News

[Editor’s note: This list was originally published in August 2021, and has since been updated multiple times.]

There’s no shortage of movies to stream on Netflix. Any subscriber that logs onto the platform these days will likely see a bunch of new releases, gruesome horror films, and sweet rom-coms. But with so many big, flashy studio films and Netflix originals to choose from, it can be difficult for the indie films that flood the streamer to stand out.

For sure, a place in Netflix’s library can be a great opportunity for independent cinema to find an audience it otherwise wouldn’t reach in theaters or on television. But for all the big starry auteur films that Netflix picks up and turns into major awards contenders (see “Marriage Story” or “I’m Thinking of Ending Things”), there’s an under-the-radar, overlooked pick that doesn’t have the names or prestige attached to it, and feels destined to serve as mere library filler as people look for the films they do know.

A few more details have emerged regarding Charlie Kaufman’s Later The War, his return to movie directing…

Whether writing or directing, you know any film with Charlie Kaufman’s name attached to it is going to possess a distinct combination of wit, surrealism and inventiveness. However, the problem throughout much of this decade is that Kaufman has struggled to get his trademark style of storytelling through the studio system. It’s something he railed against in 2023, when he argued that the kind of thought-provoking art that he’s spent decades producing is slowly being erased from the filmmaking business.

While there’s no good way to spin Kaufman’s absence from our screens, the director of I’m Thinking Of Ending Things, Synecdoche, New York and Anomalisa is at least set to return to the director’s chair in Later The War, set to shoot this year. We first...

The writer of Being John Malkovich and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind has lined up his first feature-length directorial effort in five years. Charlie Kaufman will write and direct Later the War, which has Eddie Redmayne (The Day of the Jackal), Tessa Thompson (Creed), and Patsy Ferran (Mickey 17) linked to star.

Later the War is based on the short story, Debby’s Dream House, which was written by Iddo Gefen and can be found in the Jerusalem Beach collection. The story is about a man who can create dreams for others, but they have nightmares instead. There is no word on how close the film version will follow the plot of the short story.

Kaufman is a highly original voice in film and his screenplay for Being John Malkovich was one of the most inventive in years and featured an unrecognizable Cameron Diaz. The movie, directed by Spike Jonze,...

We haven’t had a feature film effort from screenwriter turned director Charlie Kaufman since 2020’s “I’m Thinking of Ending Things,” but the surrealist filmmaker has landed a cast for his next project, titled “Later The War.”

This exciting update comes from Deadline and mentions that the gestating project has landed a trio of actors that include Academy Award-winner Eddie Redmayne (“The Danish Girl”), Tessa Thompson (“Passing”), and Patsy Ferran (“Mickey 17”).

Continue reading ‘Later The War’: Charlie Kaufman’s Next Film To Star Eddie Redmayne, Tessa Thompson & Patsy Ferran at The Playlist.

Charlie Kaufman is getting back in the director’s chair. The auteur, who has mostly focused on his screenplays since helming 2020’s “I’m Thinking of Ending Things,” will write and direct short story adaptation “Later the War.” IndieWire can confirm that Eddie Redmayne, Tessa Thompson, and Patsy Ferran will lead the film. World of Reel first announced the project, with Deadline following up Monday.

“Later the War” follows a man (Redmayne) who manufactures dreams for people but instead begins to create nightmares for his clients. The script is based on Iddo Gefen’s short story “Debby’s Dream House,” which is part of the “Jerusalem Beach” collection.

Ken Kao and Josh Rosenbaum of Waypoint Entertainment will produce “Later the War,” along with Sarah Green of Brace Cove Productions and Steven Demmler. The film will be fully financed by Suraj Maraboyina’s 131 Pictures, with WME Independent and CAA Media Finance co-representing...

An actor’s physicality is “one of the many strange things” about a career in performance, as Jesse Plemons says, and it’s not a quality he may try to manipulate any time soon.

In a recent profile with The Independent, the star of Netflix’s Zero Day reflected on having gained weight for 2015’s Black Mass, in which he portrayed a real-life mobster, admitting that he’s not sure the toll it took on him would be worth repeating.

“I never imagined getting to play a part like that,” he said. “[Gaining weight] was a decision I made at that age, given that opportunity for that director — and I was playing a real person. I don’t regret it. But it was very easy to put the weight on, and much more difficult taking it off. I don’t know if it’s something I would do again — because it did mess me up a bit.

Duke Johnson is making his solo directing debut with the highly-anticipated noir, “The Actor.”

Johnson reunites with his “Anomalisa” co-director Charlie Kaufman to executive produce “The Actor,” which stars André Holland as a man who realizes he has no idea what his true identity is after surviving a brutal attack in 1950s Ohio. Johnson co-wrote the script with Stephen Cooney, which is based on the novel “Memory” by Donald E. Westlake.

The official synopsis reads: “Paul Cole (Holland) is stranded in a mysterious small town with no memory of who he is or how he got here. Without a sense of identity or purpose, he starts from scratch and begins courting a local costume designer Edna (Gemma Chan). As bits and pieces of his past slowly emerge, he attempts to find his way home, but time is slippery, appearances can’t be trusted, and it’s unclear which of his identities is real.

Based on the 2016 novel by Iain Reid, “I’m Thinking of Ending Things” (2020) follows a couple, Jake and a young woman, as they travel to the countryside to meet Jake’s parents. The young woman, whose name keeps changing throughout the film, is contemplating ending her relationship with Jake. As a result, she constantly feels that agreeing to this trip is a bad idea. Throughout the film, several bizarre events occur, such as the ever-changing identity of the woman, the constantly changing wardrobe, the rapid aging of Jake’s parents, and the appearance of a mysterious janitor. But we don’t get any clear answers in its entire runtime. In this article, I will attempt to answer these questions, so please bear with me until the end.

From the beginning of the film, scenes of a mysterious and old school janitor are intercut with the main narrative. We see him getting ready for work,...

Providing the perfect date night option for those who love romantic comedies and festive slashers, Josh Ruben's Heart Eyes is now slicing into theaters, and Lakeshore Records will release Jay Wadley's score for the festively frightful film digitally beginning February 14th, giving horror-loving couples the chance to add the movie's music to their Valentine's Day playlists. As an early treat for Daily Dead readers to enjoy ahead of the soundtrack's holiday digital release, we have the chilling Heart Eyes track "Forgive Me" that you can listen to right now!

You can listen to Jay Wadley's "Forgive Me" below, and we also have the full track listing with additional details! To learn more about the digital release of Heart Eyes—Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, visit:

https://lnk.to/heart-eyes

From the Press Release: Lakeshore Records is set to release Heart Eyes--Original Motion Picture Soundtrack digitally [on] February 14, featuring music...

Santa Monica, California – February 04: Josh Ruben and Jay Wadley attend a special Beyond Fest screening of Screen Gems and Spyglass Media Group’s Heart Eyes at Aero Theatre on February 04, 2025 in Santa Monica, California. (Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Sony Pictures via Getty Images)

For the past several years, the “Heart Eyes Killer” has wreaked havoc on Valentine’s Day by stalking and murdering romantic couples. This Valentine’s Day, no couple is safe…

Hitting theaters this February is the Valentine’s Day horror-comedy Heart Eyes from director Josh Ruben.

Screen Gems and Spyglass Media Group present a Divide/Conquer production, Heart Eyes. Starring Olivia Holt, Mason Gooding, Gigi Zumbado, Michaela Watkins, with Devon Sawa and Jordana Brewster. Produced by Christopher Landon, Greg Gilreath, and Adam Hendricks. Written by Phillip Murphy and Christopher Landon & Michael Kennedy.

The director of photography is Stephen Murphy, Bsc, Isc. The production designer is Rob Bavin.

Filmmaker Guillermo del Toro is one of the most recognized directors in Hollywood. The Pan’s Labyrinth filmmaker has won the Oscar for Best Director, Best Picture, and Best Animated Feature in his career and has been a part of several acclaimed genre pieces. His penchant for monster and horror stories knows no competitors.

Del Toro announced way back in 2013 that he wanted to work on an adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut’s classic sci-fi novel Slaughterhouse-Five. The filmmaker mentioned on multiple occasions that he and Adaptation screenwriter Charlie Kaufman had cracked the idea for the adaptation but it never came to be.

Guillermo del Toro teased an adaptation of Slaughterhouse-Five with Charlie Kaufman A still from Slaughterhouse-Five | Credits: Universal Pictures

Guillermo del Toro has so many unrealized projects that a whole Wikipedia page has been dedicated to them. From a remake of Creature from the Black Lagoon (which ultimately inspired...

Few actors have as much experience in renowned independent films as Toni Collette, and the Australian performer has become one of the most respected names in the industry. The best Toni Collette movies and TV shows serve as a showcase for her near-unrivaled ability to play nuanced and complex characters, and span multiple genres and decades following her feature-length debut in 1992s Spotswood.

Born in 1972 and active since 1990, Toni Collette landed her first role in an episode of the Australian soap opera A Country Practice in 1990. This was followed by Spotswood in 1992, though it was taking the lead in 1994s Muriels Wedding that catapulted her career and set her on the trajectory to the reputation she now deservedly enjoyed. Still active today thanks to movies like Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken and the upcoming Mickey 17 in 2025, the best Toni Collette movies and TV shows include some of the most highly...

Charlie Kaufman's 2001 absurd yet forgotten examination of human sexuality and the conflict between nature and civilization, aptly titled Human Nature, is undeniably one of his more perplexing projects for a variety of reasons. Narratively, it's not complicated at all. In fact, the plot and ideas are all pretty straightforward and don't have the same surreal quality that Synecdoche, New York, or I'm Thinking of Ending Things possess. Yet, somehow, of all the films for which he has a writing and/or directing credit, Human Nature is the one that will have viewers most confounded as to how or why it got all the way from first draft to final product, and with an insanely talented cast to top it off. The film, directed by Michel Gondry, who collaborated with Kaufman on Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, is similarly whimsical to Eternal Sunshine, but that film benefits from leaning further into surrealism.

The TIFF People’s Choice Award is usually a bellwether to the Oscars, but this year the prize reflects rather more deep-seated global concerns among the voters than just the race to Best Picture. Based on the short story of the same name by Stephen King — one of the four in his 2020 novella If It Bleeds — The Life of Chuck is, as might be expected from the Master of the Macabre, a story of human mortality presented as a strange, surrealist comedy. Charlie Kaufman has done this before — twice, in fact, with Synecdoche, New York (2008) and I’m Thinking of Ending Things (2020) — but Mike Flanagan’s film will likely go down a little smoother, with a lightness that undercuts the overarching tragedy.

Flanagan introduced the world premiere at Toronto with a quote from King himself: “When an old man dies, a library burns down.” Its relevance is not immediately clear but will become so over time,...

Smile was an interesting film for Robert Salerno, a legendary producer whose work encompasses some of the most distinct and bold cinema of this century so far. Unlike the acclaimed directors behind those films, Parker Finn's Smile was his feature directorial debut. And yet it all worked out winningly, with Smile becoming one of the biggest horror hits of the year, both with critics and audiences.

Now, a sequel (a Salerno first) simply titled Smile 2 is coming out in less than a month. When we spoke with Salerno, we asked when he, Finn, and the whole team first knew that a Smile sequel was definitely in the cards. "Pretty early on," said Salerno, adding:

"As soon as the first one came out, it felt like it was just this lightning in a bottle. So that really was very exciting to all of us to see. I mean, we...

BAFTA-nominated producer Robert Salerno is finally stepping into the director's chair with the horror-thriller, Here After. Having been in the industry since 1996's Sling Blade, Salerno has been on the producing side for a variety of hits throughout his career, including the Amy Adams and Jake Gyllenhaal-led Nocturnal Animals and Charlie Kaufman's I'm Thinking of Ending Things. Salerno was also one of the producers behind Paramount's hit new horror franchise, Smile, and its upcoming sequel, Smile 2.

Salerno's feature directorial debut, Here After, follows Claire Hiller on a series of ups and downs. She is overjoyed when her daughter, Robin, is miraculously revived after a fatal accident. However, her relief soon turns to dread as she starts to suspect that something dark has followed Robin back from the brink of death, putting her in a race against time to figure out the root of these events and...

Charlie Kaufman's mind-bending drama I'm Thinking Of Ending Things ending isn't meant to be fully understood. Throughout the film, hints are dropped that something isn't right, which leads to twists and turns that leave numerous questions by the time the credits roll. Based on a book of the same name by Iain Reid, I'm Thinking of Ending Things follows an unnamed woman (Jessie Buckley) as she accompanies her boyfriend Jake (Jesse Plemons) to his childhood home to meet his parents.

The woman is having second thoughts about their relationship, but goes along for the ride anyway. Once they arrive at Jake's family home, the young woman begins to question her relationship and her reality. The movie's ending reveals that the majority of the film's events happened in Jake's mind. He never met the young woman; he only admired her from afar years ago. His parents have also long passed away.

Exclusive: Kate Burton (Grey’s Anatomy) and Colby Minifie (The Boys) will lead the cast of The Surrender, an indie horror film from first-time feature filmmaker Julia Max.

Others to appear in the film, currently shooting in Los Angeles, include Neil Sandilands (Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes), Vaughn Armstrong (Star Trek: Enterprise), Mia Ellis (Lavender Men), Pete Ploszek (You), Chelsea Alden (13 Reasons Why), Riley Rose Critchlow, Lola Prince Kelly and Alaina Pollack.

A sales title with all rights available, The Surrender centers on a fraught mother-daughter relationship that is put to a terrifying test when the family patriarch dies and the grieving mother hires a mysterious stranger to bring her husband back from the dead. As the bizarre and brutal resurrection ritual spirals out of control, both women must reconcile their differences as they fight for their lives, and for each other.

“The Surrender is an incredibly personal...

Riz Ahmed excels in lesser-known indie movies as well as his occasional high-profile projects. Archie Madekwe and Sean Teale are both underrated actors, despite strong performances in popular movies. Alexandra Shipp shines in supporting roles despite usually being overshadowed by the main characters.

Some amazing actors seem to always be flying below the radar, but doubtlessly make every movie they are in better. Some of these stars appear in underrated movies starring A-list actors, demonstrating that directors and producers who can recruit someone with multiple Oscars will also consider these lesser-known actors. Certain actors landed a key role in one major blockbuster, leading everyone to think they would be the next big thing, before starring in some smaller movies. In this case, maybe they are destined to be one of the actors famous for just one iconic role.

On the other hand, actors might still struggle to be cast in...

La adaptación de la novela de Maggie O’Farrell se estrenará en 2025. © Daily Mail / Click and News Media

Arranca en Wales el rodaje de Hamnet, la adaptación de la novela Maggie O’Farrell a cargo de Chloé Zhao.

Hamnet replantea la creación de la obra más famosa de William Shakespeare, Hamlet, a través de la lente de la esposa del dramaturgo, Agnes, mientras llora la muerte de su único hijo, Hamnet, de 11 años, a causa de la peste bubónica. También traza los inicios de la relación de Agnes con el joven Shakespeare.

La película está protagonizada por Paul Mescal como el joven William Shakespeare y Jessie Buckley como su esposa Agnes. Además, se une al reparto de la película Joe Alwyn, a quien también vemos en estas primeras imágenes proporcionadas por Daily Mail.

Hamnet se estrena en cines en 2025.

¡Os dejamos con las imágenes del rodaje!

© Daily Mail / Click and News...

Robert Salerno is known for producing many great films, including “21 Grams” (2003), “I’m Thinking of Ending Things” (2020), and “A Single Man” (2009). But the producer who has already helmed one short makes the big leap to feature-length filmmaking with the new supernatural horror/thriller “Here After.”

Starring Connie Britton (“The White Lotus”), Freya Hannan-Mills, and Giovanni Cirfiera, the plot focuses on a mother’s (Britton) teen daughter (Hannan-Mills) who starts to display increasingly disturbing behavior after a near-death experience.

Continue reading ‘Here After’ Trailer: Connie Britton Stars In A New Supernatural Thriller at The Playlist.

Jesse Plemons has become an undisputed auteur’s favorite. The 36-year-old star’s beguiling unshowiness onscreen has landed him memorable parts in films from Paul Thomas Anderson (The Master), Steven Spielberg (Bridge of Spies, The Post), Martin Scorsese (The Irishman, Killers of the Flower Moon), Charlie Kaufman (I’m Thinking of Ending Things), Adam McKay (Vice) and Jane Campion (The Power of the Dog), among so many others. Arguably even more viewers know him from his indelible work on the small screen, which began with his breakthrough role on NBC’s Friday Night Lights, continued through AMC’s landmark hit series Breaking Bad and culminated with an Emmy nomination for FX’s Fargo, where he met his wife, actress and co-star Kirsten Dunst.

Plemons touched down for the Cannes Film Festival on Friday for the world premiere of Yorgos Lanthimos’ Kinds of Kindness, the acclaimed Greek director’s follow-up to his multi-Oscar-winning period fantasy Poor Things.

As the Cannes Film Festival celebrates its parties and standing ovations, audiences in Hollywood and New York prepare to wallow in despair. And they’ll enjoy it (almost).

The festival called Bleak Week this week will deliver 43 films to an expected audience of 10,000 at theaters including the restored Egyptian in Hollywood, the Aero in Santa Monica and the Paris in New York.

Created by the American Cinematheque, Bleak Week will feature celebrities and Q&a sessions explaining why their projects deal with existential dread, nihilism and “uncomfortable truths,” as Bleak Week creative director Grant Moninger puts it.

Not surprisingly, there surely also will be post-screening alcoholic consumption for filmgoers seeking to ease the pain.

As the Cinematheque details it, Bleak Week was not prompted by Gaza, student protests, geomagnetic storms or the possible loss of yet another studio (Paramount).

Rather, its announced purpose is to honor an important if long-ignored...

This article contains major spoilers for Civil War (2024)

From the vastly untapped and underrated vision of Alex Garland comes yet another Oscar-winning project. Civil War stands out as an exceptionally well-drawn-out feature that presents itself as a thesis on the modern world, its ghastly conflicts, and the ultimate breakdown of social order. But through the mind-bending craft of actors like Jesse Plemons, the conflict finds a mouthpiece. Plemons not only acts his part but embodies the evil that permeates throughout the storyline.

Civil War [Credit: A24]As Civil War rages in theaters, Jesse Plemons becomes a talking point in conversations among critics, audiences, and niche fan circles for a performance that makes him just as much a reflection of reality as an actor of massive creative instinct.

Suggested“It’s just a fascist president”: Kirsten Dunst Addresses Nick Offerman’s Civil War Role Drawing Donald Trump Resemblance Kirsten Dunst Shares...

Las sorprendentes primerísimas imágenes de ‘The Bride’.

Se ha revelado el primer vistazo a la película “The Bride” de Maggie Gyllenhaal. El jueves, la guionista y directora, compartió en redes sociales un primer vistazo a su próxima película para Warner Bros con el comentario «Conozcan a la novia y a Frank». Las imágenes muestran a Christian Bale (“El Caballero Oscuro”) como el monstruo de Frankenstein y a Jessie Buckley (“Estoy Pensando en Dejarlo”) como la novia.

Además de Buckley y Bale, el elenco de estrellas también incluye a Annette Bening (“American Beauty”), Penélope Cruz (“Vicky Cristina Barcelona”) y Peter Sarsgaard (“El Precio de la Verdad”).

En la película, un solitario Frankenstein viaja al Chicago de los años 30 en busca de la ayuda del Dr. Euphronius para crear una compañera para sí mismo. Los dos revigorizan a una joven asesinada y nace la Novia. Ella va más allá de lo que ninguno de los dos pretendía,...

Taking a page out of the Pixar playbook and animating entities turned into characters, DreamWorks Animation’s latest feature Orion and the Dark recalls ‘toons like Inside Out and Elemental as it tells the story of a young kid and his encounters with his greatest fear, the Dark.

Fortunately for adults who will likely have to sit through this with their kids, Dwa was smart enough to hire Oscar winner Charlie Kaufman to take on the task of bringing Emma Yarlett’s book to the screen. Basically the premise is intact, but Kaufman has expanded this world into Pixar territory where instead of Inside Out’s gang of Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, Anxiety and Disgust we get entities like Dark, Light, Insomnia, Quiet, Sleep, Unexplained Noises, and Dreams to help tell the tale of Orion, a kid full of neuroses and unchecked fears...

Charlie Kaufman isn’t one to half-ass things or lend his name to projects that don’t reflect the full volume of his voice as a writer, but I was admittedly skeptical of his screenplay credit on Netflix’s “Orion and the Dark,” an animated kids movie adapted from Emma Yarlett’s picture book of the same name and directed by Sean Charmatz, whose most notable work includes a pair of “Trolls” shorts and a job as “head of story” on “The Angry Birds Movie 2.”

On the one hand, this is the first time since “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” that Kaufman has been credited for writing a film that he didn’t direct himself. On the other hand, it’s hard to put much faith in credits on a streaming platform that doesn’t even let you watch them, and — beloved as Yarlett’s book might be — this...

Superb storytelling teaches children to cope with fears and handle existential crises intelligently. Fantastic CGI and 2D animation bring the imaginative adventure to life, captivating young viewers. Complex themes foster intellectual growth, making it more than just brainless entertainment.

A nervous elementary school kid scared of literally everything learns to cope with his fears after a truly magical night. Orion and the Dark teaches children an astonishingly creative lesson on handling existential crises. The brilliant screenwriter Charlie Kaufman adapts Emma Yarlett's superb storytelling and illustrations into a soaring, imaginative adventure. Youngsters will be dazzled by incredible animation and a narrative that doesn't spoon-feed brainless drivel. The film expresses complex themes in a way that nurtures intellectual growth.

Orion (Jacob Tremblay) walks through the schoolyard, carefully assessing what could possibly go wrong. There's danger that exists everywhere. Simply getting to the lunch table is a tricky endeavor. Although it would...

Charlie Kaufman has been one of the most inventive and distinctive screenwriters for decades, crafting idiosyncratic visions like Being John Malkovich and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind to writing and directing such mind-melding masterpieces like Synecdoche, New York and Anomalisa. But for Orion and the Dark, Kaufman’s first screenplay since 2020’s I’m Thinking of Ending Things, the writer has made a film unlike anything he’s ever done before—he’s made an animated kid’s movie. Even though Kaufman has never written a film quite like this in the past, he brings his same imaginative and ingenious approach that never talks down to its younger audience.

Lily Gladstone is set to follow her acclaimed performance in Killers Of The Flower Moon with a new Charlie Kaufman project.

Lily Gladstone is widely-tipped to win the gong for Best Actress at this year’s Oscars and we’re sure there’s no shortage of offers given how warmly her performance in Killers Of The Flower Moon has been received. It’s always fascinating to see the choice an actor makes in the wake of such success and in Gladstone’s case, she’s chosen to work with Reed Morano whilst also reuniting once more with Martin Scorsese.

The project Gladstone has plumped for is The Memory Police, an adaptation of the acclaimed 1994 science fiction novel by Yoko Ogawa.

Reed Morano, director of some episodes of The Handmaid’s Tale, is directing the film. The script has been adapted for the screen by Charlie Kaufman, the scribe behind such strange...

Lily Gladstone has found her first role since becoming an Academy Award nominee.

The “Killers of the Flower Moon” actress, who recently made history as the first Native American woman nominated in the Best Actress Oscar category, is set to lead the adaptation of Yoko Ogawa’s sci-fi novel “Memory Police.” Oscar winner Charlie Kaufman wrote the script, with Reed Morano (an Emmy winner for her work on “The Handmaid’s Tale”) directing.

The Hollywood Reporter first reported the casting, which IndieWire confirmed.

Director Morano and Margot Hand of Picture Films will produce, with Gladstone’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” director Martin Scorsese executive producing alongside novelist Yoko Ogawa. Along with her TV credits, Reed Morano’s past features include “Meadowland,” “I Think We’re Alone Now,” and “The Rhythm Section.”

The novel takes place on an unnamed island where the people who live there are subject to collective amnesia. They...

Exclusive: Annette Bening is joining Maggie Gyllenhaal’s Frankenstein lore feature at Warner Bros; the studio making it official that this is a go-project. Cameras roll in Q1. This package with its attachments has been out there since it was at Netflix, and the deals have finally closed with everyone. Jessie Buckley is the star of the movie which follows Frankenstein’s pursuit of love.

There’s already been word out there about the cast, including Buckley, and it’s a murderers’ row with Christian Bale, Penélope Cruz, and Peter Sarsgaard. Bale and Buckley have been circling this project well before the strikes.

Logline: A lonely Frankenstein travels to 1930s Chicago to seek the aide of a Dr. Euphronius in creating a companion for himself. The two reinvigorate a murdered young woman and the Bride is born. She is beyond what either of them intended, igniting a combustible romance, the...

Esoteric screenwriter Charlie Kaufman turns his hand to family filmmaking with Orion And The Dark. Here’s the trailer.

Charlie Kaufman is synonymous with the surreal. Whether it’s the astonishingly original plot of Being John Malkovich, or the novel structure of Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind, Kaufman’s films aren’t easy to categorise. We described his most recent film, I’m Thinking Of Ending Things, as ‘a bit odd’.

In 2020, he penned his first novel, Antkind, a sprawling absurdist epic about a man who is slowly driven insane by the memory of a three month long film only he has seen, and attempts to convince the world of its existence.

One thing he’s not known for, it’s fair to say, is family films. However, his latest screenplay is the surprisingly friendly-looking Orion And The Dark, an animated film which lands on Netflix next month. The last time Kaufman dabbled in animation,...

Charlie Kaufman is bringing more neuroses to Netflix, this time with an animated twist.

The “Adaptation” screenwriter penned the adaptation of YA novel “Orion and the Dark” for the streaming platform. Jacob Tremblay voices the title character Orion, who is an anxiety-ridden elementary schooler trying to get over his fear of the dark. Turns out, the Dark is actually a physical entity (Paul Walter Hauser) who brings Orion on an adventure to confront his fears, ranging from clowns, fireworks, and ghouls.

“Orion, I’m going to get you to overcome your fears if it kills me,” the Dark says in the trailer.

Angela Bassett, Colin Hanks, Natasia Demetriou, Golda Rosheuvel, Nat Faxon, Aparna Nancherla, Ike Barinholtz, Carla Gugino, Matt Dellapina, Nick Kishiyama, Mia Akemi Brown, Shannon Chan-Kent, and Jack Fisher also star. Werner Herzog narrates the film.

Animator Sean Charmatz marks his feature directorial debut with the DreamWorks and Netflix film.

Foe's ending reveals that Junior was a clone all along, surprising viewers who may be familiar with classic sci-fi twists. Hen prefers the clone of Junior over her real husband, leading to the dissolution of their relationship. It is unclear whether Junior is aware that Hen has been replaced with an AI clone, adding to the ambiguity of the ending.

Warning! This article contains spoilers for Foe (2023)

While Foe’s ending might seem pretty hard to decipher, the sci-fi movie’s twist is actually quite predictable for longtime genre viewers. Paul Mescal and Saoirse Ronan star in Foe, an adaptation of the novel of the same name by author Iain Reid. Reid’s earlier book I’m Thinking of Ending Things was brought to life onscreen in 2020 by director Charlie Kaufman, although that trippy psychological horror movie took numerous major liberties with the source material. Foe director Garth Davis offers...

The film adaptation of "Foe" introduces the existence of AI replacements right from the beginning, setting up the sci-fi elements of the plot more prominently. The movie focuses on Hen's perspective rather than Junior's, providing a feminist lens to the story and emphasizing her emotional journey. The film delves deeper into the emotional dynamics of Hen and Junior's relationship, while the book explores the larger issues humanity faces through their marriage.

This article contains spoilers for both the film Foe (2023) and the book Foe (2018) by Iain Reid.

The film, Foe, is based on the novel of the same name by Iain Reid, and though there are many similarities between the source material and the adaptation, the film does make some changes. Iain Reid has written other novels that have been turned into films, including the mind-bending I'm Thinking of Ending Things that Charlie Kaufman helmed. Foe was directed by Garth Davis,...

Happy New Year! As expected, the new year brings a slew of notable new titles to the various ever-growing streaming libraries, giving you plenty to watch in January 2024.

Whether you’re looking to catch up on 2023 releases or looking ahead to shiny new 2024 horror or sci-fi titles, January has it all.

These ten noteworthy horror titles will be available for streaming this month on some of the most popular streaming services out there. Here’s when/where you can watch them.

All Fun and Games – Hulu (January 4)

Salem teens discover a cursed knife that unleashes a demon that forces them to play gruesome, deadly versions of childhood games in Ari Costa and Eren Celeboglu’s teen horror movie. The 2023 horror release stars “Strange Things” actor Natalia Dyer alongside Asa Butterfield. The cast also includes Keith David, Benjamin Evan Ainsworth (Pinocchio), Annabeth Gish (“The Fall of the House of Usher”), Laurel Marsden...

The main cast of The Magicians has gone on to have fulfilling acting careers after the show, with notable roles in other TV shows and movies. Some cast members have expanded their careers into writing, directing, and producing, showcasing their talent beyond acting. The actors have formed connections and continued to collaborate with each other outside The Magicians, such as running a lifestyle company together.

In the years since the series finale, the main cast of The Magicians has gone on to act in other major movie and TV show projects. From 2015 to 2020, Syfy released The Magicians, an adaptation of the eponymous book series by Lev Grossman. This fantasy series centers on students of the magical graduate school Brakebills University as they learn of a monster called The Beast who threatens their very existence. As The Magicians goes on, the students get engrossed in a magical world called Fillory from the Fillory and Further books.

Fortress Talent Management, a leading agency for composers and music supervisors, has promoted Jake Kozarec to partner.

Kozarec has been with Fortress since 2016, and has overseen the careers of Lorne Balfe, Matthew Margeson, Jeff Cardoni (White House Plumbers), Keegan DeWitt, Jay Wadley, Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe (Candyman), David Fleming and Alex Belcher.

Kozarec has played a key role in growing Fortress’ formidable roster, which includes Oscar-winners Howard Shore (Lord of the Rings), Gustavo Santaolalla (Brokeback Mountain), Mychael Danna (Life of Pi) and Rachel Portman (Chocolat) and Oscar nominees Nicholas Britell (Moonlight), Daniel Pemberton (Spiderman: Into the Spider-verse), Philip Glass (The Hours), Alberto Iglesias (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), Clint Mansell (The Fountain) and Owen Pallett (Her).

The company’s clients...

Charlie Kaufman’s (animated) existential ode to overcoming fears is finally here.

“Orion and the Dark,” written by Kaufman and adapted from a YA novel, follows anxiety-ridden elementary schooler Orion (voiced by Jacob Tremblay) as he tries to cope with being afraid of the dark — which actually becomes a physical entity played by Paul Walter Hauser. The Dark whisks Orion away to a land filled with all of his fears, including clowns, fireworks, and ghouls. A “Monsters Inc.”-style movie, Orion befriends the things he is afraid of most, and conquers his anxiety.

Animator Sean Charmatz marks his feature directorial debut with the DreamWorks and Netflix film, based on Emma Yarlett’s novel of the same name. Variety previously reported that a Werner Herzog cameo could be in the works for the animated film.

Peter McCown produces the film with Walt Dohrn and Bonnie Arnold serving as executive producers. “Orion and the Dark...

Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.

Birth/Rebirth (Laura Moss)

Likely a film that some will find underwhelming due to its lowkey, mostly affectless style, it’s a rather impressive feat of narrative economy that manages to separate itself from the seemingly endless indie horror crop. Directed by Laura Moss, there’s the sense they either don’t have much of a feel for the genre or rather harbors a general disdain for the shorthands it’s fallen into (hopefully they don’t get absorbed into bad studio product soon), the film’s tendencies refreshingly feel free of the trappings of calling-card cinema. – Ethan V. (full review)

Where to Stream: Shudder, AMC+

The Curse (Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie)

Following up the discomfitingly brilliant The Rehearsal, Nathan Fielder...

Born and raised in Ireland, Jessie Buckley has quickly made a name for herself in the world of acting and singing. Her talent and dedication have led to her recognition and success in both film and theatre, earning her nominations for prestigious awards such as the Academy Award and three BAFTA Awards.

Born on December 28, 1989, in Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland, Jessie was the eldest of five children. Her mother, Marina Cassidy, was a vocal coach and inspired Jessie’s early interest in music and the performing arts. Jessie attended the all-girls Ursuline Secondary School in Thurles, County Tipperary, where her mother worked. She took part in numerous school productions, often playing male lead roles, including Tony in West Side Story and Freddie Trumper in Chess1.

In addition to acting, Jessie demonstrated a deep passion for music. She achieved Grade eight in piano, clarinet, and harp at the Royal Irish Academy...

Charlie Kaufman's work on the '90s sitcom Get a Life allowed him to explore absurdity and push the boundaries of acceptability in storytelling. The show's strange episodes and unconventional themes likely shaped his creative mind and love for the eclectic. Kaufman's work in television differs from his later film work in that it was more focused on absurdity for its own sake, whereas his present-day films are emotionally resonant and contain subtle hope.

Charlie Kaufman is known for a lot of things, but writing for sitcoms isn't one of them. In the realm of cinema, Charlie Kaufman is well-known for his focus on navigating the nebulous idea of human consciousness in his movies. His storytelling methods go far beyond the conventional, inviting audiences into a realm in which the boundaries between reality and imagination are blurred beyond recognition.

Kaufman has worked on a number of mind-boggling films throughout...

Plot: Anna and Ryan have found true love. It’s been proven by a controversial new technology. There’s just one problem: Anna still isn’t sure. Then she takes a position at a love testing institute and meets Amir.

Review: Science fiction, as a genre, is often associated with space battles, aliens, and other action-oriented elements. Sometimes, as in the films Her and Gattaca, sci-fi can be dramatic and take a slight twist on the very near future. Fingernails follows that tradition by presenting a contemporary world almost the same as our own but with one main difference: a process where a couple can be tested to confirm that they are compatible and truly in love. It is with that conceit that filmmaker Christos Nikou looks at two people, Anna and Amir, who have tested positive with others but find themselves falling in love with each other. The idea...

Garth Davis’ (Lion) latest film, Foe, is a sci-fi thriller that stars Academy Award nominees Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird) and Paul Mescal (Aftersun) in a grim near future study of humanity and artificial humanity. The film is an adaptation of best-selling author Iain Reid’s (I’m Thinking of Ending Things) 2018 novel that deals with thought-provoking issues like interpersonal relationships, AI, and climate change. The screenplay is co-written by Reid and Davis as an Amazon Studios original, and this mysterious premise required some serious on-screen talent and focus in the editing room.

Much can be done and discussed through the craft of cinema, but at the end of the day it's a visual medium above all else. It's always refreshing, then, to see a truly visual work on the silver screen, something that capitalizes on the beauty of the world around us, taking us to parts of Earth that are wholly new to us. Garth Davis' new feature Foe, now in theaters, brings us to the picturesque Australian countryside, with the help of Oscar-winning production designer Patrice Vermette and acclaimed cinematographer Mátyás Erdély.

We recently caught up with Erdély to learn more about the creative process behind visualizing the script and source material, a novel of the same name by Iain Reid (I'm Thinking of Ending Things). Starring Paul Mescal (Aftersun), Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird), and Aaron Pierre (The Underground Railroad), Foe is a dark love story about a disparate couple named...

Director Garth Davis wanted to explore the complexities of the human condition in his latest film, Foe, which is a science fiction thriller adaptation of Iain Reid's novel. Davis praised the small cast, including Saoirse Ronan, Paul Mescal, and Aaron Pierre, for their professionalism, creativity, and willingness to go beyond the script to explore their characters' emotions. The opening scene of the film, in which the characters display various emotions without revealing vital information, was the most challenging for the cast and required extensive rehearsals. The scene sets the stage for the complexity of the story.

Director Garth Davis sat down with Screenrant to discuss his latest film and working with Saoirse Ronan and Paul Mescal.

After directing Lion (2016) and Mary Magdalene (2018), Davis wanted to try his talents with a science-fiction film.

I was desperate for it. I mean, in a way I can do these big sweeping things,...

The year is 2065. Earth is dying. Somewhere in the blighted midwest, our story begins. A squat trapezoidal car pulls up to a house, not too close, but close enough to wake up the man who's been sleeping on the couch, Junior (Paul Mescal), who is on the outs with his wife, Henrietta (Saoirse Ronan) – who goes by Hen, for short. A man appears at the door. With a rifle in hand, Junior wants to know who he is and what he wants. Hen says to let him in.

The film is Foe, directed by Garth Davis, with a script co-written by Davis and the original novel's author, Iain Reid (I'm Thinking of Ending Things). It's a lovely, sensitive, character-driven story with an extravagant setup that more or less mines the same subjects that have been the heart of storytelling since time immemorial. That is until its biggest reveal is that...

The film Foe explores the tumultuous relationship of a married couple set in a desolate future, posing philosophical questions about love and humanity. The visual contrast in the film between a rural setting and futuristic machines reflects the stagnation in the couple's relationship and the resistance to change. The production designer, Patrice Vermette, drew inspiration from Andrew Wyeth's paintings to create a setting that symbolizes a refusal to adapt and change, ultimately leading to the couple's downfall.

Foe is a new sci-fi thriller set on a desolate version of the Earth in 2065, wherein a married couple's already tumultuous relationship is pushed to the edge by AI. Based on a book of the same name by I'm Thinking of Ending Things author Iain Reid, the film explores philosophical questions about what it means to love and to be human. The film has a very small cast, with only three main...

Foe is a sci-fi thriller that explores marriage and humanity, set in a desolate world in 2065. The film follows a couple whose lives are disrupted by a stranger's request and raises questions about what it means to be human. The cinematographer focused on creating a sense of melancholia and claustrophobia through the visuals, while working with the talented cast.

New sci-fi thriller Foe offers an exploration of both marriage and humanity, following a couple whose lives are thrown into turmoil by the request of a mysterious stranger. Based on a novel of the same name by I'm Thinking of Ending Things author Iain Reid, the story is set in 2065 in a desolate world where many have relocated off of Earth due to climate change. The film features Little Women's Saoirse Ronan, Normal People's Paul Mescal, and Brother's Aaron Pierre.

Mescal stars as Junior, who's informed by a man...