SXSW

‘Hereditary’ Could Be the Best Horror Film of 2018
‘Hereditary’ Could Be the Best Horror Film of 2018
‘Hereditary’ Could Be the Best Horror Film of 2018
In recent years, one horror film emerges early on as the best horror film of the year. In 2017 it was Jordan Peele’s exceptionally smart social thriller Get Out; in 2016 it was Robert Eggers’ period stunner The Witch; in 2018 that honor goes to Ari Aster’s Hereditary. Starring Toni Collette as a woman struggling to cope with the increasingly disturbing implications of her mother’s death, Aster’s ferocious directorial debut plumbs the darkest depths of mental illness to reveal the true meaning of psychological terror.
‘Blockers’ Review: A Hilarious Teen Sex Comedy for Girls
‘Blockers’ Review: A Hilarious Teen Sex Comedy for Girls
‘Blockers’ Review: A Hilarious Teen Sex Comedy for Girls
For decades the coming-of-age sex comedy has belonged to the guys: Raunchy, horned-up teen boys desperate to lose their V-cards during one crazy night before heading off to college. Though recent years have given rise to more honest and unflinching coming-of-age stories about teen girls (see: Edge of Seventeen, Lady Bird), women haven’t really been served with the same sex-crazed high school comedies. (Maybe because our needs are more complex than those of the budding patriarchy?) But Blockers finally gives young women the teen sex comedy they deserve — one that’s insanely goofy and hilarious without sacrificing its emotional core.
‘Atomic Blonde’ Review: Charlize Theron, Shaken and Stirred
‘Atomic Blonde’ Review: Charlize Theron, Shaken and Stirred
‘Atomic Blonde’ Review: Charlize Theron, Shaken and Stirred
Atomic Blonde is an easy sell: It’s Charlize Theron in a stylish spy thriller from one-half of the directing duo behind John Wick. But the first solo directorial effort from David Leitch is a little more James Bond than Blonde Wick — James Blonde, maybe, and that’s not a bad thing. It’s certainly more plot-driven (and at times, slightly convoluted) than John Wick, but no less enjoyable, and though the action scenes are every bit as awesome as you’d hope, it’s not quite the film you might be expecting.
‘Baby Driver’ Review: Another Great Hit From Edgar Wright
‘Baby Driver’ Review: Another Great Hit From Edgar Wright
‘Baby Driver’ Review: Another Great Hit From Edgar Wright
You know an Edgar Wright film when you see one, even if Simon Pegg isn’t nearby — the distinctive (and often heartfelt) sense of humor, the impressive editing, the momentum, and the predictably awesome soundtrack, all working in time to deliver a film that’s remarkably poignant for such a well-oiled machine. Baby Driver might not be quite what you’re expecting from the director of Scott Pilgrim and Shaun of the Dead, and yet it’s entirely what you’re hoping to see. Despite some of its unexpected qualities and low-key visual style, it is perhaps the most Edgar Wright film to date.
‘Win It All’ Review: High Stakes Hilarity With Jake Johnson
‘Win It All’ Review: High Stakes Hilarity With Jake Johnson
‘Win It All’ Review: High Stakes Hilarity With Jake Johnson
Joe Swanberg’s filmography is a fascinating evolutionary timeline; with each new film, the former mumblecore pioneer (and occasional agitator) has showcased increasing maturity. Win It All is his most grown-up film to date — despite the fact that it centers on the all-too-familiar man-child archetype. For his latest effort, Swanberg reunites with Digging for Fire star and co-writer Jake Johnson, who pulls double duty once again, this time with much more consistent results.
16 Great SXSW Films to Keep on Your Radar in 2017
16 Great SXSW Films to Keep on Your Radar in 2017
16 Great SXSW Films to Keep on Your Radar in 2017
Dozens of movies play at the SXSW Film Festival every year, making it impossible to see all of them in just eight days. Even if you attended the annual insanity in Austin last week, chances are pretty high that you missed at least a few good movies. And if you’re a cinephile who skipped the fest entirely (congrats on your sleep), you might be wondering which films are worth putting on your radar. Lucky for the sleepless and the well-rested alike, we’ve put together a handy list featuring some of the best films from SXSW 2017.
We Spent the Day at a Stunt Ranch With the ‘Free Fire’ Team
We Spent the Day at a Stunt Ranch With the ‘Free Fire’ Team
We Spent the Day at a Stunt Ranch With the ‘Free Fire’ Team
Sharlto Copley is the kind of guy you want on your side when the shots start flying, though you might not think that’s the case after seeing Free Fire. The first full-fledged American production from UK director Ben Wheatley is a wild warehouse free-for-all featuring an absolute murderer’s row of actors, including Copley, Armie Hammer and Brie Larson (among many others). In a film where every man (and woman) is out for himself, perhaps no one is more self-serving than Copley’s Vernon, a narcissistic gun-pusher who is, for lack of a better adjective, kind of a weenie. But on a stunt ranch just outside Austin during SXSW, Copley was far from cowardly on the frontlines of the paintball battle field.
‘Porto’ Review: A Tepid Farewell for Anton Yelchin
‘Porto’ Review: A Tepid Farewell for Anton Yelchin
‘Porto’ Review: A Tepid Farewell for Anton Yelchin
You’re not supposed to speak ill of the dead, but what of the works they left behind? Anton Yelchin’s remarkable talent was (and remains) undeniable, but not even he could save Porto, for which the primary selling points are: That it was produced by Jim Jarmusch, stars Yelchin in one of his last roles, and is vaguely reminiscent of Richard Linklater’s far superior Before trilogy.
‘Gemini’ Review: A Truly Thrilling Throwback Thriller
‘Gemini’ Review: A Truly Thrilling Throwback Thriller
‘Gemini’ Review: A Truly Thrilling Throwback Thriller
Early on in Gemini, the new indie film from director Aaron Katz, John Cho’s Detective Ahn tells Lola Kirke’s Jill that it’s often some seemingly innocuous and overlooked detail that winds up being “the key to solving the whole thing.” That one line says as much about Gemini as its cool, reflective aesthetic, which tips its hat — without paying outright homage — to late ’80s and early ’90s thrillers, including films like Mulholland Dr., Lost Highway and the lesser-seen and under-loved Bad Influence.

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