"Possessor Uncut,"
written and directed by Brandon Cronenberg (R, 1 hour, 40 minutes)
Children of doctors often become doctors. Same with children of lawyers, teachers, and other professions that demand diligence and passion. So it's no surprise that Brandon Cronenberg has become a screenwriter and director of violent sci-fi horror thrillers, just like his dad David Cronenberg, an originator of the body horror genre (examples are 1981's "Scanners," 1983's "Videodrome," 1988's "Dead Ringers," 1991's "Naked Lunch," 1996's" Crash," 2007's "Eastern Promises," and 2002's Spider").
The 40-year-old Toronto-based filmmaker, already known for 2013's "Antiviral," echoes his father's themes of graphic violence, mind/body clashes, and sex. All are at work in "Possessor," in which main character Tasya Vos (Andrew Riseborough) hacks other humans' brains, takes over their bodies, and collects tidy sums by using them to commit assassinations for wealthy customers.
Those who lust after films offering brutal human exploitation, nightmarish imagery, explicit sex, cold-blooded technology, and a stunning conclusion, will find much to love here. With Jennifer Lason Leigh, Tuppence Middleton, Andrea Riseborough, Sean Bean; written and directed by Brandon Cronenberg.
"Sexual Animals" (not rated, 1 hour, 23 minutes) A comedy in which a young man who unwittingly finds himself experiencing the rowdy world of college sexuality starts to see similarities between that world and those of lower life forms. With Jon Wierenga, Katie Causey, Mark Kendall, Amy McFadden; directed by Patrick Mack.
"Space Dogs" (not rated, 1 hour, 31 minutes) A brutal and complex Russian/Austrian co-production about Laika, the stray dog picked up by the Soviet space program on the streets of Moscow, who became the first living being to orbit the earth when she was launched into space on Sputnik 2, and the first to die in space when her capsule burned up upon re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere. Directors Elsa Kremser and Levin Peter trace the persistence of her memory and legacy as they document the lives of present-day street dogs in Moscow, keeping their cameras close to the ground to replicate the canine gaze.
Archival footage of the Soviet space program is interwoven throughout the film, revealing the bizarre tests dogs were subjected to in preparation for space travel. Stunning photographed, "Space Dogs" is a deep and haunting film. In Russian with English subtitles.
"Comfort Farms" (not rated, 1 hour, 17 minutes) A curious documentary in which a former combat army Ranger employs controversial concept, including raising and killing animals for food as part of a healing process, in designing and opening a sustainable therapy farm in Georgia meant to help fellow veterans at high risk for suicide while serving the surrounding community.With Brianne Marie Cercone-Jackson; written and directed by Carlisle Kellam.
"Faith Based" (not rated, 1 hour, 32 minutes) A comedy that targets -- sometimes awkwardly, but often with clever hilarity -- its goofy characters rather than a film genre. The victims are two slackers set out to film a low-budget Christian movie set in outer space that they're sure will make millions of dollars. With Luke Barnett, Tanner Thomason, Lance Reddick, Jason Alexander, Margaret Cho; written by Barnett and directed by Vincent Masciale.
It's also a big week for catching up on movies you might have missed, and a few that are worth revisiting:
"Total Recall" (PG-13, 1 hour, 58 minutes, 1990), based on a Philip K. Dick story that's set in the future and stars Colin Farrell as a factory worker plagued by weird dreams. This is a remake of Paul Verhoeven's 1990 film with the same name starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.
"Collateral" (R, 2 hours, 2004), an edge-of-seat thriller directed by Michael Mann in which a cab driver (Jamie Foxx) figures out that the guy in the back of his car is a hitman who's using his ride to drive around, eliminating witnesses to a crime he's committed.
"Top Gun" (PG, 1 hour, 49 minutes, 1986) is fun to watch as Tom Cruise portrays full-of-himself fighter pilot Maverick who is sent to an elite training school to perfect his skills, where he competes with calm, collected, and ruthless Iceman (Val Kilmer) while pursuing the affections of flight instructor Charlotte Blackwood (Kelly McGillis). It's worth it to hear Kenny Loggins' killer song "Danger Zone" on the soundtrack.