News

Netflix's "Narcos" is far more than one of the best Pedro Pascal TV shows out there. Inspired by real (and often extremely terrifying) events, the show chronicles the story of various drug cartels from the 1970s to the 1990s. Initially, the focus is on the most infamous cocaine trafficker of them all -- Wagner Moura's celebrity narcoterrorist Pablo Escobar -- but the combined six seasons of "Narcos" and "Narcos: Mexico" feature several other kingpins, as well as the many officers and agents who are risking life and limb to stop them.

"Narcos" is the kind of show that can easily drop the viewer down a rabbit hole of crime history. Its depiction of dangerous locales that range from Medellin to Ciudad Juárez sucks the viewer right in, and many of the key events on the show really happened ... up to and very much including some of the most disturbing ones.

Skincare, an underrated indie thriller released last year, is finally entering people’s radar. The Elizabeth Banks-led psychological feature found its rightful audience when it debuted for streaming on Hulu on June 17, joining the streamer’s extensive horror catalog. Per FlixPatrol’s record, the movie has climbed to the third spot on Hulu’s Top 10 list for June 20, 2025, trailing behind Liam Neeson’s action thriller Absolution and the fan-favorite Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) title, 2008's Iron Man.

Skincare didn’t exactly perform well at the box office, given its limited theatrical run. However, with the existence of streaming services, the film has finally piqued the interest of niche audiences seeking a compelling thriller. The movie serves as the feature directorial debut of Austin Peters, who has also directed music videos for artists like Charli Xcx, Haim, Bastille, Orville Peck, and Diplo. The director’s experience of crafting visuals for...

Ben Affleck is back in action for a new Netflix movie called Animals, and thanks to new set footage, fans have been given a first look at the upcoming thriller. The project is one of two films he's starring in and producing through Artists Equity, the joint company he has with long-time friend and collaborator Matt Damon, and the fourth he's starred in for the streaming platform. Filming began in early March of this year, but new on-set photos taken in the LA River reveal the gritty action side of this political thriller, as reported by What's On Netflix.

Animals was originally supposed to star Affleck's forever friend Matt Damon but it's suspected scheduling conflicts prevented the collaboration. Damon is starring as Odysseus in Christopher Nolan's next film, which is an adaptation of the epic Greek poem The Odyssey. So, instead of shooting it out in the storm drains of the City of Angles,...

Ben Affleck has had a busy past couple of years, directing (and having a supporting role in) the 2023 film Air and returning to the role of Christian Wolff in The Accountant 2, set for release in April. The actor/director has also established a creative partnership between his production company Artists Equity and Netflix, with the streaming platform releasing Affleck's next directorial effort, Animals. After some stalled development and changes in casting, the movie has added several new cast members to its already impressive talent roster.

A new report from Deadline has revealed that Ray Fisher, Mark Kassen, and Christopher Woodley have all joined the project, in addition to the previously announced Affleck, Gillian Anderson, Kerry Washington, Steven Yeun, Luis Gerardo Méndez, and Adriana Paz. Kassen is a multi-faceted creative, being a playwright, writer, and director, well-known for directing the 2011 independent feature Puncture, which starred Chris Evans. Woodley starred opposite...

The star-studded cast of Ben Affleck’s Netflix thriller “Animals” is bolstering its ranks. Ray Fisher, Mark Kassen and Christopher Woodley have joined the film alongside Affleck, Gillian Anderson, Kerry Washington, Steven Yeun, Luis Gerardo Méndez and Adriana Paz.

Golden Globe and Emmy nominated filmmaker, playwright and actor Mark Kassen is the founder of Like Minded Entertainment and co-founder of the civic engagement platform A Starting Point. Mark’s feature film directing and producing credits include “Puncture” starring Chris Evans, “Bernard and Doris” starring Ralph Fiennes and Susan Sarandon for HBO, and Chris Evans’ ‘Before We Go”.

Kassen has produced and been showrunner of multiple scripted, reality and documentary series across networks such as Fox, MTV, IFC, AMC and Sundance Channel. He also starred in the Tony Award winning Broadway production of “The Last Night of Ballyhoo,” and as wrote and starred in the critically acclaimed off-Broadway, multimedia play “Little Willy.

Fresh off of Joe Carnahan’s upcoming thriller Rip, Ben Affleck is directing and starring in a new kidnapping thriller for Netflix: Animals. Written by Connor McIntyre and Billy Ray, the brand-new filmis coming soon to Netflix.

Also joining the film are a slew of Emmy winners: Gillian Anderson; Kerry Washington; and Steven Yeun. The cast also includes Luis Gerardo Méndez, Adriana Paz, Ray Fisher, Mark Kassen, and Christopher Woodley.

Affleck is a classic Hollywood jack-of-all-trades; he’s starred in films including Gone Girl and Shakespeare in Love, won an Academy Award for co-writing Good Will Hunting, and successfully pivoted to directing and producing,...

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The Resort is a mystery dark comedy-drama series created by Andy Siara. The Peacock series follows Noah and Emma, a young couple on a vacation for their 10th anniversary in the Mayan Riviera. They feel their marriage is in a rut, but they soon come across an exciting mystery involving a disappearance fifteen years ago. The Resort stars William Jackson Harper, Cristin Milioti, Luis Gerardo Méndez, Skyler Gisondo, Nina Bloomgarden, Gabriela Cartol, and Nick Offerman. So, if you loved the thrilling mysteries, biting drama, and compelling characters in The Resort, here are some similar shows you should check out next.

Signal Credit – Netflix

Signal is a South Korean supernatural crime drama series created by Choi Jin-hee and Park Ji-young. The tvN series is set in two different time periods, and it follows Park Hae-young, a criminal profiler who comes across a mysterious walkie-talkie,...

Exclusive: Luis Gerardo Méndez and Adriana Paz are the latest to join the cast of the Netflix crime thriller Animals. Ben Affleck will star and direct with Kerry Washington, Steven Yeun and Gillian Anderson also on board. The plan is for the film to shoot in Los Angeles from a script by Connor McIntyre and Billy Ray.

Plot details are being kept under wraps other than the film revolving around a kidnapping.

Affleck, Matt Damon and Dani Bernfeld will produce through their Artists Equity banner, the artist-led studio founded by Affleck, Damon and Gerry Cardinale/RedBird Capital Partners. Brad Weston and Collin Creighton are also producing for Makeready, which developed the project in partnership with Fifth Season. Artists Equity’s Michael Joe, Kevin Halloran and Lucy Damon will serve as executive producers alongside Fifth Season.

For Mendez, the role is a huge get for one of Mexico’s biggest stars.

Paris-based Indie Sales has acquired international rights to Leonora Carrington biopic LeonoraIn TheMorning Light about the English surrealist artist who died in 2011

Directed by filmmaking duo Lena Vurma and Thor Klein, the 1930s-set film follows Carrington as she rebels against society’s expectations, mingles with iconic figures including André Breton and Salvador Dalí in Paris and has a whirlwind love affair with Max Ernst before fleeing to Mexico during the war.

Indie Sales will launch the film at Unifrance Rendez-Vous with French Cinema in Paris later this month.

The film is based on Elena Poniatowska’s best-selling book Leonora and...

Paris-based Indie Sales has acquired international rights to Leonora Carrington biopic LeonoraIn TheMorning Light about the English surrealist artist who died in 2011

Directed by German filmmaking duo Lena Vurma and Thorsten Klein, the 1930s-set film follows Carrington as she rebels against society’s expectations, mingles with iconic figures including André Breton and Salvador Dalí in Paris and has a whirlwind love affair with Max Ernst before fleeing to Mexico during the war.

Indie Sales will launch the film at Unifrance Rendez-Vous with French Cinema in Paris later this month.

The film is based on Elena Poniatowska’s best-selling book Leonora...

Any business can be anxiety-inducing, especially the ones that have a whole lot of people ready to rip you apart to make their place. Director Austin Peters’ “Skincare” stars Elizabeth Banks as Hope Goldman, a middle-aged woman trying to make a name for herself in the world of Hollywoodland’s ever-growing line of Beauty Products. However, right before the launch of her own line, a competitor arrives just next door, and out of nowhere, someone starts to jeopardize the name she has built for herself after years of straight-faced networking and star-gazed buttering up.

The tone that Peters uses for the movie is a mix of camp and corporate politics and the way fame and name work in a place like Hollywood. It works for a large part of the film, although it could have gone a little darker and more profound.

In the following article, we will examine Skincare,...

The 2022 Peacock sci-fi mystery series The Resort ending explained many of its biggest questions while raising a few more. The Resort's main cast includes Cristin Milioti and William Jackson Harper as Emma and Noah, a couple celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary with a vacation at a luxury resort in the Yucatán. The show quickly makes clear that all is not well with the marriage, but the relationship is rekindled by the mystery of Sam (Skyler Gisondo) and Violet (Nina Bloomgarden), a teenage couple who went missing 15 years earlier.

What begins as a potential criminal conspiracy involving the immensely influential Frías family becomes a mind-bending temporal conundrum as the parallel stories of Violet and Sam and Emma and Noah become increasingly intertwined. In the finale of The Resort, all four characters reach the fabled Pasaje. It becomes an Eldorado for the grieving Violet in 2007 and the grieving Emma in the present day.

Comedy isn’t always about cracking a joke; sometimes, it’s about who can land a punchline when it’s least expected. This was exactly the case when Mark Wahlberg took a savage swing at Kevin Hart during an interview for Hart’s show Hart to Heart. And, let’s just say, it was a bit too much even for the comedian himself. The roast hit harder than Hart’s usual punchlines, and the reaction? Well, it was priceless.

Mark Wahlberg on Hart to Heart | Credit: Peacock/YouTube

The two are known for their hilarious on-screen camaraderie in Me Time (2022), a Netflix film where Hart plays a stay-at-home dad named Sonny, enjoying some much-needed ‘me time’ while his family is away. But off-screen? The two stars don’t always play it by the rules.

The Raw & Unfiltered Roast: Kevin Hart and Mark Wahlberg’s Hart to Heart Moment

“You can’t be serious!

Netflix’s Technoboys is a comedic look at what happens when boy band dreams crash into midlife reality. It is messy but funny, and it takes a comedic look at the world of failed pop stars. For the first time, Luis Gerardo Méndez directs this Mexican comedy. He also stars as Alan, the desperate former lead singer of the hugely famous band Technoboys.

The movie takes place after the boy band era and is about Alan’s silly quest to find his lost teammates and get back to his former glory. Imagine a reunion in pop music that is less of a triumphant return and more of a funny train wreck. Alan finds out that the Technoboys have changed over the years: Babyface is now balding, Leo has become a mysterious teacher who seems to be able to teleport people, Freddy lives in a wheelchair, and Charlie has changed his name to Charlis.

An LA salon-owner gets involved in an escalating feud with a rival facialist in this blackly comic thriller with a pleasing female focus

Following hot on the stiletto heels of female-led body-horror hit The Substance, comedy thriller Skincare also centres on a female protagonist – in this case facialist Hope Goldman (Elizabeth Banks) – who is dedicated to the pursuit of youthful appearance. This effort is far more grounded in realism than The Substance (it even sports a “based on a true story” tag at the beginning), but there is a similar blackly comic vibe at play, which makes it both fun and full of cringe moments that echo the Demi Moore-Margaret Qualley gorefest. At the very least, Banks proves herself equal to The Substance’s leads when it comes to projecting barely concealed anxiety and desperation under a thickly madeup facade. Her Hope is in some ways a far...

«Technoboys» es una película mexicana protagonizada por Luis Gerardo Méndez, Karla Souza y Gabriel Nuncio. Está dirigida por Gerardo Gatica y Luis Gerardo Méndez, y escrita por Alexandro Aldrete.

“Technoboys” es una comedia de ésas que hacen gracia: una boy-band pasadísima de moda quiere volver a la primera línea de la música mientras… los tiempos han cambiado totalmente.

Una película con una gran virtud: se toma a broma sí misma.

Argumento

Una Antigua boy-band decide volver a los escenarios. Los tiempos han cambiado, y también sus integrantes: uno en silla de ruedas, otro convertido en un gurú sexual sexual y otro… que ahora es una mujer.

¡Habrá que adpatarse para volver a triunfar!

Sobre la película

Puede que no sea la mejor película de la Historia del Cine, puede que Apocalypse Now tenga mejores críticas… pero nos hemos reído a carcajadas. “Technoboys” es una comedia sobre el paso del tiempo...

“Technoboys” is a Mexican movie starring Luis Gerardo Méndez, Karla Souza and Gabriel Nuncio. It is directed by Gerardo Gatica and Luis Gerardo Méndez, and written by Alexandro Aldrete.

“Technoboys” is one of those uproarious comedies where an old-fashioned boy band aspires to reclaim their musical glory, despite the world around them having transformed dramatically.

A film with a delightful self-awareness: it revels in its own absurdity.

Plot

An aging boy band makes the bold decision to return to the limelight. However, the times have shifted, and so have the members: one is now in a wheelchair, another has reinvented himself as a sexual guru, and a third has transitioned to living as a woman. They must navigate these changes to find success once more!

About the Movie

While it might not be the pinnacle of cinematic achievements—Apocalypse Now likely boasts superior reviews—we found ourselves laughing uncontrollably. “Technoboys...

“Technoboys” is a Mexican movie starring Luis Gerardo Méndez, Karla Souza and Gabriel Nuncio. It is directed by Gerardo Gatica and Luis Gerardo Méndez, and written by Alexandro Aldrete.

“Technoboys” is one of those uproarious comedies where an old-fashioned boy band aspires to reclaim their musical glory, despite the world around them having transformed dramatically.

A film with a delightful self-awareness: it revels in its own absurdity.

Plot

An aging boy band makes the bold decision to return to the limelight. However, the times have shifted, and so have the members: one is now in a wheelchair, another has reinvented himself as a sexual guru, and a third has transitioned to living as a woman. They must navigate these changes to find success once more!

About the Movie

While it might not be the pinnacle of cinematic achievements—Apocalypse Now likely boasts superior reviews—we found ourselves laughing uncontrollably. “Technoboys...

In the thriller Skincare, Hollywood aesthetician Hope Goldman (Elizabeth Banks) is on the verge of launching her own skin care line when a competitor sets up shop across from her salon. As her new rival Angel Vergara (Luis Gerardo Méndez) attracts clients with his trendy marketing, Hope finds herself the victim of increasingly invasive online attacks. Convinced that someone is trying to destroy her reputation and business, Hope confides in new friend/aspiring life coach Jordan (Lewis Pullman) to uncover her saboteur.

Banks gives a highly enjoyable performance, portraying varying degrees of unhingedness through a character struggling under the stressors of fame, rent and sexual harassment. Without her, the film is basically anchorless. In terms of the thriller elements, I venture that the red herring won’t be particularly persuasive for anyone apart from the main characters who aren’t in on the scheme. The culprit behind Hope’s ill...

The 2023 thriller Skincare arrived with buzz thanks to its unflinching look at Hollywood’s obsession with image and youth. Directed by Austin Peters in his feature debut, the film stars Elizabeth Banks as Hope Goldman, a veteran Hollywood aesthetician whose life begins to unravel in unexpected ways.

As the story opens, Hope is on the verge of launching her own line of luxurious skincare products. But just as she’s secured a high-profile television segment to showcase her line, strange things start happening that threaten to destroy her reputation. Hope finds herself the target of an anonymous stalker who sends a lewd email to Hope’s entire contact list, making it appear she’s having a mental breakdown.

As clients abandon her in droves and her business falters, Hope grows increasingly paranoid and convinced her new competitor across the street, fellow aesthetician Angel Vergara portrayed by Luis Gerardo Méndez, is behind the attacks.

The germ of the idea for the crime thriller “Skincare” came from a stranger-than-fiction criminal case: A Los Angeles-based aesthetician to the stars was accused of plotting the murder of a rival skincare expert. Yet director and co-writer Austin Peters wasn’t interested in creating a work of journalism or a documentary. Instead, he considered it the perfect jumping-off point for a Southern California Gothic tale.

“It’s inspired by lots of movies and books in this sunshine noir world of Los Angeles,” Peters, who wrote the film with Sam Freilich and Deering Regan, says. “We never set out to tell the true story — that was never our intention. The thing that called to us about the story is that it sounded like a James M. Cain-style noir. It felt new and true to the Los Angeles I know, the world I know.”

Although “Skincare” is Peters’ debut feature,...

Just a few months ago we premiered the trailer for the new Elizabeth Banks movie, Skincare. Its slick editing and intriguing concept made it look very different from Banks’ usual work. Somewhat parallel to film noir, “sunshine noir” as the director calls it, makes Skincare unique in its style and tone. I think the concept of a person completely destroying another’s life is rife for cinematic gold. And with some fantastic performances and some truly stylish cinematography, there’s more than just a mystery to keep you invested.

I was fortunate enough to talk to Banks, Lewis Pullman, and director Austin Peters about the film. It’s always fun when everyone you talk to has such a passion for the project and that’s evident with Skincare. Everyone here wanted to put their best foot forward and provide a unique and thrilling film. I’d say they pulled it...

“Skincare” is a new thriller, directed by Austin Peters, starring Elizabeth Banks, Lewis Pullman, Luis Gerardo Méndez, Nathan Fillion and Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, opening August 16, 2024 in theaters:

“…inspired by true events, ‘Skincare’ follows aesthetician ‘Hope Goldman’ (Banks) who is about to take her career to the next level by launching her very own skincare line.

“But complications arise when rival facialist ‘Angel Vergara’ (Méndez) opens a new skincare boutique directly across from her studio.

“She begins to suspect that someone is trying to sabotage her reputation and business, and together with her friend ‘Jordan’ (Pullman)…

“…she embarks on a mission to unravel the mystery of who is trying to destroy her life…”

Click the images to enlarge…...

Plot: Famed aesthetician Hope Goldman’s skincare business faces sabotage when rival Angel Vergara opens a boutique across the street. Aided by friend Jordan, Hope seeks to uncover who’s trying to ruin her reputation.

Review: I’m not going to lie, a movie about the beauty/skincare industry doesn’t exactly appeal to me on the surface. But add Elizabeth Banks as the delusional lead at the center of the story and I’m intrigued. Then add in a very dark and twisted angle about the perception of one’s image and we’re off to the races! Plus, as much as it’s about beauty, it’s about so much more. The feeling of paranoia is universal, and everyone has that moment in their life where it seems like everything is working against them. Skincare posits the idea that maybe there’s someone behind that, purposely tearing your life apart.

It’s rare when a ripped-from-the-headlines adaptation fails to capitalize upon the wilder, weirder aspects of its real-life counterpart. Yet that’s what happens in the case of director Austin Peters’ “Skincare,” which, to be fair, only claims to be a fictionalized version of the true-crime story of a successful celebrity aesthetician who allegedly hired a hitman to take out her competition. What’s there borrows from the real scandal to lightly explore the feminine rage, jealousy and paranoia festering underneath a girl-boss gloss so prevalent in the early 2010s. Through slick aesthetics bolstered by a sensational soundscape, the filmmakers build an entrancing, atmospheric mood piece. But given a few of its omissions, it’s questionable why the storytellers didn’t go in for the kill.

Skin is fragile (it’s the largest organ in the human body), tasked with keeping us healthy and in one piece. It’s no...

In 2014, esthetician-to-the-stars Dawn DaLuise was falsely accused and briefly imprisoned for allegedly ordering a hit on a rival facialist. So, when she saw the trailer for Austin Peters’ Skincare, a film which ostensibly had a plot that mirrored what had happened to her, she was rightfully upset. Elizabeth Banks, the...

Reputation is everything, but even great first impressions can backfire. Take “Skincare,” an online harassment whodunit that never gets as ugly as its taut set-up suggests it might.

Known mostly for music videos, director Austin Peters makes his narrative feature debut for IFC Films in the niche world of luxury cosmetology. Set in Los Angeles circa 2013 — with the statement jewelry, high-low hemlines, and pop music to match — this psychosexual thriller invites audiences into the crumbling façade of boutique aesthetician Hope Goldman (Elizabeth Banks).

Hope is seemingly successful enough, beautiful enough, happy enough. But when a plan for a line of her own skincare products turns sour, the quietly fucked-up facialist finds herself in serious debt. After rival beautician Angel (Luis Gerardo Méndez) opens a competing storefront, an unseen foe starts harassing Hope online, pushing the already exhausted business owner that much closer to personal catastrophe.

Skewering #GirlBoss culture is still...

Elizabeth Banks takes charge and delivers in Skincare, a Hollywood-set psychological thriller that its feature-debuting director, Austin Peters, likes to label a “sunshine noir”. Certainly it has elements of the classic darkly lit black and white film noirs set in L.A. in the 40’s, but this one takes place directly in the bright sunlit corners of Southern California where facialists are definitely a thing.

It is a fictional story, very loosely inspired apparently by a real case involving aesthetician Dawn DaLuise who was accused of putting out a hit on a rival facialist in 2014 and did wind up doing some prison time before being acquitted. There is no mention of her or that, but apparently screenwriters Deering Regan & Sam Freilich, and Peters were “inspired” enough to use it as a tipping point. It is a completely fictionalized character Banks plays, but her transformation feels close to real life despite...

The new films, such as Skincare, can sometimes be downright Hitchcockian. It is a contemporary thriller with more on its mind than most regarding social media and the vain narcissism that grows like a garden of invasive and unwanted weeds. Clever, suspenseful, and surprising, Skincare is a gripping tale of obsession that hits close to home.

Elizabeth Banks gives the best performance of her career as Hope Goldman, an up-and-coming celebrity aesthetician in the City of Angels. Hope is about to unveil her own makeup line after a successful run with a boutique shop in town. Business is booming for Goldman, who just wrapped up a viral interview with a popular Los Angeles news station designed to help with the launch.

Elizabeth Banks in Skincare (2024) | Image via IFC Films

RELATEDElizabeth Banks Aimed For Kirsten Dunst’s Role in Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man Trilogy Before She Landed Another Smaller Role Instead Skincare Review and Synopsis

However,...

At the beginning of Skincare, Austin Peters’ rather clever narrative feature debut, Hope Goldman reigns supreme. The Los Angeles-based aesthetician, played by Elizabeth Banks, is in the midst of launching her line of moisturizers, cleansers and serums made in Italy. Hope is an old school cosmetics-monger, who, after 20 years of exfoliating Hollywood’s most expensive faces, is ready to let regular people in on the secret. There’s just one problem: A new spa has opened across the street and its owner, Angel Vergara (Luis Gerardo Méndez), seems poised for a takeover, instigating a violent rivalry.

Skincare is, per an early title card, a fictional story inspired by true events. It bears some similarities to the one-sided feud between West Hollywood facialists Dawn DaLuise and Gabriel Suarez. About ten years ago, DaLuise spent some time in jail for allegedly attempting to solicit the murder of Suarez. (A jury eventually acquitted her.

Elizabeth Banks is stepping out to promote her new movie.

The 50-year-old actress posed for photos at the a screening of her new movie Skincare on Tuesday evening (August 13) held at the Crosby Hotel in New York City.

Elizabeth dazzled in a shimmering silver dress paired with a black blazer, tights, and heels as she was joined at the screening by director Austin Peters and producer Jonathan Schwartz.

Keep reading to find out more…Here’s the movie’s synopsis: “Famed aesthetician Hope Goldman (Banks) is about to take her career to the next level by launching her very own skincare line, but her personal and work lives are challenged when rival facialist Angel Vergara (Luis Gerardo Méndez) opens a new skincare boutique directly across from her store. She starts to suspect that someone is trying to sabotage her reputation and business, and together with her friend Jordan (Lewis Pullman...

From comedy to drama to biopics and every genre in between, Elizabeth Banks always understands the assignment.

The actress had plenty to play with in IFC Films‘ Skincare, which premieres Friday in theaters. It’s a true crime-inspired character study about a woman’s struggle to stay relevant in Hollywood and the dangerous lengths she’ll go to defend what she’s built — a role to which Banks “felt very connected.”

“I related to this sense of vulnerability, of feeling like the technology is going so fast that you can’t keep up with it, that there’s always gonna be a new fresh, useful way of doing things,” Banks tells Deadline. “And this woman just doesn’t know how to do it. And I feel like as someone who’s middle-aged and works in Hollywood, I already feel like I don’t know what the next big thing is gonna be,...

Beauty is a cutthroat business in Skincare. The IFC Films thriller starring Elizabeth Banks, who plays a celebrity aesthetician called Hope Goldman. She is gearing up to launch her own skincare line, but things get dicey when rival facialist Angel Vergara (Luis Gerardo Méndez) opens a new boutique directly across from her store. Talk about a real face-off. Hope begins to suspect someone is trying to sabotage her reputation and business. She enlists the help of a new friend named Jordan (Outer Range’s Lewis Pullman) to find out who is looking to destroy her life. Things start to unravel from there. The flick from Iervolino & Lady Bacardi Entertainment was directed by Austin Peters (Give Me Future). Co-writers Sam Freilich and Deering Regan found some inspiration for the story from what happened to Dawn DaLuise, a skincare expert to the stars who was accused of a murder-for-hire plot against another aesthetician.

Quick Links What Is Skincare About? Who Is Dawn DaLuise? How Skincare Adapts DaLuise's Story

Bowing theatrically on August 16, 2024, the adage "life imitates art" applies to the new Elizabeth Banks movie Skincare. Only the filmmakers claim they weren't aware of its real-life inspiration while producing the thriller. In one of the most bizarre stories in recent Hollywood memory, a professional facialist named Dawn DaLuise accused Skincare of stealing her life story and adapting her tale without her consent.

Although Banks and director Austin Peters maintain the parallels to DaLuise's story are purely accidental, the similarities are too stark to ignore. As such, it's worth delving into the specifics of DaLuise's true story and how much Skincare appropriates her life without permission. An ultimate tale of rivalry and revenge, whether unwittingly adapting DaLuise's story, Skincare explores the importance of keeping up appearances in a glitzy town like Hollywood.

Skincare (2024) R

Release...

Here’s a look at this week’s biggest premieres, parties and openings in Los Angeles and New York, including events for Blink Twice, It Ends With Us, The Umbrella Academy and Borderlands.

The Umbrella Academy premiere

Stars Elliot Page, Tom Hopper, David Castañeda, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Robert Sheehan, Aidan Gallagher and Justin H. Min walked the carpet at the fourth and final season premiere of their Netflix series on Monday in Los Angeles.

David Castañeda, Elliot Page, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Tom Hopper, Ritu Arya, Robert Sheehan, Aidan Gallagher and Justin H. Min It Ends With Us premiere

Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni, Brandon Sklenar, Jenny Slate and Hasan Minhaj debuted their big-screen adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s hit novel in New York City on Tuesday, with support from Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman.

Brandon Sklenar, Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds Colleen Hoover and Tony Vinciquerra, chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment...

“Skincare” is a new thriller, directed by Austin Peters, starring Elizabeth Banks, Lewis Pullman, Luis Gerardo Méndez, Nathan Fillion and Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, opening August 16, 2024 in theaters:

“…inspired by true events, ‘Skincare’ follows aesthetician ‘Hope Goldman’ (Banks) who is about to take her career to the next level by launching her very own skincare line.

“But complications arise when rival facialist ‘Angel Vergara’ (Méndez) opens a new skincare boutique directly across from her studio.

“She begins to suspect that someone is trying to sabotage her reputation and business, and together with her friend ‘Jordan’ (Pullman)…

“…she embarks on a mission to unravel the mystery of who is trying to destroy her life…”

Click the images to enlarge…...

I was astounded by Elizabeth Banks’ outfit choice at the Louis Vuitton-hosted prelude to the Olympics party last week, so seeing her make a stylish comeback to the United States in yet another classic-contemporary dress didn’t surprise me.

Arriving at the Good Morning America studios, The Hunger Games actress was impossible to miss in her summery turquoise David Koma Fall 2024 dress. It captures her signature style, which often blends classic elegance and contemporary flair.

I was a little taken aback when I found out that the dress was by David Koma. The Georgian fashion designer is famous for his ultra-body-contouring, sculptural silhouettes that draw inspiration from the feminine form.

Elizabeth Banks visits Good Morning America in a turquoise David Koma dress to talk about her upcoming crime thriller movie Skincare (Credit: Roger Wong / INSTARimages)

While Banks’ neoprene dress is undoubtedly very feminine, it deviates slightly from the London-based label’s typical bodycon offerings.

“Skincare” is a new `dramatic thriller, co-written and directed by Austin Peters, starring Elizabeth Banks, Lewis Pullman, Luis Gerardo Méndez, Nathan Fillion and Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, opening August 16, 2024 in theaters:

“…inspired by true events, ‘Skincare’ follows aesthetician ‘Hope Goldman’ (Banks) who is about to take her career to the next level by launching her very own skincare line.

“But complications arise when rival facialist ‘Angel Vergara’ (Méndez) opens a new skincare boutique directly across from her studio.

“She begins to suspect that someone is trying to sabotage her reputation and business, and together with her friend ‘Jordan’ (Pullman)…

“…she embarks on a mission to unravel the mystery of who is trying to destroy her life…”

Click the images to enlarge…...

Austin Peters' vanity crime thriller, Skincare, has just released its official trailer and first teaser poster. With the always awesome Elizabeth Banks in the lead this comes hot on the heels of news that IFC Films picked it up for a theatrical release on August 16th.   Famed aesthetician Hope Goldman (Elizabeth Banks) is about to take her career to the next level by launching her very own skincare line, but her personal and work lives are challenged when rival facialist Angel Vergara (Luis Gerardo Méndez) opens a new skincare boutique directly across from her store. She starts to suspect that someone is trying to sabotage her reputation and business, and together with her new friend Jordan (Lewis Pullman) she embarks on a mission to...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

IFC Films will be giving the vanity thriller Skincare, starring Cocaine Bear director Elizabeth Banks, a theatrical release on August 16th – and with that date just a couple of months away, they have decided to unveil a trailer for the film. You can check it out in the embed above.

Skincare marks the narrative feature directorial debut of Austin Peters, who previously directed the documentary Give Me Future, about the free Major Lazer concert in Havana, Cuba that drew half a million fans. Peters wrote the screenplay with Sam Freilich and Deering Regan, crafting the following story: Famed aesthetician Hope Goldman (Elizabeth Banks) is about to take her career to the next level by launching her very own skincare line, but her personal and work lives are challenged when rival facialist Angel Vergara opens a new skincare boutique directly across from her store. She starts to suspect that someone is...

"Beauty's an ugly business." Ain't that the truth. IFC Films has revealed the first official trailer for a crime thriller called Skincare, a new film from director Austin Peters. This is set to open in limited theaters in August at the end of this summer. Famed aesthetician Hope Goldman's skincare business faces sabotage when rival Angel Vergara opens a boutique right across the street. Aided by friend Jordan, Hope seeks to uncover who's trying to ruin her reputation. She becomes convinced this rival is out to sabotage her business and destroy her life. How far will she go for revenge? Elizabeth Banks stars as Hope, with Lewis Pullman, Luis Gerardo Méndez, Michaela Jaé (Mj) Rodriguez, and Nathan Fillion (!!). "People love a scandal. The internet is full of sickos." While this seems similar to The Substance (my review), it actually reminds me of Gwyneth Paltrow and Goop and how ridiculous beauty...

Elizabeth Banks knows nothing can cover up sabotage in latest film “Skincare.”

Banks stars as famed aesthetician Hope Goldman who is losing out on her namesake, quite literally. Hope is about to take her career to the next level by launching her very own skincare line, but her personal and work lives are challenged when rival facialist Angel Vergara (Luis Gerardo Méndez) opens a new skincare boutique directly across from her store.

Hope starts to suspect that someone is trying to sabotage her reputation and business, and together with her new friend Jordan (Lewis Pullman) she embarks on a mission to unravel the mystery of who is trying to destroy her life.

The feature, which is directed by Austin Peters who cowrote the script with Sam Freilich and Deering Regan, also stars Michaela Jaé (Mj) Rodriguez and Nathan Fillion.

Peters made his directorial debut with documentary “Give Me Future” about...

IFC Films has secured the North American distribution rights for “Skincare,” a highly anticipated thriller starring Elizabeth Banks, set to hit theaters on August 16, 2024. The film, directed by Austin Peters, promises to breathe new life into the whodunit genre with a unique twist on vanity and crime.

Banks, known for her roles in “The Hunger Games” and “Pitch Perfect” franchises, leads an all-star ensemble cast in this noir-inspired thriller. The story follows Hope Goldman (Banks), a renowned aesthetician on the brink of launching her own skincare line. Her plans are thrown into disarray when rival facialist Angel Vergara, played by Luis Gerardo Méndez, opens a competing boutique across from her studio. As mysterious events unfold, Hope suspects a deliberate attempt to sabotage her reputation and business.

The plot thickens as Hope enlists the help of her friend Jordan, portrayed by Lewis Pullman of “Top Gun: Maverick” fame, to unravel the...

Prime Video Mexico is firing up a new original series, “Mentiras,” based on the popular Mexican stage musical.

Singer-actor Belinda and Luis Gerardo Méndez lead a stellar cast that includes Mariana Treviño (“A Man Called Otto”), Diana Bovio (“Lecciones para canallas”) and Regina Blandón (“Maquíllame otra vez”).

Gabriel Ripstein, whose credits include series “An Unknown Enemy” (“Un extraño enemigo”) and Berlin best first feature winner “600 Miles,” created the series and will serve as director and showrunner.

“In this adaptation, we will pay tribute to a story and characters that the audience adores and expand their universe, thanks to a completely innovative visual narrative,” Ripstein said. “To bring this story to life, told with more than 30 of the most successful songs of the ’80s, we have assembled a spectacular cast and crew.”

The move comes despite system-wide cutbacks announced in January that have seen layoffs across Prime Video, Amazon MGM Studios and livestreaming platform Twitch.

Exclusive: Luis Gerardo Méndez will be in front of and behind the camera in Technoboys, a Netflix movie about a boyband on the comeback trail.

Hailing from Netflix Mexico, the Spanish-language film follows the titular band two decades after they topped the charts. Now they are back to reclaim their pop throne, but the music world has changed and they have to battle rival groups and make it all over again in a world they barely understand. Meanwhile, the lead singer of the Technoboys has a hidden reasons for wanting to return to the music scene. The film will bow on Netflix later this year.

Méndez will play the band’s lead singer, Alan, and co-directs Technoboys alongside Gerardo Gatica. The pair’s production company, Cine Vaquero, is making the movie, alongside Panorama and Bengala. Alexandro Aldrete penned the script.

The Noble Family, Murder Mystery, Narcos: Mexico, Netflix’s first...

Exclusive: Amazon MGM Studios has signed an exclusive overall deal with Gary “Gaz” Alazraki’s Maquina Vega. Under the deal, Alazraki is set to produce, write and direct series for Amazon MGM Studios.

Alazraki is a Mexican director known for directing the movies Father of The Bride (2022; writer and director of Mexico’s record-breaking comedy Nosotros Los Nobles (2013); and co-creator, executive producer and director of Club De Cuervos (2015), Netflix’s first Spanish original series. He heads Maquina Vega and is a board member of Oceana.

Alazraki began his career by directing commercials and the short films: Volver (2005) starring Jaime Camil, Martha Higareda, Tony Dalton and La Hora Cero (2008) produced by Guillermo Arriaga.

In 2011, he began production on Nosotros Los Nobles starring Gonzalo Vega, Luis Gerardo Méndez, Karla Souza and Juan Pablo Gil which he directed/wrote/produced. The film was released by Warner Bros. in 2013 and it became the highest-grossing Mexican movie of all time.

This December, Paramount+ has a variety of TV shows that will be featured on the streaming platform. From a returning mystery TV show, a docu-series, and a new musical series, there is something for everyone to watch. While Paramount+ doesn’t exactly have a long list of new TV shows this December, there are still movies that viewers can sink their teeth into.

Apart from movies, plenty of TV shows are available for streaming on the platform, thanks to Paramount+’s licensing agreements with MTV libraries, Nickelodeon, and Comedy Central. There are various streaming platforms that are all vying for first place, so for Paramount+ to remain relevant, it has become more important that the streaming platform invest more in original TV shows and movies. Therefore, let's look at every TV series coming to Paramount+ in December 2023.

The Envoys (Season 2) Streaming Dec. 7 Close

Paramount+s Spanish hit mystery TV show from Mexico,...

Paramount+ hasn’t set a streaming date for The Envoys (Los Enviados) season two, but they have just released the first teaser trailer for the new season. According to Paramount+, season one was so popular on the streaming service that it ranks first among Spanish-language scripted series.

The series stars Luis Gerardo Méndez (Narcos: Mexico) as Pedro Salinas and Miguel Ángel Silvestre (Narcos) as Simón Antequera. Assira Abbate, Marta Etura, Manuel Ríos, Susi Sánchez, Charo Zapardiel, Cristina Marcos, and Ricardo de Barreiro also star.

The cast also includes Isabel Naveira, Miquel Insúa, Pepo Suevos, Guillermo Carbajo, Francis Lorenzo, Carlos Olalla, and Luis Iglesia.

Emmy and Oscar winner Juan José Campanella (El Secreto de Sus Ojos) guides the series as showrunner, producer, and director. Martino Zaidelis, Camilo Antolini, and Inma Torrente also direct, with Eduardo Sacheri, Emanuel Diez, and Juan Pablo Domenech joining Campanella as writers. 100 Bares’ Muriel Cabeza and Portaocabo’s Alfonso Blanco executive produce.

Paramount+ today released the official teaser trailer for the second season of the Spanish-language thriller series The Envoys (Los Enviados).  The original series features an all-star cast, including Luis Gerardo Méndez and Miguel Ángel Silvestre.  Oscar winner Juan José Campanella (El Secreto de Sus Ojos) serves as showrunner, producer and director. All eight episodes will be available to binge exclusively on Paramount+ soon. In the second season, Priests Pedro Salinas (Méndez) and Simón Antequera (Silvestre) delve into a web of mystery and murder in a Galician convent. With ... Read more...

Elizabeth Banks is to lead the cast of the recently greenlit ‘Skincare,’ from Iervolino & Lady Bacardi Entertainment and Producers Jonathan Schwartz and Logan Lerman, directed by Austin Peters.

Banks is joined by a supporting cast that includes Lewis Pullman, Golden Globe winner and Emmy nominee Michaela Jae Rodriguez, Luis Gerardo Mendez, and Nathan Fillion.

The vanity thriller is set in Hollywood, but any further details on the movie’s plot are being kept under wraps. The screenplay was written by Deering Regan, Sam Freilich and Austin Peters. Production wrapped before the Writers’ strike.

Also in news – Antonio Banderas, Olivia Coleman & more set for ‘Paddington in Peru’

Andrea Iervolino and Lady Monika Bacardi financed and produced the film through their Ilbe banner alongside Logan Lerman and Jonathan Schwartz. ‘Skincare’ is the third film Schwartz and Lerman have collaborated on as producers following A24’s “The Vanishing of Sidney Hall” and Cj Enm’s “Press Play.