Is there room in the TV world for another violent family drama? AMC+ sure hopes so, as the streaming service premieres the intense crime saga “Kin,” a sort of Irish brother to their critically acclaimed “Gangs of London,” which debuted to largely rapturous reviews. With its thick accents, violent betrayals, and setting in the criminal underworld, “Kin” can’t really avoid the comparisons to Gareth Evans’s superior program, but it’s really a much more confined tale, less sprawling and more focused on one family as it makes decisions that lead to tragedies, and it begins to appear that they may get wiped off the face of the entire island by a much stronger force.

Continue reading ‘Kin’: AMC+ Crime Series Tells A Familiar Tale But Is Elevated By A Superb Cast [Review] at The Playlist.

There are dozens of films that ask the question, “How far would a parent go to provide for their kids?” This simple premise results in a parent possibly doing something criminal to keep the family together. But in the film, “Herself,” a mother doesn’t want a million dollars or any harm to be done to her ex. Instead, all she wants is a tiny house to call her own.

Continue reading ‘Herself’ Trailer: Phyllida Lloyd’s Sundance Feature Shows A Mother Building A New Home For Her Kids at The Playlist.

If you’re a regular reader of this site, odds are you’re a fan of a well-acted, small-scale drama. And in a world dominated by superhero franchises, sequels, reboots, and tentpoles, there seems to be fewer and fewer of these prestige dramas around the industry. Well, if that’s something you’re into, then get ready for “Herself.”

READ MORE: ‘Herself’: A Delicately Empathetic Portrayal Of Rebuilding Your Self [Sundance Review]

As seen in the trailer for “Herself,” filmmaker Phyllida Lloyd returns with a solid family drama that doesn’t aim to do much more than attract people that want to feel something with their films.

Continue reading ‘Herself’ Trailer: ‘Iron Lady’ Filmmaker Returns With A Touching Family Drama at The Playlist.

Phyllida Lloyd’s first film since “The Iron Lady,” the filmmaker/theatre director’s serious follow up to the more operatic jukebox candy of “Mama Mia,” her latest film, “Herself,” is another more sobering effort and an affecting look at domestic abuse and emancipation from violence. It’s a low-key Dublin-set drama, touching upon social issues of economic anxiety and housing crises, and one that’s deeply empathetic, sharply observed, and features terrifically moving performances.

Continue reading ‘Herself’: A Delicately Empathetic Portrayal Of Rebuilding Your Self [Sundance Review] at The Playlist.