Terrence Malick Takes on Love & Nazis in WWII

Fox Searchlight has released the first trailer for A Hidden Life. This is the latest from acclaimed filmmaker Terrence Malick, who has had something of a cold streak in recent years. However, based on the early word coming out of Cannes earlier this year, this could be a return to greatness for the director behind movies such as Badlands and The Tree of Life. Based on this initial footage, this World War II epic seems like a surefire awards season contender and Oscar hopeful.

The trailer kicks off with some truly stunning landscape shots. It sets up the relationship at the center of this tale, going over the courtship and bond these two people share before they were ripped apart by the horrors of war. While WWII movies have been done many, many times in every imaginable way over the years, this looks rather unique, as we're presented with a German man who is conflicted about the leadership in his home country. It's a seemingly grounded, human tale, as opposed to a grand war epic.

A Hidden Life centers on the story of an unsung hero by the name of Franz Jägerstätter. He refused to fight for the Nazis in World War II. The Austrian peasant farmer was faced with the threat of execution for treason. Yet, his faith was unwavering and his love for his family helped to keep his spirit alive. The cast includes August Diehl, Valerie Pachner, Maria Simon, Tobias Moretti, Bruno Ganz, Matthias Schoenaerts, Karin Neuhäuser and Ulrich Matthes.

Aside from looking like the sort of thing that is destined to rack up a number of Academy Award nominations, this could be a crucial movie for Fox Searchlight. Disney merged with Fox earlier this year and, so far, things have been a bit rocky. Disney axed most of Fox's development slate and the future for many projects remains uncertain. Fox Searchlight is a haven for indie movies. The banner's upcoming slate, which also includes Taika Waititi's Jojo Rabbit, a title that also focuses on WWII, yet in a very different way, will need to convince Disney these types of movies are worth investing in. That's no small task.

Recent Terrence Malick efforts, such as Song to Song and Knight of Cups failed to garner much mainstream attention. However, this has earned some of his best reviews in years and looks to be a return to form for the auteur. It currently boasts a 74 percent approval rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. And let's not forget the last time Malick tackled WWII, we got The Thin Red Line. Malick penned the screenplay in addition to directing. Dario Bergesio, Josh Jeter, Elisabeth Bentley and Marcus Loges serve as producers. A Hidden Life is set to arrive in theaters on December 13. Be sure to check out the trailer from the Fox Searchlight YouTube channel for yourself.

Topics: A Hidden Life

Writer of various things on the internet (mostly about movies) since 2013. Major lover of popcorn flicks. Avid appreciator of James Bond, Marvel and Star Wars. Has a tremendously fat cat named Buster and still buys CDs. I’ve got my reasons.

Terrence Malick Takes on Love & Nazis in WWII

Gary Oldman Takes a Terrifying Boat Trip with Evil Kids

RLJE Films has revealed a new trailer for the upcoming thriller Mary. The movie stars Oscar-winner Gary Oldman, who is one of those actors that has had such an amazingly varied career that has seen him play virtually every type of character in every type of movie imaginable. This time around, we get to see Oldman lending his talents to a supernatural horror flick, which takes place almost entirely on a boat.

The trailer kicks off with Gary Oldman as a man who is trying to start a new chapter of his life. A chapter that involved buying an old boat and sailing around the world happily ever after with his family. Things devolve rather quickly when they're out on the water as the family's youngest daughter conjures up an imaginary friend and begins acting very strange. As it turns out, this boat has something of a troubled history and everyone aboard is subjected to some terrifying happenings. One particular line from the trailer rather succinctly describes the very specific kind of horror on display here.

"The thing about boats is that there's nowhere to run."

This comes from director Michael Goi and writer Anthony Jaswinski. Goi, for his part, doesn't have a ton of experience directing features. He does, however, have a great deal of experience directing prestige TV, having worked on shows such as American Horror Story, Empire and Swamp Thing. Goi has also served as a cinematographer on more than 70 projects. Jaswinski, meanwhile, penned the shark flick The Shallows, which starred Blake Lively. So the content of Mary seems right up both of their alleys.

Mary centers on David ( Gary Oldman), a struggling blue-collar man hoping to provide his family with a better life. David becomes mysteriously drawn to an abandoned ship that happens to be up for auction. He buys the boat on an impulse with the belief it can be the ticket to his family's happiness. Not long after they set off on their maiden journey, strange and terrifying events begin to make life difficult for David and his family. As a result, they begin to turn on one another and question their own sanity. Tensions are high as the ship is set off course, and it becomes terrifyingly obvious that they are being pulled toward a greater evil out at sea.

Emily Mortimer (The Newsroom) joins Gary Oldman in the cast. The movie is set to hold its premiere at Fright Fest in the U.K. on August 24. The rest of us will be able to see it when it arrives in theaters and on VOD on October 11. On that date, it will be going up against director Ang Lee's sci-fi/action flick Gemini Man, which stars Will Smith, as well as the new animated take on The Addams Family. Be sure to check out the Mary trailer from the RLJE Films YouTube channel for yourself.

Topics: Mary

Writer of various things on the internet (mostly about movies) since 2013. Major lover of popcorn flicks. Avid appreciator of James Bond, Marvel and Star Wars. Has a tremendously fat cat named Buster and still buys CDs. I’ve got my reasons.

Gary Oldman Takes a Terrifying Boat Trip with Evil Kids

Queen & Slim Trailer #2 Takes on Police Brutality in America

The first full-length trailer for Queen & Slim is finally here. The romantic drama comes to us from Emmy-winning writer Lena Waithe and Melina Matsoukas, the visionary director of some of this generation's most powerful pop-culture experiences. The movie has been described as a "black Bonnie & Clyde" and according to Matsoukas, it's dedicated to "black people who have lost their lives to police brutality."

The trailer for Queen & Slim begins with an awkward Tinder date as Daniel Kaluuya's Slim meets Jodie Turner-Smith's Queen for the first time. However, things aren't what they seem and this mundane first date quickly turns into something much more and the intensity goes through the roof. From the start, the lines in the sand have been made, and it will be up to audiences to decide whose side they're on when the movie takes off.

Queen & Slim begins with a forgettable first date in Ohio (much like the trailer) between a black man (Get Out's Daniel Kaluuya) and a black woman (Jodie Turner-Smith). They are later pulled over for a minor traffic infraction and the situation escalates, with sudden and tragic results, when the man kills the police officer in self-defense. Terrified and in fear for their lives, the man, a retail employee, and the woman, a criminal defense lawyer, are forced to go on the run. But the incident is captured on video and goes viral, and the couple unwittingly become a symbol of trauma, terror, grief, and pain for people across the country.

As they drive on, the two unlikely fugitives discover themselves and each other in the most dire and desperate of circumstances, and they forge a deep and powerful love that will reveal their shared humanity and shape the rest of their lives. Joining a legacy of movies such as Bonnie and Clyde and Thelma & Louise, Queen & Slim has been described as a powerful, consciousness-raising love story that confronts the staggering human toll of racism and the life-shattering price of violence. The movie already has people talking and it doesn't even hit theaters until the end of November.

Melina Matsoukas has said she wanted to create a dialogue with Queen & Slim, "to have people talking about both sides." Matsoukas sites the work of Spike Lee and Julie Dash as inspiration behind the drama, which is evident even in the short trailer. Lena Waithe co-wrote the screenplay with A Million Little Pieces author James Frey and the story has already been praised by critics who have been lucky enough to see an advanced screening.

Lena Waithe produced Queen & Slim through her company, Hillman Grad Productions, along with Melina Matsoukas' De La Revolución Films. James Frey is also on board as a producer through his production company, 3BlackDot. The movie will hit theaters on November 27th and you can watch the trailer below, thanks to the Universal Pictures YouTube channel.

Topics: Queen & Slim

Writer for Movieweb since 2017. Enjoys playing Catan when not writing about superheroes and Star Wars.

Queen & Slim Trailer #2 Takes on Police Brutality in America

Independence Day Director Takes on World War II

Lionsgate has released the first trailer for their upcoming World War II epic, Midway. As the title indicates, this will be documenting one of the most important battles of the war, and one that helped turn the tide following the devastating events of Pearl Harbor. This comes from the mind of Roland Emmerich, the man best known for bringing us Independence Day in the 90s. But it's been a long time since he's delivered a hit like that. Is it possible this can be the thing that turns the tide for his career again as well?

Like other Roland Emmerich movies, this trailer presents us with something that is going to be absolutely loaded down with CGI-heavy action. It kicks off with the battle of Pearl Harbor and how the U.S. dealt with the aftermath. We see a lot of Patrick Wilson's character, who is clearly dealing with the failure of that on the intelligence side. It all looks very big and slick. Almost the polar opposite of something like Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk. Whether or not that's good or bad will depend on one's personal sensibilities as a moviegoer.

The movie comes loaded down with starpower. The cast includes Ed Skrein, Luke Evans, Aaron Eckhart, Nick Jonas, Etsushi Toyokawa, Tadanobu Asano, Luke Kleintank, Jun Kunimura, Darren Criss, Keean Johnson, Alexander Ludwig, Mandy Moore, Dennis Quaid and Woody Harrelson. This is the first movie Roland Emmerich has directed since the disastrous Independence Day: Resurgence. In a recent interview with USA Today, the filmmaker explained what we can expect from his latest.

"It shows an America that's not the superpower, a country that just came out of a big recession and tried to stay out of a war but got sucked into it. It was a simpler time, but it also was a time where you had to put your life in danger for ideals."

Midway centers on the infamous and important Battle of Midway. The 1942 conflict between the American fleet and the Imperial Japanese Navy marked a pivotal turning point in WWII, specifically in what was known as the Pacific Theater. The movie, which is based on the real-life events of this heroic feat, tells the tale of the leaders and soldiers who used their instincts, fortitude and bravery to overcome overwhelming odds. Wes Tooke (Colony) penned the screenplay.

This particular battle was previously dramatized on screen in director Jack Smight's 1976 Midway, which starred Henry Fonda. That particular movie was met with a mixed response upon its arrival. Lionsgate can't afford another box office flop and this is certainly an expensive blockbuster. They need this to connect with audiences and that's something Roland Emmerich hasn't managed to do for the better part of a decade. Midway is set to arrive in theaters on November 8. Be sure to check out the trailer for yourself from the Lionsgate Movies YouTube channel.

Topics: Midway

Writer of various things on the internet (mostly about movies) since 2013. Major lover of popcorn flicks. Avid appreciator of James Bond, Marvel and Star Wars. Has a tremendously fat cat named Buster and still buys CDs. I’ve got my reasons.

Independence Day Director Takes on World War II