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Daily Maverick
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Maverick
From Cannes 2025: Five standout films you should watch next
With the Cannes Film Festival acting as a very early awards season indicator, these are the most acclaimed and notable films to put on your Must Watch List in 2025. The Cannes Film Festival is about more than Riviera-side schmoozing, 15-minute standing ovations and their booing flipside (plus the new addition of lengthy blackouts). The iconic film festival is an early indicator of potential award season contenders. Last year alone, Anora, which took home the festival's highest honour, the Palme d'Or, went on to win five Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Fellow Oscar winners The Substance, controversial Emilia Pérez, and Animated Feature upset Flow all premiered at Cannes. Notably, before that, Bong Joon-ho's Parasite made the journey from Palme d'Or to Academy Award in 2019-2020, while legal drama-mystery Anatomy of a Fall picked up Best Original Screenplay at several awards ceremonies following its 2023 Palme d'Or win. The point is that it pays to keep an eye on what stands out at Cannes, whether competing (see the full 2025 winner's list here) or simply screening. These are the premieres from the 78th Festival de Cannes that you should keep a lookout for at local cinemas and film festivals in the coming months. Anti-authoritarianism earns accolades Film has always been a powerful medium to critique social and political injustice, and this year the Cannes main competition jury seemed eager to reward those movies vocal about power abuse and despotism. Case in point: the 2025 Palme d'Or went to It Was Just an Accident, from Iranian director Jafar Panahi, who has repeatedly been hit with filmmaking bans, travel restrictions and prison sentences from his country's authorities. Acclaim for It Was Just an Accident doesn't appear to be performative, though. Narratively straightforward, accessible, but also thought-provoking, the film sees an apparent everyman kidnapped by people who suspect that he may have been their prison torturer. Can they overrule their doubts and take revenge? Honourable mention: The only film to earn two awards at Cannes this year, The Secret Agent also features anti-totalitarian themes. Scoring Best Director for Kleber Mendonça Filho, and Best Actor for Narcos' Wagner Moura, The Secret Agent is a genre-hopping Brazilian thriller that explores how Carnival was used as a front in the 1970s to make the then-military dictatorship's opponents disappear. The latest auteur efforts For decades, the Cannes Film Festival has been catnip for the world's most acclaimed filmmakers. This year was no different, with Wes Anderson debuting his latest quirky all-star effort, The Phoenician Scheme, a few days before it comes to US cinemas on 30 May. Benicio del Toro plays a 1950s industrialist who, in the middle of a spate of assassination attempts, names his estranged daughter (Mia Threapleton), a nun, as his heir. The good news is that if you found Anderson's last few efforts over-styled and underwhelming, The Phoenician Scheme is apparently a return to enjoyable form. Largely thanks to Threapleton. Honourable mention: Spike Lee and Denzel Washington reunite for the first time in almost 20 years for Highest 2 Lowest, an English-language reinterpretation of Akira Kurosawa's High and Low. Washington plays a successful New York City record producer forced into a ransom scenario that tests his morals. The film is already lined up for an Apple TV+ debut on 5 September. Queer experience on screens The Cannes Film Festival is always welcoming of LGBT+ content, even having an independent Queer Palm accolade for films that excel in their depiction of non cishet experience. There were several contenders for the award in 2025 (it eventually went to The Little Sister), but the most intriguing is the rule-bending romance Pillion. Described as a gay version of Babygirl, this directorial debut from Harry Lighton sees Harry Potter's Harry Melling enter into a sub/dom relationship with Alexander Skarsgård's aloof biker. It's kinky but also tender in its exploration of consensual power dynamics within a relationship. Honourable mention: South African filmmaker Oliver Hermanus, who previously made the likes of Moffie and Queer Palm winner Beauty (AKA Skoonheid), debuted historical gay romance The History of Sound at Cannes this year. Paul Mescal and Josh O'Connor star as two men who connect over their mission to record American folk music circa World War I. The comparisons to Brokeback Mountain are there by default. A quick second shout-out also must go to Honey Don't!, a consciously B-grade detective comedy from Ethan Coen, which sees Margaret Qualley's lesbian private investigator hook up with Aubrey Plaza's cop. Charlie Day and Chris Evans also star. Of families and generations It's been called Arthouse with a capital A, but historical drama Sound of Falling, from German filmmaker Mascha Schilinski, emerges from Cannes heralded as something boldly original due to its storytelling approach – which dips into and interweaves the lives of four girls on a farm in northern Germany over the course of a century. It turns out that women's experience doesn't really change, with trauma having a way of seeping through time. Considered a grim watch, Sound of Falling was a tied winner of the Jury Prize (alongside Sirat), which is typically bestowed on up-and-coming filmmakers seen as driving the industry forward creatively. Honourable mention: The Grand Prize is Cannes's second highest honour and that went this year to Sentimental Value, from festival favourite Joachim Trier. Could this Norwegian drama, about the complex relationship between sisters, and daughters and fathers, finally earn Stellan Skarsgård an Oscar nomination? Also worthy of a Must Watch List spot is My Father's Shadow, the first ever Nigerian film to make it onto the festival's Official Selection. In his feature debut, British-Nigerian director Akinola Davies Jr. has told a semi-autobiographical tale with his brother Wale, set against the backdrop of the 1993 Nigerian election. Siblings spend a day with their estranged father (Sope Dirisu) and learn surprising things. The film earned a Camera d'Or Special Mention. One to talk about Finally, if you're looking for the most divisive movie release of Cannes 2025, that dubious honour has to go to Eddington, the latest from Hereditary, Midsommar, and Beau Is Afraid filmmaker Ari Aster. Is it an escalating parody of American divisiveness? Does it actually harbour MAGA leanings as it jeers at mask mandates and other liberal ideas? With a wider release set for July, you'll have to watch this moody modern Western, which pits Joaquin Phoenix's small-town sheriff against Pedro Pascal's mayor in the early days of the Covid pandemic, with their friends and neighbours taking sides, and things turning violent. DM
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Narcos: Mexico' Actor Manuel Masalva In Medically Induced Coma After Being Infected With 'Very Aggressive Bacteria'
Narcos: Mexico actor Manuel Masalva remains in critical but stable condition after being placed in a medically induced coma following the contraction of a 'very aggressive bacteria' while traveling in the Philippines, Deadline confirmed. Jaime Jaramillo Espinosa, the CEO of Mexican management agency JIM Management and Masalva's manager, first relayed the news to the Los Angeles Times, which reported that Masalva is currently hospitalized in Dubai. More from Deadline 'Narcos' Producer José Padilha Settles Lawsuit Against Fellow EP Eric Newman Over Show Profits - Update International Emmys: 'Narcos: Mexico' Leads The Pack Alongside 'Sex Education', 'Lupin' 'Narcos: Mexico' Actor Luis Gerardo Méndez Signs With UTA In late March, Masalva underwent emergency surgery after doctors uncovered the bacterial infection, which had then reached his lungs. Per Espinosa, he is on antibiotics and his lungs are shown to have responded to the treatment. Fellow Mexican performer and close friend Mario Morán posted a video on Instagram prior to the weekend asking for donations to the family's GoFundMe, given the international costs associated with Masalva's hospitalization outside of his home country. 'My brother is fighting for his life far from home. I want to ask for your help in this very difficult moment,' Morán said in Spanish. 'As was announced yesterday, Manuel Masalva — who is one of my best friends, who is really like a brother to me — fell victim to a very aggressive bacteria while he was on vacation. And this led to him being in an induced coma, and until now his situation continues to be delicate. The medical costs are enormous and in a country where everything is even more difficult. Any help, no matter how small it may seem, can make a difference in this difficult moment. If you are able to contribute, we will express our heart-filled gratitude.' In a more recent post, he thanked those who had donated, sent messages and spread the message to garner support. He added that Masalva's condition remains delicate and that he is continuing to receive treatment accordingly. 'Now all that remains is to wait and have faith that in the coming days or weeks he will begin to improve,' he said, asking people for their prayers. Best known for playing Ramón Arellano Félix in Netflix's Narcos: Mexico alongside Diego Luna, Michael Peña, Bad Bunny and Scoot McNairy, his credits also include Univision telenovela La Rosa de Guadalupe and biographical drama series La Guzmán. Last year, Deadline exclusively announced he would appear in Netflix's forthcoming series The Gringo Hunters, currently in post-production in Mexico City. Best of Deadline '1923' Season 2 Release Schedule: When Do New Episodes Come Out? Everything We Know About 'Nine Perfect Strangers' Season 2 So Far Everything We Know About 'Hacks' Season 4 So Far
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Narcos: Mexico' actor Manuel Masalva in medical coma after bacterial infection
Mexican actor Manuel Masalva, known for his role in 'Narcos: Mexico,' is in a medically induced coma at a hospital in Dubai after possibly contracting an aggressive bacterial infection during his recent trip to the Philippines. The 34-year-old actor arrived in the Middle Eastern city on March 18, after spending time in the Philippines, his manager Jaime Jaramillo Espinosa told The Times. '[After] about two days in Dubai, Masalva began to feel internal discomfort and pain which increased by the day,' Jaramillo Espinosa said. Read more: 'Narcos' vs. narco novelas: In Latin America's cartel TV shows, a compelling complexity On March 26, Masalva underwent emergency surgery after the doctors discovered the bacteria, disabling him from traveling back to his home in Mexico. The following day, the infection reached his lungs and he had to be put into a medically induced coma. While he remains in critical, but stable condition, this week brought forward positive results for Masalva's health. 'On Monday, the doctors were able to identify the type of bacteria and administer the appropriate antibiotic he needs,' Jaramillo Espinosa said. 'On the other hand, his respirator was lowered to 80%, which means that his lungs are reacting.' Masalva's family launched a GoFundMe to cover his treatment costs. So far, the fundraiser has reached 1,028,520 Mexican pesos ($50,108), surpassing its goal of 1 million Mexican pesos ($48,700), which Jaramillo Espinosa said was achieved in less than three days. Read more: Jesse Garcia and his epic, winding hero's journey to Hollywood Fellow Mexican actor and Masalva's 'amigo del alma,' Mario Morán, published an Instagram video post on Wednesday addressing the situation and asking for support. "My brother is fighting for his life far from home. I want to ask for your help in this very difficult moment," Morán said in Spanish. "As was made known yesterday, Manuel Masalva — who is one of my best friends [and] who is really like a brother to me — fell victim to an aggressive bacteria while he was on vacation. This led to him being in an induced coma and now his situation continues to be delicate.' "The medical costs are huge and in a country where everything is even more difficult. Any help, however small it may seem, can make a difference in this difficult moment. If you are able to help, I would thank you with all of my heart." Jaramillo Espinosa also expressed gratitude for the many people that have come out to support Masalva and remains hopeful for continued improvement for the actor. Read more: 'Narcos' star Wagner Moura discusses the harsh realities of the drug cartels, his role as Pablo Escobar and how the part introduced him to the wider culture of Latin America 'He is a strong and young man. He is healthy,' he said. '[His family and I] are certain that he is going to pull through and wake up.' According to Jaramillo Espinosa, Masalva's family is currently overwhelmed by the situation and has decided not to comment on it. Masalva played the role of Ramón Arellano Félix in the Netflix drama series "Narcos: Mexico," alongside Diego Luna, Bad Bunny and Scoot McNairy. He has also been featured on the telenovela "La Rosa de Guadalupe" and recently the series "La Guzmán." Get our Latinx Files newsletter for stories that capture the complexity of our communities. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
The Guardian
14-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Dope Thief review – this crime caper's hilarious moments are like Brooklyn Nine-Nine meets Breaking Bad
Contrary to popular belief, a man's reach should ideally not exceed his grasp. All hell tends to break loose if it does. Never more so, it turns out, than if a pair of low-level criminals find a semi-lucrative groove posing as DEA agents to fake-bust other small-time drug dealers and relieve them of their cash without real police ever getting involved. Such is the hustle of Ray Driscoll (Atlanta's Brian Tyree Henry) and Manny Carvalho (Narcos' Wagner Moura): best friends since they met as young men in prison, addicts at different stages of recovery, and now partners in crime moving through the minor crack dens of Philadelphia. The opening set piece is so funny ('Did you just pause the game?' Ray asks incredulously as the armed pair burst into a dealer's house screaming at the computer-playing addicts to get down on the floor) that for a while the vibe is very much 'What if Brooklyn Nine-Nine's 'Pontiac Bandit' Doug Judy took things up a notch from stealing cars?', with a light dusting of Pulp Fiction as the duo riff before, during and after the action on the power of an authoritative voice, Manny's relationship, and the necessity of researching a job. There are also shades of Breaking Bad and, as the series expands to take in more characters from both sides of the law, and more of the problems and pressures experienced by people from various social and economic demographics, it gestures to The Wire too. Though Dope Thief never pretends to have that show's ambition to stand as a state-of-the-nation piece, it is written by Peter Craig, who worked on The Batman and Top Gun: Maverick, the first episode is directed by Ridley Scott, and there is never a moment when you don't feel like you are in supremely capable hands. When Manny's girlfriend Sherry moves in and Ray discovers that Theresa (Kate Mulgrew), the woman who raised him, is in need of money for (he believes) medical bills, Manny and Ray act on a tip that, although it will take them out of the neighbourhood and their comfort zone, should net them a bigger score. It does, but at the cost of five dead and one near-dead undercover DEA agent, Mina (Marin Ireland), plus the destruction of a key piece of the eastern seaboard's main drug-running corridor. Its owner would like the money and the meth Ray and Manny stole returned to him, along, ideally, with their heads. The DEA feels similarly strongly. From there we launch into a mesmerising if increasingly preposterous game of cat-and-mouse involving our anti-heroes and the gravel-voiced man on the other end of the phone. His people pursue them ever more closely, while the police investigation cranks into gear. As the men's desperation increases and the violence ramps up ('This is not us!' cries Manny after the scale of their mistake becomes clear, 'We took candy from babies! We're not real cops, they weren't real dealers! Nothing in our lives has ever been real. Until now'), Dope Thief would risk becoming cartoonish were it not for the lovingly detailed portraits that emerge of Manny and especially Ray, along with their backstories in monochromatic flashbacks. Ray discovers that it is not medical bills his beloved 'Ma' needs to pay, but lawyer's fees to try and get her old boyfriend, Ray's abusive father Bart (Ving Rhames), out of prison on compassionate grounds now that he has terminal cancer. Ray tells his AA group his father used to lock him in a closet so he could get high, and when Ray visits Bart in prison he remembers the man beating his mother and telling the child to hit her too. 'I still live like a stray dog,' Ray tells Bart, and a lifetime of inexplicably bad choices – and maybe those still to come – suddenly become all too clearly comprehensible. There are holes in the plot – the main one being why, whatever ties you have to your city by way of maternal figures, girlfriends and carefully curated vinyl collections, would you not when faced with the prospect of torture or death at the hands of ruthless traffickers swiftly remove yourself from the vicinity. But things move so fast and furiously that Dope Thief gets away with it. It is essentially a heist story, a caper, and you have to stretch your credulity for those anyway, so what's a little more? Especially when you get a performance like Henry's thrown in. He ranges from comedy to tragedy in a single scene and never misses a beat. He is extraordinary and the rest of the cast are up there with him. He gives Dope Thief heart and at times threatens to break the viewer's. Wonderful. Dope Thief is on Apple TV+ now.
Chicago Tribune
20-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
‘Zero Day' review: Zero intrigue in this thriller starring Robert De Niro
'Shoulda been a movie,' is my battle cry about so many streaming series. But I'm not sure Netflix's 'Zero Day' is sturdy enough to even work as a stand-alone film. The six-episode conspiracy thriller starring Robert De Niro is too convoluted to generate real intrigue. De Niro plays a former president, named George Mullen, who is called back into action by the current president (Angela Bassett) after a nationwide cyber attack. Who is behind it? Mullen heads up the commission tasked with finding out, and he's been given all kinds of powers that make the Constitution moot. Complicating matters are an unruly public goaded by an opportunistic conspiracy theorist (Dan Stevens) and scrambling politicians looking to score points, including Mullen's nepo-baby congresswoman daughter (Lizzy Caplan). Also, Mullen might be having some issues with memory and hallucinations. His two aides, played by Jesse Plemons and Connie Britton, do their best to cover for him. The issues with the show are straightforward. De Niro looks bored and Bassett has been asked to do little more than appear serious and concerned in a few scenes. It's surprising to see the talents of two of Hollywood's most skillful actors squandered, but that's true of the cast as a whole, who isn't asked to play characters so much as chess pieces. And the writing is clunky. When Mullen arrives to work on the commission, someone tells him, with a straight face: 'It will be an honor to once again keep the jackals at bay while you save the country, sir.' Frequently we see a thing happen, then there's a montage of news coverage recounting the thing we just saw happen, which I suppose is one way to pad the running time. So are multiple clandestine meetings wherein a person is threatened, and then threatened once again. These are the kinds of delay tactics that sap energy from the story when it should feel tight and suspenseful. Filled with images of men clenching their jaws and pouring themselves a stiff drink, the show's recurring theme seems to be 'they are numbing themselves to the mess of their own making,' but there are more interesting ways to visualize that. Either way, there's no room in the narrative for anyone who isn't an elite, aiming for 'political thriller,' minus a cogent political point of view. Two of the show's three creators, former NBC news president Noah Oppenheim and journalist Michael Schmidt, have no prior experience with scripted dramas. But Eric Newman (whose credits include 'Narcos' and being a producer on 'Children of Men') is far too seasoned to explain such a gobbledygook story filled with empty moral platitudes. Was 'Zero Day' more clear-headed in its original conception, only to lose its way due to executive notes and algorithmic dictates? Hard to know. Don't buy into analysis that tries to suggest the show has its finger on the pulse of the nation, with a megalomaniac tech billionaire (Gaby Hoffmann) wreaking havoc with the help of elected officials, and the word 'coup' uttered briefly in the show's final episode. Ultimately, it's unclear what story 'Zero Day' wants to tell. No matter how intense the stakes get, De Niro never raises his voice and it is the one intriguing choice the show makes. But it's not enough.
