One of the more interesting stories to follow during today’s State of Play stream will be whether or not any of Microsoft’s big franchises are present, as the company is pushing forward with its multiplatform plans. In fact, many of its biggest upcoming games are coming to PS5.
Apple’s mystery-packed thriller Surface returns on February 21st, and the second season’s first trailer promises — you guessed it — even more mysteries.
An understated portrait of a life, oscillating between heartbreaking tragedy and hopeful beauty. The movie follows Robert Grainier (Joel Edgerton) from his quiet vantage point in Idaho at the turn of the century. An orphan who eventually finds a successful career in logging, his largely lonely life is upended when he meets a woman (Felicity Jones) and, with her, finds a real reason to live. And yet Grainier finds that death seems to follow him wherever he goes. Eventually he loses everything — and spends the rest of his days trying to find that reason for being again. (Train Dreams was acquired by Netflix, and so hopefully will be streaming in the near future.)
The festival comes to a close today, and while there hasn’t been a particular standout film, there is plenty to keep an eye out for once they hit theaters and streaming services. You can keep up with everything we’ve watched so far right here, including the likes of Artropia, Zodiac Killer Project, and Bunnylovr. And expect more updates throughout the day.
This incredibly meta story isn’t strictly about the Zodiac Killer, but rather a failed attempt to make a documentary. After director Charlie Shackleton lost the rights to adapt the book The Zodiac Killer Cover-Up, he decided to make a movie that shows what the film would have been like. It plays out like an extended director’s commentary for a movie that doesn’t actually exist. The result is a surprisingly compelling story on its own, but also one that serves as a clever deconstruction of true crime, and a very open look at the editorial decisions that shape the genre.
This film is gorgeous, taking place across a warm and cozy Paris, ultra modern Chongqing, and a virtual reality metaverse where players hunt down a mysterious, mystical deer. Unfortunately its parallel stories of estranged families aren’t particularly compelling on their own, nor do they intersect in a satisfying way. It attempts to throw in some tension through other means – like a surprisingly simple million-dollar art heist, and the search for the virtual deer – but ultimately Luz is too meandering to remain captivating for long.
