On this episode of The Playlist Podcast, we’re joined by filmmaker Ferdinando Filomarino, the director of the new Netflix film, “Beckett.”

For those unaware, “Beckett” stars John David Washington and Alicia Vikander and tells the story of an American couple on vacation in Greece. After a tragic accident, John David Washington’s character, aptly named Beckett, finds himself on the run from a mysterious group that is out to kill him for an unknown reason.

Continue reading Ferdinando Filomarino Talks ‘Beckett,’ “Relatable” Thrillers & The Future Of The Theatrical Experience [The Playlist Podcast] at The Playlist.

No matter who you believe, whether it’s the National Association of Theater Owners (NATO) saying theaters are being destroyed by streaming or perhaps studios trying to explain how streaming and theatrical release models will benefit everyone involved, the truth is that the theatrical experience is changing in a big way. And some, like John David Washington, are concerned about the survival of the big screen experience.

READ MORE: ‘Black Widow’ Has Historically Bad Box Office Drop As Theater Owners Blame Disney+ Access

Speaking at the Locarno Film Festival (via Variety), where his new film, “Beckett,” is having its world premiere, John David Washington talked about the feature and why the festival experience has him worried about the future of the industry.

Continue reading John David Washington Talks The “Survival Of The Theatrical Experience” While At ‘Beckett’ Premiere at The Playlist.

For a film in which John David Washington lurches, staggers, stumbles, shambles, flounders, falters, wobbles, scrabbles and totters across an entire Greek province, getting shot, stabbed, cuffed (often in the very same already broken arm), punched, beaten, chased and stung by bees, is in two-car crashes but also gets hit by a car, escapes in the trunk of a car, gets in a taser fight in a car and eventually falls from a great height onto a car,  “Beckett” sure is dull.

Continue reading Netflix’s ‘Beckett’ With John David Washington, Alicia Vikander & Vicky Krieps: A Wrong-Man Thriller That Never Gets It Right [Locarno Review] at The Playlist.

Just as things were seemingly returning to normal – albeit slowly for some – it would seem that we may be going back to studios possibly shifting release dates for their more prominent properties. Or maybe “Clifford the Big Red Dog” is simply an outlier. That said, for the time being, there’s plenty of films on the docket worth keeping an eye out for in a month full of original content and few titles (such as the well-regarded “The Suicide Squad“) based on existing properties.

Continue reading 13 Films To Watch In August: ‘Suicide Squad,’ ‘Candyman,’ ‘Coda’ & More at The Playlist.

The 74th Locarno Film Festival will take place in person from August 4 to August 14 in Locarno, Switzerland, and the festival’s film lineup has been announced via The Hollywood Reporter. The Swiss event was founded back in 1946 and is one of the longest-running film festivals in the world.

READ MORE: ‘Halloween Kills’ To Premiere At Venice Film Festival As Jamie Lee Curtis Honored With Lifetime Achievement Award

Studio pics at the Piazza Grande lineup will include Ferdinando Cito Filomarino’s thriller “Beckett” that features performances from John David Washington and Alicia Vikander, Shawn Levy‘s video game adventure film “Free Guy” led by Ryan Reynolds and Jodie Comer, John Swab’s actioner “Ida Red” starring Melissa Leo, and Liesl Tommy’s biopic “Respect” starring Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson.

Continue reading Locarno Film Festival Lineup Includes ‘Beckett,’ ‘Ida Red,’ Abel Ferrara’s ‘Zeros & Ones,’ Gaspar Noé’s ‘Vortex’ & More at The Playlist.

When Netflix announced its grand plans to release one original film a week back in January, well, let’s just say this writer was a little skeptical. Netflix has been true to their word so far, though, and with their recently announced slate of summer movies, it looks like the streaming service may pull the feat off. It’s a pretty impressive feat for Netflix, especially with the COVID-19 pandemic still stymying the movie industry at large.

Continue reading ‘Beckett’ Trailer: John David Washington & Alicia Vikander Star in Conspiracy Thriller Arriving On Netflix This Summer at The Playlist.

So… I guess we’re back? If you’re an American, chances are you’ve been vaxxed to the max already and or are probably awaiting your second dose, which should come quickly.  As we already noted, folks like Marvel are already flexing, welcoming audiences back to theaters, and well, that means nature is healing, right? Cinema is healing too, and with New York vowing to reopen fully on June 1, that probably means the rest of the country isn’t far behind.

Continue reading Summer 2021 Preview: Over 50 Movies To Watch at The Playlist.

Earlier in the year, Netflix promised a barrage of movies coming in 2021. Well, they weren’t kidding and today, have unveiled a big summer slate of 30 movies coming every week this summer. Some of it has already been unveiled: Zack Snyder‘s “Army Of The Dead,” the sci-fi thriller “Oxygen” with Melanie Laurent, “Woman in the Window” starring Amy Adams and more.

Continue reading Netflix Unveils Massive Summer Slate Teaser Trailer: New Films With Felicity Jones, Jason Momoa, Shailene Woodley, Kevin Hart, Liam Neeson & More at The Playlist.