January 28The 2026 BAFTA Film Award nominations, unveiled on January 27, 2026, marked a watershed moment for Irish cinema, with talent from the island securing recognition across multiple categories in what has become one of the strongest showings in recent memory. At the heart of this success stands HAMNET, Chloé Zhao’s adaptation that has emerged as the dominant force of the awards season, carrying Irish performers Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal to career-defining nominations while simultaneously breaking records for the sheer volume of nods it received. Buckley’s Leading Actress nomination for her portrayal of Agnes represents a culmination of years of critically acclaimed work, while Mescal’s Supporting Actor recognition for his turn as William Shakespeare confirms his rapid ascent from breakthrough star to established force in contemporary cinema. The film’s reach extends beyond its headliners, with writer Maggie O’Farrell landing on the longlist for Adapted Screenplay, demonstrating how Irish creative voices have penetrated every level of the production. According to The Irish Times, HAMNET’s nomination haul has shattered previous benchmarks, transforming what might have been a modest costume drama into an awards juggernaut that has elevated Irish participation across the board. The Irish presence radiates outward from HAMNET into other productions that showcase the depth of talent the country continues to produce. Andrew Scott earned a Supporting Actor longlist mention for BLUE MOON, a production that not only filmed on Irish soil but was developed in association with Dublin-based Wild Atlantic Pictures, as noted by IFTN. Cinematographer Robbie Ryan received longlist recognition for his work on BUGONIA, another project produced by Dublin’s Element Pictures, while visual effects artist Richard Baneham made the longlist for AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH. Even Cillian Murphy, fresh from his recent Oscar triumph, appears among the producers listed on the Outstanding British Film longlist for STEVE, extending his influence beyond performance into the realm of production. What emerges from these nominations is not merely a roster of individual achievements but evidence of an ecosystem that has matured over decades of strategic investment in film infrastructure, training, and international co-production treaties. The February 22, 2026 ceremony in London will serve as the culmination of this recognition, but the nominations themselves already tell a story of Irish cinema at a peak moment, with performers, craftspeople, and production companies all operating at the highest levels of international filmmaking and reaping the rewards that sustained excellence inevitably brings. Instagram Youtube [...]
January 26Richard Linklater’s BLUE MOON is the kind of film that knows exactly who it’s for and makes no attempt to dilute itself for anyone else. Set almost entirely over one night inside Sardi’s restaurant on the opening of OKLAHOMA! in 1943, the film unfolds less like a traditional biopic and more like a rueful, jazz-inflected chamber piece: talky, intimate, deeply literary, and quietly devastating. It’s classic Linklater territory, where time suspends itself and conversation becomes action, where character reveals itself not through plot mechanics but through rhythm, contradiction, and emotional drift. The supporting cast is uniformly strong, with Andrew Scott offering a coolly contained, subtly cutting Richard Rodgers, a man who understands Hart perhaps too well. Bobby Cannavale brings warmth and grounded humanity as Eddie the bartender, while Margaret Qualley plays Elizabeth Weiland not as a manic pixie fantasy but as a young woman whose kindness and confusion inadvertently sharpen Hart’s despair. Their scenes together are among the film’s most quietly cruel, not because of malice, but because of emotional asymmetry, because two people can occupy the same moment and experience entirely different versions of it. Visually restrained and modest in scale, BLUE MOON resists the temptation to romanticize its subject or its era. Shane F. Kelly’s cinematography keeps us close, almost uncomfortably so, while Graham Reynolds’ score hums gently in the background, never insisting on emotion but allowing it to surface naturally. This is not a flashy film, nor does it aspire to be. Its pleasures are intellectual, emotional, and deeply human, the kind that linger long after the lights come up, not because they announce themselves but because they accumulate quietly, like regret, like memory, like all the things we say and fail to say when we know time is running out. Instagram Youtube [...]
January 24The announcement of this year’s Academy Awards shortlist has sparked celebration across Ireland’s film industry, prompting President Catherine Connolly to publicly recognize the remarkable achievement of the nation’s creative talent. Taking to social media platform X, she extended her congratulations to Jessie Buckley, John Kelly, Richard Baneham, Maggie O’Farrell, Element Pictures, and Wild Atlantic Pictures, praising not only their individual nominations but the continued international recognition that Ireland’s film industry has earned on the world stage. The sweep of Irish talent across multiple categories demonstrates the depth and breadth of the country’s cinematic contributions. Element Pictures emerged as a standout with four nominations for BUGONIA, prompting co-chief executive Ed Guiney to express his pride in everyone involved with the production. His statement reflected both gratitude and vindication, noting the film’s wonderful reception throughout awards season and the delight of seeing their work acknowledged at such a prestigious level. The multiple nominations for a single Irish-backed production underscore the collaborative excellence that has become synonymous with the company’s output. Dublin native Richard Baneham continues his extraordinary relationship with the Academy, earning recognition in the visual effects category for his contributions to AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH. This nomination is particularly significant given that Baneham already possesses two Oscar statuettes from his work on previous installments of the AVATAR franchise, establishing him as one of the most accomplished Irish technicians in the global film industry. His continued involvement in one of cinema’s most ambitious and technically demanding series speaks to the caliber of expertise Ireland exports to major international productions. Wild Atlantic Pictures secured its place in the conversation with BLUE MOON, which garnered nominations in two distinct categories that highlight both craft and performance. The film’s recognition for best original screenplay acknowledges the writing talent behind the production, while Ethan Hawke’s nomination for best actor brings star power to Ireland’s Oscar presence. The dual recognition positions BLUE MOON as a significant artistic achievement that resonates across multiple aspects of filmmaking, from the foundational elements of storytelling to the execution of performance. The animation sector also represents Ireland strongly this year, with RETIREMENT PLAN competing for the best animated short film award. Voiced by Domhnall Gleeson, whose own international profile has risen steadily through diverse roles, the short film benefited from crucial support through Screen Ireland’s Frameworks animated short film scheme. The partnership between Screen Ireland, RTÉ, and the production team illustrates how strategic investment in creative infrastructure can yield internationally competitive work. The film’s availability on the RTÉ Player ensures that domestic audiences can engage with the same content that captured the attention of Academy voters, creating a direct connection between national support systems and global recognition. Collectively, these nominations paint a portrait of an Irish film industry firing on all cylinders, from intimate animated shorts to sweeping visual effects spectacles, from original screenwriting to acclaimed performances. The recognition spans production companies, individual craftspeople, writers, and performers, suggesting that Ireland’s cinematic success is not confined to any single specialty but rather reflects a comprehensive ecosystem of talent and support. As the filmmakers prepare to attend the ceremony, they carry with them not just their own ambitions but the hopes of an entire industry that has worked tirelessly to establish Ireland as a significant force in international cinema. President Connolly’s congratulations serve as both acknowledgment of what has been achieved and encouragement for what continues to unfold as Ireland’s creative voices reach ever larger audiences on the world’s most prominent stages. Instagram Youtube [...]
January 23DRIVER, penned by Patrick Ireland and Jessica Romagnoli, will bring together two of television’s most compelling performers in Dafne Keen and Aidan Gillen for what’s being billed as a charged exploration of London’s after-hours underworld. The film centers on Trey, a reclusive ex-con who’s carved out a solitary existence on the city’s margins, making his living as a night driver. His carefully maintained isolation begins to crack when he encounters Camden, played by Keen, a sharp and restless young woman navigating life as a call girl. What develops between them is described as a fragile bond that grows increasingly intimate, set against the backdrop of a city that never quite sleeps and the kind of nocturnal London that most people never see. Keen has been building an impressive career since her childhood debut on THE REFUGEES in 2015, but it was her ferocious turn as Laura in LOGAN that announced her as a talent to watch. That 2017 X-Men film showcased her ability to convey both vulnerability and barely contained rage, a performance she revisited years later in DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE. Between those superhero appearances, she anchored the ambitious fantasy series HIS DARK MATERIALS as Lyra Belacqua and more recently appeared in the STAR WARS universe as Jecki Lon in THE ACOLYTE. Her trajectory suggests an actor unafraid of complex material and physically demanding roles, making her casting as Camden feel like a natural progression into grittier, more grounded territory. Gillen brings decades of experience playing men operating in moral gray zones and wielding quiet power. From his breakout as Stuart Alan Jones in QUEER AS FOLK through his chilling portrayal of Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish across seven seasons of GAME OF THRONES, he’s proven adept at characters who survive through intelligence and adaptation. His work as John Boy in LOVE/HATE and Aberama Gold in PEAKY BLINDERS further cemented his ability to inhabit the criminal underworld with authenticity and surprising humanity. As Trey, he’ll likely draw on that entire reservoir of experience to create a character whose past weighs heavily but whose present offers the possibility of redemption or at least connection. The premise of DRIVER taps into something quintessentially British while also feeling universal in its exploration of loneliness and the unexpected places people find intimacy. There’s something compelling about two people existing on society’s edges, both running from something or toward something, finding each other in the small hours when defenses are down and the city reveals its hidden face. The fact that it’s set specifically in London’s after-hours world suggests the filmmakers understand that the city itself will function as a third character, its nighttime geography shaping the relationship that develops between driver and passenger. With Keen’s proven ability to convey fierce independence and Gillen’s mastery of guarded complexity, DRIVER has the elements to become the kind of British crime film that lingers in the mind long after the credits roll. Instagram Youtube [...]
January 21Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor are bringing something truly special to audiences with THE HISTORY OF SOUND, and their recent conversation about the film reveals just how deeply they’ve connected with this intimate musical journey. The two actors didn’t just discuss their roles—they sang, they reminisced, and they opened up about the profound experience of bringing this story to life. When asked about their favorite songs from the film, both Mescal and O’Connor lit up with genuine enthusiasm. The music isn’t just a backdrop in THE HISTORY OF SOUND; it’s the very heartbeat of the narrative, and recording onto actual wax cylinders gave them a tangible connection to the historical authenticity of their characters’ world. There’s something remarkably visceral about working with century-old technology, they explained, where every take matters because you’re literally etching sound into wax. The fragility of the medium mirrors the fragility of memory itself, which sits at the core of what makes this film so emotionally resonant. The conversation took an intriguing turn when they were asked which Beatles song their characters would gravitate toward. It’s a question that reveals how fully these actors inhabited their roles, thinking beyond the script to imagine the inner lives and musical tastes of the men they portray. The Beatles discussion naturally flowed into talk of the upcoming biopics about the legendary band, with both actors expressing excitement about how those films will explore different eras and perspectives of one of music’s most influential groups. Instagram Youtube [...]
January 20The Irish Film & Television Academy has announced the nominations for the 2026 IFTA Awards, marking another remarkable year for Irish storytelling that has captivated audiences far beyond the island’s shores. After months of meticulous viewing and deliberation by Academy Members and expert juries, twenty-nine categories now stand ready to honor the exceptional achievements in Film and Drama that have defined the past twelve months, with Deloitte serving as the official vote scrutineer to ensure the integrity of the process. The twenty-third anniversary IFTA Awards Ceremony will unfold on Friday, February 20th, 2026 at the Dublin Royal Convention Centre, where comedian, actor and broadcaster Kevin McGahern returns for his second consecutive year as host. The evening promises to be a gathering of Irish and international industry luminaries, a celebration not merely of individual accomplishments but of the artistic and technical brilliance that continues to position Ireland as a formidable force in global filmmaking. The ceremony will recognize both the craft that brings stories to life and the profound cultural impact these narratives carry across borders, reminding audiences worldwide of Ireland’s unique voice in contemporary cinema and television. This year’s event holds particular significance as it will honor beloved actor Ciarán Hinds with the Lifetime Achievement Award, a tribute to his extraordinary contributions across decades of cinema and television work. His recognition stands as a testament to the enduring legacy of Irish talent that has shaped the industry and inspired generations of storytellers. The nominations themselves reflect an unparalleled moment for Irish storytelling on the global stage, showcasing the depth and diversity of voices emerging from a nation that has always understood the power of a well-told tale. As the awards ceremony approaches, the anticipation builds not just for who will take home the honors, but for what these achievements signal about the future of Irish film and drama in an ever-evolving international landscape. Instagram Youtube [...]
January 18In January 2026, cinema has finally found its new icon of defiance as Maggie Gyllenhaal’s THE BRIDE! officially arrives in theaters. Jessie Buckley delivers a performance that doesn’t just reanimate a classic monster; she sets the screen on fire. Set against the gritty, atmospheric backdrop of 1930s Chicago, THE BRIDE! reimagines the lore of Frankenstein’s companion. While the original 1935 masterpiece gave us a silent, terrified creature, Buckley’s version is a revolutionary force. After being murdered and brought back to life to serve as a companion for Christian Bale’s lonely Monster, she refuses the role of a submissive mate, instead igniting a radical social movement that shakes the foundations of the city. Jessie Buckley has spent her career mastering a unique blend of the feral and the fragile, and this role marks the pinnacle of that journey. Fresh off her 2026 Golden Globe win for HAMNET, Buckley brings a raw, punk-rock energy to this undead heroine. Her transformation is visceral, moving from the shock of bleached-blonde hair and stitched scars to a “wild” energy that captures the transition from a victim of violence to a master of her own destiny. Her dynamic with Christian Bale’s Frankenstein is not one of traditional romance, but of shared trauma and explosive rebellion. Following the critical success of THE LOST DAUGHTER, Maggie Gyllenhaal uses the horror genre to explore deep themes of female agency and identity. The film’s aesthetic—a mix of gothic horror and 1930s noir—provides the perfect stage for Buckley to truly go wild. THE BRIDE! is more than a simple remake; it is a cinematic manifesto. Jessie Buckley proves once again that she is the most versatile actor of her generation, turning a “monster” into a symbol of liberation for 2026. Experience the rebellion by watching the latest trailers and finding theater listings on the official Warner Bros. Pictures website. For more on Jessie’s incredible 2026 award season run, visit her profile on The Golden Globes official site. Instagram Youtube [...]
January 15Cillian Murphy is assembling what could be one of the most electrifying ensembles of the next few years, anchoring Damien Chazelle’s mysterious new prison drama alongside Daniel Craig and the recently announced Michelle Williams. For Murphy, fresh off his Oscar-winning turn in OPPENHEIMER, this marks a fascinating pivot into what insiders suggest will be a contained, pressure-cooker environment that could showcase the intensity he’s become known for in an entirely new context. The Irish actor has long excelled at portraying men caught in moral and psychological vise grips, from his haunted gangster in PEAKY BLINDERS to the tormented physicist grappling with history’s weight, and a prison setting promises to be the ultimate crucible for that particular talent. Chazelle’s decision to pursue this project tells its own story about Murphy’s draw as a leading man. The director had been juggling multiple high-profile possibilities, including an Evel Knievel biopic that had Leonardo DiCaprio circling the lead, but once Murphy and Craig committed to the prison film, everything else fell away. That speaks volumes about what Murphy brings to a project now—not just the technical brilliance and emotional precision that won him Academy recognition, but the kind of gravity that makes a filmmaker abandon other star-studded vehicles to focus entirely on bringing his vision to life with this particular actor at the center. Chazelle, who earned his reputation crafting searing character studies in WHIPLASH and LA LA LAND, clearly sees something in Murphy that demands this story be told with him, and the fact that Williams signed on right before the holidays suggests the script is worth abandoning safer bets for. The secrecy surrounding the project only amplifies the intrigue around Murphy’s involvement. With production expected to begin later this year through Chazelle’s Wild Chickens Productions banner and Paramount handling distribution, details remain tantalizingly sparse beyond the prison setting. But that’s exactly where Murphy has always thrived—in the shadows and silences, in the spaces between words where tension builds and characters reveal themselves through microexpressions and coiled energy. Pairing him with Craig, another actor who commands the screen through sheer presence rather than volume, suggests Chazelle is building something that will rely on the kind of restrained, combustible performances both men excel at delivering. The fact that A-list talent continues rushing to join Chazelle’s projects, with Williams representing just the latest coup, means Murphy will be surrounded by the caliber of actors who can match his intensity scene for scene, creating the conditions for the kind of ensemble fireworks that only happen when everyone involved knows they’re working at the highest level. Whatever this untitled drama ultimately becomes, it’s shaping up as another defining chapter in Murphy’s remarkable ascent from character actor to undeniable leading force in cinema. Instagram Youtube [...]
January 14The Irish Film & Television Academy has chosen to honor Ciarán Hinds with the Irish Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement, a recognition that feels both inevitable and richly deserved for an actor whose five-decade career has left an indelible mark on screens both at home and around the world. The Belfast-born performer will receive the award at the 23rd Anniversary IFTA Awards Ceremony on February 20th at the Dublin Royal Convention Centre, with comedian and actor Kevin McGahern hosting an evening that promises to gather industry colleagues, friends, and family to celebrate a truly remarkable body of work. What sets Hinds apart is not merely the longevity of his career but the extraordinary caliber of collaborators he has attracted throughout it. An Oscar, Golden Globe, and BAFTA nominee who has already claimed five IFTA awards, Hinds has worked with a constellation of cinema’s most celebrated filmmakers—Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Kathryn Bigelow, Paul Thomas Anderson, Kenneth Branagh, and John Boorman among them. These are directors who choose their actors with exacting care, and their repeated trust in Hinds speaks volumes about his craft. Similarly, his screen partners read like a roster of acting royalty: Judi Dench, Liam Neeson, Cate Blanchett, Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Ralph Fiennes, Frances McDormand, and Florence Pugh have all shared scenes with him, each collaboration adding another layer to an already rich tapestry of performances. Hinds himself responded to the news with characteristic grace and humility, expressing deep gratitude to IFTA for the recognition and praising the organization’s support for the cinematic and televisual arts over more than twenty years. His journey began after training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, followed by formative years at the Glasgow Citizens’ Theatre before making his film debut in EXCALIBUR. That early role inaugurated a screen presence that would eventually culminate in an Oscar nomination for his deeply moving performance in BELFAST in 2022, a film that allowed him to return to his roots and draw upon the very streets and struggles that shaped him. Now, with upcoming projects including IS THIS THING ON?, MIDWINTER BREAK, and Netflix’s EAST OF EDEN on the horizon, Hinds shows no signs of slowing down, continuing to choose roles that challenge and illuminate, carrying forward a legacy that has made him one of Ireland’s most treasured exports to the world of international cinema. Instagram Youtube [...]
January 13Barry Keoghan’s career trajectory continues its remarkable ascent with a slate of projects that showcase both his range and his rising stature in Hollywood. The Irish actor has joined forces with some of cinema’s biggest names for CRIME 101, a high-stakes thriller that dropped its first trailer recently, offering audiences a glimpse of Keoghan in an unexpected guise: bleached blonde hair and a pink and white tracksuit that marks a striking departure from his usual aesthetic. Set for release on February 13, CRIME 101 adapts Don Winslow’s novella about an elusive jewel thief operating along the Pacific Coast Highway, a criminal who has remained uncaught by following his own rigid principles. Keoghan plays Ormon, a thief whose disturbing methods put him at odds with another criminal portrayed by Chris Hemsworth, while Halle Berry and Mark Ruffalo round out the impressive ensemble cast. The recently released trailer offers a glimpse of Keoghan’s transformation for the role, complete with bleached blonde hair and a pink and white tracksuit, plus a brief taste of his American accent as his character navigates a dangerous rivalry with Hemsworth’s criminal. The film, based on Don Winslow’s novella about an elusive jewel thief operating along the Pacific Coast Highway who follows his own strict moral code, arrives February 13. But CRIME 101 is just one piece of an increasingly ambitious slate for the Dublin-born actor. He’s also confirmed for the PEAKY BLINDERS film alongside Cillian Murphy, where early teasers suggest he’ll be leading a new generation of the infamous gang, his tattooed arms and white vest hinting at a character ready to carry the franchise forward. Then there’s the ambitious Beatles biopics slated for April 2028, where Keoghan will embody Ringo Starr opposite Paul Mescal’s Paul McCartney, a pairing of two of Ireland’s most compelling young actors that promises to bring fresh energy to one of music’s most iconic stories. Instagram Youtube [...]
January 12From a teenage hopeful on a BBC talent show to the cusp of Academy Award glory, Jessie Buckley’s journey reads like something from the movies themselves. Eighteen years ago, she stood on the stage of I’D DO ANYTHING, a West End competition show, trying to make her mark. Now, with a Golden Globe for best actress in a drama clutched in her hands for her searing portrayal of William Shakespeare’s wife in HAMNET, she stands poised to etch her name into Oscar history. The film, which also claimed best film at the Golden Globes and hit UK cinemas this Friday, has positioned Buckley as a hot favourite for Academy Award recognition. Her previous nomination in 2022 for THE LOST DAUGHTER proved she belonged in elite company, but this feels different, more assured, more inevitable. If she succeeds, she’ll become only the fifth Irish actor to claim that famous gold statuette, joining the rarefied company of Barry Fitzgerald, Brenda Fricker, Daniel Day Lewis, and Cillian Murphy. The island of Ireland could celebrate a remarkable double triumph too, as Northern Ireland-born Maggie O’Farrell, whose award-winning novel provided the source material, co-wrote the screenplay and may find herself in line for her own Oscar recognition. Standing before the Golden Globes audience, Buckley spoke with genuine warmth about the honor of working in this industry, but what struck deepest was her reflection on the production itself. Here was a film about perhaps the most famous Brit who ever lived, yet it became something gloriously international, a creative collision of cultures with a Chinese director, Irish actors including her co-star Paul Mescal who played Shakespeare himself, a mostly Polish crew, and their British family. Mescal, nominated for best supporting actor, ultimately lost to Stellan Skarsgård, but his presence alongside Buckley underscored the Irish talent now commanding attention on the world stage. Steven Spielberg, who co-produced HAMNET, told the ceremony he loved O’Farrell’s book, lending his considerable weight to a project that has captured imaginations on both sides of the Atlantic. With the Golden Globes serving as a crucial bellwether less than a fortnight before the Academy Award nominations land on January 22, Buckley’s trajectory from reality television contestant to Oscar frontrunner feels like a vindication of talent, persistence, and the long game. This could indeed be the year she writes her name into history. Instagram Youtube [...]
January 11For more than two decades, the franchise that began with 28 DAYS LATER has occupied a unique space in horror cinema, one that refuses the comfort of genre conventions. These films were never content to be mere survival thrillers or infection narratives. They were excavations of collapse itself—watching as systems, moralities, and identities crumbled under the weight of crisis. Now, with 28 YEARS LATER: THE BONE TEMPLE, produced by Cillian Murphy, the series appears ready to confront its most challenging and essential question: what happens when the apocalypse stops being an emergency and becomes simply the past? The power of a sequel set decades after catastrophe lies in its relationship to memory. 28 YEARS LATER: THE BONE TEMPLE will inevitably feature two generations living side by side, separated not by age alone but by experience itself. There are those who remember the world before the collapse, who carry the weight of what was lost, and there are those born into ruin, for whom devastation is not tragedy but baseline reality. This divide is not philosophical abstraction. It is the foundation for conflict that feels profoundly human, the kind that emerges not from monsters but from irreconcilable perspectives on what survival even means. What makes 28 YEARS LATER: THE BONE TEMPLE so compelling is its implicit maturity. This is not a story about running. It is about staying. It is about the stubborn, unglamorous work of building something that might last in a world defined by impermanence. Where 28 DAYS LATER gave us the shock of societal collapse and 28 WEEKS LATER showed us the cruelty of failed reconstruction, this film seems positioned to explore something quieter and perhaps more unsettling: the mundane horror of adaptation. The film does not need to escalate violence or spectacle to justify its existence. Its strength may lie instead in introspection, in examining what it costs to rebuild and whether that rebuilding ever truly constitutes healing. Much about 28 YEARS LATER: THE BONE TEMPLE remains deliberately opaque, but its promise is clear. It offers evolution rather than escalation, depth rather than volume. In a genre saturated with endings, with final stands and last survivors, THE BONE TEMPLE dares to ask what comes after. It asks whether humanity, having been given a second chance at beginning, actually deserves it. If the film delivers on this thematic ambition, it could stand not merely as another installment but as one of the franchise’s most thoughtful and resonant entries—a film brave enough to suggest that the real horror might not be the infection at all, but what we become when we try to move on from it. Instagram Youtube [...]
January 10Irish and Irish-connected talent has surged to remarkable prominence in this year’s BAFTA Film Awards longlist, showcasing a depth of creative achievement that spans performance, technical artistry, and storytelling. Jessie Buckley commands attention in the Leading Actress category for her work in the historical drama HAMNET, a film that has emerged as a significant force across multiple categories. Her co-star Paul Mescal finds himself recognized in the Supporting Actor category for the same production, while the film’s literary origins add another layer of Irish distinction through Coleraine-born author Maggie O’Farrell, who appears on the Adapted Screenplay longlist for transforming her bestselling novel into cinema alongside director Chloé Zhao. The cross-pollination of Irish talent becomes even more evident when examining the Leading Actor category, where Cillian Murphy earns recognition for his performance in the school-based drama STEVE, a project that carries his own Big Things Films among its production credits and simultaneously appears on the Outstanding British Film longlist. Andrew Scott joins this constellation of Irish performers through his turn in the comedy-drama BLUE MOON, a production filmed on Irish soil and brought to life in association with Dublin-based Wild Atlantic Pictures, demonstrating how Irish production infrastructure continues to attract and support compelling narratives. Behind the camera, the Irish presence proves equally formidable, with Dublin cinematographer Robbie Ryan earning a longlist position for his work on the black comedy BUGONIA, a film that has garnered multiple nominations and stems from Dublin’s Element Pictures, with Ryan’s previous BAFTA nominations for director Yorgos Lanthimos’ POOR THINGS and THE FAVOURITE establishing him as a crucial visual collaborator. Armagh-born cinematographer Séamus McGarvey, already a four-time BAFTA nominee, adds to this technical brilliance through his longlisted work on the psychological drama DIE MY LOVE, while Richard Baneham, the Irish visual effects master who has already claimed two BAFTAs and two Oscars for his AVATAR work, finds himself longlisted again as part of the team behind AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH. The recognition extends into emerging voices as well, with Donegal writer-director Myrid Carten’s acclaimed documentary A WANT IN HER, an Irish-British-Dutch co-production, appearing in the Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director, or Producer category alongside Akinola Davies Jr’s family drama MY FATHER’S SHADOW, which once again features Dublin’s Element Pictures among its producers. This sweeping presence across categories ranging from acting and cinematography to visual effects, screenwriting, and debut filmmaking reveals not just individual achievement but a sustained creative ecosystem that connects Irish artists, production companies, and stories to the highest echelons of international cinema, transforming what might once have been occasional breakthrough moments into an undeniable and consistent force within the industry’s most prestigious recognition. Instagram Youtube [...]
January 9Paul Mescal has become something more than an actor in these few short years, something closer to a collective hallucination we’ve all agreed to participate in. You know him, or think you do—the shoes, the jewellery, that mini mullet, the Met Gala memes that ricocheted across the internet until they stopped meaning anything except themselves. These images have calcified into mythology, each one a mirror we hold up to project our own ideas about grief, lust, longing, masculinity, vulnerability, whatever we need him to carry for us in that particular moment. He’s become a vessel, and we’ve been filling him with whatever we lack or crave or fear, watching this first act unfold with the curious fascination of people who sense they’re witnessing the birth of a leading man who refuses the old blueprint entirely. The Paul Mescal experiment, if you’re keeping score, has been a resounding success by any measure that matters. What began as a damn good performance in NORMAL PEOPLE, a quiet BBC drama that was supposed to stay quiet, detonated into cultural obsession and launched a career trajectory that reads like someone made brilliant choices at every turn. The filmography he’s assembled is impeccably curated, each project carrying the unmistakable scent of high taste and intentionality—Andrew Haigh’s fantasy romance ALL OF US STRANGERS, which let him excavate emotional depths that would break lesser actors, and AFTERSUN, that small wonder of a film so devastating and precise it earned him his first Oscar nomination and announced him as someone capable of carrying grief on screen without ever begging you to notice. Then came the real test, the one that would answer whether this hunky indie darling could actually command a blockbuster, whether he possessed whatever alchemy transforms art house credibility into genuine movie stardom. GLADIATOR II, that long-awaited sequel nobody asked for but everyone was curious about, the one without Russell Crowe, pulled in half a billion dollars worldwide with Mescal stepping into the arena and proving, definitively, that he could hold the center of a spectacle without disappearing into it. Now he’s been handed the role of Paul McCartney in Sam Mendes’ dizzyingly ambitious four-part Beatles cinematic anthology, which feels less like casting and more like coronation, the industry placing its bets on who gets to shape cinema’s next chapter. He stubs out the cigarette and steps inside the house, and we follow, because at this point, we can’t help ourselves. Read more in the full British GQ interview HERE. Instagram Youtube [...]
January 5Jessie Buckley, the Killarney-born actress whose talent has captivated audiences on both sides of the Atlantic, has claimed the Critics Choice Award for Best Actress for her stunning performance in HAMNET, the historical drama that has emerged as one of the season’s most emotionally resonant films. The twenty-nine-year-old collected her prize at the thirty-first annual Critics Choice Awards ceremony in Santa Monica, California, where comedian Chelsea Handler presided over an evening that celebrated the year’s finest achievements in cinema. Buckley’s triumph represents a significant milestone in a career that has consistently demonstrated her ability to inhabit complex characters with remarkable depth and authenticity. Her acceptance speech revealed the profound impact that working on HAMNET had on her artistic journey, as she paid heartfelt tribute to director Chloé Zhao, whose vision brought Maggie O’Farrell’s acclaimed novel to cinematic life. “Chloe Zhao, you have reminded me of the power of telling a story and the journey that you can go on to touch the deepest parts of what it is to be alive, thank you,” Buckley told the assembled audience, her words underscoring the emotional intensity of the filmmaking experience. She also acknowledged her co-stars, including Irish actor Paul Mescal and the distinguished Emily Watson, with characteristic warmth and humor. “Paul, I bloody love you man. And I know loads of other women do in this room too, but tough shit,” she said, drawing laughter from the crowd while expressing genuine affection for her colleague. HAMNET explores one of the most devastating chapters in William Shakespeare’s life, centering on the playwright and his wife Agnes as they navigate the unbearable grief that follows the death of their eleven-year-old son. The film has been praised for its intimate portrayal of parental loss and its sensitive exploration of how tragedy shaped one of history’s greatest writers, with Buckley’s performance anchoring the narrative with raw emotional power that critics have described as unforgettable. Instagram Youtube [...]
January 4If you only know Jessie Buckley from her recent Oscar-nominated turns, you owe it to yourself to go back to where her cinematic journey truly caught fire. Michael Pearce’s BEAST is not your typical “girl meets bad boy” thriller; it is a primal, mud-flecked descent into the dark side of freedom and the thin line between victimhood and villainy. Set against the rugged, windswept backdrop of the Isle of Jersey, Buckley stars as Moll, a 27-year-old tour guide suffocating under the thumb of her domineering, classist mother (played with frostbitten perfection by Geraldine James). Moll is a character defined by “quiet desperation,” a woman whose internal stability is a fraying rope held together by societal politeness. Everything changes when she meets Pascal (Johnny Flynn), a rugged, mysterious outsider who represents everything her stifling family loathes. Their chemistry is “combustible,” a wild, animalistic attraction that feels as dangerous as the landscape they inhabit. The genius of BEAST lies in its ambiguity. As a serial killer begins targeting young women on the island, Pascal becomes the prime suspect. Moll chooses to defend him, not necessarily because she is sure of his innocence, but because she sees a kindred darkness in him—a “beast” that matches her own. Buckley’s performance is a masterclass in shifting states. She moves between dazed vulnerability and a terrifying, cold-eyed strength that suggests she is a “woman you don’t want to mess with”. Instagram Youtube [...]
January 1SAIPAN arrives in Irish cinemas at a moment when the wounds it depicts have barely begun to heal, bringing to the screen one of the most contentious episodes in Irish sporting history with an urgency that feels almost reckless. The film, directed by Glenn Leyburn and Lisa Barros D’Sa and written by Paul Fraser, doesn’t simply recount the infamous 2002 World Cup bust-up between Ireland’s captain Roy Keane and manager Mick McCarthy—it resurrects it, forces us to live through it again, and dares us to pick a side in a fight that has divided the nation for over two decades. The setup is deceptively simple: Ireland’s national football team gathers on a remote Pacific island on the eve of the 2002 FIFA World Cup, ostensibly to prepare for their moment on the world stage. Keane, portrayed with ferocious precision by Éanna Hardwicke, arrives with a singular mission: to win it all. But what he finds on Saipan is something less than world-class—substandard facilities, a casual approach to preparation, and what he perceives as a fundamental lack of ambition from the Irish Football Association. For a player who has spent his career demanding excellence from himself and everyone around him, it’s intolerable. The tension builds like a pressure cooker until it finally explodes in a confrontation with McCarthy, played with exasperated authority by Steve Coogan, resulting in Keane’s shocking departure from the squad days before the tournament begins. What makes SAIPAN work, and what elevates it beyond mere sports drama, is its refusal to offer easy answers or convenient villains. Fraser’s script imagines the private moments behind closed doors, the conversations that weren’t recorded by journalists or captured on camera, and in doing so creates a portrait of two men locked in an impossible situation of their own making. Keane’s obsessive drive for perfection, his inability to accept anything less than total commitment, crashes headlong into McCarthy’s pragmatic approach to management and his determination to maintain authority over his squad. Neither man is entirely wrong, and neither is entirely right, which is precisely what has made this incident so endlessly debatable in Irish pubs and living rooms for the past twenty years. Hardwicke’s performance as Keane is nothing short of revelatory, capturing not just the footballer’s famous intensity and barely controlled rage but also the wry humor and self-awareness that have always lurked beneath the surface. He doesn’t impersonate Keane so much as inhabit him, finding the humanity in a man often reduced to caricature. Coogan, meanwhile, brings unexpected depth to McCarthy, playing him not as a buffoon or a tyrant but as a man trying to hold together a fractious group while navigating his own insecurities and the impossible expectations of an entire nation. The casting alone makes SAIPAN essential viewing, transforming what could have been a by-the-numbers recreation into something electric and alive. The film currently plays in select Irish theaters before expanding nationwide on New Year’s Day, a release strategy that feels appropriate for a story so deeply embedded in the Irish psyche. This isn’t just about football or even about two men who couldn’t get along—it’s about national identity, about the tension between excellence and pragmatism, about what we demand from our heroes and what we’re willing to forgive. SAIPAN doesn’t resolve these questions because they can’t be resolved, but it earns its place in the conversation simply by treating them with the seriousness and complexity they deserve. More than two decades after the events it depicts, the film proves that some arguments never really end—they just find new ways to be told. Instagram Youtube [...]
December 24The remote Scottish isles have long held a mythic pull in cinema, but few films dare to venture as deep into their stark beauty and isolationist folklore as THE INCOMER, the singular debut from UK director Louis Paxton that will open the Next Section category at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival. With Paris-based Charades boarding world sales, the film arrives with considerable international momentum, anchored by a cast led by Irish actor Domhnall Gleeson and HOUSE OF THE DRAGON’s Gayle Rankin. On an unnamed Scottish island buffeted by wind and myth, siblings Isla and Sandy have carved out an existence that belongs more to ancestral memory than modern life, surviving by hunting seabirds, retelling the stories passed down through generations, and fiercely defending their homeland from what they call “incomers”—outsiders who threaten to dilute or destroy their way of being. Their precarious balance shatters when Daniel, an awkward council worker played by Gleeson, arrives with bureaucratic orders to relocate them, setting off a collision between ancient tradition and contemporary governance. The film’s supporting ensemble includes Grant O’Rourke from OUTLANDER, Emun Elliott of PROMETHEUS, Michelle Gomez known for DOCTOR WHO, and John Hannah, forever etched in memory from FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL, lending weight and range to Paxton’s vision of a Scotland rarely seen on screen. What emerges from the synopsis is a story that refuses easy categorization, blending comedy with ecological elegy, myth with bureaucratic absurdity, and the fierce dignity of those who refuse to be erased with the well-meaning but destructive machinery of progress. Paxton’s choice to stage this confrontation on a remote isle, where siblings converse with mythical beings and live according to rhythms older than nations, suggests a filmmaker unafraid to wrestle with questions of belonging, displacement, and what we lose when we prioritize efficiency over rootedness. As THE INCOMER prepares for its world premiere in Park City, it promises to be one of Sundance’s most distinctive offerings, a film that honors the stubborn beauty of those who remain when everyone else has left, and asks whether preservation is worth the cost of isolation. Instagram Youtube [...]
December 23Irish actor Andrew Scott is set to bring one of theater’s most poignant true stories to the screen in ELSINORE, a film that chronicles the final chapter of Scottish actor Ian Charleson’s extraordinary life. Best remembered for his luminous performance in the 1981 classic CHARIOTS OF FIRE, Charleson faced his greatest challenge when he prepared to play Hamlet at London’s National Theatre while battling terminal illness, ultimately delivering what would become his final role before his death in 1990 at just forty years old. Scott, whose recent work in ALL OF US STRANGERS, RIPLEY, and PRESSURE has cemented his reputation as one of contemporary cinema’s most versatile performers, will not only star as Charleson but also serve as producer on the project, bringing both his considerable talent and personal investment to this deeply moving story. Joining him is Olivia Colman, the Oscar-winning actress celebrated for her transformative performances in THE FAVOURITE, THE CROWN, and THE LOST DAUGHTER, who will portray Charleson’s doctor in what promises to be a powerful exploration of the relationship between patient and caregiver during an artist’s most vulnerable moments. Written by Stephen Beresford, who previously crafted the beloved screenplay for PRIDE, and directed by Simon Stone, whose sensitive hand guided THE DIG, ELSINORE emerges from StudioCanal, LD Entertainment, Lucky Red, and Magnolia Mae Films as what producers describe as an inspiring testament to the human spirit’s capacity for greatness even when confronting impossible odds. The production, which will feature an ensemble of acclaimed British actors to be announced as filming approaches, begins shooting on January 5, 2026, following its unveiling at Canal+ Group’s The Original+ showcase in Paris this past Tuesday.  Instagram Youtube [...]
December 22When Bradley Cooper steps behind the camera again in 2025 with IS THIS THING ON?, he’s assembled a cast that reads like a masterclass in understated brilliance. Among the names—Will Arnett, Laura Dern, Amy Sedaris—sits Ciarán Hinds, the Belfast-born actor whose face you know even if his name doesn’t immediately register. Hinds will play Jan in this exploration of divorce and stand-up comedy, a pairing of subjects that promises the kind of uncomfortable humor that lands like a punch to the gut before you realize you’re laughing. For an actor who’s portrayed everyone from Julius Caesar in ROME to the tormented father in BELFAST, from the sinister Steppenwolf in JUSTICE LEAGUE to Albus Dumbledore’s brother in HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS, adding a character named Jan to the repertoire feels almost refreshingly ordinary. Almost. Because with Hinds, nothing is ever quite ordinary. He brings gravity to fantasy, warmth to prestige drama, and a lived-in authenticity that makes you forget you’re watching someone act. His Mance Rayder in GAME OF THRONES felt like a king precisely because he never seemed to be trying to convince you he was one. IS THIS THING ON? marks another chapter in a career that’s been less about headlines and more about the slow accumulation of indelible moments. Cooper, fresh from his ambitious turn with MAESTRO, clearly understands that sometimes the most interesting stories about falling apart require actors who know how to hold themselves together on screen. With Hinds in the mix alongside Arnett’s comic timing, Dern’s emotional precision, and Sedaris’s sharp wit, the film has the ingredients for something that could cut deeper than your typical comedy about life’s wreckage. And in an industry increasingly obsessed with spectacle, there’s something quietly radical about a project that seems content to explore the messy, ordinary devastation of a marriage ending and a comic trying to find the joke in it all. Instagram Youtube [...]
December 20When eighteen-year-old Maud’s father dies, she inherits Knowl, a sprawling country estate that should secure her future, except there’s a catch: she won’t truly control it until she turns twenty-one. Until then, someone must serve as her guardian, and her father’s will names the most unlikely candidate imaginable—Uncle Silas, a man whose very name carries the weight of scandal. The rumors that trail him are dark and persistent: gambling debts that ruined him, a dissolute lifestyle that isolated him from respectable society, and whispers of something far worse, something that might involve murder. He’s lived as a pariah for years, and now he’s coming to Knowl, bringing his family with him. They arrive like a storm cloud: Silas himself, his aimless son Edward, his distracted daughter Emily, and a severe governess who goes only by Madame. What should feel like a house coming alive with new energy instead becomes suffocating, the atmosphere growing heavier with each passing day. Silas presents himself as a kindly uncle at first, all gentle manners and concerned expressions, but the mask doesn’t hold for long. His true agenda crystallizes with chilling clarity—he believes Knowl should be his, that he’s entitled to what his brother left behind, and he has a plan to claim it. The preferred method is simple enough: marry Maud off to Edward, binding the inheritance to the family through matrimony. But there are contingencies, darker options lurking behind his eyes, methods that don’t require anyone’s consent. As the threats escalate and violence enters the equation, something awakens in Maud. She’s not the passive heroine of a typical gothic tale, waiting to be rescued or resigned to being destroyed. The danger ignites something fierce in her, a determination to fight for what’s rightfully hers, to refuse the fate these men have mapped out for her. Family secrets begin to surface, ugly truths that have been buried for years, and with each revelation, Maud’s resolve hardens. By the time she understands the full scope of their intentions, her fury isn’t just justified—it’s righteous, and it’s unstoppable. LIES WE TELL takes Sheridan Le Fanu’s classic novel UNCLE SILAS and transforms it into something urgent and vital for our moment. The original gothic framework is still there—the isolated estate, the vulnerable young woman, the menacing male relatives—but the film refuses to let its heroine remain a victim. Instead, it hands her the tools to fight back, to claim not just her inheritance but her agency, her voice, her very right to determine her own future. This is Gothic literature seen through a feminist lens that refuses compromise, a story where the woman in peril becomes the woman who refuses to perish, who takes her fortune and her fate into her own hands and dares anyone to try and stop her. Instagram Youtube [...]
December 19When Colin Farrell and Jessie Buckley sit down together, they’re practically strangers, but something shifts in the air almost immediately—the conversation plunges into depths that feel inevitable, as if the weight of what they’ve been carrying on screen demands to be acknowledged. Both Irish, both navigating the kind of roles that leave marks, they find themselves in that rare space where small talk feels impossible and honesty becomes the only currency worth trading. Farrell has spent his year inhabiting the unraveling psyche of an addict in Edward Berger’s BALLAD OF A SMALL PLAYER, set against the neon-soaked backdrop of Macau, where his character exists in a perpetual state of financial and emotional freefall, grasping at connection with a credit broker played by Fala Chen even as everything else slips through his fingers. Buckley, meanwhile, has endured something different but equally devastating in Chloé Zhao’s HAMNET, where she embodies Agnes Shakespeare, an imagined version of William’s wife, and walks through the unbearable aftermath of losing her son—her grief made all the more complex and wrenching when she discovers that her husband has transformed their tragedy into his greatest work, turning their private anguish into public art. It’s this tension between suffering and creation, between living through pain and witnessing it transmuted into something that might outlast them both, that seems to hover between Farrell and Buckley as they talk. Agnes is horrified at first, then slowly moved, forced to reckon with the uncomfortable truth that art can be both an act of theft and an act of preservation, that it can feel like betrayal and tribute at once. And perhaps that’s what draws these two actors together despite their unfamiliarity—they both understand, in their bones, what it means to offer yourself up to a story that asks for everything, to let yourself be emptied out in service of something larger, and to trust that there’s power in that emptying, that art really can reach across time and circumstance to touch something true in whoever encounters it. Instagram Youtube [...]
December 14Daniel Craig slips back into the linen suits and lazy drawl of Benoit Blanc for WAKE UP DEAD MAN, the latest mystery from Rian Johnson that promises to be the detective’s most perilous investigation yet. This time the southern sleuth finds himself untangling a web of deception at a parish in upstate New York, where Josh O’Connor’s Father Jud Duplenticy becomes the thread that unravels everything. The roster of suspects reads like a who’s who of contemporary talent: Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, and Thomas Haden Church all circle the crime, each harboring their own secrets. Among them lurks Eric McCormack’s Cy, a fallen political figure who’s reinvented himself as a YouTuber, weaponizing Christianity for clicks and clout. McCormack describes his character as someone who discovered that faith makes excellent fuel for rage-baiting, a man whose spiritual posturing masks nothing but naked ambition and greed, a type we’ve all encountered scrolling through our feeds at three in the morning. It’s the kind of role that lets an actor sink their teeth into the rot of modern influence culture, where belief systems become content strategies and moral authority is just another path to monetization. From the morally bankrupt halls of internet celebrity, McCormack has pivoted to the drawing rooms of Regency England, having just completed Netflix’s adaptation of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE penned by Dolly Alderton. He plays Mr. Bingley opposite Jack Lowden’s Mr. Darcy in a production that’s assembled a murderer’s row of British talent including Emma Corrin, Olivia Colman, Rufus Sewell, Louis Partridge, Fiona Shaw, Jamie Demetriou, Freya Mavor, Rhea Norwood, and Siena Kelly. The whiplash between projects couldn’t be more extreme, trading the cynical manipulation of digital platforms for the elegant social machinations of Jane Austen’s most beloved romance, swapping YouTube thumbnails for horseback riding with Lowden across the English countryside. It’s the kind of range that keeps an actor sharp, moving from a character who exploits faith for followers to one who embodies the genteel optimism of Austen’s most amiable bachelor, proving that sometimes the best career move is simply to zigzag wildly between centuries and moral universes. Instagram Youtube [...]
December 6Eve Hewson’s journey to becoming Daphne, the haunting face from Jay’s past, began years ago when she landed her first major role in Paolo Sorrentino’s THIS MUST BE THE PLACE, a Sean Penn star vehicle that set her on a path through acclaimed projects like the Peabody Award-winning BAD SISTERS, THE PERFECT COUPLE, FLORA & SON, THE LUMINARIES, BEHIND HER EYES, THE 27 CLUB, TESLA, THE KNICK, and Steven Spielberg’s upcoming untitled science fiction film. Now she appears in Noah Baumbach’s JAY KELLY, a deceptively simple title for a film that pretends to be about Hollywood but reveals itself as something far more universal. Baumbach, who directed and co-wrote with Emily Mortimer, insists that making a movie about an actor means inherently making a movie about identity and performance itself, about how we remeet and redefine ourselves as we accumulate experience and perhaps wisdom, externalizing what is fundamentally a human struggle through the clear metaphor of an actor’s life. George Clooney embodies this struggle as Jay Kelly, a man in the later years of his career who finds himself confronting an uncomfortable truth: he may not have been such a great friend or father, having devoted himself instead to being really good at being a movie star. Daphne becomes the ghost who forces him to reckon with that past, a reminder of all the people and moments he left behind in his single-minded pursuit of fame, and in her presence Jay must finally face the difference between the persona he’s perfected and the person he’s neglected to become. Instagram Youtube [...]
December 5There’s something haunting about the way the past refuses to stay buried, the way it surfaces decades later in the canals of Amsterdam, reflected in water that won’t stay still. Focus Features has just dropped the trailer for MIDWINTER BREAK, adapted from Bernard MacLaverty’s novel, and it promises to be one of those quiet devastations that lingers long after the credits roll. Lesley Manville and Ciarán Hinds embody Stella and Gerry, a retired couple whose winter escape to Amsterdam becomes anything but the peaceful getaway they might have envisioned. Instead, the city’s beauty becomes a backdrop for reckoning, a place where troubled memories rise like ghosts they can no longer outrun. The film positions itself as a meditation on faith, commitment, and love’s stubborn endurance, but the trailer hints at something darker underneath all that devotion. “A day they can’t forget. A truth they can’t escape,” the tagline warns, and you can feel the weight of those words in every frame. The memories troubling this couple aren’t just personal regrets or marital disappointments, they’re clearly tied to The Troubles in Ireland, that brutal period of sectarian violence that scarred generations. Whatever happened back then, whatever debt is owed, it’s followed them across decades and across the North Sea to Amsterdam’s seemingly serene streets. Julie Lamberton and Ed Sayer appear as the younger versions of Stella and Gerry in flashbacks, and you sense that these glimpses into the past will gradually illuminate the shadows that have shaped this marriage. The trailer showcases Amsterdam in all its golden-hour glory, those iconic bridges and gabled houses, the play of light on ancient water, but all that beauty feels bittersweet when you realize it’s the setting for a truth finally demanding to be faced. There’s something almost cruel about how gorgeous it all looks, as if the world’s loveliness makes the pain of what they’re confronting even sharper. What makes MIDWINTER BREAK so compelling, even just from the trailer, is how it refuses easy answers about love and loyalty. This isn’t a story about whether they stay together or fall apart, it’s about the cost of staying together, about what we carry for each other and what that carrying does to us over time. The film seems to ask whether love can survive not just the passage of years but the weight of shared history, especially when that history is stained with violence and loss. Can a marriage endure when it’s built on foundations that include tragedy, complicity, or secrets that have calcified into the very structure of who they are together? The sadness that creeps in while watching the trailer isn’t just about anticipating their revelation, it’s about recognizing that sometimes learning the truth about a relationship means confronting how much has been left unsaid, how much has been sacrificed or suppressed in the name of keeping going. Amsterdam becomes a kind of crossroads where the past and present finally collide, where the life they’ve built together has to stand up against the memories they’ve tried to leave behind. The city’s beauty only amplifies the tragedy of what they’re facing, making their crisis feel both intimate and somehow universal, a reminder that no one gets through a long life, or a long love, without accumulating wounds that never fully heal. Instagram Youtube [...]
December 2The Hollywood Reporter has unveiled something extraordinary: behind-the-scenes imagery from STEVE, captured by none other than Sir Don McCullin, the legendary British photojournalist whose lens has witnessed some of history’s most harrowing moments. At ninety years old, McCullin has declared this Netflix drama his final film project, a fitting capstone to a career that has included just a handful of cinematic ventures—most notably Michelangelo Antonioni’s BLOW-UP in 1966 and Ridley Scott’s BLACK HAWK DOWN in 2001. Directed by Tim Mielants and written by Max Porter, STEVE reimagines Porter’s best-selling novel “Shy” through the story of a single pivotal day. Cillian Murphy embodies the title character, a head teacher navigating the crushing pressure of leading a last-chance reform school while battling to keep its doors open and his own mental health intact. The performance arrives on the heels of Murphy’s career-defining turn in OPPENHEIMER, though as the actor himself explained, the transition wasn’t calculated strategy but rather immediate necessity—as soon as the awards season ended, production on STEVE began. The film operates on parallel tracks, following Steve’s deteriorating composure while simultaneously tracking Shy, a troubled teenager played by Jay Lycurgo, who took home a BIFA award for the role. Shy exists in the precarious space between his damaged past and an uncertain future, wrestling with the contradiction between inner vulnerability and outward violence. The ensemble surrounding these central figures includes powerhouse talents like Tracey Ullman, Simbi Ajikawo, and Emily Watson, all captured in McCullin’s reportage-style photography during several days spent documenting the production. McCullin’s approach to these behind-the-scenes images deliberately references the aesthetic of his earlier conflict photography, bringing that same unflinching documentary eye to the process of filmmaking itself. The result offers something beyond typical promotional photography—these are images that carry the weight of witness, the same quality that made McCullin’s Vietnam War, Troubles, and Falklands War photographs historical documents of profound significance. That he chose STEVE as his cinematic farewell speaks to something essential in the material, a recognition perhaps that the battles fought in reform school corridors and within fractured psyches deserve the same serious attention he once gave to warzones. After its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, STEVE arrived on Netflix on October 3rd, bringing Porter’s intimate character study to a global audience. The collaboration between Murphy’s quietly devastating performance, Mielants’ direction, Porter’s adaptation of his own novel, and McCullin’s photographic documentation creates something that exists both as film and as artifact—a record of artistic creation captured by someone who spent a lifetime recording history as it happened. Instagram Youtube [...]
November 29Maria Doyle Kennedy has spent decades moving fluidly between music and screen, building a career that refuses to stay in one lane. Born in 1964, she grew up across Dublin, Enniscorthy, and Bray, eventually channeling her artistic energy into both song and performance. After cutting her teeth in several bands, she took control of her musical destiny in 2000 by founding a record label with her husband, Kieran Kennedy. Since then, she’s released eleven solo albums, with her most recent, Fire on the Roof of Eden, arriving in 2021 to showcase her enduring voice and songwriting craft. But Kennedy’s reach extends far beyond the recording studio. Her acting career spans over fifty films and television series, and she’s become a recognizable presence on screen for audiences around the world. She made an early mark in THE COMMITMENTS, the beloved 1991 film that captured Dublin’s soul music scene, and later delivered memorable performances in period dramas like THE TUDORS, where she portrayed Catherine of Aragon with quiet strength. More recently, she’s appeared in KIN, the Irish crime drama that brought her talents back to home soil, proving that whether she’s working in historical epics or contemporary thrillers, Kennedy brings an authenticity that grounds every project she touches. It’s this dual commitment to music and acting, maintained across decades, that makes her one of Ireland’s most versatile and enduring artists. In a brand new interview with The Irish Examiner, Maria outlines the artists and art that formed her creative palette. Read the full “Culture That Made Me” list HERE. Instagram Youtube [...]
November 27Paul Mescal is proving once again why he’s one of the most compelling actors of his generation. Fresh from his Oscar nomination, the Irish star is taking on two vastly different but equally challenging roles that showcase his remarkable range and dedication to his craft. In his latest appearance on TODAY, Mescal opened up about portraying William Shakespeare in the upcoming film HAMNET an adaptation that explores the profound personal tragedy behind one of the Bard’s most celebrated works. The film delves into the story of love, loss, and grief that inspired Shakespeare’s creative genius. “There’s a lot of love at the center of it, which I think adds to the heartbreak,” Mescal explained, capturing the emotional core of the project. The film focuses on the devastating loss that shaped not just Shakespeare as a man, but as an artist whose work would endure for centuries. Rather than simply presenting Shakespeare as the literary icon we know from history books, HAMNET offers an intimate portrait of a husband and father grappling with unimaginable pain. This humanizing approach aligns perfectly with Mescal’s strength as an actor—his ability to convey deep vulnerability and complex emotion with subtlety and authenticity. As if embodying one of history’s greatest writers wasn’t enough, Mescal is also preparing to step into the shoes of another legend: Paul McCartney. The upcoming Beatles biopic represents a different kind of challenge entirely, requiring Mescal to master new skills that are essential to capturing the essence of the iconic musician. During his TODAY interview, Mescal discussed the unique demands of the role, particularly learning to play guitar left-handed—a necessity for authentically portraying the left-handed McCartney. This level of commitment demonstrates Mescal’s approach to his craft: nothing short of complete immersion. Beyond the instrumental work, Mescal will also be singing, channeling McCartney’s distinctive voice and the musical magic that defined an era. The pressure to get it right is undoubtedly immense, given the Beatles’ legendary status and the generations of devoted fans who know every note by heart. What makes Mescal’s current trajectory so fascinating is the sheer variety of roles he’s choosing. From his breakout performance in NORMAL PEOPLE to his recent work in projects like AFTERSUN and GLADIATOR II, he has consistently sought out complex, challenging characters that push him as an artist. The leap from Shakespeare to McCartney—from Elizabethan tragedy to 1960s rock and roll—demonstrates an actor unafraid to stretch himself across genres, time periods, and performance styles. Both roles require deep research, physical transformation, and emotional authenticity, yet they couldn’t be more different in their demands. With both HAMNET and the McCartney biopic on the horizon, Paul Mescal’s star continues to rise. His willingness to take risks, combined with his natural talent and work ethic, suggests that his Oscar nomination is just the beginning of what promises to be a remarkable career. Audiences can look forward to seeing Mescal bring these two iconic figures to life with the same depth and sensitivity that has become his trademark. Whether he’s exploring the grief-stricken heart of Shakespeare or capturing the youthful energy of a Beatle, one thing is certain: Paul Mescal will give it everything he has. Instagram Youtube [...]
November 22There’s something profoundly fitting about the opening image of Clint Bentley’s TRAIN DREAMS: Robert Grainier, played with weathered grace by Joel Edgerton, stares pensively through a train window, watching America roll past in all its raw, unfinished beauty. He’s a logger by trade, one of countless men who helped stitch this country together with railroad ties and steel, and that window becomes a kind of metaphor for the film itself—a frame through which we glimpse a life lived in motion, always between places, always between moments of connection and stretches of profound solitude. Robert’s work takes him away from his wife, portrayed by Felicity Jones, and their infant daughter for long, aching periods. It’s the kind of sacrifice men of that era made without question, trading proximity for purpose, presence for provision. But the calculus of such choices shifts irrevocably when a devastating forest fire tears through the community the Grainiers call home. What was once a simple life, anchored by the promise of return, becomes something else entirely—something marked by absence and the terrible weight of what can be lost in an instant. TRAIN DREAMS belongs to that increasingly rare category of Hollywood filmmaking: the quiet, cerebral meditation that refuses to announce its emotional devastation with swelling scores or theatrical confrontations. This is a film that trusts stillness, that understands how grief and resilience don’t always manifest in grand gestures but in the small, persistent acts of continuing forward. The impact doesn’t hit you in the theater—it follows you home, settles into your thoughts days later, surfaces unexpectedly when you’re doing something completely unrelated. That’s the sign of a film that’s burrowed beneath your defenses. What makes the story resonate so deeply is the constellation of supporting performances that orbit Edgerton’s central turn. William H. Macy appears as an old-timer on Robert’s crew, bringing decades of lived experience into every wrinkled expression. Kerry Condon shows up as a forestry services worker, and even in her brief screen time, she carries a kind of practical empathy that feels quintessentially American—the recognition that survival often depends on the kindness of near-strangers. Clifton Collins Jr. plays one of Robert’s only friends, and their scenes together have the easy rhythm of men who’ve learned to communicate more in what they don’t say than in the words they actually speak. And Jones, though her role is limited by the constraints of the story itself, provides the gravitational center around which Robert’s entire existence revolves. These actors don’t dominate the screen—they can’t, given their limited appearances—but each brings an unmistakable weight that allows us to understand Robert as more than a solitary figure enduring hardship. They help us see him as a man embedded in a network of relationships, however fragile or temporary, who lived not in isolation but in connection with others who were similarly trying to carve out meaning from the unforgiving landscape of early twentieth-century America. Condon’s performance, in particular, deserves special attention. There’s a specificity to how she inhabits her character, a woman working in what was undoubtedly a male-dominated field, who has learned to move through the world with both competence and caution. She doesn’t need lengthy monologues to establish her character’s depth—it’s there in her posture, in the way she assesses situations before speaking, in the particular quality of her attention when she listens to Robert. Condon has built a career on these kinds of precisely calibrated performances, where restraint becomes its own form of eloquence. In TRAIN DREAMS, she contributes to the film’s larger meditation on how we witness each other’s lives, how we show up for one another in moments of crisis, and how sometimes the most meaningful connections are the ones we don’t expect or fully understand until much later. Instagram Youtube [...]
November 21The Palm Springs International Film Awards has revealed that Focus Features’ HAMNET will receive the prestigious Vanguard Award this January, recognizing the collective achievement of a film’s cast and director when their collaboration produces something truly exceptional. Director Chloé Zhao, along with actors Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal, are all expected to attend the ceremony on January 3, 2026, at the Palm Springs Convention Center, with the festival itself running from January 2 through 12. Presented by Kering and sponsored by Entertainment Tonight, the event promises to celebrate one of the year’s most emotionally powerful cinematic experiences. The Academy Award-winning Zhao brings her distinctive sensibility to this adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s celebrated novel, crafting a deeply observed meditation on love’s fragility and art’s capacity to transform suffering into transcendence. The film traces the relationship between an impoverished Latin tutor named William Shakespeare and the free-spirited Agnes, whose passionate attraction ignites a torrid affair that evolves into marriage and a family with three children. Their bond faces its greatest test when William’s theatrical ambitions pull him toward London’s stages while Agnes remains behind, shouldering the weight of domestic life alone. When devastating tragedy strikes their family, the couple’s once-unshakeable connection fractures under grief’s unbearable pressure, yet from this shared anguish emerges the raw emotional material that will eventually crystallize into Shakespeare’s immortal masterpiece, HAMLET. Festival Chairman Nachhattar Singh Chandi emphasized the profound honor of presenting this year’s Vanguard Award to HAMNET, calling it one of the most resonant films of the year and praising Zhao for bringing such weighty subject matter to the screen with remarkable grace. The extraordinary performances delivered by Buckley and Mescal establish the film’s deeply human core, grounding its exploration of artistic genius in the messy, painful reality of lived experience. The recognition celebrates HAMNET’s exceptional achievement in cinematic storytelling, acknowledging how it transforms a historical footnote into something universal and achingly immediate, revealing how the greatest art often emerges from our deepest wounds. Instagram Youtube [...]
November 19The trailer has finally dropped for WAKE UP DEAD MAN: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY, and it promises to deliver everything fans have been craving from this beloved franchise. Daniel Craig returns once again as the impeccably accented detective Benoit Blanc, bringing his signature blend of charm and razor-sharp deduction to yet another impossible case. But this time around, the ensemble cast reads like a masterclass in contemporary cinema, with two particular additions that should have audiences especially excited: Andrew Scott and Daryl McCormack are joining the mystery. The setting shifts from the sprawling estates and tech billionaire retreats of previous films to something altogether more intimate and unsettling: a small town’s religious community. When young priest Jud Duplenticy, played by Josh O’Connor, arrives to assist the magnetic and controversial Monsignor Jefferson Wicks, portrayed by Josh Brolin, he immediately senses that something sinister lurks beneath the surface of this seemingly devout congregation. The flock itself is a fascinating cross-section of small-town life, from Glenn Close as the pious Martha Delacroix to Thomas Haden Church as the watchful groundskeeper Samson Holt. Kerry Washington appears as the tightly wound lawyer Vera Draven, while McCormack plays her brother Cy, a man with political ambitions. Rounding out this intriguing collection of suspects are Jeremy Renner as the town doctor Nat Sharp, Scott as bestselling author Lee Ross, and Cailee Spaeny as concert cellist Simone Vivane. The murder itself arrives suddenly and defies explanation, an impossible crime that leaves local police chief Geraldine Scott, played by Mila Kunis, completely stumped. With no obvious suspect and a crime scene that seems to defy the laws of logic itself, she does what anyone would do when faced with the inexplicable: she calls in Benoit Blanc. What follows promises to be another labyrinthine puzzle filled with the sharp dialogue, unexpected twists, and social commentary that have made the KNIVES OUT films such critical and commercial darlings. Director Rian Johnson has proven he understands how to craft a modern murder mystery that honors the genre’s traditions while subverting expectations at every turn, and this third outing looks to continue that winning formula. The release strategy follows the now-familiar pattern for major Netflix releases, with WAKE UP DEAD MAN: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY arriving in select cinemas on November twenty-sixth before making its streaming debut on December twelfth. It’s a brief theatrical window, but one that should give audiences the chance to experience this whodunit on the big screen, where every suspicious glance and carefully planted clue can be savored in all its glory. Mark your calendars, because Benoit Blanc is back, and this time the mystery is steeped in secrets that not even prayer can absolve. Instagram Youtube [...]
November 17Paul Mescal was lying in a hotel bed in Australia, fresh out of quarantine, when he first read THE HISTORY OF SOUND. It was just before Christmas, and he’d been shooting Benjamin Millepied’s CARMEN when the script arrived. Alone and restless, he started reading, and before long he was crying. There’s a scene, he remembers, barely an eighth of a page, where the older version of Lionel eats tinned peaches straight from the can, and it destroyed him completely. He thought it was a perfect screenplay, and the fact that it was Ben Shattuck’s first made it all the more remarkable. He wanted the film made immediately, which makes him laugh now because what he learned, of course, is that films don’t get made overnight. For audiences, Mescal’s shift from vengeful gladiator to gentle introspective folklorist might seem like a leap, but to him it was a straight line. He says it’s the longest he’s ever lived with a character, having read the script in 2020, and he’s never walked onto a set understanding someone as well as he understood Lionel. There was excitement in that and pressure too. GLADIATOR II was a totally different physical undertaking, he explains, laughing about how in the last two weeks of shooting he was on a treadmill for three hours a day trying to lose the frame he’d built, but in terms of where he feels most at home, characters like Lionel are definitely closer to him. Mescal has become known for roles that allow him to express vulnerability, in AFTERSUN, NORMAL PEOPLE, and Chloé Zhao’s forthcoming HAMNET, but THE HISTORY OF SOUND may be the most space he’s been given yet for that quality. Over the last five years he’s been able to become increasingly selective, and his Academy Award nomination for AFTERSUN changed the practical realities of his career. Oscar nominations are great for getting films off the ground, he says, but he hasn’t really had time to reflect on how it’s changed him as a person. He’s more comfortable knowing himself as a performer, though he’d be wary of any actor claiming they know themselves better because of success. He finds out a lot about himself while playing a character, he says, and then forgets it immediately because you’re trying to figure out something else about somebody else’s psychology. Central to the film is the music itself, a blend of traditional American folk styles, most now obscure except for songs like “Silver Dagger”. Mescal, O’Connor and Hermanus worked with singer-songwriter Sam Amidon, whose voice blends with theirs throughout the film, alongside performances by a range of folk artists whose songs the characters record on their travels. The act of David recording and Lionel transcribing is, Mescal says, almost like a romantic exchange. Instagram Youtube [...]
November 6Roadside Attractions has released the first trailer for H IS FOR HAWK, and it arrives like a quiet storm—raw, aching, and deeply human. Directed by Philippa Lowthorpe, whose work on CALL THE MIDWIFE and THE CROWN has demonstrated her gift for intimate storytelling, the film adapts Helen Macdonald’s acclaimed 2014 memoir into something that feels both devastatingly personal and universally resonant. Lowthorpe co-wrote the screenplay with Emma Donoghue, the novelist behind ROOM, bringing together two voices attuned to the ways loss can unmoor us and how we might find our way back to solid ground. The trailer introduces us to Helen, played with remarkable vulnerability by Claire Foy, in the immediate aftermath of her father’s sudden death. Brendan Gleeson appears as the father whose absence becomes the film’s gravitational center, a presence felt most acutely through his lack. What follows is not a conventional grief narrative but something wilder and more unpredictable. Helen turns to falconry, beginning the arduous process of training a young goshawk she names Mabel. The relationship between woman and bird becomes a mirror for Helen’s internal struggle—both fierce, both untamed, both seeking something that looks like freedom but might actually be survival. Foy, who has built a career on performances that reveal the complexity beneath surface composure in projects like THE CROWN and WOMEN TALKING, brings that same intensity to Helen’s journey. The supporting cast includes Denise Gough, Sam Spruell, and Lindsay Duncan, each contributing to the ecosystem of Helen’s grief. Produced by Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner, the film premiered at the Telluride Film Festival where it earned praise particularly for its authentic portrayal of falconry—the kind of specific, tactile detail that transforms metaphor into lived experience. After an awards-qualifying run in December, H IS FOR HAWK will open nationwide on January 23, 2026, offering audiences a meditation on how we rebuild ourselves when the center doesn’t hold, one wingbeat at a time. Instagram Youtube [...]
November 5In the ever-shifting Oscar landscape, HAMNET has pulled off the biggest move in a month: overtaking what had seemed to be the prohibitive favorite, Paul Thomas Anderson’s ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER, in the Gold Derby odds for predicted Best Picture nominees. The Shakespeare-inspired drama now leads the pack by a narrow margin, with a 96.8 percent chance to be nominated, compared to 95.8 percent for ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER. Directed by Oscar winner Chloé Zhao, HAMNET is a deeply emotional dramatization of the real-world circumstances that may have inspired William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, and the Focus Features film, starring Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley, has been on a remarkable trajectory since its festival debut. The film occupied the top slot in September after its warm reception at the Telluride Film Festival, followed by winning the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival, but in early October, Anderson’s film surged to number one following a strong opening weekend and had held the spot until this past weekend. The two films are both considered locks for nominations and expected to be competing for top prizes throughout awards season, though the race is playing out differently across various categories. For the predicted Best Director field, Anderson still has the lead over Zhao, while in the acting categories, Buckley leads the predicted Best Actress nominees and Leonardo DiCaprio continues to dominate Best Actor predictions for ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER. Despite HAMNET’s strong showing in Best Picture predictions, both Zhao and Mescal were overlooked in recent predictions for director and supporting acting categories, suggesting the film’s path to Oscar glory may be more complicated than its current frontrunner status suggests. HAMNET could see another boost when it opens nationwide on November 27, potentially widening its lead in what is shaping up to be a very close race just two months before the January 22 Oscar nominations, when voters will finally reveal whether this Shakespeare-inspired drama can maintain its momentum or if Anderson’s latest work will reclaim its crown. Instagram Youtube [...]
November 3Pierce Brosnan has carved out a compelling new chapter in his career, moving far beyond his Bond legacy to embrace complex dramatic roles that showcase his range as a character actor. In CURTAIN CALL, arriving on digital platforms November 10, 2025, Brosnan joins Jessica Lange in a devastating exploration of artistic decline and the cruel erosion of memory. Lange stars as Lillian Hall, a Broadway icon who has never once missed a performance across her illustrious decades-long career, a woman whose entire identity is built on the bedrock of consistency and mastery. But during rehearsals for a new production, everything she has taken for granted begins to slip through her fingers like water. This isn’t just another aging actress story—it’s a meditation on what happens when the very thing that defines you becomes the thing you can no longer access. The film follows Hall as she prepares for what may be her final role, rehearsing Chekhov’s THE CHERRY ORCHARD while dementia begins its insidious work, stealing lines from her memory and moments from her awareness. What makes CURTAIN CALL particularly resonant is how it layers its central tragedy with a sharp commentary on Hollywood’s disposability of women past a certain age. There’s a producer circling the production like a vulture, pushing the director to replace this legendary actress with her younger understudy, revealing how quickly the industry discards those who can no longer deliver on command. The film doesn’t shy away from showing Hall forgetting her lines mid-rehearsal, losing track of staging she’s executed flawlessly a hundred times before, watching her confidence—that essential armor every performer needs—crack and crumble. For Brosnan, this represents the kind of mature, emotionally demanding work he’s increasingly drawn to in recent years. After four films as James Bond that cemented his place in popular culture, he’s deliberately sought out projects that ask more of him than charm and physical prowess, roles that explore vulnerability, loss, and the complexities of relationships under strain. His presence in CURTAIN CALL alongside an actress of Lange’s caliber signals his commitment to serious dramatic work, the kind that doesn’t rely on spectacle but on the small devastations that accumulate in quiet moments. The trajectory of his recent career suggests an actor no longer interested in being the hero who saves the day but in portraying men who struggle, who fail, who face impossible situations without easy answers. Previously released as THE GREAT LILLIAN HALL on HBO, the film joins a growing collection of works examining dementia not as a distant medical condition but as an intimate catastrophe that reshapes identities and relationships. What distinguishes CURTAIN CALL from other entries in this emerging subgenre is its theatrical setting, where memory isn’t just personal but professional, where forgetting doesn’t just affect private life but public performance. For someone like Lillian Hall, who has built an entire life on never missing a performance, never failing an audience, the loss of cognitive function isn’t just tragic—it’s existential. The stage demands perfection in real time, offers no second takes, no editing room to hide mistakes. When your mind betrays you in that arena, there’s nowhere to hide. The film raises questions it doesn’t pretend to answer neatly. Can Lillian continue with the production as her symptoms progress, or will the industry that once celebrated her now cast her aside? How do you hold onto dignity when your most fundamental abilities are disappearing? What does it mean to be a performer when you can no longer trust your own performance? Brosnan and Lange navigate these murky waters together, two actors at the peaks of their powers exploring what happens when power itself becomes an illusion. For audiences, CURTAIN CALL offers not just a story about dementia but a meditation on art, aging, and the brutal economics of an industry that values youth and reliability above legacy and loyalty. Instagram Youtube [...]
November 2A new film arrived on streaming this week, and it’s sparking conversation across social media as viewers weigh in on what turns out to be a visually stunning but narratively divisive experience. Directed by Edward Berger, the adaptation of Lawrence Osborne’s 2014 novel—itself hailed as a “masterpiece”—features a script by Rowan Joffé, known for his work on films like 28 WEEKS LATER and THE AMERICAN. At its center is Colin Farrell, delivering what many are calling an intensely captivating performance as a professional gambler known as Lord Doyle, a man spiraling through his days in Macao’s neon-lit gambling paradise, drowning in alcohol and debt until a mysterious kindred spirit appears, offering what might be his only chance at redemption. Berger brings his signature visual artistry to the project, collaborating once again with cinematographer James Friend to create what’s undeniably a feast for the eyes—vibrant colors and neon-drenched frames that capture the intoxicating atmosphere of Macao’s streets and decadent casinos. The German director has built a reputation for transforming literary works into powerful cinema, with the Oscar-winning ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT and CONCLAVE among his recent triumphs. Farrell, an Oscar-nominated actor celebrated for his work in IN BRUGES and THE PENGUIN, proves magnetic in the role, inhabiting Lord Doyle with an intensity that many viewers cite as the film’s primary draw. Social media reactions have been enthusiastic about certain elements, with viewers praising what they see as brilliant storytelling and performances. One viewer posted that the film delivered “brilliant story, brilliant acting and great music. A must watch!” while another noted that “the main draw for this one will be the amazingly intense performance of Colin Farrell. The story did hold my interest and the Macau backdrop was beautiful. Very well made film overall.” Yet the critical reception tells a more complicated story, reflected in its 50 percent Rotten Tomatoes score. Critics have found themselves caught between admiration for the film’s stunning visual craft and Farrell’s compelling work, and frustration with what they perceive as narrative shortcomings. THE GUARDIAN awarded it three stars, while THE NEW YORK TIMES suggested it “contains a great story, but it’s bogged down by its trappings.” Perhaps most damning, THE IRISH INDEPENDENT described how the story “builds and builds before fizzling out in dreary, underwhelming fashion,” pointing to a fundamental disconnect between the film’s atmospheric promise and its ultimate delivery. What emerges is a film that dazzles the eye and showcases a powerhouse performance, yet struggles to fully realize the dramatic potential of its source material, leaving audiences divided over whether its artistry compensates for its storytelling stumbles. Instagram Youtube [...]
October 27Daniel Day-Lewis emerges from retirement with ANEMONE, an Irish drama directed by his son Ronan that stands as one of the most quietly devastating films of the year. After walking away from acting in 2017, Day-Lewis returns with a performance so searingly intimate that it has immediately thrust him back into awards consideration, reminding audiences why his absence left such a void in cinema. This is not a comeback built on spectacle or noise, but on the kind of raw, unadorned humanity that only an actor of his caliber can summon. ANEMONE unfolds as a meditation on isolation and the human cost of self-imposed exile. The film centers on Ray, a man who has spent years living alone on the fringes of society, and the small constellation of people whose lives orbit his absence. There’s Jem, whose curiosity about this reclusive figure drives much of the film’s gentle forward momentum, and Nessa, Ray’s former partner, who carries her heartbreak with a somber acceptance that never quite extinguishes hope. Then there’s Brian, their son, a young man consumed by rage at a father who chose to disappear, yet who still finds himself throwing punches to defend Ray’s name. The film lives in these contradictions, in the space between abandonment and loyalty, between judgment and grace. What makes ANEMONE so achingly effective is how it understands that human connection isn’t just meaningful but necessary for survival itself. Brian’s fury masks a desperate need for the father who left him, and his volatile grief finds its only softening in the presence of Hattie, a friend whose quiet empathy breaks through his armor in one of the film’s most genuinely moving moments. Nessa, despite her pain, surrounds herself with others when catastrophe strikes in the form of a devastating hailstorm, finding strength in community even as she mourns what was lost. Jem approaches Ray with a faith that remains unshaken by the older man’s profanity and bitterness, refusing to surrender hope for someone most would have written off entirely. At the film’s emotional core is Ray’s painful journey back to recognizing his own humanity. He committed an act so terrible that it drove him to the margins, an act the film reveals with devastating precision as it builds toward its climax. But ANEMONE understands that guilt itself is proof of humanity, that the very fact Ray is haunted by memory means he hasn’t abandoned his soul, only tried desperately to outrun it. This realization, when it finally arrives, is what propels him toward the meeting with Brian that the entire film has been moving toward. The ending is neither loud nor melodramatic, but it carries the weight of years of silence finally breaking. Day-Lewis plays these moments with such delicate restraint that you can feel the accumulated grief and longing in every glance, every hesitation. ANEMONE builds its power through imagery and theme rather than explanation, trusting its audience to feel what its characters cannot always articulate, and in doing so, it creates something genuinely heartwrenching. Instagram Youtube [...]
October 25Barry Keoghan has firmly established himself as one of the most compelling actors of his generation, and his latest role in CRIME 101 places him squarely alongside Hollywood’s elite. The Irish actor stars in this crime action thriller opposite Chris Hemsworth and Mark Ruffalo, trading the gritty streets of Dublin for a high-stakes world of heists and hardboiled detectives. Keoghan plays Orman, a rival thief whose methods skew toward the disturbing, setting him on a collision course with Hemsworth’s Davis during a planned heist. On the opposite side of the law, Ruffalo’s Detective Lou Lubesnick is determined to bring both criminals down, creating a tense cat-and-mouse game that promises to keep audiences on the edge of their seats. The trailer dropped on Thursday and immediately generated buzz, with fans expressing genuine excitement about the star-studded cast. One viewer noted that the combination of A-list actors who clearly enjoy working together was reason enough to buy a ticket, while another simply stated this was a movie they were actually interested in seeing. Directed by Bart Layton and adapted from Don Winslow’s novella of the same name, CRIME 101 showcases Keoghan’s range as he continues to choose projects that challenge him and expand his profile. For the role, he debuted a dramatic blonde look that coincided with his split from Sabrina Carpenter, a change that sparked plenty of conversation even if not everyone was convinced by the new style. But CRIME 101 is just the beginning of what promises to be a remarkable year for the Dubliner. Keoghan will next appear in the highly anticipated Beatles biopics, starring alongside fellow Irishman Paul Mescal, BABYGIRL’s Harris Dickinson, and STRANGER THINGS actor Joseph Quinn. The project will see the four actors bringing the legendary band to life across separate films, each focusing on a different Beatle. It’s a role that will demand both musical and dramatic chops, and if Keoghan’s recent work is any indication, he’s more than ready for the challenge. From rubbing shoulders with Marvel superheroes to embodying one of music’s most iconic figures, Keoghan’s trajectory shows no signs of slowing down, and audiences are here for every moment of it. Instagram Youtube [...]
October 24Colin Farrell sits across from his BALLAD OF A SMALL PLAYER co-star Fala Chen, and when the conversation turns to career-defining gambles, he tells a story that still seems impossible. There was a moment, right at the beginning, when he had to choose between security and the dream, between a guaranteed paycheck on a hit television show and a one-in-a-million shot at making it in Hollywood. Everyone around him thought he’d lost his mind. His friends told him he was crazy. His family couldn’t understand it. Here was steady work, good money, the kind of opportunity most actors would kill for, and he was going to walk away from it to chase something with no guarantees whatsoever. But Farrell did it anyway. He turned down the money, left the show, and took the leap. It’s the kind of decision that either launches a career or ends it before it really begins, and for years afterward, that choice has defined everything that came after. Looking at where he is now, fresh off his transformation in THE BATMAN and his revelatory work in THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN that earned him an Oscar nomination, it’s easy to forget how easily it all could have gone the other way. One different choice, one moment of hesitation, and Colin Farrell as we know him might not exist at all. In BALLAD OF A SMALL PLAYER, which hit select UK and Ireland cinemas on October 17th before arriving on Netflix on October 29th, Farrell plays a man who’s betting everything on games of chance in Macau’s glittering casinos, a character who understands something about risk that most people never grasp. During the interview, he and Chen discuss the film’s striking costumes, their personal good luck charms, and the greatest plot twists in cinema history, but it all circles back to that original gamble, the one he made decades ago when he was nobody and had everything to lose. That decision reverberates through his entire career, through every bold choice and unexpected turn he’s taken since, from PHONE BOOTH to IN BRUGES to his recent renaissance playing Penguin in Matt Reeves’ Gotham and a grieving man on a remote Irish island in Martin McDonagh’s dark masterpiece. Sometimes the craziest decisions are the only ones worth making, and sometimes betting on yourself when everyone else thinks you’ve lost the plot is exactly what separates the ones who make it from the ones who always wonder what might have been. Instagram Youtube [...]
October 23Andrew Scott has become one of the most fascinating actors working today, moving seamlessly from his breakout turn as the “Hot Priest” in FLEABAG to his mesmerizing lead performance in ALL OF US STRANGERS, and now he’s bringing his particular brand of wounded intensity to BLUE MOON as composer Richard Rodgers. The film, arriving in theaters Friday, reunites Scott with Ethan Hawke and Bobby Cannavale in a story about legendary songwriter Lorenz Hart, and the three actors discuss aging into different types of roles and the importance of selfless collaboration in their craft. Scott’s recent trajectory has been remarkable—he’s carved out a space for himself playing men grappling with complicated emotions and buried pain, and his Rodgers fits perfectly into that continuum, a creative partner watching his longtime collaborator navigate success and struggle while moving forward with new creative partnerships. BLUE MOON opens on March 31, 1945, as Hart (Hawke) watches the opening night performance of OKLAHOMA!, co-written by his former partner Rodgers and new collaborator Oscar Hammerstein (Simon Delaney). At a bar after the show, Hart eagerly awaits the arrival of a young woman named Elizabeth (Margaret Qualley) as Rodgers arrives, setting up a compressed narrative that unfolds over a single evening. The choice to pack everything into one dramatized night creates an intimate chamber piece reminiscent of ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI, focusing on a pivotal moment rather than sprawling across decades. Hawke captures Hart’s wit and lyricism beautifully, while the production design uses oversized suits and carefully scaled sets to recreate the physical presence of the five-foot-tall songwriter, with the five-foot-ten-inch Hawke transforming into the diminutive Hart through meticulous visual choices. For Scott, who also discussed upcoming projects including the new MAN ON FIRE series, BLUE MOON represents another opportunity to explore the complicated dynamics between creative partners, the jealousies and dependencies that fuel great art. His performance captures Rodgers at a crossroads, torn between loyalty to an old friend and the pull of new creative possibilities. The film joins a growing body of work that showcases Scott’s ability to embody complex men at turning points in their lives, and his chemistry with Hawke creates a portrait of artistic partnership that feels both specific to the Rodgers and Hart story and universal in its emotional truth. Instagram Youtube [...]
October 20When Vertigo Releasing and Wildcard unveiled the official poster and full trailer for SAIPAN, they weren’t just promoting another sports movie—they were reigniting one of football’s most explosive controversies. This isn’t a film about triumph on the pitch or underdog victories; it’s a raw examination of ego, standards, and the devastating collision between two men whose mutual contempt became bigger than the beautiful game itself. At the heart of SAIPAN lies the infamous 2002 FIFA World Cup confrontation that shook Irish football to its core. Roy Keane, the Republic of Ireland’s legendary captain portrayed by BAFTA-nominated Éanna Hardwicke, and national team manager Mick McCarthy, brought to life by two-time Academy Award nominee Steve Coogan, found themselves locked in a battle that transcended tactical disagreements and crossed into deeply personal territory. What began as preparation for Ireland’s World Cup campaign in Japan and South Korea spiraled into what the film bills as one of the most fractious falling-outs in sporting history, a moment that gripped not just a nation but the entire sporting world. Award-winning filmmakers Lisa Barros D’Sa and Glenn Leyburn, known for their work on GOOD VIBRATIONS and ORDINARY LOVE, have taken on the challenge of bringing this incendiary story to the screen. Working from an original script by Paul Fraser, whose credits include HEARTLANDS and A ROOM FOR ROMEO BRASS, they’ve crafted what promises to be the definitive account of a feud that was ostensibly about professional standards but revealed itself to be something far more visceral. This was two strong personalities whose rivalry became so consuming that it ultimately surpassed their shared love of football, leaving careers damaged and a nation divided in its loyalties. The supporting cast amplifies the drama with Alice Lowe from SIGHTSEERS, Jamie Beamish of DERRY GIRLS fame, Alex Murphy known for THE YOUNG OFFENDERS, Harriet Cains from BRIDGERTON, and Peter McDonald who appeared in THE BATMAN. Their presence suggests a film that understands this wasn’t just about two men in a room—it was about the ripple effects of conflict, the teammates caught in the crossfire, and the wider Irish community watching their World Cup dreams threatened by internal combustion. SAIPAN promises to be thrilling not because of what happened on the football field, but because of the human drama that nearly derailed everything before a single match was played. Instagram Youtube [...]
October 16Row K’s acquisition of U.S. distribution rights for the CLIFFHANGER reboot might have made headlines just last month, but now there’s something concrete for audiences to mark on their calendars: August 28, 2026. That’s when Pierce Brosnan and Lily James will take moviegoers back to the treacherous peaks that made the original such a white-knuckle experience, though this time the story ventures into entirely new territory while honoring the spirit that made Sylvester Stallone’s 1993 thriller so memorable. Brosnan’s casting as Ray Cooper represents a fascinating evolution for an actor who’s spent decades proving he’s far more than just James Bond. Here he plays a seasoned mountaineer who’s traded the adrenaline of professional climbing for running a luxury chalet in the Dolomites alongside his daughter Naomi, a role that allows him to tap into the weathered gravitas and physical capability he’s demonstrated in recent years while adding layers of paternal protection and hard-won survival instincts. What begins as a routine weekend excursion with a billionaire’s son quickly descends into violence when kidnappers set their sights on the group, and it’s Brosnan’s Cooper who must draw on every ounce of his mountain expertise to protect those under his care. But the real story belongs to Naomi, who finds herself fleeing into the unforgiving mountains, forced to confront not only the armed pursuers hunting her down but also the psychological demons left behind by a tragic climbing accident that still haunts her. It’s a setup that transforms the franchise from a straightforward action spectacle into something more intimate and psychologically complex, with survival becoming as much an internal battle as an external one, and it positions Brosnan not as the invincible hero but as a father watching his daughter face impossible odds. The choice to center this reboot around Brosnan rather than casting a younger action star signals a deliberate shift in tone and approach. At this stage of his career, Brosnan brings a complexity and world-weariness that a conventional action lead couldn’t match, suggesting that Cooper’s mountain expertise comes with its own history of losses and near-misses. Director Jaume Collet-Serra brings his proven thriller instincts to a script crafted by Ana Lily Amirpour, Sasha Penn, Mark Bianculli, and Melanie Toast, and early reactions from the production suggest they’ve struck that delicate balance between honoring the original and forging their own path. James herself has expressed genuine enthusiasm about what they’ve created, noting during the editing process that while the reimagining takes unexpected turns, it preserves all the gripping glory that made audiences clutch their armrests the first time around. That confidence from someone inside the production is reassuring, especially for a franchise that carries significant nostalgic weight for action fans who remember the original’s impact, and it suggests that Brosnan’s presence elevates the material beyond simple spectacle. And that impact was considerable. The original CLIFFHANGER arrived at a crucial moment for Stallone, who desperately needed a win after the consecutive disappointments of OSCAR and STOP! OR MY MOM WILL SHOOT had left his box office credibility in question. The high-altitude action thriller delivered exactly what he needed, proving he could still command the screen in a physically demanding role while working with spectacular locations and death-defying stunts. The success was significant enough that a sequel immediately went into development, with plans for Stallone’s Gabe Walker to face off against terrorists who’d seized control of the Hoover Dam. But that follow-up languished in development hell for years, the concept never quite coming together, until the decision was finally made to reboot the entire franchise rather than continue the original storyline. Now, over three decades later, that reboot is finally ready to test whether modern audiences still crave the particular brand of vertigo-inducing terror that made the franchise a phenomenon in the first place, and whether Brosnan can bring the same kind of desperate intensity to the mountains that Stallone once did, albeit filtered through a very different kind of character and a very different moment in cinema history. Instagram Youtube [...]
October 15Brendan Gleeson brings warmth and depth to the role of Alisdair Macdonald in the 2025 biographical drama H IS FOR HAWK, a film that marks another significant chapter in the Irish actor’s recent career resurgence. Based on Helen Macdonald’s acclaimed 2014 memoir, the film stars Claire Foy as Helen and explores the profound bond between daughter and father through the lens of grief and memory. When Helen loses her beloved father suddenly, she turns to an unlikely source of solace: training a goshawk named Mabel. Through this unusual act of mourning, the film weaves together present-day scenes of Helen’s struggle with loss and tender flashbacks of Alisdair sharing his passion for nature and birding with his daughter, moments that Gleeson imbues with genuine tenderness. What makes Gleeson’s performance particularly resonant is the personal connection he brought to the material. During the film’s promotional tour, he opened up about how the role allowed him to portray something he felt had become increasingly rare in contemporary cinema: a father who is emotionally present, loving, and nurturing. Gleeson didn’t hold back in expressing his frustration with the current landscape of on-screen fatherhood, admitting he had grown tired of seeing fathers consistently depicted as toxic or emotionally stunted. His comments struck a chord with many viewers who recognized the same pattern, and he advocated passionately for more celebratory representations of fatherhood in film. For Gleeson, playing Alisdair wasn’t just another role but an opportunity to honor the kind of father he believes deserves to be seen more often on screen. This performance comes at a time when Gleeson has been carefully selecting projects that showcase his range beyond the intense, often darker characters that defined much of his earlier work. H IS FOR HAWK allows him to demonstrate the subtlety and emotional intelligence that have always been hallmarks of his craft, proving once again why he remains one of the most respected actors of his generation. The film itself has resonated with audiences precisely because of performances like Gleeson’s, which ground the story’s more fantastical elements in genuine human emotion. His Alisdair becomes not just a memory but a presence that lingers throughout the film, shaping Helen’s journey and reminding viewers of the lasting impact of paternal love. Instagram Youtube [...]
October 10Netflix has just dropped the trailer for BALLAD OF A SMALL PLAYER, and it promises to be a tense exploration of desperation and moral decay set against the neon-lit backdrop of Macau. Colin Farrell stars as Brendan Reilly, an Irish fugitive who has fled to what the film calls “the gambling capital of the universe,” where he’s reinvented himself under the alias Lord Doyle. The footage reveals a man living on borrowed time and borrowed identities, his past rapidly catching up with him in the form of Tilda Swinton’s steely investigator. She confronts him with accusations that cut straight to the bone: he’s stolen a substantial amount of money from her client, described pointedly as “a helpless old woman.” Swinton delivers what might be the film’s thesis statement when she tells Doyle, “What I see is a man way beyond any redemption,” a judgment that seems both brutal and accurate given what unfolds. Rather than face the consequences, Doyle plunges deeper into the very vice that likely contributed to his downfall, embarking on a frantic gambling spree in a desperate attempt to win enough to settle his mounting debts and those of his love interest, a casino employee played by Fala Chen. It’s a classic spiral, the kind where each attempt to escape only tightens the noose, and Netflix seems to be banking on Farrell’s ability to make us watch a man destroy himself in real time with the kind of intensity that makes you unable to look away. Instagram Youtube [...]
October 9Saoirse Ronan, fresh off her powerful performance in THE OUTRUN and her striking turn in Steve McQueen’s BLITZ, is reportedly set to take on one of the most intriguing supporting roles in what promises to be cinema’s most ambitious musical undertaking in years. Multiple sources have confirmed to Deadline that the four-time Oscar nominee will portray Linda McCartney in Sam Mendes’ audacious THE BEATLES – A FOUR-FILM CINEMATIC EVENT, reuniting her with Paul Mescal, her co-star from the sci-fi drama FOE, who will play Paul McCartney himself. Though Sony has remained tight-lipped about official confirmations, the casting represents a fascinating continuation of Ronan’s recent trajectory through increasingly complex, layered women who defy simple categorization. The timing couldn’t be more intriguing for Ronan, who has been on a remarkable creative tear following her career-defining work in LITTLE WOMEN and LADY BIRD. She recently led the dark comedy BAD APPLES, which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival to strong notices, and has already lined up another major project with Austin Butler in DEEP CUTS, a music drama adapted from Holly Brickley’s debut novel. Taking on Linda McCartney allows Ronan to inhabit yet another woman who existed at the intersection of art, activism, and intense public scrutiny, a photographer turned musician turned animal rights crusader who met Paul in 1967 and remained his partner until her death from cancer in 1998. Linda’s evolution from behind-the-camera artist to member of Wings to vegetarian cookbook author and successful food entrepreneur offers Ronan the kind of multidimensional character she’s consistently gravitated toward throughout her career. Mendes has been obsessed with cracking the Beatles story for years, finally landing on the revolutionary concept of four separate films, each following a different band member’s perspective on the same seismic cultural moment. Barry Keoghan will embody Ringo Starr, Joseph Quinn takes on George Harrison, and Harris Dickinson, riding high from acclaim for his directorial debut URCHIN, has called the prospect of playing John Lennon “frightening” in interviews. Ringo Starr himself has been involved in the process, meeting with Mendes to request script changes and recently stating he’s now “much more satisfied with how he’s depicted,” suggesting the project has the blessing of the surviving Beatles. The scripts are being crafted by a powerhouse trio of writers: Jez Butterworth, Peter Straughan, and Jack Thorne, each bringing their own distinctive sensibility to what Mendes has described as an epic story that still has “plenty left to explore” for a new generation. For Ronan, stepping into Linda’s world means portraying not just a musician’s wife but a creative force in her own right, someone who shaped Paul’s post-Beatles life as profoundly as the band shaped music itself. Instagram Youtube [...]
October 8Cillian Murphy is riding a remarkable wave of momentum that shows no signs of slowing down. With his latest film STEVE arriving on Netflix on October 3, Murphy has been making the rounds to promote the project, but it’s what he revealed about his next venture that has fans of a certain Birmingham gangster absolutely buzzing with anticipation. During a recent appearance on The Graham Norton Show, Murphy confirmed that THE IMMORTAL MAN, the highly anticipated Peaky Blinders spin-off film, has wrapped production and will hit screens in 2026. When Norton pressed him about exactly when the movie would be “in the world,” Murphy kept it simple but definitive: next year. The news marks a triumphant return for Murphy to the role that defined a generation of television, Tommy Shelby, the razor-blade-capped crime boss whose signature undercut haircut became a cultural phenomenon. Murphy didn’t hold back his feelings about that particular style choice, calling it “so disgusting, really,” and explaining that the harsh shave was historically rooted in practicality rather than fashion—specifically, it was done to prevent lice infestations among working-class men of the era. Despite Murphy’s distaste, the look became one of the most copied hairstyles of the 2010s, cementing the show’s influence beyond the screen. THE IMMORTAL MAN reunites Murphy with Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, who penned the screenplay, and assembles an impressive ensemble cast including Barry Keoghan, Stephen Graham, and Sophie Rundle. This film represents a crucial chapter in Murphy’s recent career trajectory, coming on the heels of his Oscar-winning performance in OPPENHEIMER and positioning him as one of the most compelling actors working today. The transition from prestige streaming drama to feature film demonstrates not only the enduring power of the Peaky Blinders franchise but also Murphy’s ability to command both intimate character studies and sprawling ensemble pieces with equal magnetism. Instagram Youtube [...]
October 6Cillian Murphy has never been one to chase the spotlight, but lately, the spotlight refuses to let him go. Fresh off his Academy Award win for OPPENHEIMER, the Irish actor is already deep into his next transformation, this time as a struggling teacher in Netflix’s reform school drama STEVE. It’s a deliberately unglamorous role, the kind Murphy gravitates toward when everyone else expects him to capitalize on his newfound Hollywood heat with something flashier, more commercial, more obvious. Murphy’s approach to his craft has always been about stripping away rather than adding on. Even after the cultural earthquake that was OPPENHEIMER, a film that dominated conversations from red carpets to college campuses and turned a three-hour historical drama about theoretical physics into an unlikely box office juggernaut, he remains fundamentally unchanged. That Christopher Nolan collaboration, their sixth together spanning over two decades, didn’t just earn Murphy his first Oscar; it cemented a creative partnership that has become one of modern cinema’s most fascinating ongoing experiments in trust and transformation. The director-actor relationship between Nolan and Murphy is built on something rare in an industry obsessed with brands and franchises: genuine artistic curiosity. From Murphy’s early days playing Scarecrow in BATMAN BEGINS to the haunted soldier in DUNKIRK, Nolan has consistently seen past the piercing blue eyes and sharp cheekbones to find something darker, more complex, more interesting. OPPENHEIMER was simply the fullest expression of that vision, giving Murphy the space to inhabit J. Robert Oppenheimer’s brilliance and moral anguish in ways that felt both intimate and epic. Now, with STEVE, Murphy returns to smaller-scale storytelling, playing an educator navigating the chaos and heartbreak of a last-chance British reform school. It’s the kind of role that asks him to be human-sized again, to find drama in classrooms and corridors rather than in the fate of nations. For an actor who started his journey in Cork, Ireland, dreaming of music careers before stumbling into theater, this oscillation between the monumental and the modest feels entirely natural. Murphy has never forgotten that acting, at its core, is about connection, about finding the universal in the specific, whether you’re playing the father of the atomic bomb or a teacher trying to reach troubled kids. The OPPENHEIMER phenomenon was something else entirely, though, a reminder that sometimes the right film arrives at exactly the right moment. It became more than a movie; it was a cultural event that sparked debates about science, morality, and responsibility, that had people reading biographies and revisiting history, that proved audiences still hunger for ambitious, intelligent cinema. Murphy rode that wave with characteristic grace, accepting his Oscar with quiet gratitude, never letting the noise distort who he is or what he values. What makes Murphy’s recent trajectory so compelling is his refusal to be defined by any single success. The Oscar sits on a shelf somewhere, sure, but he’s already moved on, already searching for the next character who will demand something different from him. STEVE represents that search, a deliberate pivot away from prestige and toward the messy, unglamorous work of portraying ordinary lives under extraordinary pressure. It’s Murphy reminding everyone that the work matters more than the recognition, that transformation is the point, not the podium. In an era when most actors leverage an Academy Award into franchises and paydays, Murphy is doing something quietly radical: he’s staying curious, staying hungry, staying true to the instincts that brought him from Cork music venues to Hollywood’s biggest stages. The partnership with Nolan will likely continue; their creative chemistry is too rare to abandon. But Murphy isn’t waiting around for the next prestige project to validate him. He’s already in the classroom with STEVE, already finding new ways to disappear into someone else’s skin, already proving that the best response to extraordinary success is simply to keep working, keep searching, keep becoming. Instagram Youtube [...]
September 26The Gothic revival is upon us, and Maggie Gyllenhaal is leading the charge with her most ambitious directorial effort yet. Five years after her acclaimed debut THE LOST DAUGHTER established her as a filmmaker to watch, Gyllenhaal returns with THE BRIDE!, a creature feature that promises to breathe new life into Mary Shelley’s immortal creation while exploring entirely uncharted territory in the Frankenstein mythology. Where countless adaptations have focused on the mad scientist or his monstrous creation, Gyllenhaal’s vision shifts the spotlight to perhaps the most intriguing character of all: the Bride herself. Drawing loose inspiration from James Whale’s 1935 masterpiece BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN, this bold reimagining transplants the story to 1930s Chicago, where Frankenstein’s monster seeks out Dr. Euphronious with a desperate request for companionship. The choice of setting is no accident—the Great Depression era provides the perfect backdrop for exploring themes of identity, transformation, and what it means to be human in a world that constantly reshapes itself. The journey to bring THE BRIDE! to life has been as tumultuous as the story itself. Originally slated for autumn 2025, the film weathered the storm of 2023’s industry-wide strikes, Netflix’s budget concerns, and a studio shuffle that ultimately landed the project at Warner Bros. Yet these delays may have been a blessing in disguise, allowing Gyllenhaal to realize her vision of shooting in New York City and craft what promises to be a more personal, intimate take on the classic tale. The film’s recently released trailer hints at a story that transcends typical monster movie tropes, suggesting a deeper examination of identity and belonging that resonates with contemporary anxieties. As the Bride awakens to consciousness, her journey of self-discovery mirrors the broader social upheaval of the 1930s, creating a compelling parallel between personal and societal transformation. With a March 6, 2026 release date now locked in, THE BRIDE! represents more than just another Gothic horror adaptation. It’s Gyllenhaal’s statement that classical literature still has profound things to say about modern life, filtered through the lens of a filmmaker unafraid to challenge both genre conventions and audience expectations. In an era saturated with franchise filmmaking and familiar formulas, THE BRIDE! promises to be that rare creature: something genuinely unexpected. Instagram Youtube [...]
September 22Cillian Murphy is on an unstoppable roll. The Irish actor has delivered three consecutive powerhouse performances that showcase not just his exceptional range, but his evolution into one of cinema’s most compelling character actors. From his Oscar-winning portrayal in OPPENHEIMER to the quietly devastating SMALL THINGS LIKE THESE, and now with his latest offering STEVE, Murphy has carved out a remarkable niche playing men wrestling with internal pressure and moral complexity. STEVE represents perhaps Murphy’s most intimate project yet, both as an actor and as a producer through his company Big Things Films. Adapted from Max Porter’s novella Shy, the film follows a head teacher at a last-chance school for young offenders, a man consumed by his mission to help troubled youth while battling his own deteriorating mental state. It’s a role that allows Murphy to explore themes of masculinity, mental health, and the weight of responsibility with his characteristic subtlety and emotional intelligence. What makes Murphy’s recent career trajectory so fascinating is how he’s surrounded himself with trusted collaborators, creating a creative ecosystem that consistently produces meaningful work. His partnership with author Max Porter began with the stage adaptation of Grief is the Thing with Feathers and has blossomed into multiple film projects. Director Tim Mielants, who helmed both SMALL THINGS LIKE THESE and STEVE, has become another key creative ally, while actors like Emily Watson have appeared across multiple Murphy productions. The decision to make Steve Irish rather than English, as written in Porter’s original novella, speaks to Murphy’s instinct for authentic storytelling. By removing what he calls “one other kind of veil,” Murphy creates space for a more naturalistic performance while highlighting the reality of Irish educators working throughout the UK. This choice reflects his growing confidence as both performer and producer in shaping narratives that resonate with personal truth. Murphy’s transition into producing has revealed another dimension of his artistic identity. Through Big Things Films, partnered with experienced producer Alan Moloney, he’s discovering a passion for the technical aspects of filmmaking that actors rarely experience. From grading to scoring to sound mixing, Murphy describes the post-production process as “magic dust,” finding particular satisfaction in bringing together talented collaborators and watching creative sparks fly. The personal resonance of STEVE runs deep for Murphy, whose family background in education only became apparent to him during the production process. As he reflects on his childhood surrounded by teachers and his own children’s school experiences, the project became a meditation on the profound impact educators have on young lives. This isn’t just professional growth for Murphy; it’s artistic maturation, where life experience informs creative choices in increasingly sophisticated ways. With THE IMMORTAL MAN, the upcoming Peaky Blinders film, on the horizon, Murphy shows no signs of slowing down. His recent work demonstrates an actor at the peak of his powers, choosing projects that challenge both himself and audiences while building a sustainable creative community around meaningful storytelling. In an industry often driven by spectacle and franchise thinking, Murphy’s approach feels refreshingly human-scaled and emotionally honest. STEVE arrives at a moment when Murphy has fully embraced his role as both interpreter and creator of complex narratives about modern masculinity and moral responsibility. It’s a film that earns its emotional impact through careful character work rather than dramatic flourishes, perfectly suited to an actor who has mastered the art of saying everything while appearing to say very little. This is Murphy at his finest, continuing a remarkable creative streak that positions him among the most essential actors of his generation. Instagram Youtube [...]
September 18The stage is set for another Irish triumph at the Academy Awards as HAMNET, starring powerhouse performers Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal, claimed the coveted People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival this week. This prestigious honor has historically served as a reliable predictor of Oscar success, with previous winners like CHARIOTS OF FIRE, THE PRINCESS BRIDE, and SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE all going on to capture Academy Award nominations. Director Chloé Zhao has crafted something extraordinary in her adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s acclaimed 2020 novel, transporting audiences to 16th century England to witness one of literature’s most devastating personal tragedies. The film centers on the death of William Shakespeare’s 11-year-old son Hamnet, but this isn’t merely another biographical portrait of the Bard. Instead, Zhao has made the bold choice to focus the narrative through the eyes of Agnes, Shakespeare’s wife, brilliantly portrayed by Kerry native Jessie Buckley, who infuses the film with remarkable warmth and emotional depth. Paul Mescal, the Kildare-born actor who has rapidly become one of Ireland’s most compelling screen presences, takes on the formidable challenge of embodying Shakespeare himself. Yet as festival organizers noted, this Shakespeare isn’t presented as an untouchable literary genius but as a real man whose creative brilliance was fundamentally shaped by domestic tragedy and personal loss. The film boldly rejects the historical tendency to dismiss child mortality in the 16th century as commonplace, instead examining how such profound grief would have impacted both the playwright’s work and his marriage. What emerges is a deeply human story that challenges our understanding of one of history’s greatest writers while showcasing the extraordinary talents of two Irish actors at the height of their powers. Buckley, whose career has been marked by fearless performances across stage and screen, finds new depths in Agnes, a woman whose story has too often been overshadowed by her husband’s literary legacy. Meanwhile, Mescal continues his remarkable ascent following his breakthrough in NORMAL PEOPLE, proving his ability to inhabit complex historical figures with the same emotional authenticity that made him a household name. The Toronto victory positions HAMNET as a serious contender for the upcoming awards season, with both lead performances likely to generate significant buzz among Academy voters. As the film prepares for its November 27 theatrical release, it represents not just another potential Irish success story at the Oscars, but a thoughtful exploration of how personal tragedy can transform artistic genius, told through the lens of a marriage tested by unimaginable loss. Instagram Youtube [...]
September 17Paul Mescal strolls through London’s Highbury Fields with the easy confidence of someone who has found his rhythm in an industry notorious for grinding down its brightest stars. Sunglasses perched casually on his face, his signature mullet catching the afternoon light, he moves with an unhurried spring in his step that speaks to a man genuinely at peace with his meteoric rise. The 28-year-old Irish actor, fresh from his starring role in HAMNET, has just wrapped a candid conversation with Rolling Stone that reveals as much about his grounded perspective as it does about his soaring career trajectory. The meeting spot he chose—a pub called the Famous Cock—elicits a characteristic laugh from Mescal. “Ha! It’s pretty identifiable, isn’t it?” The choice feels emblematic of an actor who refuses to take himself too seriously despite now being considered one of Hollywood’s most promising talents. As he navigates the park paths, nodding respectfully to elderly gentlemen and playfully weaving around strollers, there’s something remarkably unaffected about his presence. This is a movie star who still finds joy in the simple act of walking through a neighborhood he’s grown to love. Since breaking through with his raw, emotionally devastating performance in NORMAL PEOPLE, Mescal has built a career defined by both artistic integrity and surprising versatility. His recent turn in HAMNET showcased his ability to inhabit complex historical narratives, while earlier roles in films like AFTERSUN proved his capacity for intimate, contemporary storytelling. Each project seems carefully chosen, reflecting an actor more interested in depth than breadth, substance over spectacle. But it’s his upcoming challenge that truly captures the scope of his ambition. Mescal is currently deep in rehearsals to portray Paul McCartney in Sam Mendes’ ambitious quartet of Beatles biopics, slated for release in 2028. The role represents not just a career pinnacle but a chance to embody one of his genuine heroes. “I’ve met him a couple of times. I adore him. I think he changed the world,” Mescal says of McCartney with an enthusiasm that transcends professional obligation. The preparation for such an iconic role has given Mescal something he didn’t expect to appreciate: structure. “It’s a version of a weird 9-to-5, and I thought I would hate that and I actually am loving that. I do like structure a lot. I like a plan. I like rehearsals.” For an actor who admits that “everybody—everybody?—wants to be in a musical,” the McCartney project represents the perfect convergence of his passions for music, performance, and storytelling. Mescal’s love affair with music runs deep, extending far beyond professional requirements. He speaks with genuine reverence about “music with a context,” Irish folk traditions, and the Beatles’ transformative impact on popular culture. This isn’t the casual name-dropping of a celebrity trying to appear cultured—it’s the sincere appreciation of someone who understands music as both art form and cultural force. Instagram Youtube [...]
September 16There’s something almost mystical about watching two actors discover their chemistry in real time. When Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell sat down to promote Kogonada’s latest romantic fantasy A BIG BOLD BEAUTIFUL JOURNEY at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills last Thursday, the spark between them was undeniable—the kind of connection that transcends mere professionalism and enters the realm of pure creative magic. “I suspected we would have chemistry, but you never know until you’re actually acting,” Robbie confessed, her eyes lighting up as she recalled their first scenes together. “But I had a suspicion it would work.” That suspicion proved prophetic. The fire between these two performers burns bright throughout the film, creating an emotional landscape that feels both intimate and expansive. In A BIG BOLD BEAUTIFUL JOURNEY, Robbie and Farrell embody Sarah and David, two strangers whose lives intersect through the most unlikely of circumstances—a mysterious rental car agency that seems to operate outside the normal rules of reality. What begins as a simple transaction evolves into something far more profound when their talking GPS guides them through doorways that serve as portals to their past selves, forcing them to confront the pivotal moments that shaped who they’ve become. The premise might sound fantastical, but in Kogonada’s hands, it becomes a meditation on connection, memory, and the invisible threads that bind us to our histories and to each other. As Sarah and David journey backward through time to revisit their childhoods, they’re not just observers of their past—they’re active participants in understanding how those formative experiences created the adults they are today. Robbie and Farrell’s performances anchor this time-bending narrative with remarkable authenticity. Their chemistry isn’t just romantic—it’s deeply human, built on the shared vulnerability of two people brave enough to examine their deepest truths together. In a world where so many films rely on manufactured emotions and forced connections, A BIG BOLD BEAUTIFUL JOURNEY offers something increasingly rare: genuine intimacy born from two actors completely committed to the emotional journey their characters must take. Instagram Youtube [...]
September 13When Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor sat down for Entertainment Weekly’s LIE vs LIE segment, what started as promotional fun for their new film THE HISTORY OF SOUND quickly spiraled into something far more revealing and uncomfortable than either actor likely anticipated. The premise was simple enough: two co-stars, a handful of prompts, and the challenge of weaving truth and fiction so seamlessly that even they couldn’t tell where reality ended and fabrication began. But when Mescal was asked to share a fan encounter that stuck with him, the Irish actor launched into a story that had O’Connor—and viewers—questioning not just its veracity, but its appropriateness for a lighthearted promotional game. Mescal painted the scene with uncomfortable precision: London’s stage door after a performance of A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, where he found himself posing for photos with fans, as actors do. Enter a woman in her fifties with her daughter, both enthusiastic about his work in NORMAL PEOPLE and his theatrical performance that evening. What happened next, according to Mescal’s account, crossed boundaries in a way that left him unsettled enough to remember it months later. The telling detail wasn’t just in Mescal’s words, but in his need to physically demonstrate the encounter, asking O’Connor’s permission before placing hands on him to recreate whatever inappropriate gesture this alleged fan had made. The moment crystallized the strange intimacy that actors develop while promoting films together—the way they become comfortable enough to use each other’s bodies as props for storytelling, yet still maintain enough respect to ask permission first. This blend of professional intimacy and personal boundaries runs through THE HISTORY OF SOUND itself, the romantic drama that brought these two actors together in the first place. Opening Friday, the film follows Lionel and David, two men whose connection deepens from their shared studies at the Boston Conservatory to an expedition collecting folk songs in rural Maine after World War I. It’s a story about artistic passion, emotional discovery, and the kind of profound male friendship that existed in an era when such relationships operated in spaces between spoken and unspoken understanding. The film premiered at Cannes in May to inevitable comparisons with BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, a parallel that clearly frustrates Mescal. His dismissal of the comparison as “lazy” reveals an actor protective of his work’s unique identity, refusing to let it be reduced to surface similarities. As he pointed out in press conference footage, while both films feature men in outdoor settings, THE HISTORY OF SOUND moves in the opposite direction from BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN’s exploration of repression, instead celebrating openness and artistic expression. Perhaps that’s what makes Mescal’s fan encounter story so compelling within the context of promoting this particular film. Whether true or fabricated for the game, it speaks to the way public figures navigate inappropriate attention while trying to remain accessible to genuine admirers. The story becomes a small mirror of the film’s larger themes about connection, boundaries, and the courage required to be authentic in a world that doesn’t always know how to respond appropriately. O’Connor, for his part, had to sit there and determine whether his co-star was telling the truth or spinning an elaborate fiction, just as audiences will have to decide what they believe about the characters these actors bring to life in THE HISTORY OF SOUND. The real game wasn’t lie versus lie, but the more complex challenge of distinguishing between different kinds of truth—the literal and the emotional, the factual and the essential. In the end, whether Mescal’s fan story actually happened matters less than what it reveals about the strange territory actors occupy, somewhere between public and private, accessible yet vulnerable, always performing even when they’re supposedly just being themselves. Instagram Youtube [...]
September 11The moment Cillian Murphy’s name echoed through the Dolby Theatre at the 2024 Academy Awards, it marked the culmination of a remarkable career transformation that few could have predicted. The Irish actor, who had spent decades crafting nuanced performances in both independent films and mainstream blockbusters, finally received Hollywood’s highest honor for his devastating portrayal of J. Robert Oppenheimer in Christopher Nolan’s biographical masterpiece OPPENHEIMER. In this week’s conversation with Stephen Colbert, Murphy reflected on that surreal Oscar night experience, describing the disorienting sensation of hearing his name called after years of being considered one of the industry’s most underrated talents. The win wasn’t just personal vindication—it represented a seismic shift in how Hollywood recognizes complex, cerebral performances over traditional leading man heroics. Murphy’s journey to Oscar gold began long before OPPENHEIMER, but his recent career trajectory has been nothing short of extraordinary. His six-season run as Tommy Shelby in PEAKY BLINDERS established him as a magnetic screen presence capable of carrying a series through sheer intensity and charisma. The show’s global success on Netflix introduced Murphy to audiences who had previously known him primarily through his collaborations with Nolan in THE DARK KNIGHT trilogy, INCEPTION, and DUNKIRK. What makes Murphy’s recent ascendance so compelling is how he’s leveraged his newfound mainstream recognition while maintaining his commitment to challenging material. OPPENHEIMER demanded an actor capable of embodying both scientific brilliance and moral complexity, someone who could make the father of the atomic bomb simultaneously sympathetic and terrifying. Murphy’s gaunt frame and piercing blue eyes became the perfect vessel for Oppenheimer’s tortured genius. The timing of Murphy’s Oscar triumph coincides perfectly with his next project, STEVE, which arrives in select theaters on September 19th before streaming on Netflix October 3rd. This strategic release pattern reflects how the industry now recognizes Murphy as both a critical darling and a commercial draw, someone whose name alone can anchor a prestige project across multiple platforms. Murphy’s recent career renaissance proves that sometimes the most profound success comes to those who refuse to compromise their artistic integrity for easy wins. His Academy Award wasn’t just recognition for a single performance—it was Hollywood finally catching up to what discerning viewers have known for years: that Cillian Murphy represents the very best of contemporary screen acting. Instagram Youtube [...]
September 9Paul Mescal has become cinema’s most compelling young actor by choosing projects that blur the line between fiction and profound emotional truth. Fresh from his Oscar-nominated performance in AFTERSUN, Mescal is now stepping into the world of William Shakespeare with HAMNET, a film that he describes as feeling “almost like a documentary” despite being entirely fictional. Standing on the red carpet at the Toronto International Film Festival, Mescal spoke with the conviction of an actor who has found his artistic north star. HAMNET, based on Maggie O’Farrell’s bestselling novel and adapted by O’Farrell alongside director Chloé Zhao, tells the story of Shakespeare’s marriage to Agnes and the devastating death of their son Hamnet—the tragedy that would inspire the playwright to create HAMLET. It’s a narrative built on historical fragments and imaginative reconstruction, yet Mescal believes it captures something essential about the creation of one of literature’s greatest works. “This book and this script and this film is the closest thing to me that makes sense out of how we got the play HAMLET,” Mescal explained. “It’s fiction, but to me it feels like almost a documentary in terms of how do we make sense out where this piece of art came from.” This perspective reveals something crucial about Mescal’s approach to his craft—his ability to find documentary-like truth in fictional narratives, the same quality that made his portrayal of a grieving father in AFTERSUN so devastatingly authentic. The project came to life through Mescal’s own advocacy. After reading O’Farrell’s novel, originally published in Canada as “Hamnet and Judith,” he convinced Zhao to take on the adaptation. This kind of creative initiative marks Mescal as more than just a performer; he’s becoming a curator of meaningful cinema, someone who recognizes stories worth telling and has the clout to see them realized. HAMNET had its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival before arriving at TIFF, where it’s already generating Oscar buzz. Much of that attention focuses on Jessie Buckley’s portrayal of Agnes, Shakespeare’s wife—a woman who has remained largely invisible in historical accounts despite being central to the playwright’s emotional life. Buckley, who has performed in multiple Shakespeare plays including THE TEMPEST, THE WINTER’S TALE, and ROMEO AND JULIET, brings a unique understanding to the role. “He’s such a potent spectre in a lot of our lives and never really has been explored to see who the woman might be behind his language and the world that he creates,” Buckley reflected. Her performance promises to illuminate the mysterious figure who lived alongside literature’s most celebrated writer, and she believes the role will influence any future Shakespearean work she undertakes: “Having touched the edges of what that might be, I think if I was ever to play another great female Shakespearean character, she’d definitely be in the bloodstream somewhere there.” For Mescal, HAMNET represents another bold choice in a career defined by emotional intelligence and artistic risk-taking. From the intimate grief of AFTERSUN to the epic scale of GLADIATOR II, and now to the intimate historical drama of HAMNET, he continues to seek projects that explore the deepest human experiences. His belief that HAMNET feels like a documentary speaks to his commitment to finding truth in storytelling, even when—perhaps especially when—the historical record remains silent. As scholars know, Shakespeare did have a son named Hamnet who died before HAMLET was written, but there’s no definitive record of how one influenced the other. That gap in history becomes fertile ground for imagination, and in Mescal’s hands, that imagination becomes a vehicle for exploring how art emerges from the most profound personal losses. It’s exactly the kind of project that suits an actor who has made his reputation by finding the universal in the deeply personal, turning every performance into an exploration of what it means to be human. Instagram Youtube [...]
September 6The strobing lights have dimmed, the bass has faded, but the journey for INTO THE SILENCE has only just begun. What started as a vision of Ireland’s transformative acid house movement has evolved into a powerful 10-minute and 59-second exploration of trauma, healing, and the redemptive power of music that’s now captivating audiences across the festival landscape. The film’s premiere at Windmill Studio on July 17th felt like the perfect crescendo to months of passionate work. With over 200 cast, crew members, and supporters filling the venue, the energy in the room was electric—reminiscent of the very rave culture the film celebrates. Seeing Daniel Soluns, Louis Martin, Conor Hackett, and Ruth Hayes watch their performances unfold on the big screen alongside the creative team was a moment that crystallized why we tell these stories in the first place. From there, INTO THE SILENCE found its way to the outdoor setting of the Mallow Arts Festival in July, where the film’s themes of music as sanctuary resonated under the open sky. There’s something poetic about screening a film that explores the healing power of creativity in a festival environment where art becomes communal experience, where strangers gather to share in something larger than themselves. Now, as we await responses from IndieCork, Waterford, Kerry, and other festivals, we’ve received confirmation that INTO THE SILENCE has been officially selected for the 16th Underground International Film Festival, running September 6th through 9th at the Royal Marine Hotel. The film will be featured in Shorts Program 5, placing it among a carefully curated selection of independent voices that dare to explore the complexities of human experience. At its core, INTO THE SILENCE follows Bastien, a young DJ navigating Ireland’s 1990s acid house scene, as he confronts the echoes of a life-altering event that threatens to silence his passion forever. But this isn’t just a story about music or rave culture—it’s about the intricate dance between trauma and healing, between the creative force that drives us and the darkness that sometimes seeks to extinguish it. The film deliberately explores how music becomes more than entertainment for Bastien; it transforms into a coping mechanism, a sanctuary, an ode to friendship lost and a bridge back to life itself. Through his journey, we witness the duality that defines so much of human experience—the passion of creation existing alongside the very real dangers of the world that inspires it, the healing power of art balanced against the chaos from which it emerges. What makes INTO THE SILENCE resonate isn’t just its authentic portrayal of Ireland’s underground music scene, but its universal exploration of how we rebuild ourselves after loss. Bastien’s story speaks to anyone who has ever used creativity as a lifeline, who has found in art the words they couldn’t speak, the emotions they couldn’t otherwise express. The film reveals how the act of creation—whether mixing tracks in a dimly lit club or crafting a story for the screen—can become a form of resurrection. As INTO THE SILENCE continues its festival journey, each screening becomes its own kind of performance, its own moment of connection between the story we’ve told and the audiences who receive it. The underground cinema scene, much like the rave culture the film explores, thrives on these intimate gatherings where art meets audience in spaces designed for discovery and transformation. The festival circuit represents more than just opportunities for recognition—it’s where independent films find their tribe, where stories that might otherwise remain unheard discover the communities that need them most. For INTO THE SILENCE, each festival becomes another venue where Bastien’s journey can resonate, where the themes of resilience, recovery, and the healing power of creativity can find new audiences ready to listen. Instagram Youtube [...]
September 5In a year when cinema often feels disconnected from reality’s urgent rhythms, Irish documentary filmmaker Gar O’Rourke has delivered something extraordinary with SANATORIUM, a Ukrainian-language film that has just been selected to represent Ireland at the 98th Academy Awards in the International Feature Film category. This isn’t just another festival darling or awards season contender—it’s a masterpiece of observational cinema that transforms what could have been tragedy tourism into something far more profound and necessary. What emerges over 90 riveting minutes is a film that defies every expectation about wartime documentaries. O’Rourke opens with a manager on the roof shouting into his phone, “Igor, where the f*** are you?!” and immediately establishes that SANATORIUM will be many things, but a downer isn’t one of them. Instead, it’s strange, funny, heart-warming, and cathartic in its moments of lived poignancy—above all, it’s a tribute to human resilience that feels both specifically Ukrainian and universally recognizable. The director’s instinct for character proves impeccable. There’s the perpetually hassled boss with his sharp wit, a young woman seeking fertility treatments who has found unexpected community, and a mother-son duo whose dynamic rivals any comedy partnership you know from home. These aren’t victims or symbols—they’re fully realized people navigating an impossible summer with dignity, humor, and an almost stubborn commitment to normalcy. O’Rourke has described his vision of Kuyalnik as capturing “an intangible aura and magic within this building,” and he’s bottled exactly that. The film’s most powerful image—people taking outdoor mud baths while smoke from distant bombs rises on the horizon—encapsulates both the absurdity and the profound logic of their situation. It’s a shot that will haunt you not because of its despair but because of its defiant insistence that life, indeed, goes on. This represents a significant moment for O’Rourke’s career, showcasing his ability to find the human story within geopolitical chaos without exploitation or sentimentality. Supported by Creative Europe MEDIA’s development funding, SANATORIUM demonstrates how Irish cinema can engage with global stories while maintaining its distinctive voice and perspective. The film’s Oscar selection marks more than just international recognition—it signals Irish cinema’s growing confidence in tackling complex, urgent subjects with the sophistication they deserve. O’Rourke has created something genuinely beguiling, a documentary that makes the case for cinema’s unique power to find hope in the most unlikely places. In a world that often feels like it’s falling apart, SANATORIUM reminds us that sometimes the most radical act is simply the decision to keep going, mud baths and all. Instagram Youtube [...]
August 31Paul Mescal’s meteoric rise from the sun-drenched shores of NORMAL PEOPLE to the brutal arenas of GLADIATOR II has positioned him as one of cinema’s most compelling young talents, and his latest venture promises to showcase yet another facet of his remarkable range. In HAMNET, Chloé Zhao’s highly anticipated adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s acclaimed novel, Mescal takes on perhaps his most challenging role yet: William Shakespeare himself. The film, set against the backdrop of plague-ravaged 1580s England, explores the untold love story that would eventually inspire HAMLET, with Mescal embodying the legendary playwright alongside Jessie Buckley’s Agnes Shakespeare. This casting represents a bold artistic choice that builds on Mescal’s proven ability to inhabit complex historical and literary figures, following his captivating performances in AFTERSUN and his upcoming turn as Lucius in Ridley Scott’s GLADIATOR II. The recently released teaser trailer offers tantalizing glimpses of Mescal’s interpretation of the Bard, capturing intimate moments between the couple that feel both deeply personal and mythically significant. When Shakespeare asks Agnes what she saw when she touched him, her response—”I saw a landscape… spaces, caves, tunnels and oceans, undiscovered countries, deep dark black void”—suggests the film will explore the mystical, almost supernatural connection between the couple that supposedly fueled Shakespeare’s greatest works. Zhao, fresh from her Oscar-winning triumph with NOMADLAND and the divisive Marvel spectacle ETERNALS, has chosen to ground this period piece in the kind of intimate, naturalistic storytelling that made her a critical darling. Co-writing the screenplay with O’Farrell herself, Zhao appears to be returning to the contemplative, character-driven approach that defined her earlier work, while Mescal’s casting signals her confidence in his ability to carry a prestige historical drama. For Mescal, HAMNET represents another strategic step in building a filmography that balances commercial appeal with artistic credibility. His journey from Irish theater stages to international stardom has been marked by careful role selection, and his willingness to tackle Shakespeare—even a reimagined version—demonstrates his commitment to challenging material. The film deliberately blends historical fact with creative interpretation, reimagining Shakespeare’s wife Anne Hathaway as Agnes and exploring how the tragic loss of their son Hamnet might have influenced the creation of HAMLET. With powerhouse producers Sam Mendes and Steven Spielberg backing the project, and Emily Watson and Joe Alwyn rounding out the cast, HAMNET carries significant awards season weight. The film’s premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival will likely serve as Mescal’s introduction to Oscar voters, potentially positioning him as a serious contender in a year when his GLADIATOR II performance will also be generating buzz. Focus Features’ strategic release plan—select theaters November 27 followed by wide release December 12—suggests confidence in the film’s commercial and critical potential. For Mescal, who has masterfully navigated the transition from television breakthrough to film stardom, HAMNET offers the opportunity to prove he can anchor a literary adaptation with the same magnetic presence he brought to contemporary stories like AFTERSUN. As O’Farrell noted in her Instagram post sharing the first images, the film is “a beauty, from start to finish”—words that could easily describe Mescal’s career trajectory as he continues to establish himself as one of his generation’s most essential actors. Instagram Youtube [...]
August 26Colin Farrell has been quietly building one of the most compelling careers in contemporary cinema, and his upcoming collaboration with visionary director Kogonada in A BIG BOLD BEAUTIFUL JOURNEY promises to be another fascinating chapter in his artistic evolution. Set for release on September 19th, this romance fantasy finds Farrell reuniting with the director who helped showcase his dramatic range in AFTER YANG, this time opposite Margot Robbie in what could be Sony Pictures’ most emotionally ambitious film of the year. Farrell’s recent trajectory has been nothing short of remarkable. His powerhouse performance in THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, cementing his place among cinema’s elite dramatic talents. The film’s eight Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, represented a career peak for an actor who has consistently chosen substance over spectacle. But Farrell hasn’t stopped there. His recent television work has been equally impressive, bringing depth and nuance to both the neo-noir series Sugar and the gritty Gotham underworld of THE PENGUIN, proving his range extends seamlessly across mediums. A BIG BOLD BEAUTIFUL JOURNEY, penned by THE MENU writer Seth Reiss, represents Kogonada’s highest-profile project yet, and it arrives at a fascinating moment for both its leads. For Robbie, it’s her first major role since the cultural phenomenon that was BARBIE, offering her a chance to showcase her dramatic chops in a more intimate setting. For Farrell, it continues his streak of choosing projects that challenge both him and audiences, working with directors who understand that the best fantasy films are ultimately about very human truths. The film’s stellar supporting cast—including Kevin Kline, Lily Rabe, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and Billy Magnussen—suggests a project with serious dramatic ambitions wrapped in fantastical packaging. The concept of revisiting and potentially altering our past mistakes speaks to universal human desires and regrets, the kind of emotional territory that Farrell has become masterful at navigating. What makes Farrell’s current phase so compelling is his willingness to embrace vulnerability without sacrificing his natural charisma. Whether he’s delivering heartbreaking monologues in THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN, exploring grief and memory in AFTER YANG, or diving into genre work with his television projects, he brings a rare combination of intensity and restraint that few actors can match. His collaboration with Kogonada in A BIG BOLD BEAUTIFUL JOURNEY promises to be another opportunity for this remarkable actor to surprise us, one doorway at a time. Instagram Youtube [...]
August 25Jessie Buckley has carved out one of the most compelling career trajectories in contemporary cinema, and her latest role in HAMNET promises to be her most emotionally demanding yet. Following her Oscar-nominated performance in THE LOST DAUGHTER and her haunting work in MEN, Buckley continues to seek out projects that push both herself and audiences into uncharted emotional territory. In Chloé Zhao’s adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s acclaimed novel, Buckley takes on Agnes Shakespeare, the grieving mother at the heart of this intimate portrait of loss and creation. The film explores the profound love story between William Shakespeare and his wife before and after the devastating death of their son Hamnet—the boy whose name would later echo in the playwright’s greatest tragedy. Zhao, fresh off her Oscar win for NOMADLAND, brings her signature fluid directorial approach to this deeply personal story, allowing the narrative to unfold organically through her actors’ discoveries and the natural rhythms of grief. The production culminated in an extraordinary sequence filmed within a painstakingly constructed replica of Shakespeare’s Globe theater, built to 70% scale and populated with hundreds of background actors. For Buckley, stepping into this recreation of theatrical history while carrying the weight of her character’s journey proved overwhelming. “For the first two days in the Globe, I was genuinely lost. I felt untethered,” she reveals. “You’re at the mecca of where Hamlet is born—everything that we’ve gone through was culminating to this point.” The moment captures something essential about Buckley’s approach to her craft: her willingness to be genuinely vulnerable, to risk losing herself in the service of authentic emotion. This vulnerability has become Buckley’s calling card throughout her recent career evolution. From her breakout in WILD ROSE through her mesmerizing turn opposite Olivia Colman in THE LOST DAUGHTER, she has consistently chosen roles that demand complete emotional exposure. Her collaboration with Alex Garland in MEN saw her navigate psychological horror with the same fearless commitment she brings to intimate drama, establishing her as an actor unafraid of challenging material. Working alongside Paul Mescal’s William Shakespeare and supported by a cast including Joe Alwyn, Emily Watson, and Jacobi Jupe as the ill-fated Hamnet, Buckley anchors HAMNET with what Zhao describes as the film’s emotional core. The director’s faith in her improvisational process, combined with Max Richter’s evocative score, ultimately helped Buckley find her way through the character’s darkest moments. It’s this combination of artistic trust and emotional courage that has made her one of the most sought-after actors of her generation. When HAMNET arrives in theaters this November via Focus Features, expanding wide in December, audiences will witness another chapter in Buckley’s remarkable ascent. Her ability to inhabit grief, love, and resilience with equal measure suggests an actor at the height of her powers, unafraid to explore the deepest wells of human experience. In an industry often focused on surface spectacle, Buckley continues to remind us why authentic emotional storytelling remains cinema’s greatest gift. Instagram Youtube [...]
August 23After eight years of silence from one of cinema’s most revered figures, Daniel Day-Lewis is stepping back into the spotlight with ANEMONE, a deeply personal project that marks both his return to acting and a remarkable creative collaboration with his son, Ronan. The first trailer has arrived, offering our first glimpse of what promises to be one of the most compelling comebacks in recent memory. What makes ANEMONE so extraordinary isn’t just Day-Lewis’s return, but the intimate nature of the project itself. The film represents the feature debut of his 27-year-old son Ronan, who has spent his career primarily as a painter with only two short films to his credit. Together, father and son have crafted a screenplay that distributors describe as exploring “the complex and profound ties that exist between brothers, fathers, and sons.” The meta-textual implications are impossible to ignore. Set against the stark landscape of Yorkshire in the late 1980s, ANEMONE tells the story of two brothers whose lives remain haunted by their service as British paramilitaries in Northern Ireland two decades prior. It’s a premise that feels tailor-made for Day-Lewis, whose career has been defined by his ability to inhabit characters wrestling with historical trauma and moral complexity. From his Oscar-winning turns in MY LEFT FOOT, LINCOLN, and THERE WILL BE BLOOD to his unforgettable performances in THE AGE OF INNOCENCE, MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDRETTE, and THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS, Day-Lewis has consistently chosen projects that demand both physical and emotional transformation. There’s something particularly poetic about Day-Lewis returning to acting through a project that explores father-son relationships. His own artistic legacy includes THE BALLAD OF JACK AND ROSE, a 2005 film directed by his wife Rebecca Miller, Ronan’s mother. Now, the creative circle completes itself as the family that has long kept their private lives separate from Day-Lewis’s public persona comes together for what feels like their most vulnerable work yet. For audiences who have spent nearly a decade wondering if they’d ever see Day-Lewis on screen again, ANEMONE represents more than just another film. It’s a meditation on legacy, family, and the bonds that both bind and burden us. In choosing to return through a story about brothers haunted by their past, Day-Lewis seems to be grappling with his own relationship to a career that brought him unparalleled acclaim but also, apparently, profound emotional cost. Instagram Youtube [...]
August 21Edward Berger doesn’t make small movies. The Austrian filmmaker has carved out a reputation for creating visually stunning, emotionally complex films that demand attention from both audiences and awards voters. His last film, CONCLAVE, swept through award season like a papal decree, claiming the SAG ensemble award (essentially their best picture), the BAFTA for Best Film, and eight Oscar nominations including a win for Best Adapted Screenplay. Before that, his haunting war epic ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT captured the Oscar for Best International Feature Film. The Academy knows Berger’s name, and when a filmmaker of his caliber releases new work, the industry takes notice. Enter BALLAD OF A SMALL PLAYER, Berger’s latest venture that trades Vatican corridors and WWI trenches for the neon-soaked gambling dens of Macau. The first trailer, released this week, reveals a filmmaker stretching his visual muscles in entirely new directions. From the battlefield to the Vatican and now to the casino floor, Berger demonstrates an almost chameleon-like ability to adapt his aesthetic to serve story. If you’ve witnessed the breathtaking umbrella scene in CONCLAVE or the mud-caked horror of ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT, you understand that Berger doesn’t just make films—he crafts visual experiences that linger long after the credits roll. The casting feels equally deliberate and inspired. Colin Farrell leads as the titular small player, riding high on a career renaissance that shows no signs of slowing. Fresh off his Golden Globe and SAG wins for THE PENGUIN, and positioned as an Emmy frontrunner, Farrell appears to be in the midst of a creative hot streak that’s seen him take increasingly bold professional swings over the past five years. The trailer suggests he’s bringing that same fearless energy to Berger’s character study, diving deep into what promises to be another transformative performance. With Kogonada’s A BIG BOLD BEAUTIFUL JOURNEY also arriving this September, this fall could serve as Farrell’s personal talent showcase. Supporting him is Oscar winner Tilda Swinton, whose mere presence elevates any project, and Hong Kong legend Deanie Ip, who made history in 2011 as the first Hong Kong actor to win the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at Venice for A SIMPLE LIFE. It’s a cast that signals serious artistic ambition while honoring the cultural specificity of the story’s setting. That setting—Macau, often called the Vegas of the East—represents more than just exotic backdrop. Working alongside world-class cinematographer James Friend, Berger appears to have crafted what the trailer suggests is a sensory feast that captures both the glamour and the underlying desperation of high-stakes gambling culture. The visuals promise the kind of sensory overload that mirrors the addictive rush of the casino floor, where fortunes change with each roll of the dice and every hand dealt. There’s something particularly compelling about watching a Western filmmaker of Berger’s caliber interpret this distinctly Eastern gambling mecca through his lens. The film represents a fascinating cultural exchange, a character study that could offer fresh perspectives on themes of addiction, chance, and human nature against a backdrop rarely given such serious cinematic treatment by international auteurs. The film’s Canadian premiere at TIFF strongly suggests a Telluride debut, which traditionally serves as the launching pad for serious awards contenders. Given Berger’s track record, Farrell’s current momentum, and the film’s apparent visual ambition, BALLAD OF A SMALL PLAYER could emerge as this fall’s dark horse in the awards conversation. Sometimes the biggest gambles pay off the most handsomely, and Berger seems to understand that better than most. We’ll know very soon whether his latest bet hits the jackpot. Instagram Youtube [...]
August 19In the unforgiving landscape of Irish social realism, where stories often gravitate toward inevitable tragedy, CHRISTY emerges as something altogether more hopeful—a film that finds profound beauty in the struggle to belong. This is the story of seventeen-year-old Christy, cast adrift from his suburban foster home and thrust into the working-class reality of Cork’s north side, where his estranged older brother Shane reluctantly takes him in. Director Brendan Canty, expanding from his own 2019 short film, has crafted something remarkable here—a social-realist drama that pulses with genuine warmth rather than manufactured sentiment. Working alongside screenwriter Alan O’Gorman, Canty understands that authentic emotion emerges not from manipulation but from honest observation of human nature. The result is a film that earns every moment of tenderness through unflinching honesty about the complexities of family, community, and the magnetic pull of home. At the heart of CHRISTY lies a beautiful contradiction: this is a young man discovering he has talents beyond the fighting that has defined his troubled past. His unexpected gift for cutting hair becomes a neighborhood sensation, particularly after he transforms local kid Robot (played with natural charisma by real-life Cork rapper Jamie “the King” Forde). These moments of discovery and community acceptance provide the film’s emotional center, even as the threat of his dangerous cousins lurks perpetually in the background. Perhaps most impressively, CHRISTY manages to convey something extraordinarily difficult to achieve without descending into sentimentality: genuine love for one’s hometown. This isn’t blind nostalgia or romanticized poverty tourism, but an honest reckoning with the way place shapes identity, the way community can be both salvation and trap, the way home can be simultaneously the source of our deepest wounds and our greatest strength. The film builds to a cheeky hip-hop sequence over the closing credits that serves as both celebration and release—a moment of pure joy that feels completely earned after everything that’s come before. It’s the perfect capstone to a film that understands that even in the midst of struggle, there’s room for sweetness, for fun, for the kind of communal celebration that makes survival feel like victory. CHRISTY premiered at the Edinburgh Film Festival before its Irish and Northern Irish release on August 29th and wider UK release on September 5th. It stands as proof that social realism doesn’t have to sacrifice heart for authenticity, that stories about working-class life can be both unflinchingly honest and deeply moving. In a cinematic landscape often divided between gritty pessimism and manufactured optimism, CHRISTY charts a third path—one that finds genuine hope in the simple act of coming home. Instagram Youtube [...]
August 18Colin Farrell is riding an extraordinary wave of career-defining performances, and his latest venture promises to be another masterclass in psychological complexity. BALLAD OF A SMALL PLAYER, the upcoming Netflix thriller from Oscar-winning director Edward Berger, positions the Irish actor in yet another morally ambiguous role that seems tailor-made for this remarkable chapter of his artistic journey. Fresh off his tour-de-force performance as the grotesque yet surprisingly sympathetic Penguin in THE BATMAN franchise and his Oscar-nominated turn in THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN, Farrell has transformed himself from the Hollywood heartthrob of the early 2000s into one of cinema’s most compelling character actors. His ability to disappear completely into roles—whether beneath layers of prosthetics as Gotham’s crime boss or as the wounded, desperate Pádraic on a remote Irish island—has redefined what audiences expect from him. In BALLAD OF A SMALL PLAYER, Farrell takes on Lord Doyle, an obsessive traveling gambler seeking refuge in the neon-soaked casinos of Macau, China, where his dark past threatens to destroy his carefully constructed exile. The first images from the film reveal Farrell in his element: haunted, desperate, and utterly consumed by the psychological weight of his character’s circumstances. It’s a role that feels like a natural evolution of the damaged men he’s been portraying with such devastating effectiveness. Edward Berger, whose ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT earned him an Oscar and whose recent CONCLAVE garnered critical acclaim, brings his signature psychological intensity to Lawrence Osborne’s 2014 source novel. With Rowan Joffé adapting the screenplay -the same writer behind 28 WEEKS LATER and THE AMERICAN – the project assembles a creative team known for exploring the darker corners of human nature. Tilda Swinton rounds out the cast as the relentless detective pursuing Doyle, setting up what promises to be a cat-and-mouse thriller with serious dramatic weight. What makes this project particularly exciting is how it continues Farrell’s recent pattern of choosing roles that challenge both him and his audience. Gone are the days of conventional leading-man parts; instead, he’s gravitating toward characters who exist in moral gray areas, men struggling with addiction, obsession, and self-destruction. BALLAD OF A SMALL PLAYER appears to be another entry in this fascinating catalog of broken souls brought to vivid life by an actor at the peak of his powers. The film’s journey to audiences reflects the prestige surrounding the project. After its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2025, BALLAD OF A SMALL PLAYER will receive a limited theatrical release in the United States on October 15 and the United Kingdom on October 17, before arriving on Netflix on October 29. Instagram Youtube [...]
August 14Daniel Day-Lewis is back, and the world should take notice. Eight years after declaring his retirement from acting with the finality of a man who seemed to mean it this time, the three-time Oscar winner has emerged from his self-imposed exile with ANEMONE, a deeply personal project that marks not just his return to the screen, but a profound collaboration with his son, Ronan Day-Lewis, who makes his feature directorial debut. The announcement comes with all the gravitas we’ve come to expect from Day-Lewis—a single, haunting image that immediately reminds us what we’ve been missing. There’s an intensity in his gaze that speaks to the eight-year absence, a weight that only an actor of his caliber can carry. This isn’t just another comeback; this is Daniel Day-Lewis choosing to break his own artistic sabbatical for something that clearly demanded his return. ANEMONE, which will world premiere at the 63rd New York Film Festival before opening in limited release on October 3, represents something entirely new in Day-Lewis’s career. For the first time, he’s working with family in the most literal sense, co-writing the screenplay with his son and submitting to his direction. The project is described as “an absorbing family drama about lives undone by seemingly irreconcilable legacies of political and personal violence,” following a middle-aged man played by Sean Bean who ventures into the woods to reconnect with his estranged hermit brother—Day-Lewis’s character. It’s a setup that feels almost too perfectly suited to an actor who has spent his career disappearing into roles and, more recently, disappearing from the industry entirely. The timing of Day-Lewis’s return feels significant. When he announced his retirement following 2017’s PHANTOM THREAD, his statement carried a weight that his previous departures hadn’t. This wasn’t the same man who temporarily left acting after THE BOXER in 1996 to apprentice as a cobbler in Italy, only to return with renewed purpose. His 2017 retirement felt different, more final. In interviews, he spoke of losing faith in the value of his work, of needing to believe in what he was doing but finding that belief increasingly elusive. “I need to believe in the value of what I’m doing,” he told W magazine. “The work can seem vital. Irresistible, even. And if an audience believes it, that should be good enough for me. But, lately, it isn’t.” What changed? The answer seems to lie in the deeply personal nature of ANEMONE. This isn’t just another role for Day-Lewis; it’s a family project exploring “the complex and profound ties that exist between brothers, fathers, and sons.” Working alongside his son Ronan, who comes from a background as a painter and artist, Day-Lewis has found something worth returning for—a story that demanded to be told and a creative partnership that reignited his passion for the craft. The film’s supporting cast includes Samantha Morton and Samuel Bottomley, with Ben Fordesman, fresh off LOVE LIES BLEEDING, handling cinematography. The project has all the hallmarks of a serious awards contender, arriving in the thick of awards season with the kind of pedigree that demands attention. But more than its awards potential, ANEMONE represents a fascinating evolution for an actor who has spent decades perfecting the art of transformation. Instagram Youtube [...]
August 9Liam Neeson’s career transformation continues to defy expectations, and his latest venture proves the veteran actor isn’t slowing down anytime soon. Fresh from his triumphant return to comedy in THE NAKED GUN revival, where he successfully filled the impossibly large shoes of Leslie Nielsen as the bumbling detective Frank Drebin Jr., Neeson is already pivoting back to more familiar territory with his upcoming horror thriller COLD STORAGE. The timing couldn’t be more perfect for this genre mashup. After years of establishing himself as Hollywood’s go-to action patriarch through the TAKEN franchise and countless other revenge thrillers, Neeson has been strategically diversifying his portfolio. His recent comedic turn in THE NAKED GUN demonstrated remarkable range, showing audiences a lighter side of the Irish actor while maintaining the commanding presence that made him a household name. Now, with COLD STORAGE, he’s blending that hard-earned gravitas with sci-fi horror elements that promise to showcase yet another facet of his evolving screen persona. Based on David Koepp’s 2019 novel and adapted by the acclaimed screenwriter himself, COLD STORAGE positions Neeson as Roberto Diaz, a grizzled bioterror operative forced out of retirement when catastrophe strikes a seemingly ordinary self-storage facility. The premise alone reads like a fever dream: Joe Keery’s Teacake and Georgina Campbell’s Naomi are working the night shift at a storage facility built over a decommissioned military base when a long-sealed, highly contagious fungus breaks free from its underground containment. As temperatures rise, this rapidly mutating microorganism unleashes brain-controlling, body-bursting terrors on everything in its path. What makes this project particularly intriguing is how it represents Neeson’s continued willingness to take creative risks well into his seventies. Rather than coasting on the familiar rhythms of his action films, he’s embracing material that allows him to play mentor to a younger generation of performers while navigating genuinely unpredictable territory. Keery, riding high from his STRANGER THINGS success, brings a different energy to the dynamic, while Campbell’s recent breakout performance in BARBARIAN suggests she’s more than capable of handling the film’s horror elements. The creative pedigree behind COLD STORAGE adds considerable weight to its potential impact. Koepp’s involvement as both source novelist and screenwriter brings the project full circle, while his legendary work on JURASSIC PARK, the first MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE, and Sam Raimi’s SPIDER-MAN establishes his credentials in crafting tension-filled blockbuster entertainment. Director Jonny Campbell, known for his work on DRACULA, brings gothic sensibilities that should complement the underground claustrophobia of the story’s setting. Perhaps most importantly, COLD STORAGE arrives at a moment when audiences are hungry for the kind of practical, gross-out horror that dominated the late 2000s. Films like PLANET TERROR and SLITHER proved there’s substantial appetite for horror comedies that aren’t afraid to embrace their B-movie roots while delivering genuine scares and laughs in equal measure. With the ZOMBIELAND producers backing this project, there’s clear intent to recapture that lightning-in-a-bottle formula. For Neeson, this represents more than just another paycheck or franchise opportunity. At this stage of his career, he’s earned the luxury of choosing projects that genuinely excite him, and COLD STORAGE’s blend of action, horror, and dark comedy suggests an actor still eager to surprise his audience. The supporting cast, including Sosie Bacon, Vanessa Redgrave, and Lesley Manville, indicates this isn’t a throwaway project but rather a carefully assembled ensemble piece designed to maximize both thrills and character development. As COLD STORAGE prepares for its theatrical release through Samuel Goldwyn Films next year, it stands as a testament to Neeson’s remarkable career longevity and adaptability. From dramatic powerhouse to action legend to comedic revelation and now to horror survivor, he continues to find new ways to reinvent himself while maintaining the fundamental screen presence that first made him a star. In an industry obsessed with franchises and familiar formulas, Neeson’s willingness to dive headfirst into a fungal nightmare alongside rising stars and seasoned veterans alike proves that sometimes the best career moves are the ones nobody sees coming. Instagram Youtube [...]
August 7Caitriona Balfe’s journey from the Scottish Highlands to the boxing ring represents one of the most compelling career pivots in recent Hollywood memory. The Irish actress, who has captivated audiences worldwide as Claire Fraser in OUTLANDER, now ventures into uncharted territory with THE CUT, Sean Ellis’ visceral psychological sports drama that premiered at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. In THE CUT, Balfe transforms herself into Caitlin, the wife and trainer of Orlando Bloom’s enigmatic protagonist known simply as The Boxer. This isn’t merely another role for the actress—it’s a profound exploration of how we use physical discipline to mask emotional wounds. The film follows Bloom’s retired fighter as he becomes obsessed with returning to the ring after a devastating cut ended his career a decade earlier. When an unexpected death creates an opening for a title fight, The Boxer seizes the opportunity, despite needing to lose a dangerous amount of weight in just six days under the guidance of John Turturro’s morally flexible trainer, Boz. Balfe’s Caitlin serves as both enabler and witness to this psychological unraveling. Her character understands that boxing has kept her husband on “the straight and narrow,” but she also recognizes that this singular focus has merely pushed deeper problems into the shadows. The actress brings a nuanced understanding to this dynamic, drawing from her Irish heritage where boxing holds cultural significance, yet approaching the material with fresh eyes after her intensive training regimen. The timing of THE CUT in Balfe’s career feels particularly significant. Following her acclaimed performance in Kenneth Branagh’s BELFAST, which earned the 2021 TIFF People’s Choice Award, she continues to select projects that challenge both her range and her audience’s expectations. Where OUTLANDER showcased her ability to anchor a sweeping romantic drama across multiple timelines, THE CUT strips away all romantic notions to expose raw human desperation. Ellis directs with unflinching intensity, creating scenes that are simultaneously brutal and mesmerizing. The film refuses to glamorize the violence inherent in boxing, instead using it as a lens to examine how trauma manifests in physical form. Every punch thrown and every pound shed becomes part of a larger meditation on the ways we fail to heal from our deepest wounds. What emerges is a work that transcends typical sports movie conventions. This isn’t about triumph or redemption—it’s about the dangerous allure of pushing past human limitations when the alternative is confronting unbearable truths. Balfe’s performance grounds this exploration in genuine emotion, her Caitlin serving as both the voice of reason and a fellow traveler on the path to destruction. THE CUT represents another bold choice in Balfe’s evolving post-OUTLANDER career, demonstrating her commitment to complex, challenging material that refuses easy answers. In stepping into the ring, she’s found a role that matches the intensity she’s brought to every project, while opening new possibilities for where her remarkable talent might take her next. Instagram Youtube [...]
August 1After a decade-long silence that left cinema enthusiasts worldwide yearning for his return, acclaimed director Na Hong-jin is finally breaking his creative hiatus with HOPE, a mysterious thriller set to captivate audiences next summer. The announcement from distributor Plus M Entertainment marks the end of an agonizing wait that began after his 2016 masterpiece THE WAILING left viewers haunted and critics in unanimous praise. Set against the eerie backdrop of a port village nestled within the demilitarized zone, HOPE promises to deliver the psychological complexity and atmospheric dread that have become Na Hong-jin’s signature. The story unfolds when an unknown entity materializes in this isolated community, transforming the quiet coastal settlement into a stage for supernatural terror. This premise alone suggests a return to the director’s expertise in blending visceral horror with profound existential questions that made THE CHASER, THE YELLOW SEA, and THE WAILING essential viewing for serious film lovers. The casting choices reveal Na Hong-jin’s commitment to assembling a truly international ensemble that reflects the film’s ambitious scope. Hwang Jung-min returns to collaborate with the director once again, taking on the role of Beom-seok, the village’s branch office chief. Their previous partnership in THE WAILING demonstrated an almost telepathic understanding between actor and director, making this reunion one of the most anticipated aspects of the project. Jo In-sung brings his considerable screen presence to the role of Sung-ki, a young hunter who ventures into treacherous mountain terrain to track down the creature terrorizing the village, while Jung Ho-yeon, riding high on her global breakthrough, portrays Sung-ae, a principled police officer whose unwavering moral compass will likely be tested by the unfolding chaos. The international dimension of HOPE becomes even more intriguing with the inclusion of Hollywood powerhouses Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander, both taking on the enigmatic challenge of portraying an unknown life form. Fassbender, whose intense performances in the X-MEN series, 12 YEARS A SLAVE, and ALIEN: COVENANT have established him as one of cinema’s most compelling actors, joins forces with Vikander, whose versatility spans from her Oscar-winning turn in THE DANISH GIRL to action-packed roles in JASON BOURNE and TOMB RAIDER. Their casting as otherworldly entities suggests a film that will push the boundaries of conventional narrative structure and challenge audiences’ preconceptions about identity and humanity. The ensemble grows even more impressive with the addition of Taylor Russell, whose Venice International Film Festival recognition for BONES AND ALL demonstrates her ability to handle complex, emotionally demanding material, and Cameron Britton, whose chilling portrayal of a serial killer in Netflix’s MINDHUNTER proved his capacity for inhabiting deeply unsettling characters. This carefully curated cast represents not just star power but a collection of performers known for their fearless approach to challenging material. Na Hong-jin’s enthusiasm for his assembled cast is palpable in his statement that they have “expressed all the elements that the work aims to convey with the best talent and focus,” describing their combination as “tremendous.” This confidence from a director known for his meticulous attention to detail and uncompromising artistic vision suggests that HOPE will be worth every moment of the decade-long wait. The film promises to blend the director’s mastery of psychological horror with contemporary global tensions, creating a cinematic experience that could redefine the thriller genre for a new generation of viewers. Instagram Youtube [...]
July 31At 72, Liam Neeson stands at a fascinating crossroads in his career. The man who turned “I will find you, and I will kill you” into a cultural phenomenon is now wielding that same gravelly menace in service of something entirely different: comedy. THE NAKED GUN, hitting theaters this Friday, represents more than just another reboot—it’s a potential pivot point for one of cinema’s most unlikely action stars. Neeson’s journey from dramatic heavyweight to geriatric action hero has been one of Hollywood’s most surprising second acts. After establishing himself as a serious actor in films like SCHINDLER’S LIST, the Irish performer found unexpected late-career gold in TAKEN, transforming himself into an unlikely action star well past the age when most actors retire their leather jackets. But THE NAKED GUN suggests Neeson might be ready for his third act, following in the footsteps of Leslie Nielsen, who famously abandoned dramatic roles to become comedy royalty. Playing Detective Lieutenant Frank Drebin Jr., son of Nielsen’s iconic character, Neeson delivers what can only be described as his silliest performance yet—and that’s saying something for an actor who recently battled wolves on ice and taken on entire crime syndicates single-handedly. His voice, that rumbly instrument of threat that has launched a thousand memes, now serves punchlines instead of ultimatums. The transition is both jarring and oddly natural, as if all those years of deadpan intensity in increasingly ridiculous action scenarios were merely preparation for this moment. The film itself, directed by Akiva Schaffer and written by Dan Gregor and Doug Mand, exists in that peculiar space of being a spoof of a spoof, paying homage to the original while updating its targets for contemporary audiences. Where the original NAKED GUN films lampooned the crime dramas and action films of their era, this iteration takes aim at the slick, tech-obsessed thrillers that have dominated the past two decades. Neeson’s Drebin Jr. investigates a death involving a high-tech electric car and its Musk-like inventor, played with appropriate menace by Danny Huston. But it’s Neeson’s chemistry with Pamela Anderson, playing true-crime novelist Beth, that provides the film’s most surprising element. Their romance unfolds with the kind of absurdist logic that made the original films classics, complete with an extended winter-sports pop video sequence that feels like a fever dream collaboration between Wham! and the Zucker brothers. Anderson, making her own unexpected career pivot, proves a capable comedy partner, matching Neeson’s deadpan delivery with her own perfectly timed reactions. The most intriguing aspect of Neeson’s performance is how it plays with audience expectations. We’ve become so accustomed to his particular brand of middle-aged vengeance that hearing him deliver ridiculous one-liners while maintaining that same intensity creates an almost surreal viewing experience. It’s method acting applied to parody, and the results are both hilarious and slightly unnerving. Whether Neeson will follow Nielsen’s path and commit fully to comedy remains to be seen. He certainly has more dramatic credibility to potentially sacrifice than Nielsen did when he made his own transition from FORBIDDEN PLANET to AIRPLANE! But there’s something liberating about watching a performer of Neeson’s stature embrace the ridiculous so completely. In an industry increasingly obsessed with franchise building and cinematic universes, THE NAKED GUN offers something refreshingly simple: an excuse to watch a legendary actor have fun with his own image. The film may be, as one observer noted, “amiably ridiculous, refreshingly shallow, entirely pointless and guilelessly crass,” but in our current cultural moment, perhaps that’s exactly what we need. Sometimes the most radical thing an actor can do is stop taking themselves so seriously, and Neeson’s willingness to trade gravitas for gags suggests a performer still willing to surprise us, even five decades into his career. Instagram Youtube [...]
July 30Richard Linklater and Ethan Hawke’s three-decade creative partnership has produced some of cinema’s most intimate and conversational masterpieces, from the Before trilogy’s meandering philosophical exchanges to BOYHOOD’s revolutionary time-spanning narrative. Their latest collaboration, BLUE MOON, marks another triumph in their storied relationship, this time transporting audiences to the smoky confines of Sardi’s bar on the evening of March 31, 1943, for what may be their most theatrically confined yet emotionally expansive work to date. The film centers on legendary lyricist Lorenz Hart, played by Hawke in a bald cap that transforms him into the tortured wordsmith, as he grapples with professional betrayal and personal demons during the afterparty for OKLAHOMA!, the groundbreaking musical that marked his former collaborator Richard Rodgers’ first venture without him. “We write together for a quarter of a century and the first show he writes with someone else is gonna be the biggest hit he ever had,” Hart laments to Bobby Cannavale’s sympathetic barman. “Am I bitter? Yes!” This opening salvo, delivered against a sprightly, waltzing score, sets the tone for an evening of loaded conversations and painful revelations. Andrew Scott, fresh from his acclaimed turn in ALL OF US STRANGERS and his scene-stealing work in FLEABAG, brings his trademark intensity to Richard Rodgers, the composer navigating success tinged with guilt over abandoning his longtime creative partner. Scott’s recent career trajectory has been nothing short of remarkable, transforming from a respected Irish character actor into one of cinema’s most compelling leading men. His work in Lenny Abrahamson’s ROOM established him as a dramatic force, while his portrayal of Moriarty in SHERLOCK showcased his ability to be both charming and menacing. His recent starring role in ALL OF US STRANGERS, where he played a man reconnecting with his deceased parents, demonstrated his capacity for vulnerability and emotional complexity, qualities that serve him well in BLUE MOON’s intimate chamber piece setting. The film’s Irish production, shot last summer in Dublin through Wild Atlantic Pictures, benefits from Scott’s natural presence on home soil, while the international cast including Margaret Qualley as rising starlet Elizabeth Weiland, Simon Delaney as Oscar Hammerstein II, and Cillian Sullivan as a young Stephen Sondheim creates a rich ensemble perfect for Linklater’s dialogue-driven approach. The director’s signature style of rapid-fire, intellectually charged conversations finds perfect material in the world of Broadway’s golden age, where wit was currency and every exchange carried the weight of artistic legacy. Scott’s Berlin International Film Festival win for Best Supporting Actor validates what discerning audiences have long recognized about his abilities. His recent choices reflect an actor unafraid to tackle complex, emotionally demanding roles, whether playing the vulnerable gay man in ALL OF US STRANGERS or the morally ambiguous Hot Priest in FLEABAG. This trajectory culminates beautifully in BLUE MOON, where his Rodgers must balance professional ambition with personal loyalty, success with friendship. Already hailed as a triumph at Berlin, with Hawke’s performance being touted as one of his finest, BLUE MOON represents the perfect marriage of Linklater’s conversational genius and the kind of intimate, character-driven storytelling that has defined his partnership with Hawke. The film arrives in American theaters on October 24th, with Irish audiences getting their chance on November 14th, while UK viewers await further release details. For Scott, it marks another milestone in a career that continues to evolve from character actor to leading man, proving that sometimes the most powerful performances come not from action or spectacle, but from the simple act of two people talking in a room about everything that matters. Instagram Youtube [...]
July 27There’s something deeply unsettling about waking up to faces you don’t recognize, in a place you’ve never been, carrying a child you can’t remember conceiving. This is the nightmare that greets Anna in Alan Friel’s debut feature WOKEN, and for much of its runtime, the film mines this premise for genuine psychological terror. Friel, who cut his teeth directing commercials and shorts including CAKE with Maxine Peake, understands the power of atmosphere. His windswept Irish island, filmed across County Clare and County Limerick, becomes a character unto itself—all howling winds, dripping cottage roofs, and flickering candlelight that casts dancing shadows on walls that seem to hold secrets. This is a world stripped of modern conveniences, where paraffin lamps replace electricity and wood-burning stoves fight against an endless chill. The absence of phones, televisions, or any connection to the outside world feels deliberate, calculated even. Anna awakens to this pre-digital purgatory after what she’s told was a terrible fall, though we’ve witnessed something far more disturbing—her desperate flight toward a cliff edge, pursued by unseen forces. Screen Star of Tomorrow Erin Kellyman, known from SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY, brings a raw vulnerability to Anna that makes her confusion and growing paranoia palpable. She’s surrounded by people who claim to love her—her supposed husband James, played with careful ambiguity by Ivanno Jeremiah, and the nurturing Helen, embodied by Peake with just the right balance of maternal warmth and underlying menace. Friel demonstrates a keen eye for the sinister potential lurking within the mundane. The rhythmic hammering of crab shells during dinner becomes a percussion of dread. A collection of identical yellow baby jackets, hand-knitted with obsessive care, transforms from touching preparation into something deeply unsettling. Even the arrival of strangers on a absurdly incongruous swan-shaped pedalo manages to feel threatening rather than whimsical. The director skillfully plants seeds of doubt about everything Anna encounters. Are the photo albums and home movies genuine memories or elaborate fabrications? Is Helen’s cardigan-clad concern authentic or performance? The whispered conversations Anna overhears, the glimpses of hidden firearms, the growing certainty that escape from this island sanctuary might be impossible—all contribute to a mounting sense of paranoia that keeps both Anna and the audience off balance. Watch WOKEN now on Mubi. Instagram Youtube [...]
July 26Paul Mescal is having a moment, and THE HISTORY OF SOUND might just be his most daring performance yet. Fresh off his starring roles in GLADIATOR II and ALL OF US STRANGERS, the Irish actor continues to prove he’s far more than just the breakout star of NORMAL PEOPLE. With each project, Mescal demonstrates an uncanny ability to tap into raw human emotion, and his latest film promises to showcase this talent in its most vulnerable form. Set to hit theaters on September 19, 2025, THE HISTORY OF SOUND reunites Mescal with CHALLENGERS star Josh O’Connor. The story spans decades and continents, beginning in 1917 when Lionel, a gifted singer from rural Kentucky, arrives at the Boston Music Conservatory. There he meets David, a charming composer who becomes both his musical collaborator and the love of his life. When David is drafted into the final days of World War I, their connection is severed, only to be rekindled years later during a transformative winter collecting folk songs in the Maine wilderness. What follows is a meditation on memory, music, and the indelible marks that brief but profound connections leave on our lives. Mescal’s recent trajectory suggests an actor unafraid to explore complex masculinity and emotional vulnerability. Where AFTERSUN established him as a serious dramatic talent and GLADIATOR II proved his blockbuster credentials, THE HISTORY OF SOUND represents something more intimate and risky. One critic noted that Mescal delivers “AFTERSUN to the power of 10,” a performance so emotionally devastating it will “turn you into a puddle of mush.” The black and white promotional imagery captures this tenderness perfectly – Mescal cradling O’Connor’s face, eyes closed, noses touching in a moment that radiates quiet passion. For Mescal, THE HISTORY OF SOUND represents more than just another role; it’s a statement about the kind of actor he wants to be. Rather than chasing easy commercial success after GLADIATOR II’s box office dominance, he’s chosen a project that demands emotional honesty and artistic courage. The film refuses to treat its queer narrative as a tragedy of repression, instead positioning itself as “the story of a man’s life, expressed through the power of sound – as memory, as emotion.” It’s precisely this nuanced approach that has made Mescal one of the most compelling actors of his generation. Whether THE HISTORY OF SOUND becomes Mescal’s crowning achievement or a noble artistic experiment remains to be seen. What’s certain is that this haunting meditation on love, loss, and the songs that bind us together will require tissues and an open heart. In an era of franchise filmmaking and algorithm-driven content, Mescal continues to choose projects that prioritize human connection over commercial calculation. That alone makes THE HISTORY OF SOUND worth celebrating, regardless of critical consensus. Instagram Youtube [...]
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