GRUNGECAKE

Category: Films and Movies

  • Naomi Osaka’s journey of motherhood and comeback in ‘The Second Set’: Watch the trailer

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    Renowned tennis champion Naomi Osaka is set to share a deeply personal chapter of her life in the upcoming documentary ‘Naomi Osaka: The Second Set’. The film chronicles her highly anticipated return to professional tennis following the birth of her daughter, Shai, offering an unfiltered glimpse into the challenges and triumphs of balancing elite sport with first-time motherhood.

    Described as a love letter to Shai, the documentary goes beyond the court to explore Osaka’s emotional, physical, and mental journey as she redefines her career and personal life. Known for her powerful presence both on and off the tennis court, Osaka’s candid storytelling is expected to inspire mothers, athletes, and fans alike.

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    The film is directed by award-winning documentary filmmaker Kat Jayme, whose previous work includes ‘The Grizzlie Truth’, ‘I’m Just Here for the Riot’, and ‘Finding Big Country’. Jayme is celebrated for crafting intimate, human-centred sports stories that connect with audiences on a profound level. ‘Naomi Osaka: The Second Set’ is produced by Hana Kuma, the media company Osaka co-founded with Stuart Duguid, alongside sportswear giant Nike. The project also has the backing of Fulwell Entertainment’s Uninterrupted, the athlete-empowerment brand founded by LeBron James and Maverick Carter. James, Carter, Jamal Henderson, and Philip Byron serve as executive producers under the Uninterrupted banner, adding significant star power to the production team.

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    With Osaka’s return marking one of the most talked-about comebacks in modern sports, the documentary promises to showcase the raw determination, vulnerability, and resilience that have defined her career. ‘Naomi Osaka: The Second Set’ is set to offer viewers a rare, intimate perspective on one of tennis’ most influential figures as she steps into a powerful new phase—both as a mother and a champion.

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    [/media-credit] Naomi Osaka

  • ‘The Pickup’ trailer promises high-stakes comedy, action, and star power: Watch

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    The newly released trailer for ‘The Pickup’ teases a thrilling blend of action, sharp humour, and star-studded performances. Set to premiere on 6 August, the film stars Eddie Murphy as Russell and Pete Davidson as Travis—two mismatched armoured truck drivers whose routine day takes a perilous detour.

    What begins as a standard cash pickup spirals into a high-octane battle when the pair are ambushed by a crew of ruthless criminals. At the centre of the heist is Zoe, portrayed by Keke Palmer, a charismatic yet dangerous mastermind whose ambitions extend far beyond the money inside the truck. The tagline—“It’s pros vs cons. They’re armed but she’s dangerous.”—captures the cat-and-mouse dynamic driving the plot.

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    From the trailer, Murphy’s seasoned comedic timing meshes with Davidson’s quirky, offbeat delivery, promising plenty of laugh-out-loud exchanges amid the chaos. Palmer’s Zoe, meanwhile, commands attention with a mix of wit, menace, and unpredictable charm, making her both the film’s main antagonist and one of its biggest draws. Director and production details are still under wraps, but ‘The Pickup’ appears to balance action sequences — from street chases to tense standoffs—with character-driven banter. The mismatched-partners trope, paired with a formidable female villain, adds a fresh twist to the crime-comedy genre.

    If the trailer is any indication, audiences can expect a fast-paced story where alliances shift, plans unravel, and survival depends on thinking — and acting — fast. With Murphy, Davidson, and Palmer at the helm, ‘The Pickup’ looks poised to deliver an entertaining ride that’s equal parts danger, comedy, and charm.

    The film hits cinemas on August 6, giving viewers just enough time to place their bets: Will the pros outwit the cons, or will Zoe walk away with more than just the cash?

  • Paul Thomas Anderson and Leonardo DiCaprio lead heavyweight ensemble in ‘One Battle After Another’: Watch the trailer

    An all-star collision that redefines prestige cinema for 2025 with music from by Beyoncé, co-written by Dean McIntosh (Arrow Benjamin).

    When Paul Thomas Anderson announces a new film, the world pauses—and with ‘One Battle After Another’, it isn’t just pausing. It’s holding its breath.

    From Warner Bros Pictures, this autumnal cinematic offering feels like a masterstroke before we’ve even seen a single frame. Leonardo DiCaprio—an Oscar and BAFTA winner whose name still makes headlines with a whisper—takes centre stage in a story draped in tension, resilience, and raw emotion. Flanking him are fellow giants Benicio del Toro and Sean Penn, lending the film the kind of gravitas only decades of sharp, soul-bearing performances can bring.

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    But Anderson doesn’t stop at legacy. Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, Chase Infiniti, Wood Harris, and Alana Haim (back under Anderson’s directing gaze) bring layered, modern vibrancy to the mix. It’s a bold blend of Hollywood’s past, present, and what’s next. With his own screenplay in hand, Anderson’s fingerprints are everywhere—from his longtime collaborations with Michael Bauman and editor Andy Jurgensen, to the return of Jonny Greenwood’s haunting, highbrow compositions. Add in the brilliance of Colleen Atwood’s costume design and Florencia Martin’s visual worlds, and ‘One Battle After Another’ feels less like a film and more like a living museum of modern auteurship.

    Expect conversations about legacy, survival, and humanity’s quiet wars. Expect the kind of silences that shake theatres. And when it opens in theatres and IMAX on September 26, 2025, expect a long, standing ovation—possibly before the credits even roll.

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  • ‘What We Hide’ exposes the dark truths children carry: Watch the trailer

    After their mother’s overdose, two sisters conceal her death to avoid the foster care system—unravelling a tense, emotional thriller about survival, sisterhood, and the weight of buried secrets.

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    ‘What We Hide’ is a haunting, slow-burning thriller that grips you from the very first frame. In a raw, emotionally devastating performance, Mckenna Grace stars as Spider, the fiercely protective older sister to Jessie, played with heartbreaking innocence by Jojo Regina. After their mother’s fatal overdose, the girls make an unthinkable decision: hide her body to avoid being separated by the broken foster care system they fear more than death.

    Set in a forgotten rural town where silence can be a survival tool, the story unravels with chilling tension. Jesse Williams brings measured intensity as the local sheriff, whose suspicions grow whilst navigating his own moral compass. And Dacre Montgomery is chilling as the unpredictable dealer whose presence reminds us that sometimes, the real threat is what’s left behind.

    ‘What We Hide’ is not just a movie—it’s a gritty, emotional gut-punch about sisterhood, survival, and the secret lives of children forced to grow up too fast. You won’t be able to look away. Watch the trailer for the Dan Kay-directed film. It is to show in select theatres on August 8, 2025; video-on-demand and digital release to follow on August 29.

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  • LL Cool J chronicles Hip‑Hop’s origins in new docuseries ‘Hip Hop Was Born Here’: Watch the trailer

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    On June 27, 2025, Paramount Plus released the trailer for ‘Hip Hop Was Born Here’, a compelling five-part docuseries co-created and executive produced by Hip-Hop icon LL Cool J alongside NFL legend Peyton Manning. Set to premiere July 22 across the United States, Canada, Latin America, and Brasil, the show serves as a musical pilgrimage to the origins of Hip-Hop in New York City. In the trailer, LL—real name James Todd Smith—leads viewers on a gritty, soulful journey through NYC’s boroughs, beginning with the Bronx park where DJ Kool Herc hosted the genre’s first block parties.

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    His personal narration, “To understand the power of Hip‑Hop today, you gotta go back to where it all started”, punctuates the series’ intent to connect past and present. The docuseries brings together foundational voices like Grandmaster Caz, Roxanne Shanté, Big Daddy Kane, Doug E Fresh, Method Man, and Rev Run, alongside modern talents such as Fivio Foreign and Crystal Caines.

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    Their reflections weave interviews, archival footage, and on-location storytelling into a celebration of Hip-Hop’s cultural and musical legacy. Peyton Manning lends surprising gravitas, remarking that although music isn’t his primary domain, “sports and music have a lot of similarities… both require hard work and commitment, and at their best, both bring people together”. LL Cool J’s production imprint—through his Rock the Bells brand and SiriusXM channel—adds authenticity, ensuring this isn’t just nostalgia but a living, breathing history.

    What sets ‘Hip Hop Was Born Here’ apart is its dual homage to the early days and its spotlight on today’s torchbearers. As Method Man asks in the trailer, “Who would ever think that we could be world famous doing something that we love?”

    The series promises to resonate with anyone who’s ever felt the beat move them—past, present, and future.

  • Maya Lin’s masterpiece returns to inspire new generation through POV encore presentation: Watch the trailer

    [/media-credit] Maya Lin examining inverted water table being fabricated for the Civil Rights Memorial she designed to be installed in Montgomery, Alabama. She is pictured here at the granite fabricator in Barre, Vermont in 1988.

    Sometimes, we forget the power of a name until it’s carved into something sacred. When POV announced the return of ‘Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision’ to PBS this July, it felt like a divine reminder of what it means to turn pain into permanence, grief into granite, and identity into iconography. The encore broadcast of Freida Lee Mock’s Academy Award-winning documentary isn’t just a look back—it’s a reintroduction to a legacy that still pulses in the heart of American memory.

    Back in 1995, Lin’s story gripped the nation. A twenty-one-year-old Yale student, barely out of undergrad, emerged from the shadows with a design so raw, so revolutionary, it reshaped how we honor the dead. And now, nearly thirty years later, her Vietnam Veterans Memorial remains one of the most visited and emotionally resonant places in the United States—not because it demands attention, but because it commands stillness.

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    ‘Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision’, which will air on POV Tuesday, July 22, 2025 at 10 PM on PBS (and streamable until October 20), unpacks Lin’s artistic process, the political firestorm that followed her selection, and how a soft-spoken Asian American woman became a national symbol of quiet rebellion. This isn’t just about architecture—it’s about agency. It’s about how the intersection of art, race, gender, and grief shaped one of the most important cultural conversations in United States history.

    Executive produced by Eileen Harris Norton and co-presented with CAAM, the film continues to remind us: Art doesn’t just reflect who we are—it reveals who we should be. Lin didn’t ask permission to speak for a generation. She earned it. And her vision, strong and clear as ever, still reaches across age, identity, and ideology to say: We were here. We mattered.

    This re-airing couldn’t come at a better time. In a world desperate for clarity, Lin’s work whispers what headlines can’t: Healing is possible—when we listen, when we remember, and when we build something greater than ourselves.

  • Apple shares ‘Big Man’, a short film starring English-Ghanaian music star Stormzy: Watch

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    Four days ago, Apple released a short film shot entirely on an iPhone 16 Pro called ‘Big Man’ starring British music star rapper-songwriter Stormzy exclusively through its YouTube channel to its twenty million subscribers.

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    According to the description, “the fictional story of Tenzman, a world-weary musician, and the two bright, joyful kids who come into his life by chance. Soon the trio find themselves on a journey together — one that will reveal a better way forward for them all.”

    Check out the twenty-minute film directed by the Oscar-winning creator, Aneil Karia. It has over five million views and counting.

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    About the new step into a new space for the award-winning British Grime superstar, he said, “Music is my first love, but film is my second. #Merky Films is something I’ve been dreaming about for ages.”

    Stormzy says it is “a space for powerful British stories and a solid home for fresh, unexpected art” and “a natural next step for everything we do at #Merky – sharing our stories, spotlighting important voices and making room for those who deserve to be seen and heard.”

    If it is your first time coming across the first Black British rapper to headline the Glastonbury Festival in 2019, there is no way it could be your fault. We may judge the people in your life, though.

  • Madame Tussauds Hollywood honours Viola Davis with regal wax figure

    In the ever-glittering world of Hollywood, where wax figures often feel like fleeting facsimiles of fame, one just got it right. Madame Tussauds Hollywood unveiled a new wax figure of the indomitable Viola Davis this week, and it’s nothing short of breathtaking. Standing with poise and power in a vibrant yellow cape gown by Greta Constantine—echoing the same strength she radiated at the 2021 Golden Globes—the figure captures everything that makes Viola Davis unforgettable. And let’s be real: How many people can say their very essence is preserved in wax on Hollywood Boulevard whilst they’re still here to witness it?

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    What makes this moment feel so right, so earned, is the journey. From Juilliard-trained theatre queen to becoming the first Black actor to clinch the triple crown of acting (Oscar, Emmy, and Tony), Viola Davis’ name is etched in the fabric of our cultural story. It’s poetic that Madame Tussauds—a global symbol of timelessness—has now etched her likeness too.

    “This is a big, big honor for me”, Davis said during the unveiling. And when Viola speaks, we listen. Her humility and grace, even in moments of monumental recognition, remind us why we root for her—not just as an artist but as a human being.

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    If you’ve followed GRUNGECAKE for a while, you already know we champion excellence—especially when it comes from Black women who redefine what it means to be iconic. Viola Davis isn’t just one of the greats—she is the moment, the movement, and the legacy.

    For young Black girls walking past her wax figure in Hollywood, wide-eyed and dream-filled, let this be a reminder: Greatness is attainable. History is yours to shape. Viola Davis has long made her mark on stages and screens. Now, she’s cemented it in wax—forever.

  • Behind the Joy: an important film about postpartum depression

    It’s powerful.

    Earlier in the month, a friend and I went to Long Island in New York State for Jamal Smart’s first film screening in his hometown. Since October, the new indie director anticipated the night he would show his “baby” about postpartum depression to the people close to home. It’s not out yet, so I cannot talk about it here how I would want, but it covers the many shades of how the married couple navigated their new lives from the day they left the hospital with their first child. The film is called ‘Behind the Joy’.

    Before watching Smart’s film, I didn’t know much about the rawness attached to childbirth, postnatal care, or how a birth mother’s mind could suddenly change for the worse. As we’ve seen play out (in the media) recently, sometimes, it gets so dark that the mothers begin to resent their babies, endure detachment from their newborns, and want to harm their infants. Sadly, I did not understand the depth of what some women go through because none of the women in my life shared unembellished stories with me. It must hurt when they think about it in hindsight, so I could try to understand why. The women in my family speak freely about nearly everything except for the nooks and crannies of when their babies were born.

    Surprisingly, that changed last week when I watched the playback from Smart’s film screening. My sister overheard the audio. It’s when she decided to share a glimpse of her tumultuous journey with postpartum depression. She added it is vital to have an emotionally present partner.

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    A few years ago, during the pandemic, I asked my sister and mother about parturition or childbirth. Without the ladies getting into plain details, they’d say things like, “It’s worth it”, “You don’t remember”, or the one my mother enjoys saying to me, “I don’t know how you’re going to give birth to anybody. Everything hurts…”

    If we’re keeping it real, I don’t know either. After watching ‘Behind the Joy’, I still can’t fully identify with the lead actress or any mothers out there because I haven’t had children of my own. Healthwise, it’s probably for the best, but I could adopt a child or two. As the publicist working on the indie film, it was remarkable to witness the audience’s reaction to key moments and to see the standing ovation he received.

    Watch the trailers for the film below and visit the official website to learn more. You may see my testimony.

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    If you are in the dark about postpartum depression and want to learn more, I suggest you research online and talk to the people in your family and your friends. You might learn something.

  • Mike Epps says ‘Last Friday’ is in the works

    Bringing an exciting franchise to an end, Mike Epps confirmed through his interview with The Breakfast Club that the final movie from the ‘Friday’ franchise is currently in the works.

    Known for his iconic role in the unforgettable ‘Friday After Next’ as Day-Day, the actor said he received a call from Ice Cube. The legendary rapper, actor and filmmaker explained that they finished the deal. As far as the film’s creative direction, Epps told The Breakfast Club that the cast would include the younger generation specifically naming DC Young Fly and wanting Chris Tucker to return as “Smokey” from the original film released in 1995.

    Epps shared, “People still love Chris Tucker, he’s still Smokey. He laid it down, he positioned me to do it. So Chris, if you’re listening, we need you, baby boy. Come on back.”

    Last year in June, Ice Cube disclosed that he and Warner Bros were finally working thanks to the studio’s new leadership. According to reports, both parties were in a battle over rights and creative control.

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    You can watch the interview above to see what the American movie star/comedian has been up to.