Friday Flicks: ‘Isle of Dogs’, ‘Unsane’, ‘Ismael’s Ghosts’
Friday rolls around with the usual mix of new releases and lingering conversations from the festival circuit. The awards season machine has gone quiet for now, giving way to the spring push of independent titles and the kind of programming that turns up at places like Tribeca. This weekend in 2018 brought a handful of smaller films into theaters that rewarded viewers willing to step outside the big-studio tentpoles.
Box-office chatter centered on the usual suspects, with Black Panther still hanging in there while Pacific Rim: Uprising made its play for the top spot. The real action, though, sat in the corners where distributors like Fox Searchlight, Bleecker Street, and Strand Releasing rolled out titles aimed at audiences looking for something different.
One of the most talked-about arrivals was Wes Anderson’s stop-motion feature Isle of Dogs, which landed amid questions about representation and creative license. The conversation around the film mixed praise for its craft with pointed critiques, yet the project still found a sizable audience and went on to earn further recognition.
Isle of Dogs (Fox Searchlight)
on limited theatrical release now
Isle of Dogs follows 12-year-old Atari Kobayashi as he pilots a small plane to a remote garbage island where the dogs of Megasaki City have been exiled. With the help of a pack of stray dogs, he searches for his missing bodyguard pet while larger political forces close in. The voice cast includes Koyu Rankin, Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Greta Gerwig, and Frances McDormand. The film won the Silver Bear for Best Director at Berlin, picked up two Academy Award nominations, and eventually grossed roughly $64 million worldwide with a 90 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Isle of Dogs Legacy and Availability
The film’s post-release life has included a Criterion Collection edition released in 2025 as part of the Wes Anderson archive. Its 90 percent Rotten Tomatoes score has held steady, and the two Oscar nominations for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Score reflect the sustained critical regard that followed the initial festival and theatrical run. The stop-motion work and distinctive sound design continue to draw repeat viewings years later.
Unsane (Bleecker Street)
on wide theatrical release now
Steven Soderbergh shot the thriller on an iPhone over ten days, creating a taut story about a young woman who finds herself involuntarily committed to a psychiatric facility where she encounters the person she fears most. Claire Foy leads the cast alongside Joshua Leonard and Jay Pharoah. The film grossed more than $14 million against a $1.5 million budget and earned an 80 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes, with reviewers noting the sustained tension and the lead performance.
Unsane's Innovative Production
The iPhone cinematography became a talking point at the time, yet the film’s commercial performance proved equally notable. The low-budget approach delivered a wide release and solid returns while maintaining the controlled, claustrophobic aesthetic that defined the story. The quick production schedule and resulting critical consensus positioned the project as an example of how accessible tools could still yield theatrical viability.
Final Portrait (Sony Pictures Classics)
on limited theatrical release now
Geoffrey Rush and Armie Hammer star in this account of writer James Lord’s extended sittings with sculptor Alberto Giacometti in 1964 Paris. What begins as a short portrait session stretches into weeks, testing the patience and curiosity of both men. The film earned a 73 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics highlighting the ensemble work and the quiet observation of artistic process.
The Workshop: Themes of Class and Creativity
Directed by Laurent Cantet, the film follows a young man named Antoine who joins a summer writing workshop in the South of France. The group is tasked with crafting a crime thriller under the guidance of a celebrated novelist, yet Antoine’s contributions begin to expose deeper class tensions and contemporary anxieties. The 2018 New York Times review noted how the story used the workshop setting to examine divides that extend beyond the page, making the narrative feel particularly of its moment.
Summer in the Forest and L'Arche's Enduring Story
The documentary centers on the L’Arche community founded by Jean Vanier outside Paris, where individuals with intellectual disabilities live and work together. Philippe, Michel, Andre, and Patrick share their daily routines, memories, and small triumphs amid the forest setting. Vanier passed away in May 2019, adding a layer of historical context to the 2018 release that captured the community’s philosophy and daily life before that transition.
Indie Releases in Context of 2018 Awards Season Transition
Many of the titles opening March 23, 2018, arrived as the awards cycle wound down and festival programming took over. Tribeca’s slate that year emphasized independent voices, and the timing allowed these films to reach audiences shifting from year-end prestige pictures to spring discoveries. The moment marked a familiar handoff in the annual calendar, with distributors using the window to launch work that might otherwise get lost in larger releases.
Together the slate offered a snapshot of what indie distribution looked like at that point in the year. Some entries leaned on familiar names and festival momentum, while others tested new production methods or revisited long-standing social questions. The weekend served as a reminder that the spring calendar still holds space for films that operate outside the summer blockbuster machinery.
