"So may we start?" Here we go again! One of the annual must-see best of the year lists is a video countdown made by my colleague David Ehrlich (follow him @davidehrlich). He counts down his 25 best films of the year in a video edited together with footage and music from the films. It's one of the best ways to look back at the year, including footage from films beyond the 25 that made his list. (If you haven't seen Annette yet, get on that stat!) David's Top 25 of 2021 is as diverse as always, and you will likely discover a number of great films from this video. A handful of my favorites are featured as well, including The Power of the Dog, In the Heights, Titane (yes!!), and The Worst Person in the World (this exceptional Norwegian film about a woman's relationships). Year after year, this is a must watch video for any and every movie lover out there. https://onfs.net/3taStDF

"Do you, some guy, take Kat to be your lawfully wedded wife?" Universal Pictures has debuted a fun new "60 second" trailer for Marry Me, the romantic comedy arriving in theaters this February. The trailer plays on the "tell you the story of this movie in 60 seconds" concept, kind of a Tiktok idea, but it works. Jennifer Lopez stars as musical superstar Kat Valdez and Owen Wilson as Charlie Gilbert, a math teacher—total strangers who agree to marry and then get to know each other after. Just as she's about to marry a music superstar, played by Maluma (who is also narrating this promo trailer), Kat learns he cheated on her and decides to marry a face in the crowd. "If what you know lets you down, then perhaps what you don't know is the answer, and so, in a moment of inspired insanity, Kat chooses to marry Charlie." The charming film also stars John Bradley, Michelle Buteau, and Utkarsh Ambudkar. The first trailer for this is very good, made me really want to see it. This one is more of a promo that is trying to build up the buzz before release. https://onfs.net/3tcoFXg

"I don't know what it is about this house... I have to stay." Well Go USA has released an official trailer for The Long Night, a horror thriller made by filmmaker Rich Ragsdale. This one is dropping soon on VOD in early February, despite not stopping by any festivals or elsewhere before. This is yet another in a long line of indie horror films to star Scout Taylor-Compton (also see: Room 9, Apache Junction, An Intrusion). A devoted couple's quiet weekend takes a bizarre turn when a nightmarish cult and their maniacal leader come to fulfill an apocalyptic prophesy. In addition to Scout, the cast includes Nolan Gerard Funk, Deborah Kara Unger, and Jeff Fahey. This looks crazy intense! What a chilling trailer. Lots of gnarly shots in this make it look like it might be a seriously unnerving thriller, not just another tame cult movie. Check this out. https://onfs.net/3HPNRH7

"Do you know how many times I jump started the car?" This excellent short film made by filmmaking duo Rayka Zehtabchi & Sam A. Davis is worth your time to watch. It screened at the 2021 SXSW Film Festival and Seattle Film Festival last year, and is available thanks to Short of the Week. Are You Still There? is about a young Iranian-American woman stuck parked in a parking lot with a dead battery. It's about much more than just that, dealing with grief and the journey of processing it. "Safa's been through a lot. Now her car battery's dead in a strip mall parking lot." It's best to let you experience and pick up on everything as the film plays out. It runs only 14 minutes and every single minute is valuable. Starring Safa Tarifi as Safa, and Rima Haddad as Roya. It's shot in Los Angeles on a hot summer day. Made by super talented filmmakers. https://onfs.net/3qYHSJe

"He needs to be terminated... NOW!" Screen Media Films has revealed the official US trailer for a hitman movie titled La Soga: Salvation, marking the directorial debut of Dominican actor Manny Perez - who also stars in this. This is actually a sequel to a 2009 film titled La Soga, also starring Manny Perez, but they're marketing it like a standalone creation that anyone can watch without having seen this one before. La Soga Salvation is a suspenseful thriller and love story, where a former hitman fights to rescue the love of his life, while confronting his inner demons and violent past. He must battle a crew of dangerous killers, including a particularly mysterious assassin, Dani, who has long awaited the chance to even the score with her rival. This stars Manny Perez, Chris McGarry, Juan Fernandez, Sarah Jorge Leon, and Hada Vanessa as Dani. It played at TIFF and looks like it has some solid action. But not sure about the rest of it. https://onfs.net/3JX6uLg

"A burger with a bikini on it?" 20th Century Studios has revealed an official trailer for The Bob's Burgers Movie, which is finally set to open in theaters starting in May 2022 this summer. This has been delayed for nearly two years after first being set to open in 2020, and is finally ready for its big screen debut. Based on the popular animated TV show that premiered in 2011. The Belcher family tries to save the restaurant from closing as a sinkhole forms in front of it, while the kids try to solve a mystery that could save their family's restaurant. Described as a "big-screen, musical comedy-mystery-adventure." Featuring the original voices: Kristen Schaal, H. Jon Benjamin, John Roberts, Dan Mintz, and Eugene Mirman, plus David Wain, Kevin Kline, and Zach Galifianakis. Every successful animated series gets its chance to shine on the big screen, and now it's time for Bob's Burgers to entertain us. With aliens...? And lots of burgers. Enjoy. https://onfs.net/3GlrbOW

"I've seen this movie before." "Not THIS movie." Paramount has revealed one final trailer for this year's Scream movie, arriving in theaters January 14th. The next big movie to kick off the New Year following The 355. The first trailer dropped a few months ago, and hopefully this silver mask reveal will get your attention. 25 years after the original series of murders in Woodsboro, a new killer emerges, and Sidney must return to uncover the truth. It's a direct sequel to 2011's Scream 4, and the first in the series not to be directed by Wes Craven, who passed away in 2015. The cast from the original includes David Arquette, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Roger L. Jackson, and Marley Shelton. With newcomers Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Jack Quaid, Mason Gooding, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Dylan Minnette, Mikey Madison, Sonia Ben Ammar, and Kyle Gallner. It seems Hollywood is hoping this horror sequel will be a big hit in January, but who knows? I'm not sure it's even that good! But it certainly seems like it will be terrifying. https://onfs.net/3qfE5Iv

"When you have money, no one is ever really your friend." 20th Century Studios has released another new 60-second official trailer for Agatha Christie's Death on the Nile movie. This is the Murder on the Orient Express sequel bringing back detective Hercule Poirot to solve yet another peculiar murder mystery. The latest trailer dropped a few months ago ahead of its February release this year. While on vacation in Egypt on a river boat on the Nile, Hercule Poirot must investigate the murder of a young heiress. Death on the Nile reunites the filmmaking team behind Orient Express, and stars Kenneth Branagh as the iconic Hercule Poirot; he also directed the film. Joined by an all-star cast of suspects, including: Tom Bateman, Annette Bening, Russell Brand, Ali Fazal, Dawn French, Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer, Rose Leslie, Emma Mackey, Sophie Okonedo, Jennifer Saunders, and Letitia Wright. As much as we all enjoy murder mysteries, this one looks quite forgettable. It looks great, but the rest of the movie doesn't seem that exciting. Or does it? https://onfs.net/3Fb4Wd2

"I may have heard a crime on one of the streams." HBO has unveiled the first official trailer for Kimi, Soderbergh's new Hitchcockian tech thriller that he filmed during the pandemic last year (which you can definitely notice). Kimi is also launching direct to HBO Max this February, like everything else Soderbergh has made in the last few years. From a script written by Oscar-winner David Koepp (Jurassic Park, Carlito's Way). An agoraphobic Seattle tech worker uncovers evidence of a crime. "KIMI" is a digital assistant that hears and records everything. When an interpreter hears a murder on a recording, she tries to tell the police, but her employer won't let her. Zoë Kravitz stars, along with Jaime Camil, Erika Christensen, Derek DelGaudio, Robin Givens, Charles Halford, Devin Retray, Jacob Vargas, and Rita Wilson. Why is Soderbergh playing with a boring tech fear concept like this? It's very similar to Unsane but with an added tech storyline, ripped off from so many other movies (Minority Report or Anon). Does it look good or not? https://onfs.net/3rcwUjL

"Everything's a lie." Netflix has revealed the official trailer for the chilling documentary film called The Tinder Swindler, which is premiering on Netflix in a few weeks (just in time for Valentine's Day!). From the producers on Don't F**ck With Cats, modern love is a dangerous game in the world of online dating, and not all that glitters is gold. Notoriously known as "The Tinder Swindler", he has seduced & swindled young women for millions and is a fugitive from justice in several countries. One swipe could change your life. This is the ultimate fairytale gone nightmare. Follow three women who decided it was time for payback. This riveting feature documentary follows as they uncover his true identity and fight to bring him to justice. Hell yeah, go for it! But also - this is another cautionary tale about making sure you don't fall for tricks online. It's too easy. Especially when it seems perfect. It all goes back to that first quote - everything is always a lie. https://onfs.net/3JYcWlc

"I feel like I'm a spectator in my own life." Neon has unveiled the full US trailer for the award-winning Norwegian film The Worst Person in the World, from director Joachim Trier (Oslo August 31st, Louder Than Bombs, Thelma). This premiered at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival in the summer, where I first flipped for it (here's my full review), and then Renate Reinsve won the Best Actress prize. It chronicles four years in the life of Julie, a 30-something young woman who navigates the troubled waters of her love life and struggles to find her career path, leading her to take a realistic look at who she really is. The film focuses on her relationships with two different men - Aksel, played by Anders Danielsen Lie, and Eivind, played by Herbert Nordrum. It's one of the best modern relationship films and truly one of the best films of 2021, there's no doubt about that. Finally playing in US theaters in February! I can't recommend this one enough. https://onfs.net/3FoYS0M

"We don't call them riots, we call them the rebellion." Corinth Films has unveiled the official trailer for a documentary film titled Why Is We Americans?, which premiered year and is opening in select theaters this month. It will also play at LA's Pan African Film Festival next month, along with an expansion in more theaters throughout February. The story focuses on Newark's Baraka family and their involvement in many changes throughout Newark, New Jersey's history. "Spanning decades of social activism, poetry, music, art, and politics, this kaleidoscopic family saga is framed by on-camera interviews with Ms. Lauryn Hill, rare archival footage, and revealing personal testimonials. And as we connect with the iconoclastic poet, and his tight-knit family, a portrait of a city emerges with an inspiring call to arms in the fight for class and racial justice." It's executive produced by Ms. Lauryn Hill as we ll as Oren Moverman. This looks like a fascinating appreciation of a tremendously important family in American civil rights and political history. Take a look. https://onfs.net/3niMglw

"This is not just a creepy rock 'n roll, it allows spiritual entities to cross into our world." Open Road Films has revealed the full-length official trailer for rock band horror comedy Studio 666. The Foo Fighters made their first film during the pandemic - and it looks wicked fun. Legendary rock band Foo Fighters move into an Encino mansion steeped in grisly rock & roll history to record their 10th album. "The trouble is, frontman Dave Grohl is creatively blocked, and when evil forces in the house sink into his consciousness, the creative juices begin flowing but so does the blood. Can Foo Fighters' complete the album, with the band still alive to tour?" Grohl is credited for the story, and it was also shot at Grohl's own Studio 606. Starring Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, Nate Mendel, Pat Smear, Chris Shiflett, Rami Jaffee, plus Whitney Cummings, Leslie Grossman, Will Forte, Jenna Ortega, Jeff Garlin. I still think this looks great! It's going to be a blast. The kind of absurd Tenacious D rock horror we don't see anymore. I say bring on the haunted jams. https://onfs.net/3niYrPg

"This is about survival. You gotta be ready." IFC Films has revealed the official trailer for Catch the Fair One, a thriller about a Native American boxer named Kaylee "K.O." Uppashaw - played by Kali Reis. This premiered at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival last year, and also played at the Woodstock, Buffalo, Deauville, Warsaw, and Philadelphia Film Festivals last year. A former champion boxer embarks on the fight of her life when she descends into the dangerous world of trafficking in search of her missing sister. Her strength and determination are tested as Kaylee fights the real fight of her life—to find Weeta and make her family whole again. Kali Reis stars, and she also co-wrote the script. The cast also includes Daniel Henshall, Tiffany Chu, Michael Drayer, Shelito Vincent, Lisa Emery, Kimberly Guerrero, and Kevin Dunn. And if you still need more convincing, it's executive produced by Darren Aronofsky. This is a very slick trailer, and makes it look like a real gem waiting to be discovered. After all this footage, yeah I definitely need to see this. https://onfs.net/3r94lnh

"The story can't just change midway through." A24 has unveiled an official trailer for a horror film titled X, the latest from acclaimed genre filmmaker Ti West (of The House of the Devil, Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever, The Innkeepers, The Sacrament previously). This is arriving in theaters in March, another A24 release coming to the cinema soon. There's no official plot synopsis revealed, but the plot involves a film crew going to a rural location in Texas to shoot an adult movie. "Their hosts, a reclusive elderly couple, take a special interest in their young guests. As night falls the couple's leering interest turns violent." Starring Mia Goth, Jenna Ortega, Martin Henderson, Brittany Snow, and Scott Mescudi. This seems like a fresh new take on the movie-within-a-movie horror concept, including some terrifying scenes involving the old folks. https://onfs.net/3fhsvGI

"She said she's been to the graveyard." "Well, she's never been here." Saban Films has revealed the official US trailer for an Irish mystery thriller titled Here Before, from filmmaker Stacey Gregg making his feature debut. Andrea Riseborough stars as a distraught mother, haunted by the death of her young daughter, who develops an all-consuming obsession over the neighbor girl who she believes is the reincarnation of her child. When the new neighbors move in, she becomes transfixed by their young daughter, Megan. Eerily, she seemingly knows far too many specific details of their family life and displays similar mannerisms of their dead daughter. Is the trauma of losing her child causing Laura to lose grip on reality, or is Megan something else? The cast includes Niamh Dornan, Jonjo O'Neill, Eileen O'Higgins, Martin McCann, & Lewis McAskie. As always, Riseborough is exceptionally talented, which makes this such a chilling film to watch. https://onfs.net/3Fk7lCk

"It's my job to make you pick up the hammer!" 1091 Pictures has revealed an official trailer for a horror film titled Student Body, marking the feature directorial debut of actress / filmmaker Lee Ann Kurr. It hasn't played at any festivals, but this will be out in February for anyone curious. A distressing incident compels childhood best friends Jane & Merritt (Montse Hernandez & Cheyenne Haynes) to take action against their high school math teacher, driving their splintered relationship into further disruption and provoking deadly consequences. In addition to Hernandez & Haynes, this also stars Christian Camargo, Anthony Keyvan, Harley Quinn Smith, Austin Zajur, Ty Trumbo, Maurice Hall, and Suehyla El-Attar. It looks like another boring masked-killer high school slasher flick, without much of anything new to offer us. https://onfs.net/3qlW2VQ

"I want to go to the world's fair... I want to go to the world's fair..." Utopia has revealed the official trailer for an indie horror thriller titled We're All Going to the World's Fair, made by trans filmmaker Jane Schoenbrun. This originally premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival last year, and stopped by a bunch of other festivals including New Directors/New Films, Fantasia, Outfest, Rooftop Films, and many others. A teenage girl becomes immersed in an online role-playing game. Starring Anna Cobb as Casey, Michael J. Rogers and Holly Anne Frink. Critics say that the film has a power to pull you into its ways. "It's a strong debut for both Schoenbrun and Cobb, capturing a profound sense of contemporary adolescent loneliness that many artists have tried (and failed) to portray on screen." Looks strange and entrancing - check it out. https://onfs.net/3rcK3sX

"How do we kill him?" "We don't." Lionsgate has revealed the trailer for a direct-to-DVD action movie titled Invincible, not to be confused with that Mark Wahlberg football movie years ago also called Invincible. This one will be out at the beginning of March, if you have nothing better to do. Colonel John Taylor enlists billionaire inventor Leor Teska to fund a secret black site, testing Teska's new nano technology for military applications, developed by scientists. When one of the test subjects, Brock Cortez, escapes, Teska's head of security, Cam Devore is given the dangerous task of tracking him down. The crazy new tech makes people psychotic and invincible, but the only way to stop it is to try it for yourself. Starring Johnny Strong as Cam, with Marko Zaror, Michael Paré, and Sally Kirkland. This looks as bland and forgettable as they come. We'd just recommend watching Upgrade instead - especially if you haven't seen it yet. Skip this one. https://onfs.net/3tjiEIn

"I'll take care of you..." IFC Midnight has unveiled the first trailer for Hatching, a freaky Finnish horror thriller from filmmaker Hanna Bergholm, making her feature directorial debut. This will be premiering at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival later this month, which is a big stop for this one, before hitting theaters in April. 12-year-old Tinja is desperate to please her mother, a woman obsessed with presenting the image of a perfect family. One night, Tinja finds a strange egg. She brings it home and nurtures it in her bed. What hatches is beyond belief. There definitely ain't a bird in there. Starring Siiri Solalinna, Sophia Heikkilä, Saija Lentonen, and Jani Volanen. "Hatching is a fascinating portrait of the nature of maternal instinct, as Tinja battles to come to terms with the genuine emotional bond with her grotesque and bloodthirsty new found family while contending with the fraying connection to her own demanding mother." Oh damn! This looks like the kind of twisty, scary creature features they don't make anymore. You have to see this trailer. https://onfs.net/3FnFh0T

"My houses make demands of people..." HBO Max has debtued the official trailer for a psychological thriller mini-series titled The Girl Before, created by author J.P. Delaney and adapted from his own novel of the same name. A traumatized woman falls in love with an extraordinary minimalist house in London, which remains under the spell of the architect who originally designed it, but not everything in this home may be as it seems. "When Jane makes the shocking discovery that her predecessor Emma died in the house, she begins to question if her fate will be the same as the girl before..." This series only runs 4 episodes. Starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Jane, David Oyelowo as the architect, plus Jessica Plummer, Ben Hardy, Ian Conningham, Amanda Drew, Mark Stanley, Ben Addis, and Rakhee Thakrar. Yeah this looks quite thrilling. A dash of The Night House, with a pinch of Ex Machina, plus a big helping of mystery and intrigue. https://onfs.net/3rgB9e3