We’re living in the middle of a pandemic, nearly every theatrical release has vacated the 2020 hellscape, but somehow, as the year comes to a close, we’re offered, an overwhelming number of films worth exploring (isn’t film over?). Some have been celebrated since January of this year at Sundance, while others made their festival arrivals later but stunned nonetheless. Others, such as “Soul” and “Wonder Woman 1984,” will experiment with just how much success a typical tentpole film can have at home.

Continue reading 16 Films To See In December: ‘Nomadland,’ ‘Pieces Of A Woman,’ ‘Mank’ & More at The Playlist.

One of 2020’s few joys has been Steve McQueen’s Amazon anthology “Small Axe,” a series telling, in some instances for the first time, the stories of the Black Brits who faced oppression during the ’60s and ’70s. While “Mangrove” touted empowerment through self-representation,  “Lovers Rock” through music, and “Red, White and Blue” through reform from within, “Alex Wheatle” calls for literature as a gateway to freedom.

Continue reading ‘Alex Wheatle’ Is The Weakest Strike In Steve McQueen’s ‘Small Axe’ [Review] at The Playlist.

This late fall has been a treat because we’ve received a new Steve McQueen (“12 Years A Slave,” “Widows“) week every week for the last three weeks; when does that happen? And they are all part of McQueen’s new five-film anthology series, “Small Axe,” based on the Jamaican proverb, “If you are the big tree, we are the small axe.” Three films have debuted at the New York Film Festival earlier this fall, and those three have now aired on Amazon Prime Video.

Continue reading ‘Alex Wheatle’ Trailer: Steve McQueen’s Latest ‘Small Axe’ Film Is About A Man Looking For Community at The Playlist.

Sure, the new trailer for “Small Axe” dubs the anthology as a “new series,” but this project from filmmaker Steve McQueen is no TV series. In fact, it’s a group of five feature films that can be viewed separately or together and paint the picture of life for a group of people in London’s West Indian community throughout the decades. But again, this is not a TV series.

READ MORE: ‘Red, White And Blue’: John Boyega Is Superb In Steve McQueen’s Challenging, And Unafraid ‘Small Axe’ Film [NYFF Review]

The trailer for “Small Axe” begins by showing how much music plays a role in the lives of various folks in the London West-Indian community, as a way for everyone to come together.

Continue reading ‘Small Axe’ Trailer: Steve McQueen’s Acclaimed Anthology Arrives On Amazon Later This Month at The Playlist.