“Baby Reindeer” mania has already swept the U.K., and the word-of-mouth export continues to make waves across the U.S., hence our belated review about an incredibly devastating and twisting series that is so much more than you initially expected.

There’s a natural tendency in most savvy viewers to predict how events might unfold in any film or televised event. For years, Netflix established itself as a contender in the truth-is-stranger-than-fiction sweepstakes with the murder-for-hire animal park drama (“Tiger King”) or plunges into the darkest realms of internet video (“Don’t F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer”).

Continue reading ‘Baby Reindeer’ Review: A Conventional Stalking Thriller Transforms Into A Devastating & Complex Confessional About Abuse & Trauma at The Playlist.

How much would you pay for a chance to speak one more word to those you’ve lost? A cursory viewing of “Baghead,” another addition to the cinematic world of ghosts, might suggest such a premise to be the central focus of this unremarkable horror outing. Yes, that notion is undoubtedly part of the narrative, but just as much attention is placed on those who’ve been lost as those who are desperate to see those faces one more time. Either way, any focus the film places doesn’t go anywhere special.

Continue reading ‘Baghead’ Review: Horror About The Dearly Departed Misses The Truly Spooky Mark at The Playlist.

Two years ago, following a vast array of attempts at a hit small screen vehicle for uber-talented “SNL” veteran Maya Rudolph, Apple TV+’s “Loot” hit the sitcom world, entering on new divorcée Molly Wells (Rudolph) trying to navigate and decide what to do with an enormous $87 billion settlement. Eventually, she settles on re-engaging with her charitable foundation, reconnecting with the real world, and trying to find out who she is along the way.

Continue reading ‘Loot’ Season 2 Review: Maya Rudolph’s Self-Absorbed Billionaire Comedy Is More Of The Same, But Still (Mostly) Enjoyable at The Playlist.

Any creature feature worth its salt will, predictably, generally follow a well-worn path and set of rules plucked from classics like “Jaws,” “Jurassic Park,” or any number of sequels to “Alien.” A similar structure exists within any memorable creature thriller and the challenge a filmmaker must face in trying to elevate what is essentially a well-known edifice into something more than ordinary. At a minimum, those same-ish results habitually wind up on the safe side of a fun, mindless viewing experience, with the unwritten rule that the slightest mark of an acceptable monster outing shouldn’t be anything one needs to process for longer than a millisecond.

Continue reading ‘Sting’ Review: A Familiar Monster Thriller Isn’t Without Its Arachnophobic Charms at The Playlist.

It’s easy to appreciate the investment of time and effort that go into constructing any period piece, a balancing act between capturing the atmosphere of a bygone age and finding a middle ground equally satisfying to both the casual viewer and the history buff. And so, brimming with more than a handful of nods to spiritual siblings “The Tudors” and “The Favourite” both in tone and ambiance, the new STARZ limited series “Mary & George” finds the right mix and a seat at the table with relative ease.

Continue reading ‘Mary & George’ Review: Julianne Moore & Nicholas Galitzine Duel With Barbs & Quips In Starz’s Wicked Period Series at The Playlist.

As a champion freediver, Jessea Lu describes in the early minutes of her own documentary, “7 Beats Per Minute,” the film’s title reflects the heart rate a freediver should target to ensure success during a competitive diving event. There’s no question such a sport sits as one of the world’s most dangerous, the act of holding one’s breath for a protracted length of time while engaging in any number of underwater activities.

Continue reading ‘7 Beats Per Minute’ Review: A Freediver’s Near Tragedy Gets The Drawn-Out Documentary Treatment [SXSW] at The Playlist.

There’s an immense amount of ground covered in “Carol Doda Topless at the Condor,” ironic for a documentary revolving largely around a pioneer who established a reputation in the 1960s as a frequently uncovered, immensely popular topless dancer at San Francisco’s legendary Condor Night Club. Directors Marlo McKenzie and Jonathan Parker unquestionably make efforts to ensure that the late Carol Doda receives a fair amount of the film’s spotlight, but aren’t shy about weaving in an assortment of additional subjects, both related and seemingly otherwise, mixed with a pile of vintage clips and footage of the era so as to create a portrait of a time as much as the woman after which the film carries its name. In doing so, does it succeed?

Continue reading ‘Carol Doda Topless At The Condor’ Review: A Trailblazing Dancer Gets Her Due at The Playlist.

Chances are, most working-class members of society have, at one point or another, questioned their own life’s direction, the value they offer, the possibilities outside the office, and the meaning behind it all. There’s something to be said about a film, loaded with all of the above without the tendency to shout it from the rooftops, that itself acts as a mirror image of its main character, which is exactly what’s presented by the relaxed, easygoing, somewhat maddening, “Free Time.“

READ MORE: The 100 Most Anticipated Films Of 2024

As “Free Time” opens, we’re quick to meet the protagonist, Drew (Colin Burgess), employed by a New York City-based firm as a data analyst.

Continue reading ‘Free Time’ Review: Without A Job, Without A Point, But Nonetheless Watchable at The Playlist.

All it takes is one mention of the phrase “found footage” to elicit a reaction typically leaning in the direction of an eye roll. For decades, this genre, once brimming with promise, having produced now-classics ranging from the likes of “Cannibal Holocaust,” “The Blair Witch Project” and “Cloverfield” has worked its way into an oversaturated avalanche crushed under the weight of countless imitators and slew of “Paranormal Activity” follow-ups.

Continue reading ‘Late Night With The Devil‘ Review: Vintage Late Night Horror Stumbles In Its Execution at The Playlist.

1991’s severely underrated “Career Opportunities” revolved primarily around one night in the life of Frank Whaley’s department store custodian as he works a shift at employer Target while simultaneously romancing Jennifer Connelly, while “Dawson’s Creek” used a similar conceit in a season six episode, seeing Joey and Pacey locked overnight within the recesses of another retail giant; even Nickelodeon Magazine joined the fray with their 1990 premiere issue, hiding within its pages a short story about children stranded at a similar store and the misadventures that result.

Continue reading ‘Secret Mall Apartment’ Review: Art And Rebellion Collide In This Unique Time Capsule [SXSW] at The Playlist.

For anyone in the midst of, or having previously endured, the pains associated with the salad days of youth, that time-honored tradition of finding one’s unique voice while attempting to entrench oneself within the local population of similarly-aged peers as new feelings and emotions emerge on a seemingly daily basis is, at best, an uphill battle. At worst, it can serve to cripple a developing soul in ways adults may struggle to comprehend fully; it is for these reasons that any successes along the way need not be ignored but celebrated; friendships with like-minded individuals and membership in groups catered to one’s passions are more than a hallmark of these undeniably short years and could be seen as wholly necessary to a developing personality.

Continue reading ‘We Can Be Heroes’ Review: Role Playing Meets Teen Therapy In This Oddly Compelling LARPing Doc [SXSW] at The Playlist.

Music, by and large, can be seen as autobiographical; it’s far from uncommon for songwriters not to draw from any number of personal experiences encompassing, say, the lows of heartbreak and loss to life’s triumphs, all of which and more could easily reside within the average person as distant memories but attain a sort of immortality once this narrative is set to music. It could be as trivial a moment as anything the average member of society undergoes with every passing day or something so defining it can’t help but warrant a transformation into song, and when the medium of video uses said music, does it change yet again?

Continue reading ‘Songs From The Hole’ Review: A Hip-Hop Autobiography From Both Sides Of Prison Walls [SXSW] at The Playlist.

It’s unlikely that two shows exist that are as wildly different as these. As the trio behind Duplass Brothers Productions continue to spread their combined wealth of talents over film, television, and streaming, the experience of taking in the pilots to their two latest series, “Ryley Walker & Friends” and, “The Broadcast, “offers a glimpse at projects loaded with as much promise as they are dissimilar.

Continue reading ‘Ryley Walker & Friends’ And ‘The Broadcast’ Reviews: Two Polar Opposite Duplass Brothers Pilots Overflow With Possibility [SXSW] at The Playlist.

With a title like “God Save Texas, “ a new three-part docuseries inspired by an acclaimed piece of nonfiction carrying the same name and authored by Lawrence Wright, one might think this particular program will unquestionably take a harsh look at the Lone Star State, focusing solely on its flaws and a bleak viewpoint as it looks to the future. There’s no doubt that Texas has, time and again, been mired in a barrage of controversial moments throughout the past 178 years of its existence as the 28th United state, but under the direction of Texas natives Richard Linklater (“Boyhood, “ “School of Rock”), Alex Stapleton (“Reggie, “ “Pride”) and Iliana Sosa (“What We Leave Behind”), here three specific Texan sticking points are touched upon extensively, each handled well individually but when joined together paint a fascinating picture of how far Texas has come and how far it has yet to go.

Continue reading ‘God Save Texas’ Review: Richard Linklater Leads 3 Filmmaker’s Powerful Docuseries On A Contentious Part Of The U.S. at The Playlist.

Since 2019, a production company by the name of Kingdom Story has set about establishing itself as something of a player in the crowded field of faith-based entertainment, having dipped its toe into the world of film by adapting a handful of true-life narratives and soon-to-be-released original content, all of which have seen unexpectedly wide release thanks mainly to a partnership with media giant Lionsgate. Covering a range of topics from Christian music biopics to the life of former NFL quarterback Kurt Warner, “Ordinary Angels” easily finds a spot on the list, with a premise inspired by actual events that appear perfect for the Kingdom Story family tree but without the tendency to drift into the realm of heavy-handed messages one might be expecting.

Continue reading ‘Ordinary Angels’ Review: Hilary Swank And Alan Ritchson Shine In A Supremely Average True Story at The Playlist.

In 1972, “Deliverance” was unleashed upon a worldwide audience, taking hold of the box office and becoming a true cultural milestone packed with cinematic tropes still referenced today. In many ways, this disturbing thriller about four men on a canoeing trip through a remote section of wilderness as sadistic mountain men stalk them is regarded as one of the first takes on the concept of an evil waiting in the background, with notable entries following in the decades to come ranging from the likes of “The Last House on the Left” (released the same year) to landmarks “Friday the 13th” and “Predator” alongside more recent efforts “Eden Lake” and “It Comes at Night.“ Has the genre now reached a peak, or did this already occur long ago?

Continue reading ‘Out of Darkness’ Review: Evil Stalks Our Ancestors In A Familiar Thriller at The Playlist.

The idea of youth escaping into a large section of woods so as to start life anew is a plot device not at all unexplored prior, seen in films as recently as 2013’s “The Kings of Summer,” while literature will always have “My Side of the Mountain. “In “Penelope, “the concept gets the episodic treatment, but if the premiere is any indicator, this is one project with the potential to captivate in its own unique way.

Continue reading ‘Penelope’ Review: A Beautifully Straightforward Adventure Pilot Sets Up Something Potentially Outstanding [Sundance] at The Playlist.

As the latest feature from writers/directors Fernanda Valadez and Astrid Rondero (“Identifying Features”) draws to a close, it’s hard to ignore the starkness, pacing, and tone overall; this is hardly the sort of film one puts on as any sort of a palate cleanser. While superbly well-made, beautifully shot, and comprised of a cast firing on all cylinders in terms of acting ability, to make it through “Sujo” is akin to a slight exercise in endurance, though not without a noticeable crescendo as the film chugs along.

Continue reading ‘Sujo’ Review: Mexican Adolescence Meets Cartel Woes In This Slow Burner [Sundance] at The Playlist.

By now, it should be evident that each passing year brings with it advancements in technology, landing anywhere on an imaginary graph containing the likes of the latest smartphone to a car that can brew a mean cup of coffee. One area that’s been hovering over the whole of humanity for far longer than a need for a house that dictates a grocery list is that of the afterlife; pondering what happens after each and every one of us shuffle off this mortal coil remains, quite possibly, an everlastingly unanswerable question, but for those left behind in the wake of a loved one’s passing, a more pressing matter would be the manner in which one deals with said loss, and how best to move on.

Continue reading ‘Eternal You’ Review: An Eye-Opening Look At AI Resurrecting The Dead [Sundance] at The Playlist.

The phrase in the clutch represents an ability to pull off something crucial during an important moment, widely used in the world of sports. These words can be applied to any Hail Mary football pass, any home run while the bases are loaded, or a three-point buzzer beater; it’s the latter with which athletes like Sue Bird are acutely familiar and can be seen several times over the course of “Sue Bird: In The Clutch, “ an aptly named documentary telling the story of one of the finest players the WNBA has ever seen.

Continue reading ‘Sue Bird: In The Clutch’ Review: A WNBA Legend Tells Her Story [Sundance] at The Playlist.

Since helming the Academy Award-nominated “Winter’s Bone” in 2010, Debra Granik has enjoyed shifting between a further dabble into feature-length filmmaking (“Leave No Trace”) in addition to documentary work (“Stray Dog”), which, when coupled with her eclectic decades-strong filmography clearly showcases an overabundance of ability and flair for skillfully adapting to any subject that comes her way. Another comfortable entry on her resume exists in “Conbody VS Everybody, “a six-part docu-series with a concept unlike anything she’s tackled prior while continuing to demonstrate her knack for creating something compelling while also supremely relevant to this day and age.

Continue reading ‘Conbody VS Everybody’ Review: Debra Granik Looks At Former Convicts Receiving A Lifeline A Gym Like No Other [Sundance] at The Playlist.

It might come as a surprise to most that the skirmish between Russia and Ukraine has been active for nearly a decade. However, international headlines would raise awareness to new heights upon Russia’s invasion of its neighbor in February of 2022. Amidst the casualties, breakup of families, and decimation of countless homes across the war-torn lands of Ukraine, a rise in civilian combatants found their way to the front lines of the conflict; these everyday individuals, coming from any number of normal jobs and personal lives, found themselves thrust into a situation in which the majority of whom never would have wanted to take part but would just as gladly lay down their lives for their beloved country.

Continue reading ‘Porcelain War’ Review: Ukrainian War Documentary Straddles A Line Between Art And Combat [Sundance] at The Playlist.

As one examines the abundance of cultures worldwide, to see the marginal way women continue to be treated on a global scale remains infuriating to take in during the era of #MeToo and the fact that seemingly little progress has been made even as our society makes its way into 2024. Though gains can undeniably be acknowledged on the political front and numerous other fields, it’s still apparent that an ocean exists in the way of real change, with “Black Box Diaries” a stunning example of the heavily outdated customs in which parts of our minuscule planet find themselves stuck and the women who suffer as a direct result.

Continue reading ‘Black Box Diaries’ Review: A Gripping Look At One Woman’s Quest For Closure [Sundance] at The Playlist.

Every so often, a film comes along that, as if out of nowhere, leaves an unexpected impression and a need to find a moment to take in all that was witnessed fully; it’s a phenomenon that can come from any genre, any type of project, any filmmaker or subject, from battles in a galaxy far, far away to the intricate life story of a media tycoon. Sometimes, the smallest forms of art end up being the most effective, with “Sugarcane” a perfect example of how to draw in an audience to the film’s powerful message with moments as shocking as any entry into the world of horror.  

Continue reading ‘Sugarcane’ Review: A Haunting Journey Into The Horrors Of Indigenous Past [Sundance] at The Playlist.

It’s safe to assume that, were one to simply look at the film’s runtime or consider the basic concept surrounding the documentary “Daughters,“ there’s presumably much more to this than a simple film about a Father-Daughter dance organized for one particular group of incarcerated men and their children, separated by prison walls and an ocean of distance both physically as much as emotionally. Such dance events are commonplace; normally held annually as a way for fathers to bond with their young girls within a setting not unlike a homecoming dance or prom, most could be seen as little more than an excuse for a large group of children to burn off energy as they dash around a gymnasium to any number of DJ-provided pop hits, but there are equal parts undeniable connections made throughout the course of the evening as well as a memory both will, in all likelihood, forever cherish.

Continue reading ‘Daughters’ Review: Imprisoned Fathers Attempt To Connect With Their Children In This Emotion-Soaked Documentary [Sundance] at The Playlist.