TORONTO – If we know anything about Riz Ahmed, it’s that he has taste. He rarely, if ever, stars in a project without a great script, intriguing concept, or notable director. That is, on paper. And, in that context, it’s not surprising he jumped for “Relay,” a mostly taut thriller from a Black List script written by newcomer Justin Piasecki and directed by David Mackenzie.

Continue reading ‘Relay’ Review: Riz Ahmed Can’t Talk His Way Out Of A Tense Thriller That Fizzles [TIFF] at The Playlist.

Will Aaron Taylor-Johnson be the next James Bond? As speculation on that casting continues, the “Kraven The Hunter” actor has a new upcoming picture: “Fuze,” which sees him reunite with director David Mackenzie.

READ MORE: The 100 Most Anticipated Films Of 2024

But “Fuze” isn’t a medieval period piece like 2018’s “Outlaw King.” Instead, Mackenzie will direct Taylor-Johnson in a contemporary heist thriller set in London.

Continue reading ‘Fuze’: Aaron Taylor-Johnson & ‘Outlaw King’ Director David Mackenzie To Reunite For Upcoming Heist Thriller at The Playlist.

Mark this one down as a most-anticipated upcoming project. “Hell Or High Water” director David Mackenzie‘s next outing is “Relay,” a corporate thriller with Riz Ahmed and Lily James to star. Mackenzie and Teddy Schwarzman of Black Bear Pictures will co-produce the film with Thunder Road‘s Basil Iwanyk and Sigma‘s Gillian Berrie.

Continue reading ‘Relay’: Riz Ahmed & Lily James To Star In Upcoming Corporate Thriller From ‘Hell Or High Water’ Director David Mackenzie at The Playlist.

Director David Mackenzie is heading to FX to helm a new crime series after making a string of feature films such as the robbery thriller “Hell or High Water,” the Scottish historical epic “The Outlaw King,” and the prison drama “Starred Up.”

READ MORE: David Mackenzie Talks Re-Editing ‘Outlaw King,’ Shrugs Off ‘Braveheart’ Comparisons, & Thinks Theaters Are Overrated [Interview]

A report from Variety has revealed that Mackenzie will bring his extensive directing experience to FX’s “Under The Banner of Heaven” with actors Andrew Garfield (“Red Riding 1974,” “The Social Network“) and Daisy Edgar-Jones (“Normal People,” “War of The Worlds“) taking key roles on the project.

Continue reading ‘Hell Or High Water’s David Mackenzie To Direct Andrew Garfield & Daisy Edgar-Jones In FX Crime Series ‘Under The Banner Of Heaven’ at The Playlist.

Over the past few months, we’ve seen several filmmakers work on new shorts while in quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic. Folks like Spike Lee, Michel Gondry, and David F. Sandberg have created films with no crew, no budget, and only their creativity to guide them. Well, Netflix is taking that idea to the next level with “Homemade.”

READ MORE: ‘Spencer’: Kristen Stewart To Play Princess Diana In Pablo Larraín’s New Film

Instead of one filmmaker creating a new film during lockdown, “Homemade” is a collection of short films from prominent directors all shot in the same circumstances that many people have experienced during the pandemic.

Continue reading ‘Homemade’ Trailer: Netflix Brings Together Pablo Larraín, Kristen Stewart & More For Shorts Made In Quarantine at The Playlist.

David Mackenzie‘s latest film, “Outlaw King,” is a life-long passion project for the Scottish director of “Hell or High Water” and “Starred Up.” The new Netflix film takes place during the medieval years of the early 14th century and recounts the story of Robert the Bruce (Chris Pine), brother of William Wallace (made famous by Mel Gibson in the film “Braveheart“), who went from being king to an outlaw after murdering the high-ranking son of a powerful monarch

READ MORE: David Mackenzie’s Re-Edited ‘Outlaw King’ Trims The Fat & Is A Rousing, Satisfying Adventure [LFF Review]

After a less-than-ideal premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, the filmmaker admitted that he rushed the movie to the festival by delivering what he called a “wet cut.” However, after the response at TIFF, Mackenzie went back to the editing bay and created a new cut of the highly-anticipated film.

Continue reading David Mackenzie Talks Re-Editing ‘Outlaw King,’ Shrugs Off ‘Braveheart’ Comparisons, & Thinks Theaters Are Overrated [Interview] at The Playlist.

David Mackenzie is embracing his Scottish roots to deliver the gut-wrenching historical drama promised, just a little shorter than advertised. Of “Starred Up” and “Hell or High Water” fame, Mackenzie teams up once again with Chris Pine (“Star Trek,” “A Wrinkle in Time”) for the Netflix original “Outlaw King.”

Shortly into the film’s grand tour of the festival circuit, the reviews were already coming back a little…mixed.

Continue reading ‘Outlaw King’: David Mackenzie’s Improved, Recut ‘Braveheart’-Esque Drama Gets A New Trailer at The Playlist.

We don’t usually review movies twice at The Playlist. But then again, a director doesn’t usually cut a substantial chunk of his film after reactions from a festival premiere suggested it was too long, and debut the new version barely six weeks after the initial premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. So props to David Mackenzie for clearly taking the response to “Outlaw King” seriously — not least because the film is backed by Netflix, who, given the latitude they usually give their filmmakers, clearly would have had no problem with releasing whatever version Mackenzie preferred.

Continue reading David Mackenzie’s Re-Edited ‘Outlaw King’ Trims The Fat & Is A Rousing, Satisfying Adventure [LFF Review] at The Playlist.

Coming off the Oscar-nominated “Hell or High Water,” there was a lot of buzz surrounding David Mackenzie’s latest film, “Outlaw King,” when it debuted at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. However, the film received mixed reviews. Well, before the film hits theaters and streaming in a little over a month, the filmmaker decided to go back to the editing bay and take another stab at his historical epic, chopping off a significant amount of the 137-minute run-time.

Continue reading David Mackenzie Explains Why He Cut 20 Minutes From ‘Outlaw King’ After Critical Response At TIFF at The Playlist.

In the introduction to their TIFF opening night selection “Outlaw King,” director David Mackenzie and producer Gillian Berrie made much of its seven-year journey to the screen. That’s a long time to spend on a project, particularly one as presumably complicated and costly as this one, so one does wonder at what point it became clear that they were making a movie about the wrong character. I’ll bet it was early.

Continue reading ‘Outlaw King’: Chris Pine’s Brave Heart Can’t Save David Mackenzie’s Bloody Epic [TIFF Review] at The Playlist.

You knew it was only a matter of time. And since it’s been a couple days since Danny Boyle was announced as leaving ‘Bond 25,’ reports are starting to come out about possible replacements. No, these aren’t names that are pure fan speculation like Kathryn Bigelow, Christopher Nolan, and Ryan Coogler. According to Deadline, these are the four names that might all have a shot at the 25th entry in the ‘Bond’ franchise.

Continue reading Edgar Wright, David Mackenzie, & Jean-Marc Vallee Lead Contenders To Replace Boyle On ‘Bond 25’ at The Playlist.

This fall, Netflix is going to have a string of films that are expected to garner some awards buzz. One of those films is the upcoming “Outlaw King.” And judging by the first trailer, Netflix seems to have something special on its hands.

The new film tells the “untold true story” of Robert the Bruce, an outlaw hero turned revolutionary king. And as you might expect from this sort of film, the action seems gritty, real, and of course, epic, as the requisite war scenes and inspirational speeches are all here.

Continue reading ‘Outlaw King’ Trailer: ‘Hell Or High Water’ Director Goes To Medieval Scotland For Film Debuting At TIFF at The Playlist.

It looks like the Toronto International Film Festival is bringing out the stars for its opening and closing films. The Chris Pine epic “Outlaw King” is expected to open the prestigious event, while Laura Dern and Kristen Stewart headline “Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy,” which will close out the festival.

READ MORE: TIFF 2018 Announces Claire Denis’ ‘High Life’ & New Films By Olivier Assayas, Steve McQueen, Barry Jenkins & More

“Hell or High Water” filmmaker David Mackenzie is teaming up with Pine for his upcoming “Outlaw King.” The film tells the untold, true story of Robert the Bruce, who transforms from defeated nobleman to outlaw hero during the oppressive occupation of medieval Scotland by Edward I of England.

Continue reading Chris Pine, Laura Dern, & Kristen Stewart Headline TIFF’s 2018 Opening And Closing Films at The Playlist.

“Hell Or High Water” was one of the more unexpected sleeper hits of the last few years. It’s the kind of low-concept Coen-ish crime picture that plenty have attempted over the years, but few have succeeded at, and when the film debuted at Cannes last year, it was received respectfully, but without many raves.

But the film caught fire with U.S. critics on its release a little more than a year ago, and it went on to be one of the most successful indie films of 2016, and even picked up a brace of Oscar nominations including Best Picture.

Continue reading First Look At Chris Pine In David Mackenzie’s ‘Outlaw King’ at The Playlist.

USA Networks “Damnation” comes with a strong pedigree attached. Or at least big time co-signers. Executive producers are David MacKenzie, the director behind the Oscar-nominated “Hell Or High Water” and the spectacular, but underseen “Starred Up,” and James Mangold, the filmmaker behind “Logan” and “3:10 To Yuma” to name a few.

Continue reading ‘Damnation’ Trailer: The Director of ‘Hell Or High Water’ Considers Blood, Greed & God at The Playlist.

With a new James Bond movie officially slated for 2019, and Daniel Craig just a formal announcement away from returning, all that’s left to find is a director. And a pretty interesting list of frontrunners for the gig has emerged.

Deadline reports that Yann Demange, Denis Villenueve and David MacKenzie are in the running for the job. It’s an interesting mix of new talent and veteran hands.

Continue reading Impressive List Of Frontrunners To Direct Next James Bond Emerges at The Playlist.

Few saw the success of last year’s “Hell Or High Water” coming. Similar films — like “Out Of The Furnace,” which was arguably much starrier — had underperformed at the box office, Chris Pine has rarely proven a draw outside the “Star Trek” franchise, and director David Mackenzie was mostly unknown. Even at Cannes it was slightly overlooked, though politely received.

Continue reading ‘Hell Or High Water’ Director David Mackenzie Reteams With Chris Pine & Ben Foster For Netflix Period Epic ‘Outlaw King’ at The Playlist.

Over the past few years, the Coen Brothers have been happy to work on scripts for other directors. They penned “Gambit” starring Colin Firth and Cameron Diaz (which you probably forgot existed), put their touches on Angelina Jolie‘s “Unbroken” and Steven Spielberg‘s “Bridge Of Spies,” wrote George Clooney‘s forthcoming “Suburbicon,” signed up to write the internet thriller “Dark Web,” and now they’ve got another project they’ll give their Midas touch.

Continue reading Coen Brothers Bring Pens To ‘Scarface’ Remake, Universal Eyes Replacements For Antoine Fuqua at The Playlist.

One of the most pleasant surprises out of the Summer movie season is “Hell or High Water” from director David Mackenzie. The film stars Chris Pine and Ben Foster as two brothers who rob multiple branches of a bank that is foreclosing on their family’s land (with Jeff Bridges as the sheriff closing in on them). Critics fell in love with the movie, including our own Nik Grozdanovic.

Continue reading Watch ‘Hell Or High Water’ Director David Mackenzie Break Down The Film’s Opening Scene at The Playlist.

Through the eyes of Englishman David Mackenzie, Texas is turned into a smoldering, dust-covered, Coens-esque environment, full of no-shit-taking colorful characters. The director’s follow-up to the gritty and ultra-raw jail flick “Starred Up” is much lighter on its feet, leaning on “Sicario” screenwriter Taylor Sheridan and his brimful of whip-smart hijinks that pepper the picture with entertaining zest. Lead by three impressive actors in Jeff Bridges, Chris Pine and Ben Foster, “Hell or High Water” belongs more to the caper genre than the western, no matter how much its gorgeous vistas of the Texan plains (as shot by Giles Nuttgens) might beg to differ.

Continue reading ‘Hell Or High Water’ Is A Coens-Esque Caper With Personality & Zest [Review] at The Playlist.

While Hollywood hasn’t been shy about releasing films portraying banks as the enemy — “The Big Short” and “The Wolf Of Wall Street” come immediately to mind — it is surprising to see such a sentiment housed in what otherwise seems like a fairly straightforward crime thriller. But looks can be deceiving, and “Hell Or High Water” has considerable complexity running under its dusty, sun baked hood.

Continue reading Banks Are The Enemy In New Trailer For ‘Hell Or High Water’ With Jeff Bridges, Chris Pine, And Ben Foster at The Playlist.

You might not know it since the noise from other movies seemed to drown it out, but “Starred Up” director David Mackenzie‘s pulpy “Hell Or High Water” walked out of the Cannes Film Festival with across-the-board praise — it currently sits at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. In short, you need to put this movie on your radar fast, and hopefully this new trailer will help you do just that.

Continue reading New Trailer For ‘Hell Or High Water’ With Jeff Bridges, Chris Pine, And Ben Foster Wants To Get Even at The Playlist.

Through the eyes of Englishman David Mackenzie, Texas is turned into a smoldering, dust-covered, Coens-esque environment, full of no-shit-taking colorful characters. The director’s follow-up to the gritty and ultra-raw jail flick “Starred Up” is much lighter on its feet, leaning on “Sicario” screenwriter Taylor Sheridan and his brimful of whip-smart hijinks that pepper the picture with entertaining zest. Lead by three impressive actors in Jeff Bridges, Chris Pine and Ben Foster, “Hell or High Water” belongs more to the caper genre than the western, no matter how much its gorgeous vistas of the Texan plains (as shot by Giles Nuttgens) might beg to differ.

Continue reading Cannes Review: ‘Hell Or High Water’ Starring Jeff Bridges, Chris Pine & Ben Foster Is Entertaining & Deceptively Deep at The Playlist.

“Hell Or High Water,” from “Starred Up” director David Mackenzie, is set to screen at the Cannes Film Festival this coming Monday, and the first trailer for the movie has arrived today.

READ MORE: 20 Best Breakout Films From the Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard Section

Penned by Taylor Sheridan (“Sicario“) and featuring a terrific lead trio of Jeff Bridges, Chris Pine and Ben Foster, the story follows two brothers, one an ex-con and the other a divorced father of two kids, who are facing the foreclosure of their family’s West Texas farm.

Continue reading Watch: First Trailer For David Mackenzie’s ‘Hell Or High Water’ With Jeff Bridges, Chris Pine & Ben Foster at The Playlist.

'Starred Up' Director David Mackenzie Now Shooting 'Comancheria' With Chris Pine, Ben Foster, And Jeff Bridges

Continue reading ‘Starred Up’ Director David Mackenzie Now Shooting ‘Comancheria’ With Chris Pine, Ben Foster, And Jeff Bridges at The Playlist.