A man, a woman, and an enclosed space — as any stage director knows, these components can be transformed into anything within the capabilities of the human imagination, a malleability essential to Zachary Wigon’s devious chamber piece “Sanctuary.” DominatrixRebecca (Margaret Qualley) and her number-one client Hal (Christopher Abbott) bring that same spirit of invention to their sessions, such as a face-off between a playboy corporate heir and the no-nonsense lady lawyer who gets him scrubbing the bathroom floor in his underwear with just a handful of demeaning remarks.

Continue reading ‘Sanctuary’: Margaret Qualley & Christopher Abbott Discuss Their Racy New Kink Film, Stunt Dildos & More [Interview] at The Playlist.

May is a big release month, and not just for tent poles as we enter the ever-shifting summer blockbuster season. Kicking it off with another Marvel entry and closing it out with another Disney live-action adaptation, there’s little question of what studios continue to dominate. That said, it’s a big month for independent films as well, with a plethora of festival favorites from last year and early this year making their theatrical debuts. 

Continue reading 12 Films To See In May: ‘Guardians Vol 3,’ The ‘Starling Girl,’ ‘Master Gardener’ & More at The Playlist.

There is a discussion on Film Twitter that the people excited to see Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” are not the same people that are excited to see Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie.” We disagree. Whether the masses want to believe it or not, it’s a Barbie world, and we’re all just living in it–even Ryan Gosling has admitted that he’s finally discovered his Ken-ergy.

Continue reading Summer 2023 Movie Preview: 52 Must-See Films To Watch at The Playlist.

Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott are two of Hollywood’s fastest-rising stars. But before they reunite onscreen in Yorgos Lanthimos‘ “Poor Things,” their devilish take on the sex comedy hits theaters first.  

READ MORE: ‘Sanctuary’ Review: Margaret Qualley & Christopher Abbott Roleplay With Sex & BDSM Kink In A Terrific Two-Hander [TIFF]

Fresh off its world premiere at TIFF last September, “Sanctuary” sees Abbott and Qualley play a twisted power game with each other.

Continue reading ‘Sanctuary’ Trailer: Margaret Qualley & Christopher Abbott Play A Devilish Power Game With Each Other On May 19 at The Playlist.

Yes, we’re still here with Best-of 2022 recaps and 2023 anticipated features; we know. We’re gluttons for punishment and maybe a little bit psycho. But yes, we obviously like to look ahead and look back, and our annual The Best Films Of [Insert Year Here] We’ve Already Seen feature is the perfect opportunity to do both.

READ MORE: The 25 Best Films Of 2022

The gist? Well, we’ve already made our list of the 100 Most Anticipated Films Of 2023, which could have been much longer and will be expanded, by the very least, in our Sundance preview.

Continue reading The 25 Best Films Of 2023 We’ve Already Seen at The Playlist.

A person hires a dominatrix for the same reason they subscribe to organized religion: to give themselves over to a higher power. In Zachary Wigon’s terrific two-hander “Sanctuary,” he invests the dynamic between a roleplaying sex worker and her longest-term client with all the devotional, frustrated intensity of an implacable deity and the quavering mortal who labors to appease her. (It’s no coincidence that guys like this are always calling their dommes “goddesses.”) She gets money and perhaps some personal fulfillment from her work; he gets purpose and certainty, the messiness of life reorganized into a clear-cut program of tasks to be carried out and approvals to be earned.

Continue reading ‘Sanctuary’ Review: Margaret Qualley & Christopher Abbott Roleplay With Sex & BDSM Kink In A Terrific Two-Hander [TIFF] at The Playlist.

This week marks the beginning of the 47th Toronto International Film Festival. Films premiering in Toronto as well as those that have already premiered at festivals such as Cannes and Venice, are generating a lot of interest online, which makes festivalgoers excited that after taking caution due to the COVID pandemic, TIFF is back in person this year. While our team has already covered Telluride and Venice, TIFF tends to have some of the most impressive premieres.

Continue reading TIFF 2022: 16 Must-See Films To See At The Toronto Film Festival at The Playlist.

Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott will star in the Zachary Wigon-directed thriller “Sanctuary,” which just finished shooting in New York, Variety reports.

Set in a hotel room over the course of a single night, “Sanctuary” centers on a dominatrix (Qualley) and her wealthy client Hal (Abbott), who is on the cusp of inheriting his father’s fortune and position. When he tries to cut ties with Qualley’s character, “disaster ensues.”

READ MORE: ‘Black Bear’: Sarah Gadon & Christopher Abbott Talk Working With Aubrey Plaza, Balancing Tension, Filmmaking & More [Interview]

“Sanctuary” was written by “Homecoming” co-creator Micah Bloomberg and produced by David Lancaster and Stephanie Wilcox of Rumble Films (“Whiplash,” “Nightcrawler”), while Ilya Stewart of Hype Film and Pavel Burian of Mosaic Films are co-producing along with Charades, which is handling international sales rights.

Continue reading Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott to Star in Zachary Wigon Dominatrix Thriller ‘Sanctuary’ at The Playlist.

Continue reading ‘Pulp Fiction’ Writer Roger Avary To Pen Adaptation Of William Faulkner’s ‘Sanctuary’ at The Playlist.