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Spoiler Alert: The following review contains spoilers.

You’ve seen it so often, you might roll your eyes, but in “Last Days,” it really happens: American missionary John Allen Chau could have died as he approached North Sentinel Island, had the Bible in his breast pocket not absorbed the blow of a hostile Sentinelese arrow. What was Chau doing halfway around the globe, trying to convert a tribe that had nearly zero contact with the outside world? That’s the mystery director Justin Lin attempts to solve with “Last Days,” prompting an unexpected return to Sundance more than two decades after “Better Luck Tomorrow” launched his career there.

In the interim, Lin has directed no fewer than five “Fast & Furious” movies, which makes this independent production a conspicuous downshift from exorbitantly budgeted studio fare. Chau’s story has been told multiple times, from the Outside magazine article that served...

Justin Lin is best known as the filmmaker behind the revitalization of the Fast & Furious franchise, starting with Tokyo Drift and including the fan-favorite Fast Five. However, after departing the franchise, he decided to return to his independent roots with Last Days, a film based on a powerful story. Unfortunately for Lin, this is not a particularly auspicious return to less spectacle-driven fare.

Last Days Review

Last Days is a dramatization of the final days in the life of John Allen Chau, a 26-year-old Christian mercenary who traveled to North Sentinel Island in the hopes of reaching the North Sentinelese — one of the most isolated native tribes in the world. It’s a fascinating story that has tons of articles and books about it, but Last Days seeks to give Chau’s tale the big-screen treatment.

Related Rabbit Trap Sundance Review — Even Dev Patel Can’t Save This Dull Folk Horror

Ultimately,...

Here are the films mentioned most often by buyers and sellers setting up shop at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. The action begins Thursday.

Atropia – Director: Hailey Gates. Cast: Alia Shawkat, Callum Turner, Chloë Sevigny, Tim Heidecker, Jane Levy. When an aspiring actress in a military role-playing facility falls in love with a soldier cast as an insurgent, their unsimulated emotions threaten to derail the performance. U.S. Dramatic Competition; Premiere: January 25 @ noon Mt, Eccles Theatre; P.I.: January 26 @ 10 a.m., Holiday Village Cinemas 4

Bubble & Squeak – Director: Evan Twohy. Cast: Himesh Patel, Sarah Goldberg, Steven Yeun, Dave Franco, Matt Berry. Accused of smuggling cabbages into a nation where cabbages are banned, Declan and Delores must confront the fragility of their new marriage while on the run for their lives. U.S. Dramatic Competition; Premiere: January 24 @ 6:15 p.m., Eccles Theatre; P.I.: January 25 @ 4 p.m., Holiday Village Cinemas...

"Some paintings aren't curious enough for me to go 'what's that?' This doesn't have that quality..." Ha ha! Utopia has revealed an official trailer for an indie comedy called Not an Artist, the second feature from filmmakers Alexi Pappas & Jeremy Teicher. This first premiered at the 2023 Austin Film Festival and will be on VOD in early 2025 to enjoy. A comedy making fun of artist residency programs! Zing! Pappas (A young woman) is accepted into a residency program created by the wealthy enigmatic benefactor known as "The Abbott" (RZA) for high-potential artists suffering from creative constipation. She's working on her art until her father unexpectedly shows up and disrupts the entire retreat. The indie comedy stars Matt Walsh (who co-wrote the script) with Ciara Bravo, Haley Joel Osment, "RZA", Cleopatra Coleman, Rosalind Chao, Betsy Sodaro, and Dan Bakkedahl. This reminds me of the quirky indies they used to make like...

Exclusive: Justin Lin has rounded out the cast for his next film Last Days with five additions: Toby Wallace (Babyteeth), Ciara Bravo (Cherry), Claire Price (The Capture), Dieudonné Ngabo (Forever) and Marny Kennedy (Between Two Worlds).

As previously announced, Sky Yang, Radhika Apte, Naveen Andrews and Ken Leung will also star.

Based on the Outside Magazine article “The Last Days of John Allen Chau” by journalist Alex Perry, the film tells the story of John Allen Chau, who believes he has been chosen to save the souls of the uncontacted tribe of North Sentinel Island. Designated as a protected site by the Indian government, John sets on a harrowing journey to proselytize the Sentinelese in his desperate search for identity, purpose, and belonging.

Written by Ben Ripley (Source Code), and marking a return to his indie roots for Lin following work on the Fast & Furious franchise, the film has...

With Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame being such box office successes, many fans assumed that the Russo Brothers (Anthony and Joe Russo) would return to direct Avengers: Secret Wars. But in the years that followed, a lot changed.

During that period, the Russo Brothers helmed a few flicks through their Agbo company. Among them are the crime drama Cherry, starring Tom Holland and Ciara Bravo, and the action thriller The Gray Man, featuring Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans.

Russo Brothers at Comic-Con (Image via Flickr)

Some people conjectured that the brothers might choose to return to Marvel following The Gray Man’s failure and Cherry’s comparatively unimpressive reception. However, in a recent interview, Anthony and Joe Russo stated adamantly that they are ready to move on from playing in someone’s franchise sandbox and instead focus on developing their own original franchises.

Russo Brothers’ Plan to Forge Their...

Exclusive: Oscar winner Marisa Tomei (Spider-Man: Far From Home), Good Trouble and Joy Ride star Sherry Cola and Cherry star Ciara Bravo have signed on to lead rom-com You’re Dating A Narcissist!

My Cousin Vinny and The Wrestler star Tomei will play an outspoken psychologist, burnt by love, who specializes in toxic relationships. Comedy ensues when she takes an emergency trip to Los Angeles with her best friend (Cola) to talk her smitten daughter (Bravo) out of marrying a man she is convinced is a narcissist.

Also starring are Marco Pigossi (Invisible City) and José María Yazpik (Narcos: Mexico).

Written by Ann Marie Allison (Golden Arm) and Jenna Milly (Golden Arm), the film will serve as Allison’s directorial debut.

Pic will be produced by Allison, Jorge Garcia Castro and The Wonder Company’s (Sacramento) Eric B. Fleischman and Chris Abernathy. Verve Ventures is representing sales.

Allison said: “I...

Marco Pigossi was just spotted filming a steamy scene at the beach with co-star Ciara Bravo!

The 34-year-old Brazilian actor and the 26-year-old Cherry actress were seen making out during an intimate scene on the beach on Monday (December 11) in Malibu, Calif.

Marco took to his Instagram Stories to reveal that he was filming at the Malibu Pier. It’s unclear what the project this scene is for.

“Hoje o escritorio e na praia mesmo,” he wrote in Portuguese. This translates to, “today the office is on the beach.”

Marco is best known to American audiences for his work as Dr. Edison Cardosa on Prime Video’s Gen V, a spinoff of The Boys. He has also been seen in the Netflix shows High Seas and Invisible City.

Ciara is best known for her work in TV shows like Big Time Rush and Red Band Society. She most recently starred...

Clockwise from top left: The Beanie Bubble, Tetris, The Banker, Causeway (all Apple TV+)Graphic: AVClub

Unlike Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Hulu, which each offer movies to stream from many studios both large and small, Apple TV+ focuses almost exclusively on Apple Originals that are, for the most part, only available on its platform.

Wayne was an underrated action comedy series with a witty and irreverent tone, delivering laughs and a compelling road trip narrative. The series earned critical praise for its cast and thoughtful writing, which juxtaposed humor with over-the-top violence. Despite being canceled after one season, Wayne has gained a cult following and has not yet been revived for additional seasons on Amazon Prime Video.

The Amazon Prime Video series Wayne featured a cast of young talents and established character actors that all helped bring the underrated action comedy series to life. Originally released as a YouTube Premium exclusive series in 2019, Wayne follows the titular character, a juvenile delinquent who goes on a road trip from Massachusetts to Florida to retrieve a car that was stolen from his late father. Witty and irreverent, Wayne had an abundance of laughs while also delivering a genuinely compelling road trip narrative that had never been seen before.

The Austin Film Festival has announced its first wave of screenings for its upcoming 30th anniversary event.

Oscar winner Emerald Fennell’s new film Saltburn has been chosen as the festival’s opening night selection. The MGM and Amazon Studios title stars Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi and Rosamund Pike, and is described as “a wicked tale of privilege and desire.” It’s the sophomore effort by the acclaimed Promising Young Woman filmmaker, who will be in attendance.

This year also includes several world premieres, such as Lena Headey’s feature directorial debut, The Trap, which stars Headey’s Game of Thrones co-star Michelle Fairley, along with James Nelson Joyce.

Other notable titles (full list and descriptions below) include the debut feature American Fiction from writer-director Cord Jefferson, which stars Jeffrey Wright, Sterling K. Brown and Tracee Ellis Ross. Also, screenwriter Brian Helgeland returns to Aff with his newest project, Finestkind,...

Tom Holland's acting bona fides are hard to fault. The star of some of the most bankable superhero movies of the last decade, Holland has arguably inhabited the persona of Peter Parker/Spider-Man like no other actor has dominated a superhero role since Christopher Reeve forty years ago. Not only that, Holland is not yet thirty years old, yet the British actor is already the recipient of a BAFTA for his acting skills.

All of which makes it decidedly odd that Holland has found it so difficult to make a success of his career beyond the MCU. In the past two years, Uncharted, Cherry, and Chaos Walking have all been released to middling reviews, while last month's Apple TV+'s The Crowded Room, in which Holland played the lead, has flattered to deceive, with a critics' rating of just 31% on Rotten Tomatoes at the time of writing. Holland was...

"Most Dangerous Game: New York", directed by Sam Hill, stars David Castañeda, Christoph Waltz, Anna Gunn, Ciara Bravo, Martina Ortiz Luis and Aaron Poole, now streaming free on The Roku Channel:

"...'Victor', a down-on-his-luck fighter, will do anything to protect his sister - and when he learns she's in trouble - he springs into action. Needing to come up with a half a million dollars to protect her - he agrees to participate in a deadly game - to be hunted through the mean streets of New York for 24 hours by five of the most experienced hunters in the world. If he survives, he'll make a fortune. Out of love for his sister - he's determined to live..."

Click the images to enlarge...

Popcorn for Dinner is said to be the first of its kind in audio, as a series with all the elements of a classic sitcom. Gen-z narrator, Ciara Bravo provides running commentary for the familiar format, with modern storytelling. Created by Maddy Kelly, a 26-year-old emerging writer and comedian, the series follows four young friends navigating their twenties as they make it on their own at work and University...

Season two of Most Dangerous Game is coming to Roku Channel next month. The first season of the action thriller series was released on Quibi as 15 small episodes before that streaming service shut down. Roku Channel saved Most Dangerous Game and several other Quibi original series in early 2021.

Starring Liam Hemsworth, Christoph Waltz, Sarah Gadon, Zach Cherry, Chris Webster, Billy Burke, Jimmy Akingbola, and Natasha Liu Bordizzo, the first season follows a dying man named Dodge Tynes (Hemsworth) who agrees to be hunted for sport over a 24-hour period in order to earn money to leave his wife and their unborn child. The 15 episodes were assembled into a 127-minute movie and released on Prime Video.

Season two, titled Most Dangerous Game: New York, stars Waltz, David Castañeda, Anna Gunn, Ciara Bravo, Martina Ortiz Luis, and Aaron Poole.

The Most Dangerous Game season 2 trailer from Roku reveals a first look at the revived Quibi series. The great experiment of Quibi was meant to deliver streaming content via mobile phones in easily-digestible bite-sized bits, but instead of catching on to become the next big internet craze, the service folded less than a year after being launched. But Quibi’s content at least was not lost, as Roku quickly swooped in to acquire its catalog.

While much of what Quibi made had little potential for long-lasting life, its action show The Most Dangerous Game generated enough intrigue to warrant further exploration, and now Roku has dropped a trailer for season 2 of the series.

Christoph Waltz headlines the show’s cast as Miles Sellars, the organizer of the titular most dangerous game. The story was of course inspired by the famous novel The Most Dangerous Game, published in 1924.

Related: Quibi Explained:...

"Most Dangerous Game: New York", directed by Sam Hill, stars David Castañeda, Christoph Waltz, Anna Gunn, Ciara Bravo, Martina Ortiz Luis and Aaron Poole, streaming free March 10, 2023 on The Roku Channel:

"...'Victor', a down-on-his-luck fighter, will do anything to protect his sister - and when he learns she's in trouble - he springs into action. Needing to come up with a half a million dollars to protect her - he agrees to participate in a deadly game - to be hunted through the mean streets of New York for 24 hours by five of the most experienced hunters in the world. If he survives, he'll make a fortune. Out of love for his sister - he's determined to live..."

Click the images to enlarge...

September 30th, 2022 saw the release of The Greatest Beer Run Ever on Apple TV+, giving the streaming service a new original film to add to its catalog. While most platforms are focused on putting out as many original movies as possible, Apple TV+ has gone with a 'quality over quantity' concept.

They may not have released a ton of original projects but the majority have been well received, including one that won the coveted Best Picture prize at the Oscars. Those with Apple TV+ and Letterboxd accounts have helped make certain films the platform's most popular above all others.

Billie Eilish: The World's A Little Blurry (2021)

Some of the greatest musicians in history have documentaries about their lives and Billie Eilish joined the ranks with The World's A Little Blurry. This provided fans with an in-depth look at the creative process behind the making of her debut studio album.

That album,...

Exclusive: The Hideaway Entertainment has promoted Kristy Grisham to SVP of Development and Production, upping Ryan Cassells to Director of Development and Production, and tapping Jennifer Cox as Creative Executive. The company’s expansion reflects a recent initiative to ramp up their slate by buying and optioning books, screenplays, life rights and other IP in all stages of development.

In her role, Grisham will be responsible for overseeing development and production on The Hideaway’s current slate of film and television projects, including its adaptation of Dan Schilling’s book Combat Control with Thruline Entertainment Partner Ron West (The Great) and screenwriter Michael Russell Gunn (Billions). Grisham was integral in bringing the book proposal to the company and packaging the movie, which is being directed by Sam Hargrave (Extraction), with The Hideaway and MGM co-financing.

Grisham is also overseeing Otherwise Illegal Activity from The Wolf of Wall Street scribe Terence Winter...

Exclusive: Ed Skrein (Deadpool) has replaced Rupert Friend in Zack Snyder’s sci-fi epic Rebel Moon for Netflix, following Friend’s exit from the project due to scheduling conflicts, with Cleopatra Coleman (Dopesick), Fra Fee (Hawkeye) and Rhian Rees (Nope) also signing on for roles. The actors join an ensemble that also includes Sofia Boutella, Charlie Hunnam, Djimon Hounsou, Doona Bae, Ray Fisher, Stuart Martin, Cary Elwes, Corey Stoll, Michiel Huisman and Alfonso Herrera, as previously announced.

Rebel Moon is set in a peaceful colony on the edge of the galaxy that finds itself threatened by the armies of the tyrannical Regent Balisarius, then dispatching a young woman (Boutella) with a mysterious past to seek out warriors from neighboring planets to help them make a stand. While Skrein will be playing the film’s principal antagonist, details with regard to the characters the other new cast members will be playing have not been disclosed.

"If you don't take chances in this life, you're already dead." Cinedigm has revealed the official trailer for Coast, an indie coming-of-age film from filmmakers Jessica Hester & Derek Schweickart. This premiered at the 2021 Santa Barbara Film Festival last year and is ready for release starting in April this year. Desperate to escape her small coastal farming town, 16-year-old Abby falls in love with the lead singer of a touring rock band. Now, she must decide whether she'll stay or leave her family and friends behind. Starring Fátima Ptacek as the spunky Abby, with Ciara Bravo, Melissa Leo, Cristela Alonzo, Kane Ritchotte, Mia Rose Frampton, Andres Velez, and Mia Xitlali. The film features live performances from Dog Party, Hayley & The Crushers, Pancho & The Wizards, and music for the film by The Ceremonies & Black Match. The Ceremonies also co-star in the film as the fictional band "Pinata Jones". Another film about young love.

Exclusive: J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay, the creator-EPs behind Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, have set up their 2017 Black List screenplay Escape with The Hideaway Entertainment (Cherry), tapping James Watkins to direct.

The action-adventure pic is inspired by the true story of convicts Robert Greenhill and Alexander Pearce, and their sensational journey of survival after escaping from prison, which scandalized the Victorian-era world. While the story has previously inspired songs, works of fiction and non-fiction, news articles, tall tales, art, illustrations and other printed materials, it has never before been adapted as a large-scale feature film.

When the wrongly-accused Greenhill is shipped to the harshest Tasmanian penal colony in the 1820s, he quickly realizes his only chance of survival is to partner with the notorious murderer Pearce and five other hardened criminals in order to escape.

Exclusive: Cinedigm has acquired North American rights to Coast, a coming-of-age drama starring Fatima Ptacek (Dora the Explorer), stand-up comedian Cristela Alonzo (Cristela), Academy Award winner Melissa Leo (The Fighter) and Ciara Bravo (Cherry), with plans to release it day-and-date in theaters and on VOD on April 8. Vmi Worldwide, which is handling international sales and distribution, will rep the film at the Berlin Film Festival when it kicks off on February 10.

Set in a farming community along the Central California coast, the story revolves around 16-year-old Abby (Ptacek), who is desperate to escape the trappings of small-town life. Stuck in a loop of sameness, she refuses to believe the lives of those around her are all she has to look forward to, longing for something more. Everything changes when she falls for the lead singer of a touring rock band and must decide whether to leave her family and friends...

Exclusive: The Hideaway Entertainment has come aboard ]Sleep Train, a genre-bending comedy written by Andrew Nunnelly.

The film billed as Game Night meets Inception follows a couple sleep training their child over the course of one delirious night. Jonathan Gray, Matthew Rhodes, and Kristy Grisham will produce for The Hideaway Entertainment, with Kristy Grisham and Jen Cox overseeing the project on behalf of the company. A director has not yet been attached.

The Hideaway’s Senior Vice President of Development and Production Kristy Grisham met Nunnelly when she was sleep training her son, which happened to be around the same time he was sleep training his. “Becoming a parent is really rewarding yet challenging, and as a working mom, I wanted to truly capture the essence of modern parenthood,” she said. “I found myself laughing at the absurdity of those early months, and I want to see a film that...

Exclusive: Vertical Entertainment has acquired U.S. rights to the comedy Unplugging, starring Eva Longoria (Sylvie’s Love), Matt Walsh (Veep), Lea Thompson (J. Edgar), Keith David (Greenleaf) and Nicole Byer (Nailed It!), with plans to release it in theaters nationwide next spring.

In the feature directorial debut of veteran film editor Debra Neil-Fisher, husband and wife Dan (Walsh) and Jeanine (Longoria) plan a weekend getaway of “digital detox” without kids, phones, or social media. They need—or think they need—only clean fresh air and alone time together to rekindle their romance. But once they forego Gps to guide them and disconnect from the internet, can they reconnect their own internal servers to spark their marriage?

Johnny Pemberton (Superstore), Al Madrigal (Morbius), Joel Kim Booster (Sunnyside), and Nancy Friedrich (Pen15) round out the cast of the film, scripted by Walsh and Brad Morris.

A group of friends discover that a deadly urban legend is all too real in Lantern's Lane, and with the new horror thriller coming to North American digital HD internet, cable, and satellite platforms this Friday, November 5th, via Vertical Entertainment, we've been provided with an exclusive clip to share with Daily Dead readers!

Check out our exclusive clip below, and read the official press release for more details on Lantern's Lane:

Press Release: Los Angeles, CA – Vertical Entertainment has acquired North American rights to Justin Lareau’s horror thriller Lantern’s Lane. The film will be available in theaters and to rent and own on North American digital HD internet, cable, and satellite platforms through Vertical Entertainment on November 5, 2021.

A recent college graduate and her estranged high school friends return to Lantern’s Lane, the home of a real urban legend and must fight to survive the night.

Exclusive: Vertical Entertainment has acquired North American rights to indie horror film La Patasola from Glass House Distribution, with plans to release it in theaters in at least 10 major markets, and across streaming media and other platforms, on January 14, 2022.

Shot over a 21-day period in a Covid-free bubble just outside of Orlando, Florida, La Patasola follows two struggling couples whose relationships, morality and will to survive are tested when they’re haunted by a famed vampiric monster from South American folklore.

Actor and writer Aj Jones (Lovecraft Country) directed the film in his feature directorial debut, from a script he wrote with Shaun Mathis (The Plug), which was based on a story he created with Daniela Gonzalez (Frenemies).

Gonzales and Aj Jones also appear in the film alongside Luciana Faulhaber (Shades of Blue), Patrick R. Walker (The Resident), Najah Bradley (Black Box), Gillie Jones (Welcome to Flatch), Jack Young (The Perfect Race...

Exclusive: In a pre-emptive purchase, 20th Century Studios has acquired the rights new untitled thriller, which will be written by Shawn Simmons. Deadpool scribes Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick are set to produce.

The project is an irreverent high-speed thriller that follows a former teenage getaway driver who is dragged back into her unsavory past when a previous employer offers her the chance to save the life of her chronically unreliable ex-boyfriend.

Simmons is the creator and executive producer of the Amazon/Endeavor Content series Wayne. A cult hit, Wayne is also executive produced by Reese and Wernick, and stars Mark McKenna and Ciara Bravo. Reese and Wernick’s writing and producing credits include the Deadpool and Zombieland franchises, 6 Underground, and the upcoming Joseph Kosinski film Escape From Spiderhead.

Simmons is represented by UTA, Capital Creations, and attorneys Ziffren Brittenham. Reese and Wernick are represented by WME and attorneys Hansen,...

Here’s Kev with a video review of indie drama Small Engine Repair which is in available on digital now. You can also check out his written review right here.

Events spin wildly out of control when three lifelong friends agree to do a favor on behalf of the brash young woman they all adore.

Directed by John Pollono, Small Engine Repair stars John Pollono, Jon Bernthal, Shea Whigham, Ciara Bravo, Jordana Spiro, and Spencer House.

Stars: John Pollono, Jon Bernthal, Shea Whigham, Ciara Bravo, Jordana Spiro, Spencer House | Written and Directed by John Pollono

Well this going to be the shortest review I ever write… Small Engine Repair is as close to perfection as it gets. 5 out of 5. Told you shortest review ever… Actually I need to dig deeper into the film!

Based on a play of the same name written by director and leading man John Pollono, Small Engine Repair tells the story of Frank (Pollono), Swaino (Bernthal) and Packie (Whigham). Three friends from small-town nowhere that have always been there for each other. We first meet our boys as Frank’s daughter Crystal (Ciara Bravo) has found out she is heading to university. One thing is for sure the love these men have for Crystal is unshakeable. After a night out to celebrate the bond between our boys becomes somewhat strained. We jump...

Small Engine Repair Vertical Entertainment Reviewed for Shockya.com by Abe Friedtanzer Director: John Pollono Writer: John Pollono Cast: Jon Bernthal, Shea Whigham, Jordana Spiro, John Pollono, Ciara Bravo, Spencer House Screened at: Critics’ link, Wy, 8/31/21 Opens: September 10th, 2021 There is a bond between friends that can last years. In some cases, relationships come […]

The post Small Engine Repair Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.

The darkly funny American indie drama “Small Engine Repair” works best when it’s a hangout comedy starring three schlubby New England burnouts.

Based on writer-director John Pollono’s stage play, “Small Engine Repair” eventually becomes an unpleasant slow-burning thriller about revenge, sexual violence and toxic masculinity. Thankfully Pollono and his fellow co-leads, Jon Bernthal and Shea Whigham, carry the movie throughout with some choice one-liners and abundant bromantic chemistry.

Pollono, Bernthal and Whigham keep things light, believable, and charming enough, even after the abrupt and seemingly random arrival of preppy drug dealer Chad threatens to ruin the movie’s otherwise aimless fun. Chad pushes “Small Engine Repair” into unexpectedly dark territory, the kind that invites comparisons with real-life sexual predators like Brett Kavanaugh and other prominent politicians. Pollono’s affable drama doesn’t say much about its characters’ boozy locker talk, but it does hold together well enough thanks...

Jon Bernthal in Small Engine Repair, based on the play by John Pollono opens in theaters September 10th. Check out the trailer:

Frankie (John Pollono), Swaino (Jon Bernthal) and Packie (Shea Wigham) are lifelong friends who share a love of the Red Sox, rowdy bars and Frankie’s teenaged daughter Crystal (Ciara Bravo). But when Frankie invites his pals to a whiskey-fueled evening and asks them to do a favor on behalf of the brash young woman they all adore, events spin wildly out of control. Based on Pollono’s award-winning play, Small Engine Repair is a pitch-black comedic drama with a wicked twist and a powerful exploration of brotherhood, class struggle and toxic masculinity.

Small Engine Repair stars Jon Bernthal, Shea Whigham, Jordana Spiro, John Pollono, Ciara Bravo, and Spencer House and is rated R.

The post Check Out the Trailer For Jon Bernthal in Small Engine Repair appeared...

"I wanted tonight to be special." Vertical Entertainment has released a full trailer for an indie film titled Small Engine Repair, a feature film adaptation of the stage play by John Pollono. This was originally set to premiere at last year's SXSW Film Festival before it was cancelled. Pollono writes and directs, making his feature directorial debut, and co-stars in it with an impressive cast. It's better to know as little about this story going into it. The seemingly casual reunion of three old friends at an out-of-the-way repair shop masks a hidden agenda fueled by the arrival of a privileged young yuppie. This is described as a "black comedy that takes a dark dramatic turn" - and oh boy does it take a turn. The trailer also features some very nice quotes from various other directors, including one from Edgar Wright. Starring Jon Bernthal, Shea Whigham, John Pollono, Jordana Spiro,...

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While release schedules might be in flux, there are still hundreds of films and TV shows coming out in 2021 — and because Hollywood loves nothing more than existing (and proven) intellectual property, plenty of those projects are based on books.

If you’re one of those people who likes to read the book before you watch the movie, this list is for you — we’ve rounded up a few of the highest-profile literary adaptations hitting screens this year and included synopses, links to where you can read the books, and where you’ll be able to watch said projects when they come out. Now get to reading!

Coming Soon

“House of Gucci”

Book: “The...

Exclusive: Vertical Entertainment has acquired worldwide distribution rights to Small Engine Repair, the film based on the critically acclaimed stage play (LA Critic’s Choice and New York Times Critic’s Pick).

Vertical is planning a theatrical release in September positioning the film for awards season.

The black comedy is written, directed by and starring John Pollono (Stronger) alongside Jon Bernthal, Shea Whigham (Joker), Jordana Spiro (Ozark), Spencer House (Space Force) and Ciara Bravo (Cherry).

It follows lifelong friends Frank (Pollono), Swaino (Bernthal) and Packie (Whigham) who share a love of the Red Sox, rowdy bars and Frank’s teenaged daughter Crystal (Bravo). But when Frank invites his pals to a whiskey-fueled evening and asks them to do a favor on behalf of the brash young woman they all adore, events spin wildly out of control in this exploration of brotherhood, class struggle and toxic masculinity.

Exclusive: Principal photography has completed on under-the-radar comedy feature Not An Artist, whose ensemble cast we can reveal as Ciara Bravo (Cherry), Rosalind Chao (Mulan), Cleopatra Coleman (The Last Man On Earth), Clark Moore (Crazy Ex Girlfriend), GaTa (Dave), Haley Joel Osment (The Sixth Sense), Alexi Pappas (Olympic Dreams), Horatio Sanz (Black Monday), Robert Schwartzman (The Princess Diaries), Matt Walsh (Veep), and rapper/actor/filmmaker Bobby “RZA” Diggs (Californication).

The movie follows a young woman (Pappas) who is accepted into a residency program created by the wealthy enigmatic benefactor known only as “The Abbott” (RZA) for high-potential artists suffering from creative constipation. The artists sign a legally binding agreement to complete a creative project of choice during their one-month stay – or quit the arts forever.

Meanwhile, the woman’s father, (Walsh) a physician, is drifting through America’s National Parks, practicing telemedicine from an Rv. Following a series of mistakes,...

Adapted from the semi-biographical novel by Nico Walker, Cherry is a unique movie that covers different chapters of Cherry's life as a college student, army medic, man with drug addiction, and robber. The crime drama is directed by Joe and Anthony Russo and features a young and talented cast of Tom Holland and Ciara Bravo. Despite some mixed reviews on the direction and story execution, critics praised Holland and Bravo for their performances. Some people consider the movie as one of Holland's best roles due to his emotional, intense, and raw performance as Cherry. The film is now available for streaming on AppleTV+.

Related: 10 MCU Actors Who Have Worked With The Russo Brothers Outside Of Marvel

Of course, covering different chapters of a character's life in a two-hour and 20-minute movie is not always easy. Regardless, Cherry now joins a long list of films highlighting hardship, whether it be coping...

Tom Holland seems like a really lovely chap. Outside playing Spider-Man in the MCU, the 24-year-old Brit is possibly best known for being unable to stop himself from leaking spoilers and his genuinely amazing performance of Rihanna’s ”Umbrella” during a lip sync battle.

From his breakout turn in The Impossible to his watery adventure with Chris Hemsworth in In The Heart of the Sea, Holland proved himself versatile and talented even before he put on the Spidey suit. Lately though Holland seems to be exploring his dark side and it fits him well.

Reuniting with his Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Endgame directors, Joe and Anthony Russo, Holland stars in Cherry, which is streaming now on Apple TV+. In it he plays our unnamed narrator (listed as Cherry in the credits), a hard up but essentially decent young man who becomes a drug addict and a...

Tom Holland stars in the new film “Cherry” as an Army veteran who becomes addicted to opioids. It is the latest in Holland’s collaboration with Anthony and Joe Russo, directors of various films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Holland recently spoke with Gold Derby editor in chief Tom O’Neil and editor Rob Licuria about the challenges of taking on “Cherry,” how it required him to be vulnerable and the response he has received from those around him. Watch the exclusive webchat above and read the complete transcript below.

SEEJoe and Anthony Russo interview: ‘Cherry’ directors

Gold Derby (Tom O’Neil): When we see you on screen, you’re normally saving people. In this movie, you are the person who needs to be saved. Talk about the irony, the challenges that you’ve taken on with this role.

Tom Holland: Firstly, thank you, that’s very kind of you.

Joe and Anthony Russo’s Cherry has its moments. But the film, an adaptation of Nico Walker’s hit 2018 novel of the same name, is, for the most part, a misfire and a missed opportunity. The Russo brothers, best known of late for helming a spate of Avengers epics — most recently 2019’s Endgame — bought the rights to Walker’s autobiographical bestseller within months of its release, for reasons anyone who’s familiar with the novel or its backstory can easily guess.

Cherry — Walker’s novel — is a topically wide-ranging, tonally flexible,...

All of a sudden Tom Holland is everywhere. He’s got two movies out right now–the sci-fi thriller Chaos Walking and the drug/crime drama Cherry–and the latter is making its premiere on Apple TV+ this weekend after a limited run in theaters. He also recently wrapped production on the long-developing adaptation of the Uncharted video game franchise, and he’s currently working with director Jon Watts again on their third standalone Spider-Man adventure together, Spider-Man: No Way Home.

In Cherry, based on the best-selling semi-autobiographical novel by Nico Walker, Holland stars as the title character, a young Cleveland man who joins the Army after his girlfriend (Ciara Bravo) announces she is going away to college. He returns home from Iraq with Ptsd, develops an opioid addiction, and eventually turns to bank robbery to support his habit.

The often harrowing film is directed by Anthony and Joe Russo,...

It’s not every actor who can start out on Nickelodeon at age 12 and successfully transition to serious grown-up roles. But Ciara Bravo has made it look easy.

Discovered by a modeling agent when she was a 9-year-old contestant in a county fair beauty pageant near her family home in Alexandria, Kentucky, Bravo started out doing commercial work. She had an uncredited role in Angels & Demons and garnered her first break when she landed a role playing a younger sister in the popular Nickelodeon musical comedy series Big Time Rush, about a hockey boy band, which premiered in 2009.

Even ...

It’s not every actor who can start out on Nickelodeon at age 12 and successfully transition to serious grown-up roles. But Ciara Bravo has made it look easy.

Discovered by a modeling agent when she was a 9-year-old contestant in a county fair beauty pageant near her family home in Alexandria, Kentucky, Bravo started out doing commercial work. She had an uncredited role in Angels & Demons and garnered her first break when she landed a role playing a younger sister in the popular Nickelodeon musical comedy series Big Time Rush, about a hockey boy band, which premiered in 2009.

Even ...

Ciara Bravo’s character in Cherry, Emily, is very good until she isn’t. Though she struggles with being emotionally unavailable, Emily is Cherry’s anchor when he’s in the war, making her way through school and even finding them a house to buy. When she realizes he’s making a scary slide into opioid addiction, though,…...

Tom Holland brings his A-game to the true story of an army veteran drawn into a life of heroin addiction and bank robbery

The Russo brothers, Anthony and Joe, have become renowned for directing the epics of the Marvel Cinematic Universe; and now they take on the big, serious, operatically painful story of Cherry, about a US army medic played by Tom Holland who leaves the service in 2007 with Ptsd after witnessing horrors in Iraq. He acquires an opioid addiction that blossoms into a full-scale smack habit, miserably shared with his young wife Emily (Ciara Bravo), and finally finds a new trade in robbing banks, like a zombie wired on desperation. The Russos produce and direct, and screenwriters Angela Russo-Otstot and Jessica Goldberg have adapted the bestselling autobiographical novel by the decorated war veteran and ex-convict Nico Walker about his own desolate experiences in Civvy Street, robbing banks to feed his habit.

When you watch the trailer for the Russo Brothers’ upcoming drama, “Cherry,” it’s clear the film focuses on the downward spiral that affects a young guy, as he deals with untreated Ptsd and drug addiction. But at the heart of the film is a love story between its lead characters played by Tom Holland and Ciara Bravo.

Read More: ‘Cherry’ Exclusive Music: Listen To A Track From Henry Jackman’s Score For The Russo Brothers’ Film

With “Cherry” hitting Apple TV+ next week, we’re thrilled to give our readers an exclusive look at a behind-the-scenes featurette that showcases the love story that drives the emotional film.

Continue reading ‘Cherry’ Exclusive Featurette: Tom Holland & Ciara Bravo Talk The Love Story At The Heart Of The New Drama at The Playlist.

Tom Holland is no stranger to hard physical training, which he did plenty of in order to portray the Marvel superhero Spider-Man. But when it came to preparing to play the lead role in the actor's upcoming feature Cherry, Holland realized he would have to undergo a different, much more difficult form of training to lose close to 30 pounds in weight. In an interview with GQ, Holland admitted he would have a hard time making a similarly intense sacrifice for a future role.

"I had to lose a lot of weight for Cherry. And I don't think I would ever do that again. I lost around 27lbs by running in a bin bag every day... It was awful. Truly. It was only about ten weeks out of shooting that I realized what I was getting into and what I need to do to transform into the role. So I sat down with my trainer,...

In Apple TV Plus’ new drama “Cherry,” Tom Holland’s life is spiraling out of control. Holland plays Cherry, a war veteran who suffers from Ptsd and descends into an opioid addiction. He also falls in love with Emily, played by Ciara Bravo.

Cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel, who also shot “Da 5 Bloods,” explains the film “has very distinct chapters. Each one of those chapters has its vocabulary,” and Sigel relied on different lenses to create that look.

From magic realism, when Cherry sees Emily and falls in love, to documentary homages, Sigel discusses two scenes from the film and how he captured Cherry at different moments in his downward spiral.

Robbing the Bank/Emily

Early in the film, we have a teaser of what we will later learn is Cherry’s last robbery. In that robbery, he goes into a bank and as he approaches the teller and pulls a gun out.

The MCU has made a habit of working with up-and-coming directors, and possibly their biggest catch yet are Joe and Anthony Russo, who went from directing episodes of Community to helming Captain America: The Winter Soldier to Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. Although the duo left the MCU after Endgame, Anthony Russo recently confirmed during an interview that the brothers are working on a new superhero movie.

"Joe and I love filmmaking at every scale. We've made movies for as little money as you could possibly make movies for. We've made movies for as much money as you could possibly make movies for, and we love everything in between. We will someday, for sure, do a movie in that genre again. Probably in the not-too-distant future. Who it's with we're not able to say at this point, but yeah, we like challenging ourselves, we like finding new frontiers. So...