The star and first-time director gets to put his own spin on the Rocky franchise, though Sylvester Stallone's absence is felt. Creed III Review: Michael B. Jordan’s Directorial Debut Lands Some Solid Punches Liz Shannon Miller
After teasing her return in last month’s first-look preview, Marvel has fully unveiled Natalie Portman’s Mighty Thor, Goddess of Thunder in the first trailer for Thor: Love and Thunder. Debuted during Game 4 of the NBA’s Eastern Conference finals, the new trailer reveals far more of the upcoming fourquel (a first for a Marvel Cinematic Universe solo series) from Taika Waititi. Picking up after the Avengers: Endgame, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is on a quest to find peace within himself, going from “dad bod to God bod) and joining the Guardians of the Galaxy (Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord, Karen Gillan’s Nebula, Dave Bautista’s Drax, Pom Klementieff’s Mantis, et al). While he’s away, Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) is serving as Queen of New Asgard, a role she finds isn’t as exciting as it might have s...
This review is part of our Sundance 2021 coverage. The Pitch: Based on Nella Larsen’s 1929 novel of the same name, Passing follows Irene (Tessa Thompson) and Clare (Ruth Negga), two mixed-race women who can walk through life passing for white. While Clare revels in this, Irene wears it with disdain, and when the duo reunite, all hell breaks loose up in Harlem. The Standout: It’s like director Rebecca Hall knew 2021 would be the perfect time to premiere her debut film at Sundance. Her first feature tackles the issue of colorism–something that’s so pervasive and transparent now more than ever. It’s a subject that’s previously been explored in films such as Queen, Imitation of Life, School Daze, and Skin, but Passing stands out by compounding the challenges of colorism and the violence of the...