Crisis

In the midst of the opioid crisis, a drug trafficking ring organizes a multi-cartel smuggling operation, unaware that their organization has been infiltrated by an undercover DEA agent (Hammer). Meanwhile, an architect (Lilly) recovering from an oxycodone addiction engages in a desperate search for her son, whose disappearance has links to narcotic activity. Elsewhere, a university professor (Oldman) faces an uphill battle when he attempts to blow the whistle on his research employer, a powerful pharmaceutical company that plans to introduce a new "non-addictive" painkiller.

Director: Nicholas Jarecki. Stars: Gary Oldman, Armie Hammer, Evangeline Lilly, Greg Kinnear, Michelle Rodriguez, Luke Evans, Lily-Rose Depp, Indira Varma, Kid Cudi, Martin Donovan, Veronica Ferres. 2021. 118 mins. Drama.

Body Brokers

Convinced to enter a rehab program in California by a mysterious man named Wood (Williams), junkies Utah (Kilmer) and Opal (Englert) leave the streets of rural Ohio and head to Los Angeles. Utah is optimistic about his sobriety progress, feeling especially good about his sessions with the treatment center's shrink (Leo), until he discovers the center is actually a front for a fraud operation that recruits addicts through other addicts. Mentored by Wood and his business partner, Vin (Grillo), Utah must decide what he wants more: to make big money or to overcome addiction.

Director: John Swab. Stars: Jack Kilmer, Micheal Kenneth Williams, Jessica Rothe, Alice Englert, Peter Greene, Frank Grillo, Melissa Leo, Thomas Dekker. 2021. 111 mins. Crime.

The Violent Heart

Twenty-four-year-old Daniel (Adepo) wants to leave everything and join the marines, but a troubled history, which includes trauma from witnessing his sister's murder 15 years ago and time spent in a juvenile detention center, make entry into the forces difficult. Then there's Cassie (Van Patten), a bright and bold 18-year-old high school senior ready to embrace adulthood. When Cassie and Daniel meet, they fall in love, but their relationship is tested by factors stemming from their differences that threaten to tear the two apart.

Director: Kerem Sanga. Stars: Grace Van Patten, Jovan Adepo, Mary J. Blige, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Lukas Haas, Jahi Di'Allo Winston, Markus Silbiger, Cress Williams. 2020. 107 mins. Drama.