Primed and ready for its festival circuit run, “The Banshees of Inisherin” has released its first trailer. This is a film from Martin McDonagh, his first since 2017’s shaky but beloved “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”. His latest sees him reteaming with his “In Bruges” partners Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell. This first look at the film gives us lots to look forward for.

The story centers around two friends and the consequences that follow after one (Gleeson) suddenly and without explanation ends their friendship. As with the best trailers, this one is cryptic. It gives us a basic intro to the story while leaving the details under wraps. I love that. To no one’s surprise, both Gleeson and Ferrell look great in this. And while I’m a little mixed on McDonagh’s films, I’m pretty excited for this one.

“The Banshees of Inisherin” opens in theaters October 21st. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

Yesterday saw Sony Pictures dropping the first trailer for their upcoming Korean War film “Devotion”. Based on the book “Devotion: An Epic Story of Heroism, Friendship, and Sacrifice” by Adam Makos, the movie shares the real-life story of Navy pilots Jesse Brown and Tom Hudner. Led by stars Jonathan Majors and Glen Powell, “Devotion” looks to examine race, friendship, heroism, and sacrifice during what many still call “The Forgotten War”.

Majors plays Jesse Brown, a Hattiesburg, Mississippi native who became the first African-American pilot to complete the U.S. Navy’s basic flight training program. Tom Hudner was a pilot and eventual Medal of Honor winner. Both went and served in the Korean War and the movie chronicles the events that left their names forever linked together. I won’t give away the details, but this is a true story that deserves to be told. I really like the combination of Majors and Powell. And the CGI air combat holds up, this could turn out really good.

“Devotion” lands in theaters this November. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

The new biographical drama “Till” tells the real-life story of educator turned activist Mamie Till Mobley. The film comes from director Chinonye Chukwu whose last feature was 2019’s terrific “Clemency”. The first trailer recently dropped ahead of its upcoming premiere at the 2022 New York Film Festival, and it gives us a good sense of Chukwa’s approach to this sincere and utterly heart-shattering true story.

Danielle Deadwyler plays Mamie Till Mobley, the mother of 14-year-old Emmett Till (played by Jalyn Hall). Emmitt was abducted, tortured, and brutally murdered on August 28, 1955 while visiting his cousins in Mississippi. His killers were put on trial but quickly acquitted by an all-white jury. After his body was returned to Mamie in Chicago, she insisted that his casket be left open so the world could see what they had done to her son. Afterwards she became a diligent activist in the Civil Rights movement. That’s a lot of ground to cover, but it’s a story that deserves to be told. And from what we see in the trailer, Chukwu looks to be a good choice to tell it.

“Till” lands in theaters October 7th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

Sylvester Stallone re-enters the superhero genre in his upcoming film “Samaritan”. We’ve seen him in the Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” and as a scene-stealing talking shark in DC’s “The Suicide Squad”. But this is a totally different take on the genre. Directed by Julius Avery (“Overlord”), the film is based on a Mythos Comics graphic novel that was written by Bragi Schut (who also happens to be the screenwriter for the film). The new trailer gives us a taste of what Avery, Schut, and Sly (who also produces) are up to.

The story of “Samaritan” goes something like this: a young boy named Sam (Javon Walton) discovers that an aged garbage man (Stallone) is actually Samaritan, a famed superhero who disappeared twenty-five years earlier. Everyone believed him to be dead. But Sam’s discovery and their eventual friendship forces the super-powered Samaritan to come out of retirement. Admittedly, its a fun trailer to watch if for no other reason than to see Stallone. Realistically, it’s kinda hard to tell what to expect. It could be a fun-filled surprise or a forgettable snooze. I’ll definitely be checking it out to see.

“Samaritan” premieres August 26th on Amazon Prime streaming. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

Andrew Dominik’s much talked about Marilyn Monroe biopic(ish) “Blonde” is set to premiere at this year’s Venice Film Festival. With it only weeks away, Netflix has given us our deepest look yet with a brand new trailer. Prior to this our information has mostly consisted of some images, a teaser, and Dominik’s rather haughty defense of his film’s NC-17 rating. This new trailer looks terrific, but whether it steers clear of exploitation and indulgence remains to be seen.

Ana de Armas takes on the demanding role of Marilyn Monroe in a movie that’s said to be more of an “experience” than a full-on biography. Some have compared its approach to Monroe’s story to what “Spencer” did with Princess Diana. I’m not sure how I feel about that. But de Armas looks to be a compelling fit for the part and the cinematography looks to be exquisite. The biggest question centers around how well Dominik captures Monroe’s life. Will it feel authentic or exploitative? We’ll know soon.

“Blonde” premieres September 28th on Netflix. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

While Ti West’s ode to slasher films “X” started with promise, it ultimately succumbed to a slew of missteps that left it feeling like a trashy knock-off rather than something refreshing and new. Now it has a prequel titled “Pearl”, and after seeing its stylish first trailer, I can say this one looks to deliver everything I had hoped “X” would. And with it set to premiere in a few weeks at the Venice Film Festival, we won’t have long to wait.

“Pearl” (which was written during the production of “X” and shot right after the first film wrapped) sees a returning Mia Goth player the titular character Pearl, the psychotic killer who butchered a group of wannabe porn stars in “X”. This film sets out to tell her backstory and the glimpses we are given are as bonkers as they are bloody. I don’t want to get my hopes up too much, but I really like what I see here.

“Pearl” hits theaters September 16th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.