The Chicago Critics Film hits Chicago this weekend at the Music Box, and the Fandads will be there to cover it. We will attempt to watch a few films during its run. While it is impossible to watch everything that the festival has to offer, here is a list of the few movies we hope to watch.

Tickets are still available for a lot of these screenings. Click on the title of the film to purchase your tickets.

The Invite – Friday, May 1st

Joe and Angela’s marriage is on thin ice. When they invite their enigmatic upstairs neighbors for a dinner party, the night spirals into unexpected places. Have they reignited the spark or lit the match that burns it all down? Run time: 108 minutes

The movie will be presented with director and star Olivia Wilde in attendance.

Carolina Caroline – Saturday, May 2nd

Acclaimed director Adam Carter Rehmeier’s romantic crime thriller stars Samara Weaving (READY OR NOT, BORDERLINE) as Caroline Daniels, whose desire to leave her small Texas town brings her into the orbit of a charismatic con man (Kyle Gallner), and together they weave a path of crime and passion across the American Southeast. Also starring Kyra Sedgwick, the film features a wide-ranging country music soundtrack, with tracks from artists such as Jason Isbell, Chris Stapleton, Loretta Lynn, and over a dozen others. Run time: 105 minutes

Decorado – Saturday, May 2nd

Something is wrong in the city of Anywhere. Arnold, an unemployed middle-aged mouse, confides to his wife Maria that he suspects his entire world is nothing more than a set, and his life a scripted performance. When his best friend Ramiro dies under mysterious circumstances, he traces the conspiracy to a monolithic corporation whose influence reaches every corner of their daily lives. Run time; 95 minutes

I Want Your Sex – Saturday, May 2nd

When fresh-faced Elliot lands an exciting job for renowned artist, icon, and provocateur Erika Tracy, his fantasies come true as Erika taps him to become her sexual muse. But Elliot soon finds himself out of his depth as Erika takes him on a journey more profound than he ever could have imagined, into a world of sex, obsession, power, betrayal, and murder. Run time: 90 minutes

A.I.: Artificial Intelligence – Sunday, May 3

I saw this when it was originally released, and it became one of my favorite films. The film will be presented in 35 mm, and I am excited to see it on the big screen again. 

A highly advanced robotic boy longs to become “real” so that he can regain the love of his human mother. Run time: 146 minutes

Maddie’s Secret – Sunday, May 3rd

MADDIE’S SECRET is comedian, writer, and actor John Early’s critically acclaimed directorial debut starring himself as Maddie, a plucky dishwasher who leaps to viral superstardom at a trendy food content creation company. While her life seems picturesque — complete with an adoring husband, ride-or-die best friend, and a cupboard full of woman-owned, ethically-sourced chili crisp to boot — mounting professional pressures threaten to reawaken a hidden secret from her troubled past. A pitch-perfect blend of satire, melodrama, daring tonal shifts, and intimate performances, the film marks a bold new voice in contemporary cinema. Run time: 98 minutes.

When a Witness Recants – Monday, May 4th

In 1983, noted author Ta-Nehisi Coates remembers learning that a 14-year-old boy was murdered in the corridor of his Baltimore middle school. Revisiting the case as an adult, he learns the truth about the three innocent teenagers who were convicted and sentenced to life. After 36 years in prison, it was revealed that false testimony led to their imprisonment. WHEN A WITNESS RECANTS explores the collateral damage the handling of this case had on the community, the wrongfully accused, and the young witnesses pressured to betray them. Run time: 112 minutes

Director Dawn Porter in attendance for a post-film Q&A

This screening is co-presented by the Chicago Critics Film Festival and Black Women Directors, a digital archive and curatorial platform founded by Danielle A. Scruggs that celebrates the work of Black women and non-binary filmmakers worldwide.

Black Zombie – Tuesday, May 5th

BLACK ZOMBIE digs beneath the blood-soaked spectacle of modern horror to uncover the zombie’s buried, unsettling origins. From flickering Hollywood screens to the haunted cane fields of colonial Haiti, the film traces how a figure born from enslavement, spiritual belief, and resistance was transformed into one of pop culture’s most profitable monsters. Run time: 90 minutes

Chili Finger – Tuesday, May 5th

When Jessica Lipki discovers a severed human finger in her bowl of chili, she blackmails the regionally-beloved fast-food chain for $100,000 in return that she and her blissfully ignorant husband, Ron, keep quiet about the incident. Unbeknownst to Jess, her stunt has caught the attention of “the” Blake Junior, the plutocratic founder behind the “Blake Junior’s” food empire. He recruits his ex-Marine buddy, Dave, to investigate Jess and discover the truth behind the chili finger… Run time: 100 minutes

Directors Edd Benda & Stephen Helstad and Actress Judy Greer in attendance for a post-film Q&A

If I Go Will They Miss Me – Tuesday, May 5th

Twelve-year-old Lil Ant transforms his working-class neighborhood beneath the LAX flight path into a living mythology, where family members become gods, and the sky is crowded with endless departures. As he searches for a connection with his god-like yet conflicted father, he finds support in his close-knit community that helps him reconcile myth and reality. Run time: 95 minutes