Nicole Kidman has got to be one of the busiest people in Hollywood, because after appearing in several projects last year, her new mystery thriller Holland is set for release on the 2025 movie schedule for those with an Amazon Prime Video subscription. Before that happens, however, Kidman and co-stars Gael García Bernal and Matthew Macfadyen were among those who attended the film’s premiere at SXSW, and critics are sharing their first reactions.

The film from director Mimi Cave stars Nicole Kidman as Nancy, a teacher who believes her husband, Matthew Macfadyen’s Fred, is leading a double life. She enlists the help of her colleague Dave (Gael García Bernal) to investigate, with their own relationship complicating things. Let’s see what the reactions are from the first people to screen Holland.

Nicole Kidman’s Performance Evokes Favorable Comparisons To The Stepford Wives And To Die For

Matthew Creith of Next Best Picture rates it an 8 out of 10, praising the lead actress’ nuanced performance and Mimi Cave’s direction. The critic writes:

Graeme Guttmann of ScreenRant gives it a 7 out of 10 despite some flaws, as Nicole Kidman more than makes up for them. In Guttmann’s words:

Not all of those who attended a South by Southwest screening, however, think the lead actress was able to help the movie.

Others Say Nicole Kidman Isn’t Enough To Save This ‘Embarrassing Dud’

Chris Bumbray of JoBlo gives Holland a “Terrible” 3 out of 10 and says it’s the biggest disappointment of his film festival experience. The critic calls it a “kind of embarrassing dud” and hopes all involved move onto better things quickly, writing:

Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com says Nicole Kidman does her best to inject something interesting into this “lifeless affair,” but by the time Holland even attempts anything interesting, it’s too late. The critic gives the movie 1.5 stars out of 4 and says:

Lovia Gyarkye of THR agrees the big reveal comes too late and takes all of the air out of the movie, ultimately overshadowing a trio of good performances and Mimi Cave’s stylish direction. Gyarkye writes:

The critics seem to agree there are good and bad things to take from Holland, and we don’t have to wait too long to decide for ourselves which outweighs the other. Nicole Kidman’s newest project is set to hit Amazon's Prime Video on Thursday, March 27.

For fans of both the MCU and the horror genre, Disney+’s Agatha All Along has been a perfect crossroads of freaky fun and Marvel magick, and has given audiences revamped reasons to follow along. That said, we’d all love to see the comic-centric studio add more spooky and scary offerings to its slate for the 2025 TV season and beyond, such as another standalone special (or more) from Gael Garcia Bernal’s Werewolf by Night. But could it happen?

That’s one of many questions fans have been asking ever since the first special aired back in October 2022, serving as the first fully black-and-white MCU project. (At least until the color version was added for those with Disney+ subscriptions.) The all-time great composer Michael Giacchino, who directed the Werewolf by Night special, spoke with Brandon Davis about his upcoming work on Matt Shakman’s Fantastic Four: First Steps and other projects, and when the topic of seeing more from Bernal’s Jack Russell came up, here’s how he answered:

Ah, ye olde glory days of 2022, when it seemed like a no-brainer that Kevin Feige would continue supporting MCU horror by bringing Man-Thing back to be the new leader for Avengers: Doomsday and other upcoming Marvel movies. Wait, that might have just been in my head and not what everyone else was thinking. But the general point there is, in the two years since Werewolf by Night came out, Marvel has tightened its proverbial pursestrings and became more conservative with its development slate.

We’d love to think that Deadpool & Wolverine’s mega-earnings is a sign of only good things to come all around, but the studio has been sitting on and reconfiguring a lot of upcoming TV projects as of late, from Ironheart to Eyes of Wakanda to Daredevil: Born Again. Which isn't to say those shows are being shelved or anything, but just that more discretion is being taken.

To that end, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is the only other release currently sharing the Marvel Studios Special Presentations banner with Werewolf by Night, despite the studio making it seem as if this would be a regularly occuring place to find lesser-highlighted comic favorites. Sure, there's a rumored special that was supposedly filmed to revolve around Mephisto, but given how many unproven rumors have surrounded that character, it's not safe to put all those goose eggs in basket.

I think it’s arguable-to-fair to say that horror projects aren’t at the forefront of Marvel’s interests, since Mahershala Ali’s long-awaited Blade reboot has been gestating for years without an official production start. And I'm still waiting on some kind of Ghost Rider return, especially if Diego Luna returns to the role. If they can bring Robert Downey Jr. back to play Doctor Doom, getting Luna back on a motorcycle should be child's play. (Let's get Chucky in the MCU while we're at it.)

For now, not even the first special's director has a clue of what's happening with the character, but here's hoping something changes...or transforms...on that front in the near future.

The Boys may have started on Amazon Prime Video as a solo series based on comics, but it has since expanded into a franchise with the premiere of The Boys: Diabolical in 2022 and Gen V in the 2023 TV schedule. Now, the franchise is growing even more with a Mexico-set spinoff in the works, fittingly called The Boys: Mexico. From the details available so far, the creative team behind the scenes is worth getting hyped about!

The Boys: Mexico is in the works for viewers with Amazon Prime Video subscriptions with Blue Beetle writer Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer as creator, writer, and executive producer, according to Deadline. Andor's Diego Luna and Werewolf by Night's Gael García Bernal are on board as executive producers. The two actors are reportedly considering appearing in front of the camera for the series, but not to play major roles. The pair starred together in Y Tu Mamá Tambien, which released back in 2001. 

No co-showrunner has been found to collaborate with Dunnet-Alcocer at the time of writing. Also credited with working to launch The Boys: Mexico are The Boys developer Eric Kripke, Loreli Alba (also an EP for The Boys: Diabolical) for Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg's Point Grey Pictures, and Sony Pictures Television. The series will film in Mexico, and budget has not yet been confirmed to begin casting. 

While the finale of Gen V aired just weeks ago, the Boys franchise continuing to expand doesn't come as a huge surprise. Not only does the original series rank among the best Prime Video shows, but the streaming service is moving ahead with Season 4 and wasted no time in renewing Gen V for a second season. Among The Boys' Gen V Season 2 details we know so far is that the spinoff leads into Season 4 of The Boys, which in turn will lead into Season 2 of Gen V. 

At the time of writing, no details are available about when The Boys: Mexico can be expected to debut on Amazon Prime Video. Season 4 of The Boys has been confirmed to release at some point in 2024, however, so perhaps viewers can count on the original series to set up the spinoff in some form or other. Gen V didn't exactly get a backdoor pilot in The Boys Season 3, but we shouldn't rule out some details for The Boys: Mexico in Season 4. At the very least, we can hope! 

For now, you can find all three seasons of The Boys so far streaming on Amazon Prime Video, as well as Gen V Season 1 and The Boys: Diabolical. The latter is an animated series, with Eric Kripke revealing on X that only three episodes are actually canon to the larger Boys universe, including the finale. 

The animated show featured episodes penned by Andy Samberg, Aisha Tyler, Awkwafina, and Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, among others. There's a lot to look forward to on The Boys front, so it's worth keeping up on all the content available so far!

Though Saúl Armendáriz is a name that’s not as recognizable as some of the Latino wrestlers currently running the ropes in companies like WWE and AEW, the flashy and decorated exótico (imagine a drag queen in the squared circle) better known as Cassandro has been a major influence for aspiring grapplers the past few decades. And now, he has his own movie in which he’s portrayed by Gael García Bernal.

If you caught the movie as a way to celebrate Hispanic Heritage month on the big screen, or checked out the biographical drama now that it’s streaming for anyone with an Amazon subscription, there’s a good chance you’re wondering why Bernal and other members of the Cassandro cast look so familiar. Well, let’s break that down all the major players in Roger Ross Williams' latest film...

Gael García Bernal (Saúl Armendáriz)

Leading things off is Gael García Bernal, who, as mentioned up above, takes on the role of Saúl Armendáriz, the titular character in Cassandro. Going from a struggling El Paso-based wrestler to one of the most colorful and influential Hispanic wrestlers on the international scene after adopting the exótico style, Bernal brings Armendáriz’s journey to the screen.

Though he hadn’t appeared in a wrestling movie prior to joining the Cassandro cast, Bernal has had some experience in the world of biographical dramas, taking on leading roles in movies like The Motorcycle Diaries in which he played a young Ernesto "Che" Guevara, and then Maziar Bahari in Rosewater. 

That’s just a small portion of Bernal’s body of work, as he has voiced beloved characters like Héctor in one of the best Pixar movies, Coco, and even won a Golden Globe for his take on Rodrigo De Souza in the Amazon original series, Mozart in the Jungle. Bernal’s other notable films include everything from Amores Perros to Bad Education and The Science of Sleep to Werewolf By Night. 

Roberta Colindrez

Roberta Colindrez, who built quite a name for herself over the course of the past decade-and-a-half, is another talented actor to appear in Cassandro.

After making brief appearances in movies like Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) and shows like Boardwalk Empire and Girls, Colindrez has found success on the small screen in recent years. This includes everything from The Deuce to Vida and Mrs. America to The Harper House. Most recently, Colindrez appeared in the A League of Their Own cast, taking on the role of Lupe Garcia.

Perla De La Rosa

Perla De La Rosa also shows up in the Cassandro cast, appearing in her first movie in nearly a decade.

Throughout her career, which goes back several decades, De La Rosa has given commanding performances in movies like A Thousand Clouds of Peace, Ave María, and One Man’s Hero to name a few. During that same stretch of time, the actress has also taken on roles on TV shows such as Nada Personal, Alcanzar Una Estrella, and Carrusel. 

Joaquín Cosío

Also joining the Cassandro cast is veteran actor Joaquín Cosío, who audiences will surely remember from the big-budget comic book movie, action flicks, and spy thrillers he’s been a part of the past few decades.

Cosío famously played Mateo Suárez in The Suicide Squad, a role that James Gunn wrote without meeting the actor first. On top of playing the over-the-top military general in the blood-soaked 2021 DCEU movie, Cosío has also popped up in movies like Rambo: Last Blood, The Lone Ranger, Savages, A Better Life, and Quantum of Solace, a film that defined the Daniel Craig 007 era. The actor also has a great number of TV credits to his name as well, including popular shows like Narcos: Mexico, The Strain, and Eastbound & Down. 

Raúl Castillo

Next up is Raúl Castillo, another actor who brings years of experience on the big screen and small screen to the Cassandro cast.

Prior to signing on to appear in Roger Ross Williams’ biographical drama, Castillo cut his teeth with small, one-off roles on shows like Nurse Jackie, Law & Order, All My Children, and Blue Bloods. That would change after taking on the role of Richie on the HBO romantic dramedy series Looking, which he followed up with appearances on Gotham, Easy, and Atypical. Most recently, Castillo appeared in the Class of ‘09 cast. His film work is just as impressive thanks to movies like Knives Out, The Inspection, and Army of the Dead, to name only a few. 

El Hijo Del Santo

El Hijo del Santo, the son of the masked wrestler and B-horror movie actor El Santa, a.k.a., the world’s most famous luchador, is one of several professional grapplers to show up in Cassandro, and perhaps the most notable.

The accomplished wrestler and actor whose name translates to “The Son of the Saint,” has followed his father’s footsteps in a number of ways throughout his life and career. This includes a successful in-ring career dating back to early 1980s that has taken him to the top of promotions like AAA, CMLL, UWA, and multiple others in Mexico, the United States, and internationally. In 2004, Pro Wrestling Illustrated listed him as the 14th best wrestler in the world in the magazine’s annual Top 500 ranking, per ProFightDB.com. El Hijo Del Santo has also appeared in several movies throughout his career and even developed the animated series Santo vs. The Clones.

Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio AKA "Bad Bunny"

And then there is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, better known by his stage name Bad Bunny, who rounds out the Cassandro cast.

Bad Bunny has not only made a name for himself in the music industry (countless awards, headlining Coachella 2023, other accolades), he’s also become a major force in professional wrestling and Hollywood. With multiple appearances in marquee WWE events like WrestleMania, the Royal Rumble, and numerous others, the rapper-turned-wrestler has become one of the most successful celebrity guests in the company’s history. Combine that with roles in F9 and Bullet Train, and you’ve got quite a successful past few years.

We still don’t know what’s happening with El Muerto, the upcoming Marvel movie in which Bad Bunny will play a luchador-turned-superhero, but hopefully that changes in the coming months.

You can see all of these actors in more now that Cassandro is streaming on Prime Video, a streaming service that will also be home to some of the other big releases on the 2023 movie schedule.

Stream Cassandro on Prime Video.

Netflix certainly is the home for movies in 2023. There are plenty of awesome films that are releasing in the 2023 new release movies, but the streamer has certainly been capturing our attention. From sequels such as Murder Mystery 2 to new films like Your Place or Mine, the streaming platform has continued to deliver movie after movie for fans to watch. Now, they’re continuing that trend with The Mother. 

The new movie, starring Jennifer Lopez, is an action adventure tale that stars the famous singer/actress as the titular Mother, a former assassin who comes out of hiding in order to protect her daughter from people who wish to take out everything she loves, and more. The cast is small but full of stars, and I’m sure you’ve seen them in something before. Here is where you’ve seen The Mother cast in the past.

Jennifer Lopez (The Mother)

First up on the list is the obvious, and that is Jennifer Lopez, the star of the film and the main person we are watching. Lopez got her start in acting years ago, with one of her most-known appearances being in Selena, a biographical movie about the famous star who was killed at a young age, a true crime story that has continued to get wide-spread attention. 

However, Lopez's fame has only grown since then. Many people might know her from her music career that has spanned more than two decades, releasing hit after hit and going on tour, frequently collaborating with plenty of other artists, such as Pitbull, Iggy Azalea ,and others. She even starred in her own documentary called Halftime which covered the show that she did with fellow artist, Shakira, at the Super Bowl. 

The star has done a lot in movies, however. I would personally call her a rom-com queen, because she’s been in several and Jennifer Lopez's best romantic comedies have truly shown her range as an actress. This includes some of her earlier films like Maid in Manhattan and The Wedding Planner, to recent romantic comedies like Marry Me (alongside Owen Wilson), as well as Shotgun Wedding. 

Besides that, Lopez has also stepped into more dramatic roles, with her lead role in the Hustlers cast, and was also a judge on the long-running American Idol for a time. Lopez seems to be stepping into more dramatic roles with movies such as The Mother, so this probably won’t be the last time you see her in a film like this.  

Lucy Paez (Zoe)

Next up on the list is Lucy Paez, the young actress who plays Zoe, The Mother's daughter. As you might expect, Paez is quite young and hasn’t had much of a chance to really show her talents in Hollywood yet, as this is her first major role in a movie. 

She’s had smaller parts in films like Silencio, as well as The Exorcism of Carmen Farias, but hopefully, after appearing in The Mother, we’ll only continue to see more of her in the future. 

Omari Hardwick (William Cruise)

Next up on the list is Omari Hardwick, who plays William Cruise in the action drama. Hardwick has been around in movies and television for a while, and has had multiple big roles in television shows such as Dark Blue, Being Mary Jane, Pieces of Her, and a main role on the hit Starz television series, Power. He was also a part of the voice cast for Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas, a spinoff TV series of the Netflix movie from Zack Snyder. 

Besides television, Hardwick has done plenty of movies as well. Some of his biggest that you might have seen him in include the aforementioned Army of the Dead, Spell, Sorry to Bother You, American Skin, Things Never Said, The Guardians and Kick-Ass, among others. Now, he can add The Mother to that list. 

Gael García Bernal (Hector Álvarez)

Gael García Bernal plays Hector Álvarez, an arms dealer, in The Mother. Bernal has been around in the industry for a while, and has appeared in a variety of movies and television. One person he frequently collaborates with is actor Diego Luna, where he has been in several movies with him, including Y tu mamá también, Rudo y Cursi, The Terminal, and more. 

Bernal has done his fair share of work without his good friend, as well, appearing in films such as Bad Education, The Motorcycle Diaries, the M. Night Shyamalan movie, Old, back in 2021, The King, Blindness, Mammoth, Wasp Network and more. He also voiced Hector Rivera in Coco, a fantastic Disney Pixar movie.

Aside from movies, Bernal has also been very successful in television. He had a lead role on the popular series, Mozart in the Jungle, which earned him critical acclaim, was a part of the miniseries, Station Eleven, on HBO Max, and starred in the Disney+ Marvel special, Werewolf by Night as the main character. 

Joseph Fiennes (Adrian Lovell)

Next up on this cast list is Joseph Fiennes, who plays Adrian Lovell, another arms dealer and a mentor to The Mother. Fiennes has a lot of range when it comes to movies and television. His biggest films in his career thus far have been those such as Shapespeare in Love, for which he had the lead role, as well as Luther, Leo, Dust, Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas, Man to Man, Elizabeth, Strangerland, Risen, and more. 

He’s also done some excellent work in television. One of his biggest roles in TV thus far was playing the role of Commander Fred Waterford in one of the best Hulu original series, The Handmaid’s Tale, but he’s also had roles in shows such as the Ryan Murphy-created series, American Horror Story: Asylum, where he played Monsignor Timothy Howard, as well as FlashForward, Camelot, Sherwood and others. 

Paul Raci (Jons)

Last but not least, we need to talk about Paul Raci, who plays The Mother's friend, Jons, someone who aided her when she had to start over after vanishing from the public eye years ago. Raci is mainly known for his guest roles in television shows such as Baskets, Goliath, Parks and Recreation, Life, Heroes and many, many more. 

He’s also appeared in movies like Sound of Metal, as well as The Glimmer Man, Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story and more in smaller, supporting roles. 

With a cast so small but so talented, I’m sure you’ll be seeing way more of the stars of The Mother soon enough. For now, I’m going to go and have fun watching this exciting action movie.  

Stream The Mother on Netflix.

For over three decades, Gael García Bernal has brought iconic characters and stories to life on the small and big screen. As a Mexican actor, he first broke onto the scene in Spanish-language television shows and movies. His work has made him one of the most popular actors around the globe. Recently, he joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe by taking on the role of Jack Russell in Werewolf by Night. This has gained him even more admirers. 

This is an actor known for giving nuanced performances and easily crossing genres. He’s done it all from being a comedic showman to a dreamy romantic lead to complicated fictional and non-fictional characters. Surprisingly, despite his many decades of stellar performances, Werewolf by Night may be many viewers' introduction to the actor.

If you went wild for Bernal’s performance in Werewolf by Night, then wait until you hear about some of his other TV shows and movies. 

Werewolf By Night (2022) 

Werewolf by Night is a Disney+ exclusive special that follows a group of monster hunters as they compete for a powerful relic. Unbeknownst to them, one among them is actually not a hunter but a monster with a secret mission. It stars Bernal, Laura Donnelly, and Harriet Sansom Harris.

This is very much a tribute to classic monster flicks. It feels and looks like something you might turn on one day while flipping through the channels. You’d become enthralled by the story and need to watch all the sequels. It’s one of Marvel’s few standalone projects, but it could open the door for Bernal's Jack Russell to appear in future Marvel projects.

The special left us with many questions, so we hope to see the character again in the future. 

Stream Werewolf by Night on Disney+.

Amores Perros (2000) 

Amores Perros is Alejandro González Iñárritu’s feature directorial debut, and if features one of Gael García Bernal’s best performances. It follows three interconnecting stories over the course of a few days. The first story follows Bernal’s character Octavio. He falls in love with his brother’s wife, and dreams of them running away together, making decisions throughout the movie that he hopes will lead to his happy ending.

Amores Perros is a really fascinating film that tackles issues such as loneliness, familial turmoil, class, and abuse, both of humans and animals. Bernal is so captivating in this movie that you’re immediately drawn to his character. Octavio has one of the most interesting journeys and transformations in the film. 

Stream Amores Perros on Tubi.
Rent/buy Amores Perros on Amazon.

Y Tu Mamá También (2001)

Y tu mamá también stars Bernal and his real-life best friend, Diego Luna. In the film, they play teen besties who often engage in risky behavior. They embark on a road trip and invite an older woman, Luisa (Maribel Verdu) along for the trip. It's a film about youthful recklessness and a woman who decides to free herself in every way possible. 

Many consider this to be one of the very sexy movies out there because of the explicit sex scenes and the nature of the content of the film. It's definitely not modest, but it’s about a lot more than just sex. Y tu mamá también has some entertaining performances by the lead cast. It also may have one of the most famous threesome scenes of all time. It’s also one of Alfonso Cuarón’s best movies. 

Rent/buy Y tu mamá también on Amazon. 

Mozart In The Jungle (2014-2018) 

Mozart in the Jungle is an Amazon Prime Video original series. It’s one of Amazon’s best original shows and follows high-profile conductor Rodrigo De Souza (Bernal) as he becomes the head conductor of the New York Symphony.

It also follows Hailey (Lola Kirke), an oboist trying to achieve her dreams of playing with the New York Symphony. Mozart in the Jungle aired for four seasons and earned Bernal a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Television Series-Musical or Comedy in 2016. The cast of the TV show also included Bernadette Peters, Saffron Burrows, and Malcolm McDowell.

The show gave a fascinating look at the world of professional classical musicians with some additional entertaining elements, like Rodrigo often talking to an imaginary Mozart, romance, and showcasing the beauty of international cities. It was another great show canceled too soon.

Stream Mozart in the Jungle on Amazon.

Old (2021) 

Old is an M. Night Shyamalan movie that follows a group of people who end up trapped on a beach that turns them old. Bernal plays Guy, one half of a couple who must witness their children become adults in a matter of hours. Some consider this one of M. Night Shyamalan's best movies, because it has a lot of great ideas, even if the execution leaves you not completely satisfied.

Personally, I don’t think Old is as bad as critics claim. It’s not Gael García Bernal or M. Night Shyamalan’s best movie, but it’s a captivating look at how people react when put in a situation that’s beyond their comfort zone and control, and one that could end in them all dying from old age. It also has an intriguing twist that may make it worth a watch for some viewers.

Stream Old on HBO Max.
Buy Old on Amazon. 

Bad Education (2004)

Bad Education is one of Pedro Almodóvar’s most well-known movies. It follows the reunion of childhood friends and exes. The reunion leads to some major reveals and tackles things such as gender, identity, murder, religion, and sexual abuse. 

It’s a complicated film with great performances, especially by Gael García Bernal. Like many of Almodóvar’s movies, it’s unique and provocative, and leaves a lasting impression. 

Rent/buy Bad Education on Amazon.

The Motorcycle Diaries (2004) 

The early aughts were a great time to be a Gael García Bernal fan as he gave one impeccable performance after another. The Motorcycle Diaries falls within those glory days. It stars Bernal as a young Che Guevara, and is based on Guevara’s memoirs. It also stars Rodrigo de la Serna and Mercedes Moran. The film follows Guevera as he travels across South America with his friend, Alberto Granado (Rodrigo de la Serna).

It’s a coming-of-age film that shows Guevara being transformed by his experiences with different social classes and the injustices they face. The Motorcycle Diaries shows the initial encounters that start to radicalize Guevara. It’s a really great biopic that offers a look at him as more than just a face of rebellion and a popular cultural figure. 

Rent/buy The Motorcycle Diaries on Amazon. 

Neruda (2016)

Neruda is more of an experimental biopic than a straightforward one. It has a poetic nature that honors Pablo Neruda as a poet. The film paints him as almost a folklore figure who uses his poetry to help bring about resistance, while he is running from the law. Gael García Bernal plays Oscar Peluchonneau, a police officer trying to find Neruda and stop him.

The film also stars Luis Gnecco as Pablo Neruda, Alfredo Castro, and Mercedes Moran. This movie focuses less on telling his life story and more on highlighting his work, legacy, and the power of poetry and beautiful writing.

Stream Neruda on Tubi.
Rent/buy Neruda on Amazon.  

The Science Of Sleep (2006) 

I can best describe The Science of Sleep as a fantasy romantic film with comedy. It follows Stephane (Gael García Bernal), a visual artist whose dreams start to blend with his reality. As those dreams begin to overpower his reality, he also starts to fall for Stephanie (Charlotte Gainsbourg), a neighbor and artist.

The Science of Sleep takes on a fantastical quality that makes it a bit more unique than many of the best romantic comedies. It’s a playful film that highlights the importance of imagination and the often difficult process of living in reality vs. fantasy land/dream worlds. 

Rent//buy The Science of Sleep on Amazon. 

You're Killing Me Susana (2016) 

You’re Killing Me Susana follows an actor who discovers that his wife has left him. She ran off to Ohio to study writing and be with a poet. He travels to America hoping to win her back, but, obviously, this doesn’t end the way he wants. The You’re Killing Me Susana cast also includes Veronica Echequi, Ashley Hinshaw, and Björn Hlynur Haraldsson. 

The film is a very funny movie with plenty of hijinks as Bernal’s character is oblivious to his wife's true needs and wants. It’s also a movie that shows the complexities of relationships, especially when it gets into a rhythm that allows one to thrive while the other feels trapped and stuck. It’s not one of the greatest romantic comedies, but it’s a really entertaining film that’s made better by Bernal’s ability to be charming and frustrating at the same time.

Stream You’re Killing Me Susana on Vix+ via Amazon.

No (2012)

No is a historical drama directed by Pablo Larraín. It focuses on how advertisements play a part in political campaigns. It specifically focuses on the 1988 plebiscite in Chile, where the citizens needed to decide whether dictator Augusto Pinochet should stay in power. Gael García Bernal plays Rene Saavedra, an advertisement specialist tasked with creating the "no" campaign for the referendum.

No is a fascinating film because it not only introduces many Americans and others to a piece of history that they may have no prior knowledge of, but it really highlights the role of advertisements in eliciting decisions, even huge ones like who should hold a major leadership role. 

Rent/buy No on Amazon.

Coco (2017)

Coco is the Academy Award-winning Pixar film that follows young Miguel (Anthony Gonzalez) as he accidentally ends up in the Land of the Dead. While there, he decides to seek out his deceased great-great grandfather, who he believes is famous singer Ernesto de la Cruz (Benjamin Bratt).

He meets a ghost named Hector (Gael García Bernal) who accompanies him on his journey. Coco is one of Pixar’s best films because it’s an emotional movie all about love, loss, and the power of music. Bernal’s many talents include being really good at voice-over work.

Stream Coco on Disney+. 
Rent/buy Coco on Amazon.

As someone who has seen almost every Bernal TV show and movie, I can say this list could have been much longer because he has plenty of great work and roles. 

Some other movies and TV shows to check out are Station Eleven, A Little Bit of Heaven, The Crime of Father Amaro, Rudo y Cursi, Ema, The King, and a personal favorite of mine, Dot the I. It’s a film with some great twists, and the cast includes James D’Arcy, Tom Hardy, and Charlie Cox.

Catch the actor next in The Mother and Cassandro. Make sure to monitor the 2023 new movie releases for updates on these Gael García Bernal movies. 

Werewolf by Night, Marvel’s critically acclaimed Halloween special, appealed to viewers for a number of reasons. Many seemed to appreciate its self-contained story as well as the new characters it introduced, including the delightful and important Swamp Thing. Of course, viewers were also enthused by its commitment to emulating classic monster movies, and one of the ways the producers did this was by extensively utilizing practical effects. Even the titular character was created practically, and the results were very impressive. Though one can’t help but wonder if that will continue to be the case for him moving forward, and one of the show’s writers has weighed in on that.

Gael García Bernal was the actor who played the aforementioned wolfman, and he put some exceptional work into his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut. The practical approach for his transformation definitely worked here but, given that it’s very specific to the vibe of the TV special, there’s always the chance that this style changes should the wolf show up again. I recently caught up with Werewolf by Night scribe Heather Quinn and asked for her thoughts on the matter. While she couldn’t say for sure how Marvel Studios might handle things moving forward, she still provided some diplomatic thoughts: 

That’s a fair point, and there’s a good chance that studio head honcho Kevin Feige and co. are already thinking about how to proceed. As Heather Quinn said, it just all depends on the kind of story that’s being told. This Halloween special is pretty small compared to other MCU productions, and that made it a perfect testing ground for a real, old-fashioned monster transformation. That may not necessarily work for upcoming Marvel movies or TV shows that have a heavier reliance on CGI and require the character to do more from a physical standpoint. As of right now, one thing that’s very evident is that Quinn and her colleagues really appreciated the chance to use classic techniques, and she believes it did a lot for the hairy hero: 

The preservation of Gael García Bernal’s performance is definitely one of the great things that results from the practical approach. Sure, the MCU has done a solid job with the effects on characters like the Hulk. But it’s hard to argue against just how impactful it is for one to actually see Bernal underneath the hair and makeup. 

Aside from how Jack Russell’s alter ego will be crafted moving forward, there are a number of other questions to consider after Werewolf by Night. There’s been no indication as to whether Jack Russell, Man-Thing (or Ted) and Elsa Bloodstone will definitely return, so the jury is out there. The special’s position in the franchise’s timeline also isn’t even clear (as the creative team didn’t have to worry about that crucial MCU element). Still, it’s clear that monsters are being set up for the cinematic universe, meaning there’s a firm chance they’ll all show up again at some point.

I’m personally hoping that Marvel’s wolfman will still be a practical creation whenever we see him again. And if the studio does have to change things up to better accommodate that said production, let’s hope the product is as impressive as what fans got to see during the character’s debut.

Werewolf by Night is streaming now, and you’ll want to grab a Disney+ subscription if you’re angling to check it out. Also, be sure to stay in the know on other small-screen offerings by looking over the 2022 TV schedule.

This Halloween, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is going straight horror with the special presentation Werewolf by Night. The development of the special, which will bring one of Marvel’s most offbeat characters to live-action for the first time, was announced last August, and the creepy black-and-white trailer has fans excited to see how the classic horror tone will be integrated into the MCU’s Phase 4. Well, the special has screened, and critics are taking to social media with their first reactions ahead of the one-off's October 7 release for those with a Disney+ subscription. 

The special stars Gael García Bernal as the titular Werewolf by Night, a.k.a. Jack Russell, alongside Harriet Sansom Harris and Laura Donnelly as monster hunters who engage in a deadly competition to capture the real monster, unaware that Jack Russell is the humanized form of their target. Let’s take a look at what people are saying, starting with CinemaBlend’s own Eric Eisenberg, who tweets that this is a very cool treat for MCU fans, and a unique project for the cross-platform franchise:

Big Screen Leaks also acknowledges what a "big swing" this is for Marvel, saying it pays off with campy vibes and good performances: 

Always put your money on Man-Thing, amirite? Chris Stuckmann says Werewolf By Night isn’t afraid to bring the blood and gore, as well as great fight scenes, of course, because it’s Marvel: 

There’s also much praise among the first wave of reactions for director/composer Michael Giacchino, with critic Erik Davis praising the way he blends classic horror with MCU’s sense of humor:

Erik Voss says the director has accomplished something special and notes that Werewolf by Night hits all the proper genre notes.  

Many of those who were able to screen the special mentioned they were left wanting more, either in the sense of more self-contained holiday-themed stories, like the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, or just more time spent in this particular story with Jack Russell, Man-Thing et al. To that end, Sean Chandler tweets that his biggest complaint is the special isn’t long enough: 

Brandon Davis says he immediately wanted to watch the special again once he finished, and with a runtime of just over 52 minutes, per Collider, that definitely sounds like an option. Davis tweets: 

Screenwriter C. Robert Cargill even teases a surprising appearance by a cult comic character, and says the special is a super fun Halloween treat: 

The first reactions to Werewolf By Night are definitely enough to get MCU fans excited, particularly if they like to indulge in classic horror this time of year. The release of the special isn’t too far off, as it will be available to stream on Disney+ on Friday, October 7. This story is part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase 4, so check out the upcoming movies for Phases 4, 5, and 6, and if you’re ready for a deep dive, here’s how to watch all of the Marvel movies in order. 

After Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness brought horror elements to the MCU earlier this year, the superhero universe is getting spookier with a special coming to Disney+ just in time for Halloween. As it was just revealed at Marvel’s D23 presentation Saturday afternoon, Werewolf By Night is heading our way in about a month and we have a first look at the scary bland and white horror thriller

The trailer for Werewolf By Night has debuted online (above) and the fright-filled Marvel special seems to emulate early monster horror films like The Mummy, Dracula or Frankenstein. Werewolf By Night centers around the comics character that has roots in the 1950s, the titular character is set to be played by Mozart in the Jungle’s Gael García Bernal. 

The Halloween special was reported to be in the works back in August 2021, but now we officially know that one of Marvel’s most offbeat characters will make his debut in the MCU, and soon. The trailer has a creepy but comical vibe, and it's surprising that it's completely presented in black and white. Also among the cast is Outlander’s Laura Donnelly (reportedly playing a monster hunter similar to Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Elsa Bloodstone, alongside Desperate Housewives’ Harriet Sansom Harris and The Muppets’ Kirk R. Thatcher. 

As far as the premise goes, it looks like it’s setting up a literal game of Werewolf, where a group of hunters are assembled to capture the real wolf but cannot tell that it's Gael García Bernal's Jack Russell -- as long as he remains in his human form. As the Werewolf By Night trailer reveals, Jack will very much turn into his werewolf self and have an entire group of hunters to dodge. 

In Marvel Comics, Jack Russell is one of two versions of the comic publisher’s take on the wolfman, the other being Jake Gomez. Jack comes from a long line of werewolves after his family was cursed with lycanthropy in Transylvania around 1795 after being bitten by a female werewolf working for Dracula. Generations later, Jack inherits the curse on his 18th birthday and uses the abilities from the curse to fight crime. 

The Halloween special is one of many pieces of news during Marvel Studios panel at the D23 Expo on Saturday, which CinemaBlend is in attendance for. The mega company also released the first trailer for Secret Invasion and more details about Captain America 4.  With the D23 announcement, Marvel Studios also revealed a poster. Check it out here: 

Werewolf by Night is set to stream for those with a Disney+ subscription on October 7. A Marvel holiday special in the form of The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is also set for release this December. All in all, it definitely looks like the MCU is getting more festive this year, and I'm here for it.

Though Marvel Studios has largely stuck with more universally embraced superhero storytelling in the first dozen years of its existence, Kevin Feige & Co. have been more willing to branch out into darker and weirder tales through Disney+ projects, with WandaVision opening the basement door to witches and the Darkhold and more! Fans can soon look forward to the MCU embracing the Halloween season thanks to the upcoming untitled special that’s currently in development, and it sounds like the special has locked down an excellent first cast member for the main monstrous role. 

Marvel is rumored to have signed on the always impressive Gael Garcia Bernal for its Halloween special, and the report from Variety would make a certain amount of genre-tethered sense, considering Bernal was last seen on the big screen in M. Night Shyamalan’s horror mystery Old. (His most current TV role is in the recently released Netflix animated series Maya and the Three, which is far outside the horror realm, but still.) According to the outlet’s sources, Bernal is potentially taking on the role of a howl-worthy Marvel monster, Werewolf by Night. 

Even though plot details are being hidden behind locked doors, the presence of Werewolf by Night has helped to give fans an idea of what to expect from the Marvel Halloween special. Namely, that we’ll probably be seeing some badass werewolf transformation effects and makeup, which isn’t usually Marvel’s flavor. But considering we’re at a point when the MCU will soon(ishly) introduce both Moon Knight and Blade to the multiverse, it’s perhaps the perfect time for the comic studio to bring out the big claws with Werewolf by Night.

And if Gael Garcia Bernal is any indication of how the rest of the special will be cast, this will no doubt be another hub for great MCU performances. Though Bernal is not necessarily a household name in the way that Chris Hemsworth, Robert Downey Jr. or even Moon Knight’s Oscar Isaac is, the actor is always one of the best things about whatever film or TV show he’s starring in. From the Emmy-winning Mozart in the Jungle to Y tu mamá también to Bad Education, the actor has proven himself to be a thoughtful and powerful performer that will no doubt deliver similar goods with his entry into Marvel’s mystery-driven multiverse. 

Considering nothing is fully confirmed yet, it’s unknown if Gael Barcia Bernal would be portraying the Jacob Russoff/Jack Russell iteration or the Jake Gomez alter ego of Werewolf by Night. The character first appeared in Jack Russell form in 1972, through Marvel Spotlight, and landed its own self-titled run later that same year. Meanwhile, the Jake Gomez version was introduced far more recently, in October 2020, for a then-new Werewolf by Night series.

Either way it goes, I'll be pumped to see Gael Garcia Bernal joining the MCU in any capacity going forward. While waiting to hear more, check out everything yet to debut this year with our 2021 Fall TV premiere schedule.

SPOILERS are ahead for M. Night Shyamalan’s Old.

So you’ve experienced Old. Besides booking your yearly physical a bit early or double-checking the fine print on your upcoming vacation getaway, how are we holding up? M. Night Shyamalan’s latest original concept tackles aging in a horrifying sunny setting as a family and other vacationers find themselves stuck on an island and rapidly aging. From the Old ending, left the movie with a fresh twist from The Sixth Sense filmmaker to ponder and an onslaught of unanswered questions to discuss.

There’s a fantasy element of Old that we don’t exactly expect the movie to explain. Plus, the movie was a really unique and entertaining exploration of the horrors each of us likely feel about getting older. Nonetheless, here are the most lingering questions we have about the summer movie after the credits rolled:

How Was The Island Discovered?

At the end of Old, we find out that the terrible vacation we experience with those on the island is in fact a planned study that scientists have crafted in order to speed up drug testing. There is a brief mention that the island is a mystic place that was once discovered and later decided upon to use in this manner. But how did it first go down? It would have been interesting to see a flashback of some sort about the origins of the island because it doesn’t exactly make sense how it was discovered in a way that its founders could have survived long enough to tell the tale and return?

How Are This Many Scientists On Board To Let People Unwillingly Die?

The big twist of Old is how the people on the island are going through the misery in order to actually help society as a whole make medical advancements so more people do not have to suffer from conditions like epilepsy. We see a massive lab full of scientists that are aware of the experiments being done on these people without their knowledge, likely with many of them becoming aware of the circumstances of how life on the island pans out. Are we to believe that many scientists care more about testing medicine for the masses than the livelihood of the people being bamboozled to give up their lives?

Why Did They Allow Children To Be Part Of The Study?

The only reason the resort is found out by the end of it is thanks to the young children who go on the island and survive throughout the day into the next. The next morning after every other vacationer in their group has died, they find how to leave that horrid place, get out of their rapid aging cycle, alert the police and go back home. Now that we think about it, the resort could have dodged the bullet of being found out if they didn’t invite children in the first place. Plus, how terrible is it to kill a six-year-old for a science experiment they are not even really part of?

How Did Mid-Sized Sedan Die From The Stabbing?

Another question left on our minds after Old is how the character of Mid-Sized Sedan had to die when other characters who are stabbed were quickly healed. Rufus Sewell’s character of Charles kills him in the middle of the movie, but then later on and in other situations when the knife is used on other people they don’t straight up die from it. Now, what it could be is Charles was able to get right to the exact right blood vessel or organ to kill Sedan immediately where the others were not stabbed with enough effort, but it’s still an odd loose end.

How Did Prisca Survive Her Tumor Surgery?

One of the most gut-wrenching scenes in M. Night Shyamalan’s latest was when some of the vacationers decide to pull out a massive tumor out of Prisca’s body before it kills her. Now I’ve never seen a tumor procedure actually go down, but the way that the scene plays out just doesn’t seem medically sound. Plus, can a tumor that large in the body even allow Prisca to survive even if they did get it out as quickly as they did? I do not have the stomach to look up a real procedure remotely like this to get an answer so this is staying in the question column.

Do They Purposefully Recruit Certain Professions To Be On The Island?

One thing about Old, you may have noticed too, is how there was a balanced mix of folks on the island all at once. Seriously, what are the chances that a psychologist, surgeon and nurse would all be at the same place and same time for this dire event? We know they were recruited there due to their medical history and conditions, but were they also filtered in by profession to ensure they could stay on the island longer? It would make sense to allow for a longer experiment for the study’s drugs but it was never addressed.

Was There A Treatment In Place For The Patients With Mental Illnesses?

At the end of the movie, there was also revealed to be some contention from one scientist to the leader of the operation concerning Charles presence on the island, who was dealing with some mental condition as opposed to a physical one. He talked about how he felt the people with mental illnesses should be separated from the other patients. Which allows us to wonder if they were also experimenting with medicine for mental illness as well? And what other incidents happened as a result of them being accelerated by the island?

How Long Has The Island Been Used As A ‘Resort’?

And we’re curious about the length of time this island experiment has been in business! As the end of Old suggests, it has been found out and will likely be a national news story, true crime documentary and massive scandal. But how many people actually went through this disastrous vacation and how many true medical breakthroughs were discovered before they were shut down? If it’s gone on for a while, we’d also wonder how more missing persons might be identified and investigated prior to Trent and Maddox breaking out.

Okay, now what do you think? Did you leave Old with more questions than answers? Vote in our poll below and watch out for more upcoming horror films for your next trip to the movies.

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As someone who has been championing the recent comeback of M. Night Shyamalan, and a fan of horror movies in general, I am very much looking forward to the Academy Award nominated filmmaker’s latest thriller about a group of vacationers who discover a beach that mysteriously causes people to age terrifyingly fast. The Old cast is also a great reason alone to want to check out one of the most intense-looking 2021 movies because it is stacked (and I really mean stacked) with some grade-A talent. You might even feel old yourself by the time we are done with diving into the most notable highlights from these actors’ careers so far, starting with one of Hollywood’s most acclaimed international stars.

Gael García Bernal (Guy)

Golden Globe winner Gael García Bernal (for Amazon Prime’s Mozart in the Jungle) broke out in Amores Perros by Alejandro González Iñárritu (who also directed him in 2006’s Babel) a year before Alfonso Cuarón directed him in 2001’s Y Tu Mamá También - also starring his friend Diego Luna, with whom he co-starred alongside Will Ferrell in 2012’s Casa de mi Padre. The Mexican actor’s first supernatural drama before Old was 2007’s Blindness and his first supernatural film about family and mortality was Coco, a 2017 Oscar winner from Pixar.

Vicky Krieps (Prisca)

Playing Gael García Bernal’s wife in Old is Vicky Krieps, who comes from Luxembourg and broke out into English-language films with the thriller Hanna and the conspiratorial period piece Anonymous in 2011, years before starring in Phantom Thread as Alma - the muse of Daniel Day-Lewis as dressmaker Reynolds Woodcock. In addition to 2018’s The Girl in the Spider’s Web and the upcoming Netflix original thriller Beckett with John David Washington, the actress still participates in European productions, such as the multi-lingual limited series sequel to Das Boot from 2019.

Rufus Sewell (Charles)

One of the Rufus Sewell’s first big roles was as the hero of an entirely different kind of sci-fi flick - 1998’s Dark City - before playing the ruthless villain of the inventive Medieval period piece A Knight’s Tale opposite Heath Ledger. The British star of Amazon Prime’s The Man in the High Castle recently acted opposite Renée Zellwegger in her Academy Award-winning performance in Judy and Anthony Hopkins in his Academy Award winning performance from The Father in 2020.

Ken Leung (Jarin)

Old star Ken Leung also had some strange experiences on a beach as Miles Straume in the Lost cast following an impressive movie career that includes Rush Hour in 1998, Steven Spielberg’s A.I.: Artificial Intelligence, the first of the Saw movies, and Star Wars: The Force Awakens in 2015, to name a few. More of his additionally notable work in television includes HBO hits The Sopranos and Oz, the Marvel produced Inhumans (after previously starring in X-Men: The Last Stand), and The Blacklist Season 6 on NBC.

Nikki Amuka-Bird (Patricia)

Playing Ken Leung’s wife in Old is Nikki Amuka-Bird, who first broke into the horror genre (on the big screen) with the 2006 remake of The Omen before landing a recurring role on the hit British crime drama Luther opposite Idris Elba and the Wachowskis’ sci-fi epic Jupiter Ascending in 2015. The Nigerian-born, UK-raised actress combined sci-fi with satire for the HBO series Avenue 5 in 2020, after combining crime with comedy for the Netflix original film The Laundromat the previous year.

Abbey Lee (Chrystal)

Playing Rufus Sewell’s wife in Old is Australian model and actress Abbey Lee, who previously worked with the British actor in Gods of Egypt in 2016 - a year after Mad Max: Fury Road saw her big screen debut, but the same year The Neon Demon made her a Scream Queen. That reputation would continue with her titular performance in 2018’s Elizabeth Harvest and when she joined HBO’s Lovecraft Country cast as the witchy Christina Braithwhite.

Aaron Pierre (Kevin)

Making his feature-length debut in Old is English actor Aaron Pierre, who started off by acting in the 2016 short 18 Latimer Road before landing small roles in TV series like iTV’s Prime Suspect 1973, the BBC’s The A Word, and the medieval fantasy Britannia, which is exclusively available to stream on Amazon Prime. His career really began to take off in 2018 when he was cast on Krypton - the first of the DC TV shows to show life on Superman’s planet before his birth - and later as Caesar on Amazon Prime’s The Underground Railroad series.

Kathleen Chalfant (Agnes)

Playing Rufus Sewell’s mother in Old is Kathleen Chalfant, who started acting later in life (she was born in 1945) but was introduced to the horror genre early with one of the more underrated anthology horror movies, 1990’s Tales from the Darkside: The Movie and revisited it recently with an uncredited role in Hereditary in 2018. The San Francisco-born actress is best known for the 1994 Arnold Schwarzenegger comedy Junior, the 2004 Alfred Kinsey biopic with Liam Neeson, and the romantic con artist comedy Duplicity with Julia Roberts and Clive Owen.

Alexa Swinton (11-Year-Old Maddox)

One of the actors playing Gael García Bernal and Vickey Krieps’ daughter in Old is Alexa Swinton, who has only starred in two other feature-length films, namely 2014’s five-hour River of Fundament and Sometime Other Than Now in 2021. The rest of the young actress’ career has been short films and TV, such as two brief appearances on Saturday Night Live and major roles on the sci-fi drama Emergence and the hit Showtime original Billions in the recurring role of Paul Giamatti’s onscreen daughter, Eva.

Nolan River (6-Year-Old Trent)

One of the actors playing Gael García Bernal and Vickey Krieps’ son in Old is Nolan River, who has only had two other credits so far in his career. He appeared on New Girl’s final season as a boy who shares his name with Die Hard and Family Matters star Reginald VelJohnson, and joined an all-star cast, including Mickey Rourke and Sean Astin, for the 2020 crime thriller Adverse.

Embeth Davidtz (Adult Maddox)

Another member of the Old cast portraying the character of Maddox is Embeth Davidtz, who is certainly no stranger to horror after playing Bruce Campbell’s love interest, Sheila, in Army of Darkness, starring in the 2001 cult favorite Thir13en Ghosts, and being cast in a clever combination of found footage thrillers with space movies called Europa Report in 2013. The actress is best known, however, for appearing in Schindler’s List, playing Miss Honey in the Matilda cast, portraying Peter Parker’s mom in the Amazing Spider-Man movies, and recurring roles in series like Californication, Mad Men, and Ray Donovan.

Eliza Scanlen (15-Year-Old Kara)

Another member of the Old cast portraying the character of Kara is Eliza Scanlen, who made her feature film debut in 2019’s Little Women after starring on the HBO miniseries Sharp Objects and the Australian soap opera Home and Away. The 22-year-old Aussie appeared in another star-studded literary adaptation in 2020 with Netflix’s The Devil All the Time the same year she wrote and directed the award-winning short Mukbang.

Alex Wolff (15-Year-Old Trent)

Another member of the Old cast portraying the character of Trent is Alex Wolff, who can already claim to be in one of the best horror movies of all time after starring in the aforementioned Hereditary, which came after other game-changing roles in Patriots Day, and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle as the one who gets Dwayne Johnson as an avatar. The 23-year-old debuted as himself in the Nickelodeon mockumentary film (and subsequent series) The Naked Brothers Band, befriended a future serial killer in 2017’s My Friend Dahmer, and also shared the screen with Nicolas Cage in Pig 2021.

Emun Elliott (Adult Trent)

Another member of the Old cast portraying the character of Trent is Emun Elliott, who has had the pleasure being a part of the Games of Thrones cast, appearing in one of the Star Wars movies, and working with director Ridley Scott twice - first in 2012 on Prometheus before reunited for Exodus: Gods and Kings in 2014. The Scottish actor also has prior experience with the horror genre having starred on the British series Afterlife and miniseries Paradox, but has also used his funny bone as one of the leads of the UK sitcom Threesome and the darkly comedic limited series Guilt.

Thomasin McKenzie (16-Year-Old Maddox)

Another member of the Old cast portraying the character of Maddox is Thomasin McKenzie, who was 14 when she landed her first big role in The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, years before earning praise for 2018’s Leave No Trace and in Taika Waititi’s Jojo Rabbit as a Jewish girl in hiding during the Holocaust. The young New Zealander also appears in Netflix movies The King and Lost Girls, and her second horror movie in 2021, Last Night in Soho, also stars Scream Queen Anya Taylor-Joy and is directed by Edgar Wright.

Hopefully, you did not age too quickly reading our breakdown of the Old cast. If anything, we imagine it only makes you more curious to see what writer and director M. Night Shyamalan brings to his adaptation of the French graphic novel Sandcastle when it hits theaters on Friday, July 23, 2021.

Are you ready for another M. Night Shyamalan thriller? His upcoming film Old is about a family on vacation that discovers that the secluded beach they are relaxing on is somehow causing them to age rapidly, reducing their entire lives into a single day. Shyamalan directed, wrote, and co-produced the movie, and the cast includes Gael García Bernal, Thomasin McKenzie, Eliza Scanlen, Alex Wolff, Aaron Pierre, Vicky Krieps, Rufus Sewell, Abbey Lee, and Ken Leung.

If there’s one thing we can be sure about, it’s that we can always expect the unexpected with Shyamalan. We’ll soon be able to see what twists he has in store when the supernatural thriller releases in theaters this Friday, July 23. We already saw reactions to the supernatural thriller on social media, but now critics have started releasing their reviews, so let’s take a look.

Let's start with the home team, as usual. CinemaBlend's own Mike Reyes really enjoyed Shyamalan’s thriller, though he did admit that the plot took a little while to actually get going. But he said that once Old found its footing after the opening act, it took off at an exhilarating pace. Reyes commended Shyamalan’s claustrophobic direction that lent itself to the horror aspect, and also applauded the strong performances of Bernal, Krieps, Wolff, and McKenzie. He noted that the ending will definitely have audiences talking, and said:

Justin Chang from the Los Angeles Times had a very different opinion of Old, calling it “a gleaming slab of high-end, high-concept summer trash.” While he did applaud Krieps’ performance, he criticized Shyamalan’s direction, even going so far as to say that his visual command, which seldom abandons him, definitely abandoned him here. Chang noted that the dialogue and script were just plain clumsy, and said:

Jordan Hoffman from Vanity Fair actually really enjoyed Old. He thought the plot clipped along at an exhilarating pace, and commended Shyamalan’s direction and cinematography for keeping the audience dialed in the entire time. Hoffman was also satisfied by the twist ending (and come on, it wouldn’t be an M. Night Shyamalan movie without a twist ending). Overall, Hoffman noted:

Stephanie Zacharek from TIME Magazine didn’t have a very positive review of Old, to put it mildly. While she thought the acting was good, she argued that the actors didn’t have very good material to work with. She criticized many aspects of the film, from the “agressively disorienting” camerawork to the extremely stiff dialogue, and said:

David Ehrlich from IndieWire didn’t go so far as to say the psychological horror flick was “dumb,” per se, but he thought the movie certainly had its weak points. While he enjoyed the performances of many cast members, such as Krieps, Pierre, Sewell, and Lee, he pointed out that the writing left something to be desired, and basically saw the actors “try to wiggle out of Shyamalan’s writing like straitjacketed musicians in an underwater vault.” In addition to the dialogue, Ehrlich criticized the hurried plot and said:

Well, those were some pretty mixed reviews. Will audiences enjoy the horror film, or will they have varied opinions, like the aforementioned critics? We'll find out very soon, as Old releases in theaters tomorrow, July 23.

If you're looking for more movies to see after M. Night Shyamalan's latest, check out our summer movie release guide.

M. Night Shyamalan’s next film is almost here! He directed, wrote, and co-produced Old, an upcoming supernatural thriller, loosely based on the graphic novel Sandcastle. The ensemble cast includes Gael García Bernal, Thomasin McKenzie, Eliza Scanlen, Alex Wolff, Aaron Pierre, Vicky Krieps, Rufus Sewell, and Ken Leung. In the movie, a family on a tropical vacation discovers that the secluded beach they are relaxing on for a few hours is somehow causing them to age rapidly, reducing their entire lives into a single day. You can check out the full trailer for a peek at what that looks like, but beware, because you'll be checking for wrinkles for the next couple of days.

It’s always a good bet to expect the unexpected with Shyamalan. Did you know he was still fine-tuning the ending of Old, just a month ago? If I had to guess, he’ll have a definite ending to the thriller when it releases in theaters this Friday, July 23. The social embargo has lifted for the movie, so critics are starting to share their thoughts on social media. Let’s take a look, shall we?

CinemaBlend's own Sean O'Connell praised Shyamalan's filmmaking in Old, calling it exhilarating. He even thought that this movie featured some of the most "bold and aggressive" filmmaking he's ever seen from the director. O'Connell also applauded McKenzie's performance in the thriller. While he thought the story could have been a little stronger, he still enjoyed the film overall, saying:

Also from the CinemaBlend side, Mike Reyes enjoyed the film, too. While he thought the beginning of Old was a little too slow and clunky, when it actually gets going, "it flies like a bat out of hell." He applauded the mix of horror and emotional family drama in Old, and said:

Germain Lussier from Gizmodo also really enjoyed the psychological thriller, noting that, in his opinion, it's the best movie Shyamalan has made since 2000's Unbreakable. He thought it was hard to watch in a good way, as he seemingly loved every second of Old. Lussier said:

The Shyamalan thriller had Critics Choice member Fico Cangiano in stress mode throughout the entire thing, which is why he recommends that movie fans see it. He liked the premise and themes throughout Old, and of course the suspense. Cangiano said:

It would seem that Old excels at keeping people on the edge of their seats. Carol Grant, with credits at IndieWire and VICE, thought it was absolutely terrifying. She highly praised Shyamalan's direction, and considers it his most "elegantly directed movie since Signs." She also teased the ending of the movie, saying:

Well, for the most part, people seem to be enjoying Shyamalan's Old, but of course critics still have critiques. Soon, you'll be able to see for yourself when the psychological thriller releases in theaters this Friday, July 23.

If you're eager to plan more trips to the movie theater (or your couch), check out our summer movie release guide.

You know what they say? Everything old is new again. But in this case, the opposite might also be true. Everything new will soon be old. Certainly, M. Night Shyamalan is famous for taking familiar supernatural and/or existential concepts and spinning them into something uniquely unsettling. Not all of his movies are successful at towing that line, but Old, his latest film, sounds promising. A high-concept psychological fright tale written, produced, and directed by the filmmaker, this new project is a notably scaled-back effort, with a smaller crew, one primary location, and only a few actors involved. One hopes that those restrictions allow his talents to flourish, but time will soon tell.

As it was revealed during the Super Bowl, Old is scheduled to arrive in July. While details are limited, we do know some key bits of information about this new/old horror film, which we'll share now. Here's what we know about M. Night Shyamalan's Old!

Old Is The Latest Psychological Horror Film Written, Directed, And Produced By M. Night Shyamalan

Folks, M. Night Shyamalan is back! The Sixth Sense filmmaker has earned as many fans as he has received detractors. But make no mistake: whenever Shyamalan makes a movie, it's an event. Glass didn't match the promise of Split, which was a refreshing return-to-form for the heavily criticized movie-maker, but this psychological horror movie sounds like it has the potential to be another comeback for the inconsistent director. We'll discuss the intriguing plot of this new Shyamalan movie in just a bit.

The New Movie Is Inspired By The Graphic Novel Sandcastle By Pierre Oscar Levy And Frederik Peeters

It's not often that M. Night Shyamalan makes an adaptation. For all his faults, he's one of the few prominent filmmakers making original concept movies at a regular clip. That said, when it comes to this film, Shyamalan gained inspiration from an outside source.

Specifically, the writer/director took notes from Sandcastle, the graphic novel from Pierre Oscar Levy and Frederik Peeters. The storyteller was intrigued by what the material had to say about aging in its creative and haunting fashion, and the middle-aged director wanted to tell a similar story. One hopes this keen inspiration gives him the motivation he needs to tell a concise, engaging and intensely chilling cinematic tale.

Old Follows A Family On A Tropical Vacation Who Discover That Their Secluded Beach Causes Them To Age Rapidly In The Span Of A Day

Prior to this month's Super Bowl trailer debut, Old was completely shrouded in secrecy, with hardly a clue publicly available — outside of its ambiguous title. Now that we have our first look at the upcoming horror film, however, Universal Studios finally released a synopsis, giving us an idea of what we can expect from M. Night Shyamalan's new film.

As the company notes, Old will follow a family on a tropical vacation who discover what appears to be the perfect getaway spot. Alas, as the holiday progresses, the family discovers that the secluded beach is somehow causing them to age rapidly, reducing their entire lives into one single day. There's definitely some heavy existential thematic ground to explore there, and it'll be intriguing to see how M. Night Shyamalan tackles it.

The Movie Stars Gael Garcia Bernal And Phantom Thread's Vicky Krieps

No matter how checkered his reputation may be, M. Night Shyamalan attracts some major talent. Old is hardly an exception, as it stars Gael Garcia Bernal and Vicky Krieps.

In both film and TV, Gael Garcia Bernal is known for a variety of roles, including Amores Perros, Y Tu Mama Tambien, The Motorcycle Diaries, Coco, Bad Education (2004), Babel, and Amazon Prime's Mozart in the Jungle, the latter for which he won a Golden Globe. Additionally, Vicky Krieps is primarily recognized for her starring role in Paul Thomas Anderson's Phantom Thread, though she was also seen in Hanna (2011), A Most Wanted Man, The Girl in the Spider's Web, Colonia, and Sky One's Das Boot.

The Supporting Cast Includes Rufus Sewell, Abbey Lee, Alex Wolff, Eliza Scanlen, Thomasin McKenzie, And Ken Leung

In addition to starring Gael Garcia Bernal and Vicky Krieps, Old's supporting cast is also filled with standouts, including Tony nominee Rufus Sewell (A Knight's Tale), Abbey Lee (The Neon Demon), Alex Wolff (Hereditary), Eliza Scanlen (2019's Little Women), Thomasin McKenzie (Jojo Rabbit) and Ken Leung (Star Wars: The Force Awakens).

Additionally, Old will also feature the talents of Nikki Amuka-Bird (The Personal History of David Copperfield), Alexa Swinton (Billions), Embeth Davitz (The Amazing Spider-Man), and Kathleen Chalfant (House of Cards). Even though Old appears to be modest in scale for M. Night Shyamalan, he has surrounded himself with a theatrical ensemble. Hopefully, everyone will get their time to shine in this summery vacation horror-drama.

Old Was Filmed In The Dominican Republic, Reportedly Making It The First M. Night Shyamalan Movie Shot Completely Out Of Philadelphia Since His Directorial Debut

Typically, you can expect several things from an M. Night Shyamalan movie. You can expect it to be built around an atmospheric premise that doesn't fully reveal itself until the end. You can expect a twist ending that blows your mind or leaves you ripping your tickets in disgust. You can expect spooky scenes mixed with clunky dialogue. And you can expect it to feature Philadelphia as a backdrop. But now, the latter is set to change.

For the first time since 1992's Praying with Anger, M. Night Shyamalan's little-seen feature directorial debut, Shyamalan reportedly filmed his newest film away from the comforts of Philly, as Old was shot entirely in the Dominican Republic last fall. Certainly, Shyamalan is branching out more, which might give some new life to his familiar vision.

While many of M. Night Shyamalan's movies aren't based in The City of Brotherly Love, including After Earth and The Last Airbender, the writer-director has shot his previous movies on sound stages in and near the city. Alas, Old was filmed completely away from Philadelphia, making it a noted departure from his previous work in that respect.

It's The First Movie M. Night Shyamalan Shot On 35mm Since The Last Airbender

Fittingly enough, Old will be an old-fashioned effort from M. Night Shyamalan. It's a scaled-back project, relying on one primary setting, only a minimal number of characters, and a high-concept premise that will almost certainly have some sort of twist by the end. In addition to all these elements, Old is also reportedly the first Shyamalan movie in a decade to be shot on 35mm film. Not since 2010's The Last Airbender has the writer/director shot on actual film; all his follow-up projects (The Visit, Split, Glass) relied on digital photography. Considering all the ways the movie is scaled down, maybe the filmmaker had more room in his budget for film stock? In any case, this decision gives it a crisper cinematic look that'll look great on the big screen.

Additionally, it's worth noting that Old is the fourth collaboration between M. Night Shyamalan and cinematographer Mike Gioulakis. The filmmaker and Us director of photography previously worked together on Split, Glass, and Apple TV+'s Servant.

Old Is Scheduled To Come Out On July 23rd

These days, it's hard to know for certain when any movie will come out. We could all be old ourselves by the time M. Night Shyamalan's latest makes its way into theaters. Nevertheless, following a delayed February 26th release date, the film is now set to be released on July 23rd, in whatever the summer movie season will look like this year. Of course, that's subject to change, but Universal Studios is holding steadfast for now. Certainly, as we mentioned before, time will tell regarding Old's forthcoming release.

Are you excited to see M. Night Shyamalan's Old? Let us know in the comments below!

Filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan had an eventful 2019, with Glass hitting theaters at the beginning of that year and his Apple TV+ series Servant premiering right before the year was over. Additionally, he also began working on his yet-to-be-officially-titled next movie, which began casting back in spring and has now added Gael García Bernal to the lineup.

With plot details still being kept close to the chest, it’s unclear how Gael García Bernal fits into M. Night Shyamalan’s upcoming movie. Nevertheless, he’s the latest addition to this big ensemble that includes Eliza Scanlen, Thomasin McKenzie, Aaron Pierre, Alex Wolff, Vicky Krieps, Abbey Lee, Nikki Amuka-Bird and Ken Leung. Shyamalan is writing, directing and producing this feature, and as he did with The Visit, Split and Glass, he’ll be financing this latest cinematic endeavor, along with the one after that.

As noted in Deadline’s report, this marks one of Gael García Bernal few forays into “tentpole territory,” with the majority of his resume consisting of more independent/prestige fare like Babel, Rosewater, Eva Doesn’t Sleep and, most recently, Wasp Network. As far as reaching particularly large audiences, plenty of folks heard Bernal voicing Hector Rivera in Pixar’s 2017 movie Coco, and he also led the Amazon series Mozart in the Jungle from 2014 to 2018.

M. Night Shyamalan announced in May 2019 that he’d begun outlining his next movie, which he described as having “a little fun sci-fi bent,” and as of this past May, he’d been storyboarding it. While Shyamalan’s movies are often centered on just a few characters, this latest movie boasts one of its biggest casts yet, so it’ll be interesting to learn how they all fit into this secret narrative.

Originally set for release on February 26, 2021, M. Night Shyamalan’s next movie was delayed by Universal Pictures back in April, and it still hasn’t been announced what its new release date will be. Like so many movies of late, it became necessary to push the Shyamalan feature back to the ongoing health crisis, which has disrupted the theatrical business and numerous film and television productions.

As far as his latest released projects go, while Glass wasn’t a critical success, it did do incredibly well for itself commercially, pulling in around $247 million worldwide off a $20 million budget. Then there’s Servant, which was met with generally positive reviews and has already been renewed for a second season. So fingers crossed Shyamalan’s next movie will keep his good luck streak going.

Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more updates on how M. Night Shyamalan’s next movie is coming along, along with plenty of other movie and TV news. For now, head to our 2020 release schedule to learn what movies are expected to come out later this year.

As if someone was reading our minds on a regular basis, it was announced last weekend that director Robert Rodriguez is looking to bring the long developing remake of Escape From New York to the big screen. So with such a dynamic director behind the camera, you can expect not only a lot of fun in front of the camera, but also some top notch casting. After all, the man's not a contemporary of Quentin Tarantino's for no good reason. But just who could take the role of Snake Plissken and make it as balls out exciting as Kurt Russell did in John Carpenter's 1981 original?

Well, in the 36 years between the original film's release and now, there have been quite a few actors that came along and walked the line between bad ass and wise ass that Plissken has always occupied in our hearts and minds. And these 10 contestants are the ones that should be on Rodriguez's short list, with a couple of them undoubtedly being on that list already as he's worked with them in the past. So join us now as we slither through these select few people who could possibly come close to that 80s Kurt Russell magic synonymous with Snake's legacy.

Ben Foster

Snake Plissken needs an actor that knows how to take the bad guys to task, and do so with a smile on his face. We need to identify with him, but at the same time know that he's going to do some stuff we might begin to question. After watching Ben Foster in his turn as Chris Pine's brother in Hell or High Water, he became one of the first people we'd cast in this role in a heartbeat. Even with his total resume laid out on the line, we'd be sold to cast Foster as the next stage of Snake's pop culture lifespan. But recalling the mix of raw threatening energy and good ol' boy charm, piss and vinegar, just makes us thrill at the prospect of Ben Foster turning New York city into his own playground.

Antonio Banderas

Robert Rodriguez and Antonio Banderas are like peanut butter and chocolate: they've been paired before, they'll be paired again and we'll line up for our fair share whenever they decide to do it again! In the case of the Escape from New York remake, it'd pair the two together for a project that'd harken back to the days of Desperado and Once Upon A Time In Mexico. Except Snake is a bit more of an anti-hero than El Mariachi ever was, which should be fun when played with Banderas' darker sensibilities. It's also been way too long since Antonio Banderas has gotten to shoot stuff up and spout witty lines, so this is too good a possibility to pass up.

Alexa Vega

Now, let's say for a moment that Robert Rodriguez wants to go in a really different direction with Snake Plissken and gender swap the character. Snake is a pretty gender neutral name, last we checked, so why not bring in long time Rodriguez contributor Alexa Vega into the mix? She's already worked on some action friendly projects with the director, such as Machete Kills and Sin City: A Dame To Kill For, and she's young enough that a franchise wouldn't be out of the picture. Also, it'd be kind of cool to see how the role of Snake would change with a female actor taking the lead, and it's the sort of experimentation that can make a remake like this really sing.

Chris Pine

Hewing closer to the short list a major studio would probably draft up once Escape From New York's remake was announced, Chris Pine's name seems like a natural to be linked to Snake Plissken. That said, Pine has definitely shown range outside of any typical studio picture, in both Hell or High Water and Stretch. Pine is definitely up for getting crazy while staring danger dead in the eye, and he just has one of those faces that screams Snake. You could practically imagine him speaking in a low, menacing drawl similar to that of Kurt Russell as you're reading this sentence.

Gael Garcia Bernal

With what could arguably be the most varied range roles in his personal canon, Gael Garcia Bernal definitely has what it takes to play Snake Plissken. Bernal's experience in everything from independent dramas to a Spanish language Will Ferrell comedy, he's flexible enough that you could drop him in any project, and he'd fit. But between the cheerful defiance of authority in Mozart In The Jungle, and the pulse pounding action he endured in Desierto, it's that combination that wins Gael Garcia Bernal a spot on this list.

Chris Pratt

You can blame James Gunn for this one, as casting Kurt Russell as the father of Chris Pratt's Star-Lord in Guardians of The Galaxy Vol. 2 showed us just how alike the two actors are. In fact, it could even be said that Peter Quill feels like a Marvel/Disney version of Snake Plissken, only with more humanity and the ability to give a shit about the people he's working with. Those could easily fall away though, and Pratt's natural swagger and command of the screen take after his soon-to-be on screen dad's earlier masterworks. From here on out, you're probably going to hear Pratt's name as an automatic option whenever a Russell picture is being remade.

Diego Luna

Above any other role on Diego Luna's resume, Cassian Andor from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is the one that really sold us on Luna becoming the next Snake Plissken. Charming when he has to be, yet dangerous all the time, Cassian was a vital piece to the operation that stole the Death Star plans. He's also a dyed in the wool anti-hero for a good portion of the film, which also helps sell his credibility in the role. So naturally, if Diego Luna can navigate through Imperial forces to complete such a task, rescuing the president from post-apocalyptic New York should be a walk in the park.

John Leguizamo

It's no secret that Robert Rodriguez loves to work with Latino and Latina actors, and we've definitely played that fact to the hilt with previous contenders we've put onto this short list. But if there's anyone who could use an awesome career resurrection in the vein of so many others Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino have brought into the modern world, John Leguizamo is certainly one of them. With his work in the John Wick franchise laying down some serious framework, Leguizamo would not only be a perfect fit for the gruff and grumpy side of the character, but he's also a shoo-in for the wise cracking part of the deal. Giving him a chance to take on a wild future New York, with all of the gangs and freaks waiting to take a piece of him, would be a glorious cherry on top of an already legendary career.

Michael Biehn

Dipping into the Robert Rodriguez stable of character actors for one final time, we can't help but think that Michael Biehn would be a fantastic Snake to bring Escape From New York into the 21st century. As if plum roles in films like Terminator, Aliens and Tombstone didn't prime us to automatically cast this fellow 80s bad-ass in Rodriguez's new iteration of Snake Plissken's infamous adventure, his work with the director only reinforces our feelings. Playing the sheriff in Planet Terror has familiarized him with the director's unique touch, so this is only another hand in glove combo that could serve the material perfectly. Well, maybe there's one last person that could do justice to Snake Plissken.

Kurt Russell

If something's not broken, then you really shouldn't try to fix it. Which is why we think if Robert Rodriguez is going to give Escape From New York some serious thought, he should consider making a call to Kurt Russell and inviting him to grow out his hair and don the eye patch once more. The only real drawback is the fact that casting Russell does limit Rodriguez's remake in terms of how much it can innovate or diverge from the original. Still, with his action franchise cred being renewed with Furious 7, having the OG Snake riding again would not only help us forget Escape From L.A. ever existed, it kind of makes sense.

Big news dropped back in March when hit Comedy Central late night talk show host Jon Stewart announced that he would be taking a hiatus 12-week hiatus from his Daily Show duties to make his directorial debut with a feature called Rosewater, based on BBC journalist Mazir Bahari’s book Then They Came For Me: A Family’s Story of Love, Captivity and Survival. While production hasn't started up yet, it is starting to put pieces together, and today we've learned that its found a lead actor.

Gael Garcia Bernal, the Mexican actor best known for his performances in films like Amores Perros, The Motorcycle Diaries and Y Tu Mama Tambien, has signed a deal to star in Stewart's Rosewater, according to The Wrap. In the movie Bernal will star as Bahari, a journalist who travels from his home in London to Iran so that he can cover the presidential elections. Instead he ended up getting arrested and spending 118 days in prison where he was interrogated regularly. The title comes from the fact that Bahari remembers that his interrogator smelled like rosewater.

The source notes that while Stewart is away "reporter" Jon Oliver will be taking over hosting duties for The Daily Show. He will be on for eight weeks of Stewart's 12-week hiatus.

Bernal was recently featured in the Chilean true-life political thriller No. In addition to recently signing on to the new drama Evita, he is also attached to play the title role in Zorro Reborn (though there has been little movement on that in the last year).

There's no lack of spectacular leading performances from actors this year-- Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman in The Master could alone make this one of the best years ever for male actors. But one of my favorite performances that I've seen this year is actually from a film that won't officially open until next spring, the Chilean drama No, which stars Mexican actor Gael Garcia Bernal as an ad executive caught up in a history-making campaign to unseat Chile's powerful dictator, Augusto Pinochet.

Bernal, who has had standout roles in Y Tu Mama Tambien and Bad Education in the past, gives a commanding leading man performance, and as I wrote from the Toronto Film Festival, he gives the film an "excellent emotional center." I'm hoping that performance leads him to bigger roles in films than he's been getting in recent years, and now it seems he's taking a very solid step in that direction. THR reports that Bernal is in negotiations to join Matthew McConaughey in The Dallas Buyer's Club, a drama based on the true story of a Texas man who was diagnosed with AIDS and began smuggling drugs to treat the disease over the American border.

The report describes Bernal's role as "showy," and as an "effeminate member of the club" in which other AIDS patients also receive the treatment drugs. Dallas Buyer's Club has been a passion project for McConaughey for years, and clearly after this year's success of Magic Mike and (to a lesser extent) The Paperboy, McConaughey is in a position where he can get the movie made. Production is set to begin in November in New Orleans, despite the fact that Hilary Swank has recently dropped out of a major role. Honestly, that doesn't matter-- McConaughey and Bernal on board a story this intriguing is all I need to be interested.

"It'll have you leaving the theater singing!" is the kind of hacky quote you might see on the poster for a Broadway musical, but I swear to God, it happened to me after one of the best films I've seen at this year's Toronto Film Festival. I walked into Pablo Larrain's No knowing pretty much three things: it starred Gael Garcia Bernal, it was somehow about the dictator Pinochet, and I knew absolutely nothing about Pinochet. There was also some kind of word of good buzz about it from the Cannes Film Festival, but you probably assume that means the same thing I did-- it would be an important but possibly stiff and serious story about politics in a South American country, rewarding but probably difficult to sit through.

What I got, though, was some hybrid of an election thriller and all the best episodes of Mad Men, with that aforementioned music that's been an unforgettable jingle ever since. Gael Garcia Bernal plays a fictionalized version of the man who created this ad, an advertising executive named Rene Saavedra who we meet in the first scene trying to sell a soda company on a similarly energetic, youthful ad. He's not especially politically engaged, and seems estranged from his wife specifically because of her leftist leanings. But eventually Pinochet, who took over the country in a military coup in 1973, is brought up for a public referendum, in which the electorate will be given a chance to vote "Yes" to keep him in power, or "No" to democratically elect someone else. Rene is asked to consult on the "No" campaign, partly because of his own father's reputation among leftist politicians, and like any good movie hero, he soon finds himself engaged in the campaign more than he ever expected.

No announces itself as a very unusual political thriller in a very jarring way at first. The entire film is shot on Betamax, the video format commonly used on television in the late 1980s when No takes place, but which of course looks like crap compared to film or modern digital video. The format allows director Pablo Larrain to effortlessly weave in TV broadcasts and ads from the time, but it takes some serious getting used to-- characters have a purple haze around them at times, the focus is often off, and intimate scenes have the surreal feeling that they're being broadcast on the evening news. At the same time, it makes No feel like it's sliced directly out of the era, and when we see Rene and his team shooting the ad above, the recreation of the behind-the-scenes action is spot on; by pulling you forcibly into the past with the format, Larrain makes all these events from decades ago feel unavoidably current.

That also adds a great tension to the film's climax, which is even more thrilling if, like me, you're way in the dark about your Chilean history. Bernal's centered, engaging leading man performance gives the movie an excellent emotional center-- his troubled relationship with his wife and devotion to his son help too-- but No also allows fantastic moments of humor, in both the spy games the No and Yes campaigns play against each other and the often ridiculous process of filming a TV ad. I haven't seen Ben Affleck's Argo here at TIFF, but No has a lot of the tension, excellent ensemble acting and political relevance others have praised that film for. And with a release coming from Sony Pictures Classics later this year, No could easily find itself in the Oscar race as well. It's finely tuned entertainment and an awesome historical lesson, even for those who don't know a damn thing walking in.

We've been hearing about the new Zorro adventure for a couple of months now. In April of last year it was reported that 20th Century Fox was developing a project called Zorro Reborn, which would not only reboot the franchise that starred Antonio Banderas, but would completely change the setting, moving the masked vigilante to a post-apocalyptic future. The big question, though, was who would they get to play the titular character? Say what you will about the quality of Martin Campbell's films (particularly the second one), but Banderas was perfect for the part. Fortunately, there is another famous hispanic actor that could fit the bill quite nicely and now the studio has brought him on board.

Variety has it that Gael Garcia Bernal is now attached to star in Zorro Reborn. The project still doesn't have a director, but it does have a script written by Glenn Gers (2008's Mad Money) and Lee Shipman and Brian McGreevy (who wrote the upcoming Dracula movie Harker). In this particular story, which will explore the origins of the character, Zorro will be a hero in the future fighting for revenge, but few other details about the story are currently available. Bernal will be seen next starring alongside Will Ferrell in Casa de mi Padre and is currently in production on director Pablo Larraín's No. The trade's report doesn't say when the project might go into production.

Bernal is a great actor, but do you think that he has the skills necessary to play an iconic character like Zorro? What do you think about the future setting? Leave your thoughts and ideas in the comments section below.

When examining the validity of a rumor, I find it best to think of the whole thing like a sandwich. The idea itself is the bread. The actors are the ingredients. Then I mentally construct said sandwich in my head and decide first, would the ingredients really agree to be in this sandwich and secondly, if they did, would Subway try to sell American on buying this sandwich? Sometimes the whole thing fits quite nicely. Tom Hanks (bacon) + Julia Roberts (lettuce) + Phillip Seymour Hoffman (tomato) in a dramedy about a wild politician involved in the Cold War (wheat). Perfect. But sometimes if a few pieces are absent, it’s not as clear cut as a BLT.

Last year, rumors started to fly that Will Ferrell (ketchup) was going to appear in a Spanish language comedy (hoagie). This struck a lot of people as idiotic, but now, with the additions of Diego Luna (smoked sausage) and Gael Garcia Bernal (macaroni n cheese), the whole thing might turn out to be one strange, messy pile of deliciousness.

According to Collider, the still untitled comedy will follow Ferrell as a lifelong farm hand who enlists the help of his brother (Diego Luna) and his fiancé (Genesis Rodriguez, pepper) to bail the family homestead out of financial problems. Unfortunately, the scheme goes awry when Ferrell falls in love with the fiancé and his brother stars war with a Mexican drug lord (Bernal).

The whole sandwich is very much still in the construction stages, but that doesn’t mean I’m not hungry for it. Word on the street is it also may involve intentional overacting from all parties, but that’s still yet to be verified. Go ahead and get out some chips and dip, it might be awhile.

There are so many questions you ought to ask yourself as you watch the Letters to Juliet trailer, which debuted today at Moviefone and you can watch embedded below. First of all: what are Amanda Seyfried and Gael Garcia Bernal doing engaged to each other? She is 24 and looks 18, and he is 30 and looks 30. Second, if she's lucky enough to be engaged to Gael Garcia Bernal, why is she running around Italy without him on a hunt for some other woman's long-lost love? And third, why on earth does this trailer show us the entire plot, to the point that I can predict the exact moment that Seyfried falls in love with some other dude?

Letters to Juliet probably wasn't ever going to be more than a generic romantic comedy, but this trailer tells you precisely the kind of generic romantic comedy it will be. A young woman (Seyfried) thinks she knows what and who she wants, winds up in an exotic location (Italy) with a motley cast of side characters (Vanessa Redgrave included) and falls in love with a new guy (Christopher Egan), who understands her in a way the first guy never did. I'm pretty sure Leap Year, the Amy Adams romantic comedy whose trailer debuted a few days ago, has the exact same plot. Some day I will blindfold someone and show them both movies and see if they can tell which is which.

Anyway, Letters to Juliet shows up in theaters next May, to fill that Made of Honor/Lucky You chick flick slot up against Iron Man 2. I'm sure it'll be fine and utterly forgettable. Check out the trailer below.

Letters to Juliet is a non-fiction book about people who write letters to the fictional heroine of Shakespeare's play, and the volunteers who answer those letters. Not exactly the easiest material to adapt for film, unless you do what Summit Entertainment is doing, and make up a whole story around it.

That's how Amanda Seyfried and Gael Garcia Bernal will find themselves in Italy this summer, starring in the Gary Winick-directed Letters to Juliet. Variety reports that Seyfried and Bernal will play a couple who find a letter written by an older woman Vanessa Redgrave) to Juliet, searching for a man she fell in love with years ago. Seyfried's character then travels across Tuscany in an attempt to find the man. Evidently she's successful, because he's played by Franco Nero.

Winick, who most recently made Bride Wars, may wind up giving a generic romantic comedy gloss to a movie that otherwise sounds very original and sweet. Then again, he made the emotionally nuanced Charlotte's Web in 2006. I'm willing to give the guy a chance, especially with this great cast at his disposal. How about you?

There have been more famous onscreen duos in screen history, and even some of them have been friends in real life, but few are as fun to watch together as Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal. The two broke into stardom in 2001's Y Tu Mama Tambien, when both were around 21. Now in their 30s, with families of their own, they've reunited for Rudo y Cursi, a dramedy about two brothers from a rural community who become soccer superstars, each handling fame in equally poor ways.

Luna and Bernal walked into the roundtable interview dressed alike-- I swear to God-- though I don't know if it was on purpose. Ribbing each other and occasionally translating each others Spanish, they talked about returning to acting after making their own films, their continuing partnership through Canana Films, and which one of them would win in a penalty kick. Read it all in the interview below.

What's it like to work together again?

Bernal: It was very nice to work together again, no?

Luna: Was it?

Bernal: As actors. We've been putting up our production company called Canana. We've been helping films get made, and also we have a documentary film festival in Mexico. It's really original. It's called Ambulante, and it's a film festival that travels around several cities in Mexico. And what else? We've had our projects also. We've been ping-ponging projects. For example, when Diego is going to act in a film, or I'm going to act in a film, we talk about that.

Luna: It was nice to be just actors again. It was nice just to be thinking about characters, about the scenes and the relationship of the characters, and not to think about money, or what was going to happen, or what was not going to happen. When you're an actor they protect you as much as they can.

Since Y Tu Mama Tambien you've both become directors. Have you noticed how that's change your dynamic on this film? A better awareness?

Bernal: We're more aware of what's happening, how can we anticipate certain things and make things better, easier. I think in this film in particular, we had just finished post-production on the films that we directed, so we were incredibly tired and incredibly thankful that we were going to be just actors on this film. Nevertheless we got on the set and couldn't get away from that dynamic of directing.We wanted to be in every single aspect. I think at the end of the day that's great for a director, to work with actors who wants to be part of the whole thing, and participate.

Luna: I think Carlos was really happy also to have us as part of it. He invited us from the beginning, when he said 'I have a story, and the story is about two brothers, and the context is football, and it's the story of these two guys and how their lives change.' And he said 'I want you to commit to the project so I can go and write it. And I want to invite you to read everything I'm writing, and give me stuff and work together.' We were part of this from beginning to end.

Since you know each other so well, do you even have to work at creating these characters? Also, Carlos told us that at the beginning there was a little dust-up about who wants to play who.

Bernal: That's a mythology that he wants to believe. Just by repeating, he already convinced himself that that's a reality. No, we had to work a lot to get the characters going, just in the sense of building up the world of the characters. Some of you might speak Spanish and maybe you can notice that the characters have a certain accent and a certain physicality, there's a little color that's very different from what, let's say, the people from the big city in a way. What we wanted to play was to build up this character as the characters, pretty much. Give them a strong accent, give them a sense of being from the same family. And for that we rehearsed a lot.

What are the most important things that you've learned from each other that have helped make you a better person or a better actor?

Bernal: In terms of work, obviously acting is such a job that is very in the flesh kind of thing. It's your work, but it's your life, in a way. You can get so mixed up. I would say that I learned something that I admire a lot from Diego, that he's capable of having a good time in any situation. That has inspired my approach in the acting sense, but in life also. I want to do work, but I also want to have a good time, in the same way that he has a good time. Luna: Every time I'm about to hit a wall, there's Gael telling me 'There might be a wall.' I've learned the commitment and the amount of introspection he goes through before even choosing to be somewhere. It has taught me a lot.

A lot of the tension in the film revolves around a penalty kick. Between the two of you, who would win in a penalty kick?

Luna: Ahhh. Wait a second. The way it's set, definitely Gael, because I'm the worst goalkeeper. The thing is none of us is a goalkeeper, so you'll never know. But I can tell you one thing. Sometimes for luck, sometimes because I am a better player, I score more goals than Gael.

Bernal: It's true. Statistics say that. But who gives him the passes?

Luna: The beauty of football is that it's about 11, and another five at least are sitting outside. You cannot get competitive.

Bernal: Fortunately we support the same team. That was a turning point [in our friendship], our affiliation to a football club that we support throughout. We went to a football game in 1991. We were only 12, and we went to see the final where Pumas won against America. It was a big turning point in our lives. We arrived four hours before to the match, we were the sixth people to go into the stadium. We were really excited, we were very young, and we had looked for the tickets ourselves, we had done all the work for ourselves. We stayed through the whole celebrations after, for hours.

What's your approach to acting when it's comedy?

Bernal: With the acting, well, this hybrid, this is a very Cuaron-esque sort of approach. You can see that also in Alfonso's movies, even Harry Potter or Children of Men. He combines this strong criticism, or strong dissection of philosophical aspect of society, yet at the same time it's full of a sense of humor in a way.

Luna: In this kind of film, what Carlos wrote, you don't think about the comedy. It's not as if it's written as if one line makes you laugh and the next closes the joke to make a new one. It's not jokes put together in a scene. It's just situations that become so funny because they're so real, and that's the first thing. In fact there are plenty of moments that the first time I saw it with an audience, I wanted to tell people it wasn't funny. I remember in Y Tu Mama Tambien, in that scene where he stops the car, he comes out and shouts at me, spits at the window.

Bernal:[Audiences thought] it was the funniest thing ever.

Luna: When we were shooting it it was like a funeral. It's one of those things where you wake up and say 'Fuck, I have the tough scene. Shit. Let's get ready, concentrate, think about what you want to think.' Same when I shout at him in the room. Then when we saw it with an audience everyone was laughing and laughing. They couldn't hear what we were saying. It was like, so un-respectful. You should be crying here! And I guess that's the Carlos touch, how he writes. Everything is there from the beginning on the page.

Bernal: That's what maybe makes the comedy universal. It's not about the punchline. The whole thing is very strange. It's very actable also. It's not easy to act, but to direct to act. It goes form one place to the next. It's not heading for the punchline, and also it's not about scoring goals. It's about passing the ball, and the goals will come by themselves.