The two ‘Sicario’ films are very interesting thrillers to discuss. The first one, directed by Denis Villeneuve, is one of the better action thrillers in recent memory, and it actually cemented screenwriter Taylor Sheridan as a force in Hollywood. The sequel, ‘Day of the Soldado,’ saw the return of Sheridan but included director Stefano Sollima. That film wasn’t as well-received, though I would suggest people rewatch it on its own merits.

Continue reading ‘Sicario 3’ In The Works With Original Cast, Taylor Sheridan & Christopher McQuarrie Said To Be Involved at The Playlist.

The engaging and surprising crime film “Reptile” is flying slightly under the radar and perhaps even somewhat underestimated. Maybe it is because it’s a Netflix film, which often falls into—one piece of content of many, for better or worse—maybe it’s because it’s been marketed in a pretty standard straightforward way that makes it look like a prototypical crime or killer procedural (hey, they have to sell these things in the simplest ways they can).

Continue reading ‘Reptile’: Director Grant Singer Talks Benicio Del Toro Collaboration, Coppola & Hitchcock’s Influence & Subverting Crime Tropes [Deep Focus Podcast] at The Playlist.

It’s been five years since Stefano Sollima‘s “Sicario: Day Of The Soldado,” the sequel to Denis Villeneuve‘s much-heralded 2015 film. But critics didn’t take to the 2018 sequel like they did to Villeneuve’s original, which suggests the franchise won’t continue. Apparently, that’s not the case. The Messenger reports that series producers Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee confirm that a third “Sicario” movie is in the works.

Continue reading ‘Sicario’ Producers Confirm That A Third Film With Benicio Del Toro Is On The Way at The Playlist.

Everyone wants to be David Fincher when you’re making a capital S serious, severe procedural, and grim murder mystery like Netflix’s uneven but still fascinating “Reptile.” And to be sure, gray and sinister —like all good serial killer or intricate murder thrillers are these days— director Grant Singer might reference a Fincher shot here and there or try inventively add a little Steven Soderbergh paranoia ala “KIMI.

Continue reading ‘Reptile’ Review: Benicio del Toro Spices Up A Familiar But Compelling Crime Drama Aspiring For Villeneuve Darkness [TIFF] at The Playlist.

How to do you solve a murder when everyone is a suspect? A wise detective finds himself with the case of a lifetime in “Reptile,” and the grisly killing is just the beginning as he soon discovers connections to his own life. “Reptile” hails from director Grant Singer — better known for his work on videos for Sam Smith, 5 Seconds of Summer, and Lorde. 

READ MORE: Benicio Del Toro Says He Wants To Direct, Talks The Soderberg Influence & Missing His Fave Cut-Out Scene In ‘Sicario’

Singer recently spoke about the quest to create this twisted cinematic experience.

Continue reading ‘Reptile’ Trailer: Benicio Del Toro, Justin Timberlake & More Star In Netflix’s Mystery Thriller at The Playlist.

TeamDeakins, the podcast run by acclaimed cinematographer Roger Deakins and James Deakins, his collaborator, a script supervisor, and his wife, is consistently entertaining and listenable. On a recent episode, the Deakins duo had actor Benicio del Toro on the podcast to discuss their work together on “Sicario”—Roger was the DP, del Toro co-starred— and much of the Latin American actor’s impressive career.

READ MORE: Review: Denis Villeneuve’s ‘Sicario’ Starring Emily Blunt Is A Slow Building, Solid Procedural

Ironically, Roger Deakins admitted that he was scared to talk to Del Toro on the set of “Sicario” and that, in fact, they had barely spoken to each other before, despite having worked together on that film.

Continue reading Benicio Del Toro Says He Wants To Direct, Talks The Soderberg Influence & Missing His Fave Cut-Out Scene In ‘Sicario’ at The Playlist.

The 56th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival has come to an end after over a week of cinematic delights. At the closing night ceremony, The KVIFF President’s Award was presented to both Czech actor Bolek Polívka and Oscar-winner Benicio Del Toro, with the Crystal Globe for outstanding artistic contribution to world cinema was presented to Geoffrey Rush.

Before the closing ceremony, the non-statutory awards were announced, where two Czech films, the drama “Borders of Love” and the documentary “Art Talent Show,” were honored by the journalistic FIPRESCI jury at the 56th KVIFF.

Continue reading ‘Summer Of Hope’ Wins The Grand Prize: Full Karlovy Vary 2022 Award Winners at The Playlist.

The 56th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival is right around the corner, and today the festival announced its two honorary awards for 2022. In something of a surprise, KVIFF will bestow the Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema presented to Geoffrey Rush. The KVIFF President’s Award will be given to Benicio del Toro. Both gentlemen will receive their awards during the festival’s closing ceremony on July 9.

Continue reading Geoffrey Rush & Benicio Del Toro Will Be Honored At Karlovy Vary 2022 at The Playlist.

July 12th, 2021, Cannes – Reader, I ratatat out this missive in haste on my trusty Smith-Corona from the South of France, in the paltry hopes it may adequately convey my delight in viewing the latest cinematographic marvel from Mr. Wes Anderson, originally of Houston, Texas but more latterly resident of a nearby color-coded, symmetrical nebula almost entirely of his own design. “The French Dispatch,” Mr.

Continue reading ‘The French Dispatch’: Wes Anderson Dazzles With A Whimsical New Missive Of Wit & Short Story Delights [Cannes Review] at The Playlist.

Easing back into moviemaking after the months-long covid shutdown seems like a mighty stressful proposition, and from the looks of the cast and crew credits for “No Sudden Move,” Steven Soderbergh decided to alleviate that stress by surrounding himself with people he knew. It’s a picture chock full of reunions: with his frequent star Don Cheadle, with Cheadle’s “Traffic” co-star Benicio del Toro, with Amy Seimetz (of the “Girlfriend Experience” TV adaptation), with Bill Duke of “High Flying Bird”; even Brendan Fraser was previously directed by Soderbergh, on a wonderful episode of the long-forgotten Showtime anthology series “Fallen Angels.” The script is by Ed Solomon, who penned the director’s HBO series “Mosaic”; the music is by his regular collaborator David Holmes; the producer is Casey Silver, who, as head of Universal Pictures, offered Soderbergh the picture that saved his career, “Out of Sight.” (And, of course, he’s again working with director of photography Peter Andrews and editor Mary Ann Bernard, wink wink.)

READ MORE: Summer 2021 Preview: Over 50 Movies To
Watch

Moreover, he’s revisiting his favorite genre, the crime picture.

Continue reading ‘No Sudden Move’: A Thrilling Yet Thoughtful Throwback From Steven Soderbergh [Tribeca Review] at The Playlist.

As his fans will attest, Steven Soderbergh is a filmmaking machine. Since his return from “retirement” in 2016, the director immediately resumed his torrid production rate. Starting with 2017’s “Logan Lucky,” Soderbergh has made five films in the last five years, including 2018’s “Unsane” and “Let Them All Talk” for HBO Max last December. On top of that, he also made an experimental TV show for HBO, “Mosaic,” that came out in two forms: a six-episode limited series and a mobile app where viewers interacted with the plot’s trajectory.

Continue reading ‘No Sudden Move’ Trailer: Don Cheadle And Benecio Del Toro Lead A Packed Ensemble In Soderbergh’s Latest at The Playlist.

Cat’s out of the bag. Steven Soderbergh‘s upcoming 1950-set crime thriller, “No Sudden Move,” will make its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in June. The film, written by Ed Solomon (Soderbergh’s “Mosaic“), will debut as the Centerpiece Gala picture at this year’s festival, set to run June 9-20, as it celebrates its 20th anniversary. The film will make its public premiere, shortly thereafter, expected on HBO Max July 1 (Solomon’s had this info public on his Twitter page for weeks, FYI).

Continue reading Steven Soderbergh’s ‘No Sudden Move’ To Premiere At Tribeca Film Festival, Then Hits HBO Max July 1 [First Look Teaser Trailer] at The Playlist.

We’ve known about Steven Soderbergh’s upcoming film “No Sudden Move” (formerly known as “Kill Switch”) for a while now. Back in November, we first reported on the project with Don Cheadle, Josh Brolin, and Sebastian Stan all in talks to star in the film. But boy, oh boy, what a difference a year and a schedule-smashing pandemic makes. Now, Don Cheadle is set to star in the film, but his supporting cast has been substantially changed.

Continue reading Steven Soderbergh’s ‘Kill Switch’ Becomes ‘No Sudden Move’ & Adds Benicio Del Toro, David Harbour, Julia Fox & More at The Playlist.

The trailer for Wes Anderson‘s latest comedy “The French Dispatch” has appeared online today and Twitter is abuzz, but one sentiment that seems to be universal is that everyone seems to think it looks fantastic, but no one seems to know what it’s actually about. Well, it’s elementary, really, but here’s a fun breakdown of the trailer if you watched it but didn’t actually pay much attention to the details (and yesterday’s New Yorker first look piece filled in many of the details too).

Continue reading ‘The French Dispatch’ Trailer Breakdown: Analyzing The 4 Sections In Wes Anderson’s Short Story Anthology Collection at The Playlist.

The exquisitely
and extremely curated life of filmmaker Wes Anderson has always
resembled a mosaic of high-browed great taste, be it music, sartorial style, costumes,
food, fashionable friends, literary discrimination, culture and the various
arts. Maybe not unlike an eclectic and well-curated edition of the New Yorker,
a magazine Anderson has been vocally fond of and enthusiastic about for years.
So, for his latest film, “The French Dispatch,” Anderson is using the venerable
New York cultural magazine as a jumping point to explore what seems to be a potpourri
of disparate vignettes and stories.

Continue reading ‘French Dispatch’ Trailer: Wes Anderson Crafts An Eclectic Loveletter To Journalists & Short Storytellers at The Playlist.

As the DC Extended Universe continues to make up ground on Marvel Studios in terms of box office maximization and cultural foothold, new casting announcements and rumors are providing clarity on what the universe’s future will look like.

READ MORE: The DC Films Universe: All The Movies Coming Soon & In Development

According to Forbes, the new iteration of “The Suicide Squad” – directed by “Guardians of the Galaxy’s” James Gunn – may be adding Oscar winner Benicio del Toro to a cast that has already nailed down the returns of Margot Robbie, Viola Davis, and Jai Courtney.

Continue reading Benicio Del Toro Rumored For ‘Suicide Squad,’ ‘Supergirl’ May Begin Production Next Year at The Playlist.

If you’re a film fan, you’re probably very familiar with the work of actor Danny Trejo. He’s the epitome of badass, even starring in a film literally titled “Bad Ass” (which spawned two sequels, no less). He’s probably most well known for roles in films like “Machete,” “Con Air,” “Heat,” and about a million films with Robert Rodriguez.

Continue reading Danny Trejo & Benicio Del Toro Voice A Monkey And A Fox In ‘Dora The Explorer’ Live-Action Film & Nothing Makes Sense Anymore at The Playlist.

This category is an abundance of riches with some absolutely stellar performances. At this point, it’s likely a three-way race between “When They See Us'” Jharrel Jerome, “Chernobyl’s” Jared Harris and “True Detective’s” Mahershala Ali. You wouldn’t go wrong picking Harris or Ali, but so many of Jerome’s co-stars were nominated (seven in total) that he’ll likely pull through. If Harris wins, however, “Chernobyl” may have the momentum to take the Outstanding Limited Series Emmy.

Continue reading 2019 Outstanding Actor In A Limited Series Or Movie Emmy Predictions at The Playlist.

Wes Anderson is finally put the finishing touches on pre-production for his latest film, his tenth overall, and with it, we now have a pretty good idea what we can expect. And sadly, the film is still not a French musical. But that being said, with the cast he has lined up, Anderson has yet another film that many fans will be anxious to see.

READ MORE: Producer Gives Plot Details About Wes Anderson’s Upcoming Film & Says It’s Not A Musical

According to IndieWire, the filmmaker recently began production on “The French Dispatch.” The film is described as a “love letter to journalists” and is set at an American newspaper outpost in Paris.

Continue reading Wes Anderson Adds Timothée Chalamet, Benicio Del Toro & More To New Film ‘The French Dispatch’ at The Playlist.

Hollywood has changed. While the days where the silver screen was solely occupied by chiseled Caucasian detectives and doe-eyed femme fatales stand as a quaint reminder of the past, there is certainly something to say for the actors during the golden age of cinema. Without the rampant nosiness perpetuated by publications like TMZ or an ensemble of late-night talk shows to offer everyday Americans in the 1940s a transparent look into the secretive celebrity spotlight, actors evolved into modern folk heroes — attractive urban legends cloaked in mystery, where the line between reality and fiction blurred beyond recognition.

Continue reading Robert Mitchum’s Charisma Can’t Save ‘Nice Girls Don’t Stay for Breakfast’ [Venice Review] at The Playlist.

The true story of the 2015 Dannemora prison breakout is almost too ridiculous to believe. The drama surrounds a female prison worker, named Tilly Mitchell, who involves herself in a sexual relationship with two separate inmates and uses her access to give them the supplies they need to escape. Of course, if you followed the news, you know that the escape was just part of the story, as the two men and Tilly found themselves at the center of a manhunt.

Continue reading ‘Escape At Dannemora’ Trailer: Paul Dano & Benicio Del Toro Star In Series Based On Insane True Story at The Playlist.

It would be disingenuous to not acknowledge that it’s often off putting when you see a movie and your fellow critics don’t react with the same enthusiasm.  After seeing “Sicario: Day of the Soldado” a few weeks ago I left the theater impressed with Stefano Sollima’s English-language feature debut, a sequel to Denis Villeneuve‘s 2015 thriller, “Sicario.”  And a number of critics and writers I respect felt the same way.  

Continue reading Stefano Sollima On The Controversial Opening Of ‘Sicario: Day Of The Soldado’ [Podcast] at The Playlist.

When your revered crew of original principals doesn’t return for your sequel —director Denis Villeneuve, Emily Blunt as your star, legendary Roger Deakins as cinematographer and the late Jóhann Jóhannsson as your composer — you don’t really stand a chance. Much to its detriment, all these A-list players are absent in “Sicario: Day Of The Soldado,” and thus the drug cartel film, more action thriller than nuanced dramatic thriller this time, pales in comparison.

Continue reading ‘Sicario: Day Of The Soldado’ Is Season Two Of The Taylor Sheridan Franchise, Both Toxic & Intense [Review] at The Playlist.

“Sicario: Day of the Soldado” has an uphill battle when it debuts at the end of this month. While the film has had some pretty great marketing, including wonderful trailers that bring back the vibe of the first movie, there’s still a fairly large contingent of film fans saying, “But why?”

That’s the big question that looms over the head of ‘Day of the Soldado.’ Why make a sequel to a film that doesn’t necessarily call for one?

Continue reading Early Reactions To ‘Sicario 2’ Say The Film Is “Fantastic” And “Amazing” at The Playlist.

This is a reprint of our review from the 2015 Cannes Film Festival.

Since its 1943 publication, the novella “The Little Prince” by Antoine de Saint-Exupery has become a children’s classic the world over. The tale of a downed aviator who meets a small monarch who lives on an asteroid and fell in love with a rose is universally beloved, but the strange, semi-allegorical nature of the book means that a truly satisfying screen translation has never been made (Stanley Donen’s 1974 musical version is perhaps the best known).

Continue reading ‘The Little Prince’ Is A Beautiful & Charming Adaptation Of The Beloved Children’s Classic [Review] at The Playlist.