25 historic films
Jan. 30 — A little note before we get down to business. “ICE Out Everywhere” action begin today with a national shutdown, and further protests throughout the weekend. I’m sure no one needs me to remind them how awful this first month of 2026 has been. But the idea of everyone coming together on a national scale to make it clear to this administration where we stand on the heinous actions that have been taking place in Minnesota and around the country is giving me a little bit of hope.
I know that film and entertainment can seem a little frivolous at a time like this, but my hope is this newsletter can offer a place not just for a distraction (although it sometimes is just that), but a place that encourages empathy through storytelling. Art – film or otherwise – has many uses, but it’s also something that can open people’s eyes up to new worlds and new experiences. I think we could all use a little more of that right now.
🏛️ And now, let’s get into it. Every year, the Library of Congress chooses 25 new films to add to the National Film Registry, a group of films selected for preservation based on their cultural, historic, and aesthetic contributions. This group of films includes the likes of “The Social Network,” “Boyz n the Hood,” “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” “Lawrence of Arabia,” and more.
This year’s new crop of films includes the 1954 musical “White Christmas,” Jonathan Demme’s “Philadelphia,” and Amy Heckerling’s teen classic “Clueless.” (That wasn’t already on the list?? As IF!) As a treat, I looked through the registry to see if any of my favorite films aren’t included, and I came up with some titles I’d love to be considered next year. Here are the top three.
1. “The New World” (Terrence Malick, 2005): Maybe this is recent bias (I watched this for the first time the other day), but craftsmanship aside (and it’s some of the best), “The New World” snuck up on me in the most beautiful, profound way. I was a weepy mess by its end.
2. “Mikey and Nicky” (Elaine May, 1976): If “The Godfather” made the list, I do feel like it’s only right to include what is, in essence, “The Anti-Godfather,” Elaine May’s brutal, funny, and punishing “Mikey and Nicky.”
3. “Yentl” (Barbra Streisand, 1984): Does a Barbra Streisand vanity project (and a good one, at that!) mean nothing to you, Library of Congress? Does the power of young, hot Mandy Patinkin mean nothing to you?
Without further ado … Action!
🏥 A GoFundMe has been established for “The Blind Side” actor Quinton Aaron, who is on life support after collapsing at his Atlanta home.
🍿 In celebration of Black History Month in February, Soul Cinema Sundays is hosting a screening of the 1987 comedy film “Hollywood Shuffle” at the Plaza Theatre on Feb. 8.
🇬🇧 In awards news, the BAFTA nominations have been announced, with Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” leading the charge with 14 nods. The Writers Guild of America also announced their nominations.
🎤 A new documentary called “Paul McCartney: Man on the Run” will play in theaters for one night only on Feb. 19. Tickets go on sale Feb. 4.
✉️ After a 72-hour bidding war, A24 won out on Olivia Wilde’s new film “The Invite,” which has been the talk of the Sundance Film Festival.
This week’s newsletter has some virtual Sundance Film Festival coverage, a peek behind the scenes of an inspiring performance in Newnan, and movie reviews of Sam Raimi’s new film “Send Help” and the Jodie Foster vehicle “A Private Life.” Plus, what’s playing at the movie theater this week, a new edition of Spotlight, and some reading and listening recommendations.
Thanks for reading!
Sammie
🎨 Join the Sandy Springs Arts Foundation for ARTBEAT, Feb. 7 at 2:30 p.m. at Byers Theatre! Celebrate student talent in the arts. Bring crayons or colored pencils to donate to local elementary schools! SPONSOR MESSAGE
Let Virtual Sundance commence!
The online viewing window for the Sundance Film Festival started this Wednesday, which means I’ve been STEEPED in screenings, watching as many things as I can before the weekend is over. I’ll have a rundown of some of my favorites next week, but for now, I’ve also got a couple of interviews for you to check out.
🩺 First, I interviewed New York City-based filmmaker Lily Platt about her short film “Crisis Actor,” about a chaotic aspiring actress (Sarah Steele) who has to confront her addiction to lying. Platt talked a lot about working with Steele to help flesh out the main character and the challenges of scale when it comes to directing. Check out that interview here.
🚗 I also talked to filmmaker Stephanie Ahn, who wrote, directed, and co-edited the feature “Bedford Park.” The film stars Moon Choi and Son Suk-ku as two strangers who are brought together through a car accident. Ahn began writing “Bedford Park” about nine years ago, and we talked through the changes the script went through from page to screen. You can read that here.
ARTBEAT … Where kids sing, dance, create, and imagine!
SPONSORED BY SANDY SPRINGS ARTS FOUNDATION
🎨 ARTBEAT, presented by the Sandy Springs Arts Foundation, is an amazing event you won’t want to miss! Local Sandy Springs public school students will showcase their talents in the performing and visual arts, in an afternoon shared with the community.
On Sat., Feb. 7 at the Byers Theatre at 2:30 p.m. This event is free; no registration required. Donations of boxes of crayons or colored pencils are appreciated.
Five years after tornado, Newnan remembers with ‘Seasons of Strength’
🌪️ On March 25, 2021, a violent tornado with winds over 170 mph tore through three counties – including Coweta, which contains Newnan, and received the worst of the storm. It damaged roughly 1,700 homes and cost millions of dollars in recovery efforts.
Gwendolyn Kuhlmann moved back to Newnan from California just a week after the tornado. While driving through the destruction, she decided she needed to find a way to help. Using her background as an artist and opera singer, she began conceiving of a performance that could celebrate Newnan’s resilience in residents’ own words.
From March 21-22, “Seasons of Strength,” a multi-media performance featuring dance, music, and the voices of over 100 Newnan residents who were interviewed about their experiences with the tornado, will play at the Unity Baptist Church in Newnan.
🎭 I recently spoke with Kuhlmann about the performance. You can find that conversation here.
‘Send Help’ is a reality television riff with gloriously gory results
WEEKLY FILM REVIEW
🏝️ Right before the big plane crash that sets Sam Raimi’s new film “Send Help” into motion, Linda Liddle (Rachel McAdams) sits alone, clacking away at a keyboard as she solves a problem with the company’s upcoming merger that none of her male colleagues (younger, dumber, and meaner than her) have the slightest idea how to tackle.
A few feet away from her, those aforementioned male colleagues – including Linda’s new boss, Bradley (Dylan O’Brien) – have discovered an audition tape Linda once made for the reality show “Survivor.” While Linda saves their asses, they laugh at her naked desire to be chosen – after all, what could be funnier than trying so hard when you don’t have to? Unfortunately, Bradley is about to learn to appreciate Linda’s work ethic the hard way.
“Survivor” is not the only reality show that Raimi’s film calls to mind. “Send Help” is like a cross between “Survivor” and “Fear Factor,” and “Bachelor in Paradise” or “Love Island,” all infused with Raimi’s signature brand of gory, glorious stupidity. The filmmakers don’t seem to necessarily want to comment on the reality genre or the gender politics that inevitably arise (and, honestly, thank God for that). But, they’re clearly having a grand old time playing around in that sandbox, following the golden rule of great reality television to a T – take fundamentally opposed forces, trap them in a single location, and let them cook.
🔪 Read my full review here.
The mystery of ‘A Private Life’ falls flat
WEEKLY FILM REVIEW
🇫🇷 Early on in “A Private Life,” Lillian Steiner (Jodie Foster) asks her son, Julien (Vincent Lacoste) to bulk order her some new minidiscs. She’s a psychiatrist, and she needs them to store her recorded sessions. Julien is annoyed at her insistence on storing her recordings physically in 2025 – but Lillian is set in her ways. “Because I can lose them, that makes them precious,” she says of the discs. Julien rolls his eyes: “Spare me.”
This interaction says a lot about Lillian in a short amount of time, hammering home the idea that once Lillian is set on something, it’s hard to make her let it go. So, when her favorite patient, Paula (Virginie Efira), dies unexpectedly by suicide – having not given Lillian any sort of indication that she was suicidal at all – Lillian is on the case.
There’s a lot of fun to be had with Rebecca Zlotowski’s “A Private Life,” which features Foster as a sort of Humphrey Bogart type caught in a world of domestic Parisian troubles as she tails Paula’s family, sneaks into homes that aren’t hers, and engages with a hypnotist as she tries to uncover what, exactly, happened to Paula. But, for as fun as that premise is, the screenplay gets a bit convoluted by the film’s end, and the answer to this mystery is not nearly as satisfying as it originally portends to be.
🔎 Check out my review here.
At the Movies!
If you’re looking for a movie to see in theaters this week, here’s what you’ve got to look forward to!
Movies releasing this weekend:
🐗 “Send Help”
🛖 “Shelter” (pictured)
🇫🇷 “A Private Life”
🤖 “Arco”
😴 “Two Sleepy People”
🇩🇪 “Sound of Falling”
🏍️ “Cutting Through Rocks”
Special Events:
💉 “Withdrawal” @ The Plaza (Friday-Thursday)
💌 “A New Love in Tokyo” in 2K @ The Plaza (Friday-Wednesday)
🐈 “Alien” in 35mm @ The Plaza (Saturday-Monday)
🏰 “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” @ The Tara (Saturday)
🎸 “This is Spinal Tap” @ The Tara (Sunday-Tuesday)
👑 “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” @ The Tara (Sunday)
🔥 “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” @ Springs Cinema & Taphouse (Sunday-Wednesday)
🎨 Join the Sandy Springs Arts Foundation for ARTBEAT, Feb. 7 at 2:30 p.m. at Byers Theatre! Celebrate student talent in the arts. Bring crayons or colored pencils to donate to local elementary schools! SPONSOR MESSAGE
Spotlight: Elle Fanning in ‘Sentimental Value’
🎥 When Oscar nominations were announced last week, there were a couple of surprises. But no nomination surprised (or delighted) me more than Elle Fanning for her work in Joachim Trier’s “Sentimental Value.”
Fanning plays Rachel Kemp, a movie star cast in a new film from Gustav Borg (Stellan Skarsgård), a master filmmaker with a tenuous relationship with his actress daughter, Nora (Renate Reinsve). In fact, Gustav first asked Nora to play the role in the film – Rachel, then, is a bit of a second choice.
“Sentimental Value” is filled with subtle, tricky performances, but Fanning has the most difficult job of them all. She has to capture the charisma of a movie star, but not necessarily of a wonderful actress. Rachel Kemp is not a bad actress – in fact, her emotional reaction to seeing one of Gustav’s films for the first time shows the audience that she wants to be great – but the more she rehearses with Gustav, the more it becomes clear that she might not be particularly well-suited for this role.
Fanning’s job, then, is to clearly convey that Rachel is a fine actor – not a great one, but fine – who has stepped into something she is not quite ready for. In Fanning’s best scene, Rachel delivers an emotional monologue from Gustav’s movie at a table read, her voice cracking, her eyes filling up with tears by the speech’s end. Rachel’s not over the top, and there is clearly a real feeling baked into this performance. But something is just slightly off.
Despite her tears, Fanning holds Rachel’s emotion at a bit of a distance. Rachel is too self-conscious about doing something wrong or embarrassing to really let go. It’s in her measured tone, in the way she holds herself – controlled, always aware of the way others perceive her in that very movie star way. To walk that line – good, but not great – without straying into something overwrought or plainly bad is an incredibly precise thing to do.
Lights, Camera, Action!
📱 None of my friends will play movie games with me (I’m too good), so this recommendation is simply to see if some of you will play with me instead! I do Vulture’s Cinematrix every day, and would love the company. Can you name a David Fincher movie with a two or three-word title? A Robert Pattinson movie released between 2005 and 2020? Beat my high score here!
🏳️🌈 I enjoyed this conversation on the New Yorker’s “Critics at Large” podcast about the new era we find ourselves in when it comes to the concept of “the closet” in modern LGBTQ+ stories. The hosts discuss the popularity of “Heated Rivalry” (which I loved) and the upcoming film “Pillion” (which I’m seeing early next week!), and their place in the broader queer culture landscape.
📺 And finally, if you, like me, are watching “The Traitors” on Peacock, you’ve probably also fallen a little bit in love with former “Love Island” star/snake wrangler Rob Rausch. As Brian Moylan writes for Vulture, even if Rob isn’t the last traitor standing at the end of the show, he already won the game because he is “quiet, smart, and hot.” Plus, he knows what the word “commiserating” means (IYKYK).
🖋️ Today’s Scene was edited by Julie E. Bloemeke.
