Latest news with #Ghostlight
Buzz Feed
19 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
Hidden Gem Movies To Stream On Hulu
Stress Positions (2024) You might never look at a TheraGun the same way after watching writer-director Theda Hammel's riotous debut feature — one of the very best things to hit theaters during the spring of 2024 and, without a doubt, the very best COVID comedy we've gotten to date. (I'll confess, it's not a crowded category.) John Early (Search Party) is the insufferable Terry Goon (talk about a name that tells you everything you need to know), an unemployed, recent divorcee, stumbling his way through a pandemic while living in his ex-husband's Brooklyn brownstone. A cast of eccentric characters — including his teen-model nephew and COVID-denying upstairs neighbor — pack every minute with spectacular chaos. Watch it on Hulu. Thelma (2024) June Squibb just narrowly missed out on an Oscar nomination for Thelma this year — and that's a shame, not only because we could have gotten more cutie-patootie red carpet moments from Squibb and Fred Hechinger, but because this modestly sized indie from Magnolia actually could have used a boost from the telecast. With all the ingredients of a crowdpleaser, this big-hearted comedy about a grandmother (Squibb) getting her revenge on a scammer, simply lacked word of mouth. Notably, the 95-year-old actor performed many of the impressive on-screen stunts herself, which begs the question: Could Thelma have secured a Stunt Design Award if the Academy introduced the new category for this last year? I guess we'll always have to wonder. Watch it on Hulu. La Chimera (2023) The forthcoming Mastermind isn't the first film to place Josh O'Connor at the center of an arthouse art heist. In one of his very best roles to date, the perpetually unshowered Challengers star plays Arthur, a grief-stricken Italian tomb raider searching for his missing girlfriend. This Cannes contender, released stateside in 2024, comes from the mind of Alice Rohrwacher (Happy as Lazzaro), which means you can expect plenty of magical realism and intricately designed set pieces to move the plot forward. It is a hallucinogenic, awe-inspiring experience that takes you through Italy's past and present while reminding you that there's pretty much nothing the Internet's husband can't do — like speak near-fluent Italian and get a big fit off in a soot-covered linen suit. Watch it on Hulu. Ghostlight (2024) It's a mystery to me why some Sundance darlings, like CODA, go on to win Best Picture at the Oscars and become household names, while others like Ghostlight (touted one of the best movies of [2024] by New York Magazine's Bilge Ebiri) fade into obscurity. This family-drama tearjerker opens by introducing us to Daisy (Katherine Mallen Kupferer), a troubled thespian teen prone to outbursts, who has been suspended from school for pushing a teacher. Her aggression, we learn, has been brought about by an unspeakable family tragedy. Enter: Rita (the always excellent Dolly De Leon), who might just be the key to getting the family back on track. In a chance encounter with closed-off patriarch Dan (Keith Kupferer) — yes, that's Daisy's real-life father — Rita introduces him to a community theater, specifically a production of Romeo and Juliet, which unexpectedly allows the family to process their grief and communicate more openly with one another. Watch it on Hulu. Strange Days (1995) Sure, you know The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty, but what about this deep cut from Kathryn Bigelow? A box-office flop, sure, but Strange Days is ripe for a re-appreciation on streaming thanks to its deeply '90s, cyberpunk aesthetic (complimentary) and prescient themes of fascism and police brutality. At least one critic has even touted the film as "better than Blade Runner," which is not nothing. Rounding out the intrigue of this sci-fi action gem is a cast that includes a near-unrecognizable Ralph Fiennes, Angela Bassett (she certainly did the thing here), and Juliette Lewis — plus, a writing credit from James Cameron, who divorced Bigelow four years prior. Watch it on Hulu. How to Blow Up a Pipeline (2023) There's never been a better time to press play on How to Blow Up a Pipeline, an urgent eco-thriller based on Andreas Malm's book of the same name, which asks us to consider when acts of terrorism might be justified for a greater good. Daniel Goldhaber's gripping film follows a group of twenty-something climate activists who band together to take down a West Texas pipeline that is wreaking havoc on its community. Each of the eight members have a different motivation for getting involved in the heist; Theo has contracted terminal leukemia from the town's toxic atmosphere, while the group's resident bomb expert, Michael, is an Indigenous person who has a personal connection to the land that has been occupied by oil workers. Contrary to what the title suggests, the film never feels didactic, and Goldhaber skillfully manages to never talk down to his audience, trusting that they are smart enough to draw their own conclusions from this evocative and quick-moving story. Watch it on Hulu. Minding the Gap (2018) The best kind of documentary, IMO? The kind that takes a seemingly narrow focus like, say, skateboarding, and finds a way to turn it into something universal. That's the gist of Bing Liu's masterwork from 2018 which starts off simple enough — a document of three boys and their love of skateboarding — and then plunges into heavier topics of masculinity, class, and race before you know it. This is all to say: Mid90s wants what Minding the Gap it on Hulu. The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed (2023) And the winner of the Hardest Movie Title to Remember When Trying to Recommend It to a Friend Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed. Congrats! Yes, this indie stars Scott Cohen (the one and only Max Medina) alongside the multi-hyphenate talent Joanna Arnow, who wrote and directed the film. Arnow's comedy is about millennial malaise, BDSM, and dead-end jobs, and its uncomfortable truths will ring true to anyone who is willing to sit with it for long enough. The New Yorker's critic Richard Brody said it best when he said of Arnow's writing and direction, that she "recognizes that much of life's pain is built around sharp yet minor intimacies, impressions, and humiliations, and she brilliantly captures the sense of disproportion that arises when slight or banal exchanges have mighty emotional effects."Watch it on Hulu. National Anthem (2024) You might know him as that hot cowboy photographer from Instagram. Allow Luke Gilford to reintroduce himself as the talented filmmaker behind National Anthem. Told through his signature lush images, the photographer's debut feature film situates us in New Mexico as a 21-year-old construction worker (Charlie Plummer, who you may have also seen riding horses in Lean on Pete) finds himself immersed in the queer rodeo community. If Brokeback Mountain is the entirety of your queer-cowboy media diet, do yourself a favor during Pride Month and press play on this hidden gem. Watch it on Hulu. Presence (2024) Leave it to Steven Soderbergh to give us not one, but two, bangers within a year. The less buzzed-about, but equally deserving of your streaming time, film was Presence — a chilling ghost story unlike anything I've seen before. (Though, if you forced me to compare it to existing films, I'd say it brings to mind elements of Olivier Assayas's Personal Shopper and David Lowery's A Ghost Story.) Shot from the perspective of the ghost, this never-dull atmospheric thriller filled with spooky, tracking shots, slowly builds to a satisfying twist. Just don't go into this one expecting jump scares (or, much screen time from Julia Fox, for that matter, who was used in the marketing of the film) because you will be utterly disappointed. Watch it on Hulu. Perfect Days (2023) What the world needs now? A gentle, life-affirming film. Specifically, one that reminds us to take stock of the little moments that pass us by each day. I hear how cliche these words sound as I type them, and that only solidifies my belief that Wim Wenders, who directed this Oscar-nominated film, is one of the absolute greats — somehow able to pull at our heartstrings without saccharine storytelling or lousy contrivances. Even more impressive is the fact that Wenders was commissioned to make this film by Japan's Tokyo Toilet project, helping to promote the image of public hygiene. What he is able to pull off is something much more nuanced than an advertisement. It follows a highly routined toilet cleaner as he commutes to the city each day to scrub public toilets and visit the same bar, bath, and spot in the park. But don't be fooled by its deceptively simple, linear structure. Perfect Days is also a brutal takedown of our soul-sucking digital world (...I write, hunched over my MacBook.)Watch it on Hulu. The Seed of the Sacred Fig (2024) Here's a hidden gem that Iran's authoritarian government would prefer to keep hidden. Mohammad Rasoulof's powerful, fourth wall-breaking family drama that exposes much of Tehran's political turmoil was able to get made in secret and find global distribution — but not without consequence. Rasoulof was sentenced to eight years in prison and subsequently fled to Germany, along with the film's two stars Setareh Maleki and Mahsa Rostami. Rasoulof is not German, and there is no German language spoken at any point in the film; however, Germany opted to submit the film for Best International Film at the Oscars in lieu of Iran. That certainly gave the film some much-needed visibility but not nearly the amount it deserves. Thankfully, this important piece of filmmaking is now widely accessible stateside on streaming. Watch it on Hulu. Decision to Leave (2022) Park Chan-wook doesn't miss. The king of labyrinthian storytelling (Old Boy, The Handmaiden) delivered another instant classic in 2022 with Decision to Leave. Part love story, part murder mystery, the Korean auteur's Cannes hit surprised critics and fans alike by deviating from his usual (spectacularly graphic) mode of filmmaking. The story about a romance between a Busan detective and his prime suspect might feel more restrained, but there's no shortage of Chan-Wook's signature dark humor it on Hulu. Good Luck To You, Leo Grande (2022) One of the great, overlooked performances by multi-Oscar winner Emma Thompson is featured in this small Searchlight two-hander. Thompson plays an uptight middle-aged widow who hires a sex worker (Daryl McCormack) to achieve an orgasm for the first time and, of course, what ensues is something much more profound. Its witty and unflinching exploration of sex positivity, female pleasure, and human connection make it something of a spiritual predecessor to FX's current awards juggernaut series Dying For Sex. Free double-feature idea!Watch it on Hulu. Stream all these hidden gems on Hulu.
New York Times
03-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
‘Eric LaRue' Review: When Pain Won't Stay Quiet
Most of us would say we're 'at a loss for words' when senseless tragedy strikes. We try to use words anyhow — to comfort, to explain, to process, to apologize. It's a human impulse. But it's insufficient, and can harm as much as it helps. That insufficiency of language is the stealth subject of 'Eric LaRue,' the feature directorial debut of Michael Shannon. Stealth, because its premise is a bit of a misdirect. Like last year's 'Ghostlight,' it's a gut-punching indie drama borne out of the Chicago theater scene. The playwright Brett Neveu adapted it from his play by the same name, produced in 2002 at A Red Orchid Theater, of which Shannon is a founding member. Writers who come from theater tend to evince a keen understanding of how, in talking to one another, we reveal and conceal what's inside of us — and that's at the core of Neveu's script. But that premise, it's a tough one to sit down and watch: Janice LaRue (a remarkable Judy Greer, in a lead role at last) is the mother of a school shooter. Her teenage son, Eric, is in prison, and she is trying to put her life back together, or at least figure out if that's something she wants to do. Her husband Ron (Alexander Skarsgard, sporting an admirably off-putting arrangement of facial hair) is not helping: he's eager to move on from the incident, and is making headway, thanks to his overly friendly colleague Lisa (Alison Pill). She's convinced him to join to her church, an evangelical congregation pastored by the imperious Bill Verne (Tracy Letts), who instructs Ron to act like the head of his household and tell Janice how things will go in their home. Janice is not interested, either in being told what to do or in Ron's new church family, and not really interested in Ron at this point, either. She's still attending their less trendy Presbyterian church, pastored by the well-meaning but blundering Steve Calhan (Paul Sparks), who tries to counsel her in his office but doesn't have many helpful things to say. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Already a subscriber? Log in. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
New York Times
18-03-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
‘Ghostlight,' ‘Watcher' and More Streaming Gems
'Ghostlight' (2024) So few films concern the daily lives of the working class, in any meaningful way, that it's sort of astonishing when one comes along that feels so embedded there. That's the case with this heart-tugging drama from the directors Kelly O'Sullivan and Alex Thompson ('Saint Frances'), in which a grieving father stumbles into a community theater production of 'Romeo and Juliet.' Keith Kupferer is marvelous as the father, beautifully capturing the frustrations and emotional limitations of his class and generation, while Katherine Mallen Kupferer performs modestly as his wife, until a late moment that absolutely clobbers you. And that, in many ways, holds true for the entire movie. 'Goodrich' (2024) 'This midlife crisis is no walk in the park, I'll tell you that,' snorts Andy Goodrich (Michael Keaton) near the end of this poignant comedy-drama, and while his daughter Grace (Mila Kunis) notes the mathematical improbability that 60-something is 'midlife,' the sentiment stands. Andy, the owner-operator of a Los Angeles art gallery that's seen better days, is in free-fall. His wife has just checked herself into rehab, much to his bafflement (he's so checked out, he never noticed her addiction), leaving him to care for their elementary-school aged twins himself. Keaton is credited as an executive producer, and it's easy to see why the project was important to him; the writer-director Hallie Meyers-Shyer hands him a stellar showcase, a guy who talks fast and thinks faster, and whose inherent likability helps soften his obvious flaws. The result is a poignant examination of getting older and wondering if you've lost it — whatever your particular 'it' may be. 'Saint Maud' (2021) A fair number of minds were blown by 'Love Lies Bleeding,' last year's mash-up of crime thriller, queer romance and surrealist semi-fairy tale from the writer and director Rose Glass, but those who caught this, her debut feature, saw greatness in her future. This nerve-jangling, Catholic-coded psychological thriller stars the bracing Morfydd Clark (currently starring in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power') as the title character, an introverted nurse whose unwavering, self-punishing religious faith coexists uneasily with her own demons and skeletons. Glass's filmmaking is equal parts intellectual and visceral; she pushes the viewer to consider the full ramifications and implications of such unquestioning faith, while taking pains to place us in Maud's shoes (literally, at one point, and quite painfully). It's a debut of striking confidence and exciting, undeniable cinematic skill. 'Watcher' (2022) The haunted, melancholy visage of Maika Monroe, so well used in 'It Follows' and 'Longlegs,' gets a workout in this deliberately paced, unnervingly crafted thriller from the director Chloe Okuno. Monroe stars as Julia, who accompanies her husband, Francis (Karl Glusman), to Bucharest, Romania, for a career opportunity. He's working all the time, so she's a stranger in a strange land, and Okuno nails the specific, aching solitude of being alone in a crowd where you don't even speak the language — and the feeling that you're being watched and followed. The picture's tension comes from the commonplace, and Okuno uses the simplest of tools (rumbling on the soundtrack, knocks on doors, sudden movements, incoming texts) to build dread and unease. Most of all, she offers a gutsy female interpretation of the male gaze, a story explicitly about being watched, by men, and all of the dangers that can represent. 'Eileen' (2023) This sublime and absorbing adaptation of Ottessa Moshfegh's 2015 novel takes some of the most durable tropes of pulp literature and film noir — the small-town schlub looking for a way out, the femme fatale whose sexy exterior hides a dark heart — and turns them upside down. Thomasin McKenzie is the title character, a file clerk at a boys' correctional center who cares for her miserable, alcoholic father (Shea Whigham) and can only escape her drab existence with messy sexual fantasies. One day, a new one arrives: the new counselor Rebecca (Anne Hathaway), a blonde knockout who exudes the kind of effortless self-confidence that Eileen can only dream of. Where their attraction goes from there is best left unspoiled; suffice to to say that the director William Oldroyd ('Lady Macbeth') knows the genre road map, and is keenly aware of when to follow it and when to go off-road. 'Waitress: The Musical' (2023) 'Waitress' had quite a circular journey, something akin to those of 'The Producers,' 'Hairspray,' and 'Mean Girls': it began as a nonmusical film (also streaming on Max), was then adapted into a Broadway musical, and then turned back into a movie. The twist here is that rather than restaging it as a traditional movie musical, the directors Diane Paulus and Brett Sullivan instead captured live performances from its 2021 post-lockdown stage revival, creating something of a cross between musical theater and concert performance. The latter influence is especially strong since the production is fronted by singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles, who wrote the words and music and periodically played Jenna, the show's long-suffering protagonist. It's a risky gambit, but it works; Bareilles is a live performer, first and foremost, and Paulus and Sullivan's frisky photography gives the scenes a you-are-there immediacy and intimacy. 'Nomad: In the Footsteps of Bruce Chatwin' (2020) Werner Herzog's documentaries are never just about their surface subject, as his own interests and preoccupations are ever-present. That's especially true in this tribute to his friend and occasional collaborator Bruce Chatwin, a writer and adventurer whose 1989 death clearly left a hole in Herzog's heart. But this is no cradle-to-grave bio-doc, with Herzog instead serving up a thoughtful rumination on the 'wild characters, strange creatures, and big ideas' that fascinated him and this extraordinary man.
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Visit Films Unveils Multiple Deals at Hong Kong FilMart (EXCLUSIVE)
New York-based Visit Films has revealed multiple international deals for its diverse slate of independent films at Hong Kong FilMart, ranging from sci-fi thrillers to music documentaries. Kelly O'Sullivan and Alex Thompson's Sundance and Rome drama 'Ghostlight' has secured deals with Nikkatsu (Japan), New Cinema (Israel), Cinobo (Greece, Cyprus), Eye Film (Benelux), Fabula Films (Turkey) and Sister Distribution (Switzerland). IFC previously acquired U.S. rights to the drama, which follows a grieving construction worker who joins a local production of 'Romeo and Juliet.' More from Variety Studio 100 Rides Animation Wave as Hong Kong Market Takes Aim at Booming Toons Hong Kong's FilMart Gets Animated as More Toons Join Project Market Lineup Aaron Kwok Drama 'IOU' Unveiled by Distribution Workshop at Hong Kong FilMart Simon Jaquemet's sci-fi thriller 'Electric Child,' which played at the Locarno and Sitges festivals, has been acquired by New People Film for CIS territories. The film follows a father's extreme measures to help his newborn son by repurposing high-level AI technology from his workplace. Tribeca comedy 'Adult Best Friends' from filmmaker Delaney Buffett has landed a worldwide airlines deal with Anuvu. The film, which centers on a woman taking her co-dependent best friend on a weekend trip to break marriage news, was released in the U.S. by Gravitas Ventures. Sundance and Cannes drama 'Good One,' directed by India Donaldson, has secured distribution with Madfer Films (Spain) and Fabula Films (Turkey). The coming-of-age story about a 17-year-old navigating a backpacking trip with her father and his oldest friend was released in the U.S. by Metrograph Pictures. SXSW music documentary 'Mogwai: If the Stars Had a Sound,' from director Antony Crook, has been picked up by Shemaroo Contentino Media for worldwide airline distribution. The film chronicles the influential Scottish post-rock band's 25-year journey. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Oscars 2026: First Blind Predictions Including Timothée Chalamet, Emma Stone, 'Wicked: For Good' and More What's Coming to Disney+ in March 2025
Chicago Tribune
06-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Victory Gardens Theater will reopen with a new David Mamet play and starry cast
Chicago's historic Biograph Theatre, the home of the long-dormant Victory Gardens Theater Company, will reopen next month with a new play by David Mamet titled 'Henry Johnson.' The show will be directed by Eddie Torres, a longtime Chicago actor and the former artistic director of Teatro Vista, and will star Thomas Gibson, best known for playing Greg on the TV show 'Dharma and Greg,' and for his work on the CBS show 'Criminal Minds.' Performances of the play are scheduled to begin on April 9. Keith Kupferer, the Chicago actor who received widespread acclaim for the 2024 movie 'Ghostlight,' is also in the cast, as are the Chicago actors Al'Jaleel McGhee and Daniil Krimer. Krimer's Relentless Theatre Group, a new Chicago theater company that calls itself a 'theatrical home for public discourse, freedom of expression, and brilliant creation,' is a co-producer. Dennis Začek, the former artistic director of Victory Gardens for 34 years who retired in 2010, is an executive producer. 'Eddie Torres is my protege,' Začek said in a telephone interview from Florida. 'And it's Mamet.' In an interview, Krimer said he believed 'Henry Johnson' to be 'one of the best plays that Mamet has written.' The play was generally well-received following its 2023 premiere at the Electric Lodge in Venice, California, starring Shia LaBeouf, although it also flew under many radars, somewhat by design. It has not had any other U.S. productions. Torres described the play, which has a running time of a little over an hour, as 'interrogating the grey area of morality.' The title character is a college student who is easily influenced by others. Victory Gardens is calling the staging its '50th anniversary production.' The company has not announced further producing plans, should there be any, although the Biograph, located at 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue, has attracted plenty of attention from potential future mainstage tenants and will likely see more shows in 2025. Victory Gardens has not produced itself since 2022 following a rift between its board of directors, its resident artists and some of the members of its long-standing playwrights ensemble. The acrimonious dispute, driven by disagreement over the hiring of artistic and executive directors, led to the mainstage theater going dark for years, negatively impacting surrounding Lincoln Park blocks, and the historic building itself falling into some disrepair. The company does not currently have an artistic director or any permanent artistic staff. Krimer said that the companies were 'rebuilding infrastructure' for this show, although it was not yet clear whether this would be a one-off or the return of Victory Gardens as a viable entity. The Victory Gardens board did not respond to a request for comment. Zacek said that the future remains to be seen. Mamet, of course, has a singularly illustrious history in Chicago and New York and also is seeing a high-profile revival of his Pulitzer Prize-winning Chicago drama 'Glengarry Glen Ross' on Broadway this spring, starring Kieran Culkin, a recent Oscar winner. However, Mamet's emergent conservative and libertarian politics are at odds with the many progressives in the theater community and certainly the majority of the Chicago artists who protested against the Victory Gardens board, although some of those artists no longer live and work in Chicago. Mamet sent the following statement to the Tribune: 'Rudyard Kipling wrote, 'We've only one virginity to lose, and where we've lost it, there our heart will be.' I lost it at the Hull House Theater, and at Second City, in the early Sixties, and at St. Nicholas, and the Goodman, and when St. Nicholas left our car barn on Halsted, Steppenwolf took over the space. In short, I'm real real glad to have my work back in the 'hood.' Tickets ($64-$69) will go on sale 10 a.m. Friday at The show is announced as running through May 4 although an extension is possible.
