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“Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence” is helmed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Zach Heinzerling. The three-part docuseries explores the survivors of Ray’s sex cult that spanned over a decade. Ray, a former CIA agent, was convicted of sex trafficking, extortion, conspiracy, and other charges in 2019. The official synopsis reads: With unprecedented access, “Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence” excerpts striking first-hand interviews with conman Larry Ray’s victims and incorporates personal audio tapes and video recordings to tell the story of his grim 10-year influence over a group of young people....

Ask an elevated horror devotee about their preferred metaphor, and you’ll often get the same response: trauma. Who could forget the viral montage of Jamie Lee Curtis telling everyone who would listen that “Halloween Ends” was actually about traumatic experiences? It’s not an incorrect analysis, but it’s not uncommon to hear horror lovers express a desire to see movies take themselves less seriously again. Enter: “Smile.” When it arrived in theaters at end of of September, Parker Finn’s feature directorial debut delighted audiences and critics alike, topping the box office for two straight weekend, making over $210 million in the process (against a $17 million budget)....

An opening title card tells us that for $50,000, Chinese immigrants can be sent to the United States, where they will be then forced into prostitution and other illegal jobs as a means of paying off the debt to the person who brought them, the eponymous “snakehead.” Sister Tse (Chang) is one such woman, working to survive in America and also to find the daughter she lost along the way....

“After the Warner Bros announcement, it’s been a bit of a boom for us because it’s made dating our movies next year somewhat easier,” Vinciquerra said this week during an interview with CNBC (via The Verge). “But the real benefit has been the number of incoming calls from talent, creators, actors, and directors to us saying, ‘We want to be doing business with you because we know you’re a theatrical distributor and producer....

The description promises you can “buy, sell, and trade popular locations like Tony Soprano’s house and Satriale’s Pork Store, before wheeling and dealing at the Bada Bing! Let tokens like The Stugots or Bobby Bacala’s toy train engine take you around the board and be the last boss standing!” All the game’s houses have been renamed “stashes,” while the hotels are now called “contraband,” and chance cards are called “AY!!” And also, the game recommends players of 17 and up, which makes sense given the (often quite foul-mouthed) material....

The official “Sound of Metal” synopsis reads: “Ruben is a drummer and one half of the duo Blackgammon along with his singer girlfriend Lou (Olivia Cooke). A former drug addict, he is sober for four years. Suddenly, he begins to lose his hearing. His sponsor makes him go meet Joe (Paul Raci), who leads a deaf community. With the help from them, Ruben struggles to accept his situation.” IndieWire chief critic Eric Kohn gave “Sound of Metal” an A- review out of TIFF, writing, “As Ruben, the heavy-metal drummer going deaf at the center of the mesmerizing debut from writer-director Darius Marder, Ahmed conveys the complex frustrations of losing touch with the world around him no matter how much he fights to hold onto it....

Officially titled “NYC Epicenters 9/11➔2021½,” Lee’s latest documentary project includes interviews with over 200 subjects. Based on the first trailer below, the four-part documentary isn’t just a compendium of first responders but also Lee’s frequent film collaborators, congresspeople, and members of Lee’s own family. The trailer is an emotional journey, championing the city’s humor, warmth, and resilience. Per HBO: “With Spike Lee’s singular vision and stylistic eye, ‘NYC Epicenters 9/11➔2021½’ is a documentary event that challenges and provokes as it probes and reflects on historic events....