The seventh installment in the Transformers saga arrives this weekend, delivering a mix of blockbuster spectacle and globe-trotting culture clash. Starring a stellar cast that includes Robert De Niro and Omar Sy, alongside Paul Schrader’s new psychological drama The Master Gardener with Joel Edgerton and Sigourney Weaver, the slate also features a Spanish thriller about online bullying and a French film led by Isabelle Huppert. This diverse lineup hits theaters with broad appeal across North America.
Transformers: Rise of the Monsters
With executive producer Steven Spielberg steering the project, a monumental chapter in action and sci fi returns to the screen. The story centers on two robotic factions, the Autobots and the Decepticons, who can morph into cars, beasts, and other forms as they confront epic battles on Earth and beyond.
Following five installments directed by Michael Bay, the franchise expanded with the Bumblebee spin-off in 2018. Now comes Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, a fresh worldwide adventure directed by Steven Caple Jr. and featuring Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback, with much of the action unfolding in Peru as old and new foes collide.
All About My Father
American comedian Sebastian Maniscalco steps into feature directing with this comedy about culture clashes inspired by his own experiences. The film pairs De Niro with an exploration of immigrant family life, focusing on the bond between a son and his Italian roots as reflected in his personal history.
The movie is brought to life by Laura Terruso, featuring a cast that includes Leslie Bibb, Kim Cattrall, and David Rasche, delivering both humor and heart through the lens of a multigenerational family dynamic.
Master Gardener
Paul Schrader, the mind behind Taxi Driver and Raging Bull, continues his career-long examination of character and conscience with this psychological drama. The plot follows a meticulous gardener who tends an affluent widow’s grounds while wrestling with memories tied to past misdeeds and the shadows they cast on the present.
Joel Edgerton plays the lead, supported by Sigourney Weaver, as the film delves into themes of loyalty, redemption, and the cost of keeping secrets hidden within a refined estate.
Stay with Me
The title Stay with Me adapts the memoirs of journalist Michael Ausiello to tell a romance about a photographer named Kit. The narrative follows Ausiello as his life begins to resemble a script from one of his favorite romantic comedies, yet fate delivers unexpected turns through new relationships and family ties.
Jim Parsons anchors the story as Michael, with a rich cast exploring how love can redraw the map of a lifetime in surprising ways.
Father and Soldier
Omar Sy appears in this poignant war drama directed by Mathieu Vadepied, set in 1917 during the French colonial campaign in Senegal. The plot follows a father who joins the frontlines to remain with his 17-year-old son who is conscripted against his will, highlighting the human cost of war and the bonds that endure through hardship.
Unknown Woman
Based on a game by Paco Bezerra and directed by Pablo Maqueda, this thriller adopts a realistic tone that probes cyberbullying among minors and the anxiety of living among possible monsters online. The story follows a young student who meets a mysterious online contact and discovers unsettling truths about identity and danger.
Starring Laia Manzanares and Manolo Solo, the plot unfolds around a park meeting that spirals into danger as a conversation with a disguised figure leads to startling consequences.
An Easy Target
Jean-Paul Salomé directs this true story about Maureen Kearney, a union leader who challenges a powerful French nuclear conglomerate amid a wave of job losses. The drama follows her fight to expose collusion and defend workers, even as threats escalate and the stakes grow higher.
The film portrays a fearless woman who refuses to be silenced, transforming danger into a standing challenge against corruption and fear.
My Little Brother
French director Léonor Serraille presents a family drama focused on a mother from France and the Ivory Coast as she navigates motherhood, migration, and the shifting tides of her children’s lives as they grow up and become independent during the 1980s.
The narrative draws on Serraille’s own experiences and the lives of her children, offering intimate reflections on identity, belonging, and the ties that bind a family across continents.
Nato 0. The Source of Evil
This first feature from Spanish director Gon Crespo blends international productions in a crime thriller set against the backdrop of Andalusia and New York. A killer roams New York, defying pattern or profile, as a criminology professor teams up with a seasoned homicide investigator to crack the case.
Living Spirit
French director Cristèle Meira brings a time-travel tale set in Portugal that blends myth, family dynamics, and the belief in spirits. The central journey follows Salome as she seeks to unite her family under a healing, transformative rain and a sense of shared destiny.
Alma Viva, the film in question, explores myth, nature, and the strain of rural life on kinship and inheritance, painting a vivid portrait of belief and belonging.
Eismayer
David Wagner’s drama draws from a true love story within an Austrian military setting. The plot follows a stern army trainer who hides his sexuality for years until a powerful romance changes everything, revealing courage and vulnerability beneath a tough exterior.
Glass Boy
Pino is a hemophiliac child who longs to break free from the confines of home. His bold plan to venture into the wider world with friends becomes a powerful test of family bonds and resilience as he seeks to prove that life can look different for him too.
Inspired by classic adventure narratives, the film reflects on what it means to grow up under the watchful eyes of loved ones while chasing personal dreams.
Lauquen Train
Argentine director Laura Citarella continues a thread from Ostende with a new story set in a different Buenos Aires province town. The film unfolds in two parts, following a missing person mystery that entangles a woman and two men who cherished her and debated what really happened to her.
Forgotten Women of the 20th Century
This documentary by J. Echevarría Torres chronicles the surge of women who left a mark on Spanish cultural, political and social life in the early 20th century, highlighting their challenges and triumphs along the way.
Brother Horse
Marcel Barrena, known for 100 Meters, returns with a documentary that traces the Open Arms story and the life of Santi Serracamps, a young trainer celebrated for his remarkable rapport with horses. The film blends drama and real-life courage in a moving tribute to resilience and compassion.