Magic Camp (2020)

After two-plus years of delays, and a whole lot of pre-release baggage Disney is ignoring, Magic Camp arrives three years after it first went into production on Disney+. Maybe it should have stayed on the shelf.

Red Penguins (2020)

New documentary Red Penguins tells a crazy, compelling story of the good and bad surrounding a tenuous partnership between the Russian national hockey team and the National Hockey League following the fall of the Soviet Union. What could possibly go wrong?

Michael WardAugust 21, 20202020, Documentary, Red Penguins, Steven Warshaw, Howard Baldwin, Valery Gushin, Victor Gusev, Alexander Lyubimov, Tom Ruta, Alxander von Bush, Alimzhan Tokhtakhunov, Alexander Baranovsky, Gabe Polsky

Boys State (2020)

One of 2020’s best documentaries and films, Boys State is a powerful, lasting look at young men’s participation in a mock political competition at the Texas State capital, forever changed by their experiences.

Michael WardAugust 14, 20202020, Documentary, Boys State, Steven Garza, Ben Feinstein, Robert MacDougall, Rene Otero, Amanda McBaine, Jesse Moss

The Go-Go's (2020)

Alison Ellwood’s terrific, nothing-to-hide look at pop/punk innovators The Go-Go’s is a long overdue celebration of the band’s appeal and legacy.

Michael WardAugust 7, 2020Documentary, 2020, The Go-Go's, Belinda Carlisle, Jane Wiedlin, Charlotte Caffey, Gina Schock, Kathy Valentine, Elissa Bello, Ginger Canzoneri, Margot Olavarria, Miles Copeland, Kathleen Hanna, Paula Jean Brown, Stewart Copeland, Lynval Golding, Alison Ellwood

CREEM: America's Only Rock 'N' Roll Magazine (2020)

Creem Magazine deemed itself as the only rock and roll magazine during its two-decade existence. Scott Crawford’s new documentary captures the rebellious, raucous spirit found within its pages.

The Secret: Dare To Dream (2020)

Inspired by a popular best-selling help book from 2006, The Secret: Dare to Dream is an odd, peculiar kind-hearted movie that feels tone deaf from the real world.

Michael WardAugust 2, 20202020, The Secret Dare To Dream, The Secret, Katie Holmes, Josh Lucas, Jerry O’Connell, Celia Weston, Sarah Hoffmeister, Aidan Pierce Brennan, Chloe Lee, Sydney Tennant, Katrina Begin, Andy Tennant, Bekah Brunstetter, Rhonda Byrne, Rick Parks

Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets (2020)

Not quite a documentary, not quite a complete work of fiction, Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets is a sobering but important look at dive bar culture, as a group of regulars wander into their favorite bar’s final day of being open.

Michael WardJuly 27, 20202020, Documentary, Bloody Nose Empty Pockets, Drama, Michael Martin, Shay Walker, Marc Paradis, Cheryl Fink, John Nerichow, Bruce Hadnot, Tra Walker, Rikki Reed, Pam Harper, Felix Cardona, Kamari Stevens, Bill Ross IV, Turner Ross

Radioactive (2020)

Rosamund Pike’s resilient performance as the legendary physicist Marie Curie is nearly lost in Radioactive, a densely plotted, overthought biopic.

Michael WardJuly 24, 2020Rosamund Pike, Sam Riley, Anya Taylor-Joy, Aneurin Barnard, Katherine Parkinson, Simon Russell Beale, Indica Watson, Cara Bossom, Tim Woodward, Demetri Goritsas, Sian Brooke, Edward Davis, 2020, Radioactive, Drama, Marjane Satrapi, Jack Thorne, Lauren Redniss

Hamilton (2020)

The cinematic release of 11-time Tony Award winner Hamilton is an exhilarating film experience. Masterfully edited and performed, this is an outstanding and intimate presentation of a watershed moment for musical theater and modern pop culture.

Michael WardJuly 4, 20202020, Hamilton, Performance, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Leslie Odom Jr., Phillipa Soo, Daveed Diggs, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Christopher Jackson, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Okieriete Onaodowan, Anthony Ramos, Jonathan Groff, Sydney James Harcourt, Thayne Jesperson, Jon Rua, Ephraim Sykes, Thomas Kail

The King Of Staten Island (2020)

Pete Davidson will likely become a much bigger star with the arrival of The King of Staten Island. Sadly, he deserves to shine in a better movie.

The Booksellers (2020)

New documentary The Booksellers takes a charming look at the past and present of the New York City book scene and the collectors who live for the pursuit of finding, possessing, and keeping books of all kinds.

Trolls World Tour (2020)

Rambunctious sequel Trolls World Tour may be bypassing its planned theatrical run and debuting on VOD today for families everywhere, but this is less a movie to watch and more a test of endurance.

Extra Ordinary (2020)

Wild and absurd supernatural comedy EXTRA ORDINARY features Will Forte as a former 80’s pop star (!) and comedienne Maeve Higgins as a clairvoyant with “The Talents” who must save a daughter from satanic influences. EXTRA ORDINARY has been recently re-released as one of many independent films participating in the new Virtual Theater initiative to save independent theaters.

Michael WardApril 8, 2020Maeve Higgins, Barry Ward, Will Forte, Claudia O’Doherty, Jamie Beamish, Terri Chandler, Risteard Cooper, Emma Coleman, Carrie Crowley, Mike Ahern, Siobhan McSweeney, Comedy, Extra Ordinary, 2020, Enda Loughman, Demian Fox

Never Rarely Sometimes Always (2020)

Sidney Flanigan’s remarkable acting debut, in Eliza HIttman’s exceptional Never Rarely Sometimes Always, makes this timely, necessary story of a teenage girl dealing with an unintended pregnancy one of 2020’s best films.

Michael WardApril 3, 20202020, Drama, Sidney Flanigan, Talia Ryder, Théodore Pellerin, Sharon Van Etten, Ryan Eggold, Kelly Chapman, Kim Rios Lin, Drew Seltzer, Never Rarely Sometimes Always, Eliza Hittman, Yes You Should!!!

Onward (2020)

Onward, the 22nd feature-length Pixar film, has a rich, emotional payoff to an amusing fantasy-laden adventure as two brothers attempt to reconcile with their late father.

The Call Of The Wild (2020)

The Call of the Wild means well but feels like a movie 20-30 years old, with a baffling decision to feature a CGI dog in a co-leading role.

Michael WardApril 1, 20202020, The Call of the Wild, Harrison Ford, Omar Sy, Cara Gee, Dan Stevens, Bradley Whitford, Jean Louisa Kelly, Karen GIllan, Michael Horse, Terry Notary, Chris Sanders, Michael Green, Family, Adventure, Drama

Bacurau (2020)

While not for everyone, Brazilian import BACURAU is a wild ride of violence, dark humor, and some very pointed political commentary focused on residents of a Brazilian settlement standing together to defend their existence.

Corpus Christi (2020)

A recent nominee for the Academy Award for Best International Feature, Poland’s terrific and powerful Corpus Christi is re-released as one of many independent films participating in the new Virtual Theater initiative to save independent theaters.

Michael WardMarch 31, 2020Bartosz Bielenia, Aleksandra Konieczna, Eliza Rycembel, Tomasz Zietek, Leszek Lichota, Lukasz Simlat, Zdzislaw Wardejn, Tomasz Wlosok, 2020, Drama, Poland, Corpus Christi, Jan Komasa, Mateusz Pacewicz

Go Back To China (2020)

Go Back to China is a cinematic pop song, a Sunday afternoon escape, detailing a trust fund girl who blows through her money and must return home to China to work in her family’s toymaking business.

Michael WardMarch 31, 2020Anna Akana, Richard Ng, Lynn Chen, Kelly Hu, Brittany Renee Finamore, Akemi Look, Christina Thomas, Kendy Cheung, Aviva Wang, Tiger Ting, Joe Fiorello, 2020, Go Back To China, Comedy, Drama, Emily Ting

Banana Split (2020)

Hannah Marks gives a tremendous breakout performance in the lively, spirited teen comedy Banana Split, playing a former girlfriend who becomes best friends with her former boyfriend’s new girlfriend, in the summer before leaving for college.

Michael WardMarch 31, 20202020, Comedy, Banana Split, Hannah Marks, Liana Liberato, Dylan Sprouse, Jessica Hecht, Luke Spencer Roberts, Meagan Kimberly Smith, Haley Ramm, Jacob Batalon, Addison Riecke, Benjamin Kasulke, Joey Power

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