Bundle up for indie auteur Aaron Katz’s sibling-relationship drama/mystery thriller, which debuted at last year’s SXSW fest. Forensic science student (and Sherlock Holmes die-hard) Doug ditches college in Chicago to move to Portland, shack up with his sister, and work a dead-end job at an ice factory. A run-in with his ex followed by her disappearance thaws his once-quieted principles of detection.
It’s like: Brick meets Dance Party, USA.
Take: A warm body.
Premieres: Today

Showing at the Toronto Film Festival more than a year ago, Don Roos’s (Happy Endings) film adaption stars Oscar front-runner Natalie Portman as, wait for it, the other woman. The love interest of an adulterous man who leaves his wife for her, Emilia faces typical (getting along with his son, dodging the jealous ex-wife) and complex (their newborn’s death) experiences. A worn-in scenario with an extra layer of character drama — rooting for the home wrecker, so to speak — count us in.
It’s like: Stepmom meets Rabbit Hole.
Take: Yourself and have a good cry.
Premieres: Today

Let’s get wet. Written by real-life dive experts John Garvin and Andrew Wight and based on Wight’s own two-day entrapment experience, Alister Grierson’s story of survival has us holding our breath. Aussie explorers, intrigued by an uncharted South Pacific cave system, get trapped down under when a flash flood blocks their exit. Live or die, we need a change of scenery — even if it’s vicarious.
It’s like: 127 Hours meets Daylight.
Take: Your favorite urbanites.
Premieres: Today

Captivated by the book Perfect Victim, Elizabeth Southall’s chilling account detailing the disappearance of her daughter, director Simone North enlists Miranda Otto and Guy Pearce to translate a mother’s words onto the big screen. Wrought with self-loathing, 19-year-old Caroline stalks, murders, and then assumes 15-year-old Rachel’s identity. A story so bizarre, it can only be true.
It’s like: The Lovely Bones meets May.
Take: A big group. There’s safety in numbers.
Premieres: February 11

A movie about the Iowa city, filmed outside of Iowa — irony matched by Miguel Arteta’s (Youth in Revolt) 2011 Sundance laugh riot. Drawing inspiration from comedic genius Alexander Payne, Arteta details the coming-of-age story belonging to insurance agent Tim Lippe (Ed Helms). Having never flown, stayed at a hotel, or even been outside his hometown, Tim’s sent to Cedar Rapids for a convention. Middle-aged naivete coupled with John C. Reilly’s inebriated brutish behavior — we’ll drink to that.
It’s like: The Office on a bender.
Take: Your happy hour crew.
Premieres: February 11

A disheveled suburb of Baltimore sets the backdrop for writer/director Matt Porterfield’s recycled-Metal Gods feature, which hit home with 2010’s Berlinale and SXSW attendees. In it, a reclusive teen dies from heroine addiction, in turn uniting a fractured community. Rather than sensationalizing, Porterfield draws sympathy through his fiction-meets-documentary style. The film, shot in just twelve days, poses the question: When one puts no value on life, why should death be any less meaningless? Too deep?
It’s like: American Teen meets The United States of Leland.
Take: Your neighbors.
Premieres: February 18

Not for the squeamish (seriously), Jorge Michel Grau’s debut horror flick hit more than ten film festivals, including Cannes and New York. When an incredibly hungry family’s father/leader/hunter/gatherer dies, his three children and widow are left responsible for finding food. Relatable themes of identity, loyalty, and self-preservation float in the unflinching bloodbath. Oh, yeah, did we mention they’re cannibals?
It’s like: Let the Right One In meets The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.
Take: Your fellow Fantastic Fest fans — and steak sauce.
Premieres: February 18