SPOILER ALERT: This story contains major spoilers for the ending of “Missing,” currently playing in theaters. “Missing,” the latest release from Sony Pictures Entertainment, is told entirely through computer screens and smartphones. Storm Reid is June, a daughter using modern technology to track down her mom, played by Nia Long, who has gone missing thousands
Movies
As the first in-person edition of the Sundance Film Festival since 2020, this year’s festival came as a welcome reminder of what it’s like to mingle with fellow film fanatics in the cold air and pristine mountain beauty of Park City. In fact, most everyone at Sundance was so glad simply to be there that
Kokomo City is not a real place. It’s more like a state of mind, invented by director D. Smith, who is Black and trans, to describe the space that her sisters occupy in the world. Theirs is an identity that is barely understood by the public and frequently misrepresented by the media, but is here
Bryan Cranston starred alongside Kevin Hart in the 2017 dramedy “The Upside,” based on the true story of a paralyzed billionaire who befriends a recently paroled convict and hires him as a caretaker. Appearing on Bill Maher’s “Club Random” podcast, Cranston revealed that the story isn’t yet over, as he and Hart are working on
Years after the word “kompromat” had its moment in the popular imagination during a certain Special Counsel investigation, Jérôme Salle’s thriller of the same name arrives as a nerve-racking reminder of just how life-ruining being targeted by the Russian government might actually be. Salle, who co-wrote the film with Caryl Férey, opens the proceedings with
Jennifer Lopez’s latest film “Shotgun Wedding” has landed on Amazon Prime Video. The action rom-com arrives in plenty of time for Valentine’s Day, but also serves as a reminder of Lopez’s commanding presence as the queen of romantic comedies. Lopez is the queen of the rom-com genre. Her movies range from true timeless classics to
Oscar nominations were announced Jan. 24 and in the best-picture race, voters have come up with the most wide-ranging lineup in decades, full of populist choices. The 10 films nominated for Oscar’s top prize represent a cross-section of blockbusters, specialty films, indies and mid-range Hollywood movies. There is also a healthy mix of long-established studios,
If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. The Oscar-nominated film “Tár,” which earned nods for best picture and best actress for Cate Blanchett, is available to stream on Peacock starting today. Directed by Todd Field, the film centers on renowned musician
On Friday, Fangoria and Fangoria Studios released their 2023 Chainsaw Award nominations, which recognize outstanding achievements in horror film and television. First established in 1992, the Chainsaw Awards honor works and artists in a genre frequently overlooked by traditional organizations and critics groups. Past recipients include Wes Craven, George A. Romero, Lupita Nyong’o, Anthony Hopkins
Gerard Butler revealed on “The Drew Barrymore Show” that he was the cause of a freak accident that sent Hilary Swank to the hospital during the making of their 2007 romantic drama “P.S. I Love You.” The film, directed by Richard LaGravenese and based on the 2004 novel of the same name, stars Swank as
British actor Sylvia Syms, best known for her roles in “Ice Cold in Alex” and “Victim,” died Friday in London. She was 89. Syms’ family said that she died at Denville Hall, a care home in London for entertainment industry people. “Our mother, Sylvia, died peacefully this morning. She has lived an amazing life and
In “Avatar: The Way of Water,” Jack Champion stands out as Spider — and not simply because he’s frequently the only human in scenes with the computer-generated, nine-foot-tall Na’vi. Spider is a remnant of the Sky People left behind on Pandora after the events of the original film. Raised by Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and,
After a global bow in Seville last year, directors Nacho A. Villar and Luis Rojo of the BRBR collective are set to screen their striking first feature-length documentary “La Mala Familia” to Rotterdam audiences this week before launching the project’s Spanish theater release on May 5. The film, developed at ECAM’s incubator program, is distributed
Damian Kocur’s 2022 Venice Film Festival winner “Bread and Salt” will open the 21st Kinoteka Polish Film Festival. “Bread and Salt” follows the journey of two brothers, played by real-life siblings Tymoteusz Bies and Jacek Bies, in a small Polish town during one hot summer. The closing gala will be Feliks Falk’s 1977 classic “Top
Göteborg Film Festival, running from Jan. 27-Feb. 5, will welcome back some familiar faces during its 46th edition. But it keeps on looking out for skillful newcomers, says Josef Kullengård, head of industry at the festival and the Nordic Film Market. “We want to be the place where you discover new Nordic talent,” he tells
Shah Rukh Khan’s “Pathaan” has reached blockbuster status in just two days of release. Produced by Yash Raj Films, the film shattered opening day records for a Hindi-language film, with a worldwide gross of $12.7 million on Jan. 25. On Jan. 26, a public holiday in India for Republic Day, “Pathaan” did even better, grossing
“The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse” harks back to an era of gentle storytelling and hand-drawn animation but its inception, by British illustrator Charlie Mackesy, was entirely modern: blossoming from social media to print to streaming. The book of the same name — based on Mackesy’s WhatsApp and Instagram illustrations — did
Bowfinger Int’l Pictures, run by Spanish actor-director Santiago Segura and producing partner María Luisa Gutiérrez, and Beta Fiction Spain (BFS), the Spanish affiliate of Germany’s Beta Film, have teamed up to produce “Infiltrada” (“Infiltrated”) the true story of a young Spanish policewoman who infiltrated the Basque separatist group, ETA (Euskadi Ta Askatasuna, translated as Basque
Director, writer, actor, producer and author Spike Lee is being accorded a BFI Fellowship, the highest honor bestowed by the British Film Institute. The Fellowship will be presented to Lee at a celebratory event at BFI Southbank, hosted by BFI chair Tim Richards and BFI chief executive Ben Roberts on Feb. 13. The event will
In the run-up to February’s Berlin Film Festival, Madrid-based Latido Films has pounced on “Sica,” the fiction feature debut of Carla Subirana, one of a hard-to-miss vibrant new generation of Barcelona-based women directors and producers now galvanizing the Catalan film scene. In a frequent alignment between the two companies, Spanish distribution will be handled by
Production has begun in Brisbane, Australia, on dramatic comedy film “A Savage Christmas.” The story is that of a trans woman who, after years of estrangement, returns home for Christmas with her new boyfriend. Expecting her transition to be the focus, it is instead overshadowed by family secrets and lies which threaten not only their
Slamdance Film Festival has revealed the winners of its annual Sparky Awards, with “Waiting for the Light to Change” and “Where the Road Leads” taking home the narrative feature grand jury prize and audience award, respectively. Directed by Linh Tran, narrative feature grand jury prize winner “Waiting for the Light to Change” is an “exceptional
If, partway through Nicole Newnham’s extraordinary new documentary, you find yourself fighting the urge to do a bit of Googling — just to make sure that Shere Hite was a real person and you are not the victim of some wildly elaborate deepfake prank — don’t be alarmed. Be a little ashamed, perhaps, but not
“Spider-Man: No Way Home” brought Tobey Maguire back to the web-slinging role for the first time in 15 years. Maguire always intended to return for a fourth Spider-Man movie after 2007’s divisive “Spider-Man 3,” but creative differences between director Sam Raimi and Sony Pictures prevented him from doing so. “No Way Home” finally gave Maguire
Out of the kitchen and into the MCU: “The Bear” breakout star Ayo Edebiri has joined Marvel Studios’ anti-hero team-up feature “Thunderbolts” in an undisclosed role. Jake Schreier (“Paper Towns,” “Robot and Frank”) is directing from a script by Eric Pearson (“Black Widow”). As is the case with every Marvel Studios production, Kevin Feige is
Colleen Hoover’s bestselling romance novel “It Ends With Us” is getting a film adaptation with Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni attached to star, Variety has confirmed. The film is in development at Sony Pictures, with Baldoni set to direct and executive produce under his Wayfarer Studios banner, which is co-financing. Lively is also executive producing
Every so often, you’ll see a portrait-of-the-artist documentary that’s so beautifully made, about a figure of such unique fascination, whose art is so perfectly showcased by the documentary format, that when it’s over you can’t believe the film hadn’t existed until now. It feels, in its way, essential. “Nam June Paik: Moon Is the Oldest
Another round of Oscar nominations arrived this week and proved once again the Academy’s ignorance when it comes to horror. Jordan Peele’s “Nope” was completely shut out of the nominations despite critical acclaim and over $100 million at the box office. Ti West’s “X” and “Pearl” were also missing. The latter title is home to
Jan. 27 marks International Holocaust Remembrance Day, a day designated by the United Nations to commemorate the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau on Jan. 27, 1945 and honor the six million Jews and five million others murdered by the Nazis. Located in Oświęcim, Poland, about 40 miles west of Kraków, Auschwitz now functions as a museum and education
Stephen Dorff is no stranger to railing against Marvel. The actor went viral in 2021 after telling The Independent that “Black Widow” looks “like garbage” and that he was “embarrassed” for its leading star, Scarlett Johansson. Now Dorff is back with a fresh Marvel tirade courtesy of The Daily Beast. The actor, who flexed his