Stills from SXSW headliners. (Photos courtesy of SXSW/Amazon MGM Studios/Photograph by Fabia Lavino, NEON/Universal/A24/Amazon MGM Studios/Universal/NEON/Nicole Rivelli)
If you didn’t get the chance to attend SXSW’s Paramount Theatre premieres this year, have no fear – check out where the Film & TV Festival’s headliners are going as 2024 continues.
Road House – 1 hour and 54 minutes | R | Streaming on Prime Video now
“Road House” is a reimagining of the 1989 classic starring Patrick Swayze. Working as a bouncer in the Florida Keys, Jake Gyllenhaal’s Elwood Dalton finds himself in the crosshairs of a motorcycle gang, an enforcer played by UFC fighter Conor McGregor and the corrupt machinations of local law enforcement.
“Road House” was SXSW’s opening night headliner, premiering on March 8. Despite his intention to boycott the premiere in protest of Amazon MGM’s decision to stream the film instead of providing a theatrical release, director Doug Liman attended the premiere and took to the stage to answer audience questions.
“Road House” was released to Prime Video on March 21. The film has received mixed reviews — 6.2/10 from IMDb, 60% from Rotten Tomatoes and 57 from Metacritic. It is rated R.
Immaculate – 1 hour and 29 minutes | R | In theaters now
The shortest headliner this year, “Immaculate” stars Sydney Sweeney fresh off the heels of the highly publicized rom-com “Anyone But You.” This horror film is directed by Michael Mohan, who previously worked with Sweeney on “The Voyeurs” in 2021. Sweeney plays Sister Cecilia, a nun in an Italian convent plagued by a dark, disturbing history.
“Immaculate” premiered at the Paramount Theatre on March 12 and was released to theaters on March 22. The film earned $5.3 million during its opening weekend, reaching No. 4 in the box office. This past weekend the film came in at No. 9, grossing $1.4 million to bring its domestic box office to $14.1 million. The film has had mixed reviews, garnering a 70% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 6.3/10 and 57 on IMDb and Metacritic, respectively. The film is rated R.
Monkey Man – 1 hour and 53 minutes | R | In theaters now
Winner of the SXSW Audience Award, “Monkey Man” premiered on March 12 to critical acclaim. Director, star, producer and writer Dev Patel received a standing ovation following the screening, reflecting the film’s current positive reception — 88% on Rotten Tomatoes, 71 on Metacritic and 7.3/10 on IMDb. In addition to Patel, Jordan Peele produces through his company Monkeypaw Productions. Patel plays an unnamed protagonist who embarks on a vigilante crusade in the fictional Yatana, India, against the corrupt police and political machine.
“Monkey Man” was released in theaters on April 5 and has grossed $14.7 million worldwide. Its opening weekend gross came in at $10.1 million, ranking No. 2 in the domestic box office. Currently, “Monkey Man” is facing troubles in India, with government censorship preventing its originally planned April 19 release date, according to Time and IndieWire. The film is rated R.
Civil War – 1 hour and 49 minutes | R | In theaters April 12
Directed and written by Alex Garland, and produced by A24, “Civil War” shows a dystopian, and eerily recognizable, vision of America’s future as the country is engulfed in a coast-to-coast second American Civil War. The film premiered on March 14 and is led by Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeney and Stephen McKinley Henderson, who play a team of journalists traversing a militarized America. Nick Offerman also appears as the President of the United States, and Jesse Plemons appears as an unnamed extremist soldier, as shown in promotional material.
“Civil War” has been met with mostly positive reviews, holding a 7.5/10 from IMDb and a 77 from Metacritic. The film also received an 87% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. “Civil War” is on track to premiere on April 12 with an R rating.
The Idea of You – 1 hour 55 minutes | R | Streaming on Prime Video May 2
“The Idea of You” is an adaptation of Robinne Lee’s 2017 novel of the same name. The film stars Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine as Solène Marchand and Hayes Campbell, respectively. During a trip to Coachella with her daughter, Marchand, a 40-year-old divorcee, begins a relationship with Campbell, the 24-year-old lead singer of fictional boy band August Moon, who are playing at the festival.
Rotten Tomatoes scored the film 93%, while Metacritic scored the film at 77. IMDb offered a 5.6/10 rating. “The Idea of You” was written, directed and produced by Michael Showalter, the director behind 2017’s “The Big Sick.” It was also produced by Cathy Schulman, Gabrielle Union, Hathaway, Lee, Eric Hayes and Jordana Mollick. The film premiered on March 16 and will release on Amazon Prime Video on May 2. It is rated R.
The Fall Guy – 1 hour and 54 minutes | PG-13 | In theaters May 3
Reimagining the ABC drama of the same name, Ryan Gosling plays Colt Seavers, a stuntman facing the end of his career. Meanwhile, Emily Blunt plays director Jody Moreno, Seaver’s boss and ex-girlfriend. When Moreno’s lead actor, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, goes missing, Seavers is tasked with finding him. With a supporting cast of Hannah Waddingham, Winston Duke and Stephanie Hsu, Seavers faces the criminal underworld with nothing but his stunt background to survive.
After premiering at the Paramount Theatre on March 12, Rotten Tomatoes lists the film with an 89% score, with IMDb rating it 7.5/10 and Metacritic at 77. SZNS was present at the world premiere where Gosling expressed his admiration for the stunt community and their significant contributions in bringing Colt Seavers to life.
“Anytime he got hit by a car, set on fire, did anything cool and parkour-y, that was Ben,” Gosling said, pointing to Ben Jenkin, one of three stuntmen who worked on “The Fall Guy” and attended and performed stunts at the premiere.
Gosling later expanded his praise to the film’s entire crew during the Q&A.
“We hope that it’s reflective of how much the crew gives to every film,” Gosling said. “There’s so many cynical movies about movie-making, but the truth is — in my experience anyway, and we all kind of feel the same — is that the crew cares so much, they give so much. It’s amazing on every level, it doesn’t matter what it is.”
“The Fall Guy” will premiere in theaters on May 3 and is rated PG-13.
Babes – 1 hour and 49 minutes | R | In theaters May 17
Written by lead actor Illana Glazer, “Babes” premiered on March 9. The film tells the story of a single woman, Eden, played by Glazer, who finds herself unexpectedly pregnant. Supporting roles are played by Shola Adewusi, Sandra Bernhard and Michelle Buteau. Hasan Minaj and Oliver Platt also make appearances.
The film is ranked 6.7/10 on IMDb and 74 on Metacritic. Additionally, it holds a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes. The film is set to release in theaters on May 17 and is rated R.
Y2K – 1 hour and 33 minutes | R | Release date TBD
Directed by comedian Kyle Mooney and starring Rachel Zegler, Julian Dennison and Jaedan Martell, “Y2K” is a comedy film showing an alternative version of New Year’s Eve 1999 where the Y2K scare happened in the new millennium.
“Y2K” premiered on March 9 with its main cast and director in attendance. The film received mixed reviews, including scores of 6.2/10 on IMDb, 61% on Rotten Tomatoes and 52 on Metacritic, but higher on IGN with 8/10. It currently has no announced release date, either in theaters or streaming.
Which of these films are you most interested in? For more SXSW and Texas film news, keep reading SZNSMAG.com.
Note: Box office, ratings and additional information are accurate as of April 11, 2024.
SZNS MAG 