As 2025 Enters Dramatic Home Stretch, 'Merrily We Roll Along', 'Fackham Hall', 'La Grazia', 'Rosemead' and More - Specialty Preview

This weekend, cinemas welcome a varied lineup catering to fans of musicals, manga, British period comedies, documentaries, and dramas, marking a pivotal moment as 2025 heads toward its final stretch. The industry is abuzz following Netflix's announcement of its upcoming acquisition of Warner Bros., raising concerns about the platform's limited theatrical window approach, which many believe is essential for sustaining traditional moviegoing. Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos emphasized that while the streamer is open to theatrical releases, it seeks more flexible windows and will honor Warner Bros. current commitments.

Major Releases

Merrily We Roll Along opens nationwide on 1,084 screens via Sony Pictures Classics and Fathom Entertainment. Directed by Maria Friedman, the film adapts the 2024 Tony-winning Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheims 1981 musical, following composer Franklin Shepard and his lifelong friends Mary and Charley Kringas over three decades. The revival set new records at the Hudson Theatre and stars Jonathan Groff and Daniel Radcliffe.

Fackham Hall, a British period comedy directed by Jim OHanlon, launches on 1,112 screens through Bleecker Street. Marketed as "Downton Abbey meets Airplane!," the film features Ben Radcliffe as orphan Eric Noone, who navigates romance, career, and an unexpected murder in a grand manor. Thomasin McKenzie, Damian Lewis, Katherine Waterston, Emma Laird, and Tom Felton also star, with a screenplay by Jimmy Carr, Patrick Carr, and the Dawson Brothers.

100 Nights of Hero by Julia Jackman debuts on 828 screens, following a house guest whose arrival upends the lives of a neglectful husband, his bride Cherry (Maika Monroe), and their devoted maid Hero (Emma Corrin). The cast includes Nicholas Galitzine, Amir El-Masry, Charli XCX, Richard E. Grant, and Felicity Jones, adapted from Isabel Greenbergs graphic novel.

Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution from GKids screens on 1,833 U.S. and Canadian theaters. Produced by MAPPA and based on Gege Akutamis manga, it blends the Shibuya Incident arc with the first episodes of the Culling Game arc, available in subtitled and dubbed versions.

Limited Releases

La Grazia by Paolo Sorrentino opens at NYCs Angelika, starring Toni Servillo as Italys fictional outgoing president Mariano De Santis. The film premiered at Venice and explores moral and personal crossroads with the guidance of his daughter Dorotea (Anna Ferzetti).

The Chronology of Water, Kristen Stewarts directorial debut, screens at Village East in NYC and Laemmle Royal in LA. Based on Lidia Yuknavitchs memoir, Imogen Poots stars as a young woman navigating trauma, love, addiction, and self-discovery through competitive swimming and writing. Supporting cast includes Thora Birch, Jim Belushi, and Tom Sturridge.

Rosemead, a thriller from Vertical starring Lucy Liu, opens at AMC Lincoln Square in New York. Directed by Eric Lin, the story follows a suburban mother facing her ailing health and her teenage sons violent tendencies, set within a tense Chinese American household.

Little Trouble Girls by Urka Djuki premieres at IFC Center in New York and will expand to LA next week. The film follows 16-year-old Lucia navigating friendship, adolescence, and sexuality during a weekend choir retreat. It won the Fipresci Award at Berlin and Best Cinematography at Tribeca.

Come Closer, Tom Neshers Israeli feature debut, screens at Quad Cinema in New York. Starring Lia Elalouf, it tells the story of a young woman grappling with her brothers sudden death and uncovering his secret girlfriend. The film won Best Film at Israels Ophir Awards and premiered at Tribeca.

Endless Cookie from Obscured Releasing, opening in NY at the Quad and LAs Laemmle Glendale, is a documentary exploring the bond of two half-brothers across decades. Directed by Seth and Peter Scriver, it received the Contrechamp Jury Award at Annecy.

Happy Holidays from Scandar Copti opens at Film Forum in NYC. The Palestinian drama interweaves four stories within a close-knit Arab family in Haifa, examining hidden desires and fears. It won top prizes at Thessaloniki and Marrakech Film Festivals.

31 Candles, Jonah Feingolds romantic comedy, expands to LA theaters from a limited New York release. Following New Yorker Leo Kadner reconnecting with his childhood crush during his 31st Bar Mitzvah, the film stars Sarah Coffey, Jackie Sandler, Caroline Aaron, and Joey Dardano.

Man Finds Tape, a supernatural thriller by Peter Hall and Paul Gandersman, opens at Alamo Drafthouse theaters in NYC, LA, and Austin, and on digital. William Magnuson stars as a YouTuber investigating a murder that unveils a decades-old supernatural mystery. Kelsey Pribilski, Brian Villalobos, and others co-star.

WTO/99, Ian Bells archival documentary, screens at DCTVs Firehouse in NYC. It revisits the 1999 Seattle protests against the World Trade Organization, highlighting clashes with police and the voices of activists including Michael Moore, Ralph Nader, and Bernie Sanders.

Author: Jackson Miller