Paul Thomas Anderson is widely regarded as one of the finest American filmmakers working today. Whenever he releases a new movie, its title quickly becomes part of awards-season conversation. He consistently draws top-tier actors, cinematographers and composers who help bring his layered, meticulously crafted films to both critical and commercial success. To date, he remains … Read more

Since the 1980s, Guillermo Del Toro has unsettled and enchanted audiences with a distinctive blend of fantasy and horror, memorable characters and imaginative, often haunting stories. His early short films—ten in total, eight of which remain unreleased—served as a preview of the feature work that would follow: a career of independent and studio projects that … Read more

Flag Day (2022) Director: Sean Penn Screenwriters: Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth Starring: Sean Penn, Dylan Penn, Addison Tymec, Katheryn Winnick, Jaydn Rylee, Josh Brolin, Hopper Penn With much of the Penn family appearing both behind and in front of the camera, Flag Day promised an intimate portrait of a fractured family, centering on the tense, … Read more

Nightmare Alley (2022) Director: Guillermo del Toro Screenwriters: Guillermo del Toro, Kim Morgan Starring: Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Toni Collette, Willem Dafoe, Rooney Mara, Ron Perlman, Richard Jenkins A Guillermo del Toro release is always an event—an auteur’s spectacle that often reaches beyond conventional cinema. In his return to major feature filmmaking after the Oscar-winning … Read more

Scream (2022) Director: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett Screenwriters: James Vanderbilt, Guy Busick Starring: Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courteney Cox, Marley Shelton, Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Dylan Minnette, Jack Quaid, Jasmin Savoy Brown Return to Woodsboro: the Ghostface legacy is revived. After an eleven-year gap in the franchise, Scream (2022) brings the familiar masked killer back … Read more

Licorice Pizza (2021) Director: Paul Thomas Anderson Screenwriter: Paul Thomas Anderson Starring: Alana Haim, Cooper Hoffman, Bradley Cooper, Sean Penn, Tom Waits, Benny Safdie, Skyler Gisondo, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, John Michael Higgins, Christine Ebersole, Harriet Sansom Harris, Danielle Haim, Este Haim Paul Thomas Anderson’s ninth feature, Licorice Pizza, is a warm, sunlit coming-of-age film set … Read more

There has rarely been a year when conversations about the future of the theatrical experience felt so decisively answered by audiences themselves. In 2021 moviegoers returned in force, eager to sit in a dark auditorium, watch films on a large screen and hear them in full surround sound. The autumn months alone saw record attendance … Read more

What a year for cinema — returning from the brink and reclaiming its unique power to move and astonish. The world still felt precarious, but from April 2021 (in the UK at least) the unparalleled magic of watching films on the big screen returned. That first time back in the dark, eyes fixed on the … Read more

In 2021 cinema proved more important than ever as a way to connect people. Whether viewed on phones, home screens or in large-format theaters, the year’s standout films and creators sparked conversation, challenged assumptions, and prompted unexpected reflection amid a difficult global moment. At The Film Magazine, our team of experienced, thoughtful writers reviewed and … Read more

2021 was an unusual year for cinema. Many releases were delayed from 2020, and a handful of films on this list first surfaced on the festival circuit in 2019. With exhibitors prioritizing extended runs for blockbuster titles that reliably draw crowds, smaller and independent films often struggled to find the theatrical space and attention they … Read more