Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is a 2023 animated superhero film produced by Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation, and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing. Directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson, it is the sequel to the Academy Award-winning Into the Spider-Verse (2018).
Shameik Moore returns as Miles Morales, who is pulled across the multiverse and introduced to the Spider-Society — an interdimensional task force of Spider-People led by the severe Miguel O'Hara/Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac). When Miles learns the Society operates on a rigid doctrine about which tragedies must be allowed to happen, he finds himself at odds with hundreds of versions of himself. Hailee Steinfeld returns as Gwen Stacy, with Jason Schwartzman voicing the villainous Spot.
Released on June 2, 2023, the film grossed over $690 million worldwide and drew rapturous reviews, with critics calling its animation among the most ambitious ever committed to a mainstream feature. It received an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature and ends on a cliffhanger leading into Beyond the Spider-Verse.
The Last Duel is a 2021 historical action drama film directed by Ridley Scott and written by Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and Nicole Holofcener. The film is based on the true story of the last officially recognized judicial duel in medieval France, fought in 1386 between two knights: Jean de Carrouges and Jacques Le Gris.
The film stars Matt Damon, Adam Driver and Jodie Comer. The film follows the story of Jean de Carrouges, a respected knight who returns from the Hundred Years War to find his wife, Marguerite, has been raped. He accuses his squire, Jacques Le Gris, of the crime, but Le Gris denies the allegations and claims that Marguerite consented to the act. With no way to prove his innocence, Jean is forced to call for a duel to the death to settle the dispute. The King of France, Charles VI, agrees to the duel and chooses the location and the rules. As the day of the duel approaches, Jean and Le Gris must prepare for the fight of their lives, while Marguerite must come to terms with the fact that the outcome of the duel will determine the rest of her life.
The film received positive reviews from critics and audiences alike, with particular praise for the performances of Damon, Driver and Comer, as well as for Scott's direction and the film's attention to historical detail. It was also praised for its themes of justice, honor and the power of the truth. The Last Duel was a commercial success and grossed over $300 million worldwide. It was nominated for several awards, including an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.
The Batman is a 2022 American superhero film based on the DC Comics character Batman. The film is a reboot of the Batman film franchise, directed by Matt Reeves, who wrote the screenplay with Peter Craig. Robert Pattinson stars as Bruce Wayne / Batman. The film also stars Zoë Kravitz, Paul Dano, Jeffrey Wright, John Turturro, Peter Sarsgaard, Andy Serkis, and Colin Farrell. The film follows Batman, who has been fighting crime in Gotham City for two years, uncovering corruption while pursuing the Riddler, a serial killer who targets Gotham's elite. The film development began after Ben Affleck was cast as Batman in the DC Extended Universe in 2013. But Affleck dropped out and Reeves took over. Filming began in the United Kingdom in January 2020, but was halted by the COVID-19 pandemic and it resumed later in the year and concluded in Chicago in March 2021.
The film was a commercial success, grossing over $770 million against a $185–200 million budget, received positive reviews from critics and it's intended to launch a Batman shared universe, with two sequels planned and two spin-off television series in development for HBO Max. In August 2013, Ben Affleck was cast as Bruce Wayne / Batman for multiple films in the DC Extended Universe. He made his debut in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), Suicide Squad (2016) and Justice League (2017). In October 2014, Warner Bros announced plans for a standalone Batman film starring Affleck, he was in negotiations to direct and co-write the screenplay with Geoff Johns by July 2015. But Affleck had reservations about directing the film and announced in January 2017 that he was stepping down as the director but still planned to star and produce. The film was put on hold due to the re-evaluation of Warner Bros approach to superhero films after the release of Batman v Superman.
The film highlights that Batman's wealth does not alleviate his suffering and explores the idea that he should be more philanthropic. It also explores grief, trauma and the "horror" of living with post-traumatic stress disorder through Batman's character. The film also shows a different relationship between Batman and the police, with them viewing him as a criminal and a level of oversight they're not used to dealing with. This aspect of the film is considered "timely" given the contemporary American sociopolitical context including increased awareness of police brutality.
The Suicide Squad is a 2021 American superhero film based on the DC Comics team of the same name. The movie is a sequel to the 2016 film Suicide Squad and is written and directed by James Gunn.
The film features an ensemble cast, including Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, John Cena, Joel Kinnaman, Jai Courtney, and Viola Davis, among others. The movie follows Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) assembling a new team of imprisoned supervillains, including Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) and Deadshot (Idris Elba), to complete dangerous black ops missions in exchange for reduced sentences.
The plot of the movie centers around the team being sent to the fictional island of Corto Maltese, where they are tasked with taking down a powerful and dangerous warlord named General Flag. Along the way, the team faces various obstacles, including deadly creatures and rival factions, as they fight to complete their mission and survive. The movie also features the return of characters from the first film, such as Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman) and Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney), as well as new characters like Bloodsport (Idris Elba) and Peacemaker (John Cena).
The movie received positive reviews from critics and audiences alike, praising the performances, action sequences, and James Gunn's direction. It was a commercial success grossing over $785 million worldwide. The movie was also nominated for various awards and accolades, including an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. The film's success led to the confirmation of a sequel with James Gunn returning as writer and director.
"Parasite" is a South Korean dark comedy-thriller film directed by Bong Joon-ho. The film tells the story of the impoverished Kim family, who become employed by the wealthy Park family through deception. The Kims begin to infiltrate the Park household by posing as unrelated, highly qualified individuals, but their scheme unravels as a series of unexpected events lead to a violent confrontation. The film explores themes of class inequality and the struggle for survival in a capitalist society. It won several awards, including the Palme d'Or at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, becoming the first South Korean film to win the award.
"Parasite" is a critically acclaimed movie that has received widespread praise from film critics. The film has been praised for its sharp social commentary, compelling storytelling, and strong performances from the cast. Many critics have also noted the film's unique blend of humor and suspense, as well as its ability to tackle complex themes in a thought-provoking and nuanced way. Overall, "Parasite" is considered one of the best films of the year and has received numerous awards and nominations.
Knives Out is a 2019 American mystery film written, directed, and co-produced by Rian Johnson. It stars Daniel Craig as a detective investigating the death of a wealthy patriarch and features an ensemble cast. Johnson conceived the film in 2005 but didn't write the screenplay until 2017. It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2019 and received universal acclaim. It grossed $311.9 million on a $40 million budget and was nominated for several awards. In 2021, Netflix acquired the rights to two sequels written and directed by Johnson with Craig reprising his role, the first of which was released in 2022.
The basic concept for the film was developed by Johnson after he made Brick in 2005. He wanted to make an Agatha Christie-inspired murder mystery film, but his next project became Star Wars: The Last Jedi. After finishing his press tour for that film, he spent seven months writing the script for Knives Out. The film is inspired by classic mystery thrillers and comedies, with influences including The Last of Sheila, Murder on the Orient Express, Clue and Gosford Park. The title was taken from the 2001 Radiohead song "Knives Out". The film was announced in 2018, with Daniel Craig starring, and was sold to distributors at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival. The cast includes Chris Evans, Lakeith Stanfield, Michael Shannon, Ana de Armas, Don Johnson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Toni Collette, Christopher Plummer, Jaeden Martell, Katherine Langford, Riki Lindhome, Edi Patterson, and M. Emmet Walsh.
Knives Out has received positive reviews from critics, with an approval rating of 97% on Rotten Tomatoes and a score of 82 out of 100 on Metacritic. Critics have praised the film's script, performances, and use of murder-mystery tropes. Audiences also gave the film high ratings, with an average grade of "A-" on an A+ to F scale. The film has been described as "ingeniously plotted" and "subversive", and has been selected as one of the top ten films of 2019 by the American Film Institute, the National Board of Review, and Time magazine.
"The Bob's Burgers Movie" is a 2022 American animated musical comedy film based on the animated television series Bob's Burgers. It is directed by the series creator Loren Bouchard and series director Bernard Derriman, written by Bouchard and Nora Smith, and produced by Janelle Momary-Neely, Bouchard, and Smith. The original voice cast from the series reprises their roles, including H. Jon Benjamin, Dan Mintz, Eugene Mirman, Larry Murphy, John Roberts, Kristen Schaal, David Wain, Zach Galifianakis, and Kevin Kline. The plot follows Bob and his family as they struggle to pay their loan after a sinkhole opens in front of their restaurant and affects business, while the kids try to solve the murder of a carnie. The film premiered at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood on May 17, 2022, and was theatrically released by 20th Century Studios in the United States on May 27, 2022, following previous delays of almost two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It received positive reviews from critics and has grossed $34 million worldwide, dedicated to character designer Dave Creek and matte painter Denise Fuller, both of whom died prior to its release.
The Bob's Burgers movie received positive reviews from critics and audiences, with an 88% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes, an average rating of 7.0/10, and a Metacritic score of 75 out of 100, indicating generally favorable reviews. Audiences also gave the film an average grade of "A" and 89% of audience members gave it a positive score with 69% saying they would definitely recommend it.
The animation for the Bob's Burgers movie was done by a team of animation studios, including Tonic DNA, Lighthouse Studios, Bento Box Entertainment, Golden Wolf, Yeson Entertainment, Brilliant Pictures, Synergy Animation, Mighty Animation, Dave Enterprises and Mercury Filmworks. The production team wanted the film to be mostly done through hand-drawn animation to keep the visuals similar to the series. The larger budget and animators available allowed for more detailed animation in the film. Tonic DNA was originally supposed to work only in musical numbers but was later assigned two additional sequences. Animators at Tonic DNA used both hand-drawn and cutout animation techniques for the film, with both being simultaneously used in certain sequences, particularly the "Lucky Ducks" musical number. This film would be the final animation work for Tuck Tucker and Dale Baer before their deaths.
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is a 2022 American mystery film written and directed by Rian Johnson and produced by Johnson and Ram Bergman. It is a standalone sequel to the 2019 film Knives Out, with Daniel Craig reprising his role as master detective Benoit Blanc as he takes on a new case revolving around tech billionaire Miles Bron. The ensemble cast also includes Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Jessica Henwick, Madelyn Cline, Kate Hudson, and Dave Bautista. The film was greenlit by its original distributor Lionsgate in 2020, but in March 2021 Netflix bought the rights to two Knives Out sequels for $469 million. The cast signed on that May. Filming took place with a $40 million budget on the island of Spetses, Greece in June and July 2021, and continued in Belgrade until September. It premiered on September 10, 2022 and released in limited theaters on November 23, 2022 and on Netflix on December 23, 2022.
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is a standalone film, not a continuation of its predecessor, with a new story and cast. The film's setting of Greece was a desire of the director to travel abroad when international travel had been shut down due to COVID-19. The director, Rian Johnson, took inspiration from Agatha Christie novels, especially "The Last of Sheila" and "tropical getaway murder mysteries" and desired the title of the film to refer to something hidden in plain sight. He chose the title "Glass Onion" from a song by The Beatles and featured in the end credits. The character of Benoit Blanc is revealed as gay in the film.
"Glass Onion" is a 2022 American mystery film written and directed by Rian Johnson, and produced by Johnson and Ram Bergman. It is a standalone sequel to the 2019 film "Knives Out," which features Daniel Craig reprising his role as master detective Benoit Blanc as he takes on a new case revolving around tech billionaire Miles Bron (played by Edward Norton) and his closest friends. The film has received positive reviews from critics, with an average rating of 8/10 on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics praised Johnson's screenplay and direction, the performances of the cast, and musical score. The National Board of Review named Glass Onion as one of the top ten films of 2022. It also received numerous other accolades and has been compared to current business magnates.
Terminator Genisys is the fifth installment in the Terminator series, set in the year 2029. John Connor is currently fighting the machines as leader of the Resistance, when he is notified that Skynet will attack him in the past as well as the future. He sends Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney) back in time to save his mother, Sarah Connor (this was the premise for the first Terminator movie), but the past has changed, diverging from the plot of the original film. In this new altered reality, Sarah Connor was orphaned at age nine by a T-800 sent to kill her, and has been raised by another T-800 model which has been programmed to protect and train her to meet her destiny. The film is set to act as prequel, sequel and reboot for the series, and once again stars Arnold Schwarzenegger in his titular role, supported by Emilia Clarke, Jason Clarke, Jai Courtney, Matt Smith, Lee Byung-hun and J.K. Simmons
Chappie (stylized CHAPPiE) is a science fiction film directed by Neil Blomkamp, based on the director's own 2004 short film, Tetra Vaal. Set in the near future, Chappie features a world which is policed by mechanized robots. The robots are oppressive toward humanity, but do not have the ability to think and feel. Chappie is a robot designed with artificial intelligence. Chappie can feel emotions and think for himself, and it is up to him to stand up to the forces that are trying to oppress humanity and take him down. The film stars Sharlto Copley as Chappie, supported by Dev Patel, Hugh Jackman, Watkin Tudor Jones, Yolandi Visser, Jose Pablo Cantillo, and Sigourney Weaver. Chappie is Blomkamp's third feature length film, written alongside his wife Terri Tatchell, who worked with him on District 9, which also starred Sharlto Copley
Everly is a 2014 action thriller directed by Joe Lynch, starring Salma Hayek as the titular character. Everly is a prostitute working for the crime lord Taiko (Hiroyuki Watanabe), working secretly to bring down his organization with the help of the police. While trapped inside her apartment, Everly faces off with hired killers and even other prostitutes who have been promised a bounty if they are able to kill her. The film features music by Bear McCreary, who did the soundtrack for the rebooted version of the Battlestar Galactica television series. Lynch originally wrote the story while listening to the soundtrack for the second season of the show. Early reviews of the film have been mixed to positive, and compared to the early Die Hard movies or the blood-spattered epic of Kill Bill. The film plays toward assassin and mafia tropes and offers little in the way of plot, but plenty in the way of action.
