Flying a little under the radar right now—presumably because it’s a U.K.-only show, at least at the moment—is a new upcoming series called “The Listeners.” It’s intriguing on its own, but the talent involved makes it even more enticing. A provocative, haunting drama starring Rebecca Hall (“Christine,” “The Town,” “Vicky Christina Barcelona”), “The Listeners” is produced by Fremantle company Element Pictures (“Normal People,” “The Favourite,” “Poor Things”) and directed by acclaimed filmmaker Janicza Bravo, known for directing “Zola” and episodes of “Poker Face,” and “Mrs.

Continue reading ‘The Listeners’ Trailer: Rebecca Hall Stars In A New BBC Series From ‘Zola’ Director Janicza Bravo at The Playlist.

When Rebecca Hall isn’t in the middle of kaiju battles in the “Godzilla x King Kong” MonsterVerse, she’s often seen making really great films. Her directorial debut, “Passing,” is a wonderful example of her creative mind. Now, it appears she’s ready to dive back into directing with the upcoming film, “Four Days Like Sunday.”

READ MORE: ‘The Bookie & The Bruiser’: Vince Vaughn & Adrien Brody Will Star In S.

Continue reading ‘Four Days Like Sunday’: Rebecca Hall To Write, Direct & Star In Upcoming Family Drama at The Playlist.

If 2014’s Gareth Edwards’ “Godzilla” took a grounded and gritty realistic page from Christopher Nolan’s ‘Dark Knight’ films, then it should be abundantly clear from some of the latest images and trailers that filmmaker Adam Wingard (“The Guest”) is moving in a drastically different direction with the fifth film in Legendary’s Monsterverse franchise saga, “Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire.” Seemingly even far afield than Wingard’s own 2021 film, “Godzilla Vs.

Continue reading ‘Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’ Trailer: Kaiju’s Begrudgingly Team-Up To Fight Bigger, Badder Monsters at The Playlist.

While Marvel, DC, and “Star Wars” take up most of the headlines in franchise filmmaking, one of the more consistently successful franchises in modern blockbuster filmmaking is Legendary’s Monsterverse, which comprises all things Godzilla and King Kong in North America (Toho still releases “Godzilla” moves in Japan). Coming straight off the heels of Apple TV+’s successful “Monarch: Legacy Of Monsters,” TV limited series (which is more of a prequel anyhow), next up in the film universe via Warner Bros.

Continue reading ‘Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’ Teaser Trailer: Monsterverse Titans Rise Together Or Fall Alone April 2024 at The Playlist.

It may feel like a lifetime ago, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, but “Godzilla Vs. Kong” was one of 2021’s highest-grossing films. Of course, one must also equate the film’s simultaneous release in theaters and on HBO Max and reduced theatergoing due to the pandemic in those numbers. But hey: Adam Wingard‘s “Monsterverse” blockbuster made $470 million in a year when the movie industry was in dire straights.

Continue reading ‘Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’ Teaser: Adam Wingard’s Next ‘Monsterverse’ Blockbuster Hits Theaters On March 14, 2024 at The Playlist.

Now that we’ve started our process of looking back at the Best Films of 2022, it’s time to dig deeper into one facet that can make them so impactful—the mesmerizing work of their actors. Of course, every great film year leads to a surplus of great performances, and our favorites from 2022 are picked from quiet Sundance fare, auteur-driven blockbusters, future Oscar nominees, and much more. As with every year, not everything could fit on this list; and fitting to such a rewarding and challenging year of film, in particular, some of these picks will undoubtedly surprise you (or hopefully inspire you to check out what you haven’t seen). 

READ MORE: The 25 Best Films of 2022

To keep things interesting, and because it truly was hard to choose these performances, we also opted for some double picks, honoring two performances from the same movie that we find inextricable from the film’s quality. 

Follow along with all our Best Of 2022 coverage here.

Continue reading The Best Movie Performances Of 2022 at The Playlist.

Odds were against “Godzilla Vs. Kong” being a box office success back in March 2021 thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Adam Wingard‘s film fared alright despite its simultaneous release in theaters and on HBO Max. The film grossed $470 million against a budget of $155-200 million. In the pandemic era, that’s not too shabby and indeed good enough for a sequel, which Business Wire reports, is now in production.

Continue reading ‘Godzilla Vs. Kong’ Sequel In Production Now, Adam Wingard Back To Direct at The Playlist.

As of this writing, filmmaker Andrew Semans (“Nancy, Please,” 2012), the writer/director of IFC Films’ harrowing new movie “Resurrection,” is the proud father of a new baby. But when I spoke to him about a week ago, and when, more importantly, he wrote “Resurrection”— a scorching new psychological horror/thriller—he definitely didn’t have kids. His wife was due to give birth, and he was getting in as many interviews as he could before his baby arrived.

Continue reading ‘Resurrection’: Andrew Semans On Working With Rebecca Hall, Writing Horror Stories About Parenthood While Not Having Kids & More [Interview] at The Playlist.

Premiering earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival, the visceral and supremely audacious psycho-drama, “Resurrection” starring Rebecca Hall, has been described as “unhinged,” “bat-shit crazy,” “totally out there,” and worse. Of course, these are all compliments for a searing psychological dramatic thriller that’s horrifying, and, yes, tips into the horror genre a little bit, but also remains unpredictable in its madness. Starring an outstanding Rebecca Hall and Tim Roth in two of the best performances of the year, “Resurrection” is directed by Andrew Semans (“Nancy, Please,” 2012), and is a bruising look at abusive relationships, sadism, gaslighting, control and lack thereof, the primal fears of parenthood and so much more.

Continue reading ‘Resurrection’: Rebecca Hall On Its Psychological Terrors: “I Applaud Its Outlandishness, Its Bravery & Its Insanity” [Interview] at The Playlist.

You are probably not ready or prepared for the harrowing out of body experience of the riveting and unsettling psychological horror “Resurrection,” starring Rebecca Hall. One of the most unhinged and unsettling movies of the year so far, with very likely nothing toppling it, Hall is obviously one of our most acclaimed actresses, but the work she does in this film is stunning, jaw-dropping, emotionally searing and maybe her best ever.

Continue reading ‘Resurrection’ Trailer: Rebecca Hall & Tim Roth Star In The Most Unhinged Psycho Horror Of The Year at The Playlist.

The jury for the 2022 Cannes Film Festival assembled for the press and for the most part, it was a straightforward affair. “Les Miserables” director Ladj Ly remarked about how the invite was an offer he couldn’t refuse. “Worst Person in the World” Oscar nominee Joachim Trier noted that his grandfather, then a relatively known filmmaker on the world stage, saw his film debut at the festival in 1960.

Continue reading Cannes Jury Press Conference Ends On Asghar Farhadi Plagiarism Controversy at The Playlist.

Rebecca Hall has enjoyed a diverse career, sinking her teeth into smaller passion projects and behemoth blockbusters alike. Demonstrating her mainstream appeal through her highly critically and commercially successful collaboration with Christopher Nolan in the 2006 film “The Prestige,” Hall has since become a stalwart of the Sundance Film Festival, having equally exhibited an inclination towards its more independently spirited projects. In the infancy of this decade alone, Hall has appeared in “The Night House” and has helmed her first directorial outing in “Passing,” both of which had their premieres at Sundance to high acclaim.

Continue reading ‘Resurrection’ Teaser Trailer: A Scorching Psychological Sundance Thriller Starring Rebecca Hall & Tim Roth at The Playlist.

After what was rumored to be a long search, Thierry Fremaux has found his president for the 2022 Cannes Film Festival Jury. Legendary French actor Vincent Lindon, who starred in last year’s Palme d’Or winner, “Titane,” will take the mantle following Spike Lee‘s reign last year. Lindon also won the Best Actor prize at the festival in 2015 for “The Measure of a Man.”

READ MORE: David Cronenberg, James Gray & Park Chan-wook Top Cannes Film Festival 2022 Slate

Joining Lindon will be a slew of well-known international film figures who also happen to be members of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (for those paying attention).

Continue reading Vincent Lindon, Rebecca Hall & Noomi Rapace On 2022 Cannes Film Festival Jury at The Playlist.

A blistering psychological thriller and enigmatic horror film that already has Sundance audiences divided thanks to its provocative, polarizing premise, filmmaker Andrew Semans’ “Resurrection” is emotionally searing, wildly unhinged and maybe even a little batshit crazy. However, as anchored by its two fiercely committed and convincing lead performances (Rebecca Hall and Tim Roth), a menacingly disquieting tone, and a frightening ambiguity about a disintegrating mental state, “Resurrection” is a deeply distressing and compelling drama that will shock and shake you to your core.

Continue reading ‘Resurrection’ Review: Rebecca Hall Terrifies In An Unhinged Psychological Thriller About Gaslighting & The Horrors Of The Past [Sundance] at The Playlist.

If you haven’t already seen it, Rebecca Hall’s directorial debut, “Passing” on Netflix, is one of the most nuanced, layered, and engrossing portraits of identity of the year. Based on the book of the same name and set in 1920s New York City, “Passing” centers on a Black woman (Tessa Thompson) in Harlem who finds her world upended when her life becomes intertwined with a former childhood friend (Ruth Negga) who’s passing as white.

Continue reading ‘Passing’ Exclusive Featurette: Ruth Negga On The Complexities & Mysteries Of Her Character Claire at The Playlist.

Great acting was everywhere in 2021. While we received the usual assortment of great performances in festival standouts and end-of-year awards contenders, we also found inspired performances in big-budget multiplex movies and no-budget horror.

READ MORE: The 25 Best Films Of 2021

We cast a wide net for our list of the Best Film Performances of 2021. Every list has its omissions – no doubt some of your favorite roles just missed appearing on here – but if you wanted to see the full range of modern cinematic acting, you could do a lot worse than starting with the actors we’ve assembled.

Continue reading The Best Film Performances Of 2021 at The Playlist.

With 2021 coming to a close and everyone putting their best-of lists together, the Sundance Film Festival is on the horizon giving us a wave of new movies to look forward to. The festival has released a batch of first-look images (see below) for the upcoming slate of festival entries including films such as “Resurrection,” “Honk For Jesus, Save Your Soul,” and “Call Jane.” All three projects will have their World Premiere at Sundance alongside many other feature films and documentaries.

Continue reading Sundance 2022 First Looks: Rebecca Hall In ‘Resurrection,’ Elizabeth Banks In ‘Call Jane’ & More 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 biweekly column sifts through all of those choices to pluck out the movies most worth your time, no matter how you’re watching.

This week’s new streaming and disc guide (okay, it’s mostly a disc guide) is a back-breaker – which is unsurprising, with the holidays approaching, and the hunt for gift ideas already heating up.

Continue reading The Best Movies To Buy Or Stream This Week: ‘Passing,’ ‘Scream,’ ‘The Eyes Of Tammy Faye’ & More at The Playlist.

Would someone hide in plain sight to live a better life? The answers are not so easy, especially when it comes to how society perceives status and race. Rebecca Hall’s directorial debut “Passing,” acclaimed upon its premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, seeks to create a conversation about racism’s impact on personal and public identity. The story of two friends trying to succeed in a world that doesn’t value their presence is an adaptation of Nella Larsen’s novel (read our review here).

Continue reading ‘Passing’ Trailer: Nothing Is Black & White For Tessa Thompson In Director Rebecca Hall’s Acclaimed Debut at The Playlist.

Hitting theaters next week, David Bruckner’s “The Night House” is a psychological horror with all the dials cranked up to 11, an unsettling exploration of grief and mortality that matches the intensity of that subject matter with brutal jump-scares, nerve-rattling sound design, and enough menacing ambience to keep your stomach in knots.

READ MORE: ‘The Night House’: Rebecca Hall Battles Her Demons, Metaphorical & Otherwise [Sundance Review]

At its center is Beth (Rebecca Hall), a grieving widow who lives alone in the spacious lakeside home her husband had built before his death.

Continue reading David Bruckner On ‘The Night House,’ Being Scared of Rebecca Hall, Rebooting ‘Hellraiser’ & More [Interview] at The Playlist.

January 2020 feels like an eternity ago, doesn’t it? Well, way back then, pre-pandemic, one of our favorite films from the Sundance Film Festival was the horror-thriller, “The Night House.” And thankfully, even though it’s been more than a year, Searchlight Pictures is prepping the release of “The Night House,” allowing for folks all around the world to experience the film that had audiences in Sundance cowering in fear.

Continue reading ‘The Night House’ Exclusive Music: Listen To A Track From Ben Lovett’s Eerie Score at The Playlist.

Death, grief and recovery are hard roads to get past, but in “The Night House,” perhaps something more sinister than just shuffling off this mortal coil is on the menu. In this eerie Sundance picture starring Rebecca Hall (upcoming “Passing,” “Vicky Cristina Barcelona,” “The Town“), Sarah Goldberg (“Barry”), Evan Jonigkeit (“X-Men: Days of Future Past“), Stacy Martin (“Nymphomaniac“) and Vondie Curtis Hall (“Die Hard 2“), a widow (Hall) begins to uncover her recently deceased husband’s disturbing secrets.

Continue reading ‘The Night House’ Trailer: Rebecca Hall Is Haunted By The Ghost Of Her Dead Husband at The Playlist.

“Film isn’t about storytelling or empathy; it’s about cool shit happening,” is an amusing, facetious tweet that recently went viral. Sure, it’s a jokey, flippant sentiment, but there’s also a kernel of truth (and an ironic one at that) that also applies to Legendary Picture’s “Godzilla Vs. Kong.” Because the easy part of making a “Godzilla Vs. Kong” movie— at least, where getting most audiences to buy-in is concerned—is making “cool shit” action sequences and fights.

Continue reading ‘Godzilla Vs. Kong’: Cool Sh*t Can’t Save Adam Wingard’s Convoluted Titans Clashing Monsterverse Movie [Review] at The Playlist.

Good films occasionally get lost in the shuffle at film festivals, and that’s perhaps may have happened to “The Night House” starring Rebecca Hall. The film premiered at Sundance 2020 to good notices and reviews (including ours), but then seemingly was forgotten for a bit. And or, Searchlight Pictures has just been biding their time, waiting for the right moment to release and market the film.

Continue reading ‘The Night House’ Trailer: Rebecca Hall Discovers Dark Secrets About Her Dead Husband’s Past In New Sundance Horror at The Playlist.

As she explained to us in an interview of the Deep Focus podcast, Rebecca Hall has been working a long time bringing her directorial debut, “Passing,” to life. Even though the debut was delayed due to the pandemic, the period drama finally premiered as part of this year’s Sundance Film Festival. And after receiving great reviews, it appears Hall has found a distributor for her black and white feature.

Continue reading Rebecca Hall’s Sundance Film ‘Passing’ Lands Massive Netflix Deal at The Playlist.