Similarly to television, it would seem that with theaters slowly beginning to reopen; the movie release schedule is picking up speed in May. Just in time for what typically would be the start of the blockbuster season, this spring features a greater, eclectic list of films to choose from and, luckily for those still unwilling to go to a theater just yet, plenty of at-home viewing possibilities.

READ MORE: Summer 2021 Preview: Over 50 Movies To Watch

After the recent video announcement of Disney/Marvel’s upcoming dominance at the box office, this might be a good time to support independent and midlevel cinema before it’s all drowned out by tentpole features, sequels, and reboots.

Continue reading 12 Films To Watch In May: ‘A Quiet Place II,’ ‘Spiral’ The Return of Angelina Jolie & More at The Playlist.

If you don’t know the work of Academy Award®-nominated and Emmy-winning filmmaker Matthew Heineman (“Cartel Land,” “City Of Ghosts“), you really outta change that. A cameraman and cinematographer on top of being a documentarian, Heineman’s work is always super cinematic, super intimate, and seems even to blur the lines of fact and fiction; he gets into such personal spaces, it seems impossible that moments aren’t staged, but they aren’t.

Continue reading ‘The Boy From Medellín’ Trailer: Doc Filmmaker Matthew Heineman Tracks The Life Of Reggaeton Star J Balvin at The Playlist.

Before J. Balvin became a record-breaking chart-topper, he was José Álvaro Osorio Balvín, just another boy in Medellín, Colombia, with big dreams and an even bigger drive to make them come true. In Matthew Heineman’s documentary, the pop star alternates between his carefree onstage persona and who he is when the cameras and fans aren’t around. He’s especially open about his struggles with mental illness in an effort to destigmatize the subject for his fans and listeners.

Continue reading ‘The Boy From Medellín’: Matthew Heineman Shows A Different Side To Reggaeton Artist J. Balvin [TIFF Review] at The Playlist.

Not to overstate the obvious, but yes, it’s been a weird, horrible year as the pandemic not only upended our lives but the entire film and television industry. This year, that meant, so far, no SXSW, no Cannes, and no Telluride since the geniuses in the White House and their poor response meant the United States was hit the hardest (two of those three festivals being American, obviously).

Continue reading Toronto International Film Festival 2020 Preview: 15 Films To Watch at The Playlist.