Sometimes we just need a little escape, and for some that means turning down the lights and delving deep into a movie that awakens your senses, or just makes you forget about all the mundane moments that life throws at us. Below are two films that will do just that.

In Antidote, a woman is admitted into a hospital for an emergency surgery, but she wakes up in a bizarre medical facility where patients are treated like lab rats as mysterious doctors are trying out a cure for all ills. The clinical research is brutal — human endurance is put to the test and she must find a way to escape or continue to be used as a human Guinea pig.

Made in response to the times we are living in, this feature documentary weaves together stories of kindness, decency, and the power of community in America. It’s about everyday people who make the intentional choice to lift others up, despite the fundamentally unkind ways of our society, which are at once facts of life in America and yet deeply antithetical to our founding ideals. While it’s easy to court despair in the face of monumental, structural problems, this film tells stories of compassionate people intentionally leveraging the resources within themselves and their communities to give others a chance at a better life. The film aims to drive a national conversation about the roles that kindness, decency, compassion and respect play in a civilized, democratic society. The Antidote isn’t about an idea or a policy; it is about how we treat each other. It is about who we are. 

Directed by Academy Award-nominee, Kahane Cooperman, and six-time Emmy winner, John Hoffman. Starring The Human Centipede’s Ashlynn Yennie and Louis Mandylor (Rambo : Last Blood), Antidote premieres on DVD and Digital May 11 from Uncork’d Entertainment.

 In Open Your Eyes, a writer’s past explodes into the present and his world begins to unravel in In a rush to complete an overdue screenplay. This suspenseful thriller stars Ry Barrett (‘The Heretics’, ‘Still the Water’) and Joanna Saul (‘Limited’, ‘Overlord’) and takes you on a journey equal parts horrific and mysterious. 

In Open Your Eyes, Jason Miller (Ry Barrett) dives head first into his newest screenplay in an attempt to avoid dealing with a traumatic experience. With his mental state teetering on the edge, he meets Lisa (Joanna Saul), his neighbor from down the hall, and a relationship begins to form. As he becomes more intrigued with Lisa, Jason continues to burn the midnight oil to finish his script, strange and mysterious things begin to happen, causing him to question everything. With his mind unravelling and his life spinning out of control, Jason struggles to hold onto the one thing he wants most, hope.

Written and directed by Greg A. Sager (‘Devil Seed’, ‘Kingdom Come’) Open Your Eyes is a genre-bending blend of thriller, mystery, drama, and horror. The film was produced by Sager and Gary Elmer, with Elmer also acting as the Director of Photography. Open Your Eyes is available on VOD, DVD & Blu-Ray June 1 2021.

About the Author

Bryen Dunn is a freelance journalist with a focus on travel, lifestyle, entertainment and hospitality. He has an extensive portfolio of celebrity interviews with musicians, actors and other public personalities. He enjoys discovering delicious eats, tasting spirited treats, and being mesmerized by musical beats.