Subject: psychology

Published: April 25, 2025

A Real Pain

Incompatible cousins David and Benji embark on a journey to Poland in honor of their beloved grandmother. David is a family man, a digital advertising professional living a safe and conventional life. His cousin Benji stirs up feelings of both jealousy and shame in him. Benji is a drifter – outspoken, emotional, and unfiltered in expressing his thoughts and feelings, no matter how inappropriate the situation. Benji, on the other hand, sees David as harmless but judges him through childhood memories, labeling him a loser.

They join a group led by a British guide named James, who takes them on a tour exploring Polish-Jewish cultural heritage. However, the nature of the trip changes when long-standing tensions between the cousins resurface, set against the backdrop of their family history.

A Real Pain carries a distinctly personal dimension, as director/actor Jesse Eisenberg’s roots trace back to Krasnystaw, Poland, from which his family emigrated before World War II.

Kieran Culkin won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the film.

Published: April 23, 2025

The Florida Project

Halley and her 6-year-old daughter Moonee live in modest conditions at The Magic Castle Motel, managed by Bobby, a tough-on-the-outside but kind-hearted man. Despite the harsh circumstances, the resourceful Moonee manages to turn life into a celebration in her own way. The children’s seemingly endless summer days are filled with adventures, while young mother Halley resorts to increasingly risky means to survive their stark reality.

Published: April 14, 2025

Love Lies Bleeding

Lou is the manager of a rundown gym in a shabby small town in New Mexico in 1989. Her life is mostly a series of failures and misery. But when an energetic fitness competitor named Jackie arrives in town — radiating that adorably cheesy ‘80s charm — everything changes. Lou sets her sights on Jackie. The two women quickly bond and, of course, end up in bed together. Lou suggests Jackie try steroids, saying “everyone’s using them anyway,” and Jackie ends up getting a little too enthusiastic about the juice.

Jackie, who gets a job working for Lou’s father — a criminal hiding his shady dealings behind a shooting range — gets entangled in the family’s life when Lou’s sister Beth is abused by her husband J.J. Jackie has her eyes set on winning a bodybuilding competition in Las Vegas by any means necessary, but the events she sets in motion unleash an unstoppable avalanche that crushes Lou’s father and the rest of the family. Tensions escalate into violent confrontations and bloody complications.

Published: March 10, 2025

The Pursuit of Happyness

When Chris’s girlfriend Linda leaves him, Chris becomes a single parent to his son, Christopher. However, Chris’s determination is ultimately rewarded when he secures an unpaid internship in an incredibly competitive stockbroker training program, which only one out of twenty interns passes. But because Chris has no income, he is evicted from his apartment with his son, and father and son are forced to sleep on the streets, in homeless shelters, and even behind the locked doors of a subway station restroom. With his self-confidence and the love and trust of his son, Chris Gardner overcomes the hardships and rises to become a legend on Wall Street.

Published: March 10, 2025

The Way Way Back

A lonely teenage boy, Duncan (Liam James), dives into the summer of his life with the hilarious staff of a water park. During his beach town vacation, Duncan grows distant from his mother (Toni Collette), who is determined to make her relationship work. He sees through his mother’s party-loving boyfriend (Steve Carell) and the shallow attempts at family bonding, struggling to find his place amidst the chaos. A fun and unexpected friendship with the charismatic water park manager (Sam Rockwell) and a crew of quirky employees helps Duncan rise from the depths back into the sunlight.

Note: Not available for DVD or Blu-ray distribution.

Published: February 10, 2025

The Wild Robot

An epic adventure follows robot ROZZUM unit 7134, more familiarly known as Roz. When the robot is shipwrecked on an uninhabited island, she must learn to adapt to the harsh environment and build relationships with the island’s animals. Eventually, she becomes the adoptive parent of an orphaned gosling.

Published: January 31, 2025

Joker: Folie à Deux

The Joker, who once incited anarchy, has once again been crushed by his circumstances and society, reverting to Arthur Fleck. Still imprisoned in Arkham Asylum, he awaits his trial. Yet, deep inside, a small spark remains—a spark that finds glimpses of beauty even in the harsh routines of the asylum. That spark ignites, quite literally, when he happens to meet Lee Quinzel (Harleen Quinn) during a visit to the lower-security wing of the institution. These two unhinged souls quickly form a deep connection, one that also draws them into the embrace of music. But as their love grows, it inevitably becomes a problem. Is it truly the flame of love, or merely an uncontrollable wildfire?

Published: January 30, 2025

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

After an unexpected family tragedy, three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River. Beetlejuice still haunts Lydia, whose life is turned upside down when her rebellious teenage daughter, Astrid, discovers a mysterious miniature model of the town in the attic, accidentally opening a portal to the afterlife. As trouble brews in both worlds, it’s only a matter of time before someone says Beetlejuice’s name three times—and the mischievous demon returns to unleash his own brand of chaos.

Published: December 30, 2024

Blackout

Top surgeon Pekka Valinto wakes up from a long coma and learns that there is an unexplained nail in his head. He has no idea where the nail came from. Was it an accident or a deliberate act? Who is the culprit, and are they trying again? By piecing together different clues, the man begins to uncover what happened. Which will return first – his memory or the murderer?

Note: No longer available on DVD or Blu-ray.

Published: December 30, 2024

Rakkaudella, Maire

Maire, trapped in a sham marriage with her husband Esa, has spent years collecting newspaper clippings and identifying with the tragedies of strangers. A news story about Kirsi-Mari, a woman who lost her police officer husband, and her daughter begins to captivate Maire, who gradually inserts herself into their lives. In Maire’s imagination, everything seems to go well—until Kirsi-Mari admits that she has moved past her tragedy and wants to forget. But Maire does not want to forget. In her view, the killer has not yet paid for their crime.

Minna Haapkylä received the Jussi Award for Best Supporting Actress, and Eeva Litmanen was awarded Best Actress.