Has A24 Lost Its Cool? AI Backlash, Backrooms & Supergirl

Has A24 Lost Its Cool? AI Backlash, Backrooms & Supergirl

This week on Cinema in One Take, we're asking whether independent cinema's coolest studio has made its biggest mistake yet. A24 has announced a $75 million partnership with Google DeepMind, prompting a fierce backlash from filmmakers and fans. Is the criticism justified, or is AI simply becoming another filmmaking tool that studios can't afford to ignore? We also discuss the extended theatrical release of Backrooms and whether audiences will return for more of the viral horror phenomenon, while Kaleem gives his verdict on Supergirl—and explains why the latest DC blockbuster failed to take flight for him (or the wider box office)  And in What We're Watching, we recommend A Matter of Life and Death, the inventive Saudi romantic comedy-horror from Anas Ba-Tḥaf and Sarah Taibah, and explore why YouTube creators are increasingly making the leap to feature films.

How Animation and Horror Are Winning the Box Office: Toy Story 5, Blair Witch & Jodie Foster's FrenchTriumph

Why are audiences flocking back to cinemas in 2026? Emma Jones and Kaleem Aftab unpack the record-breaking opening of Toy Story 5 and ask why animation and horror have become Hollywood's safest bets, while superhero films appear to be losing their grip. Is cinema entering a new era where audiences crave familiar worlds—just not necessarily superheroes? They discuss the return of The Blair Witch Project, the rise of YouTube filmmakers, and Emma recommends one of Cannes' most intriguing discoveries, Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma. Plus, a celebration of Welsh-language cinema after Effie o Blaenau sets a UK box office record, and a review of A Private Life, with Jodie Foster delivering a remarkable performance in French. For more from us, subscribe for free or follow us: cinemainonetake.substack.com [https://cinemainonetake.substack.com/] Follow us on Instagram: @aftabamon [https://www.instagram.com/aftabamon] @emmapjones1 [https://www.instagram.com/emmapjones1/]

Are Nolan and Cameron the Last Bankable Directors? Plus Toy Story 5, Venice & Welsh Cinema

Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey has broken BFI IMAX ticket sales records a month before release or before any reviews, raising a fascinating question: are Nolan and Avatar's James Cameron the last truly bankable directors in cinema? This week, Emma Jones and Kaleem Aftab debate Nolan's unique relationship with audiences, and how many other directors could inspire those sales. Or is the box office also excitement about the topic of the film itself? Staying with Greek myths, Emma explores the release of Welsh-language drama Effi o Blaenau, originally inspired by the Greek tragedy Iphigenia at Aulis via an acclaimed bok, Iphigenia in Splott, and what a new wave of Welsh and Irish language filmmaking says about the confidence of Celtic cinema. The pair also look ahead to the Venice Film Festival, discussing whether Aaron Sorkin's The Social Reckoning will be there, the prospect of Tom Cruise going to the Lido for Digger, and how important the Venice red carpet is for publicising a film. Plus: Emma reviews Toy Story 5, Pixar's examination of childhood, screens and technology — and Kaleem makes the case for Toy Story as the greatest film franchise ever made. For more from us, subscribe for free or follow us: cinemainonetake.substack.com [https://cinemainonetake.substack.com/] Follow us on Instagram: @aftabamon [https://www.instagram.com/aftabamon] @emmapjones1 [https://www.instagram.com/emmapjones1/]

Steven Spielberg's Disclosure Day and the Nadav Lapid Controversy

Steven Spielberg's long-awaited new alien epic Disclosure Day has finally landed. Is it his best film in 20 years, or a frustrating missed opportunity? Cinema in One Take's Emma Jones and Kaleem Aftab disagree about what Hollywood's legendary director has created. They also discuss the controversy surrounding Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid and his withdrawal from FIDMarseille after calls for a boycott if he attended, because his previous film Yes received money from the Israel Film Fund. Should filmmakers be judged by the actions of their governments - even when they're highly critical of them? Plus, Kaleem pays a personal tribute to Marjane Satrapi, the acclaimed director of Persepolis, who died last week, and Emma watched Dreams of Violets, the first fully AI-generated feature to premiere at a major film festival, in this case, Tribeca. You can find Kaleem's Substack on Marjane Satrapi, and all of their articles, here: cinemainonetake.substack.com [https://cinemainonetake.substack.com/] Follow us: @aftabamon [https://www.instagram.com/aftabamon] @emmapjones1 [https://www.instagram.com/emmapjones1/]

Backrooms, Martin Scorsese and YouTube's Hollywood Takeover

What happens when YouTubers start making some of the biggest films in the world? This week on Cinema in One Take, Emma Jones and Kaleem Aftab dive into the extraordinary success of Backrooms and Obsession, two breakout hits from directors who built huge audiences online before stepping behind the camera. What took Hollywood so long to recognise the talent pipeline? They also tackle the Tribeca-premiering Dreams of Violets by Ash Koosha to Martin Scorsese's latest AI venture, and ask when technology opens doors for filmmakers, and when it starts replacing people. Plus, why are family films still more likely to feature a talking animal than a woman over 60 in a leading role? ( Not to mention a man called Chris)  Emma unpacks the latest industry figures and what they reveal about who Hollywood still thinks can sell a movie. And, in new releases,  Kaleem recommends The Little Sister, the latest film from Hafsia Herzi, a moving coming-of-age drama that explores faith, identity and sexuality in contemporary Paris.