From now until the end of 2015, we're going to be seeing a lot more films like Concussion drop into the cinema.
In short, they're films that have a weighty story with one or two top-line actors and a few well-known supporting actors in between. Most likely they're based on a true story, one that people are either reasonably familiar with or knew absolutely nothing about.
With Concussion, it's a story that a lot of people know about in the US but almost nobody knows on this side of the world. Based on the true story of Dr. Bennet Omalu (Will Smith), a Nigerian forensic pathologist who reported on severe head injuries incurred by NFL players in the late '90s. The story rocked the sport to its foundations and changed standards and practices in NFL to this day.
The film's released in the middle of Oscar season, so it's clear they're aiming for that neck of the woods. It's got the credentials, too, as director Peter Landesman did last year's Parkland with Zac Efron and James Badge Dale and was heavily tipped for Oscar potential.
Concussion hits Irish cinemas on January 29th, 2016.