The Film Stage

Note: This review was originally published as part of our 2024 Berlinale coverage. Direct Action opens in theaters on April 11. There’s a stretch of land in northwestern France that’s spent the past six decades fighting prospects of total annihilation....

After premiering at last year’s edition of Sundance Film Festival, Esteban Arango’s Ponyboi will finally be coming to theaters this summer. Led by River Gallo (who also wrote the screenplay), Dylan O’Brien (who had a major year at this year’s...

The film world was set alight when learning Johnnie To and Tony Leung would reteam for a Japan-shot gangster feature. (That collection of words sort of speaks for itself, so I won’t elaborate upon our excitement.) It overshadowed semi-recent news...

After back-to-back Mission: Impossible sequels were announced all the way back in 2019, the culmination of Christopher McQuarrie and Tom Cruise’s ambitious project will now finally be seen over six years later. Following pandemic and strike delays along with a title change,...

This summer marks the return of Wes Anderson, now with an Oscar in-hand for his quartet of Roald Dahl adaptations. The Phoenician Scheme tells the story of a family (and family business) and stars Benicio del Toro as Zsa-zsa Korda,...

If Woody Allen never makes another film (whatever the recent rumors about a Barcelona project) Coup de Chance hits a passable, albeit minor final note that, in its own way, exceeds precedent. Nearing 90 and still lacking major commercial demand...

NYC Weekend Watch is our weekly round-up of repertory offerings. Anthology Film ArchivesA series on sex workers includes Spike Lee’s Girl 6, Working Girls, and House of Tolerance. BAMQueering the Canon runs between in-theater showings and virtual screenings, including Tsai...

It’s a month full of “operatives” (see Freaky Tales on April 4, The Amateur on April 11, Warfare on April 11, and The Accountant 2 on April 25) and each received an effective if familiar campaign. The same goes for...

A winner at SXSW for its striking cinematography and world premiere at Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, where it premiered in its main competition, Augusto Sandino’s second feature A Vanishing Fog is finally getting a U.S. theatrical run courtesy of...

Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here. The Actor (Duke Johnson) For as much light as The Actor is bathed in, it’s equally...