‘The Infiltrators’ And ‘Deerskin’ Set Virtual Premieres, ‘The Wretched’, ‘Arkansas’ And ‘Driveways’ Debut – Specialty Streaming Preview

The Oscilloscope Laboratories docu-thriller The Infiltrators is hitting virtual cinemas today before making its way to on-demand and digital June 2. The virtual release is becoming a staple for many film titles as it allows audiences to purchase film tickets through a theater’s website and, in turn, helps continue support of theaters that have been closed due to COVID-19.

Directed by Alex Rivera and Cristina Ibarra, the film made its world premiere last year at the Sundance Film Festival where it the won the Next Section Audience Award. The hybrid pic blends feature filmmaking, re-enactments of real-life events and documentary footage to tell the true story of young undocumented immigrants who are intentionally detained by Border Patrol and thrown into a for-profit detention center.

The film follows Marco and Viri who are members of the National Immigrant Youth Alliance, a group of radical DREAMers who are on a mission to stop unjust deportations. They think the best place to stop deportations is in detention centers. But when the two attempt a “reverse prison break” things go off the rails.

The feature also stars Manuel Uriza, Juan Gabriel Pareja and Vik Sahay. It was produced by Ibarra and Rivera along with Darren Dean and Daniel J. Chalfen. It is also a presentation of Chicago Media Project. The Infiltrators was executive produced by Steve Cohen, Paula Froehle, Lagralane Group, Christina Nolan, Ken Nolan, Ken Pelletier, Katy Drake Bettner, Nancy Blachman, Jim Butterworth, and Good Gravy Fund; and was co-produced by Sarah Garrahan, Mark Mathis, and Carla Hool. Paradigm negotiated the sale on behalf of the filmmakers.

The Infiltrators was such a critical hit that it was optioned earlier this year by Blumhouse Television to adapt into a scripted series. Jenniffer Gomez (Vida, Black Sails, Sacred Lies) will write and produce the adaptation.

Watch the trailer below.

Greenwich Entertainment has set the virtual release of the dark comedy Deerskin starring Academy Award winner Jean Dujardin. The virtual debut is part of Greenwich’s partnership with cinemas across the country where 50% of the proceeds will go to local theaters.

Directed and written by Quentin Dupieux, Deerskin made was the opener for Cannes Directors’ Fortnight and went on to make its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2019 Greenwich acquired the title and set it for a theatrical release this year. The film is still having a theatrical release — in a virtual sense.

Dujardin plays Georges whose life is transformed in unexpected ways after he obtains a 100% deerskin jacket along with a video camera. Georges teaches himself filmmaking and collaborates with a trusting bartender, Denise (Adèle Haenel from Portrait of a Lady on Fire), who aspires to be a filmmaker herself, on a movie that will document his surprising new goal in life.

Watch the trailer below.

IFC Midnight will debut of Brett and Drew Pierce’s horror The Wretched starting today on all digital platforms and on-demand.

Combining the elements of classic pics like Fright Night and The Lost Boys, the movie follows a rebellious teenage boy named Ben (John-Paul Howard) who is sent to live with his father for the summer and work at the local marina in order to gain some form of discipline. The touristy locale isn’t his scene but he is still forced to deal with the local, privileged teens and his father’s new girlfriend. Ben’s problems grow when he discovers something creepy about the family the house next door. A malevolent spirit from the woods has taken ahold of the parents and starts playing a sinister game of house, preying upon the children and wiping away any trace of their existence.

Lionsgate will release the Clark Duke thriller-comedy Arkansas on May 5 on digital and on-demand platforms. The film was set to debut at SXSW earlier this year and was slated to hit theaters on May 1 before the pandemic.

Adapted from John Brandon’s novel, the film marks Duke’s directorial debut and follows Kyle (Liam Hemsworth) and Swin (Duke) who are junior park rangers by day and low-level drug couriers by night. They live by the orders of an Arkansas-based drug kingpin named Frog (Vince Vaughn) — whom they’ve never met.

Since Frog can’t watch them, he has proxies (John Malkovich and Vivica A. Fox) that keep an eye on them. Swin then settles into his day job by taking up a relationship with Johnna (Eden Brolin) against orders to blend in while Kyle continues to question his night job by trying to figure out who Frog really is. Their world is turned upside down after some poor life choices. As a result Kyle, Swin, and Johnna find themselves directly in Frog’s crosshairs, who mistakenly sees them as a threat to his empire.

Award-winning Spa Night director Andrew Ahn will debut his latest film Driveways on May 7 on VOD. The drama made its premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2019 and went on to make its stateside premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival.

The film features Hong Chau as a single mother Kathy who travels with her shy eight-year-old son Cody (Lucas Jaye) to her late sister’s house which they plan to clean and sell. As Kathy realizes how little she knew about her sister, Cody develops an unlikely friendship with Del (Brian Dennehy, in one of his final leading roles) the Korean War vet and widower who lives next door. Over the course of a summer and with Del’s encouragement, Cody comes out of his shell and he and his mother find a new place to call home.

Also opening this weekend on the digital and VOD front is the Samuel Goldwyn Films title The Flood directed by Anthony Woodley and starring Lena Headey as a hardened immigration officer Wendy who is tasked with uncovering whether or not Haile (Ivanno Jeremiah) has a sinister reason for seeking asylum. Also debuting this weekend is the documentary The Truth About Marriage directed by Roger Nygard. The feature docu explores new scientifically-proven tools for finding the right relationship and improving the one you have now.