- 11 Times That D’Angelo Made a Movie Better with his Music (October 17, 2025)
Like so many contemporary R&B fans, I was gutted when it was reported that Michael Eugene Archer, better known as groundbreaking neo-soul artist D’Angelo, passed away on Tuesday at the too-damn-young age of 51, after a long, private battle with pancreatic cancer.
The man was an elusive enigma, only dropping three studio albums–Brown Sugar (1995), Voodoo (2000) and Black Messiah (2014)–that nevertheless became influential masterworks. But he did spend those years in-between albums recording songs for movie soundtracks. Back in the good ol’ days when every movie came with a soundtrack full of bangers, D’Angelo was a regular presence. You could literally make a playlist out of the secret heaters he recorded for the movies, which is what I’ve done.
“U Will Know” from “Jason’s Lyric” (1994)
D’Angelo was just 19 when he co-wrote and co-produced this all-star single, which also serves as the theme song for the 1994 hood drama starring Allen Payne as a man torn between being there for his self-destructive, ex-con brother (Bokeem Woodbine) and falling in love with an entrancing waitress (a pre-Will Smith Jada Pinkett). Most of the era’s biggest R&B male singers—including co-producer Brian McKnight, Gerald Levert, R. Kelly, Boyz II Men, Tevin Campbell, Keith Sweat, and Usher—joined forces as a Black-and-proud choir, practically one-upping each other in the vocal-run department, as they sing encouraging lyrics for all the struggling brothas out there.
“Girl You Need a Change of Mind” from “Get on the Bus” (1996)
In the first of many classic songs he would remake for movie soundtracks, D’Angelo got with veteran producer/Miles Davis collaborator James Mtume and recorded a cover of former Temptation Eddie Kendricks’ proto-disco 1973 single, which saluted all the fine ladies who were fighting for equal rights back in the day. D’Angelo and Mtume simply amp up the already defiant, gospel-inspired, righteous soul Kendricks and producer Frank Wilson already laid down. It did fit in quite well in the soundtrack for the Spike Lee-directed dramedy, where a bus full of Black men (including Ossie Davis, Andre Braugher and comedian Bernie Mac) travel en route to the Million Man March.
“Your Precious Love” from “High School High” (1996)
D’Angelo collaborated with Erykah Badu, another neo-soul trailblazer, and producer Bob Power for an old-fashioned rendition of Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell’s great Motown duet, originally penned by beloved singer-songwriter duo Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson. While the cover made an appearance on the soundtrack for the forgotten high-school movie parody, starring “SNL” alum Jon Lovitz as a white teacher getting his Dangerous Minds on in an inner-city school, it was also included on Marvin Is 60, a Marvin Gaye tribute album, in 1999.
“I Found My Smile Again” from “Space Jam” (1996)
The 6x platinum soundtrack from the live-action animated sports comedy starring Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny had a slew of singles, from the bass-booming title track by Quad City DJs to R. Kelly’s Grammy-winning anthem “I Believe I Can Fly” to Seal’s rendition of Steve Miller’s “Fly Like an Eagle.” Buried within the collection is D’Angelo’s enticing, enthusiastic track. D opens up the tune by nimbly twinkling the ivories on his electric piano, then sliding into a spry soulful ode to that special someone who brings out the rosiness in a brotha’s cheekbones. (“I haven’t felt like this in a while/Girl. I wanna thank you for helping me find my smile.”) Although the original isn’t available to stream, a re-recorded, radio-edit version can be found on his 2008 The Best So Far… compilation.
“The ‘Notic” from “Men in Black” (1997)
“Men in Black” infamously had a soundtrack album where, apart from star Will Smith’s smash theme song, most of the songs did not appear in the movie. Nevertheless, that didn’t stop D’Angelo and hip-hop band The Roots (featuring drummer/frequent D’Angelo collaborator Questlove) from doing a jazzy remake of “The Hypnotic,” from The Roots’ 1996 album Illadelph Halflife. Along with adding ad-libs and keyboard-tickling, D’Angelo deliciously repurposes the chorus from Earth, Wind and Fire’s “Shining Star.” Erykah Badu can also be heard throwing in some background vocals.
“She’s Always In My Hair” from “Scream 2” (1997)
D’Angelo got the chance to cover Prince, one of his most obvious influences, when he remade the Purple One’s 1984 B-side for the sequel to Wes Craven’s hit meta-slasher flick. The first song you hear in the movie (an apt choice, as it begins with a young, Black couple, played by Jada Pinkett and Omar Epps, unfortunately becoming this installment’s first casualties), D puts a hard-driving, Black-rock spin on Prince’s spacey, synth-funk rarity. An invigorating change-of-pace from the smooth neo-soul he was already known for, the cover hints at the musical experimenting he would later do on Voodoo.
“Devil’s Pie” from “Belly” (1998)
Music-video director Hype Williams’s directorial debut–basically an urban spin on “Mean Streets” starring rap icons Nas and DMX as partners in crime–is most known for its ultra-stylish opening credits, a slo-mo club sequence set to an acapella version of Soul II Soul’s “Back to Life.” But the movie also gave us this unofficial theme song from D’Angelo and legendary hip-hop producer DJ Premier (best known as one-half of East Coast rap duo Gang Starr). With Premier sampling a bassline from Teddy Pendergrass’s “And If I Had” and throwing in scratches and clipped lines from other rappers, D’Angelo sings about the dangers of succumbing to greed and materialism, serving as the perfect background music for a montage where Nas and DMX’s drug dealers start cracking on their operation. The song would also end up on Voodoo.
“Heaven Must Be Like This” from “Down in the Delta” (1998) and “Can’t Hide Love” from “Dancing in September” (2001)
Here are two more covers, which were both included on D’Angelo’s formerly rare, 1998 live album Live at the Jazz Cafe, London. His rosy rendition of the Ohio Players’ sweet-talking “Heaven Must Be Like This”–a bonus track that only appeared on the album’s Japanese release–doesn’t appear in “Delta,” which marked the directorial debut of the revered poet Maya Angelou. But it did end up on the soundtrack album. As for Reggie Rock Bythewood’s TV satire, which is obviously named after a line from Earth, Wind and Fire’s hit “September,” D’s bad-to-the-bone version of the group’s “Can’t Hide Love” (originally recorded by LA soul group Creative Source) slyly plays over the end credits.
“Talk Shit 2 Ya” from “Baby Boy” (2001)
D’Angelo’s soundtrack contributions, much like D’Angelo himself, became a rarity after the success of Voodoo. A year after the album’s release, he dropped this track for John Singleton’s oft-repeated-on-BET hood drama, where Singleton goes back to South Central to tell the story of a thugish man-child (Tyrese Gibson). D mostly takes a backseat on this tune, providing the G-funk melody (which includes a groovy bass loop sampled from Curtis Mayfield’s “Mother’s Son”) and deep-voiced background vocals while rapper Marlon C is front and center with his rhymes.
“I Want You Forever” from “The Book of Clarence” (2024)
D’Angelo’s final soundtrack appearance was on the soundtrack for director Jeymes Samuel’s satirical take on the story of Jesus, with LaKeith Stanfield as a struggling Jerusalem man who claims to be the new Messiah. D teams up with Samuel (who also composed the score) and Jay-Z for this blowsy, bombastic jam session of a song, mostly adding a sprawling chorus to this de facto love theme for Clarence and his love interest Varinia (Anna Diop).
Bonus: “Unshaken” from “Red Dead Redemption 2” (2019)
OK, so this is from a video game. But when “Red Dead Redemption” fan D’Angelo found out that a sequel was in the works, he approached Rockstar Games about adding a song to the soundtrack. He got with Grammy-winning producer Daniel Lanois (best known for co-producing U2’s most essential albums) and recorded a moody, outlaw-country number for a nightriding sequence that have been known to give goosebumps to streaming gamers. Listening to it again only makes me sad that the man never got to score a Western.
- In Mubi’s “Hal & Harper,” Cooper Raiff Has a Hard Time Growing Up (October 17, 2025)
The final episode of Cooper Raiff‘s eight-part series, “Hal & Harper,” opens with a dedication: “For parents and the parentified.” At its best, the show evokes that love and care for the struggles and anxieties of parenthood, and the arrested development that comes when children are forced to parent themselves. As a young filmmaker with two attention-grabbing features already under his belt—2020’s “Shithouse” and 2022’s “Cha Cha Real Smooth“—Raiff’s work has often dealt with the tensions of growing up and putting away childish things. But here it’s told with remarkable patience and self-assurance, even as Raiff often gets in his own way.
Told in elliptical, time-jumping fashion across decades, “Hal & Harper” holds its focus on a struggling family coping poorly with loss and trauma; we quickly clue in that the mother dies tragically when both kids are very young, freezing them emotionally in place. The titular kids are the jittery Hal (Raiff) and his older sister Harper (an incredible Lili Reinhart), first seen in their early twenties, still figuring their lives out. Hal feels like a manchild who’s coasting through college with a best friend who tells him that he’s “not, like, a person sometimes,” all raw nerves and people-pleasing eagerness.
Harper, meanwhile, is freshly out of college, toiling away at an entry-level desk job and in a six-year relationship with her first love, Jesse (Alyah Chanelle Scott), whom she can’t bring herself to leave, even though she’s already checked out. A fling with a coworker (Addison Timlin, also a producer) offers her the chance for something exciting and new. Still, she’s stuck: Stuck in the limbo of her existing connections with Jesse, Hal, and her guilt-ridden father (Mark Ruffalo). They’re all so dependent on each other in ways that can offer peace but also hold them back; Hal and Harper’s lack of boundaries, even in adulthood, quickly registers as unhealthy.
While the first two episodes cement the show’s montage-y, impressionistic nature—much of the show’s runtime plays out in airy intercuts set to weepy indie-folk needledrops from acts like Phoebe Bridgers and Waxahatchee—it’s at the end of ep 2 that we see one of Raiff’s more ambitious stylistic choices: We cut back to 2009, as Hal and Harper enter first and third grades. Instead of casting kids, the twentysomething Raiff and Reinhart play the roles instead; the former adjusts his physicality to play around with preteen clumsiness, while Reinhart’s Harper still smokes and makes jokes about drinking. “You really had to grow up way too fast,” Dad says to them and us, hammering home this conceit.
It’s a cloying, on-the-nose moment to sell the vibe, and “Hal & Harper” has a lot of these. When watched all at once, the show’s sleepy, waxy tone can sometimes grate, as the overwhelming gentleness of its presentation and the simplistic, fuzzy-wuzzy dramedy wear thin.
That attitude is all over Raiff’s work, especially “Cha Cha”; especially on screen, Raiff’s presence is somewhat of a weak point, as his wide-eyed enthusiasm can whittle away his more charming moments as an actor. His works feel singularly focused on the dissonance between childhood and adulthood, and the pull towards the simplicity of childhood to keep oneself safe.
“Hal & Harper” makes merry play with the divide between adults who can’t leave their childhoods behind and are a bit too grown-up to do childhood right. The beats that explore that frisson are some of the show’s most successful. The problem comes from the show’s awkward, stuttering structure. Because we flit back and forth so much in time, it’s hard to get a grasp on these characters or their conflicts, and they don’t get a chance to build organically.
Structuring a show achronologically should create purpose in those intercuts; alas, we’re left juggling two or three different conflicts at once that don’t resolve satisfactorily. Certain subplots, like Dad’s girlfriend (an underused Betty Gilpin) struggling against the possibility of their unborn child having Down’s Syndrome, feel tacked-on and perfunctory, and the broader question of “can they deal with selling their childhood home?” doesn’t ripple out boldly enough into their wider lives to feel important.
What elevates the show’s hazy presentation, though, is the performances of Reinhart and Ruffalo, each of whom finds remarkable grace notes in their thorny, complicated characters. Reinhart’s Harper feels like the adult of the family, for lack of a better term; she’s always had to take care of Hal and her father to some extent, and this moment in her life plays out like a deeply painful crossroads. She’s a fuckup, trapped in cycles of self-destructive behavior because she doesn’t know what she wants. Reinhart’s expressive face speaks volumes, whether it’s guilt, memory, or conflict, in ways the sparse, overly sentimental script doesn’t allow her.
Ruffalo, for his part, is often off in his own show, as the emotionally closed-off father who turns inward to deal with his trauma. It somewhat isolates his character from the rest of the show, but it gives him a beautiful showcase to mark his weathered, hangdog expression, filled with decades of grief and sorrow, in ways that resonate when he’s the focus.
When we deal with loss, time can seem to stand still. I know; as I type this, I am myself waiting to hear whether my maternal grandmother, the matriarch of our family, will pass today. It’s one of those terrifying prospects that no amount of emotional fortification can truly prepare you for. In its final hour, especially, “Hal & Harper” captures the bittersweet nature of change and how closing one chapter can help you open up another. But perhaps that’s evidence enough that there’s a solid three-star movie’s worth of concept here, rather than stretching it out to a loose, thin five-hour television series.
Whole season screened for review. Premieres on MUBI October 19.
- The 11 Best Body-Swap Movies, Ranked (October 17, 2025)
Who hasn’t at least once fantasized about switching lives with someone who, from a distance, seems to have a more comfortable, secure, happier existence? While Shakespeare and others created stories about characters pretending to be someone else, it was Mark Twain’s The Prince and the Pauper that popularized the idea of people in opposite circumstances trying out each other’s lives. “The Parent Trap,” Disney’s 1961 and 1998 films, based on the 1949 German book Lise and Lotte, had identical twins taking each other’s place.
When Mary Rodgers wrote Freaky Friday in 1972, about a mother and daughter switching not just places but bodies, it inspired dozens of variations. Many, like Rodgers’ book, focus on family; some, like the Hallmark “Princess Switch” trilogy, on romance; some, like “Freaky,” explore thriller or horror genres. Some play with race and/or gender, like “The Hot Chick” and “White Chicks.” And some, like “Trading Places,” with Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd, and this week’s “Good Fortune,” exploring race and class issues and economic disparity in satirical terms.
Here are some of my favorites. For this list, I am not counting “same person in an earlier version of him/herself” like “Big,” “17 Again,” and “13 Going on 30,” all of which I recommend, but only counting life-switch and body-switch stories.
11. “Turnabout” (1940)
The weirdest film on the list features a husband (John Hubbard) and wife (Carole Landis) who mistakenly argue in front of a small Indian idol in their bedroom. He thinks she has nothing to do while he works hard all day, and she believes his job must be more interesting than being a full-time wife. They find themselves in each other’s bodies the next morning. Even with a strong supporting cast that includes Mary Astor, Marjorie Main, Donald Meek, Adolphe Menjou, and Hal Roach behind some of Hollywood’s greatest early comedies, the film is primarily of interest as an artifact of its time. Another film about a couple switching bodies is the 1996 Australian film “Dating the Enemy,” starring Guy Pearce and Claudia Karvan as a bickering couple.
10. “Vice Versa” (1988)
Two movies about middle school boys switching bodies with their fathers came out around the same time. In “Vice Versa,” Fred Savage is the kid, and his father, played by Judge Reinhold, is a busy retail store executive who does not pay enough attention to his son. Roger Ebert called it “one of this year’s most endearing comedies,” noting the excellent body language both actors used to show how far out of synch their physicality and their maturity levels were. In the earlier film, “Like Father, Like Son” (1987), Dudley Moore is the reserved, proper father, a doctor, and his son, played by Kirk Cameron, is more casual and laid back. Roger Ebert gave it just one star, writing, “Everyone in the movie looks awkward and silly all of the time. This plays less like a movie than like a penalty for the losers on a game show.”
9. “Every Day” (2018)
An entity known as A wakes up every day in a different body, geographically near the last one, always his/her/their age. Other than that, the bodies A takes over for a day can be any race, any gender, any degree of ability/disability. A tries to live each day for the person whose body he/she/they are inhabiting and is deeply gratified to learn what makes each person different and what makes all people alike. And then A falls in love and, for the first time, has a reason to stay in one body. The excellent cast includes Angourie Rice, Justice Smith, and Maria Bello, and its tender-heartedness and use of the Pink song “What About Us” is captivating.
8. “Prelude to a Kiss” (1992)
Craig Lucas wrote the screenplay, based on his play about a bride who switches bodies with an elderly man after he kisses her at the wedding. It is a bittersweet love story, very much inspired by the early days of the AIDS epidemic, when a disfiguring, fatal disease ravaged beloved young, healthy people. Alec Baldwin and Meg Ryan have tons of chemistry as the young couple, and the message of loving the spirit more than the appearance is touching.
7. “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” (2017)
Chris Van Allsburg’s wonderful picture book about a magical board game, originally expanded and filmed with Robin Williams, is, in this version, a magical video game. It enables a group of high school kids in detention to become their avatars and risk their real lives. A shy boy becomes man-mountain Dwayne Johnson, a nerdy girl becomes the athletic Karen Gillen, a popular girl becomes a middle-aged scientist (Jack Black), and a football player becomes the short Kevin Hart. The action is exciting and funny, and the resolution, after they find another kid who has been stuck in the game for years (Nick Jonas) and defeat the bad guy (Bobby Cannavale), is satisfying as they bring home the lessons they learned, happy to be themselves again.
6. “The Parent Trap” (1961)
Hayley Mills played identical twins separated at birth when their parents divorced, each never knowing the other existed. They meet at summer camp, start as enemies, discover the truth, and switch identities so each can spend time with the parent they did not know. The 1998 remake starred Lindsay Lohan. Both are classic family favorites.
5. “The Prince and the Pauper” (1937)
Real-life twins Billy and Bobby Mauch give wonderfully natural performances in the title roles. “The Adventures of Robin Hood” stars, co-director, and composer bring a thrilling sense of adventure and heart to the story. Errol Flynn plays the dashing swashbuckler Miles Hendon, Claude Rains portrays the dastardly conspirator against the young prince, and the score is by Erich Wolfgang Korngold, under the direction of William Keighley. There’s a fine 1962 Disney television version with “Zorro’s” Guy Williams and “Parent Trap”-style, Sean Scully as both prince and pauper. And there are variations, including those starring Barbie, Mickey Mouse, Kid ‘N Play, and the Olsen twins.
4. “Watermelon Man” (1970)
Melvin Van Peebles directed this sharp satire with Black actor Godfrey Cambridge as Jeff, a white bigot who wakes up one morning in his suburban home to discover that he has become Black. As in the classic Eddie Murphy SNL sketch where he sees what life is like for white people, Jeff encounters an eye-opening world of difference when those around him judge him for his skin color.
3. “Freaky Friday” (1976)
The original Disney adaptation of the Mary Rodgers book is still a delight, featuring teenage Jodie Foster and Barbara Harris as the mother and daughter who switch roles. Daughter-as-mother gets to create chaos at home while mother-as-daughter gets to suffer through classes and PE. While the 2003 remake with Lindsey Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis is the best and most fondly remembered, with a 2025 sequel involving a four-way body switch called “Freakier Friday,” every one of the movies based on the Rodgers book is worth watching, including the 1995 made-for-TV version with Shelley Long and Gaby Hoffman and the 2018 musical starring Cozi Zuehlsdorff and Broadway performer Heidi Blickenstaff.
2. “All of Me” (1984)
Lily Tomlin plays Edwina, a wealthy woman who has been disabled by illness all her life. When she is close to dying, she pays Terry (Victoria Tennant), a young, healthy, but dishonest woman, to allow Edwin’s spirit to take over Terry’s body and have her first chance at a full, healthy life. Edwina’s grumpy attorney is Roger (Steve Martin), who accidentally receives Edwina’s spirit instead. The scene where Roger’s spirit and Edwina fight as he tries to walk is hilarious, and the movie is smart, funny, and very sweet.
“Your Name” (2016)
Most body-switching films lean toward humor, but the Japanese animated feature by writer/director Makoto Shinkai, about a boy and girl who switch bodies, has a lyrical, melancholy tone. The characters do not know each other. One lives in Tokyo; one lives in the country. The way they respond by leaving messages to help one another is moving, and the visuals are lovely.
- William Fichtner Transforms AMC’s “Talamasca” Into Something Worthwhile (October 16, 2025)
AMC has slowly become a dominating force in genre television. From “Dark Winds” to “Interview with the Vampire,” they’ve crafted two series that have already become decade, if not century-defining television. There have been some duds along the way, but it’s undeniable that the writers who helm these series aren’t afraid to take risks, often transforming these shows for the better. Now comes their newest genre venture, “Talamasca: The Secret Order,” which exists within the Anne Rice universe that AMC continues to expand upon.
First introduced in season two of “Interview with the Vampire,” the Talamasca is an organization made up of scholars and spies that watch over the supernatural. While surveilling witches, vampires, and demons, they do everything they can to remain unseen and observe these creatures without interfering with the natural order of things or dying in the process. At the Talamasca’s London headquarters, Helen (Elizabeth McGovern) is sent a severed eyeball in the mail. It belonged to one of her agents, who committed suicide via train while investigating a vampire with a volatile secret buried under the city’s sewers. In need of a replacement, Helen seeks out Guy (Nicholas Denton), a young man with a powerful gift for clairvoyance.
Since he was a child, Guy’s mind has been unable to fully channel his gift, filled with fractured whispers and phrases. To recruit him and to convince him of the Talamasca’s legitimacy, Helen introduces Guy to Burton (Jason Schwartzman), a flamboyant vampire who gives Guy an inkling that he may be more deeply connected to the Talamasca than he was led to believe. While reading a copy of Daniel Molloy’s (Eric Bogosian) novel recounting Louis de Pointe Du Lac’s (Jacob Anderson) story, Guy sees his mother’s name listed in one of the pages. When confronting Daniel later, the newly turned vampire tells Guy he didn’t write that page; the Talamasca did.
With the Talamasca directly linked to the mother he long believed to be dead, Guy decides to join their ranks. What unfolds is a journey that wants to appear more thrilling than it actually is, missing the mark by disregarding ideas of agency and surveillance in the modern world, and how this would stifle the growth of an ancient secret society. Thankfully, halfway through the show’s six-episode run, Guy meets Jasper (William Fichtner), the show’s magnetic antagonist who breathes some much-needed life into the series. Guy goes looking to him for answers, but becomes enamored by the vampire, who, in turn, seems fascinated by the human.
In the series’ best episode, titled “Wet Work,” Jasper takes Guy under his wing to show him how dark not only the world of the supernatural can be, but the world of the Talamasca. Each of them wants something from the institution Guy now works for, and they manipulate each other to get it, putting each other in harm’s way in the process. Yet there’s a mutual fascination shared between them, which Denton and Fichtner play up in scenes where the two share jabs, but also when they share disarmingly tender moments of understanding.
Fichtner enters each scene with an unprecedented allure, waltzing through his gaudy apartment and the streets of London as if he were born to play a vampire. He gives the series not only the levity it needs but also infuses it with a campiness that should always be at the center of a series about supernatural creatures. Jasper is not only the most interesting character in the series but also one of the most fascinating characters in the three Anne Rice shows AMC has adapted thus far.
When he and Guy share scenes, “Talamasca” becomes a fascinating examination of surveillance and manipulation. But when the series isn’t focusing on their bond, it fizzles out into a run-of-the-mill genre series. For a show that blends both the supernatural and the spy genre, the secrets that various Talamasca agents are attempting to uncover are not interesting enough for either of these genres to soar. Instead, the dynamics that truly fascinate emerge halfway through the series and fade away just as quickly, preventing the series from becoming something worthwhile.
In an age where genre television has become the foundation for the modern TV landscape, “Talamasca” shows incredible promise, although stagnant characters and middling plotlines often hinder its potential. For now, the show exists in a limbo, positioned below AMC’s two knockout series, “Interview with the Vampire” and “Dark Winds,” each of which has completely transformed the horror genre on the small screen. Hopefully, if the series continues, it can provide actors like Fichtner and Denton with material that enhances their captivating performances, rather than being overshadowed by their presence.
Series premieres October 26 on AMC+.
- I Wanted Them to Be Weird: Director John McPhail on Mixing Genres and Encouraging Actors in “Grow” (October 16, 2025)
“Grow,” which opens on October 17, is a charming story about a girl named Charlie (newcomer Priya-Rose Brookwell) with a gift for communicating with plants. She was abandoned at an orphanage by her feckless mother, but when the staff locates her aunt Dinah (Golda Rosheuvel). Charlie joins her on her struggling farm in a small community where the most important event of the year is the annual pumpkin competition.
In an interview, Glaswegian director John McPhail talked about finding the right cast and setting and making a movie that can be enjoyed by the whole family.
The setting you found for the film really invites us into the world of the story. It’s so charming.
It is a made-up town, but we shot it at a place called Culross. It’s a beautiful little town. There’s loads of history to it. It’s like a British town, and it’s almost got this little touch of Scandinavian architecture to it, which I thought would lean into the fantasy element. It has a big orange building from when they used to tan, and I thought, “Ah, like pumpkins.” And it’s right on the coast as well, so I thought it would just make a really lovely little setting.
You said you wanted to make this a family film rather than a film for children. What does that mean?
I wanted to create that shared experience, where the kids are laughing and the adults are laughing. It’s trying to find that happy balance. I make films for audiences. I am here to tell stories.
The edit was so brisk that it taught us not to take it all too seriously because it is fun and not too tense.
My editor is incredible. David Arthur is a filmmaker himself as well. He’s not a yes guy. He tells you his opinions and fights for every frame as well. That relationship starts even before we start shooting. Dave’s cutting while I’m filming so I’ll get a phone call from him saying, “Oh, this is great,” or “Can you can you pick up a shot?” And he’s a father. So,
having him there next to me through all this was brilliant.
You have an outstanding cast, though it took me a minute to get used to seeing Queen Charlotte on a farm! Tell me about the casting process, starting with Priya in her first screen role.
Priya was nine. She is in practically every frame of the film, and she just knocked it out of the park all the time. She never cried. She was never huffy. She never stopped. It’s like she came in every day as a bundle of energy and a joy to work with. And I would talk to her the same way I would talk to Nick and Golda. I can’t praise her enough, one incredible kid. She just loves acting.
The magic trick you accomplished in this movie is combining a lot of different tones and genres while keeping it very organic.
Balancing the tone overall is something that I’m thinking about all the time. It’s a British film, a British cast, but I want it to be international. When you’ve got like American financiers and UK financiers, and the Americans want to make it bigger, and the UK is like, “Bring it back down.” I have to make sure that I’m looking after and servicing both those audiences. I’d get my cast to do other takes to be a bit bigger, and then other times dial it back. That meant in the edit, I got to have fun playing with things. I can either really push it or pull it back as well. And that allows a little bit more fluidity. It just creates this nice little push and pull. It meant we could find that sweet spot.
I sit down with all my department heads, tell them what I’m looking for, and then they feed into it. But film is such a collaborative process. I get to work with incredible talent, and they’re just building on everything that I’m doing. When you’re collaborative and open like that, it creates a more harmonious set. People feel like they can talk.
And I like to have fun. We’re making entertainment. This is my dream job. Why would I be grumpy? Why would I be fighting with folk? I just want us all to finish the day and make something that’s great, but I want us to have fun while we do it.
I’m very selective, particularly with my heads of departments and my crew, because I want people who are going to be like that. Not everyone will know me on the first day, but by the end of the film, everyone will know me, from the security guards to the execs, because I talk to everyone. It’s about appreciating each other.
And honestly, I had the best cast. None of them had any egos. They just wanted to come in. They wanted to have a lot of fun. Golda and Nick [Frost] were never in their trailers. They were always on set. They just wanted to hang out with the crew. When you’ve got a cast and crew who feel listened to and appreciated, the audience can sense that kind of joy.
I always told her to go with her gut. If it feels right in the moment, go. You get some of the best stuff that way. You may get absolute nonsense, but we go again.
Something unusual in the movie, especially in a film for young people, is having two villains.
Even with the score, we loved writing that villain theme. I love a villain, and like I love a villain that turns around as well. Jeremy Swift was so funny. And Jane Horrocks and Tim McInnerny are those posh weirdos. I didn’t want them to be posh idiots. I wanted them to be weird.
- Animated Movie 'The Pout-Pout Fish' Trailer with Offerman & Oyama (October 19, 2025)
"Swim, Pip!" 🐟 Viva Kids has revealed the first official trailer for the animated comedy called The Pout-Pout Fish, currently set to hit theaters nationwide in March 2026 early next year. Mainly created for kids. Based on the bestselling book series (currently at 19 books!!), The Pout-Pout Fish movie brings to life the hilarious and heartwarming story of an unlikely duo, Mr. Fish (voiced by Nick Offerman) and tiny sea dragon Pip (voiced by Nina Oyama), who embark on an epic undersea quest to find a legendary fish that could save their homes. With a star-studded voice cast including Offerman & Oyama, with Miranda Otto, Remy Hii, Jordin Sparks, and Amy Sedaris. This feel-good animated adventure will make a splash with audiences of all ages. Co-directed by Ricard Cussó and Rio Harrington, The Pout-Pout Fish movie celebrates the power of friendship, courage, and spreading happiness - no matter how deep the ocean goes. This opens first in Australia on New Years Day (as seen on the poster below), but will take a few more months before it plays in the US (timed with Spring Break for schoolkids). Doesn't look so bad! Should be a fun one to watch. // Continue Reading ›
- Official US Trailer for 'Cactus Pears' Romantic Indie Drama from India (October 19, 2025)
"Any special friend in Mumbai?" "The special friend never lasts." Strand Releasing has debuted an official US trailer for an indie film titled Cactus Pears, a romantic drama about a lost young man connecting with another man. This first premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, then it went on to play at other fests including New Directors/New Films, San Francisco, Taipei, and Melbourne. Anand, a 30-something city dweller compelled to spend a 10-day mourning period for his father in the countryside of western India, tenderly bonds with a local farmer who is struggling to stay unmarried. When the mourning ends, forcing his return, Anand must decide the fate of his relationship born under duress. Described as "a poignant approach to unspoken sorrow." The film stars Bhushaan Manoj as Anand, Suraaj Suman, and Jayshri Jagtap. After giving it a prize, the Sundance Jury stated: "This is the great modern love story. To say it's an honor to award this tender film is an understatement. We cried, we laughed, and we wished to be loved in the same way. It is exactly what the world needs right now." Another tender slice of cinema in 2025. // Continue Reading ›
- Alzheimer's Doc 'Chris Hemsworth: A Road Trip To Remember' Trailer (October 18, 2025)
"I just find myself wanting to spend more time with him..." National Geographic has unveiled the official trailer for a documentary titled Chris Hemsworth: A Road Trip To Remember, ready for streaming on Disney+ starting in November. This one tells a very "intimate and uplifting" story about the Hemsworth family. Chris discovers that his father Craig is diagnosed with Alzheimer's as he is getting older. So Chris decides to embark on an intimate motorcycle journey across Australia with his father to rekindle memories & strengthen their bond, exploring the effective science of connection, community, and nostalgia — crucial but often overlooked tools in protecting brain health. Heading on a "road trip back in time," visiting people and places from their shared past, from suburban Melbourne to the wild expanses of Australia's Northern Territories. Through the stunning, vast landscapes of Australia, Chris and Craig’s journey becomes a funny and moving exploration of a father & son's deep bond, proving that love, community, and shared experience can be potent medicine. All the while looking into more research into aging & dementia – specifically how those who maintained regular social interactions cut their risk in half. Looks like a very wholesome journey. // Continue Reading ›
- Official Trailer for 'Zodiac Killer Project' Fascinating Doc on True Crime (October 17, 2025)
"It feels like a puzzle right on the verge of being solved..." Music Box Films has revealed an official trailer for a documentary film titled Zodiac Killer Project, which premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. This experimental indie creation is the latest project from filmmaker Charlie Shackleton. He explains he was working on a Zodiac Killer true crime doc, but when it fell apart he made this instead. Against the backdrop of deserted spaces, a filmmaker explores his abandoned Zodiac Killer documentary, delving into the true crime genre's inner workings at a saturation point. "A witty and beautifully assembled deep dive into our obsession with serial killers and the stories we tell about them, Shackleton’s resuscitation of his abandoned film follows in the free-range footsteps of documentary philosophers Errol Morris, Werner Herzog, and Joshua Oppenheimer." It's less about the killer, more about how people adore crime stores. As one critic eloquently explains: it's "a work of criticism as well as a work of art, it's a sharp takedown of our culture's obsession with true crime, identifying and skewering the genre's most familiar tropes." It is a must watch for all true crime fans, and for documentary fans, something unique and contemplative. Check it out. // Continue Reading ›
- Sitges 2025: A New Version of 'The Shrinking Man' with Jean Dujardin (October 17, 2025)
"I am the sum of my experiences; the shrinking has merely stripped away certain superficialities." There's a brand new cinematic adaptation of the classic horror story The Incredible Shrinking Man ready for viewing. But not many people have heard about it yet, since it's a European project and it just premiered at the 2025 Sitges Film Festival. This French / Belgian movie is officially titled L'homme qui rétrécit, which translates simply to The Shrinking Man. This fresh, clean new version has opted not to use the additional "incredible" adjective – immortalized by the iconic 1957 sci-fi horror classic The Incredible Shrinking Man film, directed by Jack Arnold, and starring Grant Williams. This adaptation, based on Richard Matheson's original 1956 novel, The Shrinking Man, stars the always watchable Jean Dujardin as Paul, a shipbuilder who begins to slowly get smaller and smaller. It's a peculiar yet fascinating movie that doesn't live up to its potential, but is an intriguing, mostly entertaining watch nonetheless. If anything, it feels like a streaming movie more than a theatrical epic, but there's still a few engaging scenes and Dujardin is fantastic as always. // Continue Reading ›
