To many audiences across the globe, the plot of the Hindi-language drama “Santosh” — in which a widow takes over her husband’s job as a constable — sounds made up. But for her debut narrative feature, which competed for the Un Certain Regard prize at Cannes earlier this year before earning accolades at festivals like […]

Just in time for Hannukah, Jewish American rapper Your Old Droog has released “Suspects,” the first single from his next album after 2024’s “Movie.” Produced by Edan, the song skillfully merges Droog’s skill as a storyteller with a sample from the rapper, producer and DJ’s bottomless library of 1960s and ‘70s pop obscurities. Though the […]

As the year comes to a close, it’s a time for reflection. And that includes many magical moments inside the cinema that made us laugh, cry and cheer — sometimes all at once. Variety writers took a moment to highlight some of their favorite scenes from the year’s best picture contenders. Obviously, spoilers to follow! […]

The news is full of stories about people fighting back at attempted restrictions and limitations to women’s bodies. In Hollywood, the same can be said for some of the films in this year’s awards race. Director and co-writer Pedro Almodóvar’s brilliantly colored “The Room Next Door” stars Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton as estranged friends […]

Inspiring or irritating, empowering or exploitative, maternal or manipulative — with many shades of gray in between — female mentorship is a common dynamic in many of 2024’s most affecting stories. In films as diverse as “All We Imagine as Light,” “Babygirl,” “Emilia Pérez,” “The Girl With the Needle,” “Inside Out 2” “The Last Showgirl,” […]

The Audience Award winner and recipient of a special jury prize for best ensemble at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, “Dìdi,” Sean Wang’s debut feature, chronicles the life of a Taiwanese-American teenager named Chris (Izaac Wang) coming to terms with his identity as a child of immigrants. Engulfed by hormones and vulnerable to the pressures […]

In 1999, there was a film released about a child who sees ghosts that was a massive hit. Five weeks after it came out, “Stir of Echoes” was released. “There’s no way that ‘The Sixth Sense’ wasn’t going to be a massive hit,” remembers Kevin Bacon. “Both myself and [writer-director David Koepp] — and probably […]

Pamela Anderson and director Gia Coppola jointly received the Sun Valley Film Festival Pioneer Award on Dec. 6, the second day of the festival’s 2024 Winter Screening Series. Appearing after a screening of their film “The Last Showgirl,” the duo accepted their belt buckle-shaped trophies from SVFF executive director Teddy Grennan and director Candice Pate […]