It’s often unfair to compare a director’s child with their parent’s work. Outsized expectations and a tendency to reduce every narrative and aesthetic choice to a type of juxtaposition often flattens the discourse surrounding a particular voice. Sofia Coppola’s work is so radically different from her father’s, for example, that comparison would be meaningless. But it’s also hard to review a film that so obviously bears the hallmarks of a parent’s work in a bubble.

Continue reading ‘Humane’ Review: Caitlin Cronenberg Smashes Two Genres Together In Underbaked Eco-Horror at The Playlist.

As David Cronenberg fans wait to see if the director returns to Cannes with “The Shrouds” this May, his daughter Caitlin’s feature debut hits theaters next month. And “Humane” sounds like a story fit for a member of the Cronenberg family, an end-days tale about ecological collapse, euthanasia, and the lengths one will go to maintain normalcy. That’s not quite body horror, but close enough.

Continue reading ‘Humane’ Trailer: Caitlin Cronenberg’s Dystopian Debut Hits Select Theaters On April 26, Premieres On Shudder In July at The Playlist.

Now 75, Arnold Schwarzenegger‘s acting career is in its twilight. But he’s not ready to retire completely just yet. The legendary action star returns to star in Netflix‘s upcoming series “FUBAR,” ready to hit the streamer next month. As the show’s logline goes: “heroes don’t retire, they reload.”

READ MORE: Netflix 2023 Trailer & Preview: Zack Snyder’s ‘Rebel Moon,’ ‘Damsel’ & ‘Leave The World Behind’ With Julia Roberts & Much More

Schwarzenegger stars as Luka Brunner, a CIA operative who doesn’t realize his daughter also works for the agency.

Continue reading ‘FUBAR’ Trailer: Arnold Schwarzenegger & Monica Barbaro Star In Netflix’s CIA Family Action Series On May 25 at The Playlist.

On paper, the idea of a film about the rise and fall of the BlackBerry smartphone sounds dull as hell. A few Canadians get together, create a smartphone, and then Apple comes along and screws the whole thing up? Yawn. But somehow, someway, Matt Johnson’s new drama, “BlackBerry,” looks like an absolute blast of a movie.

READ MORE: ‘BlackBerry’ Review: Matt Johnson’s Chronicling Of The Rise & Downfall Of The BlackBerry Is A Boisterous Ode To The Underdog [Berlin]

As seen in the trailer for “BlackBerry,” Matt Johnson’s new film tells the story of the creation of Research in Motion, aka the company that created the Blackberry smartphone.

Continue reading ‘BlackBerry’ Trailer: Jary Baruchel & Glenn Howerton Star In This Insane Story Of The Rise & Fall Of The First Smartphone at The Playlist.

Chances are high that, if you are reading this on the go, you are doing so on your iPhone. Apple, which first introduced the phone in 2007, now holds a whopping 24% share of the smartphone market, meaning that out of every four phones sold today, one is an iPhone. This dominance, although remarkable, pales in comparison to the height of the BlackBerry fever. The BlackBerry did in 1999 what was only possible in sci-fi movies until then: it made computers fit in the pockets of everyday people.

Continue reading ‘BlackBerry’ Review: Matt Johnson’s Chronicling Of The Rise & Downfall Of The BlackBerry Is A Boisterous Ode To The Underdog [Berlin] at The Playlist.

Few objects hold a bigger sway over contemporary life than the smartphone. Now, the rise and fall of the BlackBerry, the world’s first smartphone, gets the big screen treatment. “BlackBerry,” Matt Johnson‘s latest, has its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival today.

READ MORE: Berlin 2023: New Films From Sean Penn, Jesse Eisenberg & More Announced

Johnson and Matthew Miller adapt Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff‘s 2015 bestseller “Losing the Signal: The Untold Story Behind the Extraordinary Rise and Spectacular Fall of BlackBerry” for the new docudrama.

Continue reading ‘BlackBerry’ Poster: Matt Johnson’s Docudrama About The Rise & Fall Of The World’s First Smartphone [Exclusive] at The Playlist.

Another member of the Cronenberg family has a movie on the way. Deadline reports that Caitlin Cronenberg, daughter of David and sister of Brandon, just wrapped shooting on her feature directorial debut in Ontario, entitled “Humane.” And the film’s plot? Kind of in the family’s wheelhouse: a thriller about a wealthy family reckoning months after a global environmental collapse.

READ MORE: ‘Infinity Pool’: Brandon Cronenberg’s New Alexander Skarsgård & Mia Goth Movie Rated NC-17, But NEON Will Appeal

Here’s Deadline’s take on the plot of “Humane”:  

Humane takes place over a single day months after a global environmental collapse has forced world leaders to take extreme measures to reduce the earth’s population.

Continue reading ‘Humane’: Caitlin Cronenberg Makes Her Feature Debut With A Thriller About Global Environmental Collapse That Stars Jay Baruchel at The Playlist.

Jay Baruchel is probably best known for his comedic roles in films such as “She’s Out of My League,” “Knocked Up,” and “This is the End.” But for his latest directorial effort, “Random Acts of Violence.” the actor-turned-filmmaker is venturing into the world of horror.

As seen in the trailer for “Random Acts of Violence,” the film tells the story of a comic book creator and his crew of friends that find themselves on a bloody trip from Toronto to the New York Comic Con event.

Continue reading ‘Random Acts Of Violence’ Trailer: A Comic Book Creator Is Hunted By A Fan In Jay Baruchel’s Film at The Playlist.

Cry porn. Emotional manipulation. Tragedy porn. Whatever you call it, you know what I’m talking about. Film or television shows that do their darndest to pull emotion out of you, whether it’s warranted or not. Think “This Is Us.” With the new trailer from Lone Scherfig‘s “The Kindness of Strangers,” we may have a new addition to this genre.

“The Kindness of Strangers” tells the story of a group of, uh, strangers living in New York City.

Continue reading ‘The Kindness Of Strangers’ Trailer: Zoe Kazan & Jay Baruchel Are Hoping To Make You Cry at The Playlist.

When it comes to conversations about art and violence, it can sometimes feel like we haven’t moved the needle much in the past twenty years. Every time an atrocity happens in America, the same pundits trot out the same talking points about loud music, video games, and horror movies. But dig around the edges a little, and there is evidence that this national conversation has evolved. In recent years, the true-crime genre has become a source of nuanced commentary about the intersection of celebrity, art, and violence.

Continue reading ‘Random Acts Of Violence’: Jay Baruchel Dials Up The Gore In His Treatise On Media Violence [Fantastic Fest Review] at The Playlist.

There’s always been a patient and underlying feeling of melancholy in the Dean DeBlois-directed “How to Train Your Dragon” series as its employed dragons and Vikings as a Trojan horse to explore the pains and thrills of growing up. Where “How to Train Your Dragon” examined expectations of youth and kinship amongst misfits and its sequel grappled with legacy, the third installment—lacking in the kinetic urgency of the former two despite being one long narrative chase— is still a whimsical meditation on self-acceptance and the need to move forward to truly grow up.

Continue reading ‘How to Train Your Dragon 3,’ Despite Flaws, Is Escapism With An Emotional Wallop [Review] at The Playlist.

Writer-director Dean DeBlois spoke of his intentions to make a trilogy of “How to Train Your Dragon” films even before the release of 2014’s “How to Train Your Dragon 2,” claiming that this second installment introduced characters and scenarios that were meant to lay the groundwork for movie number three. The payoff finally arrives next year with “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World,” a production that has experienced multiple delays since its initial 2016 slot but promises a definitive conclusion to the fantasy saga, including an explanation for why dragons are no longer present in this world.

Continue reading ‘How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World’ Trailer Flies Into Action at The Playlist.

Jay Baruchel To Direct Hockey Comedy Sequel 'Goon: Last Of The Enforcers'

Continue reading Jay Baruchel To Direct Hockey Comedy Sequel ‘Goon: Last Of The Enforcers’ at The Playlist.

Cannes Review: 'How To Train Your Dragon 2' With Jay Baruchel, Cate Blanchett, Gerard Butler & More

Continue reading Cannes Review: ‘How To Train Your Dragon 2’ With Jay Baruchel, Cate Blanchett, Gerard Butler & More at The Playlist.

Review: 'Don Peyote' Starring & Co-Directed By Dan Fogler Is A Bust

Continue reading Review: ‘Don Peyote’ Starring & Co-Directed By Dan Fogler Is A Bust at The Playlist.

Watch: Fly High With 2 Clips And Featurette From 'How To Train Your Dragon 2'

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Review: 'The Art Of The Steal' With Kurt Russell, Matt Dillon, Terence Stamp And Jay Baruchel

Continue reading Review: ‘The Art Of The Steal’ With Kurt Russell, Matt Dillon, Terence Stamp And Jay Baruchel at The Playlist.

Continue reading Jay Baruchel Is A ‘Man Seeking Woman,’ Linda Cardellini Joins Netflix Thriller, Nick Cannon Back For ‘Drumline 2’ & More at The Playlist.

Watch: Cameo-Filled Trailer For Comedy 'Don Peyote' Featuring Anne Hathaway, Abel Ferrara & More

Continue reading Watch: Cameo-Filled Trailer For Comedy ‘Don Peyote’ Featuring Anne Hathaway, Abel Ferrara & More at The Playlist.

Watch: New Trailer For 'How To Train Your Dragon 2' Takes To The Skies

Continue reading Watch: New Trailer For ‘How To Train Your Dragon 2’ Takes To The Skies at The Playlist.

Watch: Kurt Russell & Jay Baruchel Are Master & Apprentice In Trailer For 'The Art Of The Steal'

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Guillermo Del Toro's 'Midnight Delivery' & Jay Baruchel's 'Baseballissimo' Get Directors

Continue reading Guillermo Del Toro’s ‘Midnight Delivery’ & Jay Baruchel’s ‘Baseballissimo’ Get Directors at The Playlist.

Watch: New Trailer For 'RoboCop' Starring Joel Kinnaman, Gary Oldman & Samuel L. Jackson Goes On Duty

Continue reading Watch: New Trailer For ‘RoboCop’ Starring Joel Kinnaman, Gary Oldman & Samuel L. Jackson Goes On Duty at The Playlist.

Continue reading Jay Baruchel Joins Cameron Crowe’s Next Film With Bradley Cooper, Emma Stone, Rachel McAdams & More at The Playlist.

TV Show Based On 'Outbreak' Coming, Neil Cross Says 'Luther' Prequel Movie Written & Aiming To Shoot In 2014

Continue reading TV Show Based On ‘Outbreak’ Coming, Neil Cross Says ‘Luther’ Prequel Movie Written & Aiming To Shoot In 2014 at The Playlist.