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.

CANNES – There is nothing wrong with a three-hour movie. There have been absolute masterworks longer than 180 minutes. It sorta helps, however, if the film is, well, a movie. After watching Kevin Costner’s 181-minute-long “Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1,” we can’t argue its classification as a film, artist’s prerogative, but we’re still not sure it should be constituted as one by anyone else. And that’s for a multitude of reasons.

Continue reading ‘Horizon: An American Saga’ Review: Kevin Costner’s Sprawling Western With No End In Sight [Cannes] at The Playlist.

Another year, another exorcism horror movie for Russell Crowe, who may have found a new go-to role in this stage of his career. But “The Exorcism” isn’t in the same vein as “The Pope’s Exorcist” from last year. Instead, Joshua John Miller‘s film takes a meta twist on the possession movie premise, with Crowe as an actor whose psychological demons (and maybe some real ones) are plaguing him while working on a horror movie set.

Continue reading ‘The Exorcism’ Trailer: Russell Crowe’s Latest Exorcist Flick Goes Meta, Hits Theaters On June 7 at The Playlist.

What would you do to become rich beyond your wildest dreams? A crew of thieves attempt their biggest score in “Lift.” This determined team is led by mastermind Cyrus Whitaker, played by Kevin Hart; it’s up to Whitaker to keep them on track, but nothing ever goes as planned. The result is a fast-paced ride that keeps audiences on the edge of their seats. “Lift” comes from director F.

Continue reading ‘Lift’ Trailer: Kevin Hart, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, & Vincent D’Onofrio Star In A Netflix Heist Thriller at The Playlist.

As “Avatar: The Way Of Water‘ hits theaters everywhere tomorrow, questions about the long-awaited sequel abound. Will the film be another massive cash cow for Jim Cameron? Does the “Avatar” franchise have any cultural caché after thirteen years between the first and second movies? Will Cameron make all five films he has mapped out for the series? It all hinges on how “The Way Of Water” does at the box office this weekend.

Continue reading Sam Worthington Says James Cameron Has A Full Script For ‘Avatar 1.5’ & More Details About ‘Avatar 5’ at The Playlist.

Over the course of 2022, a Nicole Kidman-narrated ad for AMC Theatres has evolved from a campy meme into something of a communal prayer offered at the secular chapel of the movie theater. The fragments she incants evocatively describe the power of cinema when wielded at its maximalist best: “we go somewhere we’ve never been before,” “dazzling images on a huge silver screen,” “sound I can feel.” The year ends for audiences with a movie that genuinely deserves to follow such a paean: James Cameron’s long-delayed, much-anticipated “Avatar: The Way of Water.”

READ MORE: The 25 Best Films Of 2022

The specious claims that the original “Avatar” had no cultural impact evaporate all but instantly when Cameron plunges viewers back into the realm of Pandora.

Continue reading ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ Review: James Cameron’s Sequel Is Blockbuster Filmmaking At Its Biggest & Best at The Playlist.

Water seems to be on the brain in big franchises of late, a final frontier not that many films have been able to pull off. DC struck $1 billion with “Aquaman,” defying the odds, and soon, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” will introduce audiences to Namor and the underwater world of Talocan. But perhaps no one will be able to compare what James Cameron looks like he has in store with his belated “Avatar” sequel, “The Way of Water.

Continue reading ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ Trailer: James Cameron Opens Up The Underwater Majesty Of Pandora at The Playlist.

After years of development, Kevin Costner readies his passion project “Horizon” for production soon. It’s Costner’s first film since 2003’s “Open Range,” and he aims for the project to be a trilogy, or possibly even four films. And the massive undertaking is right in Costner’s wheelhouse, as it’s a sweeping chronicle of the settlement of the American West over a 15-year span, including the American Civil War.

Continue reading ‘Horizon’: Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington & Jamie Campbell Bower Join Kevin Costner’s Passion Project at The Playlist.

After many years of incremental delays, director James Cameron finally looks ready to deliver the goods on his long-awaited sequel to “Avatar.” It’s been something of a running gag among film fans that the movie would simply never see the light of day, but the December 2022 release date seems to be locked in. And to dispel any lingering doubts, Cameron debuted a new trailer at this year’s Cinema-Con to prove the movie was real.

Continue reading ‘Avatar: The Way Of Water’ What We Learned From Watching The New Trailer at The Playlist.

It’s undeniable, Andrew Garfield is having a serious moment. Coming off an Oscar nomination for “tick, tick…BOOM!” and his appearance in “Spider-Man: No Way Home”— a part so beloved people are demanding that the actor get to finish out his ‘Spider-Man’ trilogy and or join Sony’s Spiderverse—Garfield feels like he’s bigger than ever these days. And so thus the timing is pretty sweet for “Under The Banner Of Heaven,” a new FX limited series about a murder based on a popular, true-crime best-seller.

Continue reading ‘Under The Banner Of Heaven’ Trailer: Andrew Garfield & Daisy Edgar-Jones Star In A New Faith-Based Thriller Series Coming In April at The Playlist.

For fans of Tim Sutton’s previous films, there’s a lot of questions surrounding his latest feature, “The Last Son.” Mostly, what will the director who has given us some of the most disturbing, humanistic dramas of the past several years going to do with his first Western?

LISTEN: Tim Sutton Talks ‘Funny Face,’ The Divisive Legacy Of ‘Donnybrook,’ His Machine Gun Kelly Western & More [The Playlist Podcast]

Well, if the trailer for “The Last Son” is any indication, it appears Sutton is able to transition to the Wild West with ease, while still keeping some of his trademark style along the way.

Continue reading ‘The Last Son’ Trailer: Sam Worthington & Machine Gun Kelly Star In Tim Sutton’s New Western at The Playlist.

A couple of years ago, we saw Martin Scorsese use cutting-edge CGI techniques to allow for his aging actors to play much younger versions of themselves in the crime drama, “The Irishman.” It’s a neat trick, without a doubt, but in the new crime drama “Lansky,” the film decided to go the old-school way and just cast two great actors for the title role.

READ MORE: ‘False Positive’ Trailer: Ilana Glazer Stars In New A24 Childbirth Horror Film Coming To Hulu In June

As seen in the trailer for “Lansky,” the film tells the true story of Meyer Lansky (Harvey Keitel), an aging gangster that is working with a writer to tell his life story for a book.

Continue reading ‘Lansky’ Trailer: John Magaro & Harvey Keitel Star As A Legendary Gangster In A New Crime Drama at The Playlist.

If you know anything about the folks here at The Playlist, it’s that we love to highlight indie films that really excite us, especially those that tend to fly under the radar of the typical film watcher. And last year, one of those films (and one of my personal favorites) was “Donnybrook” by filmmaker Tim Sutton. It’s a film that struck a chord with me in a way that ensures I’ll check out anything the director works on from here on, including the project he’s currently filming, “The Last Son of Isaac LeMay.”

READ MORE: The 25 Best Films Of 2019 You Didn’t See

Now, thanks to the ubiquity of Instagram, we’re able to see some first looks at the production of the cold weather Western that Sutton is cooking up and the eclectic cast he has put together to help tell the story.

Continue reading First Look: Tim Sutton’s New Western ‘Isaac LeMay’ With Heather Graham, Sam Worthington, Machine Gun Kelly & More at The Playlist.

“Session 9” director Brad Anderson returns to Fantastic Fest with “Fractured,” a soon-to-Netflix thriller that feels like a lost episode of “The Twilight Zone“…but maybe one that’d be better off lost.

Written by Alan B. McElroy, “Fractured” begins with a family of three on the long drive home from a Thanksgiving visit with the grandparents.

Continue reading Brad Anderson Falls Short Of Thrilling With Netflix’s ‘Fractured’ [Fantastic Fest Review] at The Playlist.

With fall weather just around the corner, it’s time to stay inside and put on a Netflix movie. We’re not talking a “Netflix and chill” night though. The streaming platform has decided to take ownership of the now-famous euphemism and put a spooky spin on it. It’s time for “Netflix and Chills.” In a potential strategy to shake things up with their line of original content, this new branding encompasses Netflix’s offering of original horror movies, including the upcoming “Fractured,”

“Fractured” is a psychological thriller directed by Brad Anderson and written by Alan McElroy.

Continue reading ‘Fractured’ Trailer: October’s Netflix & Chills Arrives With Brad Anderson’s New Thriller Starring Sam Worthington at The Playlist.

It’s been a decade since “Avatar” bulldozed through box office records, and while the film’s visuals might have stuck with fans over the years, it’s hard to imagine Sam Worthington‘s performance is just as indelible in their memories. But what would the movie have been without its star and with someone, umm, better? Director James Cameron recently revealed that Worthington wasn’t the only choice to play the film’s hero Jake Sully, as /Film shares. 

Continue reading ‘Avatar’ Could Have Starred Chris Evans or Channing Tatum at The Playlist.

While “Hacksaw Ridge” presents a distinctly American WWII tale, the film is surprisingly shot completely in Australia, but it seems that only pushed lead actor Andrew Garfield even further to make sure his portrayal of conscientious objector Desmond Doss hit all the right notes. And director Mel Gibson was impressed by the actor’s commitment to the role.

READ MORE: New Films By Terrence Malick, Derek Cianfrance, Mel Gibson, Denis Villeneuve Lead 2016 Venice Film Festival Line Up

“He’s the nicest guy on earth, and very talented.

Continue reading Andrew Garfield Goes To War In First Trailer For Mel Gibson’s ‘Hacksaw Ridge’ at The Playlist.

Review: 'The Keeping Room' Starring Brit Marling Is A Promising Civil War Thriller

Continue reading Review: ‘The Keeping Room’ Starring Brit Marling Is A Promising Civil War Thriller at The Playlist.

Review: The Human Drama Of 'Everest' Gets Swamped By Spectacle

Continue reading Review: The Human Drama Of ‘Everest’ Gets Swamped By Spectacle at The Playlist.

Watch: Hailee Steinfeld & Brit Marling Fight For Their Lives In A New Clip From 'The Keeping Room'

Continue reading Watch: Hailee Steinfeld & Brit Marling Fight For Their Lives In A New Clip From ‘The Keeping Room’ at The Playlist.

Venice Review: 'Everest' Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Josh Brolin, Robin Wright, Sam Worthington, Keira Knightley, Jason Clarke, More

Continue reading Venice Review: ‘Everest’ Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Josh Brolin, Robin Wright, Sam Worthington, Keira Knightley, Jason Clarke, More at The Playlist.

Watch: Sam Worthington Hunts Brit Marling In Trailer For Thriller 'The Keeping Room'

Continue reading Watch: Sam Worthington Hunts Brit Marling In Trailer For Thriller ‘The Keeping Room’ at The Playlist.

Vince Vaughn Stays Serious, Goes To Mel Gibson's 'Hacksaw Ridge' With Andrew Garfield

Continue reading Vince Vaughn Stays Serious, Goes To Mel Gibson’s ‘Hacksaw Ridge’ With Andrew Garfield at The Playlist.

Review: 'Kidnapping Mr. Heineken' With Anthony Hopkins, Sam Worthington, Jim Sturgess, Ryan Kwanten, And More

Continue reading Review: ‘Kidnapping Mr. Heineken’ With Anthony Hopkins, Sam Worthington, Jim Sturgess, Ryan Kwanten, And More at The Playlist.

Watch: The Perfect Crime Goes Wrong In New Trailer For 'Kidnapping Mr. Heineken' With Sam Worthington, Jim Sturgess & More

Continue reading Watch: The Perfect Crime Goes Wrong In New Trailer For ‘Kidnapping Mr. Heineken’ With Sam Worthington, Jim Sturgess & More at The Playlist.