Sentinel Screen
Fall Movie Preview: In an AI world, Laika makes handmade wonders — and ‘Wildwood’
NEW YORK | Travis Knight, the chief executive of the stop-motion animation studio Laika, wasn’t prepared for the response to the teaser for his new film, “Wildwood.” Almost immediately, it went viral. The early trailer rapidly gained more than 90 million views on YouTube, galvanized by people awed by the apparent scale and emotional depth […]
Movie Review: In ‘Primetime,’ a sinister shift in media, with a dazzling Robert Pattinson
Buzzing with the sound of dial-up internet and the hum of grainy VHS tape, Lance Oppenheim’s “Primetime,” about Chris Hansen and his Dateline NBC series “To Catch a Predator,” identifies a seedy moment when media became the new arbiter of communal justice. In “Primetime,” Hansen, as played with malicious precision by Robert Pattinson, is an […]
In ‘If I Go Will They Miss Me,’ a family seeks healing under the LAX flight path
LOS ANGELES | Six years ago, jet fuel was dumped from the sky onto a working-class city near Los Angeles International Airport, spattering onto children at an elementary school. For writer and director Walter Thompson-Hernández, who grew up nearby, the incident sparked a coming-of-age story that grapples with the contradictions of life under the LAX […]
Movie Review: ‘Forgotten Island’ is a trippy ode to friendship set against rich Filipino folklore
Of all the magical portals that transport you to another world, “Forgotten Island” may have the cutest. It’s not a brick tunnel like “Spirited Away” or a hidden door like “Coraline” or even C.S. Lewis’ famous wardrobe. In this movie, it’s a sand dollar. That humble beach staple is the key to unlocking what surely […]
Robert Pattinson brings ‘To Catch a Predator’ to life in new film ‘Primetime’
When Robert Pattinson first got the script for “Primetime,” a dramatization of NBC Dateline’s “To Catch a Predator” and the controversial sting operation that would lead to its cancellation, he was amazed it hadn’t been made into a movie already. Here was a fascinating tale with shades of “Network,” “Ace in the Hole” and “To […]
What to stream: ‘A Different World,’ ‘Toy Story 5’ and Kenny Chesney
The Disney+ debut of “Toy Story 5” and a new album from Kenny Chesney are some of the new television shows, films, music and games headed to a device near you. Also among the streaming offerings worth your time this week, as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists: the “A Different World” sequel, “Backrooms” […]
In a concrete-covered culture, John Wilson carves out a micro-movie revolution
NEW YORK | Years ago, John Wilson began just walking out into New York with his camera. Wilson was freshly out of college and eager to establish himself as a filmmaker. But he was naturally timid. It took some gumption to leave his apartment in the Ridgewood neighborhood of Queens and start pointing his camera. […]
‘La Bola Negra’ wins TIFF’s People Choice Award, putting it on Oscar path
“La Bola Negra,” the Spanish queer epic about the intertwined lives of three gay men, won the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sunday, confirming its status as a major Oscar contender. TIFF’s top award is voted on by festivalgoers, and it’s become known as one of the most iron-clad Academy […]
Movie Review: In ‘Heart of the Beast,’ Brad Pitt and a dog try to survive in the wild
Brad Pitt loves a lone wolf character. Even in ensembles, he’s often the quiet one just to the left (but, you know, still the focus). The guy who sees everything and says little, drawing people, when there are any, into his orbit with sheer charisma. Small talk is for the strivers, not the stars, maybe? […]
What to stream: ‘A Different World,’ ‘Toy Story 5’ and Kenny Chesney
The Disney+ debut of “Toy Story 5” and a new album from Kenny Chesney are some of the new television shows, films, music and games headed to a device near you. Also among the streaming offerings worth your time this week, as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists: the “A Different World” sequel, “Backrooms” […]