Update: Netflix acquired Robert Greene's film "Procession" and announced it will be released in the fall.
The 2021 edition of the Telluride Film Festival has come to a close. The temporary screens have come down, the banners and signs have been put away until next year, and the extra crowds have trickled back down the mountain.
Now that this show’s over, what’s next for the new movies that played there?
The answer is that they’re likely coming soon to a theater or streaming device near you. One of the surprise additions to the festival, Paul Schrader’s “The Card Counter,” will hit theaters starting this weekend.
Others will take a few more weeks or months until they are released to the public. Some films are still searching for distributors, so until they’re picked up by one, audiences can only see them at other festivals.
Here are a few titles from Telluride to keep in mind next time you’re looking for what to watch.
“The Power of the Dog”
Jane Campion, one of the honorees at this year’s festival, screened her latest film with much of the cast in attendance. An adaptation of the book by the same title, “The Power of the Dog” follows two brothers — one mean (Benedict Cumberbatch) and one kind (Jesse Plemons) — and a widow (Kirsten Dunst) and her son (Kodi Smit-McPhee) as their lives are dramatically altered by one another out in old Montana. It's a moody western drama with plenty of tension and plot twists. Between Campion’s direction, the story, and the star-studded performances, “The Power of the Dog” has quickly earned a lot of awards attention as the fall festival season begins and before it heads to Netflix on Dec. 1.
“King Richard”
In Reinaldo Marcus Green’s “King Richard,” Will Smith plays Richard Williams, the father of tennis stars Venus and Serena. The story follows his dedication to providing his young daughters with better courts, finding them the best coaches and protecting them from the sport’s harsh demands. Between the nerve-wracking tennis matches, there are quite a few emotional scenes that give the movie depth and allow the other actors — Saniyya Sidney, Demi Singleton and Aunjanue Ellis — opposite Smith their time to shine. It’s likely we’ll see a lot more of this crowd-pleasing sports movie ahead of its theatrical and streaming release on HBO Max on Nov. 1.
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“Belfast”
Based on his childhood experiences, Kenneth Branagh takes viewers back to 1960s Northern Ireland through the eyes of Buddy (Jude Hill), a 7-year-old boy, in his latest movie, “Belfast.” But Buddy’s story is not just children’s games and schoolyard crushes. He must also learn to cope with the escalating violence between Protestants and Catholics in his neighborhood and the family drama boiling inside his home. With its heartwarming story and stirring performances from Judi Dench, Jamie Dornan, Caitríona Balfe and Ciarán Hinds, Branagh’s “Belfast” is a charming watch that will appeal to many audiences. “Belfast” is set to open in theaters Nov. 12.
“The Velvet Underground”
Never one to shy away from a detail-rich period piece, “Carol” director Todd Haynes dives into the deep end of the artistic and cultural influences that shaped The Velvet Underground to create a stylish tribute to the band, its members and the art they created. It does not look like your typical talking-head type of documentary. Its grainy style and images of yesteryear plunge viewers back to that formative time for the band and the friends they made in New York City, like Andy Warhol. The film is a time capsule worth opening. “The Velvet Underground” will hit AppleTV+ on Oct. 15.
“Procession"
Nonfiction filmmaker Robert Greene has made a career of taking apart the documentary genre and throwing out conventions for unorthodox approaches to storytelling. With “Procession,” Greene collaborated with six men who survived sexual abuse by Catholic priests and worked with them and a drama therapist to create scenes to process their trauma. The result is a moving work of art and a discussion about creating art to heal. “Procession” will continue on from Telluride to screen at various festivals.
