Imagine a film about war. Then, imagine a film about journalists. Somehow, Ex Machina’s Alex Garland fashioned one of the most compelling stories of the year by marrying these unlikely premises. Even more unlikely? He convinced A24 to make an action film. Don’t worry, this is not a souped-up Marvel movie. It’s exactly what you’d expect from our favorite indie studio’s first venture into the action genre: subversive, thrilling, and intrepid.
After wowing audiences with films like
Ex Machina and 28 Days Later, it’s no surprise that director Alex Garland’s latest dystopian effort is unsettling and awe-inspiring. The highly anticipated film is already rated 93% on Rotten Tomatoes after premiering at SXSW 2024.
At a SXSW panel, Garland gave some insights into what it means to make a movie about the dystopian future that feels so close to being real. While movies like
Contagion and Garland’s own 28 Days Later felt prescient at the height of the pandemic, no one could have predicted that. But Civil War feels like a nightmare we’ve all been having for the past decade. It’s comforting, in a way, to know others are experiencing this nightmare too. But it’s dread-inducing to see it play out on screen and think: this is us. This will be us. Soon.
And that’s precisely the state of anxiety Garland wants us in.
“Cinema is inclined towards whatever it's presenting itself, and it’s inclined to not being anti-war,” Garland told the panel at SXSW. “To accurately present the action, it contains adrenaline. And if you add music to that, and you add a certain kind of imagery to that, essentially, it becomes seductive.”
Garland didn’t want to make a sexy war movie. He didn’t want to give us an easy watch.
His solution: making it as disorienting as possible. Unexpected musical moments, atrociously violent cuts of brutality, and gore abound.
“That De La Soul track [that plays during a pivotal scene] had a particular function which was to be jarring and aggressive and speak somehow to the perverse pleasure in what was happening,” Garland explained.
From the score to the cinematography, Garland has managed to make a war movie that does not, in any way, glamorize war. To do that, he had to keep the audience anxious and tense The product: the most stressful watching experience I’ve ever endured. But my god, it was worth it.
Civil War is set in a not-too-distant future when California and Texas have seceded, and the ensuing civil war has caused chaos across the United States. A team of war photographers and journalists make a dangerous journey to Washington DC with the goal of interviewing the President before American democracy falls.
It stars Kirsten Dunst in a career-best performance as jaded photojournalist Lee, alongside Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Nick Offerman, and Jesse Plemons.
It’s a war movie. An action movie. A morbid road trip movie. But above all, it’s a nuanced ode to journalists. “I wanted to make journalists the hero,” said Garland. “In any kind of free country or, let's say, democracy, journalists are not a luxury, they're a necessity. They are absolutely as important as the judiciary, the executive, or the legislature, and they are literally as important as a free press that is respected and trusted. Now, journalists have done some of the work to be distrusted themselves. But a lot of other interested parties have been complicit in making them untrusted. And I think it's unhealthy. And I think it's wrong. So I wanted to put journalism at the heart of it.”
Though the characters are complex and flawed, we spend enough time with them in a van to cause us to not just love them, but respect them. We believe in them. We believe in their work. If the film’s action doesn’t manage to seduce us, we are seduced by the characters’ prevailing idealism in such dire times.
It’s prescient, too, to be celebrating war journalists — people with nothing to protect them but cameras and press vests — in the current global climate. Garland could not have anticipated
Civil War would be released at a time when many of us are quite familiar with the names of press journalists across the world — Motaz, Bisan, Plestia. Outfitted with far less ego and equipment than the journalists in this film, the reality of journalists in Palestine is impossible not to recall while watching Civil War. It adds another thread of reality to the film that makes it all the more effective.
Is Civil War (2023) good?
Civil War pulls off Garland’s intended feat of creating an unequivocally anti-war war movie. But it’s by no means flat or didactic. The tapestry of scenes the characters encounter keeps the film moving. With each stop they make and each new character we meet, we learn something new about this world — and about ourselves.
This is perhaps the most impressive accomplishment of Civil War. It tells us about ourselves.
Garland shows us ourselves in the characters, in the polarized nation, and in the scenes of atrocity, the film never shies away from. “The first season of
The Handmaid's Tale did something very interesting, which was it had bits of imagery that would seem shocking. But as you're watching them, you realize there was a real-world allegory or parallel. We basically did the same thing,” revealed Garland.
“The scenes are referencing moments from the real world. But not, it's important to say, exceptional moments. Moments that you would expect in any war. And in a way, that's part of the point. I think it was necessary to do that if one is going to be anti-war. Some of the sanitizing might pollute the message.”
The film is also tremendously evocative emotionally because it is so immersive. The film offers the audience the chance to feel like it’s
behind the camera by following the photographers and revealing the shots the characters “take” during the film. And to get the shot, we go with them into the line of fire.
This is where I make my plea: you must watch
Civil War in IMAX. Wrapped in the giant screen and surrounded by the full power of a fantastic soundtrack, this was the most immersive watching experience of my life — even more than any 3D film I’ve ever seen or Oppenheimer … sorry, Christopher Nolan. As if we needed the movie to feel more real, IMAX puts you right in the thick of it.
Ultimately,
Civil War isn’t really a warning — it doesn’t make political moralizations. But it’s a call to action. Or a call to remembering. It urges us to appreciate, above all, perspective and truth.
Civil War has its wide release on April 12, 2024. Prepare your nerves. Watch the trailer here:
Nicholas Galitzine in SXSW Closing Night Film, "The Idea of You"
Courtesy of Prime Video
All the cool film girlies just came back from Berlin. Specifically, they are fresh from the 74th Berlin International Film Festival, and they still smell like cigarettes to prove it. Between anecdotes about how Berghain is ruined, they’re telling me how they watched Cillian Murphy (my father, emotionally) give another masterful, award-worthy performance in the Enda Walsh adaptation of Claire Keegan’s novel Small Things Like These. This is apropos of nothing, except that I was not in Berlin, so I will have to wait alongside everyone else to see one of my favorite books on screen later this year.
But how can I be bitter? This week, half of Los Angeles will flock to Texas for South By Southwest in Austin, and I’ll be delightfully distracted by a whole new slate of upcoming releases premiering at this year’s festival. There are so many new films to be excited about premiering at the festival — even without Cillian Murphy’s cheekbones.
Let’s get into it.
What is SXSW?
I’m in for a week of acronyms: SXSW in ATX FTW - LFG!! South By Southwest (aka SXSW or SX or South By) is a film festival, music festival, and industry conference all rolled into one. Fueled by Texas BBQ and Torchy’s Tacos, creative people in the tech, film, music, education, and culture industries swarm from theater to concert hall and conference room networking (allegedly), writing pretentious reviews about the future of culture (guilty), and being menaces to the residents of Austin by causing even worse traffic jams than the city is used to— and I can’t wait.
When is SXSW 2024?
SXSW 2024 will be held from March 8 - 16 2024. Highly anticipated events include Rolling Stone’s Future of Music Series (my artists to watch are Flo Milli and Faye Webster), and the SXSW Music Festival (which, this year, includes The Black Keys, Bootsy Collins, and many more). Of course, the highlight is the insane 2024 SXSW movie lineup. I can’t wait to laugh, cry, and contemplate my very existence while staring up at a screen at SXSW. In the words of Nicole Kidman, “We come to this place to dream.” And this week, the dreamers are all in Austin, Texas.
Here are the films at SXSW 2024 we’re most excited about – starring an assortment of all our favorite actors (even though Cilian won’t be making an appearance). Still, we’re excited to see new performances from faves like Ayo Edebiri, Jake Gyllenhaal, Ryan Gosling, Aaron Taylor Johnson, Jonathan Groff, Hunter Schafer, Rachel Zegler, Anne Hathaway, Nicholas Galitzine, and a whole lot more.
SXSW 2024 Official Opening Night Selection
Road House
This is not Patrick Swayze’s Road House (1989) — but by the time Jake Gyllenhaal is done with you, you’ll love it as much as the original. Gyllenhaal stars as an ex-UFC fighter-turned-bouncer at a Florida Keys roadhouse, owned by Frankie (Jessica Williams). Facing threats from a criminal gang led by Brandt (Billy Magnussen), Dalton's violent past emerges. When he is confronted by Knox (Conor McGregor), a lethal gun-for-hire, the escalating brawls and bloodshed become more dangerous than his days in the Octagon. Fans of real-life, ex-UFC fighter Conor McGregor are excited to see him in this film, even if he is the villain. Road House is coming to Prime Video on March 21st.
SXSW 2024 Official Closing Night Selection
The Idea of You
This film is like if your mom stole your Wattpad moment. Created by two-time SXSW Audience Award Winner Michael Showalter, it’s his great return to SXSW and it’s sure to be a riot. Allegedly based on Harry Styles (and a little bit of Prince Harry, too), The Idea of You is the salacious story of a 40-year-old single mom who begins an unexpected romance with her daughter’s favorite popstar. She goes from begrudgingly chaperoning her daughter to Coachella to meeting, and falling for, 24-year-old Hayes Campbell, the lead singer of a band based on One Direction. This odd couple romance promises to be more than meets the eye. The couple is played by Red White & Royal Blue’s Nicholas Galitzine alongside Anne Hathaway so I am ready and willing to go on this ride. I’m expecting something that feels like a mix of After, A Star is Born, and How Stella Got Her Groove Back. Watch the trailer HERE. And listen to the first song from the Original Soundtrack by fictional boy band August Moon HERE.
Other films to watch at SXSW 2024
I Wish You All The Best
I am unspeakably excited for Tommy Dorfman’s queer coming-of-age drama. Written and directed by Dorfman and starring Corey Fogelmanis, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Alexandra Daddario, Cole Sprouse, Lena Dunham, Amy Landecker, Lexi Underwood, and more (wow!) it’s an adaptation of Mason Deaver's novel of the same name. A queer tale of chosen family, it follows Ben DeBacker, a non-binary teen who is thrown out of their house and forced to move in with their estranged older sister, Hannah, and her husband, Thomas. Struggling with anxiety, they come out only to Hannah, Thomas, and their art teacher, Ms. Lyons, while trying to keep a low profile at their new school. Ben's attempts to survive junior year unnoticed are thwarted when Nathan, a funny and charismatic student, decides to take Ben under his wing. With the help of Nathan, and his friends Sophie and Mel, Ben discovers themselves, and what started as a disastrous turn of events looks like it might just be a chance to start a happier new life.
A Nice Indian Boy
A Nice Indian Boy
I’ll watch Jonathan Groff in anything — and this original odd-couple comedic drama would have taken me no convincing anyway. Self-effacing doctor Naveen Gavaskar meets Jay Kurundkar, a white man adopted by two Indian parents, when Jay takes his picture at the hospital. Despite initial skepticism on Naveen’s part, the two quickly fall in love. Naveen avoids telling his traditional family—parents Megha & Archit and sister Arundhathi—who accepted his sexuality years earlier and are close to him but increasingly don’t know much about his life. Eventually, inevitably, Jay, with no family of his own, has to meet the Gavaskars, who have never met a boyfriend of Naveen's.
The Fall Guy
The Fall Guy
Don’t fret, Barbie fever is over, but Ryan Gosling will be back on your screens soon enough with this comedic action blockbuster. Ryan Gosling stars as Colt, a stuntman who, after a near-career-ending accident, is drafted back into service when the star of a mega-budget movie—being directed by his ex, Jody (Emily Blunt)—goes missing. Now, this working-class hero has to solve a conspiracy and try to win back the love of his life while still doing his day job. Certified heartthrob Aaron Taylor Johnson is also in this — giving me something to look forward to as I wait patiently for his role in Kraven: The Hunter later this year. I’m sat.
Omni Loop
Omni Loop
The more Ayo Edebiri in the zeitgeist, the better. Alongside Mary-Louise Parker, Steven Maier, Eddie Cahill, and more, she stars in this existential sci-fi feature. Zoya Lowe, a 55 year old woman from Miami, FL, has been diagnosed with a black hole inside her chest and given a week to live. But what the doctors and her family don’t know is that she has already lived this week before. She’s lived it so many times, in fact, that she doesn’t even know how long it’s been. Until one day she meets Paula, a young woman studying time at a lab in the local university, and together they decide to try and solve time travel so Zoya can actually go back— back into her past, back to a time before she settled, back to when her whole future was still wide open in front of her—back so she can do it all over again, and finally be the person she always wanted to be. It’s this year’s Everything Everywhere All At Once so I have high hopes.
The Greatest Hits
The Greatest Hits
Harriet (Lucy Boynton) finds art imitating life when she discovers certain songs can transport her back in time - literally. While she relives the past through romantic memories of her former boyfriend (David Corenswet), her time-traveling collides with a burgeoning new love interest in the present (Justin H. Min). As she takes her journey through the hypnotic connection between music and memory, she wonders if she can change the past. Think Yesterday, but … no, pretty much just exactly Yesterday.
Y2K
Y2K A24 Movie
The children are our future! This A24 disaster comedy, Y2K, stars Rachel Zegler, Jaeden Martell, Julian Dennison, Lachlan Watson, Daniel Zolghadri, Mason Gooding, The Kid Laroi (yes, from that Justin Bieber song), and more as high schoolers who crash a NYE party in 1999 and end up fighting for their lives. But doesn’t all high school feel like that?
I Love You Forever
I Love You Forever
Directed and written by Cazzie David and Elisa Kalani and starring Sofia Black-D'Elia, Ray Nicholson, Jon Rudnitsky, Cazzie David, and Raymond Cham Jr, this film portrays the sad reality of the dating landscape. It follows Mackenzie, a disillusioned 25-year old law student tired of the apps — because who isn’t. When she has a “real life meet-cute” with a charming journalist who makes her believe true love may actually exist. Ultimately, it starts to go left and Mackenzie finds herself trapped in a tumultuous and depleting cycle of emotional abuse.
I Don't Understand You
Like our beloved White Lotus, this is about an Italian vacation gone wrong. Starring Nick Kroll and Andrew Rannells as an American couple, it's about a babymoon turned nightmare. On the verge of adopting a baby, they go on an Italian vacation — an opportunity to reconnect before the new addition arrives. Everything is picture-perfect; the epitome of a European baby moon, when things begin to spiral out of control. On the way to dinner, they get their rental car stuck in a ditch and are stranded in rural nowhere in a downpour. These two Americans, who are used to being catered to, are now in a foreign land without service, an Italian language comprehension of about zero, and clear relationship turmoil that could explode at any minute. Fear obviously takes over.
Doin It
Doin It
Starring internet sensation-turned-host-turned-actor Lilly Singh, Doin It is a comedy of errors about an Indian woman trying to lose her virginity. Fans of Never Have I Ever, which also starts with that premise, should flock to this film. After teenage Maya is caught in a sexually compromising position, her mom moves the family back to India so Maya can learn proper discipline. Years later, she returns to the US to find funding for her teen-focused app, and gets a job as a substitute high school teacher so she can research her target demo. But when the principal assigns her to teach sex ed, Maya —who’s still a virgin— sets out on a quest with her best friend to make up for the high school experience she lost out on. It also stars Ana Gasteyer, Sabrina Jalees, Stephanie Beatriz, Mary Holland, Utkarsh Ambudkar, and Sonia Dhillon Tully.
Civil War
Civil War
No, not the Marvel film. Much more chilling and dystopian — especially since it’s set in a plausible, near-future. It stars Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Sonoya Mizuno, and Nick Offerman taking us on an adrenaline-fueled thrill ride through a fractured America balanced on the razor’s edge, going through a civil war.
Birdeater
Birdeater
A bride-to-be is invited to join her own fiancé’s bachelor party on a remote property in the Australian outback. But as the festivities spiral into beer-soaked chaos, uncomfortable details about their relationship are exposed, and the celebration soon becomes a feral nightmare. I’m imagining part Saltburn and part Get Out from this feature debut.
Babes
Babes
After becoming pregnant from a one-night stand, Eden leans on her married best friend and mother of two, Dawn, to guide her through gestation and beyond. Starring lana Glazer, Michelle Buteau, John Carroll Lynch, and Hasan Minhaj, this comedy about friendship and motherhood is sure to be both belly-busting and heartwarming
Musica
Musica
Based on writer, director and star Rudy Mancuso, Música is a coming-of-age love story that follows an aspiring creator with synesthesia, who must come to terms with an uncertain future, while navigating the pressures of love, family and his Brazilian culture. Alongside Mancuso are Camila Mendes, Francesca Reale, Maria Mancuso, and J.B. Smoove.
Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told
Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told
If anyone else has heard about Freaknik endlessly without hearing about Freaknik, your time has come. This documentary feature is a celebratory exploration of the boisterous times of Freaknik, the iconic Atlanta street party that drew hundreds of thousands of people in the 80s and 90s, helping put Atlanta on the map culturally. At its height, Freaknik was a traffic-stopping, city-shuttering, juggernaut that has since become a cult classic. This documentary will, too.
The Black Sea
The Black Sea
Immersive and inspired by Derrick B. Harden’s travels to Bulgaria, The Black Sea details the transformative journey of a man who finds unexpected connections in a small coastal Eastern European town even as he finds himself to be the only black person around.
Pet Shop Days
Pet Shop Days
I love a very serious thriller with a whimsical title. Starring Jack Irv, Darío Yazeb Bernal, Willem Dafoe, Peter Sarsgaard, and more, you know this one’s going to be good. In an act of desperation, impulsive black sheep Alejandro flees his home in Mexico. On the run from his unforgiving father, Alejandro finds himself in New York City where he meets Jack, a college age pet store employee with similar parental baggage. Together the two enter a whirlwind romance sending them down the rabbit hole of drugs and depravity in Manhattan’s underworld.
Toll
Toll
This Brazilian feature is definitely going to chill me to my core, I’m calling it now. Suellen, a Brazilian toll booth attendant and mother, falls in with a gang of thieves in an attempt to keep her family afloat. In doing so, she realizes she can use her job to raise some extra money illegally for a so-called noble cause: to send her son to an expensive gay conversion workshop led by a renowned foreign priest.
My Dead Friend Zoe
My Dead Friend Zoe
My Dead Friend Zoe follows the journey of Merit, a U.S. Army Afghanistan veteran who is at odds with her family thanks to the presence of Zoe, her dead best friend from the Army. Despite the persistence of her VA group counselor, the tough love of her mother and the levity of an unexpected love interest, Merit's cozy-dysfunctional friendship with Zoe keeps the duo insulated from the world. That is until Merit's estranged grandfather—holed up at the family's ancestral lake house—begins to lose his way and is in need of the one thing he refuses... help. It stars Sonequa Martin-Green, Natalie Morales, Ed Harris, Morgan Freeman, Utkarsh Ambudkar, and Gloria Reuben.
A House Is Not a Disco
A House Is Not a Disco
Directed by Brian J. Smith, this documentary shows a year-in-the-life in the world’s most iconic “homo-normative” community: Fire Island Pines. Situated fifty miles from New York City, this storied queer beach town finds itself in the midst of a renaissance as a new generation of Millennial homeowners reimagine The Pines for a new, more inclusive era. Filmed like a Wiseman movie on magic mushrooms, a large cast of unforgettable eccentrics, activists, drifters, and first-timers reflect on the legacy of The Pines while preparing their beloved village for the biggest challenge it has faced since the AIDS crisis: rising seas caused by climate change.
Brandy Hellville & the Cult of Fast Fashion
Brandy Hellville & the Cult of Fast Fashion
My eighth-grade self, experiencing all the stages of grief in the Brandy Melville changing room, is ready for this expose. It examines how Brandy Melville developed a cult-like following despite its controversial “one size fits all” tagline. Hiding behind its shiny Instagram façade is a shockingly toxic world, a reflection of the global fast fashion industry. Fast fashion isn’t all glitz and glamor – it’s a business that sacrifices humanity and pollutes the planet for the sake of profit.
I'm never not talking about women. So clearly, 2023 was a great year for me. Dubbed "the year of the girl," last year was about celebrating women — not in a sanitized girlboss feminist way, but in a way that spotlighted stories by women, for women. The male gaze was finally decentered and, from TikToks to feature films, the biggest stories of the year were about women. So if you're looking for the best movies for Women's History Month, you've come to the right place.
Women's History Month 2024 Theme
The Women's History Month 2024 theme is “Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.” And, celebrated on March 8th, the International Women's Day 2024 campaign theme is 'Inspire Inclusion.' Together, they're a rallying cry to advocate for the representation and protection of women across the world. With increasing global conservativism, the overturning of Roe vs Wade in the US, and the global human rights crises disproportionately affecting women, advocating for equity, diversity, and inclusion is more important than ever.
Movies to watch for Women's History Month
There's a lot to say about the commodification of girlhood. In fact, so much of it has been repeated ad nauseum in think pieces and TikToks, so I won't say it here. While it's true that marketers are finally catering to women (or merely Taylor Swift fans, as the 2024 Super Bowl ads seem to imply) all to make a buck, the power of perspective is transformative. Seeing women like Beyonce and Taylor Swift at the top of their game is inspiring. So is seeing women try and fail — sorry, J.Lo. Understanding the full spectrum of the female experience comes from telling stories. Lots of them.
Telling stories through film is one way we can advocate for the world we want to live in. Plus, by supporting female films and films that empower women, more of them will be made. I like putting on a Guy Richie film as much as the next person, but this month, I'm taking the time to catch up on movies by women and rewatch titles that have made me think about girlhood, or womanhood, differently. From sugary titles like Barbie to movies about women in history, movies help inspire a new worldview and propel us towards activism and activism. Plus, there's no better feeling than dedicating a night to a movie marathon that's both exciting and empowering.
Looking for inspiration? Here are the Best Movies for Women's History Month:
New to Streaming: Movies By Women of the Moment
Barbie
Anything by Greta Gerwig automatically gets a yes from me. The actor-turned-director did the impossible: rebranded Barbie dolls into the epitome of empowerment. While she didn't get all the Oscar nominations she deserved, Gerwig and Margot Robbie were the faces of the year of girlhood.
Origin
Ava DuVernay has spent her entire career evaluating the interconnected systems of marginalization in America. She exemplifies this year's theme completely. In her latest film, Origin, she dramatizes the award-winning book Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Black journalist Isabel Wilkerson. Through DuVernay's eyes, we see the story of another powerful woman and her journey to understand the complexity of race and oppression across the world.
Past Lives
Written and directed by Celine Song, this movie is the epitome of the female gaze. As it explores the relationships of two childhood friends, it becomes clear that the film is so compelling because of the complexity of its protagonist, Nora, and the dexterous performance by Greta Lee. Women wiring about women just can't be beat!
Bottoms
I love rooting for women — especially when they're bad. Bottoms makes us root for the most loserish, toxic friend group and I love every minute of it. It's a hilariously liberating take on female friendships and queer adolescence. It redefines what it means to be a woman — especially a queer woman.
Contemporary Classics: Films That Empower Women
Lady Bird
Another Greta Gerwig film, this story of the intricacies of the mother-daughter relationship is a love letter to weird girls everywhere. If you had colored hair in high school, you loved Lady Bird. Those are the rules.
Passing
Starring Tessa Thompson and a career-defining performance by Ruth Negga, Passing is an adaptation of the book by the same name about two lighter skinned Black women — one who passes and lives as white to change her lot in American society. It's an often-overlooked subject that examines the realities of many women in the 1920s navigating race and womanhood.
Set It Off
Jada Pinkett, Queen Latifah, Vivica A. Fox, and Kimberly Elise star in this 90s heist movie about four women who plan a bank robbery in Los Angeles. It explores the lives and struggles of these women while also emphasizing their friendships and distinct stories.
Oceans 8
Speaking of female heist movies, they said a female Oceans film couldn't be done and Sandra Bullock proved them wrong, alongside the incredible ensemble Oceans 8 cast of: Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Mindy Kaling, Sarah Paulson, Awkwafina, Rihanna, and Helena Bonham Carter.
20th Century Women
Greta Gerwig was an actress before she became the bard of girlhood as a director. In this expansive feature by Mike Mills, she stars aside Annette Bening and Elle Fanning about three generations of women in 1979 Santa Barbara, California.
The 40-Year-Old Version
Radha Blank is the star, producer, and writer of this black-and-white arthouse film about starting over at 40. It follows a playwright who pivots into rap music to begin a new phase of her career.
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
In post a Roe vs Wade landscape, this Eliza Hittman story about a young girl traveling to New York City for an abortion is more relevant than ever.
Thelma and Louise
The ultimate story about ride or die female friendships. I want what they have — young Brad Pitt and the blue car, too.
Movies About Women in History
Hidden Figures
Hidden Figures tells the true story of three Black women, Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson, who were pivotal in sending astronaut John Glenn into orbit, changing the game for the space race. Finally, their story is no longer lost to the history books thanks to this film starring Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monae (Glen Powell as John Glenn was pretty much their Ken).
Frida
Frida Kahlo is one of the most influential artists of all time. Played by Selma Hayek in this biopic, it details the life of an extraordinary artist and how she channeled the obstacles she faced into her art.
Confirmation
Confirmation tells the story of Clarence Thomas's confirmation from Anita Hill's perspective. Kerry Washington plays Anita Hill in this inspiring and heartbreaking true story about a woman determined to tell the truth at all costs.
Queen of Katwe
Liked The Queen's Gambit? Watch this inspiring true story, which was first an ESPN article, about Phiona Mutesi, a young girl from Uganda who became a chess champion.
Marie Antoinette
Like Greta Gerwig, Sofia Coppola understands girlhood. Marie Antoinette treats a villainized historical figure with empathy and imagination. Also add Priscilla to your watchlist.
Erin Brockovich
Forget Pretty Woman,Erin Brockovich is my favorite Julia Roberts movie. Based on a true story, it is a tale of resilience, conviction, and not underestimating a woman. Talk about advocacy, Erin Brockovich is an inspiring figure for people who care about people and sticking it to the man.
I, Tonya Trailer #1 (2017) | Movieclips Trailers
Another figure from recent history, Margot Robbie's turn as Tonya Harding unravels the complexity of this misunderstood figure-skating star with empathy. She's more than just the star of Barbie!
Women's History Month Documentary
He Named Me Malala
Malala Yousafzai is synonymous with empowerment. Her story is a reminder of the power of telling your story. This documentary explores her life after the Taliban tried to kill her for speaking out on behalf of girls' education. No wonder she is the leading advocate for children's rights and the youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.
I Am Greta
Greta Thunberg is one of the most inspiring women on the planet — and she has been since she was 15. Her advocacy for the climate is a reminder that the children really are our future.
Homecoming
Nothing more inspiring than Beyonce. Girls really do run the world.
Show Her the Money
This recent doc is about the gap of women in the investment space. It follows female founders and investors as they navigate the sexist world of VC.
My favorite song of all time is "Lover, You Should've Come Over" by Jeff Buckley. It's also my biggest red flag. The song is about a man who lets the love of his life get away for pretty much no reason. Some interpret it as a song about infidelity. I just say it's the toxic person's anthem. Our lonesome man knows he should treat his lover better, but he blames his youth for why he can't.
"Maybe I'm too young to keep good love from going wrong" is one of the best lyrics ever put to melody — but a cop-out is a cop-out.
While I'm not here to talk about breakup songs — you can find those here — I am here to muse about how art, whether it's film or cinema, can make it feel romantic to be kind of toxic. We see unhealthy, unrealistic portrayals of love all the time. We hear that we should stick by our lover no matter what. We see people, usually heroines, sacrificing themselves and their value for medicore men with good hair. Oh, to be a 90s movie heartthrob and have it all for doing nothing.
For example, the 2022 season 2 of White Lotus basically moralized playing games with your partner to keep them interested. We cheered on as characters deceived, manipulated, and cheated on their partners — most of them ending up happier than ever.
But this trope goes way further than the lifetime I've been waiting for White Lotus Season 3. The saying "All's fair in love and far," alludes to this sentiment: when it comes to love, we want to believe that the end justifies the means.
Whether or not this is true, on Valentine's Day we replace these notions with cliches like hearts and candy. Love is suddenly a sappy, saccharine affair about devotion and dedication. Even if you're toxic during the rest of the year, Valentine's Day begs you to be wholesome and happy.
I say, no, thank you. Valentine's Day makes me want to sink into the very bottom depths of my Jeff Buckley-inspired longing and dream of the kind of love Taylor Swift was talking about in "Cruel Summer" and "The Way I Love You." The kind that Jeff Buckley was screaming, crying, throwing up for. The kind that's codependent and problematic but hits so differently when you're in it.
Just for one day, let me be toxic. And let me start with these toxic romantic titles:
10 Things I Hate About You
It's in the title. Should hate be integral to love? I don't know, but I do know that I've never loved the "enemies to lovers" trope more than Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger in 10 Things I Hate About You. Their whole relationship is based on lies and invasions of her privacy all because she's a "shrew" — God forbid a girl read Sylvia Plath and back into your car on purpose. It's also an adaptation of Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew, so here's the proof that toxic love goes back centuries. And we still can't get enough!
500 Days of Summer
500 Days of Summer is mostly toxic because it's so misunderstood. Joseph Gordon Levitt and Zooey Deschanel shaped a generation. Too bad most of us didn't understand how problematic JGL's character was when we first watched it. Let this be a warning: run from anyone who makes liking The Smiths their whole personality. Long live the manic pixie dream girl.
Closer
Speaking of manic pixie dream girls, nothing beats Natalie Portman in Garden State, and Closer. Closer edges out the former on the toxic-scale because no one is redeeming in this ensemble cast. Julia Roberts, Jude Law, and Clive Owen join Portman in the craziest, most compelling, love square filled with misunderstandings, missed connections, and a whole lot of lies.
The Family Stone
Speaking of love squares, The Family Stone takes keeping it in the family to a new level. Though this is technically a Christmas movie, it's larger-than-life plot and twisted, toxic take on accidental romance transcends the holiday. The all-star cast doesn't hurt either: Dermot Mulroney, Sarah Jessica Parker, Claire Danes, Diane Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Luke Wilson and Craig T. Nelson.
Forrest Gump
If you're doubtful about this film's place in the category, look beyond the warm and fuzzies the nostalgia gives you. It's a great movie, and Forrest might be wholesome, but just like that box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get. From his obsession with Jenny to her pretty much using him at the end when her life takes a turn, toxic romance really does span decades.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Ever get wrecked by a relationship so bad you feel like you need a lobotomy to forget about it? Yet somehow, the good times in these relationships feel the sweetest. What you need: a therapy session. Then, a rewatch of Tumblr favorite, Eternal Sunshine.
Stuck In Love
This movie follows the members of one family, recently wracked by divorce, as they try to find and keep love. Their stumbling attempts reflect their own traumas and how their family determined their relationships to others. All this to say: it's toxic on purpose, and that's enough for me. Logan Lerman is one of the few redeemable characters in this.
After
Anything that started as a Wattpad book is going to be the most toxic thing you've ever watched. Especially if it began as a One Direction fan fiction about Harry Styles. But if you're in the mood to actually rot your brain, start here.
Twilight
You knew this was coming. Beyond the Mormon propaganda of it all, this is just an insanely codependent relationship that rewired the brains of a whole generation at an early age. No wonder we all crave unreal, unhealthy relationships. Don't even get me started on Jacob and Renesmee.
Gone Girl
The fact that I think Gone Girl is romantic says everything you need to know. But they end up together in the end and that's what matters! Sorry to EmRata's character. Toxic recognizes toxic.
Jennifer's Body
Male manipulators, rise!
Hulu's High Fidelity
Honorable mention: While High Fidelity was originally a novel adapted into a movie starring John Cusack, the Hulu revival starring Zoe Kravitz and Da'Vine Joy Randolph is a force to be reckoned with. Kravitz as Rob is inspiring in her insufferable personality. And, of course, in her outfits. She inspired everyone in Bushwick to dress well and blame everyone else for their problems. My hero.
In 2020, pretty much every industry went through a crisis. Yes, partly because of the pandemic. But, after the murder of George Floyd and the international Black Lives Matter playlists, everyone looked around and realized: their Black representation was abysmal.
From corporate offices to movies, people were forced to reckon with the institutionalized racism at the center of their industries. Promises were made. Copies of bell hooks's All About Love were sold out. DEI executives were added to C-Suites. And everyone swore to look inward and make changes outward. But now, all those promises have been forgotten.
DEI leaders are being fired across the board in record numbers, and companies are proving that all their talk in 2020 was just that — talk. According to a report by Revelio Labs, a data analytics company analyzing workforce trends, DE&I roles have been diminishing faster than non-DE&I positions since 2021.
The entertainment industry is also reneging on its promises. Despite having loyal audiences and critical acclaim, Black titles that were greenlit during the BLM fervor have now been cast aside by executives. In 2023, a record number of Black-led titles were canceled. Some of the axed titles include: HBO MAX's Love Life starring Jessica Willims; Grown-ish, the Hulu spinoff of Black-ish starring Yara Shahidi, Trevor Jackson, Luka Sabbat, and Marcus Scribner; the beloved political comedy series Ziwe starring Ziwe; AMC's Damascus; FX's Kindred; and the reality show Sweet Life: Los Angeles.
Even powerhouses in the industry are worried by this trend. Issa Rae, showrunner of Insecure and the President in Barbie spoke with Net-A-Porter about this trend. “You’re seeing so many Black shows get canceled; you’re seeing so many executives – especially on the DEI side – get canned. You’re seeing very clearly now that our stories are less of a priority.”
If even Issa Rae worries about the state of entertainment, it must be dire.
So this Black History Month, support Black titles — before they get axed. Maybe by showing our support to Black stories, we can get more of them made. Here's to wishful thinking.
Rye Lane
Forget Anyone But You, Rye Lane is bringing back the rom-com. Starring David Jonsson andVivian Oparah, this lighthearted romantic comedy follows two heartbroken singles who spend a day together in South London.
They Cloned Tyrone
Starring John Boyega, Teyonah Parris and Jamie Foxx, this science fiction comedy and mystery follows an unlikely trio as they delve into the heart of a neighborhood conspiracy.
The Kitchen
Directed by Daniel Kaluuya (of Nope and Judas & the Black Messiah), The Kitchen is a dystopian commentary on class in London. Set in a future without socialized housing, The Kitchen follows a community determined not to leave their home.
American Fiction
Head to the theaters for this one — it's one of Jeffery Wright's best performances. It follows an author who parodies the mainstream expectations of Black writers and is caught in a trap when his parody book skyrockets in popularity. A commentary on American culture and the publishing industry, follow this outrageous tale — which also features Issa Rae.
Chevalier
Kelvin Harrison Jr. stuns in this biographical portrayal of composer Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges — who was the illegitimate son of an African slave and a French plantation. It tells the insane but true story of his rise into the upper echelons of French society as a celebrated violinist-composer and fencer, including his love affair and falling out with Marie Antoinette.
Abbott Elementary
Abbott Elementary is back for Season 3 this month. Celebrate the Emmy award-winning sitcom by binging the first two seasons in preparation for its great return. Fingers crossed it never gets canceled.
Queen Charlotte
From the Bridgerton family comes Queen Charlotte, which emerged from the fun and fanciful world of Bridgerton as a force of nature. Dramatizing the real-life story of Queen Charlotte and George III, this surprisingly sharp and smart drama explores themes of race and mental health while retaining Shonda Rhimes's addictive approach to romance.
Top Boy
Speaking of British dramas, Top Boy is London's answer to The Wire. Every few years it goes viral when it comes back on Netflix. Catch up now and don't be surprised if you find yourself incorporating London slang into your day.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
The Spider-Verse animated Spider-Man movies follow Miles Morales, the Black, Brooklyn spiderman, as he travels across multiple dimensions. The most recent 2023 installment is a heart-wrenching journey that will thrill and surprise you, then leave you begging for part three.
Swarm
Donald Glover's partnership with Amazon Studios is bringing us a TV remake of Mr & Mrs Smith this year. Until then, enjoy Swarm, starring Dominique Fishback. Fictionalizing the fervor of Beyonce's Beyhive, it's a satirical thriller about fandom.
Black Cake
Based on The New York Times-bestselling book by Charmaine Wilkerson, Black Cake is a generational-spanning family drama wrapped in a murder mystery about a woman whose children unravel the mystery of her life from the Caribbean to America.
High Fidelity
Zoe Kravitz, the ultimate cool girl, stars in one of my favorite shows ever — another Black-led show that was canceled after one season. A rework of the novel by Nick Hornby and the 2000 movie starring John Cusack, High Fidelity is a tumultuous story about one girl, the music she likes, and all her exes. It also stars Da'Vine Joy Randolph, who is currently nominated across the awards circuit for her recent role in The Holdovers.
Genius: MLK/X
After the hit that was Hulu's Genuis: Aretha, the series is back with a story about Martin Luther King and Malcom X. This docu-series explores the work and personal lives of these two civil right figures without shying away from their personal figures and spotlighting the contributions of the women in their lives and in the movement.
The Color Purple
A cinematic feat, this 2023 musical adaptation features a powerhouse cast of: Halle Bailey, Fantasia Barrino, Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, Colman Domingo, and more. You're going to want to see this in theaters.
The Little Mermaid
Halle Bailey brought new life to this fairy tale and its soundtrack. Balance the heavier content you consume this month with this tale (no pun intended) of hope and love.
What do you think of when you think of Utah? Snow? Slopes? The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City? I think of Sundance. Sundance Film Festival is home to one of the most internationally prestigious film festivals in the world. Sundance has a well-deserved reputation for excavating emerging talents in the film industry through its mission to support engaging new stories. Sundance winners in the past are firmly lodged in our cultural canon, such as Fruitvale Station, Whiplash, and Precious.
The nonprofit Sundance Institute celebrates 40 years of the iconic film festival this year. The Festival will take place January 18–28, 2024, in person in Park City and Salt Lake City — now also with a selection of titles available online. So even if you’re not partying in Salt Lake, you’ll have unprecedented access to the most exciting films premiering in Utah.
"From the first edition in 1985, Sundance Film Festival has aimed to provide a space to gather, celebrate, and engage with risk-taking artists that are committed to bringing their independent visions to audiences — the Festival remains true to that goal to this day," said Robert Redford, Sundance Institute Founder and President. "It continues to evolve, but its legacy of showcasing bold work that starts necessary conversations continues with the 2024 program."
Here are some of the most exciting films premiering at this year’s festival. Be prepared to see them later on the silver screen and at next year’s awards circuit:
Ponyboi: Valentine’s Day, New Jersey. River Gallo portrays a young intersex sex worker who must run from the mob after a drug deal goes sideways, forcing him to confront his past. It’s directed by Esteban Arango and stars Dylan O'Brien, Victoria Pedretti, Murray Bartlett, and Indya Moore. I, for one, can’t wait to see Indya Moore back on the screen after Pose, and Dylan O’Brien back with a buzzcut after Not Okay.
Exhibiting Forgiveness: A Black painter on the verge of success is derailed by an unexpected visit from his estranged father, a recovering addict desperate to reconcile. Together, they learn that forgetting might be a greater challenge than forgiving. It stars André Holland and John Earl Jelks, alongside Andra Day, returning to the big screen after stunning in Hulu’s The United States vs. Billie Holiday.
The American Society of Magical Negroes: Director, Screenwriter, and Producer Kobi Libii is the creator behind one of my most anticipated films of 2024. It stars Justice Smith as a young Black man recruited into a secret society of magical Black people who dedicate their lives to making white people's lives easier. It's a satire on one of pop culture’s favorite tropes that is long overdue.
THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MAGICAL NEGROES - Official Trailer [HD] - Only In Theaters March 22www.youtube.com
Little Death: A middle-aged filmmaker on the verge of a breakthrough. Two kids in search of a lost backpack. A small dog a long way from home. I’m most excited about the eclectic cast that includes David Schwimmer, Gaby Hoffmann, Dominic Fike, Talia Ryder, Jena Malone, and Sante Bentivoglio.
A Different Man: Sebastian Stan plays aspiring actor Edward goes under the knife to drastically transform his appearance. But the botched surgery makes him lose out on his dream role, and he becomes obsessed with reclaiming what was lost.
Freaky Tales: This period piece explores 1987 Oakland as a mysterious force guides The Town’s underdogs in four interconnected tales: Teen punks defend their turf against Nazi skinheads, a rap duo battles for hip-hop immortality, a weary henchman gets a shot at redemption, and an NBA All-Star settles the score. This love letter to the Bay Area stars Pedro Pascal alongside Jay Ellis and Normani … who still hasn’t delivered an album.
FREAKY TALES (2024) Trailer | First Look | Teaser Trailer | Release Date |First Look Teaser Trailerwww.youtube.com
Love Me: Kristen Stewart and Steven Yeun make my dream team in this post-apocalyptic love story about a buoy and a satellite that meet online and fall in love in a post-human world.
The Outrun: Another dream duo: Saoirse Ronan and Paapa Essiedu star in this adaptation of Amy Liptrot’s bestselling memoir. After living life on the edge in London, Rona attempts to come to terms with her troubled past by returning to her hometown in Scotland’s Orkney Islands.
A Real Pain: Another dynamic duo, Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin play cousins who reunite for a tour through Poland to honor their grandmother. The adventure takes a turn when the pair's old tensions resurface against the backdrop of their family history
Girls State: Following the widely successful 2020 documentary Boys State, Girls State depicts the experience of teenage girls from wildly different backgrounds across Missouri during a week-long immersive experiment in American democracy, reimagining what it means to govern.
Desire Lines: Director, Screenwriter, and Producer Jules Rosskam takes us on a tale through time when an Iranian American trans man time-travels through an LGBTQ+ archive on a dizzying and erotic quest to unravel his own sexual desires.
Presence: Steven Soderberg’s latest is bout a family that moves into a suburban house and becomes convinced they’re not alone. The cast includes Lucy Liu, Chris Sullivan, Callina Liang, and Julia Fox.