#OnTheBigScreen: Skemerson, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil And Vile and Miss Bala

Skemerson

This endearing new Afrikaans drama-romance from screenwriter Pietie Beyers encapsulates the experience of grief and loss in all its different forms and tells the heartbreaking story of a young man (Beyers) whose mental state has been triggered by the trauma of losing his mum after he nursed her for some time. Not only is his grief overwhelming but he also feels responsible for her death and blames himself. A chance encounter with a young woman (Anneke Weidemann), who is taking care of her frail mother (acclaimed actress Elize Cawood), is the beginning of a weekend that will change their lives forever.

Skemerson | Official Cinema Trailer [HD]| from Niel van Deventer on Vimeo.

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The Curse of La Llorona

Marking the remarkable feature directorial debut of Michael Chaves, whose astounding vision and masterful direction turns Mikki Daughtry and Tobias Iaconis’ haunting and hypnotic screenplay into one of the most frightening and emotionally compelling films in the supernatural realm.

One of the most iconic and widely known figures in Latin American folklore, La Llorona – and her terrible, eternal hunt for children’s souls to replace the ones she drowned in life – has fuelled the nightmares of generations of kids and left her mark on a vast swath of the Americas.

Leaving her rich origins in the able hands of the storytellers who have carried it through centuries, the film instead tells an original story that brings the weeping woman to life in 1973 Los Angeles, and into the path of Anna Tate Garcia, a social worker and widowed single mom, who has never been exposed to the legend that’s about to descend on her family.

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Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil And Vile

The story of Ted Bundy (Zac Efron) – the notorious US serial killer, who in 1989 was executed for 30 murders and is still suspected of many more – is shown from the perspective of his girlfriend Elizabeth Kloepfer (Lily Collins), who struggled to accept the reality of her boyfriend’s nature.

For years, Kloepfer refused to acknowledge that her boyfriend was a serial killer. He became famous in the 1980s for committing several heinous crimes against women, despite her disbelief, who watched passively as the murders were unleashed from a very unique perspective.

Directed by Joe Berlinger, who also crafted Netflix's recent true-crime documentary The Ted Bundy Tapes, from a screenplay from Michael Werwie, based on the memoir The Phantom Prince: My Life with Ted Bundy by Kloepfer.

Miss Bala

Young Gloria (Gina Rodriguez) seeks help from the police when cartel hitmen kidnap her friend from a nightclub in Mexico. She soon finds herself in big trouble when a corrupt cop hands her over to the same goons who shot up the place. Their gang leader, Lino, decides to use Gloria for his dirty work to avoid detection from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Determined to get away, Gloria must now play a dangerous game to outwit not only the cartel but the DEA agents who suspect her of complicity.

Directed by Catherine Hardwicke, from a screenplay by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer. It is a remake of the 2011 Spanish film of the same name by Gerardo Naranjo.

Ugly Dolls

Unconventionality rules in STXfilms’ new animated musical adventure starring the acting and singing voices of Kelly Clarkson, Nick Jonas, Janelle Monáe, Blake Shelton and Pitbull.

The film is inspired by the unique and beloved global plush toy phenomenon launched in 2001. In the adorably different town of Uglyville, weird is celebrated, strange is special and beauty is embraced as more than simply meets the eye.

Here, the free-spirited Moxy and her UglyDolls friends live every day in a whirlwind of bliss, letting their freak flags fly in a celebration of life and its endless possibilities, occasionally looking to the sky, where a new UglyDoll will appear and be embraced by the community. Moxy (Clarkson) loves her square-peg life in this round-hole town, but her curiosity about all things leads her to wonder if there’s something – anything – on the other side of the mountain which nestles Uglyville. Moxy gathers a group of her closest friends and sets off to find what’s on the other side.

They discover another world – Perfection – a town where more conventional dolls are trained in protocols before they graduate and are sent to the “real” world to find the love of a child. In Perfection, Moxy and her crew are subject to the manipulations of Lou (Jonas), the perfect doll in charge of training recruits. Here, the UglyDolls will confront what it means to be different, struggle with their desire to be loved, and ultimately discover that you don’t have to be perfect to be amazing because who you truly are is what matters most.

Directed by Kelly Asbury, produced by Robert Rodriguez through his production company, Troublemaker Studios, and written by Blaise Hemingway, Erica Rivinoja, and Larry Stuckey.

The Other Side

When Gemma (Erica Hubbard) asks her long-lost friend to be the maid of honour at her wedding, her fiancé Allen (Brad James) has no clue that he’s meeting her old college friend Kiya (Altovise Lawrence), a wildly outspoken novelist and lesbian. Though an aspiring writer himself, Allen does not find a friend in his new house-guest but a rival for Gem's attention.

Eventually, the soon-to-be husband discovers there's a lot more to the story than his fiancée explained when he finds himself in a modern-day love triangle. Frank and honest, Kiya – the other woman – pulls apart a happy relationship and causes the couple to question their future together. Lawrence’s performance has been described as stellar, and she imbues Kiya with passion and realism.

Written, directed and produced by Warren Pemberton.

Read more about the latest and upcoming film releases: writingstudio.co.za/lets-go-to-the-movies