Matt Thrift

Cutscenes | Against the Cutscene From Donkey Kong to Hideo Kojima, these mini movies often suggest the future of the medium—but do they undercut the pleasures of gaming?

my new notebook "cutscenes" column is an argument against the cutscene itself, proposing - by way of everything from MANIAC MANSION to ELDEN RING - that video game storytelling should be medium-specific and involve more than moving images that suspend the player's control.

mubi.com/en/notebook/...

My Entire Life May Have Been Leading Up to This: Wong Kar Wai on Blossoms Shanghai Blossoms Shanghai, the latest sensation from Wong Kar Wai, enraptures with its spellbinding blend of intrigue, romance, and rivalry. As we celebrate the launch of this breathtaking series, the legenda...

Phuong Le speaks to Wong Kar Wai for MUBI Program Notes:

mubi.com/en/program-n...

MY UNDESIRABLE FRIENDS: PART 1 - LAST AIR IN MOSCOW Sets MUBI Streaming Premiere Date - When To Stream MUBI has set a streaming premiere date for the epic documentary MY UNDESIRABLE FRIENDS: PART 1 - LAST AIR IN MOSCOW, which will launch on their platform on April 3rd, 2026. The film world premiered in...

MY UNDESIRABLE FRIENDS: PART 1 - LAST AIR IN MOSCOW (2024)
Streaming: April 3, 2026
MUBI
#MyUndesirableFriendsPart1 #LastAirInMoscow
whentostream.com/my-undesirab...

we're back! applications are now open for the Open City x Another Gaze Critics Workshop ✍️ more info here >> opencitylondon.com/news/open-ci... @opencitydocs.bsky.social

Ep. 373: Sundance 2026 – Chloe Lizotte on Night Nurse, Homemade Gatorade and other shorts, Public Access Redux, plus A Rotterdam Surprise Podcast Episode · The Last Thing I Saw · 02/04/2026 · 47m

always a pleasure to chat sundance with @nicolasrapold.bsky.social — some fun films on deck this year. listen in here to learn how to make gatorade at home or make long distance calls for free: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

This is HUGE. Screenings of My Undesirable Friends have been *extremely* limited, and now you'll be able to watch it at home, along with its anticipated sequel!

16: The Vanishing Point / Past Future Continuous On Bani Khoshnoudi's The Vanishing Point (2025) and Morteza Ahmadvand and Firouzeh Khosrovani's Past Future Continuous (2025), and on homes and homelands

issue 16 of "nonlinearities," my newsletter for non-fiction film, is about two new iranian films exploring distance and home: bani khoshnoudi's THE VANISHING POINT and morteza ahmadvand and firouzeh khosrovani's PAST FUTURE CONTINUOUS.
open.substack.com/pub/nonlinea...

Very special to be part of the upcoming Laura Mulvey Symposium with many esteemed friends! Join us on Saturday 22nd Nov at the BFI for a day of talks — @erikaaaa.bsky.social, @cinemiasma.bsky.social and I will be rounding off the afternoon with a panel on curation and criticism💡

Jennifer Lawrence on Die My Love: “I found the ferocity and the wildness so exciting” Jennifer Lawrence stars in Lynne Ramsay’s first film in eight years: as a woman grappling with the emotional strain of early parenthood. She tells us about the influence of Cassavetes, her own experie...

Ahead of the release of her new film Die My Love tomorrow, here’s my interview piece with Jennifer Lawrence. www.bfi.org.uk/interviews/j...

OUT TODAY!! Shyam Benegal's MANTHAN
A new 4K restoration of this potent, political landmark in Indian independent filmmaking, a powerful exploration of gender, class, and caste inequalities. A testament to the enduring power of cinema to inspire social change. www.secondrundvd.com/release_mant...

just sent my ninth "lend me ur eyes" newsletter of 2025.

subscribe: buttondown.com/lendmeureyes

Venice 2025 | The Real Thing Under the marble, the brick: on “The Smashing Machine,” “The Wizard of the Kremlin,” and more.

on the venice film festival, for mubi notebook: mubi.com/en/notebook/...

ust sent my eighth "lend me ur eyes" newsletter of 2025.

subscribe: buttondown.com/lendmeureyes

🏠 The Parental Home 🏡

Join me and my special guest, film critic @phuonghhle.com, for a double bill of BABUL aka FATHER’S HOUSE (1950) & OUR MOTHER’S HOUSE (1967) at Close-Up Film Centre on SAT 20 SEP 2025

www.closeupfilmcentre.com/film_program...

Stunning artwork by @bturnerinfo.bsky.social

come to the cinema for Schanelec's minimalist take on melodrama – and my little introduction about that, cinematic Arianes, and an image of happiness – this Saturday >> ica.art/my-sisters-g...

major.

I adore Stéphane Ly-Cuong's charming musical comedy IN THE NGUYEN KITCHEN, a rare chance to see the Vietnamese-French diaspora portrayed with so much heart and soul. Book here for a screening and a filmmaker Q&A this Saturday at Ciné Lumière, moderated by me! tinyurl.com/9972a3zj

thrilled to confirm Pia Frankenberg will now be joining, in person, for a post-screening Q&A on Friday 19 September! www.ica.art/frankenberg-...

“Hollywood has been very timid these days”: Terry Gilliam on his 50-year directing career From the dystopian visions of Brazil and Twelve Monkeys to the surreal odyssey of The Fisher King, Terry Gilliam has spent half a century defying cinematic convention. In this wide-ranging interview,...

Went to Terry Gilliam’s house. The result of our 95-minute chat is this career interview, which clocks in at just under 5,000 words and is the longest single piece of written journalism I’ve had published in my career. www.bfi.org.uk/interviews/t...

Our biggest project of the year so far... Our ZOLTÁN HUSZÁRIK Box Set has landed!! A thing of beauty! Special pre-order webstore price £34.99 - out 28 July tinyurl.com/msbzx6zv Also Amazon UK tinyurl.com/5bfmtrhp + @rarewaves.bsky.social @diabolikdvd.bsky.social

just sent my sixth "lend me ur eyes" newsletter of 2025.

subscribe: buttondown.com/lendmeureyes

In Dreams: The Atomic Reveries of The Return In this exclusive essay, Amy Taubin explores the surrealist dreamscapes of The Return’s extraordinary eighth episode, tracing a line from Alfred Hitchcock’s Rebecca to the nuclear reveries of the Amer...

This is a dazzling piece by Amy Taubin on the eighth episode of David Lynch’s “Twin Peaks: The Return.” It’s criticism at its absolute finest. @amyornot.bsky.social

mubi.com/en/program-n...

just sent my fifth "lend me ur eyes" newsletter of 2025.

subscribe: buttondown.com/lendmeureyes

Publications Manager MUBI is looking for an enthusiastic Publications Manager to contribute to and further strengthen the running of MUBI Editions.

jobs.ashbyhq.com/MUBI/c4f378a...

Happy publication day to Read Frame Type Film: Or, Written on the Screen, our first ever MUBI Editions title! Please seek out this mammoth, beautiful thing, so carefully thought-out, written, and designed by three brilliant collaborators
mubieditions.com/products/rea...

'The History Of Sound' review: Paul Mescal gets back to breaking hearts Paul Mescal stars as a musical prodigy opposite Josh O'Connor in director Oliver Hermanus' intensely moving period piece

It seems I’m pretty against the flow with this one but so what? Loved The History of Sound, a film that moved me like few others. Here’s my review. www.nme.com/reviews/film...

MUBI has acquired Lynne Ramsey’s Die, My Love after its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival ✨

Starring Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson, the film will be released in theaters later this year.

Wong Kar Wai’s First TV Series ‘Blossoms Shanghai’ Is Finally Getting International Release Via Mubi Wong Kar Wai's epic drama series Shanghai Blossoms is finally getting an international release, via Mubi.

deadline.com/2025/05/wong...