The Film Stage
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Your spotlight on cinema since 2008.
Brian De Palma will finally return to filmmaking this summer.
Brian De Palma Will Direct Sweet Vengeance This Summer
I'd heard from a couple reliable places that Brian De Palma was done with filmmaking; I'm very glad that they're wrong. A little over a year ago, the man himself confirmed intent to produce "one other...
thefilmstage.com
January 8, 2026 at 7:33 PM
Brian De Palma will finally return to filmmaking this summer.
Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne's #YoungMothers, opening Friday, brings empathy to a drama of pain and pathos.
Read @roryseanoc.bsky.social's review:
Read @roryseanoc.bsky.social's review:
Young Mothers Review: Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne Find Pain and Pathos
Note: This review was originally published as part of our 2025 Cannes coverage. Young Mothers opens on January 9. The new film from Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne is much like the others. The actors are...
thefilmstage.com
January 8, 2026 at 7:10 PM
Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne's #YoungMothers, opening Friday, brings empathy to a drama of pain and pathos.
Read @roryseanoc.bsky.social's review:
Read @roryseanoc.bsky.social's review:
Bill Skarsgård eats great swathes of scenery in Gus Van Sant's entertaining crime drama #DeadMansWire, opening Friday.
Read @roryseanoc.bsky.social's review:
Read @roryseanoc.bsky.social's review:
Dead Man’s Wire Review: Gus Van Sant Offers a Good Time at the Movies
Note: This review was originally published as part of our 2025 Venice coverage. Dead Man's Wire opens in theaters on January 9. Gus Van Sant returns with Dead Man's Wire, a movie shot in the same late...
thefilmstage.com
January 8, 2026 at 7:04 PM
Bill Skarsgård eats great swathes of scenery in Gus Van Sant's entertaining crime drama #DeadMansWire, opening Friday.
Read @roryseanoc.bsky.social's review:
Read @roryseanoc.bsky.social's review:
Kristen Stewart's directorial debut The Chronology of Water, opening Friday, shows a mastery in form, crafting a film that flows like a river.
Read @savinapetkova.bsky.social's Critic's Pick review: thefilmstage.com/cannes-revie...
Read @savinapetkova.bsky.social's Critic's Pick review: thefilmstage.com/cannes-revie...
January 8, 2026 at 7:02 PM
Kristen Stewart's directorial debut The Chronology of Water, opening Friday, shows a mastery in form, crafting a film that flows like a river.
Read @savinapetkova.bsky.social's Critic's Pick review: thefilmstage.com/cannes-revie...
Read @savinapetkova.bsky.social's Critic's Pick review: thefilmstage.com/cannes-revie...
"I don’t want to show spectacle, especially on the nature of crimes or the physicality of violence. For me, to make that a spectacle in cinema is obscene. I just want to show the aftermath, in a way, out of respect for the human condition."
Lav Diaz on crafting Magellan:
Lav Diaz on crafting Magellan:
Lav Diaz on Magellan: “Cinema Can Look Big Even with a Small Camera”
Filipino writer, director, editor, production designer, and cinematographer Lav Diaz is over 25 features deep into a three-decade-long career, and he continues to one-up himself. With Magellan––a biop...
thefilmstage.com
January 8, 2026 at 6:31 PM
"I don’t want to show spectacle, especially on the nature of crimes or the physicality of violence. For me, to make that a spectacle in cinema is obscene. I just want to show the aftermath, in a way, out of respect for the human condition."
Lav Diaz on crafting Magellan:
Lav Diaz on crafting Magellan:
Cherien Dabis’ Oscar-shortlisted All That’s Left of You considers generational trauma on both an intimate and epic scale.
Read our Critic's Pick review: thefilmstage.com/sundance-rev...
Read our Critic's Pick review: thefilmstage.com/sundance-rev...
January 8, 2026 at 5:17 PM
Cherien Dabis’ Oscar-shortlisted All That’s Left of You considers generational trauma on both an intimate and epic scale.
Read our Critic's Pick review: thefilmstage.com/sundance-rev...
Read our Critic's Pick review: thefilmstage.com/sundance-rev...
The new trailer for Oliver Laxe’s mindblowing, Oscar-shortlisted desert thriller Sirāt has arrived ahead of a release next month.
Sirāt Trailer: Oliver Laxe’s Desert Rave Thriller Arrives in February
A truly unforgettable mix of Scorcerer and Mad Max, while directed with a genuine vision of originality, Oliver Laxe's desert rave thriller Sirāt deservedly picked up the Jury Prize at Cannes Film Fes...
thefilmstage.com
January 8, 2026 at 4:05 PM
The new trailer for Oliver Laxe’s mindblowing, Oscar-shortlisted desert thriller Sirāt has arrived ahead of a release next month.
The Sparrow in the Chimney, My Undesirable Friends, and All That’s Left of You are among @jaredmobarak.com's top 10 films of 2025:
Jared Mobarak’s Top 10 Films of 2025
Following The Film Stage’s collective top 50 films of 2025, as part of our year-end coverage, our contributors are sharing their personal top 10 lists. In a year where my favorite films are dominated ...
thefilmstage.com
January 8, 2026 at 3:24 PM
The Sparrow in the Chimney, My Undesirable Friends, and All That’s Left of You are among @jaredmobarak.com's top 10 films of 2025:
A fifth Jackass film will open in theaters on June 26, 2026.
January 8, 2026 at 12:16 PM
A fifth Jackass film will open in theaters on June 26, 2026.
Petzold season is approaching.
U.S. Trailer for Christian Petzold’s Miroirs No. 3 Brings Paula Beer Into Uncertain Territory
Christian Petzold's Miroirs No. 3 will arrive stateside via 1-2 Special nearly a year since its Cannes debut. Which might be the minimum length of time needed to unpack this film, perhaps the German m...
thefilmstage.com
January 7, 2026 at 5:53 PM
Petzold season is approaching.
"Everything is about feeling connected, not removed from the characters." The cinematographer of Sentimental Value discusses his unique approach with @danieleagan.bsky.social:
“I Cried a Lot”: Sentimental Value Cinematographer Kasper Tuxen on Connecting With Joachim Trier’s Cast
In Joachim Trier's Sentimental Value, a father tries to reconnect with his estranged daughters through a film he wants to make. Gustav (Stellan Skarsgård), a noted director, returns to Oslo after the ...
thefilmstage.com
January 7, 2026 at 2:57 PM
"Everything is about feeling connected, not removed from the characters." The cinematographer of Sentimental Value discusses his unique approach with @danieleagan.bsky.social:
Lav Diaz's #Magellan twists convention through omission, considering only death, not the circumstances leading up to it.
Read @yesitsalistair.bsky.social's review:
Read @yesitsalistair.bsky.social's review:
Magellan Review: A Hypnotic, Unambiguous Exploration of the Horrors of Colonization
Note: This review was originally published as part of our 2025 Cannes coverage. Magellan opens in theaters on January 9. Ferdinand Magellan was never regarded as a great man of history, and Lav Diaz’s...
thefilmstage.com
January 7, 2026 at 2:48 PM
Lav Diaz's #Magellan twists convention through omission, considering only death, not the circumstances leading up to it.
Read @yesitsalistair.bsky.social's review:
Read @yesitsalistair.bsky.social's review:
The Oscar-shortlisted #HoldingLiat offers a constellation of personal opinions, politics, and viewpoints coming from an Israeli-American family.
Read @savinapetkova.bsky.social's review ahead of the documentary opening at @filmforumnyc.bsky.social this Friday:
Read @savinapetkova.bsky.social's review ahead of the documentary opening at @filmforumnyc.bsky.social this Friday:
Holding Liat Review: The Story of One Family Through a Mosaic of Political Views
Note: This review was originally published as part of our 2025 Tribeca coverage. Holding Liat opens in theaters on January 9. The first words we hear in Brandon Kramer’s Holding Liat are spoken, over ...
thefilmstage.com
January 7, 2026 at 2:42 PM
The Oscar-shortlisted #HoldingLiat offers a constellation of personal opinions, politics, and viewpoints coming from an Israeli-American family.
Read @savinapetkova.bsky.social's review ahead of the documentary opening at @filmforumnyc.bsky.social this Friday:
Read @savinapetkova.bsky.social's review ahead of the documentary opening at @filmforumnyc.bsky.social this Friday:
Albert Birney's OBEX, opening Friday, is an earnest, even poignant look at how entertainment can provide a sense of comfort for the most lonely souls. Read @jpraup.bsky.social's review:
OBEX Review: An Inventive, Lo-Fi, and Otherworldly Adventure
Note: This review was originally published as part of our 2025 Sundance coverage. Obex opens in theaters on January 9. While the likes of David Cronenberg’s Videodrome and Steven Lisberger’s TRON have...
thefilmstage.com
January 7, 2026 at 2:40 PM
Albert Birney's OBEX, opening Friday, is an earnest, even poignant look at how entertainment can provide a sense of comfort for the most lonely souls. Read @jpraup.bsky.social's review:
Afternoons of Solitude, Magellan, and One Battle After Another are among our latest contributor top 10.
Luke Hicks’ Top 10 Films of 2025
Following The Film Stage’s collective top 50 films of 2025, as part of our year-end coverage, our contributors are sharing their personal top 10 lists. To exemplify my year in one horrific-turned-hila...
thefilmstage.com
January 7, 2026 at 2:10 PM
Afternoons of Solitude, Magellan, and One Battle After Another are among our latest contributor top 10.
Nouvelle Vague, Sorry, Baby and Sentimental Value are among our latest contributor top 10 of 2025.
John Fink’s Top 10 Films of 2025
Following The Film Stage’s collective top 50 films of 2025, as part of our year-end coverage, our contributors are sharing their personal top 10 lists. Each year in my annual top ten I attempt to diag...
thefilmstage.com
January 6, 2026 at 5:41 PM
Nouvelle Vague, Sorry, Baby and Sentimental Value are among our latest contributor top 10 of 2025.
A Luchino Visconti gem has been restored and is coming to theaters this month. Watch our exclusive trailer premiere:
A Luchino Visconti Gem is Restored in Exclusive Trailer for Conversation Piece
One of the most revelatory retrospectives I had the opportunity to experience was dedicated to Luchino Visconti, taking place back in 2018 at Film at Lincoln Center. Across 14 features, his filmograph...
thefilmstage.com
January 6, 2026 at 3:11 PM
A Luchino Visconti gem has been restored and is coming to theaters this month. Watch our exclusive trailer premiere:
Béla Tarr’s #Sátántangó is a mythic epic of despair.
In remembrance of the great Hungarian director, read our appreciation of his 1994 epic: thefilmstage.com/satantango-t...
In remembrance of the great Hungarian director, read our appreciation of his 1994 epic: thefilmstage.com/satantango-t...
January 6, 2026 at 2:23 PM
Béla Tarr’s #Sátántangó is a mythic epic of despair.
In remembrance of the great Hungarian director, read our appreciation of his 1994 epic: thefilmstage.com/satantango-t...
In remembrance of the great Hungarian director, read our appreciation of his 1994 epic: thefilmstage.com/satantango-t...
Béla Tarr’s 10 favorite films included works by Robert Bresson, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, and Miklós Jancsó.
Béla Tarr’s 10 Favorite Films
With a new restoration of Béla Tarr's 1994 opus Sátántangó now playing in theaters, today we're taking a look back at the Hungarian maestro's favorite films. It may not be quite as immersive as attend...
thefilmstage.com
January 6, 2026 at 2:18 PM
Béla Tarr’s 10 favorite films included works by Robert Bresson, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, and Miklós Jancsó.
Hugh Jackman seeks salvation in the first trailer for Michael Sarnoski’s The Death of Robin Hood.
Watch: thefilmstage.com/the-death-of...
Watch: thefilmstage.com/the-death-of...
January 6, 2026 at 2:08 PM
Hugh Jackman seeks salvation in the first trailer for Michael Sarnoski’s The Death of Robin Hood.
Watch: thefilmstage.com/the-death-of...
Watch: thefilmstage.com/the-death-of...
R.I.P. Béla Tarr (1955-2026)
Read our 2019 interview with the director: thefilmstage.com/bela-tarr-on...
Read our 2019 interview with the director: thefilmstage.com/bela-tarr-on...
January 6, 2026 at 12:23 PM
R.I.P. Béla Tarr (1955-2026)
Read our 2019 interview with the director: thefilmstage.com/bela-tarr-on...
Read our 2019 interview with the director: thefilmstage.com/bela-tarr-on...
January 5, 2026 at 10:00 PM
"[Josh Safdie] works with an urgency, an obsession that is just very special. He will never let go of a scene that he thinks is incomplete."
Cinematographer Darius Khondji breaks down shooting #MartySupreme: thefilmstage.com/the-story-is...
Cinematographer Darius Khondji breaks down shooting #MartySupreme: thefilmstage.com/the-story-is...
January 5, 2026 at 9:24 PM
"[Josh Safdie] works with an urgency, an obsession that is just very special. He will never let go of a scene that he thinks is incomplete."
Cinematographer Darius Khondji breaks down shooting #MartySupreme: thefilmstage.com/the-story-is...
Cinematographer Darius Khondji breaks down shooting #MartySupreme: thefilmstage.com/the-story-is...
Lav Diaz's #Magellan tops our list of 13 films to see this January: thefilmstage.com/13-films-to-...
January 5, 2026 at 4:54 PM
Lav Diaz's #Magellan tops our list of 13 films to see this January: thefilmstage.com/13-films-to-...
See our exclusive poster premiere for Marco Bellocchio's six-hour epic Portobello, which premiered at Venice Film Festival and will arrive on HBO Max on February 20.
Exclusive U.S. Poster for Marco Bellocchio’s Six-Hour Portobello, Arriving on HBO Max in February
Celebrating his 86th birthday a few months back, Marco Bellocchio is one of Italy's most accomplished directors and the rare filmmaker who has stayed quite prolific in his late career. Following Kidna...
thefilmstage.com
January 5, 2026 at 2:05 PM
See our exclusive poster premiere for Marco Bellocchio's six-hour epic Portobello, which premiered at Venice Film Festival and will arrive on HBO Max on February 20.