Among the most versatile filmmakers working today, Oscar-winning writer-director Steve McQueen doesn’t repeat himself. A distinctive filmography that spans across everything mainstream and indie—from American slavery and Dutch Nazi occupation to the rhythms of London’s West Indian communities and a women-led crime extravaganza—stands tall as proof. With the elegant historical fiction “Blitz,” his largest-scaled movie to date, McQueen, this time, turns his lens onto London’s blitzkrieg that started in September 1940, when Germans systemically bombed the city for months on end.

Continue reading ‘Blitz’ Review: Steven McQueen’s WWII London Bombing Drama Is Dazzling [NYFF] at The Playlist.

The erotic thriller that depicts an older woman having an illicit affair with a young man has been done effectively in the past. “Notes on a Scandal” and the Hulu series “A Teacher” come to mind. And more recently, Todd Haynes’ “May December.” However, with the upcoming film “Babygirl,” there’s a new, more contemporary approach, as promised by Venice Film Festival artistic director Alberto Barbera.

Continue reading ‘Babygirl’ Trailer: Nicole Kidman’s Acclaimed New A24 Erotic Thriller Arrives In Theaters December 20 at The Playlist.

U.K. artist turned filmmaker Steve McQueen has followed all kinds of topics in his short but compelling feature-film career: slavery in “12 Years A Slave,” the Irish troubles in “Hunger,” British racism, and Black lives in the 1970s in his “Small Axe” film anthology, and for his latest film, “Blitz,” he recalls the German air raid bombings of London during WWII known as the blitzkrieg.

Continue reading ‘Blitz’ Trailer: Saoirse Ronan Faces The Horrors Of WWII Bombings In Steve McQueen’s New Thriller at The Playlist.

To the uninformed bystander, Romy (Nicole Kidman) leads a perfect life. She is a beautiful CEO living in a lavish New York townhouse with two loving teenage daughters and a doting husband who still desires her after two decades of marriage. Still, in these twenty years, theatre director Jacob (Antonio Banderas) never managed to give his wife an orgasm. And boy, does Romy need one. When a dashing new intern walks into her office, it is as if all these years of suppressed fantasies come bubbling up within the woman, who finds in Samuel (Harris Dickinson) the opportunity to do what she never could with her husband: ask for what she wants.

Continue reading ‘Babygirl’ Review: Nicole Kidman & Harris Dickinson Sizzle in Halina Reijn’s Erotic Drama [Venice] at The Playlist.

What’s Sam Mendes have in store next for audiences after 2022’s “Empire Of Light“?  Well, World Of Reel reports (via The InSneider) that it may be not one movie, but four: biopics on each member of arguably the greatest pop-rock group ever, The Beatles.  Yup, that’s a movie each for John, Paul, George, and Ringo.  In other words, eat your heart of Peter Jackson: “The Beatles: Get Back” may no longer be the apex of Beatles visual projects any longer.

Continue reading Sam Mendes Casts Harris Dickinson, Paul Mescal, Barry Keoghan & Charlie Rowe As The Fab Four In His Beatles Films [Report] at The Playlist.

Considering its foothold in American pop culture, it’s somewhat surprising that there have been so few movies about pro wrestling. In fact, over the last 15 years, the only real notable narrative films on the subject are Darren Aronofsky’s 2008 drama “The Wrestler” and the solid, but already forgotten 2018 dramedy “Fighting With My Family.” The last 12 months have been something of a sea change, comparably, with Roger Ross Williams’ superb “Cassandro” about famed exótico lucha libre wrestler Saúl Armendáriz and now, Sean Durkin’s “The Iron Claw,” a spotlight on the Von Erichs, one of the most respected and snakebit families in the sport.

Continue reading ‘The Iron Claw’ Review: Sean Durkin Gives A Wrestling Dynasty Its Flowers at The Playlist.

While 2023 is coming to a close, one of the last major (largely) unseen and still super anticipated movies of the year is “The Iron Claw.” From filmmaker Sean Durkin, known for “Martha Marcy May Marlene,” the U.K. TV drama “Southcliffe,” and “The Nest,” his latest is a wrestling drama about the Von Erich Brothers.

READ MORE: The 100 Most Anticipated Films Of 2024

As Zac Efron, who stars in the movie, says, the Von Erich brothers were the first rock star family of wrestlers out of Texas.

Continue reading ‘The Iron Claw’ First Look Trailer: Zach Efron, Jeremy Allen White & Harris Dickinson Are Siblings Of A Wrestling Dynasty at The Playlist.

In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast host Mike DeAngelo attempts to find out whodunit in FX/Hulu’s new series, “A Murder at the End of the World.” The series follows a young amateur sleuth (Emma Corrin) who is unexpectedly brought to Iceland and finds herself at the center of a dark, tense, winding murder mystery. The show also stars Clive Owen, Brit Marling, Harris Dickinson, Alice Braga,  Raúl Esparza, and more.

Continue reading ‘A Murder At The End Of The World’: Harris Dickinson On His Mystery Series, ‘The Iron Claw,’ Marvel & More [Bingeworthy Podcast] at The Playlist.

The title of FX’s ambitious but frustrating new mystery series, “A Murder at the End of the World” has a very intended dual meaning. On the one hand, it takes place in an extremely remote location—an ice-covered hotel that is quite literally at the physical end of the world. However, it feels like creators Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij are also using their title in a chronological sense, weaving climate change concerns and A.I./tech conversation into their story in a way that implies that we may be at the end of the world as we know it all over the planet.

Continue reading ‘A Murder At The End Of The World’ Review: Intriguing FX Limited Series Feels More Like A Lecture Than A Mystery at The Playlist.

Can a family overcome a painful past? The Von Erich brothers became legends in the wrestling world, but heartbreak soon overshadowed their triumphs. A24’s “The Iron Claw” traces the path of this famous family’s rise to stardom and the tragedies that would define their legacy. “Martha Marcy May Marlene” filmmaker Sean Durkin writes and directs ‘Claw.’ Durkin — along with casting director Susan Shopmaker — enlists a talented cast worthy of this incredible and painful true story about wrestling dynasties and family curses.

Continue reading ‘The Iron Claw’ Trailer:  Zac Efron & Jeremy Allen White Star In Sean Durkin’s A24 Wrestling Family Drama at The Playlist.

FX has quite the slate of new releases on its Fall TV calendar, with “American Horror Story: Delicate” and the latest season of “Fargo” among then. But don’t sleep on “A Murder At The End Of The World,” a seven-episode limited series starring Emma Corrin and Clive Owen.

The set-up may sounds like something out of a nordic noir that Lisbeth Salander would be at home in: a young female hacker/amateur sleuth gets invited with other guests to a billionaire’s retreat where a killer’s on the prowl.

Continue reading ‘A Murder At The End Of The World’ Trailer: Emma Corrin & Clive Owen Star In FX Limited Series On November 14 at The Playlist.

Given the 10 million films that premiere at the Sundance Film Festival every year—give or take :D— you’ll be forgiven if you didn’t quite remember “Scrapper.” Premiering in the World Cinema Drama section—where it won that top prize—by all accounts, the film, directed by Charlotte Regan and starring up-and-comer Harris Dickinson (“Beach Rats,” “Triangle of Sadness”), is just as its title suggests: scrappy, endearing and charming.

Continue reading ‘Scrapper’ Trailer: Harris Dickinson Stars In Charlotte Regan’s Spirited Sundance Charmer Coming In August at The Playlist.

Are you among the cult following of fans that loved Brit Marling & Zal Batmanglij’s short-lived Netflix series, “The OA”? While that series was not revived—sorry to get your hopes up—the writer/directing pair, who have collaborated throughout their entire career, are back with the next best thing: a new FX series titled “A Murder at the End of the World” (see more first-look images here).

Continue reading ‘A Murder At the End Of The World’ Teaser Trailer: Clive Owen, Emma Corrin & More Star In Brit Marling & Zal Batmanglij’s New FX Series at The Playlist.

Super high on our list of the Most Anticipated TV Series Of 2023 is creators Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij’s upcoming murder mystery series. Formerly titled “The Retreat,” FX revealed a first look today and a new title: “A Murder At The End Of The World.” The series stars Emma Corrin, Clive Owen, Harris Dickinson, and Brit Marling, a multi-hyphenate who is often starring in the various film and TV vehicles she creates, often and almost exclusively with creative partner Batmanglij.

Continue reading ‘A Murder At The End Of The World’ First Look: Brit Marling & Zal Batmanglij’s New FX Murder Mystery Series at The Playlist.

“Scrapper” starts in a dreary English flat with a child all alone but not incapable. That seems to be the M.O. for Georgie (Lola Campbell), who is quiet initially through the opening scene. But that, of course, changes as we get to know her better throughout the movie. Directed by Charlotte Regan (“Standby”), “Scrapper” dives into the carefully constructed composure of a child who just lost her mother and has to deal with that new reality.

Continue reading ‘Scrapper’ Review: Harris Dickinson Stars In An Endearing Story Of A Grieving Daughter & Long-Lost Father [Sundance] at The Playlist.

British filmmaker Steve McQueen (“Small Axe,” “12 Years A Slave”) has started production in London on his next feature, “Blitz.” The war drama focuses on the 1940-1941 bombardment of England during WWII by Germany’s Luftwaffe, a defining moment for the United Kingdom as they endured the bombing campaign for eight months suffering major civilian casualties. The drama is a collaborative partnership between McQueen’s Lammas Park, Apple Studios, New Regency, and Working Title.

Continue reading Steve McQueen’s WWII Pic ‘Blitz’ Adds Harris Dickinson, Stephen Graham & Erin Kellyman at The Playlist.

“It’s only downhill, for me isn’t?” That was Harris Dickinson’s cheeky response when asked about what it was like to star in a Palme d’Or winning film so early in his career. That film, Ruben Östlund’s “Triangle of Sadness,” has been something of a lightning rod since its Cannes premiere and, frankly, is likely another stepping stone for the increasingly in-demand British actor.

READ MORE: Cannes 2022: “Triangle of Sadness” wins the Palme d’Or [Full Winners List]

Östlund’s dark political satire finds Dickinson playing Carl, a male model whose career is quickly fading in the ultra-competitive fashion world.

Continue reading Harris Dickinson Navigates The ‘Triangle Of Sadness’ [Interview] at The Playlist.

FX‘s “The Bear” was one of the hit TV shows of the summer, and that’s in no small part to Jeremy Allen White‘s riveting lead performance. Season 2 of the series is on the way, but White now has another big project lined up to keep him busy between then and now.  

READ MORE: Zac Efron To Star In Wrestling Family Saga ‘The Iron Claw’ For Sean Durkin & A24

Deadline reports that White will co-star alongside Zac Efron and Harris Dickinson in A24‘s “The Iron Claw,” Sean Durkin‘s saga about the Von Erich wrestling family.

Continue reading ‘The Iron Claw’: Jeremy Allen White Joins Zac Efron & Harris Dickinson In Sean Durkin’s A24 Wrestling Family Film at The Playlist.

Mere weeks after winning the Palme d’Or at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival for “The Square,” Swedish auteur Ruben Östlund announced his next project, “Triangle Of Sadness,” and five years later, it won Östlund his second Palme d’Or at Cannes; an exclusive club that puts him in the company of only six other filmmakers in the world. “Triangle Of Sadness” satirizes the elitist world of fashion and completes something of an accidental thematic trilogy, alongside 2014s “Force Majeure” and the aforementioned “The Square” (read our ‘Triangle of Sadness’ review here).

Continue reading ‘Triangle Of Sadness’ Trailer: Ruben Ostlund’s Palme d’Or-Winning Black Comedy Arrives In October at The Playlist.

By now, you’ve heard us likely talk about Sony’s upcoming romantic Southern Gothic thriller “Where the Crawdads Sing.” The book was a huge sensation in the Oprah Bookclub world, Reese Witherspoon is a producer who is actively championing the movie and promoting it (see the new featurette below) and it stars up and coming actor Daisy Edgar-Jones (“Normal People”) and Harris Dickinson (“The King’s Man”).

Continue reading ‘Where The Crawdads Sing’: Taylor Swift’s New Song Graces The New Trailer Starring Daisy Edgar-Jones at The Playlist.

“Where The Crawdads Sing” has all the makings of a big alternative summer hit. It’s a thriller based on a beloved, best-selling novel that all walks of life seem to adore, Reese Witherspoon is a producer and really pushing it, and the movie will also star an up-and-coming breakout star Daisy Edgar-Jones (“Normal People,” “Fresh”). It just feels like something Oprah and The View are going to be talking about for months in advance: a rare movie made for adults that will appeal to women.

Continue reading ‘Where The Crawdads Sing’ Trailer: Daisy Edgar-Jones Stars In Sony’s Southern Romantic Mystery Thriller at The Playlist.

Sometimes a novel is so popular that a film adaptation is almost a certainty. Whether or not those films respect the source material and become massive hits are a whole other discussion. But in the case of “Where the Crawdads Sing,” everything on paper seems to be shaping up really nicely for the upcoming feature.

READ MORE: ‘Fresh’ Review: Daisy Edgar-Jones Is A Promising Young Woman Trapped In A Reactionary “Horrors Of Dating” Misfire [Sundance]

Based on the massively popular, bestselling novel by Delia Owens, “Where the Crawdads Sing” stars Daisy Edgar-Jones (who broke out in a big way thanks to her role on Hulu’s series, “Normal People”) as a young woman who has known nothing but hardship growing up in North Carolina and finds herself accused of murdering her abusive ex.

Continue reading ‘Where The Crawdads Sing’ First Look: Daisy Edgar-Jones Stars In Sony’s Upcoming Drama From Director Olivia Newman at The Playlist.

20th Century Studios’“The King’s Man” peaks somewhere around the middle, during the scene in which the sunken-eyed ghoul Rasputin (portrayed by Rhys Ifans, having a ball) performs some manner of restorative metaphysical cunnilingus by pressing his lips to the unmistakably yonic leg wound that undercover hero Orlando (Ralph Fiennes) sustained back in the Boer War. The Russian mystic of repute then proceeds to projectile vomit for a brief moment, before revealing that he’s immune to the poison he’s been dosed with, and then engaging our man in balletic hand-to-hand combat set to the music of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture.

Continue reading ‘The King’s Man’ Review: Anything-Goes Historical Revisionism Jamboree Is Super Silly at The Playlist.

Joanna Hogg’s 2019 film “The Souvenir” made a big splash at its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival that year. The film went on to win the World Cinema Dramatic Grand Jury Prize at the festival that year and was a critic’s favorite, ending up on several Top 10 lists at year’s end. Now, Hogg’s follow-up “The Souvenir Part II” gets its New York premiere with a screening at the New York Film Festival this week, after its world premiere earlier this year in Cannes.

Continue reading ‘The Souvenir Part II’ Trailer: Joanna Hogg’s Memory Tribute Is A Meta-Filmmaking Impression at The Playlist.

Matthew Vaughn loved the Bond series, but when he couldn’t finagle his way into making one of those films, he decided to start his own “Kingsmen” franchise. Low and behold it worked and the third film in the series, a prequel called, “The King’s Man,” is heading to theaters this December after multiple Covid-19-related delays.

READ MORE: The Best Films Of 2021, So Far

The cast of this one is rather stacked and the film features Ralph Fiennes, Gemma Arterton, Rhys Ifans, Matthew Goode, Tom Hollander, Harris Dickinson, Daniel Brühl, with Djimon Hounsou, and Charles Dance.

Continue reading New ‘King’s Man’ Red-Band Trailer: While Governments Take Orders, This Spy Agency Takes Action at The Playlist.