Based on the DC Comics series by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Superman is the story of an alien superhero who is trying to save the world while coming to terms with who he really is and the family that has adopted him on Earth. Written and directed for the screen by James Gunn, the film is a re-telling of the Kryptonian hero as he tries to find his place on Earth while dealing with those who are afraid of him and those who oppose him as David Corenswet stars as the titular role/Clark Kent/Kal-El. Also starring Rachel Brosnahan, Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced, and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor. Superman is an exhilarating and wondrous film by James Gunn.
The film is the story of an alien superhero who has chosen to use his powers to do good while he copes with constant criticism and attacks from different forces, including Lex Luthor who has created a smear campaign on Superman. It is a film that explores a man who believe he was sent by his biological parents from Krypton to be a beacon of hope on Earth during tough times where he would stop an invasion from one country towards a neighboring country without government approval or sanction. That action would lead to criticism from social media and others including the American government with Luthor amping up the criticism because of his hatred for Superman. James Gunn’s screenplay is straightforward in its narrative where it is more about Kal-El playing not just the role as a superhero who is trying to make the world a better place but also understand his own place in the world as Clark Kent who was raised by kind-hearted humans in Smallville, Kansas.
The script opens with Superman crashing onto a snowy landscape after he had lost a fight with a mysterious being known as the Hammer of Boravia following Superman’s own involvement in stopping Boravia from invading the neighboring country Jarhanpur. Kent also works for Metropolis’ newspaper Daily Planet with Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), whom he has been in a relationship with as she also knows his identity as Superman where she questions him about what happened at Jarhanpur since Kent always created his own interviews with Superman where Kent is forced to realize that things are not as simple as he wants them to be. Especially with the U.S. government having their own relationship with Boravia unaware that their leader President Vasil Ghurkos (Zlato Buric) is conspiring with Luthor in a scheme that Luthor wants to do with Jarhanpur. Luthor is an antagonist that is smart but is also hoping to be this godlike figure that is feared and revered yet he is unhappy with the presence of Superman to the point that he has one of his henchman in Ultraman and a nanotech metahuman in Angela Spica/the Engineer (Maria Gabriela de Faria) help find ways to get access to Superman’s secret lair in the Fortress of Solitude where they steal the message from Superman’s parents as well as Superman’s pet dog Krypto.
The script’s second act plays into Superman dealing with Luthor’s smear campaign and Superman turning himself to the U.S. government where Superman is sent to a mysterious pocket universe that Luthor has created. There, Superman is forced to endure torture by a metahuman named Rex Mason/Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan) who can change his body into any form as he turns his hand into Kryptonite with Luthor also doing whatever he can to hurt Superman every way he can much to Mason’s own disgust as he is forced to torture Superman. The second act also has Lane making some discoveries about what is happening to Superman and Luthor’s connection to Boravia as she turns to a team of metahumans in the Justice Gang led by Guy Gardner/Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion) along with Kendra Saunders/Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced) and Michael Holt/Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi) for help but only Mr. Terrific decides to help Lane who also learns about Luthor’s pocket universe due to sources from fellow journalist Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo) who has his own mysterious connections.
Gunn’s direction is sprawling in terms of its overall presentation and different settings to play into a world that is chaotic yet there is this element of hope in this superhero from another planet. Shot on various locations at Trilith Studios in Duluth, Georgia as well as locations in Atlanta, Ohio, and Svalbard, Norway as the last of which is used for the scenes where the Fortress of Solitude is placed. The film opens with images in Antarctica where Superman crashes down the snow only to be picked up by Krypto to the Fortress of Solitude. What Gunn does is create something different rather than play into what has been told already about Superman as it plays into something more immediate as he has known to the world for about three years and this is the first time he lost a fight. Gunn’s usage of wide and medium shots not only establishes the locations that the characters are in but also a world that is falling apart due to war, misinformation, and the ambitions of those who want to destroy it for their own gain.
Gunn also maintains a sense of intimacy with the medium shots and close-ups as it relates to Kent’s relationship with Lane where he would let the camera linger for a bit during Lane’s interview with Superman where Kent would have trouble answering questions. There is also this air of dread and extreme that Luthor would bring when he confronts Superman as he has no problem killing ordinary people or those who are close to Superman to get a win over him. Even as Ultraman is controlled by Luthor’s people who would predict every move Superman makes in a fight as it highlights Luthor’s own desire for power above his own wealth. Gunn also knows when to slow things down and ground them into reality as it plays into Kent’s own identity as he wonders what his biological parents really want from him, yet it would be his adoptive parents in Jonathan and Martha Kent (Pruitt Taylor Vince and Neva Howell, respectively) that would give him the guidance that he needs to just be himself. Flaws and all as superheroes are imperfect as Gardiner is a bit of a dick while Mr. Terrific takes himself a bit seriously at times. Its climax has Gunn going all-out where Superman does what he can to be the savior that Metropolis and the world needs while also knowing he could not do this alone where Lane would also play a role in stopping Luthor. Overall, Gunn crafts an enthralling yet rapturous film about an alien superhero who fights evil to make the world a better place for everyone.
Cinematographer Henry Braham does incredible work with the film’s cinematography with its emphasis on vibrant colors in some of the daytime exterior scenes while using some harsh lighting for the interiors of Luthor’s pocket universe to bring that air of darkness while the nighttime interior/exterior scenes help play into the tense atmosphere of what Luthor’s goons will do for their master. Editors William Hoy and Craig Alpert do excellent work with the editing as it does utilize fast cuts for some of the action scenes and big set pieces while also knowing when to slow things down to let shots linger and knowing when to cut. Production designer Beth Mickle, with set decorator Rosemary Brandenberg plus supervising art directors Drew Monahan and David Scott, does amazing work with the look of the sets from the interiors of the Fortress of Solitude, the Luthorcorp building, and other places in and around Metropolis. Costume designer Judianna Makovsky does fantastic work with the costumes in the look of Superman’s suit with its vibrant colors to some of the clothing that Lane wears that is casual but more business-like with pants.
Makeup designer Alexei Dmitriew and hair designer Peter Swords King do terrific work with the look of some of the characters including Mr. Terrific, Metamorpho, and that awful haircut that Gardner has. Visual effects supervisor Stephane Ceretti does brilliant work with the visual effects in some of the visual backdrops for some of Superman’s flying scenes as well as the look of the pocket universe and some of the creatures that Superman and other metahumans deal with. Sound editors David Acord and Katy Wood do superb work with the sound in the way Superman lifts off from the ground as well the layer of sounds in the action scenes as well as some eerie scenes at the pocket universe. The film’s music by John Murphy and David Fleming is wonderful for its bombastic orchestral score that features elements of heavy string arrangements and brass arrangements as well as create variations of John Williams’ theme from the 1978 Richard Donner film while its music soundtrack also include pieces by Noah and the Whale, Teddybears with Iggy Pop, and a fictional band known as the Mighty Crabjoys that Kent is a fan of.
The casting by John Papsidera is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles and appearances such as Michael Ian Black as the talk show host Cleavis Thornwaite, Will Reeves as a news reporter on the ground, Terence Rosemore and Stephen Blackehart as a couple of associates of Luthor respectively in Otis and Sydney, Frank Grillo as U.S. military official General Rick Flag Sr., and in the voices of the Superman robots at the Fortress of Solitude are Jennifer Holland, Michael Rooker, Pom Klementieff, Alan Tudyk, and Grace Chan. Other notable small roles as staff members at the Daily Planet in Beck Bennett as the sports columnist Steve Lombard, Christopher McDonald as reporter Ron Troupe, and Mikaela Hoover as the columnist Cat Grant. Wendell Pierce is terrific as Daily Planet editor-in-chief Perry White who is trying to run the paper while he has his own issues with Luthor. Sara Sampaio is fantastic as Luthor’s girlfriend Eve Teschmacher as this bimbo who often does selfies only to be smarter than people think she is. Maria Gabriela de Faria is superb as Angela Spica/the Engineer, as one of Luthor’s henchpersons whose body is filled with nanotech as she can access things while doing what she can to cause trouble for Superman.
Zlato Buric is excellent as Boravian president Vasil Ghurkos who is secretly aligned with Luthor as he hopes to profit from Luthor’s plans as well as get one over Superman. Skyler Gisondo is brilliant as Jimmy Olsen as a photojournalist for the Daily Planet who has his own secret sources about the pocket universe while is also a flirt of sorts as he attracts all sorts of beautiful women. Pruitt Taylor Vince and Neva Howell are amazing in their respective roles as Jonathan and Martha Kent as Clark’s adoptive parents who help him find himself after his own trials and tribulations including his own views on his biological parents. The dog Jolene is great as a stand-in model for the dog Krypto who has superpowers where he would help Clark anyway, he can while also being aggressive in his need for attention. Anthony Carrigan is incredible as Rex Mason/Metamorpho as an alien figure who can change his body into anything as he is forced to torture Superman by turning his hand into Kryptonite only for Luthor’s inhumanity to finally push him to the edge where he helps Superman.
In the roles as the members of the Justice Gang, Isabela Merced, Nathan Fillion, and Edi Gathegi are great in their respective roles as Kendra Saunders/Hawkgirl, Guy Gardner/Green Lantern, and Michael Holt/Mr. Terrific. Merced’s performance as the reserved Saunders is low-key in someone who is the youngest person in the group as she often deals with Gardner’s arrogance as well as being someone who will do the kind of things Superman would not do. Fillion’s performance as Gardner is full of wit as someone with a horrible bowl haircut that can create things with a ring while also believing that he is a leader despite his many flaws. Gathegi’s performance as Mr. Terrific is the major standout of the three as he has the funniest lines as an inventor who makes unique tech while is the smartest guy in the room as Gathegi brings a lot of humor to his performance. Rachel Brosnahan is remarkable as Lois Lane as a journalist for the Daily Planet who is also in a relationship with Kent/Superman knowing his true identity as she is not sure if this is a relationship that would work until she makes discoveries about what Luthor is doing with Boravia where Brosnahan brings a no-nonsense approach to Lane while also bringing nuances to a character that who is often cynical yet finds hope in what Superman does.
Nicholas Hoult is phenomenal as Lex Luthor as a wealthy businessman who is seeking to be revered and feared by many as he is also ruthlessly doing whatever he can to defeat Superman through social media and other things to discredit him. Hoult also has this menacing quality that makes Luthor a villain that everyone loves to hate as he is also extreme in what he does while he does not care who gets killed as it is a career-defining performance from Hoult. Finally, there’s David Corenswet in a tremendous breakout performance as the titular character/Clark Kent/Kal-El. Corenswet brings in that sense of humility of an alien trying to do good for the world as he deals with getting his ass kicked in a fight as well as constant criticism about his actions. Corenswet also has this charm to his character as well as knowing that he is flawed where he brings a lot of nuances as both Superman and Clark Kent as there is also an element of Superman being a bit of an asshole though not intentionally. Corenswet’s performance is a major revelation as he understands what makes Superman unique as well as bringing elements that feels fresh while retaining the nuances that makes Superman so beloved.
Superman is an outstanding film by James Gunn that features a great break-out leading performance from David Corenswet as the titular character. Along with its ensemble cast, colorful visuals, an exhilarating music score, sprawling action set pieces, and a riveting story of identity and the need for hope in dark times. It is a film that exudes all the elements expected in a superhero film, but it is also a film that knows when to not take itself too seriously as well as bring something that is hopeful in a hero who represents truth, justice, and a better tomorrow in tumultuous times. In the end, Superman is a magnificent film by James Gunn.
Directed by Brady Corbet and written by Corbet and Mona Fastvold, The Brutalist is the story of Hungarian-Jewish architect who immigrates to America where he hopes to live the American Dream as he struggles with trying to find work until a wealthy man asks him to build something only for things to get worse. The film is study of a man who is given a chance to create something in his vision as he would struggle to get things his way while dealing with his own issues as well as the demands of this wealthy figure. Starring Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Joe Alwyn, Stacy Martin, Raffey Cassidy, Emma Laird, Isaach de Bankole, Alessandro Nivola, Ariane Labed, and Guy Pearce. The Brutalist is a majestic and harrowing film by Brady Corbet.
Set from 1947 to 1963 with an epilogue set in 1980, the film is about a Hungarian-Jewish architect who arrives in America where a wealthy man later asks him to create something in tribute to his mother only for things to get complicated and troublesome. It is a film that is an exploration of ambition and art with this man being at the center of wanting to create something big, but he is forced to answer to the wills of this industrialist who would undermine everything. The film’s screenplay by Brady Corbet and Mona Fastvold is set into two different parts given the scale of the story of this man who is known for creating architecture that is unique in its brutalist style. The first scenes does not show its main character but rather his niece Zsofia (Raffey Cassidy) as she is being interrogated by Soviet officials in the aftermath of World War II where her uncle Laszlo Toth (Adrien Brody) is on a ship to America where he arrives in New York City.
The film then goes into its first part, entitled The Enigma of Arrival in which Laszlo arrives in Philadelphia where his cousin Attila (Alessandro Nivola) meets and tells him the news that Laszlo’s wife Erzsebet (Felicity Jones) and Zsofia are alive through a letter as Laszlo would correspond with her as they continue to be stuck in Europe. In Philadelphia, Laszlo would work for Attila and his wife Audrey (Emma Laird) as the latter takes a disliking towards Laszlo as they sell furniture while also do renovation work where Attila is approached by a man in Harry Lee Van Buren (Joe Alwyn) about renovating a library for his father in the industrialist Harrison Lee Van Buren (Guy Pearce) as a surprise. Aiding Laszlo is the African single father Gordon (Isaach de Bankole) whom Laszlo befriended during a food line where they share a love for heroin which Laszlo uses for pain in his body only to become addicts. The first half of the film is set in the span of five years from 1947 to 1952 where Laszlo would later meet Harrison, who is impressed with what Laszlo has done as he wants him to create an ambitious project in tribute to his late mother.
The second half of the film entitled The Hardcore of Beauty is set from 1953 to 1960 when Erzsebet and Zsofia finally arrive in Doylestown, Pennsylvania where Laszlo lives and works, yet Laszlo is shocked that Erzsebet suffers from osteoporosis while Zsofia has become temporarily mute because of war. The second half would have Laszlo deal with Van Buren’s consultants who try to undermine what Laszlo wants with Erzsebet observing everything around her, including Van Buren, whom she sees as charming but does not find him to be trusting. Even as an accident would force Van Buren to scrap the project temporarily until a few years later where he asks Toth to travel to Italy to meet with a colleague of Toth in Orazio (Salvatore Sansone) who introduces him to a special kind of marble but things between Toth and Van Buren becomes troublesome. The script plays into the plight that immigrants go through in America with Erzsebet realizing that her husband is unraveling as she learns things about what happened to him while is also dealing with her own physical pain.
Corbet’s direction is immense in its overall presentation as it is shot in the VistaVision widescreen presentation for 35mm film and on various locations such as Venice, Italy for its epilogue with much of the film shot on location in Budapest along with other locations in Hungary and Italy with additional shots in New York City. The film plays into this air of post-war uncertainty as Corbet uses long tracking shots to play into Toth’s encounter with his surroundings as one of the first big shots of the film is Toth seeing the Statue of Liberty upside down. The shot symbolizes what Toth would expect throughout the film as he arrives in New York City as part of its prologue where the body of the film’s first half is set in Doylestown where he meets his cousin Attila. Corbet’s usage of wide and medium shots do help bring in the sense of space that plays into the world that Toth encounters whether it is at the Van Buren mansion or the building that Toth is creating for Van Buren. The wide shots also play into the landscape of Pennsylvania as it includes these exhilarating shots of cars, buses, and trains speeding in a long take. The last of which would be a key moment in the film’s second half where Toth’s relationship with Van Buren begins to falter.
Corbet would also play with aspect ratios as it plays into the creation of this building that Van Buren wants as well as scenes set in Italy where they meet Orazio for some marble as well as meeting people who were part of an anarchist group during World War II. It is a sequence that plays into many revelations about Van Buren who would also discover Toth’s own issues as it relates to his heroin addiction that would lead to a traumatic event for Toth. The second half when Erzsebet arrives as she is a woman that is defiant where Corbet uses some close-ups to play into a woman that has been through a lot of her own trauma while is also dealing with pain that Zsofia can sooth with some medication. The scenes where Erzsebet meeting with Van Buren are filled with ambiguity, including a shot of Harry walking behind Zsofia as it raises some questions that Erzsebet has about Van Buren. The film’s epilogue set in 1980 at Venice with Zsofia as an adult (Ariane Labed) as she talks about the journey that her uncle has taken into his work as it plays into the myths and misconceptions of the American dream with Toth being confronted with these truths. Even as he deals with things that are traumatic and what this building that he created really means to him. Overall, Corbet crafts as grand and evocative film about a Hungarian-Jewish immigrant’s desire for the American dream only to realize that is a myth.
Cinematographer Lol Crawley does incredible work with the film’s cinematography as its usage of the VistaVision format allows him to emphasize unique shots in the natural lighting for some of the daytime exterior shots as well as some unique low-key and colorful lighting for the interior scenes at night as it is a highlight of the film. Editor David Janco does brilliant work with the editing with its stylish usage of montages that includes stock footage as well as some jump-cuts for some scenes as well as knowing when to cut for some of the long shots. Production designer Judy Becker, along with supervising art director Csaba Lodi plus set decorators Patricia Cuccia and Mercedesz Nagyvaradi, does tremendous work with the look of the Van Buren estate as well as the shop that Attila and Audrey run as well as the design of the building that Toth is building for Van Buren as it is another highlight of the film. Costume designer Kate Forbes does excellent work with the costumes from the expensive clothing that Van Buren and his family wear to the ragged clothes that Toth would wear during his time after being kicked out by Attila.
Hair/makeup designer Gemma Hoff does terrific work with the look of Toth in the bearded look he would have briefly to the hairstyles of the women including Maggie Van Buren with her hairstyle. Special effects supervisor Endre Korda and visual effects supervisor Artem Isaakyan do fantastic work with the visual effects for scenes that are set dressing such as a scene involving a train as well as the look of the building as it is getting built from afar. Sound designer Andy Neil and sound editor Steve Single do superb work with the sound in the way small things sound up close or from afar as well as the way construction machines sound from afar as it is among one of the highlights of the film.
The film’s music by Daniel Blumberg is phenomenal for its grand and sweeping music score with bombastic horn arrangements, discordant string arrangements, somber woodwinds, and themes that play into the sense of yearning and horror that includes an electronic piece for its epilogue with additional contributions by Vince Clarke. Music supervisor James A. Taylor does wonderful work cultivating a music soundtrack that features music from the 1950s and 1960s ranging from jazz music to pop music from the likes of Paul Anka and an electro-pop piece from the 80s by La Bionda.
The casting by Kristina Ederly and Cassandra Kulukundis is great as it feature some notable small roles from the duo of Charlie Esoko and Zephan Hanson Amissah as the younger and teenage version of Gordon’s son William, Benett Vilmanyi as Zsofia’s lover Binyamin in the film’s third act, Salvatore Sansone as Toth’s Italian friend Orazio who would show him the marble that he creates in Italy, Peter Polycarpou as Van Buren’s Jewish lawyer Michael Hoffman who would help get Erzsebet and Zsofia out of Europe, Maria Sand as Hoffman’s wife who is one of the few that is kind to Toth and his family, Michael Epp as an architectural consultant that Toth spars with, Jonathan Hyde as Van Buren’s contractor Leslie Woodrow who is baffled by what Toth wants in the construction of Van Buren’s building, and Ariane Labed as the older Zsofia in the 1980 epilogue where she makes a speech about her uncle’s work. Emma Laird is terrific as Attila’s wife Audrey who takes a disliking towards Toth believing that he is a nuisance as she makes a false accusation about him to Attila. Alessandro Nivola is superb as Toth’s cousin Attila who has assimilated into Catholicism as he helps Toth get a job only to kick him out due to the lie that Audrey made.
Isaach de Bankole is brilliant as Gordon as an African immigrant that Toth befriends as he would work closely with Toth where he also grounds him despite their heroin addiction which Gordon would later wean away from as he later becomes troubled by Toth’s erratic behavior late in the film. Stacy Martin is fantastic as Maggie Van Buren as Van Buren’s adult daughter who is the kindest of the Van Buren family as she is someone who manages the home while also doing whatever she can to help the Toths including a scene in the film involving Erzsebet. Joe Alwyn is excellent as Maggie’s twin brother Harry Lee, who is a slimy and entitled person that is hoping to win his father’s approval while also does a lot to make Toth uncomfortable as he also tries to seduce Zsofia into one scene that is filled with ambiguity. Raffey Cassidy is amazing in a dual role as Toth’s niece Zsofia who spends part of the film mute because of the war as a young woman that observes everything around her while she later regains her voice as she wants to move to Israel. Cassidy’s other role in the film is Zsofia’s daughter in the 1980 epilogue.
Guy Pearce is great as Harrison Lee Van Buren as a wealthy industrialist who is a powerful figure that hires Toth to create a community center in tribute to his mother where he deals with all sorts of things while wanting to own Toth in some way. Pearce has a sense of charm in his performance that is a cover for something sinister as a man that wants it all including Toth himself in the worst ways. Felicity Jones is tremendous as Erzsebet Toth as a Dachau Holocaust survivor who suffers from osteoporosis where Jones brings a subtle quality to a woman ravaged by a disease while she is also an observer into who Van Buren is and what he is doing to her husband. Jones also plays into this sense of restrained physicality as a woman that is suffering from a terrible disease yet her resilience to smell bullshit a mile away as her last scene in the film is one of terror and ferocity. Finally, there’s Adrien Brody in a spectacular performance as Laszlo Toth as a Holocaust survivor who goes to America hoping to reach the American Dream where Brody brings this gravitas of a man that has been through a lot yet is also hopeful until he endures a lot of obstacles and tribulations that would put him in dark places. Brody also maintains this sense of weariness in the many tribulations he endures as there is an anguish in what he brings as it is a career-defining performance from Brody.
The Brutalist is an outstanding film by Brady Corbet that features a sensational leading performance from Adrien Brody as well as top-notch supporting performances from Felicity Jones and Guy Pearce. Along with its ensemble cast, grand visual presentation, its study of ambition and the mythos of the American dream, and Daniel Blumberg’s evocative music score. It is a film that harkens back to legendary American epics as well as being this study of a man’s desire to reach the American Dream only to realize that it is a myth. In the end, The Brutalist is a magnificent film by Brady Corbet.
Brady Corbet Films: (The Childhood of a Leader) – Vox Lux
Well, I did not think I would see or experience World War III happening though it was close during the Cold War when I was a kid. Yet, I do not remember much about that period other than a bunch of no-nuke protests and bad movies about getting rid of nukes. Alas, it might happen now thanks to our dumbass dictator who decided to get involved in a conflict between Israel and Iran by choosing to bomb the latter. What happened is not just an abuse of power but also a decision made without the constitutional approval of Congress. That is right folks. America is fucked. It is already bad enough that there is a war between ICE and citizens while Los Angeles is being under siege by ICE and the National Guard. There was a nationwide protest towards are his birthday that drew millions while his dumb military parade bombed as he fell asleep during the fireworks. That is our dictator.
This is not good at all as news has become compromised with ABC firing one of its journalists for telling the truth and calling out a fucking asshole for his bullshit. Journalism is being compromised as I do not watch the news anymore. CNN sucks. MSNBC sucks. All news channels suck. The New York Times and whatever I can find on Reddit and other social media places along with whatever I can read are the only places where I can find something with some truth. It is a shame that news has now been bought with CBS also suffering the fate of being bought by rich assholes who do not care for the truth.
In the month of June 2025, I saw a total of 20 films in 15 first-timers and 5 re-watches with 1 film being directed/co-directed by a woman as part of the 52 Films by Women pledge. Same as last month although more first-timers this time around with the best film this month is my Blind Spot film in The Misfits. Here are the top 10 first-timers that I saw for June 2025:
Gints Zilbalodis’ 2014 short film does feel like a prototype of what Flow would become as it is a film about survival where a man and his dog are lost at sea as their plane crash on a rock as the dog tries to get the man’s attention. The short showcases a raw look into the drawing and animation like what Flow would look like. Yet, Zilbalodis does create a story that is entrancing to watch as he really does is present a film that is not afraid to look or feel imperfect. It is a short film that fans of Zilbalodis should see as he is someone with a unique vision as he is a filmmaker to watch out for.
Call Me Ted
As someone who lives near Atlanta for all his life, everyone knew who Ted Turner is as the man took his father’s billboard business and turned it into an empire that would including TBS, TNT, Turner Classic Movies, CNN, the Cartoon Network, and World Championship Wrestling. Keith R. Clarke’s six-part documentary is a fascinating look into the man’s accomplishments and failures as he would struggle to deal with his father’s suicide while he was a young man as well as near-death experiences, three failed marriages including to one to Jane Fonda who is interviewed in the film. The film also plays into Turner’s life after the debacle that was the AOL-Time Warner merger of 2000 as well as what he has been doing in recent years as he is suffering from Lew-body dementia. He is still alive and doing what he can to make the world a better place as the one thing I want from him is to watch him kick Meekmahan in the balls as a final fuck you from WCW & Jim Crockett Promotions to the WWE.
Where are the Bananas?
The first of seven short films by David Lynch that I saw that was part of a series of experimental short films he made in the early 2000s highlighted a man that is just trying to do a lot of different things. The first of which stars Etsuko Shikata in her apartment in Tokyo as she asks a simple question in this 2-minute short.
Sign Up for Lunch with Lynch
Another short film from Lynch is a fictional contest that made me wished it were real. I am still upset about it as I would love to eat at this diner that was used for Mulholland Dr. as Lynch held a contest about eating lunch at this diner. I would totally love that to happen as I would have chosen the double-decker combo with a chocolate shake.
SLY LIVES! (aka the Burden of Black Genius)
This month has been rough with the passing of many geniuses in music as one of them is in Sly Stone. Questlove’s documentary film is about not just Sylvester “Sly Stone” Stewart but also the burden of those who have created something original and be put into a pedestal for those to follow. The film features archival interviews from Stone dating back to the early 1980s as well as interviews surviving members of the Family Stone including an archival interview with the late Cynthia Robinson before her passing in 2015. Questlove creates a film that does a lot in not just explaining why Sly Stone was a genius and so ahead of his time but also was unable to manage the need to live up to outdo what he did before as it led to a descent into drugs and such. Andre 3000 and D’Angelo are among those who are interviewed as they too have been burdened with the idea of being a Black genius though both men have managed to survive and do well. The film also has interviews with a few of Stone’s children where it is comforting to know that Stone’s last years have been happy where he spent his time with his adult children and being with his grandchildren.
You’re Not Supposed to Be Here
This 12-second short also stars Etsuko Shikata that is about a woman asking a question in her apartment in Tokyo. The only thing about the short film that I do not like is that it is too short.
Do You Like to Read?
From Wes Anderson is a promotional short film he made to coincide with the release of his 2012 film Moonrise Kingdom. The four minute short that stars Bob Balaban as the narrator and featuring the voice of Kara Hayward is about the books that Hayward’s character Suzy would read to other characters throughout the film as it highlights some unique hand-drawn animation from various animators. Directed with Christian de Vita, the film is a gem that fans of Anderson should seek out.
Pussy
This 9-minute short by Renata Gasiorowska is an animated short that I saw on MUBI as I am glad to know that not all animated films are for children and this one is not for children at all. This short is about a woman seeking some form of sexual pleasure when something unimaginable happens. Notably as it relates to her genitals after smoking some damn good weed as there is a lot of humor that goes on. I really enjoyed this short.
Kitchen Window
The 2 ½ minute short by Lynch displays what happens in the span of an entire day from the view of his kitchen window. It seems like something that is typical of Lynch, but it is fascinating to see what happens during an entire day while some weird shit does happen.
Coyote
The first of two shorts involving a coyote from David Lynch as it involves an empty home where nothing is happening until a coyote walks. It is a three-minute, 46-second short that is shot in one entire static shot as it plays into strange things that happen.
Dining Room Window
Another experimental Lynch short that highlights what happens in the span of a day on a timelapse. This time, from the point of view of Lynch’s dining room window as it just extraordinary how a day goes by from that room.
Coyote #2
The second film involving a coyote is the same thing as its predecessor but a little longer with an added surprise for the coyote. It is a fun experimental short from Lynch as he often finds a way to present something ordinary and strange all at the same time.
4. Beautiful Dreamer: Brian Wilson and the Story of Smile
5. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
Well, that is all for June. In July, I will begin work on the Auteurs piece on Robert Eggers while also be doing a review of James Gunn’s Superman as I have bought a ticket for the upcoming film. Aside from reviews of films I have pre-written though I will not have much time to watch many films since my sister is going to have surgery in the month as I will be watching over the kids for a few days. My Blind Spot for July is going to be The Public Enemy. Usually on July 5th, which is a holiday of sorts as it was the first time, I write a review for Epinions.com and begin my writing career of sorts. I would often have planned as an anniversary but not this year due to timing and other things that I want to do.
Before I bid adieu, this month saw the passing of several great people such as Sly Stone while another great musical genius that will be missed is Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys who like Stone was brilliant but also troubled though Wilson was able to beat his demons and give the world some great music including SmiLe which finally came out in 2003. This is a hole that will never be fulfilled as these were two men who really brought out great American music for the world to listen to as they should be regarded as among the standard bearers of what America should be.
Also, those who passed away this month include the composer Lalo Schifrin, theatre director Michael Brokaw, Oliver Gibson of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Tim Pollard, Kylie Page, Shefali Jariwala, actor Rick Hurst of The Dukes of Hazzard, journalist Bill Moyers, Walter Scott of the Whispers, Bobby Sherman, Rebekah del Rio of Mulholland Dr., Lea Massari, Mick Ralphs of Mott the Hoople & Bad Company, Aki Aleong, Matt Murray of the Atlanta Braves, author David Boyle, Lynn Hamilton of Sanford & Son, Gail Sartain, Ron Woodridge of the Searchers, Lou Christie, screenwriter Mark Peploe, Anne Burrell, David Hekili Kenui Bell, Ananda Lewis of MTV News, Ayumu Saito, actor Paul Thomas, Harris Yulin, actor Chris Robinson, Bob Andrews of Brinsley Schwarz, Wayne Lewis of Atlantic Starr, Enzo Staiola of Bicycle Thieves, actress/singer Birgit Carlsten, and Jonathan Joss of King of the Hill. We will miss you all. This is thevoid99 signing off…
Based on the short story by Arthur Miller, The Misfits is the story of a recently-divorced stripper who meets a trio of men in Reno, Nevada as they decide to form a business in capturing wild horses. Directed by John Huston and screenplay by Arthur Miller, the film is a western-drama that plays into four different people who all work together while the three men fall for this woman who is trying to start a new life. Starring Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, Eli Wallach, Thelma Ritter, and Montgomery Clift. The Misfits is an evocative and riveting film by John Huston.
The film revolves a recently-divorced woman who meets a mechanic who would introduce her to an aging cowboy where she falls for him where they all decide to capture wild horses for money. It is a film that has a simple premise though writer Arthur Miller has created something more complex with its characters as they all try to deal with the modern world around them as the days of the cowboys and horse wrangling waning. Miller’s screenplay is more of a study of people who all face uncertainty in the next stage of their lives with the stripper Roslyn (Marilyn Monroe) just getting her divorce as she laments over failure in her marriage as well as the idea of falling in love again. Helping her with her issues is her landlady Isabelle Steers (Thelma Ritter) as well as a mechanic/pilot in Guido (Eli Wallach) who is smitten by her as he would later meet her with his friend in the aging cowboy Gay Langland (Clark Gable). Roslyn and Gay hit it off as they both have dealt with a lot in their lives with the latter having been through relationships while is coping with changing times.
With an idea to capture wild horses as part of a business plan, Gay and Guido decide to get another cowboy in the rodeo rider Perce Howland (Montgomery Clift). Miller also explore the fragility of these characters with Perce being a man that has been in too many rodeos as he is struggling with his finances and takes Gay’s offer to do something. Even as he gets injured at the rodeo where he has a conversation with Roslyn about his own life as he is among the group of broken people that include Roslyn, Guido, and Gay as there is a scene where he calls out for his adult children who have left him after he told them he would be back. The film’s third act is about the capturing of wild horses including mustangs and stallions where Roslyn is taken aback by the cruelty of what the men must do as well as the aftermath yet what is more shocking is how many they find.
John Huston’s direction is exquisite in not just its setting of the American West but also this clash of the old ways and the modern world. Shot on location in and around Reno and Dayton, Nevada with locations in the deserts of the state, Huston uses a lot of wide and medium shots to capture the beauty of the deserts and small towns as it plays into a world that is changing though the traditions of the West such as rodeos and gatherings are still happening. Huston’s direction is often shown in certain places and locations where there is a sense of a modern world overshadowing the old world where Gay would first meet Roslyn at a diner with his dog while the unfinished house that Guido has where Gay would stay at times is set on the desert. Huston would also use close-ups for some scenes in the way characters would interact with one another while also knowing how to film a simple conversation in scenes such as Gay and Roslyn having breakfast or Perce and Roslyn conversing behind the bar. Huston also plays into the male gaze in how men look at Roslyn where there are moments where she does not seem to mind but during a scene where she is hitting a ball with a paddle tied to a string. A man slaps her ass causing some trouble where she is little troubled by it but still brushes it off.
Huston’s approach to shooting the desert and mountain landscapes of Nevada plays into the West that still has its magic but there is also a sense of loss in the land. Even as Guido uses his plane to find wild horses that include mustangs and stallions where he would find them running, Huston’s usage of aerial shots are gorgeous to play into the vastness of the West. For Roslyn, it is a world that she does not know about while learning about what they need to do to capture the horses, and the aftermath is upsetting. There is a great wide shot of her screaming in the desert over the way horses are treated while the men are more upset in how many they captured as it plays into the times and how the West is no longer what it used to be. It becomes something that Gay has trouble accepting where Huston creates a scene of Gay trying to assert his own power only to realize that the world is changing. Overall, Huston crafts a somber yet rapturous film about a former stripper, an aging cowboy, a pilot/mechanic, and a broken-down rodeo cowboy all trying to find the next phase in their lives in the modern world set in the West.
Cinematographer Russell Metty does brilliant work with the film’s black-and-white photography with its usage of natural and available lighting that captures the beauty of the landscape as well as the usage of low-key natural lighting for the scenes at night and in the morning. Editor George Tomasini does brilliant work with the editing as its usage of rhythmic cuts play into the elements of drama and suspense that occurs throughout the film as it is a major highlight of the film. Art directors Stephen B. Grimes and Bill Newberry, with set decorator Frank R. McKelvy, do excellent work with the look of Guido’s home that includes a section that has yet to be built as well as the saloon that all the characters go to during the rodeo. Costume supervisor Jean Louis does fantastic work with the dresses and clothes that Roslyn wears that includes jeans and a shirt when she is riding a horse in one scene as well as the dresses she wears in social engagements.
The special effects work of Cline Jones does terrific work with the scenes involving the rodeo and horse wrangling scenes to play into the sense of realism that happens in those moments. Sound recordists Charles Grenzbach, Philip Mitchell, and R.D. Cook do superb work with the sound as it plays into the way a location is presented whether it is in the quiet scenes in the deserts or the loud and raucous atmosphere of the rodeo. The film’s music by Alex North is incredible for its orchestral score with somber yet swelling string pieces for some of the dramatic moments and bombastic arrangements with its percussions and strings for the suspenseful scenes.
The film’s wonderful ensemble cast feature some notable small roles from Marietta Tree as a girlfriend of Gay he takes to the train station early in the film, Philip Mitchell as Isabelle’s ex-husband she sees at the rodeo, Rex Bell as an old cowboy staring at Roslyn’s ass, James Barton as an old cowboy hanging at the rodeo with his young grandson, Estelle Winwood as a church lady collecting money, and Kevin McCarthy as Roslyn’s ex-husband Raymond who only appears in one scene waiting for her at the courthouse. Thelma Ritter is excellent as Isabelle Steers as Roslyn’s landlady who had seen a lot in her life as she is also someone who does what she can to help Roslyn while often being the wisest person in the room as it an understated yet charming performance.
Eli Wallach is brilliant as Guido as a mechanic/pilot who is smitten by Roslyn as he hopes to give her a decent life as he must contend with Gay while also doing what he can to help Gay in capturing wild horses even though it is a job that is becoming more useless in these changing times. Montgomery Clift is brilliant as Perce Howland as a broken-down rodeo cowboy who is in financial dire straits as he agrees to help Gay and Guido in their job while lamenting over his own misfortunes and numerous injuries in the rodeo where he befriends Roslyn where he also deals with what he has to do in capturing wild horses where Clift shows a lot of conflict in his face as a man who had seen too much.
Finally, there is the duo of Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe in their final film performances in their respective roles as Gay Langland and Roslyn Taber. Gable’s performance is phenomenal as this aging cowboy is a man that is trying to find meaning in his old age while also being someone who seeks companionship in Roslyn as he also tries to assert his own masculinity in a world where his ideas of masculinity is becoming futile. Monroe’s performance as Roslyn is tremendous where Monroe displays a fragility and uncertainty of a woman who has been through too many bad relationships and a lack of a future as she is seeking meaning in her own life where she is fascinated by the men she meets while falling for Gay where Monroe has great chemistry with her co-stars as well as showcasing her own rage in a key dramatic moment as it is a career-defining performance from the actress.
The Misfits is an outstanding film by John Huston that features great performances from Eli Wallach, Thelma Ritter, and Montgomery Clift as well as spectacular final performances from Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe. Along with its gorgeous visuals, Alex North’s music score, and Arthur Miller’s gripping and somber screenplay. The film is a dramatic-western that is more about a world where people find themselves unable to adapt to changing times while trying to cope with what they do to live in that new world. In the end, The Misfits is a magnificent film by John Huston.
Among the new wave of American filmmakers to emerge in the 2010s, Ryan Coogler is a unique voice in American cinema right now with five feature-length films so far with his most recent film Sinners having just been released in April of 2025. Notably for making films about the African-American experience and their encounter with tragedy and identity. While he has only made a small number of films so far, they are all diverse in the different genres they play whether it is about a real-life tragic event, twin brothers trying to create a place for their community, a young man trying to escape the shadow of the father he never knew, or a superhero living in a fictional African country. They all have something to say as well as appeal to the widest audience possible.
Born on May 23, 1986, in Oakland, California, Ryan Kyle Coogler was the son of Ira and Jocelyn Coogler as he would grow up with two younger brothers in Noah and Keenan. His family would also include an uncle in Clarence Thomas who had been a former secretary treasurer for International Longshore and Warehouse Union. Coogler lived in Oakland until the age of 8 when his family moved to Richmond, California to avoid the violence and chaos in Oakland though Coogler would have a love for the city as it would be a place of great importance for him in his life. While he would excel in athletics and attend Saint Mary’s College High School in Berkeley where he would also excel in academics. It was in creative writing where Coogler would find a love for storytelling as his teachers found promise in his writing as they encourage him to create screenplays due to his love for films.
Attending Saint Mary’s College of California in Moraga, California where he would play wide receiver as he would befriend future football star Marshawn Lynch where they would often play against each other. The college would end their football program in 2004 as he transferred to Sacramento State on a football scholarship where he would succeed in the sport. It was in his academics where he would gain a bachelor’s degree in finance while also taking many film classes at the school where he would be accepted through the USC School of Cinematic Arts for a three-year master’s program after he had graduated from Sacramento State.
Early short films/Locks
At USC, Coogler would learn the craft of filmmaking where he would spend three years making short films. At the school, he would meet a young Swedish musician in Ludwig Goransson who was studying music scoring for film and television. Coogler and Goransson would strike up a friendship with Goransson, becoming a collaborator for all of Coogler’s works. While Coogler would also work for other students, he would make the first of three short films he did in USC in Locks. The film revolves around a young man walking into the streets of Oakland where he contemplates his identity. Especially through his dreadlocks where he watches several African-Americans either getting arrested or just hanging out as there was not a lot of dialogue in the film where it was mostly silent. Since it would be shot on location in Oakland, the city would be a prominent character for the films Coogler would create as he presented the short in 2009 where it screened at the Tribeca Film Festival where it won the Dana & Albert Broccoli Award for Filmmaking Excellence.
Two years later, Coogler would create three more short films during that time including Sculptor and Gap as the latter was written by Carol S. Lashof and won a directing award named after actor Jack Nicholson. Another short Coogler made that was written by Alex George Pickering in Fig which was about a woman trying to protect her daughter by any means where it is in the Figueroa area of South Los Angeles. The 15-minute short (which as of 6/22/2025 is currently unavailable on various streaming services except for Kanopy in which I do not have access to) highlights Coogler’s exploration of African-American identity and the struggles they endure relating to racism. The short would also mark the arrival of another recurring collaborator in editor Michael P. Shawver who would edit the film with Claudia Castello. The short would premiere in 2011 where it would two awards in the HBO Short Film Competition at the American Black Film Festival and the Student Film Award from the Director’s Guild of America.
On January 1, 2009, Oscar Grant III was shot and killed by a Bay Area Rapid Transit Police Department officer while resisting arrest at the Fruitvale BART station. It was a story that Coogler would be aware of during his time at USC as he felt that the story about Grant’s final day should be told. Especially as it took place in his home city of Oakland as it is a story that hits close to home for Coogler. Coogler would meet attorney John Burris who was representing Grant’s family as well as the family in making a film about Grant’s final day as well as parts of his life. During his final year in USC, Coogler would meet Nina Yang Bongiovi who was the head of production for a new production company created by Academy Award-winning actor Forest Whitaker in developing projects for new and up-and-coming filmmakers. Whitaker would also meet Coogler as he would contact the Sundance Screenwriters Lab to develop the script as he would receive funding from the San Francisco Film Society and other independent funding.
With music composer Ludwig Goransson and editors Michael P. Shawver and Claudia Castello on board for the production, Coogler would gain another key collaborator in cinematographer Rachel Morrison who was starting to emerge as a revered cinematographer in American independent cinema. Another figure who would also become a recurring collaborator for Coogler is Hannah Beachler who was new to the industry as Coogler chose her to become the film’s production designer despite her lack of experience. While the project was in development, actress Octavia Spencer who had just won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for the 2011 film The Help signed on for the role of Grant’s mother that gave the film additional funding with Spencer also gaining an executive producer credit. With the help of casting director Nina Henniger, Coogler would get Kevin Durand and Chad Michael Murray as the two police officers who shot Grant as well as Melonie Diaz as Grant’s girlfriend Sophina. Coogler also had Grant’s mother play a small role as a schoolteacher to the girl playing her real-life granddaughter.
For the role of Oscar Grant III, Coogler wrote the part with one actor in mind in Michael B. Jordan who in 2011 was playing the role of quarterback Vance Howard in the TV show version of Friday Night Lights as the show had just ended. Jordan agreed to play the role of Grant marking the beginning of a fruitful actor-director collaboration between Jordan and Coogler. Production began in July of 2012 on a 20-day shoot in Oakland including the actual locations of where Grant was killed. Much of the shooting on those locations would happen at night with the permission from BART to get a realistic presentation about what happened that night. Coogler would also infuse flashbacks to play into Grant’s life and his own faults as a young man that include scenes at San Quentin State Prison where Coogler shot on the actual prison to play into Grant’s troubled past. While Coogler admit having reservations about using the footage that captured Grant’s death, he eventually gave in as he posted that, and footage posted a year later after Grant’s death for a memorial service on the man.
The film premiered on January 19, 2013, at that year’s Sundance Film Festival under the name Fruitvale where it would win the festival’s Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award in its U.S. Dramatic section leading a bidding war for the film’s release where the Weinstein Company won the rights to release the film by spending $2 million for its rights although its budget was $900,000. Following a screening months later at the Cannes Film Festival where it played at the Un Certain Regard section and won a prize at the festival. The film would get a limited theatrical release in the U.S. on July 12, 2013, where it was well received from critics while grossing more than $17 million worldwide with $16 million in the U.S. The film would also be ranked among the year’s 10 best films of that year as well as garner many accolades including Best First Film from the New York Film Critics Circle and 4 awards from the National Board of Review including Best Directorial Debut for Coogler, Breakthrough Actor for Jordan, Best Supporting Actress to Spencer, and named as one of the 10 best films of the year.
Less than 2 weeks after the limited theatrical release for Fruitvale Station, MGM announced plans for a spin-off to the Rocky film franchise as it relates to the illegitimate son of Apollo Creed where Coogler has been chosen to direct the film. The news was sudden and surprising, yet Coogler said yes to the project as he asked friend Aaron Covington to help write the script that plays into a young man named Adonis who is the illegitimate son of Apollo Creed as he wants to become a boxer as he seeks the help of his father’s greatest rival in Rocky Balboa. During pre-production, Coogler got Michael B. Jordan to play the role of Adonis Creed while Sylvester Stallone agreed to reprise his role as Rocky Balboa having last played the character in the titular 2006 film. Coogler and Covington asked Stallone to participate in the writing since he did create the characters back in the 1970s, but Stallone chose not to while also playing the role of a producer along with Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff who had produced all the Rocky films.
In the spring of 2014, it was announced that Coogler and Stallone were officially involved in the film as pre-production continued with Coogler gathering several of his collaborators for the project in editors Michael P. Shawver and Claudia Castello, production designer Hannah Beachler, and composer Ludwig Goransson while gaining a new collaborator in Benjamin A. Burtt in doing the sound editing. With the help of casting directors Francine Maisler and Kathy Driscoll, real-life boxers Tony Bellew and Andre Ward were cast with the former playing the role of Adonis’ main opponent in “Pretty” Ricky Conlan. The casting would include Graham McTavish as Conlan’s manager, Tessa Thompson in the role of Adonis’ love interest Bianca, and Wood Harris as Tony “Duke” Evers’ son Tony Jr. For the role of Apollo’s widow Mary Anne Creed, Phylicia Rashad would be cast replacing Sylvia Meals who had died in 2011.
Production began in January 2015 with much of its production shot on location in Philadelphia with some of the film shot on location in Oakland. Coogler’s regular cinematographer Rachel Morrison would be unavailable for production due to scheduling conflicts as Coogler would receive the services of the renowned cinematographer Maryse Alberti. Shooting would have Coogler going out of the U.S. for the first time by shooting a scene at Goodison Park for a fight scene involving the Conlan character as it was also the place for the Everton Football Club in which Bellew and Stallone are supporters of. Production would continue in Philadelphia in early February of that year to play into the atmosphere of the city with Adonis adjusting to a colder environment. Coogler also wanted to bring in a few things that related to the Rocky films including Balboa training Adonis in methods that Balboa did under the tutelage of his trainer Mickey Goldmill. Coogler did not just want to bring a few Easter eggs but also wanted to maintain a sense of realism into the fights as well as drama as it relates to Balboa’s post-fight life as he is struggling with being alone and later dealing with cancer.
The film premiered on November 19, 2015, followed by a wide release a week later where the film was a critical and commercial success, grossing more than $173 million worldwide with a $108 million gross in North America over the film’s budget at around $35 million-$40 million. The film’s success would also garner accolades including the New Generation award for Coogler from the L.A. Film Critics Association as well as several awards and nominations for Sylvester Stallone including an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. The film would later spawn two sequels with Jordan directing the third film that would also be a critical and commercial success in which Coogler would be involved as a producer. Despite its success, the production was a difficult experience for Coogler as his uncle James had passed away during shooting as he would take a break from making films where he would marry Zinzi Evans in 2016 as she would later become a producer for his own films.
During his break from filmmaker, Marvel approached Coogler to direct a film version of the character Black Panther as he was one of several names attached to direct the film. Coogler initially turned down the offer as it was offered to other filmmakers including Ava Duvernay as Marvel’s producer Kevin Feige felt that a film about an African superhero should be directed by a Black filmmaker. The project had been in development since the early 1990s when actor Wesley Snipes had been trying to get the project going for years until he did Blade when it was released in 1998. The project would go through development hell for years until the mid-2010s when Feige and casting director Sarah Halley Finn reviewed an audition tape for actor Chadwick Boseman who was auditioning to play the role of Drax the Destroyer for Guardians of the Galaxy as the part would go to Dave Bautista for the film’s 2014 release. Boseman would be cast as T’Challa/Black Panther as the character would make its debut in the 2016 film Captain America: Civil War as the character stood out with audiences.
Coogler was finally attached to the project in early 2016 though plans for a 2017 theatrical release were pushed to 2018 giving Coogler time to develop a script with a writer at Marvel in Joe Robert Cole as it would be set in the fictional African country of Wakanda as Coogler had been familiar with the comic story and characters that was created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee along with many other writers throughout the years. Coogler and Cole would create a storyline about T’Challa accepting his role as King of Wakanda following his father’s death in Civil War but also discovering an enemy who wants the throne of Wakanda. With Boseman having played the role of T’Challa/Black Panther to great acclaim, he and Coogler worked closely on creating a strong character as the only other actors from Civil War that would take part in the project is Florence Kasumba as the Dora Milaje second-in-command Ayo, Martin Freeman as Everett K. Ross, and John Kani as T’Challa’s father T’Chaka, with Andy Serkis reprising his role as Ulysses Klaue whom he played in Avengers: Age of Ultron.
With Michael B. Jordan playing the role of the main villain Erik Killmonger and Lupita N’yongo in the role of T’Challa’s lover Nakia, Coogler also wanted to expand the cast with actors of African or African-American descent in key parts of the film with the help of Sarah Halley Finn. On July 2016, Coogler attended the San Diego Comic Con event where the announcement of the Black Panther film was announced with an ensemble cast unveiled that would include Angela Bassett as T’Challa’s mother Queen Ramonda, Danai Gurira as the Dora Milaje leader Okoye, Daniel Kaluuya as the border tribe leader W’Kabi, Sterling K. Brown as T’Chaka’s brother, Forest Whitaker as the royal advisor Zuri, Isaach de Bankole as the river tribe elder, and two newcomers for the film in Winston Duke as the Jabari tribe leader M’Baku and Letitia Wright as T’Challa’s younger sister Shuri as she would join the film in 2017. The pre-production would go on for years where Coogler wanted to make Wakanda as this futuristic yet rich African culture as he and production designer Hannah Beachler wanted to bring a realism but also pay tribute to African cultures. Added to the team of Coogler’s collaborators is costume designer Ruth E. Carter who had been known for her work with Spike Lee as she also researched African wardrobe from other countries to help create a distinctive look for the film.
Production began in 2017 as it would be shot at EUE/Screen Gems Studios in Atlanta where Wakanda would be set along with additional locations in Busan, South Korea and Oakland where Coogler would be surrounded by his team of collaborators including cinematographer Rachel Morrison, editor Michael P. Shawver, sound editor Benjamin A. Burtt with another new member to the team in Steve Boeddeker in the sound, and Ludwig Goransson who would help create a music score that played into elements of traditional African music and textures as he spent years researching different music from the continent. Goransson would also collaborate with rapper Kendrick Lamar in cultivating a music soundtrack for the film that would a mixture of hip-hop, R&B, and African music. The production was immense where Coogler wanted to present this idea of Afro-futurism as well as wanting to be a film that explored a man taking on a role and the identity, he must play for not just his own people in Wakanda but also for something much bigger. While Boseman had been diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer back in 2016, he kept his illness private from the media as he was willing to do a lot for what the film needed.
With a $200 million budget, the film premiered on January 28, 2018, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood followed by its wide theatrical release 2 weeks later during President’s Day. The film’s release was considered a landmark event as the film grossed more than $242 million in its four-day weekend with African-American entertainers and other African-American figures of wealth would rent movie theaters for children and the elderly to see the film. The film would receive widespread critical acclaim while it would make a rare feat in the North American box office grossing more than $700 million in the box office with a worldwide total gross of $1.4 billion. The film would also have a run at the North American box office that lasted for months which was also rare around the same time Avengers: Infinity War was released which also featured Boseman, Wright, Gurira, Duke, and Kasumba in the film playing their respective roles. The film was also a major success in African countries breaking box office records leading to a wave of countries creating comic series of their own.
Less than a year after its theatrical release that was followed by its home video release which added more financial success to Marvel. The film would garner many accolades as it was another rare feat for a superhero film as it received awards from various film critics circles as well as winning two Screen Actors Guild award for its stunt team and for the entire ensemble cast. At the Oscars, the film receives 7 Oscar nominations including Best Picture, Best Original Song, Best Sound, and Best Sound Editing while it would win three Oscars for Best Production Design to Hannah Beachler and decorator Jay Hart, Best Costume Design to Ruth E. Carter, and Best Original Score to Ludwig Goransson. The Best Picture nomination was also a rare feat for the film although its loss to the film Green Book by Peter Farrelly remains a controversial decision with many African-American figures in the entertainment industry including Spike Lee, whose film Blackkklansman was also nominated for Best Picture, saw it as a slap in the face to black filmmakers.
The immense success of Black Panther immediately had Kevin Feige green-light a sequel as part of Marvel’s next series of films relating to a new saga of films that would relate to the Multiverse storyline. As part of the fourth phase of the Multiverse Saga, plans for a second film were made with Coogler agreeing to direct the sequel as well as writing with Joe Robert Cole. Coogler would spend some time off while working on a script with a Cole as well as help develop projects for other filmmakers including the 2021 film Judas and the Black Messiah for Shaka King that won two Oscars for Best Original Song and Best Supporting Actor to Daniel Kaluuya. It was around this time while developing the sequel to Black Panther when tragedy struck on August 28, 2020, when the film’s star Chadwick Boseman died of colon cancer as production for the sequel was delayed. Coogler and Feige decided that the character of T’Challa would not be re-cast to honor Boseman.
Plans for an early 2022 release was pushed towards the end of the year as Coogler and Cole would rewrite the entire story as it would be an exploration of grief with the focus on T’Challa’s younger sister Shuri taking on the mantle of Black Panther. It would also explore a new conflict for the Wakandans as they would learn they are not the only country to possess the fictional metal vibranium. It would also play into the events five years following the events of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame known as the Blip where other countries want vibranium for their own reasons with those in Wakanda becoming suspicious of their intentions. Coogler and Cole would create a story that also played into the ideas of colonialism not just in Africa but also have the film set in Mexico as it relates to a fictional race of underwater living beings in the Talokan led by a figure known as K’uk’ulkan who also possesses vibranium as their land is under threat from countries wanting vibranium.
With many of the ensemble cast and crew from the previous crew returning apart from cinematographer Rachel Morrison who was forging her own filmmaker career as she would be replaced by Autumn Durald Arkapaw who had been a recurring collaborator for filmmaker Gia Coppola. Added to the film’s ensemble is Michaela Cole as a rebellious Dora Milaje who would later become part of the Midnight Angels group with Okoye. In the roles of the Talokan, Tenoch Huerta Mejia would be cast as K’uk’ulkan aka Namor with Mabel Cadena and Alex Livinalli as other Talokan tribe warriors while Julia Louis-Dreyfus would reprise her role as Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine who was becoming a recurring character in recent MCU projects. Also added to the production is Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams/Ironheart as she had originally auditioned to play Shuri years ago, but Coogler and casting director Sarah Halley Finn kept the audition as called her to play Williams. Shot at the Trilith Studios in Atlanta as well as locations in Puerto Rico, Boston, and small shots in Switzerland, Mexico, and Haiti.
Production began in June of 2021 as Coogler later admitted that it was difficult due to Boseman’s passing with several actors working closely together to honor Boseman. Adding to its difficulty was an injury to Letitia Wright during filming in Boston as she was hospitalized temporarily where she would recuperate in London. Another problem during shooting was the death of Dorothy Steel who was reprising her role as the Wakandan Merchant Tribe elder as the film would also be dedicated to her along with Boseman. Despite its many issues, production would go smoothly while Coogler and music composer Ludwig Goransson wanted to go further into the music in not just utilizing an array of music from Africa but also ancient Mexican and Mayan music for its score. Barbadian singer Rhianna would also contribute two original songs to the film during post-production in 2022.
Released on November 11, 2022, the film would be a major box office hit grossing more than $450 million in North America with an additional worldwide gross of more than $405 million with a total of more than $850 million against the film’s budget at around $200 million to $250 million. While it would not achieve the same box office as its predecessor as well as the same critical response from its predecessor. The film was still a major hit with Angela Bassett getting a lot of praise for her performance including a win at the Golden Globes for Best Supporting Actress. At the Academy Awards, the film would receive five Oscar nominations including Best Supporting Actress to Bassett as well as Best Hair/Makeup, Visual Effects, Original Song to Rhianna, Tems, Coogler, and Goransson, and a win for Best Costume design to Ruth E. Carter.
Following a break between projects where Coogler contributed a storyline to the third Creed film that would be directed by Michael B. Jordan, Coogler would develop his first original script since Fruitvale Station as it would be a different project from everything he had done. Notably as it would be period-horror film set in the American South during the Jim Crow era where twin brothers return to Clarksdale, Mississippi to open a juke-joint for the locals only to attract vampires through their music. The project would be created through Coogler’s production company Proximity Media that he developed with Michael B. Jordan as Jordan decided to star in the film as the film would also feature Coogler’s wife Zinzi in her first official credit as a producer. With Jordan playing dual roles as the twin siblings Smoke and Stack Moore, Coogler would gather many of his collaborators on board as an announcement was made in January 2024 where a bidding war between various studios with Warner Brothers winning the bid where Coogler made a deal in receiving first-dollar gross, final cut privileges, and ownership of the film twenty-five years after its release in exchange of distribution rights to the film.
It was considered a monumental deal by many in the industry to a filmmaker with only a few films to his credit yet Coogler’s success with Marvel and two other films that did well commercially were proof of this. During pre-production, Coogler and cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw decided to have the film be shot in different film stocks and aspect ratios where the film would be shot on 65mm using a combination of IMAX 15-perf and Ultra Panavision 70 cameras as Coogler went to filmmaker Christopher Nolan for advice on shooting in 65-70mm as Nolan received a special thanks credit in the film. The production would be shot in and around New Orleans as production designer Hannah Beachler would create the place where Smoke and Stack would hold their juke-joint where Coogler also wanted to play into that period of 1930s American South. Coogler also emphasized mythology as it relates to the Choctaw tribe as it plays into the history of Mississippi where they originated from as they would make a brief appearance that would also play into the horror elements of the film. Reuniting with Francine Maisler who was one of the casting directors in Creed, Coogler would assemble an immense ensemble cast that would also include the previously announced Michael B. Jordan. Wunmi Moska, Delroy Lindo, Jayme Lawson, Omar Miller, Li Jun Li, Yao, Jack O’Connell, Lola Kirke, Saul Williams, Hailee Steinfeld, and a newcomer in Miles Caton would all officially join the film.
Production began in April 2024 for a three-month shoot where Coogler was given a $100 million budget for the film as part of the deal he made with Warner Brothers where he spent $67.6 million to shoot everything on location while hiring visual effects supervisor Michael Ralla and special effects supervisor Matt Kutcher in overseeing the visual effects. Since the film would also have actors singing and playing live in some scenes in the film, music composer Ludwig Goransson would help oversee things with his wife Serena producing the music as it emphasized on traditional blues and Irish folk music. Notably in a sequence in which Caton’s character Sammie plays the blues where it transcends time and space where mysticism and surrealism is present. The scene would have a mixture of music from the past to the music of the 21st Century where it adds to this element of mythology.
It would be a sequence that would attract the trio of vampires as there is an added twist in the film as it relates to the building that the Moore brothers bought from unaware that its landowner was affiliated with the Ku Klux Klan. Helping the Goranssons in wanting to capture an authenticity to the music is producer Lawrence “Boo” Mitchell who would help assemble various musicians in creating the music that included Brittany Howard, Raphael Saadiq, Bobby Rush, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, and blues legend Buddy Guy who would make an appearance for one of the film’s post-credit scenes. Jerry Cantrell of Alice in Chains and Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich would also play part in the film’s score while Hailee Steinfeld would contribute an original song to the film.
The film premiered on April 3, 2025, in New York City before opening in theaters in the U.S. more than 2 weeks later. The film would become an immense commercial and critical success where as of late June 2025, the film made more than $276 million in North America with an additional $86 million worldwide grossing more than $360 million overall against its $100 million budget. The film would also gain a positive response with critics and filmgoers as well as those in the industry who lament over the lack of original ideas in American cinema.
Upcoming Projects
While Coogler has already announced that he would helm the third Black Panther with Denzel Washington playing a secret role in the film. Coogler has also taken part in developing projects with Marvel in the upcoming TV series Ironheart with Dominique Thorne reprising the role of the titular character/Riri Williams as well as the animated TV series Eyes of Wakanda. Coogler has also expressed interest in doing a film project relating to The X-Files tv series as he was a fan of the show while another project Coogler is developing with Michael B. Jordan is about the Atlanta Public Schools cheating scandal of the late 2000s.
With five feature films already made with all of them being successful and the upcoming return to one of the most popular film franchises that would feature one of American cinema’s legendary actors slated to appear. There is no question that Ryan Coogler is now an important figure in American cinema who makes films that do appeal to a wide audience as well as retaining a vision that is his own. Especially as he is working with the Hollywood system yet is still entrenched in his roots as an independent filmmaker. He is already becoming someone special as whatever project he will do next is going to be worth waiting for as long as he is given the time to create something that will blow audiences away. There are not a lot of filmmakers who made their first films in the 21st century that will get audiences excited for what they will do next but Ryan Coogler could be that filmmaker whose next film is definitely going to be an event as long as he continues to do what he does best.
