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Forbes
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
One Of The Best Action Movies Ever Made Lands On Netflix Today
Mad Max: Fury Road If you enjoy a good summer blockbuster and would like to do that from the comfort of your own home, I have a terrific pick for you today. If you enjoy car chases through the desert in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, filled with outlandish characters, massive explosions and some of the best action sequences ever filmed, look no further than Mad Max: Fury Road, George Miller's epic action masterpiece which lands on Netflix today. It's hard to believe, but the film is actually ten-years-old now. I still remember seeing it for the first time in theaters a decade ago and being completely blown away. I've seen it several times since, and that feeling of pure awe never leaves. Even beyond the adrenaline-filled, heart-pounding action, there's just something so incredible about this movie and how it was filmed. For starters, director George Miller and artists including Brendan McCarthy came up with 3,500 panels of storyboards before any work was done on the script itself. Miller, who had written only a brief outline at this point, wanted to visualize the film and effectively created an extensive graphic novel in the process. The final cut of the film mirrors these storyboards almost exactly. The concept and storyboard work began in the late 90s, but 9/11 happened and plans to film in Africa were thwarted. The production moved to Australia, but flooding left the landscape too verdant for a Mad Max movie, and so well over a decade after all this began the filming moved back to Namibia in 2012. Mel Gibson was originally slated to reprise his role as Max, but the delays made this impossible and the part was recast with Tom Hardy filling Gibson's boots. Charlize Theron was cast as Imperator Furiosa. The story follows Max as he helps Furiosa escape the dastardly warlord Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne) and his War Boys, including Nux (Nicholas Hoult). Furiosa has freed the slave-wives of Immortan Joe, but the warlord won't let them go easily. What follows is one of the most intense, brilliantly filmed car chases ever put to film. Over 200 outlandish cars were created for Fury Road and kept for years in storage until filming could begin. It's genuinely one of the most insane cinematic works of all time and while I absolutely recommend you watch it on a 4k Blu-Ray disc (or check out the black and white 'Black and Chrome' edition, which is Miller's preferred version) it will still look and sound great on Netflix. Miller wanted to release a silent version of the film, but this never happened. Netflix is also about to lose Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga which serves as a prequel to Fury Road. Definitely watch them in the order they were released, however, as the prequel functions better once you've already seen the original. While I recommend you watch the first three Mad Max films also, you certainly don't have to prior to watching Fury Road, which is effectively a franchise reboot more than a proper sequel. I thought Furiosa was excellent with great performances from stars Anya Taylor-Joy as a young Furiosa and Chris Hemsworth as the rather demented warlord, Dementus – though it's still not on the same level as Fury Road. Be sure to also go watch Ryan Coogler's Sinners, which just became available on streaming last week.
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Hollywood Icon, 49, Has Scathing Words for Director
Hollywood Icon, 49, Has Scathing Words for Director originally appeared on Parade. Iconic actress Charlize Theron says she was sexually harassed by a director early on in her career, however, she refuses to name him — and there's a reason. "I've never said his name because, honestly, I don't want the story to be about him,' Theron, 49, said on the July 2 episode of the Call Her Daddy podcast. "It's not because I'm protecting him or anything." Theron went on to say that she knew the director was "nervous" when she first went public with the story. "He knew it was about him, and he wrote me a pretend letter trying to explain his behavior and how I must have misunderstood it, which is classic, isn't it? It's so classic," she said. "I won't even f***ing say your name because you know you're the scumbag. You know it's you. If anybody ever asked me about him, I would be completely honest — and he knows that. I kind of like that he's got to be on a hot seat. He doesn't know when it's going to come. I kind of like that a little more," she added. In 2019, Theron opened up about the experience while on The Howard Stern Show. Years ago, the Mad Max: Fury Road star went to the home of an unnamed director for a casting call and when he opened the door, he was in his pajamas. From there, he tried to "talk" with her rather than have her audition and, at one point, he put his hand on her knee. That was the last straw for Theron, who immediately got up and left. Hollywood Icon, 49, Has Scathing Words for Director first appeared on Parade on Jul 2, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
New York Times
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
The Century's Best Movies
Ten years ago last May, I found myself so thunderstruck by a movie that I'm pretty sure my mouth hung open for nearly its entire two-hour running time. The film was George Miller's visceral vision 'Mad Max: Fury Road,' which I'd easily rank as the greatest action movie of the last quarter-century. Turns out, so does Hollywood. At 11th place, 'Mad Max: Fury Road' was the highest-ranking blockbuster on our exciting new list, The 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century, compiled by polling more than 500 people in and around the film industry. Contributors included Oscar-winning directors like Pedro Almodóvar, Sofia Coppola, Guillermo del Toro and Barry Jenkins, and actors such as Tilda Swinton, Javier Bardem, Julianne Moore and Chiwetel Ejiofor. We even got a ballot from 98-year-old Mel Brooks. We have made many of those ballots available for your perusal — you can find them here. I loved learning that the 'Call Me By Your Name' director Luca Guadagnino has expectedly arty tastes but also included the mostly forgotten John Carpenter sci-fi film 'Ghosts of Mars' on his list. As for the top films, I had an early hunch that the biggest vote-getters would be David Lynch's 'Mulholland Drive' and Bong Joon Ho's best-picture winner 'Parasite,' though I confess I had them in the wrong order: In the end, 'Parasite' prevailed, while Lynch's film earned second place. The rest of the top 10 are: 3. 'There Will Be Blood' 4. 'In the Mood for Love' 5. 'Moonlight' 6. 'No Country For Old Men' 7. 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' 8. 'Get Out' 9. 'Spirited Away' 10. 'The Social Network' Though the advent of streaming services has affected the way movies are made and watched over the last quarter-century, only one film from a streamer made the list: Netflix's 'Roma,' at No. 46. I think that's a testament to just how profound the big-screen experience still feels. Our greatest cinematic memories, like the time my jaw dropped while watching 'Fury Road,' are forged in the dark with a packed audience along for the ride. A few other things stood out about the full list: Around a quarter of the films on the list are in a language other than English, reflecting both the global scope of our voters and the international nature of the contemporary cinema scene. Eleven of the films were directed by women. Fewer best-picture winners made the list than you might expect. Though three are in the top 10 — 'Parasite,' 'No Country For Old Men' and 'Moonlight' — only seven others are scattered throughout the rest of the list. The likes of 'Crash' and 'Green Book' may have charmed Oscar voters when they debuted, but have they stood the test of time? Check out the entire list here. Times readers can also submit your own ballots, which we will eventually compile into another list. I'm interested to see just how dramatically your choices may differ from the tastes of Hollywood insiders. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Forbes
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Netflix's Best New Movie Scored Insanely High On Rotten Tomatoes
Nicolas Cage stars in the 2021 film 'Pig.' On paper, the premise for Pig sounds like the setup for a Nicolas Cage punchline: a loner of a man ventures out into the woods to rescue his stolen truffle pig. But it's not a self-aware John Wick-esque genre riff played for laughs, nor is it an over-the-top revenge thriller backed by a big budget. No, this quietly profound film is something much more; it's a meditation on grief and memory that uses its bizarre premise not for shock or irony, but for tenderness. Oh, and it also happens to be one of the best-reviewed movies of the 21st century. And it was added to Netflix this morning, accompanying what is already a stellar lineup of movies for the month of May. No, Pig is not at all what you'd expect. But perhaps more surprising than the film's shocking sophistication is the fact that more people haven't seen it, that the movie isn't much more talked about. Because very few films have achieved such great success on Rotten Tomatoes: a 97% score from 272 reviews—a feat almost unheard of for any modern film, let alone a subdued indie about a truffle-hunting recluse and his stolen pig. That amount of positive reviews broaches nearly unmatched territory, recalling what many consider to be the highest-rated movie ever on Rotten Tomatoes, Mad Max: Fury Road, which also scored 97% from 439 reviews. Not many films remain in the high-90s when approaching 300 reviews, which begs the question: shouldn't we all be watching and talking about this movie? Despite its seemingly absurd premise, Pig from director Michael Sarnoski (who also directed A Quiet Place: Day One) is anything but conventional. The film's central star, the often bug-eyed Bela Lugosi super-fan Nicolas Cage, plays Rob, a former fine-dining chef who abandons his past and decides to live deep in the Oregon wilderness with his pig, foraging truffles and avoiding any and all contact with human beings. After a violent break-in that results in his pig being stolen, Rob heads back to Portland not to seek vengeance, but to search for his lost friend—quietly, painfully, and without compromise. What follows is an incredibly emotional journey that requires some heavy acting from Mr. Cage. Critics didn't just like Pig—they were floored by it. Matt Zoller Seitz of gave the film a raving four-star review, calling it 'beguiling' and 'confounding,' the kind of movie that dares to defy genre expectations. Though it teases a gritty revenge plot, the film instead unfolds like a '70s-style picaresque character study. 'Its commitment to its own oddball vision is what makes it linger in the mind,' Seitz writes. 'It's attentive to regret and failure in ways that American films tend to avoid.' In Variety, Michael Nordine praised Cage's 'best performance in years," marveling at the film's ability to 'feel both out there and grounded, often at the same time.' He notes how Cage's portrayal of Rob brings a wounded sincerity to even the film's most bizarre moments, like underground fight clubs for restaurant workers or chapter titles named after recipes. Cage, he writes, finds something 'close to the profound in it all.' Sheri Linden of The Hollywood Reporter highlights Pig's unorthodox emotional prowess, describing it as 'a recipe that takes chances, even if not every ingredient works.' She praises the unlikely chemistry between Cage and Alex Wolff, who plays Amir, a snarky young truffle dealer reluctantly drawn into Rob's mission. Their mismatched dynamic anchors the story, with Linden pointing out how Wolff subtly reveals the self-doubt beneath Amir's ambition. 'Through it all,' she writes, 'Cage plays the enigmatic central character at the perfect simmering temperature, and without a shred of ham.' Pig takes its time, trades catharsis for contemplation, rarely delivers what you expect—and that's exactly why it has resonated so deeply with audiences and critics alike. It's a film about food, yes, but also about identity, about loss, about what remains when everything else is stripped away. Rob doesn't just want his pig back; he wants to remember who he was when he still cared about something bigger than himself. At 92 minutes, Pig wastes absolutely nothing—not a word, not a look, not a moment. It's a lean, haunting film that sneaks up on you and stays there. And with a Rotten Tomatoes score this high, we can officially deem them gem more than a cult classic—it's a critical titan. And it's now streaming on Netflix. So be sure you don't miss it if you're a subscriber.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
How ‘Mad Max: Fury Road' became an unlikely Oscar contender 10 years ago
In the 10 years since Mad Max: Fury Road hit theaters, director George Miller's fourth outing in his post-apocalyptic franchise has become universally acclaimed as one of the greatest action movies ever made. Industry bodies like the Academy Awards do not usually celebrate action movies, so momentum has been building for years to create a new category honoring stunt performances. But even before Best Stunt Design finally becomes an official category starting with the 100th ceremony in 2028, Fury Road managed to score six Oscars from 10 nominations, making it the most-nominated film of its year, and still the record-holder for Australian movies at the Oscars. How did that unexpected paradox happen? Don't ask Miller; praise from the Oscars was the last thing he expected of his long-gestating franchise revival, and he remained befuddled by it for a long time. More from GoldDerby 'Sunset Boulevard' star Tom Francis reveals how he plays 'the complete and utter opposite' of Nicole Scherzinger's Norma Desmond 'Murderbot,' 'The Brutalist,' 'A Minecraft Movie,' 'Duster,' and the best to stream this weekend Making the 'Mission: Impossible' franchise, ScarJo vs. AI, catching up with the Gosselins, and what to read this weekend: May 16, 2025 'Who would have thunk it?' Miller told New York Times award columnist Cara Buckley in January 2016, shortly after the nominations were announced. 'The film was like last year, May, and I did not imagine I'd be back here talking about it, which is fine, you know, which is good. When you're in these awards seasons, and people have responded to the film in a positive way, then you say, 'OK, I'll enjoy the party as long as it lasts.'' As he references in that quote, Miller was not a stranger to the Oscars by 2016. Although best known for Mad Max, Miller has also made several movies not based on high-octane action or desert warlords wearing spikes and Speedos. He was nominated for Best Original Screenplay for 1992's Lorenzo's Oil, and for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay for 1995's Babe (which he produced but did not direct). He even won Best Animated Feature for 2006's penguin musical Happy Feet. But until Fury Road, the Mad Max movies had gone unrecognized by the Oscars, and Miller didn't expect that to change. 'I used to joke in the cutting room, 'If we don't win an Oscar for this…' But I was kidding around!' Fury Road editor (and Miller's wife) Margaret Sixel told Kyle Buchanan in Blood, Sweat, and Chrome, a book-length oral history of the film. 'George would say, 'No, Margie, this kind of stuff is not Oscar stuff.' He dampened all our expectations.' What changed? The easiest way to say it is that Miller and his many collaborators made a masterpiece. Despite its relatively straightforward construction (the movie is basically one big car chase, there and back), Fury Road is filled with colorful characters and detailed world-building that feels outlandish and resonates with real-world oppression. Fury Road made money in theaters, but in a year dominated by other, even flashier franchise revivals like Jurassic World and Star Wars: The Force Awakens, it didn't even crack the top 20 of Hollywood's domestic box office rankings for 2015. Yet almost everyone who did see it raved about it — not just critics and fans, but also awards insiders like Gold Derby's own Zach Laws. 'If ever there was an audience crowd-pleaser that deserved to be nominated, it's George Miller's bold, imaginative Mad Max: Fury Road, a revitalization of this Australian auteur's post-apocalyptic trilogy,' Laws wrote on this very site following the film's May 15-17 opening weekend in the United States. At that early stage, Laws correctly predicted that Fury Road would win Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Production Design, and Best Film Editing (proving that Sixel had been right all along). But he also advocated that the film should break through in the top categories of Best Director ('at age 70, [Miller] delivered the kind of nuts-and-bolts entertainment that makes the rest of the summer slate look like child's play') and Best Picture ('the film is not only a great entertainment, but a work of art'). Momentum kept building over the following months. According to Blood, Sweat, and Chrome, a decisive turning point came at the end of the year when Fury Road earned Best Picture from the prestigious National Board of Review. 'That NBR win gave the green light to anyone who was hedging in the critics' groups to be like, 'Yeah, I can vote for this,'' journalist Gregory Ellwood told Buchanan. Sure enough, Fury Road soon earned Best Director and other honors from the Los Angeles and Chicago Film Critics Associations. Then came the 10 Oscar nominations, often when an unconventional competitor maxes out, but Fury Road was actually competing, even for the top categories. In Entertainment Weekly's anonymous Oscar ballot that year, an anonymous 'Oscar-winning actress' advocated for it to win Best Picture ('this movie was the most engaging on every level. It's a great example of why I want to go to the movies — to be completely absorbed in a fictitious world. And I loved that there were so many women in the movie'). At the same time, 'an Academy Award-winning screenwriter specializing in high-stakes drama' pushed Miller for Best Director, saying Fury Road 'had more cinematic gusto than just about all the others put together.' Ultimately, neither of the big ones materialized. Best Picture went to the underdog drama Spotlight (which only won one other award, Best Original Screenplay). The Revenant filmmaker Alejandro J. Iñárritu received his second consecutive Best Director award. Was awarding Iñárritu back-to-back worth missing a singular opportunity to honor Miller for a movie that is much more remembered and celebrated a decade later? Oscar voters certainly seemed to think so; two other anonymous Academy members polled by EW back then praised how Iñárritu 'turned the difficulty of the location and the story into a cinematic spectacle' and 'introduced us to a visual world that we've never seen before.' Ah, well. No one's written a book-length oral history of The Revenant, and Miller himself was just happy for his collaborators who did win — who also thanked him in all of their acceptance speeches. 'We were disappointed that George didn't win, but basically, they were all his awards in a way,' Sixel said. Best of GoldDerby John C. Reilly movies: 15 greatest films ranked worst to best Ian McKellen movies: 12 greatest films ranked worst to best Octavia Spencer movies: 12 greatest films ranked worst to best Click here to read the full article.
