“Screen Talk: went live at the American Pavilion in Cannes this year and drew a lively crowd. Anne Thompson raved about one of the big-epic Hollywood titles playing out of competition, George Miller’s prequel “Furiosa” (Warner Bros.), starring Anya Taylor-Joy in the title role, which opens May 14, while both Thompson and cohost Ryan Lattanzio panned Kevin Costner’s old-fashioned three-hour Western “Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter One” (Warner Bros.).
They both agree that this vanity project makes mad genius Francis Coppola’s self-funded $120 million “Megalopolis” look brilliant by comparison. Even if the Competition title is “unhinged,” at least he’s treading new ground, unlike Costner, who has spent some $100 million so far for the first two chapters of a planned four (the second part releases August 16). Coppola still awaits a North American buyer.
Both hosts admire Jacques Audiard’s Competition title “Emilia Perez,” a Spanish-language musical shot in Mexico...
They both agree that this vanity project makes mad genius Francis Coppola’s self-funded $120 million “Megalopolis” look brilliant by comparison. Even if the Competition title is “unhinged,” at least he’s treading new ground, unlike Costner, who has spent some $100 million so far for the first two chapters of a planned four (the second part releases August 16). Coppola still awaits a North American buyer.
Both hosts admire Jacques Audiard’s Competition title “Emilia Perez,” a Spanish-language musical shot in Mexico...
- 5/24/2024
- by Ryan Lattanzio and Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
A History of Unsimulated Sex Scenes in 17 Cannes Films, from ‘Mektoub’ to ‘Antichrist’ to ‘Caligula’
Editor’s Note: This story was originally published in May 2019 and has been updated several times since.
Deserved or not, French cinema has a reputation for being a little racy. From classics like “Belle de Jour” to controversial modern films like “Blue Is the Warmest Color,” French film has consistently pushed the boundaries of sexuality and sensuality onscreen. So it’s perhaps no surprise that the country’s premier film festival Cannes is such an oasis for sexually explicit films, ones that have frequently generated controversy over its history — especially when these films feature unsimulated sexual acts.
Unsimulated sex onscreen at Cannes dates back to at least 1973, when the film “Thriller — a Cruel Picture,” featuring several acts of hardcore unsimulated porn, played at the festival. In the years afterwards, particularly provocative and avant-garde works like “Sweet Movie” and “The Idiots” caused shock at Cannes by presenting audiences with real, unvarnished sexual content.
Deserved or not, French cinema has a reputation for being a little racy. From classics like “Belle de Jour” to controversial modern films like “Blue Is the Warmest Color,” French film has consistently pushed the boundaries of sexuality and sensuality onscreen. So it’s perhaps no surprise that the country’s premier film festival Cannes is such an oasis for sexually explicit films, ones that have frequently generated controversy over its history — especially when these films feature unsimulated sexual acts.
Unsimulated sex onscreen at Cannes dates back to at least 1973, when the film “Thriller — a Cruel Picture,” featuring several acts of hardcore unsimulated porn, played at the festival. In the years afterwards, particularly provocative and avant-garde works like “Sweet Movie” and “The Idiots” caused shock at Cannes by presenting audiences with real, unvarnished sexual content.
- 5/23/2024
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
Mohammad Rasoulof will officially be attending the Cannes premiere of his latest film “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” after fleeing Iran, IndieWire can confirm.
The filmmaker has not been to Cannes in years despite several of his features debuting at the festival and even winning top awards there. None of Rasoulof’s work has ever been screened in his home country of Iran due to government bans — including since his Cannes award-winning film “Goodbye” screened in 2011. Rasoulof was later sentenced to six years in prison and a 20-year ban on filmmaking for alleged anti-government propaganda.
Rasoulof was invited to serve on the 2023 Cannes jury but was unable to attend due to an Iran travel embargo on him. The “There Is No Evil” filmmaker was banned from leaving Iran after being arrested in July 2022 for posting social media statements criticizing government-sanctioned violence against protesters. Rasoulof was temporarily released amid serving...
The filmmaker has not been to Cannes in years despite several of his features debuting at the festival and even winning top awards there. None of Rasoulof’s work has ever been screened in his home country of Iran due to government bans — including since his Cannes award-winning film “Goodbye” screened in 2011. Rasoulof was later sentenced to six years in prison and a 20-year ban on filmmaking for alleged anti-government propaganda.
Rasoulof was invited to serve on the 2023 Cannes jury but was unable to attend due to an Iran travel embargo on him. The “There Is No Evil” filmmaker was banned from leaving Iran after being arrested in July 2022 for posting social media statements criticizing government-sanctioned violence against protesters. Rasoulof was temporarily released amid serving...
- 5/22/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Just yesterday, we reported how Kevin Costner is struggling to find someone who will help him finance the third and fourth parts of his planned Western epic – Horizon. Costner is an acclaimed filmmaker and Oscar winner who has left us with many memorable roles, but the guy likes the Western genre, both as an actor and as a director. After the success of Yellowstone, Costner embarked on an epic journey to explain how the Americans colonized the West, planning to make a four-part movie epic. The first two parts will be released in cinemas this year, with the first film premiering in Cannes only recently.
Costner has invested a lot of his own money into financing the projects and is now looking for studios who are willing to give money to him to finish the project. But, based on the first critics’ reviews, Costner won’t have much luck in his endeavor,...
Costner has invested a lot of his own money into financing the projects and is now looking for studios who are willing to give money to him to finish the project. But, based on the first critics’ reviews, Costner won’t have much luck in his endeavor,...
- 5/21/2024
- by Arthur S. Poe
- Fiction Horizon
Certainly the grossest, most way-out-there, and dare-you-to-lose-your-dinner film to debut in the Cannes competition so far, Coralie Fargeat’s “Revenge” follow-up “The Substance” premiered in the Palais Sunday night after a morning press screening that saw plenty of expected walkouts. Surely the same volume of repulsed exiters carried over to the premiere public screening, where Greta Gerwig’s jury got their first glimpse of the otherwise since-secretive film whose synopses and press notes tell you little. Mubi has distribution rights, which the company purchased just before the festival started. IndieWire’s David Ehrlich calls it an “instant classic.”
In this audacious, two-plus-hour feminist body horror, Demi Moore bares all to play a once-decorated actress quote-unquote past her prime named Elisabeth Sparkle, now resigned to Jane Fonda-esque fitness videos. But her time is finally up. She’s fired for being too old, sent packing home back to her sparse LA apartment,...
In this audacious, two-plus-hour feminist body horror, Demi Moore bares all to play a once-decorated actress quote-unquote past her prime named Elisabeth Sparkle, now resigned to Jane Fonda-esque fitness videos. But her time is finally up. She’s fired for being too old, sent packing home back to her sparse LA apartment,...
- 5/19/2024
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Is anyone really ready to get married, let alone commit?
Tayarisha Poe’s new film, “The Young Wife,” asks and answers the age-old question and more, with Kiersey Clemons starring as a young woman whose “non-wedding” to her elusive partner (Leon Bridges) brings out all the pressures of a traditional union. The chaos and expectations of family and friends heighten the not-quite-bride’s spiraling panic, and all seems poised to unravel just before the party meant to celebrate their love.
Sheryl Lee Ralph, Judith Light, Kelly Marie Tran, Aya Cash, and Michaela Watkins co-star. Poe writes and directs her follow-up to 2019 Sundance debut “Selah and the Spades.”
“The Young Wife” premiered at SXSW 2023, where it was picked up by distributor Republic Pictures, a Paramount Pictures label. “I’m excited to share the work of our wonderful cast and crew,” Poe told IndieWire. “For me this is a story of color and chaos,...
Tayarisha Poe’s new film, “The Young Wife,” asks and answers the age-old question and more, with Kiersey Clemons starring as a young woman whose “non-wedding” to her elusive partner (Leon Bridges) brings out all the pressures of a traditional union. The chaos and expectations of family and friends heighten the not-quite-bride’s spiraling panic, and all seems poised to unravel just before the party meant to celebrate their love.
Sheryl Lee Ralph, Judith Light, Kelly Marie Tran, Aya Cash, and Michaela Watkins co-star. Poe writes and directs her follow-up to 2019 Sundance debut “Selah and the Spades.”
“The Young Wife” premiered at SXSW 2023, where it was picked up by distributor Republic Pictures, a Paramount Pictures label. “I’m excited to share the work of our wonderful cast and crew,” Poe told IndieWire. “For me this is a story of color and chaos,...
- 5/14/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
This year’s nominees for the 66th Southern California Journalism Awards were released today by the Los Angeles Press Club and IndieWire received a site-record nine nominations. Coming on the heels of our wins last year for Criticism of TV and Entertainment Reporting and following our 2022 win for Best Website, Traditional News Organization, the entire IndieWire staff has been nominated for Best Website, News Organization Exclusive to the Internet. IndieWire writers also earned nominations for individual accolades in eight categories.
“The nominated work illustrates the scope, insight, and unparalleled quality of our team,” said Dana Harris-Bridson, Senior VP and Editor-in-Chief at IndieWire. “We are thrilled and sincerely appreciate the Los Angeles Press Club for the Southern California Journalism Award nods.”
After winning the award for Best Criticism of TV last year, IndieWire’s Deputy TV Editor and TV Critic Ben Travers is a finalist in the category again for a number of his reviews,...
“The nominated work illustrates the scope, insight, and unparalleled quality of our team,” said Dana Harris-Bridson, Senior VP and Editor-in-Chief at IndieWire. “We are thrilled and sincerely appreciate the Los Angeles Press Club for the Southern California Journalism Award nods.”
After winning the award for Best Criticism of TV last year, IndieWire’s Deputy TV Editor and TV Critic Ben Travers is a finalist in the category again for a number of his reviews,...
- 5/9/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
Isabelle Huppert will head up the 2024 Venice Film Festival jury this year. Serving as jury president, Huppert will hand out the Golden Lion and other awards when the festival on the Lido concludes. The dates for this year’s edition are August 28 to September 7.
Huppert has never before served as jury president at Venice, but she did at Cannes in 2009, awarding the Palme d’Or to Michael Haneke’s “The White Ribbon” after deliberations with James Gray, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Asia Argento, Robin Wright, and Lee Chang-dong. Before that she’d served on the jury headed by Dirk Bogarde at Cannes in 1984, which gave the top prize to “Paris, Texas.”
The 71-year-old actress has been a powerhouse force in global cinema for the past 50 years, making her mark in French cinema before quickly appearing in Hollywood productions such as Michael Cimino’s “Heaven’s Gate.” Over the past decade Huppert’s...
Huppert has never before served as jury president at Venice, but she did at Cannes in 2009, awarding the Palme d’Or to Michael Haneke’s “The White Ribbon” after deliberations with James Gray, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Asia Argento, Robin Wright, and Lee Chang-dong. Before that she’d served on the jury headed by Dirk Bogarde at Cannes in 1984, which gave the top prize to “Paris, Texas.”
The 71-year-old actress has been a powerhouse force in global cinema for the past 50 years, making her mark in French cinema before quickly appearing in Hollywood productions such as Michael Cimino’s “Heaven’s Gate.” Over the past decade Huppert’s...
- 5/8/2024
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
This holiday season is one where the offspring of iconic Hollywood families come together, apparently.
“Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point,” which is set to debut in the Director’s Fortnight at Cannes, stars Francesca Scorsese and Sawyer Spielberg, two film stars in their own rite who hail from respective auteurs Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg.
Decade-plus indie staple Michael Cera leads the latest feature directed by Tyler Taormina; Cera also produces the ensemble family dramedy that marks Taormina’s follow-up to his 2019 coming-of-age comedy “Ham on Rye.”
Set during one Christmas Eve, a family gathers for what could be the last holiday in their ancestral home. As the night wears on and generational tensions arise, one of the teenagers sneaks out with her friends to claim the wintry suburb for her own, per the official synopsis. Cera is seen donning a cop uniform in one of the first look images,...
“Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point,” which is set to debut in the Director’s Fortnight at Cannes, stars Francesca Scorsese and Sawyer Spielberg, two film stars in their own rite who hail from respective auteurs Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg.
Decade-plus indie staple Michael Cera leads the latest feature directed by Tyler Taormina; Cera also produces the ensemble family dramedy that marks Taormina’s follow-up to his 2019 coming-of-age comedy “Ham on Rye.”
Set during one Christmas Eve, a family gathers for what could be the last holiday in their ancestral home. As the night wears on and generational tensions arise, one of the teenagers sneaks out with her friends to claim the wintry suburb for her own, per the official synopsis. Cera is seen donning a cop uniform in one of the first look images,...
- 5/6/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Watch the full episode above or listen to it below.
On this week’s “Screen Talk,” co-hosts Ryan Lattanzio and Anne Thompson review new releases “The Fall Guy” (Universal), “Wildcat” (Oscilloscope), and “I Saw the TV Glow” (A24). While they both enjoyed David Leitch’s latest stunt-fest, starring Ryan Gosling as a movie stuntman and Emily Blunt as his director and ex-girlfriend, Thompson said the movie set in Sydney was well-mounted but a tad shallow and cartoony, while Lattanzio said it was not a challenging movie in any way, and that a series of showdowns and battles pile on at the end. Box office projections are all over the map, from $25-50 million. Upbeat word of mouth should carry the day.
Despite lukewarm Sundance reactions to Ethan Hawke’s “Wildcat” — which the actor-director-writer (“Blaze”) crafted specifically for his daughter, actress Maya Hawke, who plays Southern writer Flannery O’Connor — both Lattanzio and Thompson admired the movie,...
On this week’s “Screen Talk,” co-hosts Ryan Lattanzio and Anne Thompson review new releases “The Fall Guy” (Universal), “Wildcat” (Oscilloscope), and “I Saw the TV Glow” (A24). While they both enjoyed David Leitch’s latest stunt-fest, starring Ryan Gosling as a movie stuntman and Emily Blunt as his director and ex-girlfriend, Thompson said the movie set in Sydney was well-mounted but a tad shallow and cartoony, while Lattanzio said it was not a challenging movie in any way, and that a series of showdowns and battles pile on at the end. Box office projections are all over the map, from $25-50 million. Upbeat word of mouth should carry the day.
Despite lukewarm Sundance reactions to Ethan Hawke’s “Wildcat” — which the actor-director-writer (“Blaze”) crafted specifically for his daughter, actress Maya Hawke, who plays Southern writer Flannery O’Connor — both Lattanzio and Thompson admired the movie,...
- 5/3/2024
- by Ryan Lattanzio and Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
The following is a spoiler-filled discussion about “Civil War” between IndieWire Film Editor Ryan Lattanzio, Editorial Director Kate Erbland, and Reviews Editor and Chief Film Critic David Ehrlich. IndieWire’s review of the film can be found here.
David Ehrlich: Before Kate, Ryan, and I saw “Civil War” in IMAX on a Thursday morning earlier this month (a very chill way to start the day), I had fully expected to spend the next few weeks chewing on Alex Garland’s still-pinned hand grenade of a movie about an ununited America — a movie that had already been met with an appropriately polarized reaction at every stage of its existence, and would continue to be raved about and read for filth on the internet in the time leading up to its spectacular first weekend at the box office. I expected my brain to be on fire by the time the screening was over,...
David Ehrlich: Before Kate, Ryan, and I saw “Civil War” in IMAX on a Thursday morning earlier this month (a very chill way to start the day), I had fully expected to spend the next few weeks chewing on Alex Garland’s still-pinned hand grenade of a movie about an ununited America — a movie that had already been met with an appropriately polarized reaction at every stage of its existence, and would continue to be raved about and read for filth on the internet in the time leading up to its spectacular first weekend at the box office. I expected my brain to be on fire by the time the screening was over,...
- 4/15/2024
- by David Ehrlich, Kate Erbland and Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Barry Keoghan is showing off his script tattoos for Andrea Arnold’s highly-anticipated “Bird.”
The “Saltburn” actor and “Banshees of Inisherin” Oscar nominee plays a character named Bug in the feature that has very little details shared as of yet. “Passages” star Franz Rogowski is cast as Bird, with Nykiya Adams, Jason Buda, Jasmine Jobson, Joanne Matthews, James Nelson-Joyce, Rhys Yates, and Sarah Beth Harber.
While plot details remain under wraps, it is known that Keoghan exited Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator 2” to film “Bird” instead. The feature will be premiering at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival in competition alongside Sean Baker’s “Anora,” David Cronenberg’s “The Shrouds,” Paul Schrader’s “Oh, Canada,” Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Kinds of Kindness,” and Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis.”
“Bird” is director Arnold’s return to narrative filmmaking since her 2016 Cannes release “American Honey” starring Shia Labeouf and Sasha Lane.
“Bird” was picked up by Cornerstone Films.
The “Saltburn” actor and “Banshees of Inisherin” Oscar nominee plays a character named Bug in the feature that has very little details shared as of yet. “Passages” star Franz Rogowski is cast as Bird, with Nykiya Adams, Jason Buda, Jasmine Jobson, Joanne Matthews, James Nelson-Joyce, Rhys Yates, and Sarah Beth Harber.
While plot details remain under wraps, it is known that Keoghan exited Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator 2” to film “Bird” instead. The feature will be premiering at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival in competition alongside Sean Baker’s “Anora,” David Cronenberg’s “The Shrouds,” Paul Schrader’s “Oh, Canada,” Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Kinds of Kindness,” and Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis.”
“Bird” is director Arnold’s return to narrative filmmaking since her 2016 Cannes release “American Honey” starring Shia Labeouf and Sasha Lane.
“Bird” was picked up by Cornerstone Films.
- 4/11/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
The intensely poetic dark passion behind “Blue Valentine” seeped into even its road to the big screen, according to writer/director Derek Cianfrance.
During IndieWire’s “Screen Talk” live at the New Directors/New Films festival, presented by Film at Lincoln Center and the Museum of Modern Art, Cianfrance told podcast co-hosts Ryan Lattanzio and Anne Thompson that he believed the project itself was “cursed” for more than a decade due to its stalled production process. Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams eventually were cast as an ill-fated married couple struggling to maintain their love across years together.
Cianfrance began writing the script for the Oscar-nominated feature while at Sundance 1998 after the premiere of his debut film “Brother Tied.” It took him 12 years and 66 script drafts until “Blue Valentine” was finally released in 2010.
“For ‘Blue Valentine,’ I spent so many years [on it]. People said, ‘Just make the movie,'” Cianfrance said. “For me on that movie,...
During IndieWire’s “Screen Talk” live at the New Directors/New Films festival, presented by Film at Lincoln Center and the Museum of Modern Art, Cianfrance told podcast co-hosts Ryan Lattanzio and Anne Thompson that he believed the project itself was “cursed” for more than a decade due to its stalled production process. Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams eventually were cast as an ill-fated married couple struggling to maintain their love across years together.
Cianfrance began writing the script for the Oscar-nominated feature while at Sundance 1998 after the premiere of his debut film “Brother Tied.” It took him 12 years and 66 script drafts until “Blue Valentine” was finally released in 2010.
“For ‘Blue Valentine,’ I spent so many years [on it]. People said, ‘Just make the movie,'” Cianfrance said. “For me on that movie,...
- 4/6/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Bradley Cooper almost bowed out of “The Place Beyond the Pines.”
Writer/director Derek Cianfrance, who co-wrote the feature with future “Sound of Metal” director Darius Marder, revealed during IndieWire’s Screen Talk live at the New Directors/New Films festival that Academy Award-nominated Cooper wavered after receiving an updated script.
Cianfrance brought writer Marder onboard to help rewrite “every word” of “The Place Beyond the Pines” shortly before shooting began. According to Cianfrance, actor Cooper was less than pleased with the updates to his character, a police officer who kills an empathetic thief (Ryan Gosling) midway through the decade-spanning 2013 film.
“I had given [Darius Marder] the script and he had a lot of notes for it, and I kind of agreed with a lot of what he was saying. And so we rewrote every word from 10 weeks to six weeks,” Cianfrance said during Screen Talk live, co-hosted by Anne Thompson and Ryan Lattanzio.
Writer/director Derek Cianfrance, who co-wrote the feature with future “Sound of Metal” director Darius Marder, revealed during IndieWire’s Screen Talk live at the New Directors/New Films festival that Academy Award-nominated Cooper wavered after receiving an updated script.
Cianfrance brought writer Marder onboard to help rewrite “every word” of “The Place Beyond the Pines” shortly before shooting began. According to Cianfrance, actor Cooper was less than pleased with the updates to his character, a police officer who kills an empathetic thief (Ryan Gosling) midway through the decade-spanning 2013 film.
“I had given [Darius Marder] the script and he had a lot of notes for it, and I kind of agreed with a lot of what he was saying. And so we rewrote every word from 10 weeks to six weeks,” Cianfrance said during Screen Talk live, co-hosted by Anne Thompson and Ryan Lattanzio.
- 4/5/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Looking for bold new work from first- and second-time feature filmmakers? Look no further than New Directors/New Films, the premier New York City festival that annually highlights them.
Now in its 53rd edition, New Directors/New Films returns to New York April 3 through 14 from Film at Lincoln Center and the Museum of Modern Art, bringing the best of the fests so far to audiences eager for discovery. This year’s festival is bookended by Aaron Schimberg’s opening night entry “A Different Man,” starring Sebastian Stan as an actor who unravels after a facial reconstruction surgery, and Theda Hammel’s “Stress Positions,” an anxiety-inducing Covid lockdown comedy starring John Early. Both films premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, whose Dramatic Competition gem “Good One,” a coming-of-age drama set around a derailed camping trip and directed by India Donaldson, also features at New Directors.
Also premiering at the festival is Sundance favorite “Exhibiting Forgiveness,...
Now in its 53rd edition, New Directors/New Films returns to New York April 3 through 14 from Film at Lincoln Center and the Museum of Modern Art, bringing the best of the fests so far to audiences eager for discovery. This year’s festival is bookended by Aaron Schimberg’s opening night entry “A Different Man,” starring Sebastian Stan as an actor who unravels after a facial reconstruction surgery, and Theda Hammel’s “Stress Positions,” an anxiety-inducing Covid lockdown comedy starring John Early. Both films premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, whose Dramatic Competition gem “Good One,” a coming-of-age drama set around a derailed camping trip and directed by India Donaldson, also features at New Directors.
Also premiering at the festival is Sundance favorite “Exhibiting Forgiveness,...
- 4/2/2024
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
IndieWire’s “Screen Talk” podcast is coming live to New York City with a special edition on Thursday, April 4.
To celebrate Film at Lincoln Center and the Museum of Modern Art’s New Directors/New Films festival, “Screen Talk” co-hosts Anne Thompson and Ryan Lattanzio will host a free live recording of the podcast at the Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center at 5 p.m. They’ll be joined by special guest Derek Cianfrance, the director of the films “Blue Valentine” and “The Place Beyond the Pines” and TV series including “I Know This Much Is True,” and the Oscar-nominated co-writer of “Sound of Metal.” Most recently, he’s a producer behind the New Directors/New Films entry “Exhibiting Forgiveness,” which premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. The drama, directed by Titus Kaphar, stars André Holland as an artist confronted with the return of his long-estranged father.
During the live “Screen Talk,...
To celebrate Film at Lincoln Center and the Museum of Modern Art’s New Directors/New Films festival, “Screen Talk” co-hosts Anne Thompson and Ryan Lattanzio will host a free live recording of the podcast at the Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center at 5 p.m. They’ll be joined by special guest Derek Cianfrance, the director of the films “Blue Valentine” and “The Place Beyond the Pines” and TV series including “I Know This Much Is True,” and the Oscar-nominated co-writer of “Sound of Metal.” Most recently, he’s a producer behind the New Directors/New Films entry “Exhibiting Forgiveness,” which premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. The drama, directed by Titus Kaphar, stars André Holland as an artist confronted with the return of his long-estranged father.
During the live “Screen Talk,...
- 4/1/2024
- by Ryan Lattanzio and Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
[Editor’s note: This list was originally published in 2017. It has since been updated many times.]
With everything going the way it is in the world right now, we’re laughing to keep less cheery emotions at bay. At least this bizarre, still-very-much-in-progress century has already produced a slew of spectacular, silly, snarky, and cynical comedies: ready to fire up whenever you need a serotonin burst or distraction thanks to the ever-growing cadre of streaming services.
The pandemic may be in the rearview for the U.S. federal government, but the specter of war, a tortured economy, and human rights issues across the globe have occupied the minds of many instead. So, in desperate need of some humor, we thought it was more important than ever to give our Greatest Comedies of the 21st Century list, originally published in 2017, yet another rethink. Since the list was originally published, we’ve expanded it to 90 entries, including titles released since then that deserved including and other titles we somehow overlooked the first time.
With everything going the way it is in the world right now, we’re laughing to keep less cheery emotions at bay. At least this bizarre, still-very-much-in-progress century has already produced a slew of spectacular, silly, snarky, and cynical comedies: ready to fire up whenever you need a serotonin burst or distraction thanks to the ever-growing cadre of streaming services.
The pandemic may be in the rearview for the U.S. federal government, but the specter of war, a tortured economy, and human rights issues across the globe have occupied the minds of many instead. So, in desperate need of some humor, we thought it was more important than ever to give our Greatest Comedies of the 21st Century list, originally published in 2017, yet another rethink. Since the list was originally published, we’ve expanded it to 90 entries, including titles released since then that deserved including and other titles we somehow overlooked the first time.
- 3/26/2024
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
Isabelle Huppert is open to expanding her already storied filmography to potentially even include one of the world’s biggest franchises: Marvel.
The Oscar winner said she would love to join the ranks of fellow Academy Award winners Christian Bale and Cate Blanchett as Marvel baddies, telling The Guardian that she would “love to” join a genre project, including the MCU, as a “real villain.” Even though it’s not like she hasn’t played malevolent women before.
“I would love to! I’d love to do a genre film,” the “Piano Teacher” actress said. “It must be nice maybe to be the villain, a real villain, not the villain in most of the films I do, who have a good reason to be a villain. I never get to play a pure villain.”
Huppert also reflected on her collaborations with Michael Haneke and “Elle” filmmaker Paul Verhoeven as highlights,...
The Oscar winner said she would love to join the ranks of fellow Academy Award winners Christian Bale and Cate Blanchett as Marvel baddies, telling The Guardian that she would “love to” join a genre project, including the MCU, as a “real villain.” Even though it’s not like she hasn’t played malevolent women before.
“I would love to! I’d love to do a genre film,” the “Piano Teacher” actress said. “It must be nice maybe to be the villain, a real villain, not the villain in most of the films I do, who have a good reason to be a villain. I never get to play a pure villain.”
Huppert also reflected on her collaborations with Michael Haneke and “Elle” filmmaker Paul Verhoeven as highlights,...
- 3/25/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
If curating the Best Action Movies of All Time felt borderline impossible, then ranking just the top entries from this century is Mission Barely Manageable.
Most franchise IP blockbusters released to big box office hauls in recent years could qualify as “action movies” in one way or another. That’s particularly true when it comes to the omnipresent cultural phenomenon we call superhero films. It can be tempting to write off the entire action genre when all you see is the over-pixelated epics about super-somethings stopping intergalactic injustice that make up an increasingly large chunk of modern Hollywood. However, the action movies that depend less on fetishized source material have yielded some of the most personal higher-budget workaround. When done well, action movies can tell great character-driven stories through movement. Action — acted or animated — is simply drama made dynamic.
That principle is what separates so many of the movies on...
Most franchise IP blockbusters released to big box office hauls in recent years could qualify as “action movies” in one way or another. That’s particularly true when it comes to the omnipresent cultural phenomenon we call superhero films. It can be tempting to write off the entire action genre when all you see is the over-pixelated epics about super-somethings stopping intergalactic injustice that make up an increasingly large chunk of modern Hollywood. However, the action movies that depend less on fetishized source material have yielded some of the most personal higher-budget workaround. When done well, action movies can tell great character-driven stories through movement. Action — acted or animated — is simply drama made dynamic.
That principle is what separates so many of the movies on...
- 3/22/2024
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
The musical sometimes feels like a relic of a long-dead Hollywood studio system, but it remains a genre that captures movies’ ability to create story worlds that move freely between reality and fantasy. The worst examples come from filmmakers who give license to music, color, and movement to run amok; the best transcend artifice and integrate songs that become expressions of pure character emotion. Musicals offer endless possibilities, but success demands a complete mastery of the medium.
The best movie musicals of all time have faced obstacles as varied as their creators’ styles and tastes. That’s in part because its integration of at least two art forms — music and film always, but sometimes also dance — demands an unusually high-caliber of multi-faceted talent from those attempting its complexities.
After Lee De Forest invented the “talky,” the opportunity oozing from that new tech prompted an industry rush on musicals in the last days of the 1920s.
The best movie musicals of all time have faced obstacles as varied as their creators’ styles and tastes. That’s in part because its integration of at least two art forms — music and film always, but sometimes also dance — demands an unusually high-caliber of multi-faceted talent from those attempting its complexities.
After Lee De Forest invented the “talky,” the opportunity oozing from that new tech prompted an industry rush on musicals in the last days of the 1920s.
- 3/20/2024
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
Director/actress Joanna Arnow bares all for Bdsm millennial dramedy “The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed.”
The filmmaker directs and stars in the feature that follows 30-something New Yorker Ann (Arnow) as she navigates casual Bdsm relationships, a mindless corporate job, and her overbearing Jewish family. The trailer shows Arnow seeking purpose through ball gags and pig costumes as she dates a slew of neurotic men who have ever-increasing eccentric erotic desires.
“The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed” debuted at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival in the Directors’ Fortnight program, and went on to screen at TIFF and NYFF. The feature is executive produced by “Red Rocket” auteur Sean Baker, and co-stars Scott Cohen, Babak Tafti, Alysia Reiner, Peter Vack, and Parish Bradley.
Arnow also edited “The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed.” The feature is her follow-up to 2013’s...
The filmmaker directs and stars in the feature that follows 30-something New Yorker Ann (Arnow) as she navigates casual Bdsm relationships, a mindless corporate job, and her overbearing Jewish family. The trailer shows Arnow seeking purpose through ball gags and pig costumes as she dates a slew of neurotic men who have ever-increasing eccentric erotic desires.
“The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed” debuted at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival in the Directors’ Fortnight program, and went on to screen at TIFF and NYFF. The feature is executive produced by “Red Rocket” auteur Sean Baker, and co-stars Scott Cohen, Babak Tafti, Alysia Reiner, Peter Vack, and Parish Bradley.
Arnow also edited “The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed.” The feature is her follow-up to 2013’s...
- 3/12/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
In 2018, the film world unknowingly received a major swan song: the last Coen Brothers movie. That November, Joel and Ethan Coen’s Western anthology film “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” released on Netflix, marking the 18th feature from the Minnesota-born filmmakers.
In the years that followed, the two did something they never did across the first three decades of their career: go solo. Elder brother Joel was the first to branch out with 2021’s “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” an expressionist, gorgeous staging of William Shakespeare’s iconic play with Denzel Washington and Coen’s own wife Frances McDormand in the lead roles. Ethan followed shortly with the “Drive-Away Dolls,” a raucous comedy co-written with his wife Tricia Cooke (an underrated constant in the duo’s career is their wife-guy natures) and styled as a lesbian-slanted version of classic Coen Brothers comedies like “The Big Lebowski” and “Raising Arizona,” with Margaret Qualley...
In the years that followed, the two did something they never did across the first three decades of their career: go solo. Elder brother Joel was the first to branch out with 2021’s “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” an expressionist, gorgeous staging of William Shakespeare’s iconic play with Denzel Washington and Coen’s own wife Frances McDormand in the lead roles. Ethan followed shortly with the “Drive-Away Dolls,” a raucous comedy co-written with his wife Tricia Cooke (an underrated constant in the duo’s career is their wife-guy natures) and styled as a lesbian-slanted version of classic Coen Brothers comedies like “The Big Lebowski” and “Raising Arizona,” with Margaret Qualley...
- 2/23/2024
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
Caleb Landry Jones is “DogMan,” whatever that moniker means.
The indie actor, who has appeared in the acclaimed likes of “Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri” and “Nitram,” leads controversial French director Luc Besson’s latest feature. Per the elusive logline, “DogMan” tells the story of a man who, following a traumatic childhood, finds salvation and justice through his connection with dogs.
Yet, there’s more to the twisted crime thriller than just that: Jones plays Douglas Munrow, a victim of childhood abuse who relives his past while being interviewed by a psychiatrist (Jojo T. Gibbs) after Douglas is accused of murder. Turns out Douglas’ childhood was far from fetching, with his only source of love being the dogs his father (Clemens Schick) would lock him in cages with.
As an adult, Douglas balances performing in drag as iconic stars like Edith Piaf, Marlene Dietrich, and Marilyn Monroe with a crime spree.
The indie actor, who has appeared in the acclaimed likes of “Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri” and “Nitram,” leads controversial French director Luc Besson’s latest feature. Per the elusive logline, “DogMan” tells the story of a man who, following a traumatic childhood, finds salvation and justice through his connection with dogs.
Yet, there’s more to the twisted crime thriller than just that: Jones plays Douglas Munrow, a victim of childhood abuse who relives his past while being interviewed by a psychiatrist (Jojo T. Gibbs) after Douglas is accused of murder. Turns out Douglas’ childhood was far from fetching, with his only source of love being the dogs his father (Clemens Schick) would lock him in cages with.
As an adult, Douglas balances performing in drag as iconic stars like Edith Piaf, Marlene Dietrich, and Marilyn Monroe with a crime spree.
- 2/22/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
There’s something uniquely cinematic about romantic comedies — something that makes them a natural fit for the movies and vice-versa. There’s an intoxicating alchemy that allows us to believe in the magic of meet-cutes, happily-ever-afters, and all the agonizing contrivances that tend to pop up between the two. Love it seems gives storytellers permission to transpose the stuff of operas and fables into the fabric of real (or at least overly glossed but still recognizable) life.
On paper, a film like “Pretty Woman” might be a retrograde fairy tale about a sex worker with a heart of gold and the rich businessman who can afford it, but the chemistry between Julia Roberts and Richard Gere is so explosive that you surrender to the sentiment of it all. Literally nothing in Richard Curtis’ “Love Actually” makes sense if you stop and think about it for even a few seconds. The...
On paper, a film like “Pretty Woman” might be a retrograde fairy tale about a sex worker with a heart of gold and the rich businessman who can afford it, but the chemistry between Julia Roberts and Richard Gere is so explosive that you surrender to the sentiment of it all. Literally nothing in Richard Curtis’ “Love Actually” makes sense if you stop and think about it for even a few seconds. The...
- 2/14/2024
- by Alison Foreman
- Indiewire
Bertrand Bonello’s sensual epic love story “The Beast” is finally landing stateside. The French-Italian film stars Léa Seydoux and George MacKay as two lovers who find one another across centuries, in different times, places, and lives.
“The Beast” premiered at the 2023 Venice Film Festival and went on to screen at last year’s NYFF. Director Bonello told IndieWire’s Ryan Lattanzio at Venice that the film was rejected from the Cannes Film Festival, saying that the festival “didn’t like it.” “The best place for a film is where the film is wanted, and now we are doing, with this film, a huge fall release, so Venice, then Toronto, New York, Busan, stuff like that, so maybe it’s what’s best for the film,” Bonello said at the time.
Loosely inspired by the 1910 Henry James story “The Beast in the Jungle,” the official synopsis for “The Beast” is...
“The Beast” premiered at the 2023 Venice Film Festival and went on to screen at last year’s NYFF. Director Bonello told IndieWire’s Ryan Lattanzio at Venice that the film was rejected from the Cannes Film Festival, saying that the festival “didn’t like it.” “The best place for a film is where the film is wanted, and now we are doing, with this film, a huge fall release, so Venice, then Toronto, New York, Busan, stuff like that, so maybe it’s what’s best for the film,” Bonello said at the time.
Loosely inspired by the 1910 Henry James story “The Beast in the Jungle,” the official synopsis for “The Beast” is...
- 2/13/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
There’s a new diet trend with sinister intentions, courtesy of Jessica Hausner’s latest dark comedy “Club Zero.”
The film, which premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, stars Mia Wasikowska as a nefarious teacher who encourages her students to stop eating altogether. The reason? Other than weight loss and pseudo-environmental concerns, it’s a tactic to gain new cult members.
“Club Zero” competed for the Palme d’Or at Cannes before going on to become a Best Picture nominee at both the Sitges and Munich International Film Festivals.
The official synopsis reads: “At an international boarding school, an unassuming yet rigorous Miss Novak (Wasikowska) joins the teaching staff to instruct a new class on ‘conscious eating.’ Her impressionable teenage students each have their own reasons for joining the class – to improve fitness, reduce their carbon footprint, or get extra credit. Although early lectures focus on mindful consumption, Miss Novak...
The film, which premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, stars Mia Wasikowska as a nefarious teacher who encourages her students to stop eating altogether. The reason? Other than weight loss and pseudo-environmental concerns, it’s a tactic to gain new cult members.
“Club Zero” competed for the Palme d’Or at Cannes before going on to become a Best Picture nominee at both the Sitges and Munich International Film Festivals.
The official synopsis reads: “At an international boarding school, an unassuming yet rigorous Miss Novak (Wasikowska) joins the teaching staff to instruct a new class on ‘conscious eating.’ Her impressionable teenage students each have their own reasons for joining the class – to improve fitness, reduce their carbon footprint, or get extra credit. Although early lectures focus on mindful consumption, Miss Novak...
- 2/6/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
As this year’s Oscar nominees enter the final stages of award season campaigning, they’re often forced to perform the delicate balancing act of hyping up their work while pretending not to care about winning. But Carey Mulligan, who recently picked up her third Oscar nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for “Maestro,” isn’t interested in hiding her enthusiasm.
In a new interview with The Sunday Times, Mulligan made no secret of her excitement about her Oscar prospects.
“It is just the coolest thing. Because it’s from your peers. It’s wicked,” Mulligan said of her nomination. She went on to cast doubt on actors who claim that they’re not excited by awards, saying they’re “100 percent lying.”
Mulligan also weighed in on another Oscar race, expressing disappointment that Greta Gerwig was left out of the Best Director category despite picking...
In a new interview with The Sunday Times, Mulligan made no secret of her excitement about her Oscar prospects.
“It is just the coolest thing. Because it’s from your peers. It’s wicked,” Mulligan said of her nomination. She went on to cast doubt on actors who claim that they’re not excited by awards, saying they’re “100 percent lying.”
Mulligan also weighed in on another Oscar race, expressing disappointment that Greta Gerwig was left out of the Best Director category despite picking...
- 2/4/2024
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
As Paul Thomas Anderson shoots his untitled new movie, the film’s ensemble cast continues to take shape with a mixture of returning Anderson collaborators and new faces.
IndieWire has confirmed that five new actors have been added to the project, including “Licorice Pizza” star Alana Haim, “A Thousand and One” standout Teyana Taylor, Shayna McHale, Wood Harris, and newcomer Chase Infiniti. The news was first reported by The Hollywood Reporter. The actors join a cast headlined by Leonardo DiCaprio, Regina Hall, and Sean Penn. Penn also appeared alongside Haim in “Licorice Pizza.”
Anderson is known for repeatedly collaborating with the same actors, so the addition of Haim (whom he has also directed in several music videos) will not be surprising to his fans. The film’s growing cast suggests that audiences could be in for another large ensemble piece from Anderson in the vein of “Boogie Nights,” “Magnolia,” or “Licorice Pizza.
IndieWire has confirmed that five new actors have been added to the project, including “Licorice Pizza” star Alana Haim, “A Thousand and One” standout Teyana Taylor, Shayna McHale, Wood Harris, and newcomer Chase Infiniti. The news was first reported by The Hollywood Reporter. The actors join a cast headlined by Leonardo DiCaprio, Regina Hall, and Sean Penn. Penn also appeared alongside Haim in “Licorice Pizza.”
Anderson is known for repeatedly collaborating with the same actors, so the addition of Haim (whom he has also directed in several music videos) will not be surprising to his fans. The film’s growing cast suggests that audiences could be in for another large ensemble piece from Anderson in the vein of “Boogie Nights,” “Magnolia,” or “Licorice Pizza.
- 2/2/2024
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
Even though the 2024 Sundance Film Festival has officially wrapped, we still can’t help relive our favorite moments from the 40th anniversary of the Park City, Utah-based festival.
The IndieWire Studio at Sundance, presented by Dropbox, was in full swing this year, with the festival’s top talent stopping by for interviews and fun photo opps. IndieWire’s social and culture editor Vincent Perella has captured all the outrageous moments behind-the-scenes in a stunning portrait gallery.
With IndieWire’s weekly podcast, hosted by Anne Thompson and Ryan Lattanzio, going live from the festival to debate the Oscar nominations, to discussing the breakout talents whose work was debuted, this year’s Sundance was one for the records.
Plus, IndieWire even hosted their annual chili party where the thriving state of independent cinema was feted.
Check out Vincent Perella’s portrait pics from the IndieWire Studio at Sundance, presented by Dropbox, below...
The IndieWire Studio at Sundance, presented by Dropbox, was in full swing this year, with the festival’s top talent stopping by for interviews and fun photo opps. IndieWire’s social and culture editor Vincent Perella has captured all the outrageous moments behind-the-scenes in a stunning portrait gallery.
With IndieWire’s weekly podcast, hosted by Anne Thompson and Ryan Lattanzio, going live from the festival to debate the Oscar nominations, to discussing the breakout talents whose work was debuted, this year’s Sundance was one for the records.
Plus, IndieWire even hosted their annual chili party where the thriving state of independent cinema was feted.
Check out Vincent Perella’s portrait pics from the IndieWire Studio at Sundance, presented by Dropbox, below...
- 2/1/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson and Vincent Perella
- Indiewire
At its heart, Sundance is about discovery. Some of our brightest, biggest filmmaking stars — we’re talking Steven Soderbergh, Richard Linklater, Ava DuVernay, Paul Thomas Anderson, Lulu Wang, Ryan Coogler, Aubrey Plaza, Catherine Hardwicke, Todd Haynes, Tessa Thompson, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert Eggers, the Duplass brothers, Michael B. Jordan, Amy Adams, Elizabeth Olsen, Brie Larson, Lakeith Stanfield, Miles Teller, Anya Taylor-Joy, and many, many more — first rose to acclaim by bringing their work to Sundance.
Some of the biggest films at this year’s festivals came to us through creators and stars we already know and love — it’s no surprise that Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin are so wonderful in Eisenberg’s “A Real Pain” or that “Worst Person in the World” star Renate Reinsve finds new dimension in both pitch-black comedy “A Different Man” and the off-kilter zombie drama “Handling the Undead” or that Kristen Stewart is riveting in...
Some of the biggest films at this year’s festivals came to us through creators and stars we already know and love — it’s no surprise that Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin are so wonderful in Eisenberg’s “A Real Pain” or that “Worst Person in the World” star Renate Reinsve finds new dimension in both pitch-black comedy “A Different Man” and the off-kilter zombie drama “Handling the Undead” or that Kristen Stewart is riveting in...
- 1/26/2024
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Is there a single director working today with a better track record than Martin Scorsese? Ever since breaking through with his gritty, scrappy crime drama “Mean Streets,” the Italian-American’s name has been synonymous with quality, and he’s kept that train going for several years. Some films were more acclaimed than others, but from the ’70s all the way to the 2020s, Scorsese has remained a consistent top-tier filmmaker, pumping out at least one or two stone-cold classics per decade.
What’s even more impressive is how adaptable and varied the man has proven himself to be. A refrain popular among internet contrarians is that Scorsese is just a dude who makes gangster movies, but one look at the films he’s made over the years shows that only scratches the surface of his capabilities and tastes. While his mafia films like “Goodfellas” and “The Irishman” are obvious greats,...
What’s even more impressive is how adaptable and varied the man has proven himself to be. A refrain popular among internet contrarians is that Scorsese is just a dude who makes gangster movies, but one look at the films he’s made over the years shows that only scratches the surface of his capabilities and tastes. While his mafia films like “Goodfellas” and “The Irishman” are obvious greats,...
- 1/26/2024
- by Wilson Chapman and Alison Foreman
- Indiewire
Cillian Murphy first cut his teeth at the Corcadorca Theatre Company in his hometown of Cork, Ireland at the age of 20, where he nailed the audition for his first acting role in Enda Walsh’s “Disco Pigs” play. Murphy made enough of an impression to not only land the role for the theater part, but he also starred in the film adaptation years later. Although the movie wasn’t necessarily a renowned success, his performance caught the eye of Danny Boyle: the legendary filmmaker, then searching for a lead in his post-apocalyptic thriller, “28 Days Later.” That movie would significantly boost Murphy’s profile, earning him nominations for Best Newcomer at the Empire Awards and Breakthrough Male Performance at the MTV Movie Awards.
With 40 movies and 27 years to his career, Murphy seems to be progressing with each appearance, and his latest role was his biggest yet. As the titular...
With 40 movies and 27 years to his career, Murphy seems to be progressing with each appearance, and his latest role was his biggest yet. As the titular...
- 1/25/2024
- by Marcos Franco and Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
January is a transitional time for film, with focus shifting to the Oscars just as new offerings in theaters enter an annual dreaded slump. It’s also, paradoxically, one of the best months for new movies — if you’re lucky enough to head to Park City, Utah for Sundance Film Festival.
The single biggest film festival in the country, with almost 50,000 attendees each year, Sundance Film Festival was founded back in 1978 as the Utah/US Film Festival, before rebranding in 1984 to its current name. Operated by the Sundance Institute, the annual fest hosts hundreds of films each year, showcasing the brightest in independent filmmaking, along with a variety of foreign, documentary, and midnight films. Over the years the festival has hosted some of the most beloved indie films ever, and helped launch the careers of major filmmakers like the Coen Brothers, Quentin Tarantino, Damien Chazelle, Ava DuVernay, and many, many more.
The single biggest film festival in the country, with almost 50,000 attendees each year, Sundance Film Festival was founded back in 1978 as the Utah/US Film Festival, before rebranding in 1984 to its current name. Operated by the Sundance Institute, the annual fest hosts hundreds of films each year, showcasing the brightest in independent filmmaking, along with a variety of foreign, documentary, and midnight films. Over the years the festival has hosted some of the most beloved indie films ever, and helped launch the careers of major filmmakers like the Coen Brothers, Quentin Tarantino, Damien Chazelle, Ava DuVernay, and many, many more.
- 1/23/2024
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
Films are stunning artifacts of humanity’s singular ability to dream and wonder in unison. But if the moviemaking miracles produced by Hollywood’s studio system are predestined — recycled IP inevitabilities that cost as much money as there are stars in the sky — indies are something greater.
Indie filmmaking is notoriously hard to define; combine the constantly shifting number known as “low budget” and another shifty goalpost, “independent,” and we’re partly there. Here’s another definition: It feels as if it’s willed into existence, both in the final story on screen and in the behind-the-scenes journey that explains how an auteur’s story got there. It was created because it had to be, rendered by talented and undaunted auteurs, through powerful visions and innovative commitment to craft. And finally, it’s introduced to equally ambitious audiences.
It’s in our name: IndieWire was founded in 1996 as an outlet...
Indie filmmaking is notoriously hard to define; combine the constantly shifting number known as “low budget” and another shifty goalpost, “independent,” and we’re partly there. Here’s another definition: It feels as if it’s willed into existence, both in the final story on screen and in the behind-the-scenes journey that explains how an auteur’s story got there. It was created because it had to be, rendered by talented and undaunted auteurs, through powerful visions and innovative commitment to craft. And finally, it’s introduced to equally ambitious audiences.
It’s in our name: IndieWire was founded in 1996 as an outlet...
- 1/3/2024
- by Alison Foreman and Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
2023 may not have been an excellent year for movies, but in spite of everything stacked against it (read: greedy conglomerates run amok), it turned out to be an excellent year of movies. While the fallout of the recent work stoppages will be felt for time to come, some of 2023’s losses will prove to be 2024’s gains, as much-anticipated but strike-delayed films like “Dune: Part Two,” “Drive-Away Dolls,” and Luca Guadagnino’s horny tennis drama “Challengers” have all secured fresh release dates in the first half of the new year.
Those titles will be joined by some of the most promising Hollywood blockbusters in recent memory, must-see work from some of the world’s greatest auteurs, and huge swings from essential artists ranging from new voices like Jane Schoenbrun (“I Saw the TV Glow”) and Duke Johnson (“The Actor”) to venerated masters like Francis Ford Coppola (“Megalopolis”) and Mike Leigh...
Those titles will be joined by some of the most promising Hollywood blockbusters in recent memory, must-see work from some of the world’s greatest auteurs, and huge swings from essential artists ranging from new voices like Jane Schoenbrun (“I Saw the TV Glow”) and Duke Johnson (“The Actor”) to venerated masters like Francis Ford Coppola (“Megalopolis”) and Mike Leigh...
- 12/29/2023
- by IndieWire Staff
- Indiewire
Our favorite scores of 2023 are wide-ranging. They include everything from intimate love stories to inventive looks into the past to the biggest and loudest blockbusters. We have animated juggernauts and weirder, wilder genre swings alongside the films that probably will get more awards attention for their scores — along with all their other categories. Some scores have gone viral on TikTok, and some have yet to have the chance; although if anything deserves its own TikTok trend, it is Robbie Robertson’s last, greatest work on “Killers of the Flower Moon.”
Whether as big as the universe or as small-scale as a lapsed relationship, whether orchestral, electronic, or a mix of both, this year’s best film scores go after a variety of different moods and presences inside their films. Constant hums and whirs animate films like “Poor Things” while the musical howl of “The Zone of Interest” only appears a...
Whether as big as the universe or as small-scale as a lapsed relationship, whether orchestral, electronic, or a mix of both, this year’s best film scores go after a variety of different moods and presences inside their films. Constant hums and whirs animate films like “Poor Things” while the musical howl of “The Zone of Interest” only appears a...
- 12/16/2023
- by Sarah Shachat, Jim Hemphill and Proma Khosla
- Indiewire
From the heavenly heights of Bowen Yang as God in “Dicks: The Musical” to Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri beating the hell out of each other for “Bottoms,” 2023 was a near-biblical year for queer entertainment. Sure, LGBTQ film and TV had its fair share of sins — what with the “Red, White, and Royal Blue” butt prep scene and “Saltburn” bathtub of it all. Not to mention, we lost a handful of beloved TV series with the cancelations of “A League of Their Own” and the full-blown streaming removal of “The L Word: Generation Q” (among others). But all things created equal, it was a pretty fantastic year to be queer in Hollywood, with a slew of great new titles arriving in theaters and across platforms as diverse voices continued to break through to LGBTQ audiences.
The aforementioned song-and-dance/raunchy sex comedies were just the tip of the iceberg on a...
The aforementioned song-and-dance/raunchy sex comedies were just the tip of the iceberg on a...
- 12/14/2023
- by Alison Foreman
- Indiewire
Art rises to a challenge, and 2023 saw plenty of documentaries do exactly that. Amid a swarm of vanity projects and puff pieces, brand extensions and overstretched stories, the best documentaries of the year stood out for their scrutiny and decisiveness; their unique perspectives and razor-sharp editing. Rather than be dragged down by industry forces, be it the lingering effects of streaming or resurgent demand for star vehicles masked as docs, these 20 nonfiction works rose above — and, as audience members, we thank them for it.
There were some heavy hitters working in 2023. Matthew Heineman, Maite Alberdi, Steve James, and Errol Morris all delivered impressive new pieces. Breakthroughs came screaming to the forefront as well, many aided by festival or critical support (or both). Films like “Kokomo City,” “Beyond Utopia,” and “A Still Small Voice” managed to crack the zeitgeist and pique cinephiles’ interest. While over in television, genre hybrids like “Paul T. Goldman...
There were some heavy hitters working in 2023. Matthew Heineman, Maite Alberdi, Steve James, and Errol Morris all delivered impressive new pieces. Breakthroughs came screaming to the forefront as well, many aided by festival or critical support (or both). Films like “Kokomo City,” “Beyond Utopia,” and “A Still Small Voice” managed to crack the zeitgeist and pique cinephiles’ interest. While over in television, genre hybrids like “Paul T. Goldman...
- 12/12/2023
- by Ben Travers and Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
When LGBTQ community-gathering spaces were largely put on pause by the pandemic, those once-in-person safe havens became our streaming platforms and technical devices at home. Hyper-specific pop subcultures emerged — here’s looking at you, queer readers of the generally awful “Friends” — and reputations for streamers’ philosophies toward and commitment to LGBTQ content were widely discussed online. (Shout out to Showtime: the premium cable network still servicing lesbians everywhere.)
Even as the world has opened back up, in Hollywood, it feels like queer storytelling and community are more galvanized than ever. Nowhere is that more tidily displayed than on the carousels of “LGBTQ” offerings found across entertainment platforms. Netflix, a heavyweight in any streaming conversation (regardless of its rocky 2022), has played a significant role in green-lighting major queer-inclusive projects across television and film. Not only has the platform championed many shows that were queer in premise — see “Grace and Frankie” or...
Even as the world has opened back up, in Hollywood, it feels like queer storytelling and community are more galvanized than ever. Nowhere is that more tidily displayed than on the carousels of “LGBTQ” offerings found across entertainment platforms. Netflix, a heavyweight in any streaming conversation (regardless of its rocky 2022), has played a significant role in green-lighting major queer-inclusive projects across television and film. Not only has the platform championed many shows that were queer in premise — see “Grace and Frankie” or...
- 12/2/2023
- by Wilson Chapman, Alison Foreman and Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Hulu may have started out as the redheaded stepchild of the streamers back in Netflix’s heyday, but it has stuck around long enough to have firmly established itself as one of the old standbys. It follows, then, that Hulu would have a veritable fount of LGBTQ content ready to compete with the robust queer catalogues available to subscribers of Netflix, HBO, and other platforms.
A brief perusal of Hulu’s LGBTQ section doesn’t disappoint, but digging in deeper will give you the best chance at a genuinely memorable watch. Right now, the Disney-backed streamer is hosting popular queer television classics, like “The L Word,” “My So-Called Life,” and “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” alongside fresher fare, including “Everything’s Gonna Be Okay” and “Killing Eve.” Recent Hulu originals, such as “Love, Victor” and “Shrill,” deserve singling out, if only because you know they’re buzz-worthy and readily available on the service.
A brief perusal of Hulu’s LGBTQ section doesn’t disappoint, but digging in deeper will give you the best chance at a genuinely memorable watch. Right now, the Disney-backed streamer is hosting popular queer television classics, like “The L Word,” “My So-Called Life,” and “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” alongside fresher fare, including “Everything’s Gonna Be Okay” and “Killing Eve.” Recent Hulu originals, such as “Love, Victor” and “Shrill,” deserve singling out, if only because you know they’re buzz-worthy and readily available on the service.
- 12/1/2023
- by Wilson Chapman and Alison Foreman
- Indiewire
Now here’s an interesting piece of trivia: for the second year in a row, a first-time feature has topped our best films of the year list. That makes our cheeky little kick-off line — “just how good were this year’s debut features? One of them has already been crowned our best film of the year, and it’s got plenty of company” — both easily repeatable and simply true.
But, more than that, it proves an adage we’ve been touting for years: the art of cinema is alive and thriving. There are always good movies. There are always good directors. And there are always rising stars worthy of attention. This year is no different. Last year wasn’t either. And we’re feeling pretty good about 2024.
Among the best first features of 2023: festival favorites, awards contenders, genre offerings, personal histories, and at least one film that hinges on...
But, more than that, it proves an adage we’ve been touting for years: the art of cinema is alive and thriving. There are always good movies. There are always good directors. And there are always rising stars worthy of attention. This year is no different. Last year wasn’t either. And we’re feeling pretty good about 2024.
Among the best first features of 2023: festival favorites, awards contenders, genre offerings, personal histories, and at least one film that hinges on...
- 11/30/2023
- by David Ehrlich and Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Yorgos Lanthimos is baffled by the “prudishness” surrounding sex onscreen.
The “Poor Things” auteur said during a joint interview with actress-producer Emma Stone for The New York Times that it was “never an issue” to include the various intimate scenes in the film.
“Poor Things” is based on Alasdair Gray’s 1992 novel about a woman (Stone) who drowns herself to escape her abusive husband and is later resurrected with the brain of her unborn child, and renamed Bella Baxter. During the course of coming of age, Bella discovers her sexual freedom and at one point works as a Parisienne prostitute. The film won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival where IndieWire’s Ryan Lattanzio called the “brazenly weird sex comedy” an “instant classic” that was one of the “raunchiest” movies of the year.
“For me, that aspect was never an issue,” Lanthimos told The New York Times. “Sex in movies,...
The “Poor Things” auteur said during a joint interview with actress-producer Emma Stone for The New York Times that it was “never an issue” to include the various intimate scenes in the film.
“Poor Things” is based on Alasdair Gray’s 1992 novel about a woman (Stone) who drowns herself to escape her abusive husband and is later resurrected with the brain of her unborn child, and renamed Bella Baxter. During the course of coming of age, Bella discovers her sexual freedom and at one point works as a Parisienne prostitute. The film won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival where IndieWire’s Ryan Lattanzio called the “brazenly weird sex comedy” an “instant classic” that was one of the “raunchiest” movies of the year.
“For me, that aspect was never an issue,” Lanthimos told The New York Times. “Sex in movies,...
- 11/29/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
In hindsight, it shouldn’t be surprising that the cinema of 2023 was so preoccupied with the unknown, as the first proper year after the start of the pandemic was always going to find the movie industry plunging into a brave new world.
Some of the most pressing questions we had at the start of January were answered with resounding force. Would the studios — some of which had fatally diluted their brands with streaming options in a desperate bid to appease the stock market — find that once-reliable franchises had lust their luster? Yes. Would audiences — so eager for a different breed of “event film” that they had already started to redefine the term themselves — actually follow through on the “Barbenheimer” meme that first spread across social media in late 2022? Yes. Would titans like Martin Scorsese, Christopher Nolan, and Wes Anderson make good on the breathless chatter that surrounded their latest projects...
Some of the most pressing questions we had at the start of January were answered with resounding force. Would the studios — some of which had fatally diluted their brands with streaming options in a desperate bid to appease the stock market — find that once-reliable franchises had lust their luster? Yes. Would audiences — so eager for a different breed of “event film” that they had already started to redefine the term themselves — actually follow through on the “Barbenheimer” meme that first spread across social media in late 2022? Yes. Would titans like Martin Scorsese, Christopher Nolan, and Wes Anderson make good on the breathless chatter that surrounded their latest projects...
- 11/28/2023
- by David Ehrlich and Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
On November 22, 2023, Netflix brings the love story of Leonard Bernstein and Felicia Montealegre to the big screen in “Maestro,” starring Oscar nominees Bradley Cooper and Carey Mulligan. Cooper proves to be a formidable triple-threat after co-writing and directing the film to rave reviews and a Cultural Icon and Creator Award at this year’s Gothams.
The complicated romance between the legendary composer and the actress is an across-the-board contender in Gold Derby’s Oscar odds, with Rotten Tomatoes rating it 81% fresh. The consensus from critics reads, “Led by a pair of powerful performances, ‘Maestro’ serves as a stirring overview of a tremendous talent’s life and legacy.” Read our full review round-up below.
See Oscars upheaval: Bradley Cooper (‘Maestro’) will win Best Actor, according to the most Experts
Jo-Ann Titmarsh of London Evening Standard writes, “Like Bernstein’s music, this movie won’t appeal to everybody, but it is an...
The complicated romance between the legendary composer and the actress is an across-the-board contender in Gold Derby’s Oscar odds, with Rotten Tomatoes rating it 81% fresh. The consensus from critics reads, “Led by a pair of powerful performances, ‘Maestro’ serves as a stirring overview of a tremendous talent’s life and legacy.” Read our full review round-up below.
See Oscars upheaval: Bradley Cooper (‘Maestro’) will win Best Actor, according to the most Experts
Jo-Ann Titmarsh of London Evening Standard writes, “Like Bernstein’s music, this movie won’t appeal to everybody, but it is an...
- 11/25/2023
- by Vincent Mandile
- Gold Derby
An enterprising surveyor of genre and tone, Ridley Scott has earned the admiration of audiences and critics alike with a seemingly unending interest in exploring the outermost limits of his art form. The British director broke onto the scene in 1977 with “The Duellists,” a French period drama starring Harvey Keitel and Keith Carradine set during the Napoleonic Wars. He returns to the early 19th century with Joaquin Phoenix as its namesake historical figure with the epic “Napoleon,” in theaters November 22.
“I first became aware of Ridley Scott with his film ‘The Duellists,'” Francis Ford Coppola recently said of Scott’s debut in an Instagram post. “I was impressed, and realizing he was my contemporary began following his work, which was prodigious to say the least. One after the other, different styles, themes — all ambitious and never stopping, absolutely great films like ‘Blade Runner,’ ‘Thelma & Louise,’ ‘Alien,’ and ‘Black Hawk Down....
“I first became aware of Ridley Scott with his film ‘The Duellists,'” Francis Ford Coppola recently said of Scott’s debut in an Instagram post. “I was impressed, and realizing he was my contemporary began following his work, which was prodigious to say the least. One after the other, different styles, themes — all ambitious and never stopping, absolutely great films like ‘Blade Runner,’ ‘Thelma & Louise,’ ‘Alien,’ and ‘Black Hawk Down....
- 11/23/2023
- by Alison Foreman
- Indiewire
“One more time: animation is a medium, not a genre. Animation is film,” Guillermo del Toro said last year. IndieWire couldn’t agree more, and yet animation — an art form that requires the most precise control of the cinematic medium — is continually disrespected.
Infamously, 2022’s Best Animated Oscars presentation featured several jokes about the nominees that, in the words of Phil Lord and Chris Miller, framed “the five Academy Award nominees for Best Animated Feature as a corporate product for kids that parents must begrudgingly endure.” The directing duo called upon the Academy to do better by animation. And this year’s ceremony largely delivered, with less jokes that belittled animation as kiddy stuff and a sterling speech from del Toro himself for his acclaimed stop-motion feature adaptation of “Pinocchio.”
Pixar and Studio Ghibli tend to spring to mind first when discussing great animation, but there’s a world beyond those two giants.
Infamously, 2022’s Best Animated Oscars presentation featured several jokes about the nominees that, in the words of Phil Lord and Chris Miller, framed “the five Academy Award nominees for Best Animated Feature as a corporate product for kids that parents must begrudgingly endure.” The directing duo called upon the Academy to do better by animation. And this year’s ceremony largely delivered, with less jokes that belittled animation as kiddy stuff and a sterling speech from del Toro himself for his acclaimed stop-motion feature adaptation of “Pinocchio.”
Pixar and Studio Ghibli tend to spring to mind first when discussing great animation, but there’s a world beyond those two giants.
- 11/23/2023
- by Bill Desowitz and Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
Emma Stone won the Best Actress Oscar in 2017 for her role as an actress trying to make it big in Damien Chazelle‘s “La La Land.” Stone has also earned two Best Supporting Actress bids, the first in 2015 for “Birdman” and the second for “The Favourite” in 2019. She reteams with the latter’s director, Yorgos Lanthimos, for Searchlight Pictures’ “Poor Things.” The film, which is out in US theaters on Dec. 8, follows Stone as Bella Baxter — a woman brought back to life by a scientist (Willem Dafoe) and subsequently goes on a journey of self-discovery, meeting a variety of people along the way including a lawyer (Mark Ruffalo) and a potential suitor (Ramy Youssef).
Stone’s performance is remarkable here, as many critics have noted.
Nick Schager (The Daily Beast) declared that Stone will “blow your mind” in the movie, writing: “Nothing overshadows Stone’s odd, amusing and affecting performance as Bella,...
Stone’s performance is remarkable here, as many critics have noted.
Nick Schager (The Daily Beast) declared that Stone will “blow your mind” in the movie, writing: “Nothing overshadows Stone’s odd, amusing and affecting performance as Bella,...
- 10/27/2023
- by Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
Michael Fassbender is a killer with a meditative streak.
The actor leads David Fincher’s drama “The Killer” as an assassin who begins to have a psychological crisis in a world with no moral compass.
The official synopsis reads: After a fateful near miss, an assassin battles his employers — and himself — on an international hunt for retribution he insists isn’t personal. Solitary, cold, methodical, and unencumbered by scruples or regrets, a killer waits in the shadows, watching for his next target. Yet, the longer he waits, the more he thinks he’s losing his mind, if not his cool.
The Netflix film is based on the graphic novel of the same name by Alexis Nolent Aka Matz, which “Se7en” screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker adapted for the screen. Tilda Swinton, Charles Parnell, Arliss Howard, and Sophie Charlotte also star. Ceán Chaffin produces.
Director Fincher also reunites with Oscar-winning “Mank” cinematographer...
The actor leads David Fincher’s drama “The Killer” as an assassin who begins to have a psychological crisis in a world with no moral compass.
The official synopsis reads: After a fateful near miss, an assassin battles his employers — and himself — on an international hunt for retribution he insists isn’t personal. Solitary, cold, methodical, and unencumbered by scruples or regrets, a killer waits in the shadows, watching for his next target. Yet, the longer he waits, the more he thinks he’s losing his mind, if not his cool.
The Netflix film is based on the graphic novel of the same name by Alexis Nolent Aka Matz, which “Se7en” screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker adapted for the screen. Tilda Swinton, Charles Parnell, Arliss Howard, and Sophie Charlotte also star. Ceán Chaffin produces.
Director Fincher also reunites with Oscar-winning “Mank” cinematographer...
- 10/27/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
‘Maestro’ Trailer: Bradley Cooper’s Leonard Bernstein Grapples with His Sexuality and Grasps at Love
Bradley Cooper’s tour de force of a sophomore directorial effort “Maestro” crescendoes into theaters this fall just in time for Oscars season.
Cooper, who co-wrote, produced, and directed the decades-sweeping romance film, stars as famed musician and composer Leonard Bernstein, whose marriage to Felicia Montealegre (Carey Mulligan) is at the core of the feature.
The official synopsis reads: “Maestro” is a towering and fearless love story chronicling the lifelong relationship between Leonard Bernstein and Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein. A love letter to life and art, “Maestro” is, at its core, an emotionally epic portrayal of family and love.
In addition to Cooper and Mulligan, “Maestro” stars Matt Bomer, Maya Hawke, Sarah Silverman, Josh Hamilton, Scott Ellis, Gideon Glick, Sam Nivola, Alexa Swinton, and Miriam Shor.
Cooper co-wrote the film with “Spotlight” scribe Josh Singer. Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg produce, along with Cooper, Kristie Mackso Krieger, Fred Burner, and Amy Durning.
Cooper, who co-wrote, produced, and directed the decades-sweeping romance film, stars as famed musician and composer Leonard Bernstein, whose marriage to Felicia Montealegre (Carey Mulligan) is at the core of the feature.
The official synopsis reads: “Maestro” is a towering and fearless love story chronicling the lifelong relationship between Leonard Bernstein and Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein. A love letter to life and art, “Maestro” is, at its core, an emotionally epic portrayal of family and love.
In addition to Cooper and Mulligan, “Maestro” stars Matt Bomer, Maya Hawke, Sarah Silverman, Josh Hamilton, Scott Ellis, Gideon Glick, Sam Nivola, Alexa Swinton, and Miriam Shor.
Cooper co-wrote the film with “Spotlight” scribe Josh Singer. Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg produce, along with Cooper, Kristie Mackso Krieger, Fred Burner, and Amy Durning.
- 10/25/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Emma Stone delivers a powerhouse performance in Yorgos Lanthimos‘ latest hit, “Poor Things.” The Searchlight Pictures production, which releases in US theaters on December 8, showcases Stone as Bella Baxter, a re-animated woman on a quest to discover life and herself. Willem Dafoe‘s scientist brings her back to life while Ramy Youssef and Mark Ruffalo feature as helpers and hinderers in her exploration of life.
But the movie belongs to Stone, who reunites with Lanthimos after they worked together on “The Favourite.” She is once more saying the words of Tony McNamara, who co-wrote “The Favourite” with Deborah Davis and Stone’s “Cruella” with Dana Fox. Stone’s performance has been touted as one of the very best of her career by many critics.
Nick Schager (The Daily Beast) declared that Stone will “blow your mind” in the movie, writing: “Nothing overshadows Stone’s odd, amusing and affecting performance as Bella,...
But the movie belongs to Stone, who reunites with Lanthimos after they worked together on “The Favourite.” She is once more saying the words of Tony McNamara, who co-wrote “The Favourite” with Deborah Davis and Stone’s “Cruella” with Dana Fox. Stone’s performance has been touted as one of the very best of her career by many critics.
Nick Schager (The Daily Beast) declared that Stone will “blow your mind” in the movie, writing: “Nothing overshadows Stone’s odd, amusing and affecting performance as Bella,...
- 10/20/2023
- by Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
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