crafted a series of unforgettable masterpieces (The Sixth Sense in 1999, Unbreakable in 2000, Signs in 2002), but then went on a long hiatus returning with new films that were either quite divisive or downright disastrous. He's back again in 2023 with Knock at the Cabin, an adaptation of the book written by Paul Tremblay. https://onfs.net/3HtThJx

"This simple life of yours is good." Netflix has revealed an official trailer for an indie film titled Faraway, a German production about a woman who escapes to a Croatian island to rediscover herself. It's the latest film from German director Vanessa Jopp, starring the Swiss actress Naomi Krauss as Zeynep. It'll be on Netflix starting March. "It's cold, winter feels eternal and many of us are yearning for a sense of happiness, and to feel the sunshine again – so why not just pack your suitcase and dare yourself to start over?" Zeynep is unhappy and her life has not turned out as she wanted... That's why she flees to a Croatian island, where her deceased mother bought a house long ago. She hopes to find peace and relaxation finally - but she hasn't reckoned with Josip, who still lives on the property. The film's cast also features Goran Bogdan, Adnan Maral, Bahar Balci, Artjom Gilz, and Davor Tomic. This looks super cheesy, especially with this cliche song choice in the trailer. But it also makes me really want to go visit and relax in Croatia, too. Have a look. https://onfs.net/40fZT6K

"Extraordinary courage can change history." Well Go USA has revealed yet another official US trailer for Hidden Blade, a WWII Chinese spy thriller from filmmaker Cheng Er. This one already opened in China in January, and is landing in US theaters starting in February in a few more weeks. The film follows the story of a group of underground workers who risked their lives to send intelligence and defend the motherland, set after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor when the Wang Jingwei regime declared war on Britain & America. During World War II, at the height of their war of resistance against Japan, a group of courageous citizens develops a top-secret underground espionage network at great peril to their own lives. Actor Tony Leung headlines Hidden Blade, along with Wang Yibo, Hiroyuki Mori, Chengpeng Dong, Zhou Xun, Eric Wang, and Huang Lei. I like how both of these trailers below feature no dialogue, just music and moody shots from the film. It's quite an effective choice for this, relying entirely on the visuals to pique our interest. https://onfs.net/3HT4TY2