Without Richard Wayne Penniman, aka Little Richard, rock ‘n roll as we know it wouldn’t exist today. Don’t believe that claim? Well, Lisa Cortés‘ documentary “Little Richard: I Am Everything” is ready to shed some light on the subject and unveil the black queer roots of the musical genre.

READ MORE: ‘Little Richard: I Am Everything’: Lisa Cortés & Scholars Galore Thoughtfully Transcend The Rock Bio-Doc Clichés [Sundance]

Fresh off its acclaimed world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, “I Am Everything” takes a look at the life and career of the one of a kind rock star, a self-described omnisexual whose sexual identity proves as trailblazing as his music.

Continue reading ‘Little Richard: I Am Everything’ Trailer: New Doc Charts The Life & Career Of The Architect Of Rock ‘N Roll at The Playlist.

With the war still raging in Ukraine, the membership of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences made their feelings on the matter one for the history books. In a year of incredible documentaries, the Oscars handed their Best Documentary prize to “Navalny,” a portrait of Russian opposition leader Alexi Navalny. Currently imprisoned by the Russian government, the Oscar was accepted by director Daniel Roher and Navalny’s wife, Yulia Navalny.

Continue reading ‘Navalny’ Gives Sundance Yet Another Documentary Film Oscar Winner at The Playlist.

Post-9/11 NYC was a music scene all its own, led by bands like The Strokes, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and LCD Soundsystem, among others. And music journalist Lizzy Goodman chronicled it in her 2017 book, “Meet Me In The Bathroom: Rebirth And Rock And Roll In New York City 2001.”  

READ MORE: ‘Meet Me In The Bathroom’ Review: NYC 200s Rock Rebirth Doc Is Too By The Numbers [Sundance]

Now, Goodman’s book gets the documentary treatment, thanks to Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace, directors of the LCD Soundsystem doc “Shut Up And Play The Hits.” “Meet Me In The Bathroom” brings Goodman’s extensive research, including 200 original interviews, to the big screen in a visceral way.

Continue reading ‘Meet Me In The Bathroom’ Trailer: Sundance Doc Charting Post-9/11 NYC Rock Scene Hits Showtime On November 25 at The Playlist.

Margaret Brown entranced audiences at the Sundance Film Festival with “Descendant,” her documentary about the historic discovery of a lost slave ship in 2019. The movie made such a splash at Sundance that it won a Special Jury Prize. Now, it gets another screening at the New York Film Festival before it premieres exclusively on Netflix.

READ MORE: ‘Descendant’ Review: Stunning Documentary Presents A Layered History Of The Clotilda Slave Ship And Africatown [Sundance]

Here’s the film’s official synopsis, courtesy of Netflix:

Documentary filmmaker Margaret Brown (“The Order of Myths,” “The Great Invisible“) returns to her hometown of Mobile, Alabama to document the search for and historic discovery of The Clotilda, the last known ship to arrive in the United States, illegally carrying enslaved Africans.

Continue reading ‘Descendant’ Trailer: Margaret Brown’s New Doc Screens At NYFF On October 1, Hits Netflix On October 21 at The Playlist.

This year “All That Breathes” became the first film to win both Sundance’s Grand Jury Prize (World Cinema) and Cannes’ Documentary Prize. Directed by Shaunak Sen, the documentary follows two brothers in Delhi on their journey to protect a bird known as the black kite in an urban environment overrun with pollution and civil violence. And now, before its theatrical release, it gets another festival screening at the New York Film Festival.

Continue reading ‘All That Breathes’ Trailer: First Film To Win Both Cannes & Sundance Documentary Awards Releases October 21 at The Playlist.

It’s late September, moviegoers, which means that horror movie season has commenced. And one of the more intriguing options hitting theaters this year is the Spanish film “Piggy,” which blew away audiences at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. And what’s not to love about the film’s premise? It follows a bullied girl in a small Spanish town who discovers a serial killer’s identity, but keeps quiet about it because, in some slanted way, they have similar motives.

Continue reading ‘Piggy’ Trailer: Carlota Pereda’s Sundance Horror Favorite Arrives In October at The Playlist.

Sinéad O’Connor remains one of the most influential music acts to emerge into the pop mainstream in the late ’80s and early ’90s. Now, take a look at her life and career through the lens of Kathryn Ferguson, making her documentary feature debut with “Nothing Compares,” an in-depth look at O’Connor’s creative legacy.

READ MORE: 22 Most Anticipated Sundance 2022 Films: ‘Cha Cha Real Smooth,’ ‘Fire Of Love,’ ‘FRESH’

The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year (read our review here) and has since gone on to more success at other festivals, especially in O’Connor and Ferguson’s native Ireland.

Continue reading ‘Nothing Compares’ Trailer: Documentary About Sinéad O’Connor’s Life & Career Hits Showtime On September 30 at The Playlist.

Is there any place better than the great outdoors to escape from everything? That’s the logic of Thandiwe Newton‘s grieving college professor in “God’s Country,” who heads out to Big Sky Country in Montana to mourn his mother’s passing. But when two hunters trespass on her property, Newton’s teacher finds herself less in the solace of nature than in an escalating battle of wills that leads to fatal consequences.

Continue reading ‘God’s Country’ Clip: Thandiwe Newton Stars In A New Neo-Western Thriller [Exclusive] at The Playlist.

John Boyega stands as one of the most promising up-and-coming actors currently working in Hollywood. After his debut in “Attack the Block” and his star-making role as Finn in the “Star Wars” sequel trilogy, he recently wowed with his performance in “Red, White and Blue” in the anthology series “Small Axe” from Steve McQueen.

Continue reading ‘Breaking’ Trailer: John Boyega & Michael K. Williams Star In A New Crime Thriller at The Playlist.

Thinking of actors and actresses who appear in a myriad of films in small but memorable roles, Dale Dickey quickly comes to mind. “Hell or High Water,” “Winter’s Bone,” “Palm Springs,” “Super 8,” and “Iron Man 3,” that’s to name just a small handful of the supporting roles she has had throughout her career.

Continue reading ‘A Love Song’ Trailer: Dale Dickey & Wes Studi Star In The Sundance Standout Drama at The Playlist.

Ah, the perils of modern dating, particularly apps like Tinder, Hinge, Bumble, and so on. The pitfalls are already well-known to those who use them: people don’t look at all like their picture in real-life; they lie about their height; they have the personality of a limp dishrag. The list goes on, but it’s true: dating nowadays occasionally feels like a horror movie, even off the apps.

‘Fresh’ Review: Daisy Edgar-Jones Is A Promising Young Woman Trapped In A Reactionary “Horrors Of Dating” Misfire [Sundance]

So, obviously, someone had to make a movie about this sad state of affairs.

Continue reading ‘Fresh’ Trailer: Sebastian Stan & Daisy Edgar-Jones’ Nightmarish Dating Satire Hits Hulu March 4 at The Playlist.

What do you have to say to the Russian people in the event of your death? Filmmaker Daniel Roher (“Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and the Band”) asks his subject, Russian political dissident Alexei Navalny, at the beginning of his engrossing new doc “Navalny.” “C’mon,” Navalny scoffs, dismissively, as if highly attuned to Roher’s “gotcha” question he could frame posthumously in the case of the political agitator’s untimely death.

Continue reading ‘Navalny’ Review: Russian Dissident Doc Plays Out Like An Entertaining Thriller [Sundance] at The Playlist.

Despite critical acclaim and overwhelming evidence, W. Kamau Bell knows what is coming. His four-part docu-series, “We Need To Talk About Cosby,” not only chronicles the influential African-American comedian’s rise in the entertainment industry but his subsequent crimes of rape and sexual harassment against women throughout his career. But, for many, those criminal charges are simply conspiratorial accusations against a revered member of the Black community. Bill Cosby has become, and likely always will be, a polarizing figure.

Continue reading W. Kamau Bell Is Prepared For ‘We Need To Talk About Cosby’ Attacks [Interview] at The Playlist.

Directed by Paula Eislet and Tonya Lewis Lee (Spike Lee’s producer and partner), the documentary “Aftershock” chronicles the dismal maternal mortality rate that women of color face in the United States medical system. The statistics are shameful, pointing to a systemic racist indifference, and the documentary chronicles the staggering number of times that expectant mothers entering into hospitals simply do not come out alive due to a lack of care and sensitivity.

Continue reading ‘Aftershock’ Review: A Heartbreaking Look At The Grim Maternal Mortality Rate Black Women Face In America’s Hospitals [Sundance] at The Playlist.

A dreamlike exploration of toxic masculinity, new motherhood, and sexual awakening, Quebecois actor-director Monia Chokri debuted her second feature, “Babysitter,” at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. While it’s unclear what “Babysitter” is actually trying to say — or even what its characters learn over the course of its plot — the film is so thoroughly sardonic that it gleefully resists any deeper meaning.

READ MORE: Sundance 2022 Preview: 20 Must-See Movies From The Festival

“Babysitter” centers on Cédric (Patrick Hivon), an engineer whose world is upended when he goes viral for drunkenly kissing a female news anchor.

Continue reading ‘Babysitter’ Review: A Sardonic, Lynchian, Mostly-Feminist Fever Dream [Sundance] at The Playlist.

In 1973, at the age of 23, Korean immigrant Chol Soo Lee was arrested. An outsider within San Francisco’s Chinatown, Lee was charged with first-degree murder after being accused of shooting a Chinese gang member in the back at point-blank range. Though he maintained his innocence, Lee was convicted of the crime and received a life sentence. Complicating things for Lee was the fact that he was imprisoned in one of California’s most dangerous and notoriously violent facilities.

Continue reading ‘Free Chol Soo Lee’ Review: An Unflinching Portrait Of The Trauma Inflicted On An Innocent Man [Sundance] at The Playlist.

“My Old School,” a documentary by Jono McLeod, opens with an enticing montage. Interviewees speak ominously about a mysterious character who’s done something strange — a man who may even be unhinged enough to have changed his identity through facial reconstruction. But the story the film goes on to tell doesn’t merit this supervillain setup, especially since it refuses to condemn its subject’s very contemptible actions. Though “My Old School” is inventive in some ways and plenty entertaining, its self-indulgent silliness undercuts any shot at a long-lasting impact.

Continue reading ‘My Old School’ Review: An Entertaining, Inventive Doc Undercut By Its Self-Indulgent Silliness [Sundance] at The Playlist.

TikTok is an undeniable force in our society. It has the power to launch music careers, house the homeless, and unite people worldwide. It is an app where anyone can go viral for any reason, not just because they have the right followers. It is also the first Chinese social media app to take over the United States. TikTok’s geopolitical implications are certainly worth exploring, but its social impact is arguably more significant — yet director Shalini Kantayya (“Coded Bias”) uses her documentary “TikTok, Boom” to merely gesture at the latter issue.

Continue reading ‘TikTok, Boom’ Review: A Look At The Geopolitics Of The World’s Biggest Social App [Sundance] at The Playlist.

The crushing weight of debt and the stress of financial struggle have led many to find creative problem-solving methods. The Sundance crime drama “Emily The Criminal” explores one such story about a character pressed to the limits by a system intent on keeping her in the loop of student debt and marginalized job opportunities. Premiering at Sundance 2022, this entry from filmmaker John Patton Ford offers an intense — but all too authentic — portrait of a dire economic landscape that creates desperation and bad choices.

Continue reading ‘Emily The Criminal’: Aubrey Plaza, Theo Rossi & Director John Patton Ford Discuss Their Sundance Grift Thriller [Interview] at The Playlist.

If you’ve never been to Sundance before, you can expect a lot of fresh features from oft-marginalized directors and — at least these days — films shot with square aspect ratios. “Girl Picture,” a delightful, Finnish coming-of-age tale by the director Alli Haapasalo, fulfills both criteria. The film oozes with cool, and not just because of its hipstery cinematography: its soundtrack, snappy editing, and abundant teen vivacity make this an undeniable crowd-pleaser.

Continue reading ‘Girl Picture’ Review: A Charming, Irresistible Coming-Of-Age Story [Sundance] at The Playlist.

The Sundance Film Festival was decidedly a virtual affair this year, but that didn’t stop the joy from the filmmakers, actors, and artists who were honored at the annual awards ceremony. The big winners this year included “Nanny,” “The Exiles,” “Cha Cha Smooth” and “Navalny,” which took two Audience Awards.

READ MORE: ‘Utama’: A breathtaking portrait of a Quechua family on the brink [Sundance Review]

Nikyatu’s “Nanny,” which is still available as an acquisition title at publication, took the prestigious Grand Jury Prize in the U.S.

Continue reading ‘Nanny,’ ‘The Exiles,’ ‘Cha Cha Smooth’ & “Navalny’ Top 2022 Sundance Awards at The Playlist.

Filmmaker Jamie Dack is no stranger to film festivals. Her short film about teenage malaise in suburban Southern California “Palm Trees and Power Lines” premiered at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival as a Cinéfondatio selection. A graduate of NYU’s MFA program, Dack’s films explore loneliness and insecurity. Partially inspired by a series of still photographs Dack took of her native Southern California, the feature “Palm Trees and Power Lines” is an adaptation of her earlier short, expanding and adding themes of vulnerability, grooming and exploitation. 

Continue reading Jamie Dack Talks ‘Palm Trees And Power Lines,’ Filmmaking Inspirations & More [Sundance Interview] at The Playlist.

Premiering in the U.S. Dramatic Competition at this year’s all-virtual Sundance Film Festival, Nikyatu Jusu’s unsettling “Nanny” is a supernatural thriller that weaves together strands of domestic drama and West African folklore. For Jusu, combining these elements came naturally. 

READ MORE: Sundance 2022 Preview: 20 Must-See Movies From The Festival

In approaching the story of Aisha (Anna Diop), an undocumented nanny who’s haunted by paranormal forces while working for a privileged couple in New York City, Jusu drew upon formative memories of her mother, an artist, and self-published writer, performing domestic labor for families other than their own. 

“It was something that really left a salient mark on me, the reality that your mother would have to go care for other families in spite of the tremendous love that you had for her,” says Jusu.

Continue reading ‘Nanny’ Director Nikyatu Jusu On Her Buzzy Supernatural Thriller [Sundance Interview] at The Playlist.

“We grew up in Atlanta and in the church. Like in the height of Southern Baptist megachurches. We realized pretty quickly and pretty young that something wasn’t quite right.”

This notion of things amiss in a place that should have a higher calling inspired director Adamma Ebo Sundance’s offering “Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul.” A comedy produced by her twin sister Adanne Ebo, ’Honk For Jesus’ follows a disgraced pastor and his wife as they attempt a comeback through a documentary.

Continue reading ‘Honk For Jesus. Save Your Soul’: Director Adamma Ebo Talks The Myth & Grift Of Prosperity Gospel [Sundance] at The Playlist.

It took Evan Rachel Wood years to muster the courage to name her abuser. A lot of people knew who he was, divorced from her, because of his job, his public persona, his notorious reputation — controversial, provocative, fundamentally harmful. Amy Berg’s “Phoenix Rising,” the documentary in which Wood, a well-respected actor and now activist, tells her story, was never about a sudden revelation or a twist in the tale about what happened to her — but the details, the calm with which she retells these events, is still impossibly harrowing.

Continue reading ‘Phoenix Rising’ Review: The Harrowing Resurrection Of Evan Rachel Wood Proves There’s Still So Much Work To Be Done [Sundance] at The Playlist.