Culture & Entertainment Editor
Sofia Martinez
Sofia spent five years as a staff critic before joining PokerWizard to launch our entertainment desk. She covers the prestige film and TV beat with a critic's bias toward formal craft and an editor's instinct for the deal behind the deal. Awards season is her favorite time of year. She is, depending on the day, either the toughest grader on staff or the most generous.
Joined PokerWizard 2023
More posts by Sofia Martinez
Bob Dylan, Wearing Hoodie, Meets Pope
Not quite Heaven’s door, but close
AFI Fest Review: Rehearsals for a Revolution Weaves the Personal and Political With Complicated Results
Rehearsals for a Revolution sits squarely within the personal memoir documentary’s wheelhouse, filtering Iran’s recent history through the more intimate memories of those closest to its filmmaker, Pegah Ahangarani. We begin with Ahangarani’s father, who, having fought valiantly in the revolution, finds himself disillus
Nuisance Bear Review: A Visually Stunning Look at a Polar Bear’s Impeded Journey
Note: This review was originally published as part of our 2026 Sundance coverage. The film arrives in theaters on November 6. Gabriela Osio Vanden and Jack Weisman’s Nuisance Bear is an expansion of their 2021 short film of the same name, which followed a polar bear on its annual migration through Churchill, Manitoba,
Soul Patrol Review: A Fascinating If Uneven Account of Black Military Excellence
Note: This review was originally published as part of our 2026 Sundance coverage. The film arrives in theaters on November 6. J.M. Harper’s Soul Patrol is a compelling account of the Vietnam War’s first Black special operations team, told 50 years later. An onslaught of mixed mediums, it is fascinatingly incomplete in
L’Innocente Trailer: Luchino Visconti’s Final Film Receives 50th Anniversary 4K Restoration
Capping off a remarkable career, Luchino Visconti’s final film L’Innocente was released in 1976 to much acclaim. For its 50th anniversary, a new 4K adaptation of his adaptation of Gabriele D’Annunzio’s 1892 novel starring Giancarlo Giannini, Laura Antonelli, and Jennifer O’Neill, will now be rolling out in theaters. Ah
Charlotte Adigéry and Bolis Pupul Line Up New Album and Tour
Watch the acrobatic “From Healer to Dealer” video from Topical Dancer follow-up Mainland Madinina
AFI Fest Review: Tangles Is a Polished but Overly Familiar Alzheimer’s Drama
The opening of animated feature Tangles is the type of heartwarming introduction to a fearless mother that would not be out of place in a Pixar film. Midge (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) enters her daughter Sarah’s bedroom, wielding a flashlight as a makeshift lightsaber to ward off shadowy monsters in the wallpaper. A quick ti
Paradise Lost Review: Yeon Sang-ho’s Familial Thriller of Dark Secrets
Note: This review was originally published as part of our 2026 TIFF coverage. The film arrives in theaters on November 6. When a bus of thirteen children on their way to summer camp is found empty on the side of the road with only the body of their teacher, the city at-large fears the worst. […] The post Paradise Lost
Carrie Coon Is Haunted by the Past In First Trailer for The Liberation
Earning much acclaim on the fall festival circuit for her performance, Carrie Coon’s latest role is in The Liberation. Guy Nattiv’s cult drama, which played at Telluride and TIFF, will now get a January 8 release preceded by an NYC awards-qualifying run beginning this week. Ahead of the roll-out, Bleecker Street has de
Exclusive Trailer for The Bulldogs Finds Poser Directors Capturing a Community Rebuilding
Following their narrative feature Poser, directors Noah Dixon and Ori Segev returned to Ohio with The Bulldogs, a documentary that premiered at Slamdance Film Festival earlier this year and will now be arriving this month from Antenna Releasing. Ahead of a national roadshow starting on November 19, we’re pleased to exc
Yaeji Plots a Dance Dance Revolution in New Single “DDR”
The singer-producer’s first song of the year is a collaboration with Enayet and K Wata
Lily Allen Dressed as an Empty Ticketmaster Map for Halloween
After scaling down her summer tour, Allen dressed up as every pop star’s nightmare: a pox of unsold tickets
Footage of Seoul crush to be removed from Call of Duty after backlash
Bereaved families say they were appalled to see footage of the Itaewon disaster included in Modern Warfare 4.
How video game remakes tap the power of nostalgia
Video games are good at triggering nostalgia, a key reason why classic games keep getting remade.
Phoebe Bridgers Announces Madison Square Garden EP
Out now via Tidal
Everytime Teaser: Sandra Wollner’s Unforgettable Cannes Winner Sets February Release
Among the most staggering, unforgettable experiences one can have in a theater this year is Sandra Wollner’s Everytime, a drama about loss that skirts seemingly every convention one might want to pre-emptively box it into. Impeccably shot by Aftersun DP Gregory Oke, the Un Certain Regard winner, three-time Gotham Award
Junior Boys Return With New Album The Gore
“Underneath the Moon” leads the Canadian duo’s follow-up to Waiting Game
Queen at Sea Review: Tom Courtenay and Juliette Binoche Lead Thorny Moral Dilemma
Note: This review was originally published as part of our 2026 Berlinale coverage. The film arrives in theaters on October 30. Eleven years ago, Tom Courtenay arrived at the Berlinale with Andrew Haigh’s 45 Years, an exquisitely observed study of emotional dilemma in which the British actor played a doddery romantic wh
The B-Sides of Jacques Tourneur with Gavin Mevius
Welcome to The B-Side! Here we talk about movie directors! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones that they made in between. And sometimes scary movie directors! Happy Halloween! As is tradition, our dear friend Gavin Mevius (of The Mixed Reviews and The Q Division podcasts) joins us […]
Jim James Announces Memoir One Wonders
“I hope the main thing someone takes away from this book (aside from learning more about the joys and challenges of being a working artist and musician) is that it’s okay to ask for help."
Politico Plans Live Video Coverage of Midterm Elections
Politico isn’t leaving live video coverage of the midterm elections to the usual suspects. The political-news outlet will steam “Politico Elections Live” on Tuesday, November 3, beginning at 9 p.m., with five of its top journalists analyzing real-time results. The program will stream on Politico.com and the Politico ap
Ancestral Memory Meets AI in Himalayan Drama ‘Shirjara: Song of Grandmother’ at Tokyo Gap-Financing Market
A Himalayan drama that sets a grandmother’s stories against the rise of artificial intelligence is aiming for a Cannes premiere next year. Director Bikash Subedi’s Nepali feature “Shirjara: Song of Grandmother” has wrapped principal photography and is at the Tokyo Gap-Financing Market to raise its last $44,000. Describ
Punk Band Guitar Wolf Rocks Back Into Takeuchi Tetsuro’s ‘Wild Zero Overdrive’ at Tokyo Gap-Financing Market
Guitar Wolf, a real-life punk outfit with a long record of touring internationally, headlines “Wild Zero Overdrive,” director Takeuchi Tetsuro’s follow-up to his 1999 film “Wild Zero.” The project is among those at this year’s Tokyo Gap-Financing Market. Takeuchi said he is using the original as a template and updating
Acrobatic Pastor’s Secret Obsession Drives Boo Junfeng’s ‘Trinity’ at Tokyo Gap-Financing Market
A celebrity preacher who performs daredevil stunts for his congregation while hiding his fixation on a young follower sits at the center of “Trinity,” the new feature from director Boo Junfeng, which is among the projects at this year’s Tokyo Gap-Financing Market. Structured in three chapters modeled on the Father, Son
‘The One About Matthew Perry’ Director on Gaining His Sister’s Trust, Explaining How He Died and More
SPOILER ALERT: This post contains conversation about all three episodes of “The One About Matthew Perry,” now streaming on Netflix. At the end of Netflix’s new docuseries “The One About Matthew Perry,” director Mary Robertson can be heard saying something off camera. “He feels very present,” Robertson softly offers to
‘Manhood’ Review: Penis Enlargement Documentary Curves Left of Center
Daniel Lombroso's certainly bizarre but sensitive portrait follows a PhalloFill entrepreneur (it's what it sounds like) and two of his clients as they walk us through a cosmetic phenomenon whose main clientele are insecure men.
Will ‘You Can See Everything’ Catch ‘Fahrenheit 9/11’ to Be the Highest-Grossing Documentary Ever?
Nathan Fielder's doc is a cultural sensation, but it's unlikely to match the fervor around Michael Moore's seminal George W. Bush screed.
‘The Mosquito Bowl’ Review: ‘Friday Night Lights’ Meets ‘Five Came Back’ in Peter Berg’s Formulaic Netflix Movie About a World War II Football Game
Ray Nicholson and Bill Skarsgård star in an unexceptional sports drama that falls well short of a first down.
‘The Gilded Age’ Review: Season 4 Is Team Bertha’s Time to Shine
In a season laced with career aspirations and complications (supplementary to the lace gowns and lavish meals, of course), Julian Fellowes and Sonja Warfield's effervescent period drama sees Carrie Coon's rising socialite ascend to another plane.
‘I Play Rocky’ Wins Virginia Film Fest Audience Award as Peter Farrelly’s Stallone Drama Readies for Theaters
Exclusive: The Anthony Ippolito breakout vehicle was TIFF's first runner-up and has since wowed festival and tastemaker crowds.
Neil Young Files $10 Million Suit Against Trump for Using ‘Rockin’ in the Free World,’ Six Years After a Prior Settlement Over the Same Song
Neil Young has filed a $10 million lawsuit Monday against Donald J. Trump’s political action committee, Trump 47 Committee Inc., alleging copyright infringement for the ongoing use of Young’s song “Rockin’ in the Free World” as the president’s walkup music at midterm election rallies. If it feels like (to quote a Crosb
‘Nobody Wants This’ Star Tovah Feldshuh Responds to Adam Brody’s Palestine Support: ‘To Accuse the Jewish People of Genocide’ Is ‘Right Out of Hitler’s Playbook’
“Nobody Wants This” star Tovah Feldshuh has weighed in after Adam Brody called for a “Free Palestine” during a GQ interview last month. At the time, the actor, who plays Rabbi Noah Roklov on the Netflix show, explained that while he hadn’t spoken publicly about the Israel-Gaza issue before, it comes up “a lot” for […]
‘Wildwood’ Sparked a Much-Needed Comeback for Laika at the Box Office
Travis Knight's stop-motion animated epic opened to $12.2 million, which is on par with the opening for the company's "Kubo and the Two Strings."
James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DC Experiment: What’s Working, What Isn’t, and What’s Next
Four years and three movies into a total rebuild, we review — and grade — the latest iteration of the DC Universe.
‘Elastic Hearts’ Filmmakers Claim Their Movie Was Denied a Texas Tax Incentive Over Abortion Storyline
Exclusive: The $2 million drama starring Cole Sprouse spent $1.24 million in qualified spending in the state only to wait nine months for a rejection.
Why Emmy Wins and Hollywood Recognition Don’t Guarantee Jobs for BIPOC Artists: ‘The Needle Has Not F***ing Moved’
“We need to stop saying that. It’s only moving for a select few," Vietnamese actor Trieu Tran, which speaks to talent of color below and above the line about the industry's opportunity problem.
From ‘The Devils’ to ‘Obsession,’ How ‘Femcel’ Horror Handles Horny Women
With Ken Russell's "The Devils" thriving in theaters, horror is still obsessed with the dangers of female desire. Offscreen, real women are questioning if romance is worth wanting at all.
Walter Koenig, Actor Who Played Chekov on ‘Star Trek,’ Dies at 90
The character actor appeared in seven "Star Trek" films and the original series.
John Cena Says ‘I Understand’ Why ‘Peacemaker’ Isn’t James Gunn’s Main Focus Compared to Other ‘Valuable’ DC Studios IP
John Cena, who starred as the patriotic mercenary Christopher Smith in James Gunn’s “Peacemaker,” recently said that he understands why the show is no longer a top priority for Gunn, who served as the TV series’ writer, creator and showrunner. In an interview with “Happy, Sad, Confused” podcast host Josh Horowitz, the
Law Kar-ying and Paw Hee-ching Joined by Sham Kaki, QBobo, Virginia Lau, Ahstisham Ahmad and Jayan Marquez in Sri Kishore’s ‘The Grand Tribute’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Sri Kishore has set his supporting cast for “The Grand Tribute,” adding Sham Kaki, QBobo, Virginia Lau, Ahstisham Ahmad and Jayan Yvette C. Marquez alongside Hong Kong veterans Law Kar-ying and Paw Hee-ching, with the Hong Kong shoot underway. The story follows a Cantonese opera performer in his 70s staging one final s
‘Demon Hunters’ India-Taiwan Action-Comedy Sets Netherlands Theatrical Release (EXCLUSIVE)
“Demon Hunters,” Mei-Juin Chen’s India-Taiwan action-comedy, will open in cinemas across the Netherlands on Oct. 29 via LAX Entertainment, extending a run that began theatrically in Taiwan and continued on streaming and digital platforms in India and the U.S. LAX chief Soeniel Sewnarain has lined up screens with leadin
Cannes-Winning ‘Tiger Stripes’ Producer Backs Taiwanese Coming-of-Age Drama ‘Uncle’ at Busan Asian Project Market
A boy’s devotion to his uncle, a man with an intellectual disability, curdles into shame as he grows up and away from home in “Uncle,” the first feature written and directed by Taiwan’s Yen Hao-hsuan. The project is part of the Asian Project Market, which runs within the Busan International Film Festival’s Asian Conten
Hugh Hefner’s Ex-Wife Calls Him a ‘True Gentleman’ After His Widow Crystal Harris Urges Jessica Biel to ‘Reconsider’ Playing His Wife
Kimberly Hefner, who was married to Hugh Hefner from 1989 until their divorce was finalized in 2010, has taken to social media to share a statement in support of her late husband after his former wife, Crystal Harris, alleged she experienced sexual, emotional, financial and physical abuse while married to the Playboy m
Quentin Tarantino Play ‘The Popinjay Cavalier,’ Starring Sacha Baron Cohen, to Open on West End in March
Quentin Tarantino’s first-ever stage play, “The Popinjay Cavalier” starring Sacha Baron Cohen, will open at London’s Phoenix Theatre in March. Written and directed by Tarantino, the play — described as a “swashbuckling comedy” — will hold previews from Feb. 23, with opening night set for March 18. It’s set to run for t
Box Office: ‘NAZA,’ Documentary About Israel’s Attacks on Gaza That Was Too Hot for Distributors, Crosses $500,000
The self-distributed film has been condemned by the IDF, earned rave reviews, and seems poised to be an Oscar contender.
‘The Social Reckoning’ Bombs with $5.5 Million Opening. Why Did Aaron Sorkin’s Facebook Follow-Up Fail at the Box Office?
Bad reviews, David Fincher's decision not to return, and a story about algorithms, not AI, are partly to blame.
‘Wildwood’ Review: Laika’s Epic Stop-Motion Wonder Lacks the Magic of the Studio’s Best Movies
"Wildwood" is the antidote to all of the worst trends in mainstream animation, but it gets lost somewhere in the wilderness between reality and imagination.
‘The Pitt,’ ‘Take Me Home,’ and More Win at The DARCYS 2026
The rebranded Easterseals Disability Arts & Culture Awards saw "The Pitt" and "Take Me Home" among the winners of its inaugural outing.
School Bullying Case Upends a Peaceable Father’s Life in Busan Asian Project Market Drama ‘The Family Table’
A mild-mannered father who has always kept the peace takes on the system after his young daughter is bullied at school in “The Family Table,” a Korean drama from director Lee Hanju. The project is part of the Asian Project Market, which runs within the Busan International Film Festival’s Asian Contents & Film Market (A
‘The Pitt’ And ‘All Her Fault’ Among the Winners of Inaugural Easterseals Disability Arts & Culture Awards
The inaugural Easterseals Disability Arts & Culture Awards (The Darcys) crowned its first winners on Saturday, celebrating outstanding achievement in authentic disability representation across film, television and media. Among the winners were “The Pitt” for Best Scripted Series and Best Achievement in Casting Ensemble
‘Young Sheldon’ Star Iain Armitage Says the Show Was a ‘Big Undertaking’ as Co-Star Acknowledges He Could Be ‘Difficult’ to Work With
“Young Sheldon” aired its final episode in May 2024, and now, just over two years later, the cast of the CBS sitcom is getting candid about their experience filming the Sheldon Cooper-focused “Big Bang Theory” prequel and working with star Iain Armitage, who was just eight years old when the series began. In a recently
U.S. DOJ Will Probe TV Networks Over President Trump’s Pool Coverage
The U.S. Department of Justice has told five of the nation’s biggest TV-news outlets that it plans to investigate whether a recent decision to suspend pool coverage of President Trump after he denied White House access to CNN, MS NOW and Politico violated antitrust rules, according to three people familiar with the mat
‘The World of Love’ Producer Kim Sehun Backs Actor-Director Ryu Hyunkyung’s Dark Comedy ‘Dog Fight’ at Busan Asian Project Market
A woman who loses custody of the dog she and her ex-boyfriend brought up together decides to snatch him back in “Dog Fight,” a dark comedy from actor-director Ryu Hyunkyung (“Don’t Go Back”). The project is part of the Asian Project Market, which runs within the Busan International Film Festival’s Asian Contents & Film
‘In a Violent Nature: Part 2’ to Release Valentine’s Day Weekend 2027
Shudder and Independent Film Company's slasher horror sequel opens opposite Greta Gerwig's "Narnia" movie.
Bill Burr vs. Facebook: Inside ‘The Social Reckoning’ Fantasy of the Comedian Speaking Truth to Power
Mark Zuckerberg has shut out dissenting voices; Aaron Sorkin and Burr talk about building the fiction of letting the stand-up get under his (and Jeremy Strong's) skin.
Oscars: U.K. Selects ‘Rehearsals for a Revolution,’ Documentary About Iran, as Best International Feature Entry
Pegah Ahangarani’s acclaimed look at her life in exile and her native country's political turmoil was already a leading contender for Best Documentary.
‘Ray Gunn’ Review: Brad Bird’s Longtime Passion Project Is a Retro-Futurist Detective Story with a Muddled Message
The "Iron Giant" and "Incredibles" filmmaker and legendary animator has been kicking around his jetpack-powered noir-meets-"Blade Runner" feature for decades. The result is immersive, but too sprawling.
’14th’ Review: Ava DuVernay’s Overstuffed Netflix Documentary Finds Us Living in the Age Frederick Douglass Warned Us About
Ava DuVernay’s ambitious follow-up to “13th” traces the Fourteenth Amendment’s unfinished promise, but its urgency sometimes overwhelms its argument.
Bill Burr on ‘The Social Reckoning,’ Sparring With Jeremy Strong as Mark Zuckerberg and Why Tech CEOs are ‘Leading Us to Ruin’
Over three decades in stand-up comedy, Bill Burr has gained a reputation for saying, with gruff conviction and political fire, the thing on everyone’s mind. In Aaron Sorkin’s new film “The Social Reckoning,” Burr gets to aim that unfiltered attitude at Mark Zuckerberg. Burr plays Charlie Garrigan in the follow-up to “T
Jason Blum on How ‘Other Mommy’ Got That Controversial Title, Kristen Bell Joins ‘Violent Night 2’ and More From Blumhouse at NYCC
Jason Blum and James Wan aren’t paying much attention to the bad reviews (but massive box office success!) for “Other Mommy.” Instead, the horror maestros spent Friday night looking ahead at what’s next, unveiling Blumhouse Atomic Monster’s upcoming slate of films during the 90-minute presentation at New York Comic-Con