Nickel Boys

Elwood (Ethan Herisse) is a studious teen in Florida during the early years of the Civil Rights Movement. He's tangentially involved in some protest but really longs to study science and his teacher gets him a scholarship at Technical College.

Travelling there he accepts a lift from the wrong person and is convicted as accomplice in the theft of the car they are riding in.

Sent to the Nickel Academy reform school he befriends Turner (Brandon Wilson) and they and every other child face regular bullying and abuse. Elwood begins to document this hoping one day to pass it to someone who cares.

No good will come of this.

CW: Implied physical abuse

The Monkey

Twin brothers Hal and Bill Shelburn (Christian Convery as the kids / Theo James as the adults) find a wind up toy monkey in their long missing father's possessions. Seemingly broken, turning the key does nothing.

Later that night as suddenly The Monkey whirrs into life their babysitter dies in a freak hibachi accident. Hal connects this directly with the death and comes to live in fear of the Monkey, which seems to change location when you're not paying attention. One day he tries to cut it up, only to find it back again.

After relentless bullying both by brother Bill and his classmates Hal turns the key again hoping it will kill his brother.

No good will come of this.

CW: violent bloody deaths of the squishy comedic variety

Flow

In a lush verdant world seemingly abandoned by humans but with signs of their presence everywhere a small cat lives in a house in the forest, perhaps waiting for its owner to return.

When a great flood comes, clearly not for the first time, the cat flees and as the water rises inexorably just manages to take sanctuary on a rickety sailboat.

It is not alone.

CW: nothing

Weapons

One night, every child but one in the primary school class taught by Miss Gandy (Julia Garner) disappears. All of them ran spontaneously out of their homes in the night at 02:17, seemingly willingly and alone.

Now thirty days later with no sign of them angry parents, including Archer Graff (Josh Brolin), want to know just exactly what the now pariah Miss Gandy was teaching in that class.

Both Gandy and the sole remaining student, Alex have been questioned at length and no explanation, motive or connection has come to light.

Miss Gandy decides to try and investigate herself despite the warnings against this from affable Principal Marcus (Benedict Wong)

CW: bloody violence but very sparingly used

Strange Darling

The Lady (Willa Fitzgerald) hooks up with The Demon (Kyle Gallner) for casual motel sex. As they drink a few beers in his pickup truck beforehand she asks him a very serious question...

"Are you a serial killer?"

No good will come of this.

CW: torture, mutilation, injury detail

Cuckoo

Gretchen (Hunter Schafer) reluctantly moves to an Alpine resort with her father, stepmother and half sister Alma. It's a perfect setup for youthful rebellion: she's dragged far from everything she loves with people she barely tolerates.

The resort is run by the creepy Herr König (Dan Stevens), who offers her a job at the reception which she jumps at thinking she can get some money together and run away.

Some of the resort guests behave oddly and she has a frightening experience with a woman who seems to chase her in the dark, so when a glamorous stranger offers her a ride to Paris she grabs money from the till and leaves.

No good will come of this.