SoCal new movies, April 17-24: ‘Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare,’ ‘The Three Musketeers II,’ ‘Abigail’ and more
Major new releases, indie flicks, foreign films and art-house fare
Welcome to the latest edition of TV or Not TV’s curated guide to new and current releases screening in LA and OC this week. I’m Matt Cooper, former listings coordinator for the Los Angeles Times’ Calendar.
Lights, camera and … action!
Opening
• Starts Wednesday, April 17
‘The Hopeful’ The founding of the Seventh-Day Adventist movement in the late 19th century is recalled in this 2024 historical drama. Kyle Portbury directs and Gregory Wilson stars. 90 mins. Not Rated. fathomevents.com
‘Mysterious Ways’ An Anglican vicar in New Zealand is torn between his religion and his love for his Samoan boyfriend in Paul Oremland’s LGBTQ-themed 2023 drama. With Richard Short and Nick Afoa. 90 mins. Not Rated. laemmle.com
• Starts Friday, April 19
‘Abigail’ Kidnappers holding a mobster’s 12-year-old daughter for ransom are about to discover they’ve made a huge mistake in this 2024 reimagining of the 1936 horror thriller “Dracula’s Daughter.” Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett direct and Alisha Weir, Dan Stevens and Giancarlo Esposito co-star. 109 mins. Rated R. abigailmovie.com
‘A Bear Named Wojtek’ The true story of a bear adopted by Polish soldiers during WWII is retold in Iain Gardner’s 2023 animated short. 28 mins. Not Rated. laemmle.com
‘Blood for Dust’ A salesman is pulled back into the criminal lifestyle he thought he’d left behind in Rod Blackhurst’s 2023 drama. With Scoot McNairy, Kit Harington, Josh Lucas and Stephen Dorff. 98 mins. Rated R. amctheatres.com, laemmle.com
‘The Coffee Table’ A seemingly innocuous piece of furniture makes a young couple’s lives a living hell in this 2022 horror comedy directed by Caye Casas. 90 mins. Not Rated. laemmle.com
‘Egoist’ A gay 30-something magazine editor in Tokyo finds new love while learning to cope with loss in Daishi Matsunaga’s 2022 drama. 120 mins. Not Rated. In Japanese with English subtitles. amctheatres.com
‘Hard Miles’ A social worker (Matthew Modine) starts a cycling team for incarcerated youngsters in R.J. Daniel Hanna’s fact-based 2023 drama; Sean Astin co-stars. 108 mins. Rated PG-13. amctheatres.com, laemmle.com
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