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At a moment in history where developed democracies around the world seem receptive to political candidates with authoritarian tendencies, the story of Rubens and Eunice Paiva feels increasingly relevant. Rubens was a Brazilian politician who was murdered for his opposition to the implementation of military dictatorship in 1968. After his death, Eunice established herself as one of the nation’s most committed human rights activists.

The story of clinging to principles in unimaginably challenging circumstances comes to life in Walter Salles’ new film “I’m Still Here,” which opens in theaters in January 2025. The biopic aims to put Eunice Paiva in the spotlight and shine new light on a dark chapter in South American history.

An official synopsis of the film reads, “Brazil faces the tightening grip of a military dictatorship. Eunice Paiva, a mother of five children is forced to reinvent herself after her family suffers a violent and arbitrary act by the government.

The new thriller “Blink Twice,” which opened in theaters on August 23, marks the directorial debut of Zoe Kravitz, who is otherwise best known for acting in projects like “Mad Max: Fury Road,” “Big Little Lies” and “The Batman.” She does have a previous writing credit, though: she scripted an episode of her short-lived Hulu series “High Fidelity” with E.T. Feigenbaum, who also serves as Kravitz’s co-writer for this film. So how did she fare in her first at-bat as a filmmaker?

“Blink Twice” has a MetaCritic score of 72 based on 27 reviews counted as of this writing. Nineteen of those reviews are classified as positive, seven are somewhat mixed and only one is outright negative. On Rotten Tomatoes, where reviews are judged simply as positive or negative, the film has a freshness rating of 78%, with 72 out of 92 reviewers giving the film a thumbs up. The Rt critics consensus calls it...

Da’Vine Joy Randolph has already had a great 2024. The performer won an Oscar on her first nomination — taking home the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Alexander Payne‘s “The Holdovers.” However, her year just got even better with an Emmy nomination on the cards for her guest role in Hulu’s comedy series “Only Murders in the Building.” Created by Steve Martin and John Hoffman, the comedy series follows Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez as three occupants of a New York City apartment building who are drawn into solving murders due to their love of true crime. The first season was so popular that two more seasons quickly followed, along with a host of A-list actors joining the cast including Meryl Streep and Paul Rudd.

The show has always featured a host of great guest stars, best of all Randolph. She plays Detective Donna Williams, who is...

The Guardian music editor Ben Beaumont-Thomas, books editor Lucy Knight and film and TV critic Leila Latif look at what’s dominating culture this summer

The Guardian’s music editor Ben Beaumont-Thomas and Hannah Moore discuss Brat by Charli Xcx, which is set to be the defining album of 2024 and has set the scene for a “brat summer”. Ben also looks at new releases from Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan and discusses changing attitudes to country music in the UK scene.

The books editor Lucy Knight discusses new novels including Long Island Compromise by the author and journalist Taffy Brodesser-Akner. Her previous book, Fleishman Is in Trouble, was turned into an award-winning HBO series. And the film and TV critic Leila Latif looks at what is coming to screens this summer including Blink Twice, the directorial debut by Zoë Kravitz, and Natalie Portman’s first TV series, the thriller Lady in the Lake.

Netflix is known as the biggest streaming service out there, with the largest number of subscribers and, of course, the largest number of original content. Whether you want movies, series, or animated series, regardless of the genre, Netflix is definitely going to have something for you to enjoy.

While the superhero genre has mostly been on the big screen, with Disney (MCU) and Warner (Dcu) being the biggest players on the market, superhero series are also present, but Disney and Amazon (with The Boys) are the biggest players in that aspect. Or, they have been, at least, until late June.

On June 27, 2024, Netflix released the superhero series Supacell, whose first season consists of six episodes. Focused on Black characters, the series has been praised by many and is slowly becoming a proper hit around the world after having taken the United Kingdom by storm. The critics are very satisfied and...

Cinema for Gaza, a group launched by a small group of female filmmakers and film journalists, has successfully raised more than $315,000 to support medical aid for the civilian population in Gaza.

A celebrity auction, organized by Cinema for Gaza, and supported by the likes of Tilda Swinton, Annie Lennox, Joaquin Phoenix, Spike Lee and Guillermo del Toro, raised some $316,778 (£254,297) for Medical Aid for Palestinians (Map), a U.K.-based charity that provides on-the-ground medical support, from sterile water to cancer drugs, for those on the Gaza Strip. The celebrities donated personal items — from signed film posters to personal Zoom chats to, in the case of Lennox, the handwritten lyrics to her Eurythmics hit “Sweet Dreams” — to be sold off to the highest bidder. (Lennox’s lyrics sheet was the top seller, with a bidder paying $26,222 for the piece of pop music history).

The Zone of Interest filmmaker Jonathan Glazer, who...

The Cinema for Gaza auction has added a Joker poster signed by Joaquin Phoenix and a Crown script signed by Emma Corrin, as it passes more than $200,000 in donations.

The campaign was launched last week by UK film professionals Hanna Flint, Julia Jackman, Leila Latif, Sophie Monks Kaufman and Helen Simmons, and has immediately taken off with works from the likes of Jonathan Glazer, Spike Lee and Tessa Thompson. The organizers had no backing or budget and largely organized efforts over a WhatsApp group chat launched over dinner in February.

The auction’s final lots now feature a Joker poster signed by Phoenix, a You Were Never Really Here poster signed by Phoenix and Lynne Ramsay, a Crown script signed by Emma Corrin, who played Princess Diana, a custom Cinema for Gaza painting by American History X director Tony Kaye and a chat with writer-comedian Julio Torres and custom tattoo design.

With just a day to go until it closes, the Cinema for Gaza auction has received several new celebrity donations from the entertainment world, with its fundraising efforts now surpassing $200,000.

Among the new lots are a “Joker” poster signed by Joaquin Phoenix. The actor — who also led the list of Jewish creatives signing a letting backing Jonathan Glazer’s Oscars speech — also donated a poster for “You Were Never Really Here” that he signed alongside director Lynne Ramsay.

Meanwhile, the auction has also received six personalized signed books from Guillermo del Toro, a signed “The Crown” script from Emma Corrin, a customized Cinema for Gaza painting from “American History X” director Tony Kaye and a chat and custom tattoo design from “Saturday Night Live” writer Julio Torres.

Set up by U.K.-based filmmakers and film journalists Hanna Flint, Julia Jackman, Leila Latif, Sophie Monks Kaufman and Helen Simmons, the...

Donations from the likes of Spike Lee, Paul Mescal and Olivia Colman have been added to a growing list of items being sold off as part the Cinema for Gaza auction, which has so far raised over £90,000.

A framed “Malcolm X” poster signed by Lee, an “Aftersun” poster signed by Mescal and a personalized video message from Colman are among the auction lots launching on Monday, alongside additional items including a “beer on Zoom” with Tessa Thompson with memorabilia from “The Marvels,” a “Worst Person in the World” poster signed by Joachim Trier and the cast and the chance to talk to Susan Sarandon over Zoom about your favorite of her films (plus a signed “Rocky Horror Picture Show” t-shirt). Other new lots include a Zoom with director Eliza Hittman plus a signed poster, a coffee in Dublin (or over Zoom) with Lenny Abrahamson plus a signed book of “Normal People...

The Zone Of Interest filmmaker Jonathan Glazer has reinforced his support for the virtual Cinema For Gaza campaign auction, pledging a new personalized gift to the fundraiser alongside first-time donors Spike Lee, Olivia Colman, and Paul Mescal.

Alongside the two signed film posters for The Zone Of Interest and Under The Skin he pledged in the first lot of fundraiser donations, Glazer has added an Under The Skin triptych of framed on-set stills and a script book signed by himself, composing partner Mica Levi, and longtime producer James Wilson.

Also new to the fundraising lot is a framed Malcolm X poster signed by Spike Lee. Actress Tessa Thompson is offering a Zoom meeting with a beer (or other non-alcoholic drink) alongside signed costume and movie memorabilia, and Paul Mescal has pledged a signed Aftersun poster.

Aftersun pops elsewhere in the latest donations pot as the film’s director, Charlotte Wells,...

A growing list of high-profile names from the film and TV world, including Jonathan Glazer, Tilda Swinton, and Succession star Brian Cox, have donated unique gifts to Cinema For Gaza, a fundraising auction supporting aid for people in Gaza, which launched yesterday April 2nd.

As of this morning, the auction has topped £41,650 in cash donations. The gifts and experiences people are donating include a ticket to Ramy Youssef’s live show and afterparty, a porridge tutorial with Challengers actor Josh O’Connor, and a bedtime story read over Zoom with Tilda Swinton.

The auction lot also includes two signed film posters (The Zone Of Interest and Under The Skin) from filmmaker Jonathan Glazer. The British director, who has yet to speak publicly following backlash over his Oscars speech, joined the campaign at the 11th hour before it went live on April 2nd, organizers told Deadline. Veteran filmmaker Ken Loach has also...

Jonathan Glazer has joined Cinema For Gaza, the UK-based appeal funding medical support for Palestinians in the Gaza region, as the auction of donations from film and TV professionals gets underway today.

The online auction is raising funds for the humanitarian work conducted by Medical Aid for Palestinians (Map) in Gaza. It will run from today (April 2) until midnight on Friday, April 12.

UK filmmaker Glazer has donated seven signed posters from his Oscar best international film winner The Zone Of Interest, plus a selection of posters from his previous film Under The Skin.

At the time of writing, the auction...

A number of major names from the U.K. film and TV world and beyond have donated items — and their own time — to an auction raising money for Gaza.

Organized by Cinema for Gaza in support of Medical Aid for Palestinians, the auction has drawn in gifts from likes of Tilda Swinton, Ken Loach, Asia Kapadia, Ramy Youssef, Peter Capaldi, Imelda Staunton, Brian Cox, Joseph Quinn, Mike Leigh, Misan Harriman, Joanna Hogg, Aimee Lou Wood and Josh O’Connor.

Among the lots up for grabs when the auction goes live on April 2 is the chance to have Swinton “read you a soothing bedtime story over Zoom,” a porridge masterclass with O’Connor who will “teach you how to make the perfect bowl” (and apparently get a glimpse of his secret porridge recipe), a chat about astrology with “Sex Education” star Wood, a “restorative drink” with “Saltburn’s” Oliver, and tickets to...

Tilda Swinton, Ken Loach and Brian Cox are among the British film and TV VIPs contributing to an online auction to raise money for humanitarian relief for Palestinians in Gaza.

Among the auction lots to bid on are an online bedtime story read by Swinton; tickets to Cox’s London stage performance of A Long Day’s Journey Into Night, including a meet and greet with the Succession star; and a walk-on part in the new film from Bend It Like Beckham director Gurinder Chadha.

Directors Mike Leigh, Asif Kapadia and Joanna Hogg, and actors including Harris Dickinson (The Iron Claw), Alison Oliver (Saltburn) and Aimee Lou Wood (Sex Education), are also taking part in the auction, which will raise money for Medical Aid for Palestinians (Map), a U.K.-based nonprofit that provides medical and humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza.

The auction was set up by Cinema for Gaza,...

On February 23, 2024, Cohen Media Group released “Io Capitano” in the United States, Italy’s Oscar-nominated Best International Feature film directed by Matteo Garrone. The movie is a Homeric fairy tale that tells the adventurous journey of two young boys, Seydou (Seydou Sarr) and Moussa (Moustapha Fall), who leave Dakar to reach Europe. The 2024 Oscars contender has received widespread acclaim from critics, scoring a perfect 100% freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

The critics consensus reads, “A journey toward hope, ‘Io Capitano’ perambulates through the ravishing Saharan landscape encountering the most sublime and debased corners of humanity.” The castings, under the direction of Henri-Didier Njikam, took place on the African continent and features mostly newcomers. Read our full review round-up below.

See Watch our exciting interviews with 12 of the 20 Oscars 2024 acting nominees

Damon Wise of Deadline says, “Despite its technical elegance — and the film is near flawless in that respect — the...

On February 1, 2024, National Geographic premiered the fourth season of “Genius,” which centers on two icons of the civil rights movement: Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X. “Genius: MLK/X” stars Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Aaron Pierre in the titular roles, with a supporting cast that includes Weruche Opia, Jayme Lawson, Jalyn Hall and the late Ron Cephas Jones.

The limited series puts an intense focus on the formative years of Martin and Malcolm, showing how their experiences and relationships as young children and teens shaped and influenced the iconic figures they would become. Malcolm’s release from prison and Martin’s graduation from Boston University begin their respective journeys that will one day change the nation, but also begin a budding rivalry.

Executive produced by Reggie Rock Bythewood, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Brian Grazer and Ron Howard, the pilot episode is written by playwright Jeff Stetson (“The Meeting”) and directed by Channing Godfrey Peoples.

Guardian music critic Alexis Petridis, film editor Catherine Shoard and TV critic Leila Latif guide you through what’s on offer

It’s supposed to be the mellow season, where we seek out the cosy and comforting. But this autumn, culture seems to have got a bit – well, steamy. The Guardian’s film editor, Catherine Shoard, explains why some surprisingly sexy films will be hitting the big screens near you. While the Guardian music critic Alexis Petridis guides us through what’s fresh and exciting. And if you are endlessly scrolling through streaming and TV options, critic Leila Latif is on hand to take control of your remote.

Nosheen Iqbal hears about the new films with old favourites – from Glenda Jackson’s final role in The Great Escaper to Ridley’s Scott’s Napoleon and Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon. But also a return of the erotic...

Despite some reports otherwise, season 1 of "The Idol" was completed with only five episodes — and now, that's all the show will ever have. Variety reports that HBO has canceled the series, waiting not even two months after its July 2 finale. Co-created by Sam Levinson (who previously struck gold for HBO with "Euphoria"), "The Idol" is a Hollywood satire about Britney Spears-esque pop starlet Jocelyn (Lily-Rose Depp) and her romance with cult leader Tedros.

After a May 22 premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, "The Idol" premiered on HBO on June 4 and was panned by most critics (read /Film's own comparatively positive review here). It holds a mere 18 percent critical score on Rotten Tomatoes and audience scores are of the negative variety as well.

Writing for The Guardian, Leila Latif described "The Idol" as "one of the worst [programs] ever made." Lovia Gyarkye of the Hollywood Reporter wrote:

"The show is suspiciously...

Whether or not you agree with Quentin Tarantino’s unsparing assertion that “’80s cinema is, along with the ’50s, the worst era in Hollywood history,” there’s a curiously undeniable truth to his follow-up statement: “Matched only by now! Matched only by the current era.” Revisiting the defining movies of the ’80s from our current perspective at the height of Barbenheimer summer, two things become abundantly clear.

The first is that modern Hollywood would probably need a Barbenheimer every month in order to equal the creative output of a studio system that used to be capable of releasing “Blade Runner” and “The Thing” on the same night as if it were just another Friday. The second is that, in a wide variety of different ways both negative and not, the ’80s provide a perfect match for the movies of our current moment — if not the current moment itself.

Perhaps that...

“Yellowjackets” will look to take the Emmys by storm again after the first season of the Showtime hit came away with seven bids including a nomination for Best Drama Series. The show follows a high-school girls soccer team that survives a plane crash. What seems at first a lucky escape, however, soon devolves into something far more nightmarish as they try to survive in the Canadian wilderness. That’s one half of the story, set in 1996. The other half of the series focuses on the survivors as adults 25 years later in 2021.

The show stars Melanie Lynskey in the lead role — the adult version of Shauna — while Elijah Wood joined the season two cast as Walter Tattersall, a detective who tries to help Christina Ricci‘s Misty. “The Lord of the Rings” alum is a welcome addition to the cast of “Yellowjackets” and fits right in alongside fellow child actor Ricci.

Where to begin with this year’s summer preview?

The “big” titles, including new superhero films, another zippy entry into the “Fast and Furious” franchise, the continuing adventures of Tom Cruise running against “Impossible” odds, or even a kicky new Indiana Jones film? What about the latest picks from some of our favorite filmmakers, Wes Anderson to Greta Gerwig, Christopher Nolan to Nicole Holofcener, Paul Schrader to Niki Caro, Christian Petzold to Rachel Sennott?

Or what about the rising filmmaking stars we’ve already fallen for, like Celine Song, Laurel Parmet, Adele Lim, Charlotte Regan, and Savanah Leaf? Should we bet even bigger, noting that this summer includes at least two films we’ve already crowned some of the best of the year?

Or, better yet, how about we let the films speak for themselves? As another summer movie season beckons, we’ve dug into the calendar to pull out...

Brendan Fraser has officially solidified his Hollywood comeback as a newly minted Oscar winner.

The “Whale” star won Best Actor at the 2023 Academy Awards for his turn as a reclusive English professor grappling with his obesity and will to live. Sadie Sink, Ty Simpkins, Hong Chau, and Samantha Morton also star in the Darren Aronofsky film. Samuel D. Hunter wrote the script based on his semi-autobiographical play of the same name.

Fraser beat out fellow nominees Colin Farrell, Austin Butler, Bill Nighy, and Paul Mescal to win the Best Actor Oscar.

“The Whale” debuted at the 2022 Venice International Film Festival and immediately was labeled as Fraser’s role of a lifetime. His performance received a six-minute standing ovation following the premiere.

“For Fraser, ‘The Whale’ is a confident leap forward into the movie-star status that he rightfully deserves,” wrote Leila Latif in her review for IndieWire, adding that Fraser’s...

Since the curtain came down on the 2023 BAFTAs on Sunday night, there’s been a lot of noise about the winners at the film ceremony — specifically, that most of this year’s award recipients are white.

As was highlighted in a group photo at the end of the evening, 47 of the 49 winners are white (it was widely reported in the U.K. press that they were all white, but Guillermo del Toro and Florencia Martin are Latinx). The only Black star onstage was ceremony co-host Alison Hammond.

The sharp criticism that landed was in stark contrast to the praise BAFTA had received — some of it just days earlier — over its nominees, which were a hugely diverse set of names and titles. Almost 40 percent of acting slots were taken by nonwhite individuals, including many people snubbed by AMPAS voters (most notably, Viola Davis for The Woman King). But it wasn’t enough to translate into wins.

Few movies released in 2022 are as defined by a single actor as “The Whale.” Darren Aronofsky’s adaptation of Samuel D. Hunter’s play of the same name has earned mixed reviews, but the Brendan Fraser’s performance as a 600-pound man has received overwhelming praise.

In her IndieWire review of the film, Leila Latif wrote that: “without Brendan Fraser’s innate charm and ability to project gentle sadness through the slightest flicker of his huge blue eyes, ‘The Whale’ wouldn’t have that much else going for it. Faultless performances from Morton and Chau illuminate complicated relationships with Charlie, a man at once lovable, frustrating, and dishonest.”

She continued: “For Fraser, ‘The Whale’ is a confident leap forward into the movie-star status that he rightfully deserves. For the normally more muted Venice audience who typically scramble for the exit the moment the film ends, just the sight of Fraser...

With 2022 nearly on the books and 2023 nipping at our heels, it’s only fitting we take on the time-honored task of looking ahead at the movies that we can’t wait to see in the year to come.

2023 will bring a hefty number of much-hyped studio films, including sequels like “Magic Mike’s Last Dance,” “Creed III,” “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” “Dune: Part Two,” and “A Haunting in Venice.” Want even more franchises? Boy, have we got those in spades, including new entries into both the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the DC Universe, a new “John Wick” feature, a new “Scream” film and a new “Saw” film, and even yet another “Fast and Furious” film.

More edifying: Among even studio films, there are also plenty of original features, too, like “Oppenheimer,” “Cocaine Bear,” “Plane,” “Megan,” “65,” “Next Goal Wins,” “Strays,” “Challengers,” and “True Love.

It is aimed at aspiring filmmakers with no industry connections.

Bafta, the British Film Institute (BFI) and the British Council have launched the Short Film Toolkit for aspiring filmmakers with no industry connections or knowledge to navigate the industry.

It includes insights from over 40 filmmakers, distributors, funders and festival programmers, including Leila Latif, Dionne Edwards and Savvas Stavrou.

Advice ranges from film festival strategies to funding and marketing recommendations and features case studies in documentary, animation, fiction, experimental & artist moving image, Xr and immersive.

Tim Hunter, executive director of talent, inclusion, learning and membership at Bafta, said: “Short video content...

The awards ceremony takes place today (December 4), starting at 8pm UK time.

The 2022 British Independent Film Awards (Bifas) ceremony is taking place today (December 4) at London’s Old Billingsgate.

The show starts at 8pm UK time, finishing at approximately 10pm.

Screen will be posting all the winners on this page as they are announced during the live ceremony (refresh the page for latest updates).

Leading the pack for nominations is Charlotte Wells’ Aftersun, with 16 mentions – the second-most ever for a film at the Bifas, behind only Saint Maud’s record 17 from 2020. The feature has already won three of those awards,...

Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross have established themselves as some of Hollywood’s most versatile composers, with work ranging from intense David Fincher scores to the whimsical music of Pixar’s “Soul.” But for their latest project, Luca Guadagnino’s cannibal romance “Bones and All,” the two men went in yet another different musical direction. The score focuses on acoustic music inspired by classic songs from the American heartland, seeking to underscore the film’s nuanced themes rather than overpower them.

In a new exclusive featurette, courtesy of MGM, Reznor, Ross, and Guadagnino opened up about the influences that went into crafting the film’s unique sound.

“When we got the first cut of the film, no music or anything in it, we thought that this was a masterpiece,” Reznor said, emphasizing that his goal was always to find subtle ways to add texture to the understated love story.

“We...

Other jury members include Jenna Coleman, Philip Barantini, Kosar Ali and Sadie Frost.

UK actor Hayley Atwell will preside over the main jury for the 2022 British Independent Film Awards (Bifa).

Joining Atwell are fellow actors Daniel Kaluuya, Jenna Coleman, Kosar Ali, Ray Panthaki, Joanna Scanlan and Kiell Smith-Bynoe.

Boiling Point director and recent Big Screen winner Philip Barantini will also sit on the jury alongside The Souvenir producer Luke Schiller, filmmaker Sadie Frost and presenter Leila Latif.

The main jury will select the winners for best director, best screenplay and the new gender-neutral acting categories of best lead, best supporting,...

Two months after its Venice Film Festival premiere, Paul Schrader’s “Master Gardener” has finally been acquired for distribution. Magnolia Pictures has picked up the crime thriller, and is set to give it a U.S. theatrical release next year.

“Magnolia has been a class act for over 20 years, and I eagerly anticipate and appreciate their distribution of ‘Master Gardener,’” Schrader said in a statement.

Written and directed by Schrader, “Master Gardener” stars Joel Edgerton as Narvel Roth, a brilliant horticulturist working at the beautiful Gracewoods Gardens estate. Devoted to his work, Roth is forced by his employer, wealthy dowager Mrs. Haverhill (Sigourney Weaver), to take on her troubled great-niece Maya (Quintessa Swindell) as his apprentice, and the two slowly form a close bond. However, Roth’s dark past and many sins threaten to catch up with him and destroy the peaceful existence he has worked to maintain.

The film...

TIFF has never been as much of a marketplace as Sundance or Cannes — though distributors have been known to swoop in and pick up a “Still Alice” or “I, Tonya” for a last-minute Oscar run — but even by the festival’s usual standards, things were all quiet on the Western front this year.

In large part, that’s because most of the splashier titles arrived in Toronto with distribution already in place, which made it extremely difficult for acquisition titles to enjoy any time in the spotlight; even the buzziest of them all, Vera Drew’s beloved “The People’s Joker,” didn’t really make waves until the filmmaker pulled it from the fest in response to petty and wrong-headed legal pressure from Warner Bros.

While Daniel Goldhaber’s nail-biting eco-thriller “How to Blow Up a Pipeline” found a high-profile forever home with Neon, that deal was something of an anomaly...

With the first flush of fall festivals behind us — we’re talking the triple whammy of Venice, Telluride, and Toronto — and the New York Film Festival just on the horizon, we’re taking stock of the best films of the circuit so far. And while it’s easy to use the fall fests as a window into this year’s awards contenders, of which many debuted over the past few weeks, including Venice winner “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” and TIFF People’s Choice hit “The Fabelmans,” the festivals have also provided us with some of the best films of 2022, full stop.

These standouts include everything from the aforementioned winners from Laura Poitras and Steven Spielberg, plus new features from perennial favorites Sarah Polley, Martin McDonagh, Luca Guadagnino, Rian Johnson, Joanna Hogg, Kōji Fukada, and Todd Field. Rising stars aren’t in short supply either, including first narrative features...

Darren Aronofsky’s “The Whale” doesn’t have a trailer yet, but the overwhelming response to star Brendan Fraser, following a screening of the psychological drama at the Venice International Film Festival, is better promotion than any sizzle reel could buy.

In a pair of videos posted to Twitter by Ramin Setoodeh (co-editor in chief of Variety), the cast and top creative team behind the upcoming tearjerker can be seen reacting to a six-minute standing ovation after the film’s premiere on Sunday. Per Setoodeh, Fraser “sobbed” throughout the celebration and “tried to leave” but was forced to stay thanks to the raucous applause.

The standing ovation for #TheWhale was so enthusiastic, Brendan Fraser tried to leave the theater but the crowd’s applause made him stay. #Venezia79 pic.twitter.com/ZZ0vbFX7Rl

— Ramin Setoodeh (@RaminSetoodeh) September 4, 2022

Fraser’s “The Mummy Returns” co-star Dwayne Johnson re-tweeted the clip, writing:...

On September 2, 2022, “Bones and All” was screened at the 79th Venice International Film Festival to both acclaim and a 10-minute standing ovation. The film centers on cannibalistic lovers portrayed by Oscar nominee Timothée Chalamet and Taylor Russell on a road trip in the 1980s. The cast also includes Oscar winner Mark Rylance, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Chloë Sevigny. With a score of 95 on Rotten Tomatoes, the film firmly establishes itself as an awards contender this season. But what exactly did the critics say?

See over 200 interviews with 2022 Emmy nominees

Jack King of The Playlist begins with the attention grabbing “To love is to want to consume someone whole, to pick their skin and sinews out of the gaps between your teeth, to swallow their pancreas and wash it all down with gulps of throat-fizzing stomach acid.” That sentence alone should catch the attention of most readers. He goes on to praise...