Movies Released September 8, 2023

Described as the incredible tale and fantastical evolution of Bella Baxter (Stone), a young woman brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe). Under Baxter’s protection, Bella is eager to learn. Hungry for the worldliness she is lacking, Bella runs off with Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo), a slick and debauched lawyer, on a whirlwind adventure across the continents. Free from the prejudices of her times, Bella grows steadfast in her purpose to stand for equality and liberation.

Based on a true story, Sitting in Bars with Cake follows a quiet young woman who is unlucky in love and discovers an unlikely guy magnet when she bakes a cake for her best friend’s birthday and brings it to a bar, only to be swarmed by men. She believes it’s a fluke, but her friend convinces her to commit to a year of baking cakes and bringing them to bars, with the goal of finding true love.

In 1948, decades after fleeing Armenia to the US as a young child, Charlie (Michael A. Goorjian) returns in the hopes of finding a connection to his roots, but what he finds instead is a country crushed under Soviet rule. After being unjustly imprisoned, Charlie falls into despair, until he discovers that he can see into a nearby apartment from his cell window - the home of a prison guard. As his life unexpectedly becomes entwined with the man's, he begins to see that the true spirit of his homeland is alive in its passionate people.

Sebastián Silva is depressed. When he's not sleeping, the filmmaker is taking absurd amounts of ketamine and searching the internet for painless suicide methods. In an attempt to snap him out of it, his manager sends him on vacation to a nude gay beach. There, he almost dies trying to save social media influencer Jordan Firstman from drowning. The over-the-top Jordan wants to collaborate on a series, but Sebastián is resistant until a network shows interest. When Jordan arrives in Sebastián's Mexico City studio to get to work but can't find him anywhere, he begins to suspect that the put-upon housekeeper, Vero (Catalina Saavedra), knows more than she's letting on.

1976, Brian de Palma directs Carrie, the first novel by Stephen King. Since then, more than 50 directors have adapted the master of horror's books, in more than 80 films & series, making him the most adapted author alive in the world. What is so fascinating about his work that filmmakers cannot stop adapting his works? King on Screen reunites the filmmakers that have adapted Stephen King's books for both cinema & TV, including Frank Darabont (Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, The Walking Dead), Mick Garris (The Stand, Sleepwalkers), Tom Holland (The Langoliers, Chucky) & Taylor Hackford (Dolores Claiborne, Ray). It is a movie made for the fans and with the fans, led by an international ambition.

Wake Up: Stories from the Frontlines of Suicide Prevention sheds light on four different groups with varied stories to tell about suicide—American veterans, members of the LGBT community, university students, and gun owners. Through their testimony, the film weaves a diverse tapestry of experiences into a multifaceted narrative of the heroes on the frontlines. As it delves deeper into their experiences, Wake Up confronts tragedy with a call to action: by exploring ways to start thoughtful conversations and push for systemic legislative change, it foregrounds steps to a better world.

Is unity possible? This simple question launched the Brooklyn-based band The Bergamot on a quest to all 50 States to unite people with music, community, and collaboration. What began as a simple idea in the band's touring vehicle, brought about a profound revelation. How do we reframe the way we perceive and understand unity? "For it is not a shared narrative of a future, but a narrative of a shared future, that can unite us together" says David Hooker Ph.D. How the duo connected people, with that exact vehicle they were sitting in, started a conversation that continues to this day. Join them in this timely 50,000-mile tour in human understanding, perseverance, and empathy that changed their lives forever.

Literary icon Joyce Carol Oates is the author of more than 100 books, including Them, We Were the Mulvaneys, and Blonde. In this acclaimed documentary, she provides insight into her life, creative process, and the events that have shaped her writings, including the 1967 Detroit Riot, the Chappaquiddick incident, and the tragic life of Marilyn Monroe. Featuring readings by Oscar winner Laura Dern.