Across nearly two decades, Will Poulter has run the gamut from franchises to festival fare, massive studio epics to micro-budget indies, and broad comedies to gut-wrenching dramas since making his debut as a child actor in “Son of Rambow.” But one thing sets Poulter apart from many similarly accomplished peers: he cares deeply about whether his work makes an impact beyond himself.

There’s a sincerity to Poulter’s work and his choice of roles that often reaches beyond the performance itself.

Continue reading Will Poulter On ‘Union County,’ Addiction Stigma, & Why Emotional Vulnerability Is “A Sign Of Strength” [Interview] at The Playlist.

Ari Aster‘s Swedish-set occult thriller “Midsommar” is a heavy watch, with an extremely grim flashback scene alluding to a tragic loss of life at the top of the first act, and the film’s characters (some clueless to the danger ahead) essentially going through a hellscape of horrors. It certainly left a toll on lead actress Florence Pugh (one of the big breakout lead performances from her as she plays a grief-stricken protagonist dealing with a self-centered boyfriend) as she recalled on “The Louis Theroux Podcast,” when she sat down for a chat, revealing it led to six months of depression.

Continue reading Florence Pugh Experienced Depression For Six Months After Making Ari Aster’s Emotionally Grueling ‘Midsommar’: “It Really F***ed Me Up” at The Playlist.

Perhaps the most amazing part of “Midsommar” isn’t how creepy or how beautifully crafted the film is. Instead, it’s the performance of Florence Pugh in the lead role. It’s a tour de force performance that served as the breakout role for her. But according to the actor, “Midsommar” is the last time she is going to go to that length for a role. 

READ MORE: The 100 Most Anticipated Films Of 2025 

Speaking on the “Reign With Josh Smith” podcast, Florence Pugh talked about how she has to learn how to protect herself when taking on a new role.

Continue reading Florence Pugh Says She “Can’t Do” Another Role Like ‘Midsommar’ Again at The Playlist.

After a scene-stealing role in “The White Lotus” Season 2, in addition to great performances in projects like “Support the Girls,” “Columbus,” and “Montana Story,” Haley Lu Richardson has become one of the most exciting actresses working today. And to think her star could have been even brighter, perhaps, if she had taken a meeting with Ari Aster. 

Continue reading Haley Lu Richardson Turned Down ‘Midsommar’ Meeting Because Didn’t Want To Do “Another Disturbing Movie”  at The Playlist.

In 2019, Ari Aster‘s “Midsommar” established the director as one of the world’s must-watch horror directors. And Florence Pugh‘s performance in the film cemented her as one of Hollywood’s fastest-rising stars. But the actress thinks she may put herself through too much to bring her character Dani’s tragic story to life.

READ MORE: ‘We Live In Time’: Florence Pugh & Andrew Garfield To Star In A New Film From Director John Crowley

EW reports that on the new episode of the “Off Menu” podcast, Pugh opened up on how emotionally difficult her role in “Midsommar” really was.

Continue reading Florence Pugh Says She “Most Definitely Abused” Herself To Bring Her ‘Midsommar’ Character To Life & Feels “Immense Guilt” About Her Fate at The Playlist.

The first wave of films categorized under the “folk horror” niche arguably crested in the mid-1960s to the early 1980s, though movies the label applies to existed prior to this span of time, à la Finland’s “The White Reindeer.” But the label was used in print for the first time by Rod Cooper, then later disseminated through pop culture by Mark Gatiss in 2010. What we know now as folk horror today wasn’t quite thought of as such during its nascent days.

Continue reading The Best Folk Horror Films You Need To Know at The Playlist.

Martin Scorsese is known not just for making incredible films, but also for backing and supporting emerging filmmakers. The past few years, Scorsese has executive produced films by the Safdie Brothers, Joanna Hogg, Alice Rohrwacher and more. He also seems to be fond of Ari Aster, as he penned a new introduction for a special collector’s edition Blu-Ray of Aster’s sophomore feature, “Midsommar.”

READ MORE: ‘Flower Moon’: Script Changes Involving Leonardo DiCaprio’s Role Reportedly Forced Scorsese To Find A New Studio

The news comes from EW, where the entire introduction for the Blu-Ray of Aster’s directors cut of “Midsommar” can be read.

Continue reading Martin Scorsese Wrote An Introduction To Ari Aster’s ‘Midsommar’ For Collector’s Edition Of Film at The Playlist.

We’re nearly halfway into January 2020, so it feels like the perfect time to sit down, relax, and enjoy yet another recap of 2019! I know you’ve been read plenty of top 10 lists already, so I’ll spare you another list with the usual suspects, examining the class warfare of “Parasite” or the tragic self-reflection of “The Irishman.” Instead, I decided to take a look back at some of the most unforgettable or soon to be iconic moments from 2019.

Continue reading The Best Moments in Film 2019 + Video Countdown of Best of the Year at The Playlist.

Every Tuesday, discriminating viewers are confronted with a flurry of choices: new releases on disc and on-demand, vintage and original movies on any number of streaming platforms, catalog titles making a splash on Blu-ray or 4K. This weekly column sifts through all of those choices to pluck out the movies most worth your time, no matter how you’re watching. 

READ MORE: The 6 Best Movies To Buy Or Stream This Week: ‘The Lighthouse,’ ‘Brick’

This week we’ve got a divisive summer horror picture, an arthouse riff on the supernatural, an ‘80s action trilogy in HD, and catalog releases by Lumet, Wyler, and Sturges.

Continue reading The 6 Best Movies To Buy Or Stream This Week: ‘Midsommar,’ ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ at The Playlist.

I am a movie crier. The ending of “Jojo Rabbit” had me alternating between hiccuping sobs and giggles with a similarly afflicted friend over just how much we were crying. I sniffled my way through the entirety of two viewings of “Little Women,” amassing a heap of movie theater napkins into an appropriated cupholder that had spilled over by the end. I couldn’t catch my breath at the end of “Queen & Slim,” and I felt the tears coming again as I thought about what I’d just seen as walked down the block away from the theater.

Continue reading Kimber Myers’ Top 10 Films Of 2019 at The Playlist.

The 2010s saw the return of a number of forgotten trends: tiny sunglasses, hating “Star Wars,” and – most importantly – the word “horny.” The once juvenile, decidedly-male word has shifted into something greater: more gender-woke, more surreal. “Horny” still refers, of course, to sex, desirous hunger, thirstiness, and this image (and this one too). But it has also evolved to feature many more implications and describes any number of feelings – excitement, transgression, titillation, and intrigue.

Continue reading The Horniest Movies Of The Decade [2010s] at The Playlist.

2019 cinema was, in a word, chaotic. Dreams were dashed, franchises fractured, box offices bungled. Some of the most anticipated films of the year – “The Goldfinch” for art nerds, “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” for nerd nerds – yielded catastrophe. Festival favorites like “The Souvenir” and “Clemency” seem doomed to awards-season silence, while Korean Cannes winner “Parasite” won the box office and some nominations.

Continue reading Lena Wilson’s Top 10 Films Of 2019 at The Playlist.

Everything-is-epic culture has transformed film trailers over the last few years. What used to be a commercial for a movie has now changed into a mini-event. Now, we get the teaser, the teaser for the teaser, the teaser trailer, the full trailer, the NSFW trailer, and the extended trailer. But here, we are paradoxically, hypocritically, contradictorily complaining about marketing, but also celebrating the art that’s sometimes part of it—at least the non-promotional aspect of it, if you can separate that from the product.

Continue reading The Best Movie Trailers Of 2019 at The Playlist.

In the Always On™ age, first impressions are everything. When a movie receives its Sundance premiere in January— but often won’t reach audiences until many months later— reviews are important. However, posters are arguably just as crucial. If you’ve got a good poster, your audience is halfway into purchasing tickets. Some one-sheets are elusive, remembering that simplicity is key and bright colors are good at distracting contemporary viewers with a short attention span.

Continue reading Best Movie Posters Of 2019 at The Playlist.

So here we are suddenly, after all that fuss, in December — the nursing home of the year — looking back with wistfulness, regret and not a little self-mythologizing at the friends we made and betrayed, the tall tales we’ve heard and the, um, houses we’ve painted in the year of our Lord 2019. That’s right, I am comparing the compilation of The Playlist’s Best Films of 2019 list to the mental reckoning of a lonely, aging mob hitman who may or may not have been involved with the death of Jimmy Hoffa.

Continue reading The 25 Best Films Of 2019 at The Playlist.

Over the last weekend, many people were able to check out the almost-three-hour Director’s Cut of Ari Aster’s “Midsommar.” And if you’re a big fan of the original, theatrical version, it’s likely that the new cut is the preferred experience, considering the additions that the director made to his relationship drama masked as a horror film. However, no one really knows about when that cut of the film will be arriving for home release, with some being confused about exclusivity.

Continue reading ‘Midsommar’ Director’s Cut Will Be Available Digitally On Apple, But Not As An Exclusive at The Playlist.

When it was announced that “Midsommar” was getting a Director’s Cut, with even more footage added, the prevailing response was “Isn’t it long enough?” Well, it would appear that A24 is in on the joke, as the first teaser for the Director’s Cut of Ari Aster’s horror film fully leans into the criticism, while also poking a bit of fun at itself.

With the tagline “Sommar Never Ends,” it’s clear that A24 knows that a lot of people are worried that “Midsommar” might be a bit too long with the Director’s Cut.

Continue reading ‘Midsommar: Director’s Cut’ Trailer: A24 Threatens That “Sommar Never Ends” In Unrated, Extended Cut Of The Film at The Playlist.

It’s not usually a good sign when people begin whispering about a director’s cut of a film while the original is still in theaters, but luckily, when Ari Aster took the stage at Lincoln Center’s Scary Movies XII to introduce his director’s cut of “Midsommar,” he explained that the extended running time is what prevented him and A24 from releasing this version in theaters. Aster’s director’s cut, coming in at 171 minutes, as opposed to the theatrical version’s 147 (he teased/threatened the audience by mentioned a four hour work cut), does not reorient the story or provide more outrageous violence or scares, but rather, it provides a more complete picture of the twisted fairy tale.

Continue reading Ari Aster’s ‘Midsommar’ Director’s Cut Adds Depth, Not Scares, To His Beautiful Fairy Tale Nightmare [Review] at The Playlist.

On this episode of Adjust Your Tracking, Joe and I realize just why it’s so hard to say goodbye to yesterday. That’s right, dear listeners. This. Is. The. End. AYT is closing up shop after more than 200 episodes (all of our pre-Playlist back issue shows are archived for free here).

We start things off by explaining our absence on the podcast since March, and why we’re moving on. It’s mostly just time to try something new, and, in fact, Joe will be launching a brand new show soon (that I will help produce and edit).

Continue reading AYT Says Goodbye, Comes Full Circle With A Chat On Nicolas Winding Refn’s ‘Too Old To Die Young’ [Adjust Your Tracking Podcast] at The Playlist.

If you’re anything like me, you’re likely not the type that’s going to get excited about Disney’s latest live-action rehash of one of their animated classics. And instead, you’re looking for something a bit more adult and engaging. Well, if you want to see a movie that will definitely have you thinking about it for days after and doesn’t require you to listen to Seth Rogen attempt to sing, then might I suggest Ari Aster’s latest nightmare, “Midsommar?”

READ MORE: The Best Films Of 2019… So Far

And in honor of “Midsommar” disturbing audiences in theaters now, we’re thrilled to offer our readers a chance to see an exclusive clip from the film that not only keeps all the surprises of the film intact, but also gives you a peek at one of the most underrated aspects of the film — the relationship drama.

Continue reading ‘Midsommar’ Exclusive Clip Highlights The Toxic Relationship At The Heart Of Ari Aster’s Latest Nightmare at The Playlist.

This year marks the 12th edition of the Scary Movies festival at Film at Lincoln Center. While horror fans, in general, would be amped on seeing some of the best the genre has to offer at one of the best screening locations in the country, this year has something special that is sure to attract many a film fan. This year, Scary Movies XII is going to feature the world premiere of Ari Aster’s extended version of “Midsommar.”

READ MORE: ‘Midsommar’: Ari Aster Tackles Grief, Gaslighting & Cults In A Folk Horror About The Relationships You Need To Leave, ASAP [Review]

We just recently learned that Aster was hard at work adding about 30 minutes of new footage to his already-long recent horror film, but now, we know where audiences will get a chance to experience it first.

Continue reading Ari Aster’s 3-Hour Version Of ‘Midsommar’ Will Debut At This Year’s Scary Movies XII Festival In NYC at The Playlist.

After you watch Ari Aster’s “Hereditary,” you might think to yourself that the director just has a keen eye for horror and family drama. But then you watch “Midsommar,” and suddenly, you’re worrying about Aster’s mental health. Clearly, the filmmaker has some demons he’s working out through his films, and you have to wonder what he’s going to exorcise next. Well, it’s likely not going to be another horror film.

Continue reading ‘Midsommar’ Director Ari Aster Is Leaving Horror Behind For Now & Might Do A “Zonky, Nightmare Comedy” For His Next Film at The Playlist.

While “Midsommar” is filmed in daylight for about 90% of the 147-minute run-time, make no mistake, the film has enough gore and horrific imagery that makes it just as disturbing, if not more, than most of the darkness-filled horror films. And according to the film’s director, Ari Aster, there was plenty of footage that was deemed too adult even for an R-rating and about 30 more minutes that he’s working on adding back into the film.

Continue reading Ari Aster Says ‘Midsommar’ Will Get An “Extended Cut” That Will Add “At Least 30 Minutes” at The Playlist.

Drink the water and frolic with us in Sweden on the latest episode of The Discourse, the show where we discuss film and television news, reviews, and any other pop culture items in the zeitgeist that we feel the need to weigh-in on.

This week, I’m joined by Jenny Nulf (Director of Programming, Austin Asian American Film Festival & Co-Host of No Excuses) to dedicate the bulk of our discussion to “Midsommar,” the latest film from “Hereditary” filmmaker Ari Aster.

Continue reading Let’s Go On Summer Vacation With ‘Midsommar’ & ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’ [The Discourse Podcast] at The Playlist.

After the bleakness of “Hereditary,” you’ll likely be surprised by the moments of levity found in Ari Aster’s latest film “Midsommar.” Though he’s likely going to show you enough disturbing, and frankly, disgusting, images over the course of the film’s two-and-a-half-hours, there are enough jokes and silly comments to keep you laughing throughout. And the folks over at A24 get that, which is why the latest ad for the film is so damn genius.

Continue reading ‘Midsommar’ Bear Toy Ad: Now You Can Purchase Your Very Own Bear In A Cage! at The Playlist.