Film Features

Steven Soderbergh’s Unsane , out next week, and John Krasinski’s A Quiet Place are two examples of filmmakers you wouldn’t expect to play in the horror playground finding it to be a great way to connect with moviegoers.

The festival made stars out of directors Kay Cannon (Blockers), Julia Hart (Fast Color) and the Prospect team of Zeek Earl and Christopher Caldwell.

“What is it about this new Terminator movie that requires a huge, $200 million-plus mega-budget? Scale the thing back to a third of the price, and not only do you increase the film’s odds of turning a profit, thereby ensuring another installment, but you’re also potentially grounding the storytelling into something more accessible,” writes Neil Turitz.

Directed by José Padilha, the dramatic thriller recreates the hijacking of an Air France airplane in 1976 and the negotiations with Israel to free hundreds of hostages that led to a raid on the Uganda airport where the plane lands.

The psychological thriller starring Anya-Taylor Joy, Olivia Cooke and the late Anton Yelchin explores the relationship between two wealthy teenagers as they plot a murder.

“The world is changing and the demand for female characters who burst from the screen like warriors is very “in”, which is great because that means there are more films being lead by actresses. However, star power alone doesn’t make these movies compelling and that’s a lesson studios are hopefully coming to understand,” writes Sabrina Cognata.

“Whatever del Toro decides to do next — be it the live-action version of Pinocchio, a remake of either Fantastic Voyage, The Haunted Mansion or the little-seen 1947 noir thriller Nightmare Alley, or something else entirely, he has earned my blind faith after The Shape of Water,” writes Neil Turitz.

Damien Chazelle and his First Man star Ryan Gosling will square off once again against Barry Jenkins (If Beale Street Could Talk), but will the team behind the Dick Cheney movie get the last laugh, or will it be Martin Scorsese and his Netflix movie The Irishman?

The Australian stuntman-turned-filmmaker returns with his second feature after making a bunch of hilarious shorts and performing stunts in some of the biggest action films.

All eyes are on the heated Best Picture race, but Best Cinematography and Best Original Screenplay are two categories that are worth paying close attention to, as either one may signal this year’s big winner.

“Paramount made the Heathers pilot available to critics online after the Parkland shooting two weeks ago. Early reviews were not kind, to say the least, so when Paramount made the announcement about delaying the premiere, it raised more than a few eyebrows,” writes Neil Turitz.

“The state of being a man, of being old enough and mature enough is so severed that brilliant performances are often neglected. This lack of diversity throughout the years means the Best Actor category is stacked with older men who have, paid their dues to get even the head nod of being nominated,” writes Sabrina Cognata.

It would be great if the Moonlight team comes out to bask in the triumphant moment they were robbed of last year and give a proper acceptance speech before handing out Best Picture to their successor,” writes Neil Turitz.

The director of the last three Hunger Games movies tackles Jason Matthew’s novel about Russian espionage.

The original writer of the New Line comedy talks to the Tracking Board about first getting work in Hollywood and developing Game Night from its inception.

Many of this year’s acting nominees have had long and full careers before this year’s nominations. Not all their early choices were particularly sound, but some of this year’s nominees have been paying their dues for decades.

“It makes sense for Boyle to take the reins of James Bond down the line, as his skill set would be perfect for that eventual transition. But stepping in to bring this particular Bond’s run to a close? Sorry, but that really doesn’t,” writes Neil Turitz.

The new sci-fi noir film by the director of Moon is set in the same world as his groundbreaking debut. It stars Alexander Skarsgard, Paul Rudd and Justin Theroux.

April Dawn gives Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment a half-dozen female directors who should realistically be given the chance to direct Batgirl, including Mudbound‘s Rachel Morrison, the first Oscar-nominated female cinematographer in history.

The director of Let Us Prey talks about his period ghost story starring Charlotte Vega, Bill Milner and Eugene Simon, and the difficulties of being a working director in Ireland.

A movie about a superhero could end up leading to enormous change in this country, and by extension the world, simply because it empowers people to get involved, many of whom have felt disenfranchised that their voice, and their vote, doesn’t really count,” writes Neil Turitz.

The writers of Horrible Bosses and directors of the Vacation remake talk about trying to mix genres and how they cast some of the more unlikely roles like the one played by Jesse Plemons.

While most of the men who’ve held the highest office in the land don’t have their own film, almost all of them had interesting lives. So to celebrate this Presidents’ Day, Sabrina Cognata takes a look at which presidents are sorely lacking their own film and who should play them.

“He’s got the charisma. He’s got the right kind of cold intelligence. And, man… he’s got the eyes. There is a casually terrifying distance in the way Pattinson can look at someone, something he uses repeatedly in Good Time, that leaves you wondering if you’re safe or not,” writes Drew McWeeny.

When every movie can only be the “best” or “worst” and there’s no in-between, it signifies a broken critical system that ignores the sad fact that there’s more mediocre than anything else.

The Oscar-nominated superstar hasn’t made a studio film since 2013’s animated The Croods, so is there a way for Cage to climb his way back to the top of the ladder?

“If we’re using Jodie Foster’s metaphor, and Black Panther is part of the theme park that Hollywood has become, then it’s one of the best rides — the kind that leaves you wanting more,” writes Neil Turitz.

The indie rom-com stars Zosia Mamet (HBO’s Girls) as a young woman who moves back to New York and inadvertently rents an apartment in the same building as her ex-boyfriend.

“It’s not the most ridiculous idea that Sony would go looking for more comic book IP, but the way it’s going about it is what feels so misguided, and until someone explains to me the value of an IP that has no popular recognition, I will continue to be baffled,” writes Neil Turitz.

Sorry, but you won’t find any uplifting romance films on this list. For those who prefer to sulk this Valentine’s Day, here are 14 films that will make you happy to be single.