TORONTO – Underdog sports stories are a dime a dozen. Scrappy athlete – often from a disenfranchised background – makes it to the big game, title match, or final race to emerge a heroic champion. And, truth be told, these are real, life-changing outcomes that happen multiple times a year across the globe. What movies and the media often ignore, is what happens after the coronation. Because, for many, it doesn’t result in the untold riches they dreamed of.

Continue reading ‘The Fire Inside’ Review: Ryan Destiny Throws Like A Champ In Another Underdog Boxing Tale [TIFF] at The Playlist.

It may feel like a lifetime ago, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, but “Godzilla Vs. Kong” was one of 2021’s highest-grossing films. Of course, one must also equate the film’s simultaneous release in theaters and on HBO Max and reduced theatergoing due to the pandemic in those numbers. But hey: Adam Wingard‘s “Monsterverse” blockbuster made $470 million in a year when the movie industry was in dire straights.

Continue reading ‘Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’ Teaser: Adam Wingard’s Next ‘Monsterverse’ Blockbuster Hits Theaters On March 14, 2024 at The Playlist.

“Relive” hinges on a clever premise, and boasts a cast that includes David Oyelowo, Storm Reid, Bryan Tyree Henry, Alfred Molina, and Mykelti Williamson. It is written and directed by Jacob Aaron Estes, who also helmed “Mean Creek” and “The Details,” and comes from the good folks at Blumhouse.

Continue reading ‘Relive’: Blumhouse Horror Drama Starring David Oyelowo Is A Misguided ‘Twilight Zone’ [Sundance Review] at The Playlist.

Fragility and strength. Those are the seemingly contradictory qualities that in combination, we notice we’ve really responded to this year. Perhaps it’s because the times we live in have us all feeling a bit fragile, yet despite that, fuck it, look at us, we’re resilient, we’re strong, we’re still here! But whether it’s charismatic, even bombastic portrayals of pettiness, or intricate renderings of the faultlines that undermine greatness, the 2018 performances that have really stuck with us have tended to encompass both ends of that spectrum.

Continue reading The Best Performances Of 2018 at The Playlist.

As the Toronto International Film Festival begins to click into gear, we’ve got a new look at Steve McQueen‘s highly-anticipated heist thriller “Widows,” where Oscar-winner Viola Davis gets her fellow future thieves in gear for their upcoming robbery. Be sure to listen for Hans Zimmer‘s tricky score pattering around the background on this one, and to watch Davis really dig in at the end with glimpses what she’s building with this character.

Continue reading Viola Davis Rallies The Troops In New ‘Widows’ Clip Before The Steve McQueen Film Debuts At TIFF at The Playlist.