We’re less than a week on from this year’s Oscars, and it already feels like a distant dream. Or, perhaps more appropriately, it already feels like we’re in a very new world of releases (in itself, its own distant dream). And we are! The movies don’t slow down, and neither do we, so while an initial glance at this week’s new releases seemed a touch slim, with deeper digging, we’ve turned up a variety of fresh titles to keep those Letterboxd diaries full up.

There is, of course, the obvious: a brand new superhero film, care of the currently-being-retooled DC Universe (it’s cute! we liked it!). For those of you driven by marquee names, there’s also “Inside,” which stars Willem Dafoe and only Willem Dafoe. Want a starry duo? Paul Weitz brings together forever besties Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin for his “Moving On.”

More from IndieWire

• 'Air' Review: Director Ben Affleck Shoots and Scores with His Biographical Sports Drama

• 'Beef' Review: Ali Wong and Steven Yeun Are Knockouts in Netflix's Outsized A24 Drama

But the real winner of the week? Lola Quivoron’s visceral coming-of-age motorbike drama (oh, imagine if that truly was a genre unto itself, how lucky we would be), the full throttle “Rodeo.” So, yes, even with the Oscars behind us and the summer movie season still weeks away, there are always wonderful picks for all tastes at the box office and beyond. What do you want to see this week?

Each film is now available in a theater near you or in the comfort of your own home (or, in some cases, both, the convenience of it all). Browse your options below.

Week of March 17 – March 23

New Films in Theaters

As new movies open in theaters during the COVID-19 pandemic, IndieWire will continue to review them whenever possible. We encourage readers to follow the safety precautions provided by CDC and health authorities. Additionally, our coverage will provide alternative viewing options whenever they are available.

“Inside” (directed by Vasilis Katsoupis)
Distributor: Focus Features
Where to Find It: Theaters

We don’t learn the name of our protagonist until the final credits roll on Vasilis Katsoupis’ “Inside.” It’s “Nemo,” perhaps picked to conjure a spirit of adventure, but this Nemo isn’t traveling under the sea or to an island, this one is trapped in a claustrophobic nightmare, one spent entirely with the art-lover-turned-thief in the world’s most pretentious (and deadly?) penthouse. There, he is forced to use all his wits (and priceless works of art) to survive a waking nightmare.

It’s a natty-enough twist on the survivor story — what if you were stuck inside, not outside? — and one bolstered by the inherent watchability of star Willem Dafoe, one of the few performers absolutely up to the task of this particular feature. But that twist and this performance only go far, as “Inside” soon turns from clever questions to muddled answers, ending on the oddest possible note for a film that opened with such promise. Read IndieWire’s full review.

Roadside Attractions

“Moving On” (directed by Paul Weitz)
Distributor: Roadside Attractions
Where to Find It: Theaters

First things first: the marquee attraction of Paul Weitz’s “Moving On” — well, the dual marquee attraction, in the form of perennial co-stars Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin — is in full effect. The former “9 to 5” compatriots and current “Grace and Frankie” besties are very much the stars of Weitz’s latest, which unfortunately seems to rely mostly on their decades-long partnership to sell a whisper-thin story with major tonal challenges. And while that might be enough to delight some audiences — Jane and Lily! Lily and Jane! — that Weitz so very much admires his stars and so deeply doesn’t know what to do with them ultimately stings.

The quick pitch is a good one, though. Decades after they enjoyed a close friendship with another college pal, Claire (Fonda) and Evelyn (Tomlin) reunite at said pal’s funeral, both with their own big bones to pick. Wacky Evelyn literally enters the solemn affair stage left, interrupting a particularly dry eulogy delivered by the bereaved’s widower Howard (Malcolm McDowell). It’s not just the death of Joyce that has left Howard a bit shaken, it’s also the very recent admission from Claire that she’s going to kill him. This weekend. Ah, decades-long friendship! Read IndieWire’s full review.

“Rodeo” (directed by Lola Quivoron) — IndieWire Critic’s Pick
Distributor: Music Box Films
Where to Find It: Limited theaters

Julia (an astounding Julie Ledru) has no interest in half-measures. Her dirt bike gets stolen? Time to steal someone else’s. She needs gas for that new bike? Take it off the first dude who looks her way. She wants some quick cash? Smash and grab a truckload of fancy bikes and literally just ride away with her new fortune. Nothing is out of the reach of her sticky fingers, but even lone wolf Julia hungers for companionship, and in Lola Quivoron’s visceral “Rodeo,” she gets it — at a price.

“Rodeo” is a heart-pounding, wholly unique ride, punctuated by incredible stunt work from Ledru and the rest of the cast — shepherded by veteran stunt expert Mathieu Lardot, who has worked on everything from the Jason Bourne franchise to the “Mission: Impossible” films — and possessed by a kinetic, high-energy drive. Some crafty Hollywood executive will likely pitch an Americanized version as one part “Titane,” one part “Fast and Furious,” and one part “Girlhood,” but Quivoron’s feature debut is so singular, so thrilling, that it will hopefully escape without being sucked into the remake machine. Read IndieWire’s full review.

Music Box Films

“Shazam! Fury of the Gods” (directed by David F. Sandberg)
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Where to Find It: Theaters

While the future of this particular series hangs in the balance — a third “Shazam!” film is not currently part of the first wave of films being prepped by the new guard — Shazam and his super-powered family deserve a place in whatever comes next. And while “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” doesn’t entirely recapture the giddy fun of the first film, its humor, sweetness, and delightfully human heroes remain bright spots in a genre too often obsessed with the dark and the gritty.

Not that it kicks off with such light-heartedness, however. Instead, the film opens with a grim introduction to two of our primary antagonists: sisters Hespera (Helen Mirren) and Kalypso (Lucy Liu), two of the daughters of Atlas, a pair of righteously pissed off goddesses who have arrived in our earthly realm to take back what’s theirs, i.e. a giant magical stick last seen being broken in two by Shazam himself (Zachary Levi) at the end of the first film. Both Mirren and Liu don’t quite seem to totally grasp what’s at stake here, but they’re sure as hell having a great time doing it. Read IndieWire’s full review.

Also available this week:

“Drylongso” (directed by Cauleen Smith)
Distributor: Janus Films
Where to Find It: Limited theaters

“The Ghost Within” (directed by Lawrence Fowler)
Distributor: Vertical
Where to Find It: Limited theaters

“The Innocent” (directed by Louis Garrel)
Distributor: Janus Films
Where to Find It: Limited theaters

“Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game” (directed by Austin Bragg, Meredith Bragg)
Distributor: Vertical
Where to Find It: Limited theaters

“Wildflower” (directed by Matt Smukler)
Distributor: Momentum Pictures
Where to Find It: Theaters, plus various digital and VOD platforms on March 21

New Films on VOD and Streaming, Including Premium Platforms and Virtual Cinemas

NETFLIX

Also available this week:

“The Magician’s Elephant” (directed by Wendy Rogers)
Distributor: Netlflix
Where to Find It: Streaming on Netflix

Check out more films to watch on the next page.

Best of IndieWire

• From 'Oppenheimer' to 'Dune: Part Two,' Here's Where to See Florence Pugh Next

• From 'Nymphomaniac' to 'Little Ashes': Unsimulated Sex Scenes in 38 Films

• 'Song of the South': 13 Things to Know About Disney's Most Controversial Movie

Sign up for Indiewire's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.