It may not have taken the Palme d’Or, but Jonathan Glazer’s “The Zone of Interest” is now a part of Oscar history. The A24 release won the International Film Oscar at the 96th Academy Awards, becoming the first submission from the United Kingdom to take the honor. “Zone” was also The Playlist’s top film of 2023.

READ MORE: “The Zone of Interest” Review: Jonathan Glazer’s often brilliant examination of human complicity [Cannes]

A stark and horrifying depiction of the lives of Auschwitz camp commander Rudolf Höss and his family, “Zone” also earned Best Picture, Best Director (Glazer), Best Adapted Screenplay (Glazer), and Best Sound nominations.

Continue reading ‘The Zone of Interest’ Wins The 2024 International Film Oscar at The Playlist.

If the awards gods rule justly, Sandra Hüller will be a first-time Oscar nominee three weeks from now. And, potentially, she may a two-time nominee in one year. Already the winner of the European Film Awards European Actress award for Justin Triet’s “Anatomy of a Fall,” the German born actor is a contender for Best Actess and in the Supporting Actress category for Jonathan Glazer’s “The Zone of Interest.” Hard to complain when both of the two films you starred in win both the Palme D’Or and the Grand Prix (second place) at the Cannes Film Festival and become fixtures on critics’ year-end top 10 lists.

Continue reading Sandra Hüller Is In A ‘Zone’ And The Oscars Are Next at The Playlist.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences released the shortlists for the 2024 Oscars this morning and there were few surprises in the usually competitive International Film category. Despite some top-tier candidates, the overall field was generally considered weaker than usual. That being said, critically acclaimed films including Jonathan Glazer’s “The Zone of Interest” from the United Kingdom (also The Playlist’s no. 1 film of 2023), Ilker Çatak’s “The Teacher’s Lounge” from Germany, and Wim Wenders’ “Perfect Days,” made the cut.

Continue reading ‘Zone of Interest,’ ‘Perfect Days,’ & ‘Godland’ Make 2024 International Film Oscars Shortlist at The Playlist.

It’s time to review our top 10 films and television shows of 2023. But first, the biggest takeaway of the past year: The business has flipped back. No, we’re not talking about the end of six months of guild strikes. We’re talking about the creative punch of theatrical releases vs. the magic of television. For most of this decade, you could argue that the work conducted on the smaller screen (well, they aren’t that small anymore) was overall more challenging, creative, and impactful than the work on the big screen.

Continue reading Gregory Ellwood’s Top 10 Films & Television Shows Of 2023 at The Playlist.

It’s been a mad, whirlwind 2023, and we can’t believe it’s almost over. Despite the tensions in our industry, the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes, those linger aftereffects, and the way that box office seemed to wobble all year long with highs and lows—#Barbenheimer being a big high, seemingly sure bets like ‘Mission Impossible’ and “The Marvels’ and all DC superhero films flopping or underperforming—it’s kind of been chaotic year for the film and TV industry.

Continue reading The 21 Best Films Of 2023 at The Playlist.

The New York Film Critics Association and the National Board of Review may have anointed Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” the top film of 2023, but the Best Coast, er, West Coast has a different view. The Los Angeles Film Critics Association selected Jonathan Glazer’s “The Zone of Interest” as their Best Film of 2023. Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer,” was runner-up. For those looking for any Oscar influence in LAFCA’s pick, only four winners have gone on to win Best Picture this century.

Continue reading ‘The Zone Of Interest’ Named Best Film Of 2023 By LA Film Critics at The Playlist.

It’s been about ten years since filmmaker Jonathan Glazer’s last feature, the chilling and dazzling “Under The Skin,” starring Scarlett Johansson as an alien who begins to learn empathy. His latest, “The Zone Of Interest,” is arguably the opposite, about a family and community of affluent Germans and Nazis, who arguably ignore their sense of empathy, living next door to the most famous concentration camp of all time.

Continue reading ‘The Zone Of Interest’ Trailer: Jonathan Glazer Tackles The Banality Of Evil In Chiling New Auschwitz Drama at The Playlist.

December is overridden with terrific and exciting films that are worth adding to your likely growing “to watch” list. As end-of-year “best of” lists continue to roll in, along with critics’ awards already naming the year’s strongest contenders, it’s easy to lose certain titles to the shuffle. Luckily, it will be tough to misstep this month with plenty of upcoming films that offer a variety of genres and perspectives. From the Oscar-friendly titles that come in towards the end of the month to the latest movie in the long-running Godzilla franchise kickstarting it and films from master filmmakers crowding the middle, there’s no time for rest. 

Continue reading 16 Films To See In December: ‘Poor Things,’ ‘Zone Of Interest’ & More at The Playlist.

If you’re searching for a proven precursor for the International Film Oscar race or even potential Best Picture nominees, look no further than the European Film Awards. Recent Best Film winners include Academy Award favorites such as “Triangle of Sadness,” “The Favourite,” “Cold War” and “Another Round.” This year, the European Film Academy, which determines the nominees and winners, has put the spotlight on three 2023 Cannes Film Festival breakouts: Aki Kaurismäki’s “Fallen Leaves,” Jonathan Glazer’s “The Zone of Interest” and Palme d’Or winner “Anatomy of a Fall” from director Justine Triet.

Continue reading ‘The Zone of Interest,’ ‘Fallen Leaves’ & ‘Anatomy Of A Fall’ Top 2023 European Film Awards Nominations at The Playlist.

There’s nothing like New York in the Fall— crisper air, pumpkin spice lattes, Cityside Pumpkin patch, the leaves changing in Central Park, and the New York Film Festival. What could be better?

The 61st annual New York Film Festival kicks off in a few days, and there is a lot to look forward to. Some films audiences may have seen at Telluride, TIFF, or Venice, but that doesn’t make this year’s line-up any less exciting as an exploratory and human theme is seen across sections of the film festival.

Continue reading New York Film Festival Preview: 19 Films To Watch At 2023’s Fall Fest at The Playlist.

There’s quite a bit of uncertainty surrounding the film industry as we end the summer and look towards the fall, courtesy of the dual strikes from the WGA and SAG. We’ve already seen some high-profile films vacate the fall space and move into 2024, but there are still quite a few big projects that are hoping to take part in the yearly fall festival circuit. That means events like the New York Film Festival still have quite a few great films to show, even if there aren’t going to be many big stars there to promote. 

Continue reading NYFF 2023 Main Slate Includes New Films From Jonathan Glazer, Yorgos Lanthimos, Alice Rohrwacher & More at The Playlist.

Over the past 20+ years, filmmaker Jonathan Glazer has only released a total of 3 films, with his last one being 2013’s “Under the Skin, a film that is often regarded as one of the best of the 2010s. So, needless to say, folks are really excited to see the long-awaited WWII drama, “The Zone of Interest,” Glazer’s upcoming film, which has finally been given an official release date.

Continue reading ‘The Zone Of Interest’: A24 Set To Release Jonathan Glazer’s Long-Awaited Film In December at The Playlist.

CANNES – The past decade has been an Oscar boom for Cannes. The French institution has premiered a Best Picture winner in “Parasite” and landed nine nominees over that span including three alone this past January with “Elvis,” “Top Gun: Maverick” and Palme d’Or winner “Triangle of Sadness.” We’re not sure festival director Thierry Fremeux will land another Best Picture winner in 2024, but at least two Best Picture nominations seem very likely.

Continue reading Did The 2024 Oscars Get A Cannes Boost? at The Playlist.

CANNES – If anyone tells you the world doesn’t need any more films about the holocaust or the atrocities perpetrated by the Nazis in 2023, we’d suggest you politely correct them. Despite over eighty years of cinema on the subject, there continue to be new stories waiting to be told (and some re-told). Moreover, as demonstrated in Jonathan Glazer’s impressive new work, “The Zone of Interest,” which debuted at this year’s Cannes Film Festival tonight, there are also new ways of telling them.

Continue reading ‘The Zone of Interest’ Review: Jonathan Glazer’s Often Brilliant Examination Of Human Complicity [Cannes] at The Playlist.

As we head into the summer blockbuster season, we get inundated with franchises, the latest Marvel and ‘Fast’ movies, tentpoles, and mega films of all sorts. But thankfully, before it really starts in earnest, and we’re on to the third major superhero film of the year, we get some alternative options at the Cannes Film Festival. Or at least the lucky few of us who get to attend do, and the rest of us get to highly anticipate their regular theatrical (or streaming) release.

Continue reading 2023 Cannes Film Festival: 21 Must-See Movies To Watch at The Playlist.

We haven’t had a proper feature film from filmmaker Jonathan Glazer (“Sexy Beast”) since his gritty sci-fi thriller “Under The Skin” from 2013. That acclaimed film starred Scarlett Johansson as a seductive alien in human form, kidnapping and killing men in Scotland by using her feminine charms to lure them at night. First announced in 2018, Glazer’s next project is a long-in-the-works Holocaust drama at A24 Films based on the 2014 novel “The Zone of Interest” by author Martin Amis.

Continue reading ‘Toni Erdmann’s Sandra Hüller & Christian Friedel Reportedly Have Roles In Jonathan Glazer’s Upcoming Holocaust Film ‘Zone Of Interest’ at The Playlist.