Captive State (2019) Director: Rupert Wyatt Screenwriters: Erica Beeney, Rupert Wyatt Starring: John Goodman, Ashton Sanders, Jonathan Majors, Machine Gun Kelly This review examines Captive State, a 2019 science fiction drama directed by Rupert Wyatt that attempts to blend political allegory with a resistance thriller set against an alien occupation. The film’s premise—an extraterrestrial power … Read more

Video game adaptations have long struggled to find their footing on the big screen. Translating an interactive, beloved franchise into a satisfying blockbuster takes more than button-mashing — it demands careful storytelling, convincing performances, and respect for what made the original game memorable. Every time a new video game becomes a movie, fans everywhere hope … Read more

Shazam! (2019) — Film Review Shazam! (2019) Director: David F. Sandberg Screenwriter: Henry Gayden Starring: Zachary Levi, Mark Strong, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Djimon Hounsou Shazam! significantly refreshed the tone of the DCEU by blending broad comedy with genuine emotional warmth and a surprising depth of mythic resonance. Director David F. Sandberg brings his … Read more

Unplanned (2019) Director: Chuck Konzelman, Cary Solomon Screenwriters: Chuck Konzelman, Cary Solomon Starring: Ashley Bratcher, Brooks Ryan, Robia Scott My opening reaction to this film was a small, telling detail: a ridiculous fake Texas license plate. It’s a minor flaw on its face, but it also feels emblematic of the production as a whole — … Read more

Paramount Pictures is developing a prequel to the 1978 teen-romance musical Grease, currently titled Summer Loving. The announcement confirms the studio’s intent to expand the world of the original film and revisit the characters and themes that made Grease a lasting pop-culture touchstone. The project is set to be written by screenwriter John August, whose … Read more

The Dirt (2019) Director: Jeff Tremaine Screenwriter: Amanda Adelson, Rich Wilkes Starring: Machine Gun Kelly, Douglas Booth, Daniel Webber, Iwan Rheon, Anthony Cavalero, Pete Davidson, David Costabile The Dirt, directed by Jeff Tremaine, arrives as another entry in the modern wave of rock biopics that draw largely from band memoirs and recollections. Based on the … Read more

This article was written exclusively for The Film Magazine by Lucas Hill-Paul. The recent releases of Captain Marvel and Jordan Peele’s Us mark a clear shift in how Hollywood treats its female genre protagonists. Where cinema once frequently presented women in horror and action as objects of sexual threat or as passive victims, these films—and … Read more

Sam Mendes, the director best known for the 1999 classic American Beauty and more recently for his work on the James Bond films Skyfall and SPECTRE, is directing a new World War I film titled 1917. On 28 March 2019 the production announced a number of prominent cast additions. Leading the new names is Oscar … Read more

If a filmmaker can bring together two contrasting, even jarring, storytelling elements and make them cohere, the result stays with the audience. Working in a visual medium, directors often combine opposing tones to provoke a particular reaction and leave a lasting impression. Because people instinctively respond to both laughter and, to a lesser extent, reflection, … Read more

Gotti (2018) Director: Kevin Connolly Screenwriters: Lem Dobbs, Leo Rossi Starring: John Travolta, Kelly Preston, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Spencer Lofranco I watched a light romantic comedy called Little Italy this week, and the contrast with Gotti (2018) was stark. Where Little Italy delivers predictable, sugary beats about rival pizza-shop children falling in love, Gotti attempts … Read more