Indie Film Highlights This Weekend: What to Watch and Enjoy
New Comedy Films Are Set to Debut Amid Diverse Specialty Releases
The indie film scene is buzzing with a mix of comedy offerings, from the surreal to the sci-fi. Notable titles include Nirvanna The Band The Show The Movie, By Design, Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die!, Cold Storage, and Mimics. The latter two delve into horror comedy, adding to the diverse lineup as they coincide with Valentine’s weekend. Alongside these, the acclaimed Nigerian drama My Father’s Shadow and a documentary about the Korean rock band The Rose will enhance the array of specialty releases.
Neon is spearheading the release of Nirvanna The Band The Show The Movie, directed by Matt Johnson, which will screen across 364 theaters. The film stars Johnson and Jay McCarroll, continuing their comedic exploration from their series Nirvanna The Band The Show, and follows the duo as they inadvertently travel back to 2008. The film has received accolades including the Audience Award at SXSW and the People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award at TIFF, boasting a Certified Fresh rating of 97% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The film features a plot where Camille (played by Lewis) becomes envious of an exquisite chair in a showroom. In an unexpected turn, she swaps forms with the chair, ultimately discovering that she is better appreciated as an inanimate object by her mother (Betty Buckley) and best friends. This unusual storyline proceeds to see her end up in the possession of Olivier (Athie), a minimalist bachelor drawn to his elegant new companion.
Briarcliff will launch Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die! across 1,610 theaters. This action-packed sci-fi comedy stars Sam Rockwell, Haley Lu Richardson, Michael Peña, Zazie Beetz, and others. The film, written by Matthew Robinson, depicts a frantic night in a diner where a man with a detonator disrupts the scene, claiming to be from the future and seeking assistance to avert an AI apocalypse. Critics have rated the film 86% Certified Fresh.
In addition, the film Mimics, from Panoramic Pictures, will debut at 150 theaters, marking Kristoffer Polaha’s directorial debut. The narrative follows down-on-his-luck impressionist Sam Reinhold who makes a pact with a sinister puppet, ultimately bringing chaos to his personal and professional life, with Polaha starring alongside Mōriah, Chris Parnell, and Stephen Tobolowsky.
Samuel Goldwyn Films is set to release Cold Storage on 1,041 screens. The comedy horror film centers around two employees at a sealed facility who encounter a highly contagious, mutating fungus. Joined by a seasoned bioterror operative played by Liam Neeson, they navigate a perilous night shift in a bid to save humanity. The cast features Joe Keery, Georgina Campbell, and Vanessa Redgrave.
Furthermore, the documentary The Rose: Come Back to Me from CJ 4DPLEX will open on over 200 screens. Directed by Eugene Yi, the film chronicles the rise of Korean indie rock band The Rose as they defy conventional K-pop norms. Their viral single “SORRY” played a pivotal role in gaining a global audience, culminating in their performance at Coachella in 2024, where they were recognized as Billboard’s No. 1 international emerging group.
Additional noteworthy releases include Cinderella, an abridged, English-language version from the Metropolitan Opera, which will be presented in cinemas on February 14, and Mamoru Hosoda’s animated adventure Scarlet, expanding its reach in its second week after initially launching in a limited IMAX run. Markiplier’s phenomenon Iron Lung is also continuing its presence across 2,445 locations.
