ENTERTAINMENT

The Gorge, a sci-fi thriller directed by Scott Derrickson and streaming on Apple TV+, presents a unique blend of genres, combining elements of horror, action, romance, and mystery. Starring Anya Taylor-Joy and Miles Teller, the film follows two elite snipers stationed on opposite sides of a vast, mysterious gorge, tasked with protecting the world from an unknown threat lurking below. Plot Overview The story centers on Levi (Miles Teller) and Drasa (Anya Taylor-Joy), two highly-trained operatives assigned to guard towers overlooking a deep, enigmatic chasm. Their mission is to prevent any entity from emerging from the gorge, which is believed to harbor a dangerous secret. As they monitor the abyss, they begin to communicate and form a bond, leading them to question the true nature of thei...

Opus: clunky satire about an evil celebrity cult has plenty to say – it just doesn’t know how to say it. Opus, the film debut of former GQ editor-turned-director Mark Anthony Green has been described as a horror-musical. And while this new hybrid-genre film clearly has something to say, what that is remains frustratingly unclear. Produced by independent film company A24, often a hallmark of quality, the film follows Ariel Ecton (Ayo Edebiri), a young writer striving to make her mark in entertainment journalism. While it gestures toward themes of celebrity culture and the toxicity of extreme fandom, the film ultimately feels tangled in a jumble of unfocused ideas and derivative references to other – arguably stronger – works. Despite talent and determination, Ariel struggles with her...

Why film adaptations of popular video games often fall flat. Video game adaptations are having a moment. On television, shows like HBO’s The Last of Us and Amazon Prime’s Fallout — each based on popular game franchises — have been gigantic hits. On the big screen, 2023’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie broke box office records, and at the time of writing, A Minecraft Movie looks to be well on its way to generating one billion dollars in ticket sales. With these recent successes, it can be hard to remember that movie adaptations of video games have historically been notoriously bad, typically failing to win over audiences and critics alike. My first experience with adaptation disappointment came from the 1993 adaptation of Nintendo’s Super Mario Bros., starring Hollywood legend Bob Hoskins...

Maria Valcheva Bakalova a Bulgarian actress. She is the recipient of various accolades, including a Critics' Choice Movie Award, in addition to nominations for an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award. Born and raised in Burgas, Bakalova began her career in Bulgarian cinema while attending the National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts. She mostly portrayed dramatic roles in films such as Transgression (2017), The Father (2019), Last Call (2020) and Women Do Cry (2021). She rose to prominence after starring in the 2020 mockumentary film Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, which earned her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Bakalova has since had starring roles in films of various genres, including Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022) and The Apprentice (2024). She also had voice ro...