Marling, Batmanglij Reunite to Target Sins of Corporate Corruption in 'The East'

Sarah (Brit Marling) goes undercover to investigate the eco-terrorist organization, The East.

Brit Marling is one of the most underrated talents working in Hollywood today and for the third straight year commencing with 2011's Another Earth and last year's underground thriller, Sound of My Voice, this magnetically talented producer, writer and actress shakes the indie scene to its core with The East.

Marling reteams up with director Zal Batmanglij (Sound of My Voice) for a second collaborative effort diving headfirst into a trifecta of eco-terrorist plots engineered by the titular group that's solely directed towards three corrupt corporations. The East live by the ancient Hammurabi moral code, "an eye for an eye" turning each of their "jams" by fighting fire with fire, regardless of who gets caught in the crossfire.

Del Toro's 'Mama" Reawakens the Old-Fashioned Scare Fest

Annabel (Jessica Chastain) and her family are haunted by an invisible spirit, known as "Mama."

Director and producer Guillermo Del Toro certainly has built a noteworthy reputation for having a keen eye for discovering finely crafted dark fantasy shorts that fail to find themselves on the mainstream radar. Taking these shorts under his wing with the goal of expanding a tightly focused narrative into a full-fledged feature film adding his own signature flair is hardly a gamble for the experienced Del Toro, however his latest project Mama treads way too similar waters.

Based on a 2008 Spanish short, Mama opens with a tragic car crash, leaving its survivors, a pair of young sisters to fend for themselves in an abandoned cabin in the woods. Nearly five years without human contact, Victoria (Megan Charpentier) and Lily (Isabelle Nelisse) are at last rescued and later adopted by their uncle and his rocker girlfriend, Annabel (Jessica Chastain). Things take a turn for the stranger when the girls begin communicating to their invisible guardian affectionately called "Mama."

'Man on a Ledge' Leaps From Absurdity to Intrigue

Sam Worthington must be thinking about the sequel to his 2010 remake Clash of the Titans.

Whatever happened to Sam Worthington? The star of 2009’s box-office smash, Avatar, was supposed be the “next big thing” in Hollywood, but since his journey to Pandora, what was a potentially bright future stalled minus one exception, the remake of Clash of the Titans. But even combating lackluster mythological beasts simply wasn’t adequate enough for Worthington to make a name for himself. Enter director Asger Leth who takes his first crack at directing besides a 2006 documentary with Man on a Ledge. 

Man on a Ledge distances Worthington from the conventional action role we’ve been accustomed to for the past several years, depending on a more serious role where he is nothing more than a diversion to a much larger picture. After a daring prison escape, ex-cop Nick Cassidy (Worthington) checks in at a hotel deep in the heart of Manhattan, only to momentarily step out onto the building’s ledge and threaten to jump to his death unless persuaded otherwise by police. The situation is nothing more than a ruse to gain the undivided attention of the New Yorkers below, while his brother and his brother’s girlfriend attempt to seek revenge on a businessman who framed him for the theft of a multi-million dollar diamond.

Spy Classic 'Tinker Tailor' Tightens Traitor Investigation

Smiley (Gary Oldman) investigates the top men of British Intelligence in an updated Tinker Tailor.

An espionage film can be boiled down into two categories – either going the flashy route with an abundance of iconic characters, disposable gadgets and explosive action sequences like James Bond or Jason Bourne or conversely taking a more subtle, subdued path where the audience is required to be patient and come to an understanding that flashiness isn’t everything to craft a film. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is the latter, bringing together the most prominent actors in British cinema, many of which are having their own little Harry Potter reunion in this film. 

Tinker Tailor is adapted from the 1974 John le Carre novel by the same name about a seasoned agent (Gary Oldman) drawn out of retirement to investigate which one of British Intelligence’s top men are also working alongside the Soviets and blowing the cover of a fellow agent during a mission deep inside the Hungarian borders. Each of possible suspects is given a codename – “Tinker,” “Tailor,” “Soldier,” and “Poorman.”