The Overlook Film Festival 2023 review: ‘ACCUSED’ is a socially relevant heart-stopper.

ACCUSED

Online trolls, xenophobia, and misinformation, Philip Barantini‘s ACCUSED at Overlook Film Festival could not be more relevant and terrifying. Thanks to the internet, Harri finds himself wrongly identified as a terrorist. After two men track him down, Harri must fight for his life and reputation. This intense thriller is a bone-chilling must-see.

Chaneil Kular plays Harri with palpable anxiety and exceptional nuance. He carries the entire plot like a star. The script gives Kular less dialogue than an average feature, and because of that, his performance relies on meticulous physicality and facial expressions. Kular’s chemistry with co-star Flynn, Harri’s dog, is glorious.

The film raises global questions about privacy, citizen detectives, and hateful rhetoric. We live our lives online these days. It is easy to find out where someone works, thanks to Linkedin. You can find their home address if they own property. That information is in the public record. But we provide all that with photos and comments we leave on social media, even tagging our location in real-time. We make ourselves targets every day. It also speaks to police response. The film skillfully addresses the lack of urgency we’ve all seen displayed in numerous documentaries and news stories.

ACCUSED simultaneously becomes an invasion thriller. The cinematography is sharp, taking full advantage of blue light from laptops and smartphone screens and moonlight peering through sheer curtains as Harri moves silently about his parents’ estate home. The sparse score works to intensify the plot. We fear the silence as much as Harri. The use of technology becomes a double-edged sword in the film. Harri utilizes security cameras and blue tooth to evade the men in his house.

Screenwriters Barnaby Boulton and  James Cummings have given audiences a masterfully written film that transcends genre. Packed with twists and turns and a mesmerizing performance from Chaneil Kular, it is a heart-pounding viewing experience. It is a wow.


Director: Philip Barantini
Writers: Barnaby Boulton, James Cummings
Starring: Chaneil Kular, Lauryn Ajufo
Producers: Edward Caffrey, Samantha Beddoe, Rupert Preston, Sara Sehdev
Runtime: 88 Minutes
Synopsis: Alone at a remote country house, a young man (Chaneil Kular, Sex Education) watches helplessly as a social media frenzy wrongly identifies him as a wanted terrorist. When online threats lead to an IRL home invasion, he must fight for his life in this tense thriller of virtual witch-hunts and false accusations.

Overlook 2023 Film Festival Screening Info:
– Friday, March 31st at 7:45 PM @ Canal Place Theater 2
– Sunday, April 2nd at 2:30 PM @ Canal Place Theater 9


 

October Programming on MUBI – thrills and chills for everyone.

October Programming on MUBI

Includes exclusive streaming premiere of Martine Syms’ art-school satire The African Desperate, Julie Ha and Eugene Yi’s rousing documentary Free Chol Soo Lee, Lucile Hadzihalilovic’s Lynchian horror, Earwig

Plus a month-long Halloween programming with George A. Romero, Michio Yamamato’s Bloodthirsty Trilogy, and more!

EXCLUSIVELY ON MUBI

Tuesday, October 4

Invisible Demons, directed by Rahul Jain

[Viewfinders] A visually immersive exploration of the global threat of climate change, Invisible Demons (Cannes ‘21) is the stunning sophomore film from filmmaker Rahul Jain. Told through striking images and eye-opening accounts from everyday citizens, Jain delivers a visceral journey through the stories of just a few of Delhi’s 30 million inhabitants fighting to survive, as he offers a deeply experiential and new perspective on the clear and present climate reality. A MUBI Release.

 

Friday, October 7

Free Chol Soo Lee, directed by Julie Ha and Eugene Yi

[Viewfinder] A highlight of this year’s Sundance Film Festival, Free Chol Soo Lee finds award-winning journalists Julie Ha and Eugene Yi excavating the largely unknown yet essential history of the case of Chol Soo Lee, a 20-year-old Korean immigrant who, in the 1970s, was racially profiled and convicted of a Chinatown gang murder in San Francisco. A stirring testament to the power of local journalists and the collective political action, this breathtaking true story ignited an unprecedented push for social action that would unite Asian Americans and inspire a new generation of activists, and serves as an urgent reminder that his legacy is more relevant than ever. A MUBI Release. 

Wednesday, October 12

Rosa Rosae. A Spanish Civil War Elegy, directed by Carlos Saura

[Brief Encounters] Legendary Spanish filmmaker Carlos Saura (Cria Cuervos) recovers and manipulates more than thirty images, drawings and photographs to recreate the Spanish Civil War in his new animated short Rosa Rosae: A Spanish Civil War Elegy (2021). The montage of images set to the music of singer-songwriter José Antonio Labordeta pays tribute to those childhoods stolen by the Spanish Civil War, reflecting the horrors of universal warfare and resonating with the urgent topic of conflict in today’s world. A MUBI Release. 

 

Saturday, October 15

Earwig, directed by Lucile Hadzihalilovic

[MUBI Spotlight] Loosely adapted from Brian Catling’s novella of the same name, Lucile Hadžihalilović (EvolutionInnocence) conjures a surrealist Lynchian nightmare in her first English-language feature Earwig – a macabre tale of a young girl with melting teeth and her cadaverous caretaker who molds and refits her dentures each day. Sumptuously-produced and fitted with a hypnotic soundtrack by Augustin Viard (in collaboration with Nicolas Becker & Warren Ellis), Hadžihalilović’s latest beguilingly hermetic world captures the same elusive and hallucinatory fixations on isolation and the horrors of adolescence as her previous work.

 

Friday, October 21

The African Desperate, directed by Martine Syms

[Debuts] The electrifying feature debut from renowned artist Martine Syms, The African Desperate (2022) brings her razor-sharp satire and vivid aesthetic invention to a riotous coming-of-age comedy. Tracking one very long day for Palace Bryant (an expertly deadpan Diamond Stingily), a newly minted MFA grad whose final 24 hours in art school become a real trip, the result is a shocking original vision that becomes a hazy, hilarious, and hallucinatory night-long odyssey, stumbling from academic critiques to backseat hookups while revealing Martine as a major new voice in American independent filmmaking. A MUBI release. 

 

Wednesday, October 26

Spectre: Sanity, Madness and The Family, directed by Jean-Baptiste de Laubier

[Debuts] The debut feature from music producer and longtime Céline Sciamma collaborator Jean-Baptiste de Laubier (Para One), Spectre: Sanity, Madness and the Family (2021), is an intimate docudrama inspired by De Laubier’s own family history. Following the youngest son of a large family whose childhood was dominated by intense spiritual fervor, who receives a mysterious package from his sister that leads to the awakening of long dormant memories, this kaleidoscopic work mixes real and fictional archival footage with a mesmerizing electro soundtrack to reveal the power of buried personal histories. A MUBI Release. 

Thrills, Chills and Exquisite Horrors

This Halloween, MUBI presents Thrills, Chills and Exquisite Horrors, a new series covering the vast range of genre cinema, from classic films to recent arthouse sensations and everything in between. From gothic frights in James Whale’s essential classic The Old Dark House, to the matriarchal anxiety of Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala’s and Austrian sensation Goodnight Mommy, and the haunting technological paranoia of Japanese master Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s cult classic, Pulse, these gems provide an opportunity to come together and celebrate the autumnal ritual of coming together to enjoy the many thrills that the cinema can offer us.

Goodnight Mommy (Veronika Franz, Severin Fiala, 2014) – October 1

Pulse (Kiyoshi Kurosawa, 2001) – October 5

When a Stranger Calls (Fred Walton, 1979) – October 13

The Old Dark House (James Whale, 1932) – October 23

Deep Red (Dario Argento, 1975) – October 31

George A. Romero: Double of the Dead

Legendary horror master George A. Romero returns to MUBI with a gruesome double feature with a generous amount of blood, guts, and sociopolitical allegory to satisfy any zombie movie cravings. From the final two chapters of Romero’s epic five-decade long Dead series: the “found-footage” shot Diary of the Dead (2007) is riddled with media anxieties as a group of film students document their way through a zombie apocalypse, while Survival of the Dead (2009) chronicles two families warring over whether the dead and the living can coexist. 

Diary of the Dead (2007) – October 5 

Survival of the Dead (2009) – October 30

From the Land of Fire and Ice: An Icelandic Double Bill

This October, as the days grow shorter and the air grows colder, MUBI presents a double feature celebrating some of the very best of contemporary Icelandic cinema, which has recently experienced a resurgence of sorts in the international festival circuit. In Rams (Prix Un Certain Regard, Cannes ‘15), Grímur Hákonarson crafts a hilarious and heartbreaking portrait of two warring brothers whose lifelong animosity explodes when confronted with a new disease on their farm, while in Hlynur Palmason’s critically acclaimed A White, White Day, an off duty sheriff begins to suspect a local neighbor of having an affair with his recently deceased wife which spirals into obsession in this singular story of grief, revenge and unconditional love.

Rams (Grímur Háknarson, 2015) – October 9

A White, White Day (Hlynur Palmason, 2019) – October 10

Fears and Fangs in Japan: Michio Yamamoto’s Bloodthirsty Trilogy

To celebrate the Halloween spirit, this October MUBI presents Michio Yamanto’s aptly titled Bloodthirsty Trilogy. Presented here are three tails sure to delight, with The Vampire Doll, which follows a woman and her boyfriend in search of her missing brother in a creepy mansion with a dark history, Lake of Dracula, which finds a young woman’s adolescent nightmares revealing a hellish prophecy, and Evil of Dracula, which sees Yamamato relocating his vampiric frights into an all girls school. Inspired by the British and American gothic horror films of the 1960s, this series represents Toho’s answer to Hammer Studios, with an emphasis on atmospheric thrills and chills that help bridge the gap between gothic classics and Japanese genre cinema.

 

The Vampire Doll (1970) – October 11

The Lake of Dracula (1971) – October 20

Evil of Dracula (1974) – October 27

Artist Focus: Morgan Quaintance

British experimental artist, critic, and writer Morgan Quaintance explores cinema as collective memory. Through his texturally rich short films, Quaintance focuses on hidden or forgotten history through the reconstruction of archival materials, moving image, photographs, written text and disconnected sounds. This month MUBI presents a double bill of his most recent work: Surviving You, Always (2020), contrasting the proposed metaphysical highs of psychedelic drugs versus the harsh actualities of concrete metropolitan life in 1990s London, and A Human Certainty (2021), playfully following the neurotic ramblings of a death-obsessed romantic in the throes of post-breakup blues.

 

A Human Certainty (2021) – October 24

Surviving You, Always (2020) – October 25

Glitch Zone: Films by Martine Syms

To celebrate the release of The African Desperate, Martine Syms’ acclaimed feature debut, this month MUBI spotlights two essential shorts from one of the most exciting new voices in filmmaking. Part of her ongoing series She MadBitch Zone takes us to an empowerment program for teenage girls founded by supermodel and business mogul Tyra Banks, while Soliloquy finds the artist delivering a scathing anti-capitalist manifesto that touches on questions the possibility of change in a society dominated by social media.

She Mad: Bitch Zone (2020) – October 17

Soliloquy (2021) – October 19 

The African Desperate (2022) – October 21

I Don’t Like You Either: A Pialat Retrospective

This month, MUBI continues its ongoing retrospective of misunderstood French master Maurice Pialat with Van Gogh, his bruising and deeply felt portrait of the esteemed Dutch painter. Pialat’s work is marked by a sense of realism that locates them somewhere between his compatriot, Jean Renoir, and the working-class naturalism of Ken Loach, which lends a sense of authenticity to this singular portrait of an artist that emphasizes the everyday labor of the craftsman over the final work. 

Van Gogh (1991) – October 2

Now streaming

Loulou (1980) – September 10 

The Mouth Agape (1974) – September 21

Under the Sun of Satan (1987) – September 27

 Complete list of films premiering on MUBI this month:

October 1 – Goodnight Mommy, directed by Severin Fiala, Veronika Franz | Thrills, Chills and Exquisite Horrors

October 2 – Van Gogh, directed by Maurice Pialat | I Don’t Like You Either: A Maurice Pialat Retrospective

October 3 – The Great Buster: A Celebration, directed by Peter Bogdanovich | Portrait of the Artist

October 4 – Invisible Demons, directed by Rahul Jain | Viewfinders

October 5 – Pulse, directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa | Thrills, Chills and Exquisite Horrors

October 6 – Diary of the Dead, directed by George A. Romero | George A. Romero: Double of the Dead

October 7 – Free Chol Soo Lee, directed by Eugene Yi, Julie Ha | Viewfinder

October 8 – Tucker & Dale vs Evil, directed by Eli Craig

October 9 – Rams, directed by Grímur Hákonarson | From the Land of Fire and Ice: An Icelandic Double Bill

October 10 – A White, White Day, directed by Hlynur Palmason | From the Land of Fire and Ice: An Icelandic Double Bill

October 11 – The Vampire Doll, directed by Michio Yamamoto | Fears and Fangs in Japan: Michio Yamamoto’s Bloodthirsty Trilogy

October 12 – Rosa Rosae. A Spanish Civil War Elegy, directed by Carlos Saura | Brief Encounters

October 13 – When a Stranger Calls, directed by Fred Walton | Thrills, Chills and Exquisite Horrors

October 14 – Center Stage, directed by Stanley Kwan

October 15 – Earwig, directed by Lucile Hadzihalilovic | MUBI Spotlight

October 17 – She Mad: Bitch Zone, directed by Martine Syms | Martine Syms: Short Films

October 18 – The Gold-Laden Sheep & the Sacred Mountain, directed by Ridham Janve

October 19 – Soliloquy, directed by Martine Syms | Martine Syms: Short Films

October 20 – Lake of Dracula, directed by Michio Yamamoto | Fears and Fangs in Japan: Michio Yamamoto’s Bloodthirsty Trilogy

October 21 – The African Desperate, directed by Martine Syms | Debuts

October 23 – The Old Dark House, directed by James Whale | Thrills, Chills and Exquisite Horrors

October 24 – A Human Certainty, directed by Morgan Quaintance | Artist Focus: Morgan Quaintance

October 25 – Surviving You, Always, directed by Morgan Quaintance | Artist Focus: Morgan Quaintance

October 26 – Spectre: Sanity, Madness and The Family, directed by Jean-Baptiste de Laubier | Debuts

October 27 – Evil of Dracula, directed by Michio Yamamoto | Fears and Fangs in Japan: Michio Yamamoto’s Bloodthirsty Trilogy

October 28 – The Commune, directed by Thomas Vinterberg

October 29 – Dear Diary, directed by Nanni Moretti

October 30 – Survival of the Dead, directed by George A. Romero | George A. Romero: Double of the Dead

October 31 – Deep Red, directed by Dario Argento | Thrills, Chills and Exquisite Horrors


MUBI is a streaming service, a film distributor and a production company. But mostly, MUBI is a place to discover beautiful, interesting, incredible cinema. A new hand-picked film arrives on MUBI every single day. Cinema from all over the globe, from all kinds of directors. From brand new work by emerging filmmakers, to modern masterpieces from today’s greatest icons. All carefully chosen by MUBI’s curators. MUBI also produces and distributes ambitious new films, which members can watch exclusively on the platform. MUBI is the biggest community of film lovers, available across 190 countries, with more than 10 million members around the world. Subscription plans are $10.99 a month or $83.88 for 12 months. MUBI is available on the web, Roku devices, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, LG and Samsung Smart TVs, as well as on mobile devices including iPad, iPhone and Android.

mubi.com


 

16 subscription streaming services that are totally different than Netflix

Netflix is the big game in town, but there are several other streaming services that offer movies that aren’t on there. So if you’re seeking something a little off the beaten path, here are 16 other services worth checking out.

Although, these all are the paid services, which charge you every month. Still, not everyone can spend an amount every month for web accounts, some people find it difficult. To ease their work for watching the web series, https://best-putlocker.com/genres provides them the facility to watch any movie, tv shows, and web series here for free without worry about any debt to pay.

However, do you have an IPTV system? Are you suffering from IPTV buffering issues? Do you need better performance and are looking for support for your Samsung IPTV? If so, then you have to find the IPTV service to help you.

This list includes the best of independent film, horror, classics and original content. They range from $11.95 a month to FREE!

  • Tribeca Shortlist
  • MUBI
  • IndiePix Unlimited
  • Sundance Doc Club
  • Film Movement
  • Youtube RED
  • Shudder
  • IndieFlix
  • Spuul
  • Flix Fling
  • Fandor
  • DramaFever
  • Curiousity Stream
  • Acorn TV
  • Warner Instant Archive
  • Snag Films

tribeca shortlistTribeca Shortlist

First on my list is a recent entry into the streaming market. I’ve been very impressed as the movies are not only independent and obscure, but also big budgets and classics. I like that there are just enough movies for a good selection and I also like they let you know when a movie is about to expire.

BONUS: you can download to watch offline on your mobile device.

Summary Recommendations from industry professionals
Trial 14 days
Monthly $4.99
Yearly n/a
Watch Roku, amazon Fire, iOS, AirPlay, Chromecast
Ads No
Download for offline Yes
Why it’s special Movies selected by actors and filmmakers.

MUBIMUBI

In close competition with Tribeca Shortlist is another newcomer, MUBI. Slightly more obscure, I love how there’s a new movie every day and you are notified by email.

BONUS: you can download to watch offline on your mobile device.

Summary Only 30 hand-picked movies at a time.
Trial INVITE YOUR FRIENDS
They’ll get 30 days for free. No credit card required.
And you get 7 days free when they watch their first film.
Monthly $4.99
Yearly $39.99
Watch PC, Mac, Android, iPad/iPhone, and Samsung Smart TV
Ads No
Download for offline Yes
Why it’s special New film every day, 30 hand-picked films

indipix unlimitedIndiePix Unlimited

One of the most diverse on the list, this is for a true international cinefile.

Summary Independent cinema
Trial 30 days
Monthly $5.99
Yearly n/a
Watch computer, Apple iOS 7+, Android 4+
Ads No
Download for offline No
Why it’s special International library

sundance doc clubSundance Doc Club

Best of the best, award-winning documentaries.

Summary Documentaries
Trial 30 days
Monthly $6.99
Yearly $39.99
Watch computer, Apple iOS 7+, Android 4+, Roku, Chromecast and Apple TV (via Airplay)
Ads No
Download for offline No
Why it’s special Curated Documentaries

film movementFilm Movement

This service has a slightly different model offering a physical copy as part of one of its packages. Use code FEB30 at checkout for 30% off an annual subscription.

Summary Independent cinema
Trial No
Monthly $11.95
Yearly $99.99
Watch computer only
Ads No
Download for offline No
Why it’s special 1 new movie per month, DVD and/or Streaming

Youtube redYoutube RED

Ok, so there’s not a lot of movies available on here, but Youtube Red is an upcoming original content channel with the new Rooster Teeth movie, Lazer Team. Oh, and when you subscribe, you don’t see any ads when watching Youtube videos. It’s also got all kinds of other perks with music. It’s definitely worth doing the free trial month.

Summary Music, Series, Movies
Trial 1 month
Monthly $9.99
Yearly n/a
Watch everywhere
Ads No
Download for offline Yes
Why it’s special Original content, No ads!!

shudderShudder

For horror fans, this is a fantastic bargain. Fantastic selection.

Summary Horror movies
Trial 14 days
Monthly $4.99
Yearly $49.99
Watch computer, Apple iOS 7+, Android 4+, Roku, Chromecast, Apple TV (via Airplay), Playstation, XBOX, Amazon Fire, Samsung TV
Ads No
Download for offline No
Why it’s special Horror movies

indieflixIndieFlix

This service also has a good selection of feature and short films. Nothing super remarkable, just good movies.

Summary Independent
Trial 14 days
Monthly $5
Yearly $50
Watch computer, Roku, XBOX, amazon Fire
Ads No
Download for offline No
Why it’s special Short films, Independent

spuulSpuul

This specialty service is a must for a Bollywood lover.

Summary Bollywood movies
Trial 7 days
Monthly $4.99
Yearly $49.99
Watch PC, Mac, phone, tablet and TV
Ads No
Download for offline No
Why it’s special Bollywood movies & TV

flix flingFlix Fling

Great selection of movies and upcoming exclusive VOD release of THE CORPSE OF ANNA FRITZ (El cadáver de Anna Fritz) a film by Hèctor Hernández Vicens.

Summary Blockbuster and new releases
Trial 14 days
Monthly $7.99
Yearly n/a
Watch Smart TVs: Vizio, Yahoo Connected
Applications: iOS, Android, Opera, Windows 8, Vidora
Set-top boxes: Roku, Entone, TiVo coming soon
Game Console: Xbox 360
Ads No
Download for offline No
Why it’s special Subscription or on demand

fandorFandor

Another fantastic service with international and independent movies worth your time.

Summary International & Independent
Trial 14 days
Monthly $10
Yearly $90
Watch computer, Apple TV, Roku, Chromecast, Android, Kindle, iPhone, iPad
Ads No
Download for offline Yes
Why it’s special Half your purchase dollars will go to support the community of filmmakers and film providers. Discount for education https://www.fandor.com/edu

dramafeverDramaFever

There’s a big world out there and Korean dramas are so popular, that if you’ve seen everything on Netflix, you may need this.

Summary Korean Dramas, Latin American Telenovelas, and a wide selection of Asian TV shows and movies
Trial 7 days
Monthly n/a
Yearly $11.88 / $50.04 / $99.96
Watch computer, Apple iOS 7+, Android 4+, Roku, Chromecast, Apple TV (via Airplay), Playstation, XBOX, Amazon Fire, Samsung TV
Ads Depends on tier
Download for offline No
Why it’s special Korean dramas, Latin American Telenovelas, Asian moves & TV

curiousity streamCuriousity Stream

Not just documentaries, this services promotes non-fiction, so there’s so much more to discover.

Summary Documentaries
Trial 30 days
Monthly $2.99 SD / $5.99 HD
Yearly n/a
Watch Roku, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, phone, tablet
& Apple TV (via airplay).
Ads No
Download for offline No
Why it’s special Focuses purely on non-fiction

acorn tvAcorn TV

Hooked on Downton Abbey? There’s so many more British television and movies available on this streaming service.

Summary British movies & TV
Trial 30 days
Monthly $4.99
Yearly n/a
Watch Roku, Samsung Smart TV, iPhone, iPad, web, and more
Ads No
Download for offline No
Why it’s special

warner instant archiveWarner Instant Archive

Limited to only Warner Brothers, I think this service doesn’t offer enough for the price. However, for those seeking classics going back to the 30s, this delivers.

Summary Classic Warner Brothers TV & Movies
Trial 1 month
Monthly $9.99
Yearly 6 mos $47.99 / 12 mos $84.99
Watch Online & Roku only
Ads No
Download for offline No
Why it’s special Movies spanning through the 1920s to the 1990s

snag filmsSnag Films

Free. Absolutely free movies.

Summary Independent
Trial FREE
Monthly FREE
Yearly FREE
Watch computer, Apple TV, Roku, Chromecast, Android, Kindle, iPhone, iPad
Ads Yes
Download for offline No
Why it’s special FREE