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Daily Mail
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Netflix adds 'criminally underrated' movie starring Brad Pitt with near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score that's been hailed as a 'genuine masterwork'
Netflix has added a 'criminally underrated' movie starring Brad Pitt with a near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score to the streaming service. Ad Astra, written by James Gray and Ethan Ross, has been hailed as a 'genuine masterwork'. The science fiction film, which is distributed by 20th Century Fox, hit our screens in 2019. Now, six years on, fans can rewatch it on Netflix. The movie's Rotten Tomatoes synopsis reads: 'Thirty years ago, Clifford McBride led a voyage into deep space, but the ship and crew were never heard from again. 'Now his son - a fearless astronaut - must embark on a daring mission to Neptune to uncover the truth about his missing father and a mysterious power surge that threatens the stability of the universe.' Ad Astra also boasts a star-studded cast which includes Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones, Ruth Negga, Liv Tyler and Donald Sutherland. It has received pretty impressive reviews online, with various fans rushing to review site Rotten Tomatoes to share their thoughts. Ad Astra managed to bag a whopping 83 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes' Tomatometer. Others shared their positive thoughts, with one saying: '[Director James] Gray's Ad Astra, as a reflection upon loss and masculinity is as illuminating as the sun, personal in its careful inspection, and a repressed masterpiece.' 'This is an EXCELLENT film! It is one to watch multiple times to keep picking up little details. It may not appeal to folks with low attention spans who are afraid to think or commit to a film. For those who want to take a journey for a night, it's a 5/5!' 'Words can't describe how much I love this movie. I really wish it caught a better audience because most of the people writing reviews either didn't watch it or didn't experience it for the movie I see it as. 'Also a lot of people were really mad at the physics in this movie which I think is really, really stupid.' 'Requires focus and patience as it powers up but it is well worth the ride once it flies. Psychologically compelling, visually astute and thought-provoking. Many have rushed to review site Rotten Tomatoes to share their positive reviews on the 2019 film 'For one, it captures enough of the emotional impact of extended space travel as to convince even those who love the idea of doing so to reconsider.' 'Wow... Astonishing! Probably one of the best films I've ever seen. 'Fantastic photography, excellent acting by Brad Pitt and Tommy Lee Jones, and a captivating script. 'I felt immersed, exploring the space while the film masterfully guided me.' 'A great gripping movie, a fresh story, Brad Pitt solo performance definitely carried this space adventure.' Hollywood legend Brad took on the role of Roy Richard McBride. Tommy Lee Jones plays Roy's dad H. Clifford McBride, while Ruth Negga plays Helen Lantos. Liv Tyler has taken on the role of Roy's wife Eve McBride, Donald Sutherland plays Colonel Thomas Pruitt and John Ortiz plays Lieutenant General Rivas. It comes after Netflix fans raved over a gangster film with the 'greatest fight scenes ever' and a whopping 92 per cent Rotten Tomatoes scare. They ended up hailing it as a 'no-holds-barred bloodbath'. The Night Comes For Us, made and released by the streamer in 2018, follows a gangster named Ito, whose job as a crime enforcer is to use violence to ensure the syndicate's rules are followed and its business is protected. It stars Indonesian actors Joe Taslim and Iko Uwais respectively as the hero and a gangster who hunts him down, with the latter known in Hollywood for co-starring with Mark Wahlberg in 2018 espionage action film Mile 22.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Marvel's ‘Thunderbolts' — instant Oscar predictions
With Thunderbolts, Marvel is on the comeback. The new movie from Jake Schreier (Beef) has garnered some of the best reviews for a Marvel movie since Spider-Man: No Way Home in 2021, signaling a modest return to form for the Marvel Cinematic Universe after recent misfires like Captan America: Brave New World, The Marvels, and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. More from GoldDerby 'Buena Vista Social Club,' 'Death Becomes Her,' 'Maybe Happy Ending' lead 2025 Tony Awards nominations - see the full list 'Genius: MLK/X,' 'Out of My Mind,' and 4 other shows win at the 2025 Television Academy Honors Ruth Negga will submit in lead at the Emmys for 'Presumed Innocent' - see the show's entries in 19 categories The expectation is that Thunderbolts, with its cast led by Florence Pugh, David Harbour, and Sebastian Stan, will dominate the box office this weekend, and — at the very least — reinvigorate the MCU fanbase before The Fantastic Four: First Steps kick starts a new Marvel franchise in July. However, as with any Marvel movie, there's also the potential for Thunderbolts to factor into next year's Oscars race. While the movie is unlikely to garner recognition for its above-the-line contributors, it could find itself competitive in several craft categories — especially if awards voters buy into the Letterboxd bona fides of Thunderbolts, which Marvel touted by releasing an 'absolute cinema' teaser earlier this year. Ahead, some instant Oscar predictions for Marvel's Thunderbolts. Best Score Among the notable artisans who worked on Thunderbolts are composers Son Lux, a trio of musicians fresh off an Oscar nomination for the score to Everything Everywhere All at Once. 'The score by experimental group Son Lux is a welcome shift away from orchestral bombast into more nuanced territory,' wrote David Rooney in his positive review of the movie for The Hollywood Reporter. While Best Score is traditionally highly competitive, and the argument could be made that Son Lux was carried to an Oscar nomination in 2023 because Everything Everywhere All at Once was such a phenomenon, the unique nature of the score could stand out. 'Any trepidation came from not knowing how we would fit into this world because the MCU is perhaps one of the most established things in cinema,' Rafiq Bhatia, one of the three members of Son Lux, told NME. 'But we soon discovered that Marvel and Jake wanted to do something different with this movie. We were just really excited about embarking on a journey of exploring what that different thing could be. Now that we're nearing the finish line, it's been a really rewarding experience.' If Son Lux ends up nominated, they would be only the second group of composers nominated for a Marvel movie; Ludwig Goransson, who won for Black Panther, is the only Marvel composer nominated in the category in MCU history. Best Casting No disrespect to Kevin Feige, but it's possible that few people have had more to do with the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe than Sarah Halley Finn. The veteran casting director has cast every Marvel movie, except for The Incredible Hulk, and has also cast multiple Marvel television shows. (She's received Emmy nominations for casting WandaVision and the Star Wars series The Mandalorian.) Thunderbolts brings together multiple Marvel franchises and also finds room for new stars, like Lewis Pullman and Geraldine Viswanathan, and could put the casting legend in contention for the inaugural Best Casting Oscar, unless Finn loses out on a potential nomination to herself. She also put together the cast of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which includes Pedro Pascal, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Julia Garner. Best Visual Effects In the end, the most obvious spot for Thunderbolts to compete for Academy recognition next year is Best Visual Effects. Of the 27 nominations Marvel has received in its lifespan, 14 have come in the effects category. However, one of the big selling points of Thunderbolts is that it's a smaller-scale adventure. So if any Marvel movie might continue the franchise's success in Best Visual Effects, it'll probably be The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Still, at this stage, it's safe to count Thunderbolts as one of the contenders for Best Visual Effects, even if it ultimately falls short next year. Best of GoldDerby All 35 Marvel Cinematic Universe movies ranked, ahead of 'Thunderbolts' debut Wes Anderson movies: All 11 films ranked worst to best Penelope Cruz movies: 16 greatest films ranked worst to best Click here to read the full article.
Middle East Eye
26-02-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
British celebrities call on BBC to restore Gaza documentary
Actors and TV personalities are among those signing a petition calling for the BBC to restore a documentary on Gaza that has been pulled after complaints from pro-Israel activists. BBC presenter Gary Lineker, as well as actors Ruth Negga, Juliet Stevenson and Miriam Margolyes, were among those demanding Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone be returned to BBC iPlayer. Pro-Israel campaigners criticised the film after it was revealed that its 14-year-old narrator was the son of a Palestinian deputy agriculture minister. Middle East Eye reported on Thursday that Dr Ayman Alyazouri, Gaza's deputy agriculture minister, appears to be a technocrat with a scientific background who previously worked for the United Arab Emirates government and studied at British universities. The letter pointed out Alyazouri's position as a civil servant and said the criticism of the documentary stemmed from 'racist assumptions and weaponisation of identity". New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters 'This broad-brush rhetoric assumes that Palestinians holding administrative roles are inherently complicit in violence – a racist trope that denies individuals their humanity and right to share their lived experiences,' it said. It added that the attacks on the 14-year Abdullah Alyazouri disregarded 'core safeguarding principles' and said that children must not be "held responsible for the actions of adults, and weaponising family associations to discredit a child's testimony is both unethical and dangerous". By pulling Gaza film, BBC shows it cannot stand up to Israel Read More » Initially, the BBC added a disclaimer at the beginning of the documentary following comments from pro-Israel researcher David Collier, who earlier this month claimed Palestinian identity was invented in the 20th century as a "weapon against Israel". Last week a group of 45 prominent Jewish journalists and members of the media, including former BBC governor Ruth Deech, further piled on pressure by sending a letter to the broadcaster demanding the film be removed from the iPlayer. The letter referred to the minister as a "terrorist leader". Hamas is a proscribed terrorist organisation in Britain. But others have defended the film itself. Chris Doyle, director of the Council for Arab-British Understanding, told MEE that the film had been pulled following pressure from "anti-Palestinian activists who have largely shown no sympathy for persons in Gaza suffering from massive bombardment, starvation, and disease. "This documentary humanised Palestinian children in Gaza in a way that gave valuable insights into what life is like in this horrific warzone day in, day out," he said.
The Guardian
26-02-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Gary Lineker among 500 media figures urging BBC to reinstate Gaza documentary
Gary Lineker, Ruth Negga, Juliet Stevenson and Miriam Margolyes are among 500 film, TV and other media professionals calling on the BBC to reinstate its documentary on children and young people living in Gaza, describing it as an 'essential piece of journalism'. The broadcaster removed Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone from BBC iPlayer pending a 'due diligence' exercise after it emerged that the film's 14-year-old narrator was the son of a deputy agriculture minister in the territory's Hamas-run government. Critics of the programme, including dozens of prominent Jewish journalists, condemned a failure of commissioning standards and questioned whether the BBC had paid any member of Hamas as part of the filming of the documentary. A letter, sent on Wednesday to the BBC executives Samir Shah, Tim Davie and Charlotte Moore and seen by the Guardian, describes the film as 'an essential piece of journalism, offering an all-too-rare perspective on the lived experiences of Palestinians'. The letter claims that some criticism of the documentary is based on 'racist assumptions and weaponisation of identity', and that the deputy agriculture minister and father of the teenage narrator is a civil servant concerned with food production. 'This broad-brush rhetoric assumes that Palestinians holding administrative roles are inherently complicit in violence – a racist trope that denies individuals their humanity and right to share their lived experiences,' it says. The UK government proscribed the military wing of Hamas as a terrorist organisation in 2006, and in 2021 also proscribed the Islamist movement's political wing. There are civil servants in Gaza not involved in political activities, some of whom worked for the government before Hamas took over the territory. The letter also claims that criticism levelled against Abdullah, the 14-year-old narrator, disregarded 'core safeguarding principles', adding that children 'must not be held responsible for the actions of adults, and weaponising family associations to discredit a child's testimony is both unethical and dangerous'. The BBC documentary was based on nine months of footage filmed in the run-up to last month's Israel-Gaza ceasefire, with three children among the main characters. It was produced by an independent company, Hoyo Films. The Bafta-winning director Jasleen Kaur Sethi, who signed the letter, said: 'At the heart of this film are children surviving a war zone and as documentary-makers we have a sacrosanct duty to protect them. The campaign to discredit this film has dehumanised them and shamefully risked putting their lives and safety in danger.' Lineker, who signed the letter and is the BBC's best-paid star, announced last year that he would step down as host of Match of the Day. He has previously been criticised for wading into politics, including condemnation of government immigration policy, and has been a staunch defender of the BBC. Other signatories include the actor Khalid Abdalla, the Bridgerton star India Amarteifio, the novelist Max Porter, the director Ken Loach, the photographer Misan Harriman, the comedian Jen Brister, the presenter Ayo Akinwolere and the writer and actor Asim Chaudhry. The Guardian understands 10 current BBC staff have also signed. Last week, the BBC received a letter signed by 45 prominent Jewish journalists and members of the media demanding the programme be taken down. Signatories included the former BBC One controller Danny Cohen, the former BBC governor Ruth Deech, the EastEnders actor Tracy-Ann Oberman and the Strike producer Neil Blair. Phil Rosenberg, the director of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, called for an independent inquiry into the broadcaster earlier this week, saying he was concerned by the its 'credulous' approach to Hamas. A spokesperson for the BBC pointed the Guardian to two statements on its corrections and clarifications page saying it was conducting further due diligence with the production company. The documentary will not be available on iPlayer while investigations continue.
