Sikandar: Salman Khan shown in rugged avatar in first poster of the film

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

courtesy: jagran

The makers of Salman Khan starrer Sikandar has unveiled the film’s first poster today. The poster shows Salman in a rugged and powerful and can be seen flaunting his Feroza bracelet.
While the much anticipated movie was already creating buzz amid the fans, the poster has fueled nothing but excitement. Meanwhile, it has also been announced that the teaser of the film will be released tomorrow, on the occasion of Bhaijaan of Bollywood’s birthday.
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Speaking of the film, it has been backed by Kick producer Sajid Nadiadwala and is being directed by AR Murugadoss. The movie will feature Rashmika Mandanna as female lead.
Reacting to the poster, the fans have rushed to the comment section as one of the users wrote, “Super hit…. Sikandar,” while another user wrote, “Khatarnak bhaijaan.”
Meanwhile, in other news, Salman was recently seen performing an action packed cameo in Varun Dhawan starrer Baby John.

Adnan Nasir is an experienced journalist in news & entertainment writing at BusinessUpturn.com

Thaanara OTT release date: When, where to watch Shine Tom Chacko’s film

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

Thaanara, the comedy drama film which features Shine Tom Chacko, Vishnu Unnikrishnan, Chinnu Chandni, and Deepti Sati in the lead roles, hit the theatres in August 2024. The movie, which marked senior director Haridas’ comeback to filmmaking after a long gap, received mixed reactions from the audiences. Thaanara went largely unnoticed in theatres, and the OTT release of the film was delayed due to the same reason. However, the film is now set to stream on Manorama Max soon.

Thaanara OTT release date
December 27, 2024

Thaanara OTT partner
Manorama Max

Thaanara OTT release time 
12 AM

Thaanara OTT languages 
Malayalam

Thaanara cast
Shine Tom Chacko, Vishnu Unnikrishnan, Chinnu Chandni, Deepti Sati

Thaanara OTT release date outRecently, Manorama Max took to their official social media handles and confirmed that Thaanara will have its OTT release on the popular Malayalam streaming platform soon. The Shine Tom Chack-Vishnu Unnikrishnan starrer has been slated to have its streaming debut on Friday, December 27, 2024. As per the reports, the Haridas directorial will be available for streaming only in the original Malayalam version, with subtitles, on the popular platform. More updates on the same are expected to be out very soon.
Thaanara: Plot, cast, and crewThaanara revolves around Adarsh Sreevaraham, a young politician and his wife Anjali, who is the daughter of a former home minister who belongs to an opposition party. The couple is going through serious marital problems, and Anjali, who has trust issues, seeks the help of a police officer named James Bond, to keep a tab on her husband’s activities. Meanwhile, a thief named Thangachan breaks into Adarsh’s farmhouse, leaving the situation more complicated. The Haridas directorial is scripted by writer-filmmaker Raffi.
Poster of ThaanaraShine Tom Chacko and Vishnu Unnikrishnan played the role of MLA Adarsh and thief Thangachan in the film, which stars Chinnu Chandni Nair in the role of Anjali. Deepti Sati, Aju Varghese, and Sneha Babu appear in the roles of Shraddha, James Bond, and Asha in the film. Vishnu Narayanan is the director of photography. Gopi sundar composed the songs and the original score for the project. Thaanara is produced by Biju V Mathai, under the banner Neday Films.

Singham Again OTT release date: When and where you can watch Ajay Devgn’s film

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Akshay Kumar, Ranveer Singh, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone, and Arjun Kapoor set the screens on fire recently with their cop drama film, Singham Again. The Rohit Shetty directorial also featured a special appearance by Salman Khan as Chulbul Pandey. Despite locking horns with Kartik Aaryan, Vidya Balan, and Madhuri Dixit’s Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 on Diwali, the third installment of the Singham franchise managed to impress the audience with its content. Now, the film is all set to stream on OTT and the viewers will be able to watch it with their subscriptions. Here’s everything you need to know about it!When and where to watch Singham Again on OTT?
A while ago, the official announcement regarding Singham Again’s streaming date was shared on social media. The Ajay Devgn starrer will be released on Prime Video on December 27. Earlier, the film hit the streaming app but it was on rent. Now, everyone will be able to watch the film for free through their subscriptions. 

Title
Singham Again

OTT plaform
Prime Video 

 OTT release date
December 27, 2024

Language
Hindi

Cast
Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Akshay Kumar, Ranveer Singh, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone, and Arjun Kapoor 

The official Instagram handle of Prime Video wrote, “Brace yourselves for the lion’s roar #SinghamAgainOnPrime, out tomorrow.” They shared the poster featuring Ajay, Deepika, Ranveer, Akshay, and Tiger along with the announcement. Have a look:After the post was shared, fans of the Singham franchise were seen expressing joy in the comments section. A fan wrote, “Can we expect in south Indian languages?” Another fan wrote, “excited.” Speaking about the same, Ajay shared in a statement, “The love and admiration my character Singham has received over the years has truly made it an iconic role, and returning to it for Singham Again felt like coming home. I am deeply grateful to the audience for their unwavering support and love. Now, with Singham Again launching on Prime Video, audiences around the world can witness the cinematic experience of this exciting new chapter in Rohit Shetty’s cop universe.”How much did Singham Again earn at the box office?

Exclusive! Mirzapur: The Film star Divyenndu calls the script bohot zyada…

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

If there is one show that has managed to keep the frenzy going for almost five long years, three seasons, and many episodes, it has to be Mirzapur. The show backed by Excel Entertainment with Amazon Prime Video, the show created by Puneet Mishra is one of the top most successful shows in the Indian streaming space. However, it was recently when we were given the biggest surprise by the makers when they confirmed that Mirzapur will now branch out into the theatres too and will transcend into Mirzapur: The Film. Which means it is not limited to the streaming world and will now flourish on the big screen. There has been curiosity to know what the approach is for the film and how do the makers plan to continue.Divyenndu On Mirzapur: The FilmLuckily, Divyenndu, who plays Munna Bhaiya on the cult show franchise, makes his return to Mirzapur: The Film. This hints at the movie being kind of a prequel because the character is dead in the present day. The actor recently joined OTTplay ahead of the release of his Amazon Prime Video original film Agni, directed by Rahul Dholakia. When we quizzed him about Mirzapur: The Film he confessed how he cannot talk much about it now but it is a very good script and is made specially for the audience. In the exclusive conversation, we asked Divyenndu what exactly can he tell us about Mirzapur: The Film and where does it fit in terms of the timeline. Reacting to the question, Divyenndu said, “The makers will kill me if I reveal it.” Sayami Kher added, “There won’t be any Divyenndu then.”Divyenndu continued, “What I can tell you is, everyone knows Mirzapur: The Film is in the making. Whatever I have heard so far is fun to the next level (Bohot zyada mazedaar). I cannot reveal anything more than that. I can save myself by saying this. It is just that we are trying to make the best entertaining film possible. Exactly what the audience and fans want. There are some projects that are made according to the fans, Mirzapur: The Film is like that. Let’s serve the people what they want.” To which Pratik Gandhi added, “So for this answer, Munna Bhaiya hasn’t thought anything immediately, he will think and let you know.”About Mirzapur: The FilmExpanding the quintessential world of Mirzapur and buoyed by the stellar performance of Mirzapur Season 3, Amazon MGM Studios and Excel Entertainment make a first-of-its-kind announcement with a theatrical movie based on the marquee and award-winning crime thriller OTT franchise–an Excel Entertainment production. Fans are in for a treat as their much-loved show gears up to make a monumental leap to the big screen, promising them a larger-than-life theatrical spectacle.Created by Puneet Krishna and directed by Gurmmeet Singh, the Mirzapur film scheduled for a release in 2026 features the iconic characters of Mirzapur, Kaleen Bhaiya (Pankaj Tripathi), Guddu Pandit (Ali Fazal), and Munna Tripathi (Divyenndu) along with Abhishek Banerjee, who plays the role of the Compounder in the series, along with other actors. Following the nationwide theatrical release, the film will be available for streaming to Prime members in India and over the world.Stay tuned to OTTplay for more information on this and everything else from the world of streaming and films.

Forget Hollywood: These Israelis Dream of Filming in the Occupied West Bank Hills

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

“My mother is on the phone and she’s hysterical. They want to charge my father with sexual harassment! Hold on. It’s impossible. It doesn’t make sense. Did you explain that has dementia?”
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Chris Nolan’s film “The Odyssey” after “Oppenheimer” success—what we know

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

Following the critical and commercial success of Oppenheimer, Oscar-winning director Christopher Nolan is set to adapt Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey into a feature film.Nolan has already stirred excitement for his upcoming film by casting major stars like Matt Damon and Tom Holland. Of course, Nolan hardly needs additional hype, especially after Oppenheimer became the third-highest-grossing film of 2023 earning nearly $975 million globally and sweeping seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and a coveted Best Director win for Nolan himself.The Odyssey marks Nolan’s second collaboration with Universal Pictures, following the success of Oppenheimer. Here’s everything we know about the highly anticipated film so far.Newsweek emailed spokespeople for Nolan and Universal for comment on Thursday.

Christopher Nolan attends the “Oppenheimer” premiere at Cinema Le Grand Rex on July 11, 2023, in Paris. Nolan is set to adapt Homer’s epic poem “The Odyssey” into a feature film.
Christopher Nolan attends the “Oppenheimer” premiere at Cinema Le Grand Rex on July 11, 2023, in Paris. Nolan is set to adapt Homer’s epic poem “The Odyssey” into a feature film.
Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
‘The Odyssey’ PlotAlthough specific details about the film’s plot are still under wraps, The Odyssey is based on Homer’s epic ancient Greek poem of the same name.It chronicles the perilous 10-year journey of Odysseus as he strives to return to his home in Ithaca after the Trojan War. Along the way, he faces formidable challenges, including encounters with mythical creatures and divine interventions.Meanwhile, in Ithaca, his wife, Penelope, and son, Telemachus, struggle to preserve the kingdom, warding off relentless suitors who are convinced that Odysseus has died.Written around the 8th century BC, The Odyssey is one of the most significant works of Western literature. Known for his innovative storytelling and complex narratives, Nolan’s adaptation is anticipated to offer a fresh perspective on this timeless tale.The Cast of ‘The Odyssey’The film boasts an impressive ensemble cast, including Damon, Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o and Charlize Theron.While specific roles have not been officially disclosed, these actors are expected to bring depth to the iconic characters of the ancient Greek epic.Hathaway confirmed being cast when she spoke to Women’s Wear Daily for an article published on December 6. She previously worked with Nolan in The Dark Knight Rises and Interstellar.”I have so many feelings about it that I don’t even know how to articulate. It fills me with so much joy, and I don’t know how to talk about it. I love Chris and Emma Nolan so much, and to be invited into their world is, I mean, I know from experience it’s one of the best places you can find yourself,” she said.”Getting to be invited twice really felt like something, three felt like it would’ve been greedy, so I never let myself hope that that would happen, and that it has makes me emotional, to be perfectly honest. It makes me feel like I’m doing something right.”During an appearance on The Dish podcast published December 18, Holland revealed that while he knew little about the project, he was excited.”No, it hasn’t started shooting. To be perfectly honest with you, I don’t really know what it’s about,” he said.”Everything is very very hush-hush, I met with [Nolan] it was awesome. He kind of loosely pitched what it was and I’m sure when he’s ready he’ll announce what it is.”Release Date and Production DetailsChristopher Nolan’s next film ‘The Odyssey’ is a mythic action epic shot across the world using brand new IMAX film technology. The film brings Homer’s foundational saga to IMAX film screens for the first time and opens in theaters everywhere on July 17, 2026.— Universal Pictures (@UniversalPics) December 23, 2024
Universal Pictures has announced that The Odyssey is scheduled for release on July 17, 2026. Production is planned across various global locations to authentically capture the diverse settings of Odysseus’ journey, as he traveled from Troy to Ithaca via Africa and southern Europe.”Christopher Nolan’s next film ‘The Odyssey’ is a mythic action epic shot across the world using brand new IMAX film technology,” the studio posted to X (formerly Twitter) on Monday.”The film brings Homer’s foundational saga to IMAX film screens for the first time and opens in theaters everywhere on July 17, 2026.”At the time of writing, this post had been viewed 18.3 million times.

‘What would happen if the camera was Buddhist?’ The outlier film-making of RaMell Ross

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

Artists don’t come much more outsider than RaMell Ross. He once mailed himself across the US in a wooden crate. He says things like: “What would happen if the camera was Buddhist?” and, until now, he has never made a feature film. Not the obvious candidate to entrust with adapting a Pulitzer-winning novel, you might think, yet Ross has managed to make a movie that is socially impassioned and highly awards-friendly – and so avant garde that it almost reinvents cinema.In its subject matter alone, Nickel Boys is remarkable: adapted from Colson Whitehead’s novel, it follows two young Black boys at a segregated reform school in Florida in the 1960s. It is a story of friendship in the face of racism, injustice, abuse and even murder. The setting is based on the infamous real-life Arthur G Dozier School, where scores of unmarked graves of students were discovered in 2012.But the way that Ross has made Nickel Boys is purposefully radical: we experience events entirely from the points of view of the two main characters: Elwood (played by Ethan Herisse), a doe-eyed innocent who is cruelly sent to Nickel for being in the wrong place at the wrong time; and Turner (Brandon Wilson), the more seasoned inmate he befriends.Point-of-view cinema has been done before – Gaspar Noé’s Enter the Void, for example – but the experience of watching Nickel Boys is unique: rather than observing events happening to someone else, it feels as if they are happening to us – whether that is lying in the grass gazing up at trees, having Elwood’s mother (Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor) plead across the table straight at him (or rather, you), or being on the receiving end of a brutal beating. And all of this is rendered with a dreamy lyricism that brings to mind Terrence Malick. It makes you question why conventional screen drama is made in the way that it is – like a stage play, with the spectator as an invisible, spectral presence, looking on at a remove.“I’m less interested in cinema, and more interested in the experience of cinema approaching the experience of reality,” says Ross, as he arranges his 6ft 6in (almost two-metre) frame in an armchair in a London hotel room. “To do that in the context of this story is to bring someone closer to the reality of the story and not just tell them the story.”View image in fullscreenIt has been a rapid rise for 42-year-old Ross. Living in Rhode Island, he was drawn “by gravity” to rural Alabama in 2009 and began to chronicle its rural Black communities, first in his photography, then in his poetic yet intimate 2018 documentary Hale County This Morning, This Evening. Hale County won multiple awards and an Oscar nomination, which put Ross on the producers’ radar when they were looking for someone to adapt Whitehead’s novel.“I feel impostor syndrome all the time,” Ross admits. “Because the only thing I know how to do is what I know how to do … but film is a visual language. So you give me a camera and the people and I can do the thing.”The point-of-view idea first occurred to him as he was reading the book (which is not told in first person), he says, “just because I kind of see myself as Elwood, relatively, and I think in first person”.How to achieve it technically was one of many things Ross had to figure out. He had never written a script, either. “To write down, like: ‘This person walks into the room and then …’ I don’t know how to do that shit, because I don’t think that way.” His first treatment was made up purely of images and camera movements, he explains. “I got the idea from George Miller; that’s how he did Mad Max: Fury Road.”Shooting Nickel Boys was another challenge: Ross was usually directing the camera operator as much as the actors. They also built special rigs to attach cameras to the actors’ bodies, but “75% to 80% of the time” the actor was present. “We realised quite early on that they actually had to act and give their best performance behind the camera, so that the person who was in front of the camera didn’t feel they were imagining being with the character.”It sounds pretty daunting. “I imagine it would be if you had directed the other way first,” he says. “It’d also be difficult to make a documentary like Hale County if you had made another documentary first, or you went to film school. But I don’t have any of these precedents and so, to me, it’s just the way you do it.”When I suggest Ross is rethinking cinema from first principles, he’s delighted: “I love that you said that. That’s exactly it,” he says. And not just cinema: “You gotta first address the photograph before we can get to the thing that’s more cumulative [film].” He calls photography “a technology of racism”. “I believe that the camera is Christian. I think it’s born in western ideology. I think it fundamentally ‘others’.”The power of images resides with those who are pointing the cameras – and historically, especially when it comes to people of colour, that has been white westerners. It is no accident that photography developed in tandem with colonialism – in both cases, those on the receiving end are reduced to passive “subjects”. The power dynamic is often obscured by photography’s claims to “objectivity”, but, as Ross puts it, “all photographs are authored, but they just claim non-authorship”. This is what leads him to wonder: “What would happen if the camera was Buddhist?” How might things be different had photography been born in another culture?This could be an abstract philosophical discussion, but it’s directly relevant to Nickel Boys. This is a history that has been buried – literally, but also in terms of documentation. There is a gap in the archive to fill. As Whitehead once put it: “The thousands and thousands of kids who go through this – where are their stories?”skip past newsletter promotionafter newsletter promotionBut, lately, cinema has been filling these kinds of gaps with what has been termed “black trauma porn” – from 12 Years a Slave to Till to Get Out, which, regardless of their quality, had no option but to depict Black people suffering as a result of slavery and racism. “Maybe we’ve gotten to the point where we’ve seen enough and now we need to dial it back, because we know what that looks like,” says Ross. His first-person treatment offers a way out of this conundrum: rather than presenting yet more violence, it puts us in the shoes of its victims. Less “us and them”, more Buddhist, perhaps.Ross is not merely adopting the stance of an outsider – he really is one. He never even wanted to be an artist. The son of military parents (he was born in Frankfurt), his dream was to be a pro basketball player. He was pretty far down that track: an athletic scholarship to Georgetown University in Washington DC; in the top 100 going into his senior year. “But my body wasn’t cut out for it,” he says. He rolls up his T-shirt sleeves to show me scars on his shoulders, which required surgery after he started getting “chronic dislocations” on the court. “I realised that I wasn’t going to the NBA when I broke my foot my second time,” he says.He was 19. “I went into a deep depression. And then, after, I just started reading and I became obsessed with literature.” He switched to English and sociology and started taking art classes, which led him to photography. Then came another blow: his mother died. “With the loss of basketball and the loss of my mom, I was just, like, so aimless, and photography was a place where you could create your own reality … the obsession for basketball was transferred to art.”There is a connection, he says: “The camera uses space and prediction and adjustment of people’s behaviour based on your own body in the same way you do in sports … I played point guard. You’re reading, that’s all you’re doing, and little snapshots you’re remembering – that’s exactly what the camera does.”As an artist, Ross has not simply stuck to visual media. In his 2021 piece Return to Origin, he paid homage to Henry “Box” Brown, an enslaved Black man who gained his freedom by mailing himself from Virginia to Philadelphia in a wooden crate. Ross performed a similar journey in reverse, from Rhode Island to Hale County, inside a 4x4x8ft box on the back of a trailer. The journey took 59 dark, shaky, uncomfortable hours “and it was fucking terrifying”, he laughs. “I didn’t realise – I should have, but maybe I’m naive enough to do things like that. Only two people knew I was in there: the person that put me on and the person that was getting me off.”Despite having opened up new cinematic possibilities with Nickel Boys, Ross is not looking to segue into full-time film-making. “Absolutely not,” he says. “I have other stuff going on. I’m a film-maker because the ideas aligned to film, but most of the time they don’t align to film; they align to sculpture, or mainly photography, and performance pieces.” He is not totally against the idea of doing it again, though: “It definitely wouldn’t be like this, because I’m not a repeater in that type of way. But if the idea was appropriate, 100% – because there’s definitely more to do.”

Where To Watch The Steamy Spanish Romance Movie ‘Your Fault’ Online

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

There’s a lot to stream this holiday season. If you’re looking to cozy down with a rewatchable favorite, Will Ferrell’s Christmas staple Elf is streaming on Max, Home Alone is on Disney+, and A Charlie Brown Christmas is on Apple TV+. But if you’re in the mood for something a bit different, Your Fault (aka Cupla Tuya), the sequel to 2023’s My Fault, is about to drop on Prime Video.

Based on Mercedes Ron’s Culpables series, the film once again follows the romance between stepsiblings Noah (Nicole Wallace) and Nick (Gabriel Guevara) as their parents attempt to separate them.

Per Amazon, “But his job and her entry into college open up their lives to new relationships that will shake the foundations of both their relationship and the Leister family itself. When so many people are ready to destroy a relationship, can it really end well?”

The first film earned a 0% Tomatometer score and an 86% Popcornmeter rating, with early reviews of Your Fault suggesting a similar split between critics and audiences. Here’s how to watch this steamy Spanish romance film on Prime Video.

Your Fault (Culpa Tuya) Streaming Release Date:

The follow-up to My Fault premieres Thursday, December 26 at 7:00 p.m. ET on Prime Video.

Your Fault (Culpa Tuya) Cast Info:

Gabriel Guevara and Nicole Wallace are obviously back as Nick and Noah. Your Fault also features the return of Marta Hazas, Iván Sánchez, Victor Varona, and Eva Ruiz, with Goya Toledo, Gabriela Andrada, Álex Béjar, Javier Morgade, and Felipe Londoño rounding out the ensemble.

Where To Watch Your Fault (Culpa Tuya) Online:

Your Fault will be available to stream on Prime Video beginning Thursday, December 26 at 7:00 p.m. ET. Amazon Prime is available for $14.99/month or $139/year, with a standalone Prime Video membership also an option for $8.99/month. An ad-free version is available for an additional $2.99/month.

Finally, Amazon offers a discounted student option for $7.49/month or $69/year, and EBT, Medicaid, SNAP, and other select government assistance recipients can qualify for a reduced $6.99/month membership.

[embedded content]

Does Prime Video Offer A Free Trial?

Yes! You can sample the service by taking advantage of Prime Video’s 30-day free trial.

Will Your Fault Be On Netflix Or Hulu?

Not in the near future. The film will only be available to stream on Prime Video.

Films of 2024: The Good, the Bad and the End of an Era

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

click to enlarge

Courtesy of Parisa Taghizadeh | Warner Bros.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Well, folks, this is the year Burlington lost its downtown movie theater — and the area’s only art house cinema. Merrill’s Roxy Cinemas closed in November, ending an era that dawned when I was still young enough to sneak into R-rated movies.

That’s actually one of my first memories of the theater at 220 College Street, then known as the Nickelodeon Cinemas 6. According to Cinema Treasures, the Nickelodeon opened in 1981 under independent ownership. (It would later belong to a couple of large chains before Merrill Jarvis II bought it in 2003.) In 1982, 14-year-old me brazenly purchased a ticket for An Officer and a Gentleman, which features full-frontal nudity. I guess it’s safe to admit that now?

Merrill’s Roxy Cinemas in Burlington to Close

Merrill’s Roxy Cinemas in Burlington to Close

By Mary Ann Lickteig

Theater

Like the Roxy to come, the Nickelodeon showed a mix of mainstream and art house fare, but it also screened classic and cult movies. Every month, I carefully perused the flyer detailing its program, which gave me an education in cinema history.

In 1983, my family stood in a line that stretched down the Nick’s brick façade on South Winooski Avenue to see Return of the Jedi. In 1985, I got nauseated during the early scenes of A Room With a View (from my lunch, not the movie), threw up in the tiny restroom and went right back and enjoyed the rest of the period piece.

Good Will Hunting, Boogie Nights, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Being John Malkovich, Notting Hill, The Blair Witch Project, American Psycho, The Ice Storm, Titanic, Capote, Sideways, The Royal Tenenbaums — all movies I first saw at the Nick/Roxy. Any local movie lover who’s been around long enough has a similar list.

Where will we see our indie films now? Perhaps at the Essex Cinemas or Majestic 10, if a movie has enough buzz to get on the program; perhaps at Vermont’s surviving art houses, such as Montpelier’s Savoy Theater and St. Johnsbury’s Catamount Arts; perhaps at a Vermont International Film Foundation screening. But not at Waitsfield’s Big Picture Theater, another casualty of the nationwide post-pandemic trend of theater closings.

Waitsfield’s Big Picture Theater & Café to Close

Waitsfield’s Big Picture Theater & Café to Close

By Mary Ann Lickteig

Film

Or maybe we’ll wait and catch those films streaming — because it’s hard to ignore the elephant in the living room: The audience for foreign and indie films skews older, and older people are more likely to stay home. No wonder original material is increasingly rare in multiplexes. So far this year, all but three of the 20 top-grossing theatrical releases have been sequels to previous hits — and one of those three, Wicked, could easily be mistaken for an Oz sequel.

We can only hope someone (or someones) steps up to fill greater Burlington’s art house gap. Meanwhile, a glance outside Vermont offers some encouraging signs.

In September, Variety reported that the nation’s eight biggest theater chains will collectively spend $2.2 billion on upgrades. The latest National Audience Survey from the independent theater coalition Art House Convergence showed an uptick in attendance, with the average new attendee being comparatively young at 38. And, according to a recent Associated Press story, young people are driving a renaissance of Los Angeles’ indie cinemas. Maybe that trend will make its way east.

In other good news, 2024 had no shortage of excellent theatrically released films, including many that weren’t sequels. Here are some movies that stood out for me this year. I’ve parenthetically noted which are on streaming services; look for the others in theaters or on VOD.

Breakout performance

When it comes to acting awards, smart money right now is on two relative newcomers: Mikey Madison, who plays a sex worker of many faces in Anora, and Karla Sofía Gascón of Jacques Audiard’s musical melodrama Emilia Pérez (Netflix), the first transgender actor to win Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival. Both give memorable, larger-than-life performances.

There’s Plenty to Sing About in ‘Maria’ and ‘Emilia Pérez’

There’s Plenty to Sing About in ‘Maria’ and ‘Emilia Pérez’

By Margot Harrison

Movie+TV Reviews

But I’d like to draw your attention to Kani Kusruti, star of the Indian film All We Imagine as Light, which snagged the Grand Prix at Cannes and two Golden Globe Award nominations. In this naturalistic story of three working women’s lives in Mumbai, she brings revelatory nuance to her portrayal of a tired nurse with an absentee husband, who isn’t sure how to react to a doctor’s timid courtship.

Best film with a Vermont connection

Among the sequels that made bank this year was Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (Max, YouTube Primetime, rentable). For me, the fact that it was partially shot in East Corinth was the most interesting thing about it. (Second most interesting: the creative lengths to which Tim Burton went to include Jeffrey Jones’ character in the story without giving work to a convicted sex offender.)

With Scenes Shot in Vermont, ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ Embraces the Chaos

With Scenes Shot in Vermont, ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ Embraces the Chaos

By Margot Harrison

Movie+TV Reviews

For actual homegrown films, catch a screening of Bess O’Brien’s Just Getting By, a powerful documentary about unhoused Vermonters. Far Out: Life on and After the Commune continues to screen around the state to enthusiastic audiences. And Tommy Hyde’s Underdog, about a struggling Vermont dairy farmer who enters a dog-mushing competition in Alaska, is now streaming on Apple TV, Prime Video and Slamdance Channel.

Bess O’Brien’s Documentary ‘Just Getting By’ Puts Faces to the Problems of Housing and Food Insecurity in Vermont

Bess O’Brien’s Documentary ‘Just Getting By’ Puts Faces to the Problems of Housing and Food Insecurity in Vermont

By Margot Harrison

Movie+TV Reviews

Best first film

click to enlarge

Courtesy of Orion Pictures

Nickel Boys

India Donaldson and Annie Baker rightly made waves this year with their debut features, Good One (rentable) and Janet Planet (Max, rentable), respectively. Both are quietly provocative stories about girls coming of age in the woods and exploring the limits of their worlds.

A Father-Daughter Hike Becomes a Painful Coming of Age in ‘Good One’

A Father-Daughter Hike Becomes a Painful Coming of Age in ‘Good One’

By Margot Harrison

Movie+TV Reviews

RaMell Ross already had an acclaimed lyrical documentary (Hale County This Morning, This Evening) under his belt, but his stunning narrative debut, Nickel Boys, should take his career to another level. Based on Colson Whitehead’s novel about a Black teen (Ethan Herisse) who takes a ride in the wrong car and lands in a brutal reform school in 1960s Florida, the movie uses first-person perspective — a rare and risky choice — to bring us into the past with extraordinary intimacy. Look for it in theaters in January.

Indie Mother-Daughter Drama ‘Janet Planet’ Is Likably Down-to-Earth

Indie Mother-Daughter Drama ‘Janet Planet’ Is Likably Down-to-Earth

By Margot Harrison

Movie+TV Reviews

Most heart-rending animation

What is it that gives wordless animated films the potential to be so gut-wrenchingly sad? We Live in Time was a perfectly fine live-action weepie. But if you really want to cry over the pathos of human transience, watch Flow, a postapocalyptic animal adventure sans people, or Robot Dreams (Disney+, Hulu, rentable), the gentle friendmance of a dog and a robot in 1980s New York. You’ll never again be able to hear Earth, Wind & Fire’s “September” without misting up.

A Love Story Unfolds Out of Order in ‘We Live in Time’

A Love Story Unfolds Out of Order in ‘We Live in Time’

By Margot Harrison

Movie+TV Reviews

Most necessary sequel

The trippy complexity of the mythos behind Dune: Part Two (Max, rentable) justifies multiple films in my mind, but I still find it tough to care about Timothée Chalamet’s Paul Atreides as much as I do about the world around him.

The Plot Thickens and the Themes Darken in Space Epic ‘Dune: Part Two’

The Plot Thickens and the Themes Darken in Space Epic ‘Dune: Part Two’

By Margot Harrison

Movie+TV Reviews

As for the surprise hit Terrifier 3 (rentable), well, surely we can all agree that this year called for a blood-soaked killer clown Christmas movie.

Least necessary sequel

This is a crowded field, but for me, Glen Powell’s squinty charm and Marlboro man swagger failed to justify the existence of Twisters (Peacock, rentable).

Movie Review: ‘Twisters’

Movie Review: ‘Twisters’

By Margot Harrison

Movie+TV Reviews

Most effective bait-and-switch

Definitely not Joker: Folie à Deux (Max, rentable). To me, Todd Phillips’ musical sequel to his superhero-adjacent hit seemed perfectly consistent with its predecessor in its dour characterization and themes. But many fans of the original expected Arthur Fleck to rise from the ashes of Joker as, well, the Joker, and they certainly didn’t expect him to sing. The movie bombed with critics and audiences.

‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ Is the Fitting Sequel That Audiences Didn’t Want

‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ Is the Fitting Sequel That Audiences Didn’t Want

By Margot Harrison

Movie+TV Reviews

More successful at the box office (relative to its budget) was Alex Garland’s Civil War (Max, rentable), which left many moviegoers angry when it turned out to be about the ethics of wartime photojournalism and not about whom to root for if a civil war happened in the U.S. today. Personally, I don’t blame Garland for not sticking his hand in that hornets’ nest, and his images of a devastated heartland gave us all something to chew on.

Alex Garland’s Controversial Drama ‘Civil War’ Imagines a War-Torn America

Alex Garland’s Controversial Drama ‘Civil War’ Imagines a War-Torn America

By Margot Harrison

Movie+TV Reviews

Most old-school in a good way

click to enlarge

Courtesy of MGM

Challengers

If you skipped Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers (MGM+, Prime, rentable) because you don’t like tennis, give it a chance! This is the kind of movie Hollywood used to make all the time: a “grown-up” drama about smart, attractive professionals vying with each other for dominance in their field (and, yes, sometimes in the bedroom). It’s cleverly written, well acted, zippy and entertaining.

You Don’t Have to Be a Tennis Person to Savor the Court Intrigue of Luca Guadagnino’s ‘Challengers’

You Don’t Have to Be a Tennis Person to Savor the Court Intrigue of Luca Guadagnino’s ‘Challengers’

By Margot Harrison

Movie+TV Reviews

Most old-school in a bad way

I’m glad a movie about so-called “women’s issues” (which should be everyone’s issues) made so much money, but I can’t get behind the weirdly muted and gauzy treatment of domestic violence in It Ends With Us (Netflix, rentable). Blake Lively’s outfits shouldn’t be the focus here.

Best scenery chewing

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Courtesy of Kimberley French | A24

Heretic

There are good ways to chew the scenery! Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo both deliver big, big performances in Wicked while incorporating subtle touches that lend complexity to their archetypal characters. They deserve all the accolades they’re getting. Playing a faded star, Demi Moore goes big in The Substance (MUBI, rentable) and gives the best performance of her career.

Performances Soar in Overlong ‘Wicked’

Performances Soar in Overlong ‘Wicked’

By Margot Harrison

Movie+TV Reviews

Equally toothsome is Hugh Grant’s comic turn as a doddery, sweater-clad Heretic who can’t possibly have bad intentions when he invites two missionaries inside for a theological discussion … or can he?

Hugh Grant Plays a ‘Heretic’ in a Deftly Made Psychological Horror Film

Hugh Grant Plays a ‘Heretic’ in a Deftly Made Psychological Horror Film

By Margot Harrison

Movie+TV Reviews

Movies that might be honored here if I’d actually seen them

I have no excuse for missing Conclave, Sing Sing and A Different Man. But a bunch of other award contenders — including The Brutalist, A Complete Unknown, Nosferatu, Queer, Babygirl and I’m Still Here — haven’t screened in Vermont as of this writing. So take with this caveat my current choice of…

Best films

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Courtesy of Mubi

The Substance

Nickel Boys is one of those movies that you sink deeper into with each successive viewing. While the first-person approach is bound to have detractors, the film has the heft of an experimental literary epic — an absorbing, adventurous reflection on how we relate to our personal and collective pasts.

Other movies bowl you over and leave you gasping, like The Substance. Is Coralie Fargeat’s Hollywood horror tale for everyone? No! Does it have a ground-breaking message? No! But the unsubtle, comic maximalism of this movie captures the self-scrutiny and self-hatred at the core of a culture of images better than anything else I’ve seen. And that culture is where we live now, whether we like it or not.

Demi Moore Seeks Youth in ‘The Substance,’ a Boldly Satirical Horror Flick

Demi Moore Seeks Youth in ‘The Substance,’ a Boldly Satirical Horror Flick

By Margot Harrison

Movie+TV Reviews

The Substance is just one of the movies I’ll always be grateful to have seen on a big screen, with other people laughing, cringing and gasping around me. Happy New Year, and let’s celebrate the holidays by giving our local theaters some business.