Photo: ‘Loving’/Focus Features
The words ‘critically acclaimed drama’ come with certain expectations. The usual Academy darling contenders promise intense plots with high stakes, weepy declarations of love, and the ‘Oscar speech’ that comes right after our tragic protagonist’s lowest point. You know the one; where the hero declares their bravery and self-worth to the world before taking it on and winning in an epic show of fireworks and triumphant orchestral score.
Loving contains none of those tropes and, frankly, it’s refreshing. The film, both written and directed by Nichols, swerves away from the more dramatic and well-known events of the Civil Rights movement to focus on Richard and Mildred Loving, a mixed-race couple who, after being exiled from their home in Virginia, had their marriage legalised by the Supreme Court in a landmark case. Ruth Negga, who played the media-shy Mildred, would go on to be nominated for Best Actress at the 2017 Academy Awards, with
Photo: ‘Shiva Baby’/MUBI
Horror in the year 2021 looks much different than what we have come to expect from the traditional 1980s slasher movie- blood, guts, and plenty of gore. Instead, filmmakers like Ari Aster and Jordan Peele have ushered in a new era of cinematic, arthouse horror that focuses more on the human instinct than the things that go bump in the night. In this, the expectations of horror have reached brilliant new places- which is exactly why I am labeling Emma Seligman’s‘Shiva Baby’ as the quintessential horror movie for college girls, queer and/or Jewish women, and people who are currently keeping any kind of secret.
2021 Oscars Predictions: Actresses, Actors, Directors and Films to Watch for in the Unprecedented Race
Christopher Davis is an entertainment enthusiast dedicated to the diverse and ever-expanding terrain of film and television. He is eager to examine entertainment that pushes the boundaries of the screen and offers new texture to popular culture altogether. Christopher is excited to write for
Hollywood Insider, where he is encouraged to engage in factual and substance-based discourse. Christopher finds inspiration in media that is compelling to consume, sparks progress and evokes compassion.
Jan 10, 2021
The Show Must Go On
With 2020 trailing in the rearview mirror of 2021’s unimaginably eventful kickoff, glimmers of hope for change has been revived. As the coronavirus vaccine makes its way to essential workers and those most vulnerable to the virus, and a new administration prepares to take the reins of the White House, the tide appears to be slowly but surely shifting towar
After an impressive
11-year run on TBS (has it really been that long?),Conan O’Brien isset to end his self-titled show, ‘Conan,’ later this year in June 2021. O’Brien will head toHBO Max for a weekly variety show instead a departure for the iconic late-night television host of the last 28 years, who’s hosted daily shows since the ‘90s onNBC and TBS. O’Brien’s other series, ‘Conan Without Borders,’ a comedic show focused on travel, willreportedly continue to air on TBS (airing since 2015, O’Brien’s travel specials have included destinations such as Haiti, Israel, Greenland, Cuba, and Mexico).
Docter followed that up with the even more ambitious 2015’s ‘Inside Out‘, which explores through clever personifications how the human mind (in this case, that of a preteen girl) works. While that is the hook the high concept that draws us in Docter uses it as a springboard to convey his real message: that sadness is important in our lives. And as we approach the end of the year with an encroaching feeling of the blues, compounded by the unbearably difficult year 2020 has been,
Inside Out’s message of emotional openness feels more important now.
A Quick Refresher on ‘Inside Out’