Polish filmmaker Agnieszka Holland is one of the greats. A three-time Academy Award nominee—1990’s “Europa Europa,” 1993’s “Angry Harvest” and the Holocaust drama “In Darkness”— Holland is also known for her celebrated prestige TV work, particularly on the David Simon series’ “The Wire,” and “Treme” and shows like “The Killing,” and “House Of Cards.” But her best-known feature work has always leaned towards social justice and socially-conscious dramas, which brings us to her latest, “Green Border,” an bracing portrait of Europe’s refugee crisis that has been hailed as a “humanitarian masterpiece.”

READ MORE: ‘Green Border’ Review: Agnieszka Holland Won’t Let You Turn A Blind Eye To Suffering In Devastating Refugee Drama [TIFF]

Our review of the film described “Green Border” as “devastating” and “nightmarish.” “Holland has made a righteous, masterful work, arguably her best since ‘Europa Europa,’ but it’s not for the faint of heart or those inclined to turn a blind eye to suffering,” our review wrote.

Continue reading ‘Green Border’ Trailer: Agnieszka Holland’s Urgent New European Refugee Crisis Drama Arrives in June at The Playlist.

You wouldn’t want a documentary about Tom Wolfe to mimic his style. That could be challenging (just imagine all the on-screen exclamation marks!!!!!!!, idioSYNcratic CAPITALIZATION, and onomatopoeic spelling) not to mention possibly embarrassing. But it would have been gratifying to see Richard Dewey’s ‘Radical Wolfe’ documentary show a dash of its subject’s moxie, damn-the-torpedoes bravery, and cynicism-stung wit.

READ MORE: Fall Film Preview: 60+ Most Anticipated Movies To Watch

Solidly entertaining, if a bit thin, the film never gets more than a centimeter under Wolfe’s seemingly impervious skin.

Continue reading ‘Radical Wolfe’ Review: Richard Dewey’s Tom Wolfe Doc Celebrates His Journalistic Bravery But Doesn’t Emulate It at The Playlist.

Few 20th century American writers had the wide-ranging influence of Tom Wolfe. Don’t believe that? Well, here comes a new doc about the writer and New Journalism pioneer that proves that point, and it hits NYC/LA theaters next month before opening wide later this year.

READ MORE: The 100 Most Anticipated Films Of 2023

Richard Dewey‘s “Radical Wolfe” charts the life and career of Wolfe, including his most famous books like “The Right Stuff,” “The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test,” and “The Bonfire Of The Vanities.” Dewey bases his doc on the Vanity Fair article by Michael Lewis.

Continue reading ‘Radical Wolfe’ Trailer: Documentary About Iconic Writer & Journalist Tom Wolfe Hits NYC On September 15, LA On September 22 at The Playlist.

Before Fran Rubel Kuzui brought Joss Whedon‘s “Buffy The Vampire Slayer” to life for the first time in 1992, she made “Tokyo Pop.” And Kino Lorber has a new 4K restoration of the film ready for theaters in time for its 35th anniversary.

READ MORE: The 100 Most Anticipated Films Of 2023

First screened at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival to critical acclaim, Kuzui’s feature debut sees an NYC girl emigrate to Tokyo on a whim to make it as a singer.

Continue reading ‘Tokyo Pop’ 35th Anniversary Trailer: New 4K Restoration Of Rock ‘N Roll Love Story Hits NYC Theaters On August 4, LA Theaters August 11 at The Playlist.

“No one believes in magic anymore:” In the devastating aftermath of World War I, veteran Raphaël (Raphaël Thiéry) returns home and discovers that not only has he been widowed, but he is the father to an infant girl, Juliette (Juliette Jouan). In the years that follow, Juliette is raised by her father in rural Normandy, growing into a lonely young girl who seeks refuge in her passion for singing.

Continue reading ‘Scarlet’ Trailer: Lyrical Interwar Fable From Pietro Marcello Sails Into Theaters This Summer at The Playlist.

“I always imagined this moment.” Amidst the bodies of dead fish succumbing to pollution caused by deadly chemicals from a nearby factory rises Magdalena. Magdalena (Mía Maestro), long-deceased, brings with her not only the shock of resurrection, but old wounds and a litany of family secrets, setting the stage for “The Cow Who Sang a Song Into the Future,” the feature-length debut from young Chilean director Francisca Alegría.

Continue reading ‘The Cow Who Sang A Song Into The Future’ Trailer: Francisca Alegría’s Haunting Ecological Fairy Tale Hits Theaters On May 19 at The Playlist.

“If they find me here, they will torture me:” In September of 1973, the armed forces of Chile, led by U.S.-backed General Augusto Pinochet, staged a coup d’etat that overthrew Salvador Allende, the democratically elected socialist president. Pinochet’s dictatorship would be brutal, as thousands of dissidents were either kidnapped or killed in the years to come. This dark era in Latin American politics is the backdrop of “Chile ’76,” the debut feature film from young Chilean filmmaker Manuela Martelli.

Continue reading ‘Chile ‘76’ Trailer: Political Thriller from Kino Lorber Is An Intimate Portrait of Life Under A Brutal Dictatorship at The Playlist.

After its world premiere at Cannes last July, Iranian Panah Panahi‘s “Hit The Road” quickly became one of the must-see films from the festival. No doubt part of that is due to Panahi’s father, Jafar Panahi, one of the touchstone filmmakers of the Iranian New Wave. Now, “Hit The Road” gets its US theatrical release next month.

READ MORE: ‘Hit The Road’: Panah Panahi’s Directorial Debut Is Thrilling Cinema & A Breath Of Fresh Air [Cannes Review]

Panahi’s debut offers a quirky look at a family as they cross Iran’s rugged landscape while on a road trip.

Continue reading ‘Hit The Road’ Trailer: Panah Panahi’s Cannes 2021 Hit Comes to Theaters This April at The Playlist.

While Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid been working for years with lots of acclaim (2011’s “Policeman” was very well-regarded and 2014’s “The Kindergarten Teacher” was so good, Maggie Gyllenhaal decided to produce and star in a 2018 remake), the filmmaker seemed to make an even bigger splash on the international scene with “Synonyms” which won the Golden Bear, and the FIPRESCI Award at the 2019 Berlin Film Festival and introduced more audiences to wiry star Tom Mercier.

Continue reading ‘Ahed’s Knee’ Trailer: Nadav Lapid Returns With A Blistering Tale Of Grief & Filmmaking at The Playlist.

How do we discover, and ultimately embrace, our definition of freedom? The women of “Hive” find themselves at a crossroads between their painful pasts and an equally hostile community bent on outdated norms. Blerta Basholli’s film explores the emotional toll of war while also revealing the underpinnings of societal misogyny. Its realistic portrayal of the situations at hand, along with an outstanding performance by Yllka Gashi, made it a favorite at Sundance.

Continue reading ‘Hive’ Trailer: Acclaimed Sundance Breakout & Kosovo’s Oscar Pick Is A Searing Drama at The Playlist.

Plus ‘Crestone,’ ‘F.T.A.,’ ‘The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly,’ ‘Fast Times at Ridgemont High,’ ‘Merrily We Go to Hell,’ ‘Trances,’ ‘Masculin Feminin,’ ‘Smile,’ ‘The Hot Spot,’ ‘Tank,’ ‘Sweet Liberty,’ ‘All-American Murder,’ ‘The Cellar,’ ‘Winterbeast,’ ‘Horizons West,’ and ‘The Wages of Sin.’

Continue reading The Best Movies To Buy Or Stream This Week: ‘The Good, The Bad & The Ugly,’ ‘The Mitchells Vs. The Machines’ & More at The Playlist.

Plus ‘The Little Prince,’ ‘The Parallax View,’ ‘The Ascent,’ ‘Nationtime’, ‘Jazz on a Summer’s Day,’ ‘The Kiss Before the Mirror,’ and ‘Shutter Island.’

Continue reading The 9 Best Movies to Buy or Stream This Week: ‘Shutter Island,’ ‘Freaky,’ and More at The Playlist.

Every week, discriminating viewers are confronted with a flurry of choices: new releases on disc and on-demand, vintage, and original movies on any number of streaming platforms, catalog titles making a splash on Blu-ray or 4K. This biweekly column sifts through all of those choices to pluck out the movies most worth your time, no matter how you’re watching.

Our first new release round-up of the new year is even more of a grab bag than usual, running the gamut from this year’s awards hopefuls to long-forgotten exploitation head-scratchers.

Continue reading The 9 Best Movies To Buy Or Stream This Week: ‘One Night In Miami,’ ‘Ammonite’ & More at The Playlist.

With everything that has happened in 2020, it’s hard to think back to what last fall felt like. Back when the summer was filled with blockbusters at the multiplex and film festivals were showcasing amazing features in the fall. One of those films is “Martin Eden,” which wowed audiences last fall and is finally arriving in theaters next month. It’s only been a year, but it sure does feel like “Martin Eden” was a decade ago.

Continue reading ‘Martin Eden’ Trailer: One Of 2019’s Festival Favorites Finally Arrives In The US Next Month at The Playlist.

Bronx-born, Italian-based filmmaker Abel Ferrara is a character and so is Cypriot independent movie theater owner Nicolas “Nick” Nicolaou. “I do it cause it combines two things I like to do,” Nicolaou says in Ferrara’s new documentary “The Projectionist.” “Make money and keep neighborhood theaters alive. Nicolaou was a mainstay in the 1970s Times Square adult film house scene, went on to get into the arthouse film exhibition business and has been in the New York theater business for decades.

Continue reading ‘The Projectionist’ Trailer: Abel Ferrara Makes A Documentary Love Letter To An Indie Cinema Legend at The Playlist.

Kino Lorber has been busy over the past few months, helping arthouse cinemas survive during the COVID-19 pandemic with its Kino Marquee initiative. And that continues in the month of June with the release of three restored classics in queer cinema that were well ahead of their time.

READ MORE: Kino Lorber Announces Streaming Option For New Films That Shares Revenue With Closed Cinemas

Kino Lorber is set to release three films, “Mädchen in Uniform,” “Michael,” and “Victor & Victoria,” on Kino Marquee on June 12, and in honor of those classic films getting the spotlight, we’re thrilled to offer our readers an exclusive first look at the trailer for the new releases.

Continue reading ‘Pioneers Of Queer Cinema’ Exclusive Trailer: Kino Lorber Releasing 3 Restored Classics This Month at The Playlist.

Every Tuesday, discriminating viewers are confronted with a flurry of choices: new releases on disc and on-demand, vintage, and original movies on any number of streaming platforms, catalog titles making a splash on Blu-ray or 4K. This weekly column sifts through all of those choices to pluck out the movies most worth your time, no matter how you’re watching. 

Another week, another Netflix teen romantic comedy – but this time, plot twist, a very good one.

Continue reading The 7 Best Movies To Buy Or Stream This Week: ‘The Half Of It,’ ‘Slums of Beverly Hills’ & More at The Playlist.

Kino Lorber has decided to take the initiative during the current COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic and has developed a new distribution model that will allow the studio to release its slate of upcoming films while also helping the arthouse cinemas that would have shown the projects on the big screen. The new program, dubbed Kino Marquee, is set to launch with the upcoming film “Bacurau,” and, if it’s successful, could provide a very unique streaming alternative to the current theatrical experience that also helps cinemas.

Continue reading Kino Lorber Announces Streaming Option For New Films That Shares Revenue With Closed Cinemas at The Playlist.

How can you possibly sum up the new film “Bacurau” in one sentence? It’s damn-near impossible. The folks at Kino Lorber are barely able to do it over the course of a full trailer. But you know what? The fact that the genre-defying, Cannes award-winning film can’t be easily described with mere words and quick out-of-context scenes is probably the best part about it.

READ MORE: ‘Bacurau’: Kleiber Mendonça Filho Flips The Arthouse Script With A Sinister, John Carpenter-y Blood-Soaked Adventure [Cannes Review]

Even though the trailer for “Bacurau” doesn’t fully explain all the craziness that happens in the film—guns, alien ships, disappearance from a map, coffins lined up, and much more—the footage does give you a sense of what you might expect when you sit down with a big tub of popcorn and let the world of the film wash over you.

Continue reading ‘Bacurau’ Trailer: Cannes Award-Winning Film Is A Blood-Soaked, Genre-Defying Experience at The Playlist.

The fall is always a time when film studios trot out their very best awards contenders. And this year is no different, with dozens of films vying for relevancy and voters’ eyeballs. However, statistically, many of those films will not only be passed up for awards consideration but many will actually not be very good at all. So, this fall, why not skip at least one of those probable duds and check out a new restoration of a classic film, “My Twentieth Century,” that is guaranteed to excite you and make you proud to be a cinephile?

Continue reading ‘My Twentieth Century’ Trailer: Kino Lorber Celebrates Ildikó Enyedi’s 1989 Classic With A New 4K Restoration at The Playlist.

Yesterday, the world got its first glimpse at the latest film from legendary director Martin Scorsese, “The Irishman.” And whenever a new film from a great director receives a trailer, it gets film fans reminiscing about their favorite works. In the case of Scorsese, there’s quite a few to choose from, including the oft-overlooked “Kundun.”

READ MORE: ‘The Irishman’ Trailer: Martin Scorsese Creates A New Mob Offer You Can’t Refuse

Well, thanks to Kino Lorber, “Kundun” is getting the spotlight later this year when it finally hits Blu-ray, loaded with extras.

Continue reading Martin Scorsese’s Oscar-Nominated ‘Kundun’ Gets Special Edition Blu-Ray Later This Year at The Playlist.

David Lynch is one of the best filmmakers of all time, without a doubt. But he’s also one of the more difficult filmmakers around, as well. No offense to the director, but Lynch has never been one to bite his tongue or hold back opinions when it comes to his work and the work of those around him. And when it comes to his own films, the writer-director clearly has his own thoughts about how they should be released.

Continue reading David Lynch & Kino Lorber Voice Frustrations With Each Other Over Troubled Blu-Ray Release Of ‘Lost Highway’ at The Playlist.

It’s been almost 5 years since filmmaker Abel Ferrara debuted his film “Pasolini” at the Venice Film Festival in 2014. Since then, the film has hit theaters in Europe and around the world. Well, all around the world, minus the United States. And thanks to the folks at Kino Lorber, the biopic starring Willem Dafoe will finally get its release in the US in May.

Continue reading Abel Ferrara’s ‘Pasolini’ Starring Willem Dafoe Will Finally Get A US Release 5 Years After Its Premiere at The Playlist.

Welcome to a new edition of The Playlist Podcast, a discussion about film news and other film and television related items. Erik from AYT here, and on this episode I’m joined by regular PP host Ryan Oliver and Over/Under Movies creator Oktay Ege Kozak. We’re hoping to do more of these episodes, and also looking at re-formatting Over/Under Movies so we can stay more consistent at The Playlist Podcast Network.

LISTEN: AYT looks back at Danny Boyle’s “The Beach” to see if it holds up

On this episode, we’re mostly here to discuss “The Return,” the confidently made and tense-as-hell 2003 feature debut by Russian master Andrey Azvyagintsev (“Loveless,” “Leviathan“).

Continue reading Celebrating Kino Lorber’s New Blu-Ray Release Of Andrey Zvyagintsev’s First Film, ‘The Return’ [Podcast] at The Playlist.

It’s the most wonderful/horrible time of year. Twitter and Film Twitter specifically is a shitshow, but hey, the holidays are right around the corner and it’s time for some gift giving. Looking for that something special for the cinephile in your life? We’ve got you covered, from books, to DVD box-sets to TV discs you need, we’ve created a little melange of present ideas you can gift a pal, a love one or someone you want to impress.

Continue reading The Playlist’s Holiday Film & TV Gift Guide at The Playlist.