NEW MOVIES: June 27-July 3, 2024, “A Quiet Place: Day One,” “Horizon: An American Saga, Chapter 1,” “Daddio,” “How to Come Alive with Norman Mailer”

A QUIET PLACE: DAY ONE

A QUIET PLACE: DAY ONE

A Quiet Place: Day One is an upcoming American apocalyptic horror film written and directed by Michael Sarnoski, based on a story he conceived with John Krasinski. It is the third installment in the A Quiet Place film series, serving as a spin-off prequel to the first film. The film stars Lupita Nyong’oJoseph Quinn, and Alex Wolff, with Djimon Hounsou reprising his role from A Quiet Place Part II (2020).

A Quiet Place: Day One is scheduled to premiere at the Tribeca Festival on June 26, 2024, and be released in the United States by Paramount Pictures on June 28, 2024.

Premise

Follows a woman named Sam during the early stages of an invasion in New York City by alien creatures with ultrasonic hearing.

Cast

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HORIZON: AN AMERICAN SAGA, CHAPTER 1

HORIZON: AN AMERICAN SAGA, CHAPTER 1

Kevin Costner’s Western epic “Horizon: An American Saga—Chapter 1” premieres, but it faces challenges.

Key takeaways

  • Director: Kevin Costner
  • Writer: Jon Baird, Kevin Costner
  • Stars: Kevin Costner, Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington
  • Genre: Drama, Western
  • Release Date: 2024-06-28
Chronicles a multi-faceted, 15-year span of the American West’s pre-and post-Civil War expansion and settlement.

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DADDIO

DADDIO

Daddio is a 2023 American drama film produced, written and directed by Christy Hall. It stars Dakota Johnson and Sean Penn.

Premise

After landing at JFK International Airport, a young woman takes a cab back to her apartment in Manhattan. During the ride, she and the cab driver, Clark, have unexpectedly honest conversations about numerous topics, including their past and present relationships, sex and power dynamics, loss, and vulnerability.[2]

Cast

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HOW TO COME ALIVE with NORMAN MAILER

HOW TO COME ALIVE with NORMAN MAILER

“HOW TO COME ALIVE with Norman Mailer” is an upcoming documentary set to release on June 28, 20241Directed by Jeff Zimbalist and written by Victoria Marquette and Jeff Zimbalist, the film explores the life of Norman Mailer, a significant figure in American literature1The documentary covers Mailer’s journey from his early years in Brooklyn to becoming a leading cultural voice, detailing his six marriages, nine children, eleven bestselling books, and two Pulitzer Prizes1It offers an intimate look at Mailer’s life, featuring access to his family and previously unseen footage1.

Nachem “Norman” Malech (“King”)[b] Mailer was born to a Jewish family in Long Branch, New Jersey, on January 31, 1923.[2][3] His father, Isaac Barnett Mailer, popularly known as “Barney,” was an accountant[3] born in South Africa, and his mother, Fanny (née Schneider), ran a housekeeping and nursing agency. Mailer’s sister, Barbara, was born in 1927.[4]

Mailer was raised in Brooklyn, first in Flatbush on Cortelyou Road[5] and later in Crown Heights at the corner of Albany and Crown Streets.[6] He graduated from Boys High School and entered Harvard College in 1939 when he was 16. As an undergraduate, he was a member of the Signet Society. At Harvard, he majored in engineering but took writing courses as electives.[7] He published his first story, “The Greatest Thing in the World,” at age 18, winning Story magazine’s college contest in 1941.[8]

Mailer graduated from Harvard in 1943 with a Bachelor of Science with honors. He married his first wife, Beatrice “Bea” Silverman, in January 1944, just before he was drafted into the U.S. Army.[9] Hoping to gain a deferment from service, Mailer argued that he was writing an “important literary work” that pertained to the war.[10] The deferral was denied, and Mailer was forced to enter the Army.[11] After training at Fort Bragg, he was stationed in the Philippines with the 112th Cavalry.[12]

During his time in the Philippines, Mailer was first assigned to regimental headquarters as a typist, then assigned as a wire lineman. In early 1945, after volunteering for a reconnaissance platoon, he completed more than two dozen patrols in contested territory and engaged in several firefights and skirmishes. After the Japanese surrender, he was sent to Japan as part of the army of occupation, was promoted to sergeant, and became a first cook.[13]

When asked about his war experiences, he said that the army was “the worst experience of my life, and also the most important.”[14] While in Japan and the Philippines, Mailer wrote to his wife Bea almost daily, and these approximately 400 letters became the foundation of The Naked and the Dead.[15] He drew on his experience as a reconnaissance rifleman for the novel’s central action: a long patrol behind enemy lines.[16][17]

 

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6/25/2024 #A Quiet Place: Day One #Horizon: An American Saga, Chapter 1 #Daddio #How to Come Alive with Norman Mailer

 

NEW MOVIES: June 20-26, 2024, “The Bikeriders,” “Thelma,” “Bread & Roses,” “Kinds of Kindness”

THE BIKERIDERS

THE BIKERIDERS

The Bikeriders is a 2023 American crime drama film written and directed by Jeff Nichols. It tells a fictional story inspired by Danny Lyon’s 1967 photo book of the same name, which depicts the lives of the Outlaws MC, a motorcycle club founded in McCook, Illinois. The film stars Jodie ComerAustin ButlerTom HardyMichael ShannonMike Faist, and Norman Reedus.

The Bikeriders premiered at the 50th Telluride Film Festival on August 31, 2023. Originally scheduled to be released theatrically in the United States on December 1, 2023, by 20th Century Studios, the release was delayed due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. Ultimately, Focus Features acquired the film from producer New Regency, scheduling it for its current release date of June 21, 2024.

Plot

Set in the 1960s, it follows the rise of the Vandals MC, a Chicago outlaw motorcycle club. Seen through the lives of its members and their families, the club evolves over a decade from a surrogate family for local outcasts into a violent organized crime syndicate, threatening the founder’s unique vision and way of life.[3]

Cast

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THELMA

THELMA

Thelma is a 2024 American comedy film written and directed by Josh Margolin, starring June SquibbFred HechingerRichard RoundtreeParker PoseyClark Gregg, and Malcolm McDowell.[2]

Premise

When 93-year-old Thelma Post is duped by a phone scammer, she embarks on a quest to take back what is hers.

Cast

June Squibb and Fred Hechinger at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.

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BREAD & ROSES

BREAD & ROSES

“Bread & Roses” offers a powerful window into the seismic impact that the fall of Kabul to the Taliban in 2021 had on women’s rights and livelihoods. The film follows three women in real-time as they fight to recover their autonomy. Sahra Mani captures the spirit and resilience of Afghan women through a raw depiction of their harrowing plight.

Sahra Mani Director
Sahra Mani Producer
Jennifer Lawrence Producer
Justine Ciarrocchi Producer
Malala Yousafzai Executive Producer
Farhad Kosravi Executive Producer

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KINDS OF KINDNESS

KINDS OF KINDNESS

Kinds of Kindness is a 2024 absurdist black comedy anthology film directed by Yorgos Lanthimos from a screenplay he co-wrote with Efthimis Filippou.[2][3] The film stars Emma StoneJesse PlemonsWillem DafoeMargaret QualleyHong ChauJoe AlwynMamoudou Athie, and Hunter Schafer.

Kinds of Kindness had its world premiere at the 77th Cannes Film Festival on May 17, 2024, where Plemons won the Best Actor award. Searchlight Pictures released it theatrically in the United States on June 21, 2024, and in Ireland and the United Kingdom on June 28, 2024.

Premise[edit]

Kinds of Kindness, described as a “triptych fable,” consists of three distinct but loosely connected stories: “The Death of R.M.F” follows a man struggling to take charge of his destiny after quitting his powerful job that dictates what he does in a day.; “R.M.F. is Flying” depicts a man plagued by suspicions that his spouse, who has recently returned after being reported missing, is an imposter; “R.M.F. Eats a Sandwich,” revolves around a cultist, after being kicked out of the said cult for being “contaminated,” vehemently attempting to fulfill her task to find a specific person with the ability to resurrect the dead.[4][5]

Cast[edit]

  • Emma Stone as:[6]
    • Rita (“The Death of R.M.F”)
    • Liz (“R.M.F. is Flying”)
    • Emily (“R.M.F. Eats a Sandwich”)
  • Jesse Plemons as:[6]
    • Robert (“The Death of R.M.F”)
    • Daniel (“R.M.F. is Flying”)
    • Andrew (“R.M.F. Eats a Sandwich”)
  • Willem Dafoe as:[6]
    • Raymond (“The Death of R.M.F”)
    • George (“R.M.F. is Flying”)
    • Omi (“R.M.F. Eats a Sandwich”)
  • Margaret Qualley as:[6]
    • Vivian (“The Death of R.M.F”)
    • Martha (“R.M.F. is Flying”)
    • twins Ruth and Rebecca (“R.M.F. Eats a Sandwich”)
  • Hong Chau as:[6]
    • Sarah (“The Death of R.M.F”)
    • Sharon (“R.M.F. is Flying”)
    • Aka (“R.M.F. Eats a Sandwich”)
  • Joe Alwyn as:[6]
    • collectibles appraiser man 1 (“The Death of R.M.F”)
    • Jerry (“R.M.F. is Flying”)
    • Joseph (“R.M.F. Eats a Sandwich”)
  • Mamoudou Athie as:[6]
    • Will (“The Death of R.M.F”)
    • Neil (“R.M.F. is Flying”)
    • the morgue nurse (“R.M.F. Eats a Sandwich”)
  • Hunter Schafer as Anna (“R.M.F. Eats a Sandwich”)[6]
  • Yorgos Stefanakos as R.M.F.[7]
  • Merah Benoit as Emily’s daughter (“R.M.F. Eats a Sandwich”)[8]

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6/20/2024 #The Bikeriders #Thelma #Bread & Roses #Kinds of Kindness

NEW MOVIES: June 13-19, 2024, “Inside Out 2,” “Tuesday,” “Firebrand,” “The Grab”

INSIDE OUT 2

INSIDE OUT 2

Inside Out 2 is a 2024 American animated coming-of-age film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. The sequel to Inside Out (2015) was directed by Kelsey Mann (in his feature directorial debut) and produced by Mark Nielsen, from a screenplay written by Meg LeFauve and Dave Holstein and a story conceived by Mann and LeFauve.[3][4] The film stars Amy PoehlerPhyllis SmithLewis BlackDiane Lane, and Kyle MacLachlan, reprising their roles from the first film with Tony Hale (replacing Bill Hader as Fear), Liza Lapira (replacing Mindy Kaling as Disgust), Maya HawkeAyo EdebiriAdèle ExarchopoulosPaul Walter Hauser, and Kensington Tallman (replacing Kaitlyn Dias as Riley) joining the cast. It tells the story of Riley’s emotions as they join new emotions that want to take over Riley’s head.

Inside Out 2 was first announced in September 2022 during the D23 Expo announcement, with Mann, Nielsen, and LeFauve attached as director, producer, and writer, respectively, while Poehler was revealed to reprise her role in the film, along with Smith, Black, Lane, and MacLachlan. Hale, Lapira, and Hawke joined the cast in November 2023, while Edebiri, Exarchopoulos, Hauser, and Tallman’s roles were confirmed in March 2024. That same month, Holstein was confirmed to have co-written the screenplay with LeFauve. The film features Pixar chief creative officer Pete Docter‘s “five to 27 emotions” idea from the first film that Mann pitched during its production to utilize “truthful” worldbuilding.

Inside Out 2 premiered at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles on June 10, 2024, and is scheduled for release in theaters in the United States on June 14, 2024.

Premise

Inside Out 2 returns to the mind of newly minted teenager Riley just as headquarters is undergoing a sudden demolition to make room for something entirely unexpected: new Emotions! Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust, who’ve long been running a successful operation by all accounts, aren’t sure how to feel when Anxiety shows up. And it looks like she’s not alone.

— Pixar Animation Studios[5]

Voice cast

  • Amy Poehler plays Joy, a yellow happy emotion.[6]
  • Phyllis Smith as Sadness, a blue sad emotion.[6]
  • Lewis Black as Anger, a red angry emotion.[6]
  • Tony Hale as Fear, a purple scared emotion. Hale replaces Bill Hader from the first film.[6]
  • Liza Lapira as Disgust, a green disgusted emotion. Lapira replaces Mindy Kaling from the first film.[6]
  • Maya Hawke as Anxiety, a new orange anxious emotion.[6]
  • Ayo Edebiri plays Envy, a new cyan envious emotion.[7]
  • Adèle Exarchopoulos as Ennui, a new indigo bored emotion.[7]
  • Paul Walter Hauser as Embarrassment, a new pink embarrassed emotion.[7]
  • Kensington Tallman as Riley Andersen, a 13-year-old girl in whose mind the emotions live. Tallman replaces Kaitlyn Dias from the first film.[7]
  • Diane Lane plays Mrs. Andersen, Riley’s mother.[6]
  • Kyle MacLachlan as Mr. Andersen, Riley’s father.[6]
  • Lilimar plays Valentina “Val” Ortiz, a popular hockey player at Riley’s high school.[7]
  • Paula Pell as Mom’s Anger.[7][8]
  • Sumayyah Nuriddin-Green is Bree’s friend.[9]
  • Grace Lu as Grace, Riley’s friend.[9]
  • Yvette Nicole Brown is Coach Roberts, a hockey coach and head of the summer hockey camp.[7]
  • John Ratzenberger[7] as Fritz.
  • June Squibb as Nostalgia, a new beige nostalgic emotion.[10]
  • Ron Funches as Bloofy, a character from Riley’s favorite childhood TV show. He is similar to the hosts of interactive children’s shows such as Barney & Friends or Dora the Explorer.[11]
  • Yong Yea is Lance Slashblade, a heroic video game character Riley had a crush on when she was younger. He is similar to characters from Final Fantasy.[11]
  • John Morris is the cameo appearance of Andy Davis, who works at McDonald’s with his Entire Set of Emotions, such as Sadness, Joy, Disgust, Anger, Fear, Envy, Anxiety, Ennui, and Embarrassment, all appearing during the Closing credits.[12]

Additionally, television personality Sam Thompson cameos in the UK version of the film as Security Man Sam, a character who finds himself on a chase with emotions.[13]

In addition, Sarayu BlueFleaDave GoelzJames Austin JohnsonBobby MoynihanFrank OzPaula PoundstoneKendall Coyne Schofield, and Kirk Thatcher have been cast in undisclosed roles.[14][7]

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TUESDAY

TUESDAY

Tuesday is a 2023 fantasy drama film written and directed by Daina O. Pusić in her feature directorial debut. A co-production between A24, the BFI, and BBC Film, it stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Lola Petticrew as a mother and daughter who are guided by Death itself in coping with the daughter’s impending death by terminal illnessLeah Harvey and Arinzé Kene also star.

The film premiered at the 50th Telluride Film Festival on September 1, 2023, and was released in the United States on June 7, 2024.

Premise

Zora lives with her terminally ill daughter, Tuesday. One day, Death in the form of a size-altering macaw arrives and sends Zora and Tuesday on an emotional journey about life, love, and death.[3][4]

Cast

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FIREBRAND

FIREBRAND

Firebrand is a 2023 British historical drama film directed by Karim Aïnouz and written by Henrietta Ashworth and Jessica Ashworth, based on the 2013 novel Queen’s Gambit by Elizabeth Fremantle. The film focuses on Katherine Parr, Queen of England and the wife and widow of Henry VIII. It stars Alicia VikanderJude Law, and Eddie Marsan. The film marks Aïnouz’s first directorial effort in the English language.

Firebrand premiered at the 76th Cannes Film Festival on 21 May 2023, where it was selected to compete for Palme d’Or.

Premise

The film occurs during the final years of Henry VIII‘s reign and centers around his sixth and final wife, Katherine Parr. Ambitious and cunning, Katherine becomes caught between Henry’s desire to purge those who challenge the teachings of his Church of England and the radical preaching of Anne Askew, whom Katherine respects.

Cast

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THE GRAB

THE GRAB

The Grab is a 2022 American documentary film directed and produced by Gabriela Cowperthwaite. It follows investigative journalists at The Center for Investigative Reporting as they uncover efforts to control vital resources on Earth.

It had its world premiere at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2022, and is scheduled to be released by Magnolia Pictures and Participant on June 14, 2024.

Plot

It follows investigative journalists at The Center for Investigative Reporting as they uncover efforts to control food and water by foreign actors to the detriment of the local population.[2][3]

The film tries to outline a global warming reaction by several nation-states, where the powerful use force, economy, and illegal mercenaries to take control of food and water stocks. The narrative begins with the 2014 purchase of US-based Smithfield Foods by Chinese WH Group, which the filmmakers say gives control of 1/4 of all pigs in the US. It then follows other difficult-to-explain deals, such as the purchase of arid land in Arizona by a Saudi company. Russians hired American cowboys to work in a region too cold for farmland. Blackwater (the company) deals with securing land in Africa. All those strange deals are linked by “following the money,” as is said several times in the film. This raises connections between governments, commercial enterprises, and legal and illegal military actors such as mercenary companies. The filmmakers ultimately conclude that it is all part of plans, considering changes happening because of global warming.[3][4]

While the film is mostly archive and research image collages, it also contains some guerrilla filmmaking about the crew being denied access, for example, during their detention at a Zambian airport.[4]

Production

Gabriela Cowperthwaite spent six years working on the film after journalist Nathan Halverson reported on Smithfield Foods.[5][6][7] Cowperthwaite was initially asked if the investigative process behind Halverson’s articles would make a good film.[8] Due to the sensitive material of the subject[clarification needed], the production team did diagnostics on computers, did not talk in rooms with windows, and did not talk about the film at all.[9] They also used encrypted servers and hand-delivered all the footage. [10]

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6/11/2024 #Inside Out 2 #Tuesday #Firebrand #The Grab

NEW MOVIES: June 6-12, 2024, “Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” “The Watchers,” “Hitman,” “Kidnapped: the Abduction of Edgardo Mortara”

BAD BOYS: RIDE OR DIE

BAD BOYS: RIDE OR DIE

Bad Boys: Ride or Die is a 2024 American buddy cop action comedy film directed by Adil & Bilall and written by Chris Bremner and Will Beall.[3] Produced by Columbia PicturesDon Simpson/Jerry Bruckheimer FilmsWestbrook Studios and 2.0 Entertainment, and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing, it is the sequel to Bad Boys for Life (2020) and the fourth installment in the Bad Boys franchiseMartin LawrenceWill SmithJoe PantolianoVanessa HudgensAlexander LudwigPaola NúñezJacob Scipio, and DJ Khaled reprise their roles from the previous film with Tasha Smith taking over the role of Theresa Burnett from Theresa Randle, who previously played the character in the last three films. New cast members include Eric DaneIoan GruffuddRhea SeehornMelanie Liburd and Tiffany Haddish.

Bad Boys: Ride or Die premiered at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai on May 22, 2024. The film is scheduled to be theatrically released in France, Germany and the United Kingdom on 5 June 2024; in Australia, Brazil, India, Mexico and South Korea on 6 June 2024; in the United States on June 7, 2024.[4]

Premise

Detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett investigate corruption within the Miami PD when their late Captain Conrad Howard is posthumously accused of being involved with the Romanian Mafia, but a setup turns them into fugitives, forcing them to work outside the law in order to solve the case.

Cast

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THE WATCHERS

THE WATCHERS

The Watchers (titled The Watched in the United Kingdom and Ireland[1]) is an upcoming American supernatural horror film written and directed by Ishana Night Shyamalan, produced by her father M. Night Shyamalan, and based on the novel of the same name by A. M. Shine. It stars Dakota FanningGeorgina Campbell, Oliver Finnegan, and Olwen Fouéré.

Filming took place from July to September 2023. It is scheduled to be theatrically released by Warner Bros. Pictures on June 7, 2024.

Premise

28-year-old artist Mina gets stranded in an expansive, untouched forest in western Ireland. Upon finding shelter, she unknowingly becomes trapped alongside three strangers who are watched and stalked by mysterious creatures each night.[2]

Cast

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HITMAN

HITMAN

Hit Man is a 2023 American romantic black comedy film produced and directed by Richard Linklater, who co-wrote the screenplay with Glen Powell, based on the 2001 Texas Monthly magazine article of the same name by Skip Hollandsworth. The film stars Powell, Adria ArjonaAustin Amelio, and Retta, and follows an undercover New Orleans police contractor who poses as a reliable hitman as he tries to save a woman in need.

Hit Man premiered at the 80th Venice International Film Festival on September 5, 2023, and was released in select theaters in the United States on May 24, 2024, before its streaming debut by Netflix on June 7. The film received praise from critics.

Plot

A part-time staffer with the New Orleans Police Department stumbles into the role of posing undercover as a reliable hitman with the goal of arresting those trying to hire him. He discovers he has a talent for theatrically matching the expectations of his suspects with often-humorous costumes, accents, and mannerisms, which makes him especially adept at his work. He meets a battered woman who wants to hire him to kill her husband, but he advises her to pursue better options for getting help. They become romantically entangled.

Cast

  • Glen Powell as Gary Johnson, college professor and tech guy turned undercover mole
  • Adria Arjona as Maddy Masters, Gary’s love-interest
  • Austin Amelio as Jasper, an undercover cop
  • Retta as Claudette, a police officer Gary works for
  • Sanjay Rao as Phil, a police officer Gary works for
  • Evan Holtzman as Ray Masters, Maddy’s ex-husband
  • Molly Bernard as Alisha, Gary’s ex-wife

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KIDNAPPED: THE ABDUCTION OF EDGARDO MORTARA

KIDNAPPED: THE ABDUCTION OF EDGARDO MORTARA

Kidnapped (ItalianRapito) is a 2023 Italian-language historical drama film co-written and directed by Marco Bellocchio, about Edgardo Mortara, a young Jewish boy who was taken from his family by the Papal States and raised as a Catholic. It is loosely based on Daniele Scalise’s book Il caso Mortara.[3] It is a co-production between Italy, France and Germany.

The film was selected to compete for the Palme d’Or at the 76th Cannes Film Festival, where it premiered on 23 May 2023. It was theatrically released in Italy on 25 May. It received 11 nominations at the 69th David di Donatello, and won 5 awards, including Best Adapted Screenplay.[4]

Synopsis

1851. Edgardo Mortara is the sixth child of a Jewish family from the city of Bologna, part of the Papal States. Believing him sick and dying, the Christian maid Anna Morisi administers baptism in secret, for fear that when he dies he will end up in limbo. The child survives, but seven years later Anna tells Pier Feletti, head of the Bolognese office of the Holy Inquisition, about the baptism: the sacrament would have made the child irrevocably Catholic, and since the laws of the Papal States forbid a Christian to be raised by non-Christians, Feletti decides to remove the child from his family. On 24 June, Edgardo was forcibly taken and brought to Rome, where he would stay in the Casa dei Catecumeni, the boarding school for the children of converted Jews.

Cast

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NEW MOVIES: #Bad Boys: Ride or Die #The Watchers #Hitman #Kidnapped: the Abduction of Edgardo Mortara