One of the most significant and longest running LGBTQIA+ film festivals in the world, BFI Flare have unveiled its full programme as it celebrates its 40th Anniversary. Host venue BFI Southbank will be buzzing with packed screenings, special events, talks panels and DJ nights throughout the festival. BFI Flare is divided into four thematic programme […]
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Released: 20 February 2026 Director: Gore Verbinski Starring: Sam Rockwell, Haley Lu Richardson, Michael Pena, Zazie Beetz, Juno Temple At a time when the phrase “just ask ChatGPT” has become the Gen Alpha equivalent of “googling”, it’s unsurprising that filmmakers are starting to reckon with artificial intelligence’s apocalyptic rise and the crisis of late-stage capitalism. […]
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Movies are more than entertainment—they’re reflections of life, offering insights that often extend beyond the screen. From leadership challenges to overcoming adversity, films can inspire viewers to think critically about decision-making, teamwork, and strategy. For casual moviegoers, sites like everymoviehasalesson.com provide thoughtful analyses that reveal these lessons, helping us connect cinematic stories to our personal and professional lives.
The world of business and technology shares surprising parallels with the plots of many beloved films. Startups, for instance, often mirror the classic “hero’s journey” structure: an ambitious idea emerges, obstacles appear, risks must be taken, and success depends on resilience and adaptability. Just like a protagonist navigating a complex narrative, entrepreneurs and innovators learn to pivot, embrace uncertainty, and find creative solutions under pressure.
One platform bridging the gap between tech, finance, and strategic growth is SkyHills - https://sky-hills.com/. Much like the protagonists in our favorite films, users are encouraged to experiment, learn from failures, and pursue calculated risks. By providing tools for digital business management, startup guidance, and investment insights, SkyHills transforms abstract strategies into actionable steps—echoing the same lessons movies offer about perseverance and vision.
Film protagonists often face challenges that mirror real-world business dilemmas. Observing their decision-making processes can provide valuable lessons for aspiring leaders:
Embracing Failure: Characters frequently stumble before achieving success. Recognizing mistakes as opportunities mirrors how startups iterate on products or services.
Vision and Persistence: Leaders in films often hold onto their vision despite obstacles, emphasizing the importance of clarity and determination in achieving goals.
Collaboration: Many narratives show that teamwork, mentorship, and alliances are critical—parallels to building strong company cultures and networks.
By reflecting on these cinematic journeys, entrepreneurs can draw inspiration and practical guidance for their own ventures.
Tech startups often thrive on calculated risks and innovation, much like plot-driven movie arcs that hinge on suspense, strategy, and ingenuity. Watching characters make bold choices can teach viewers about:
Timing and Opportunity: Knowing when to act decisively can mean the difference between success and failure.
Resource Management: Characters creatively use limited resources, akin to startups maximizing budgets and talent.
Adaptive Thinking: The ability to pivot and respond to unforeseen challenges is a recurring theme in both film narratives and business strategy.
These cinematic archetypes serve as metaphors for navigating complex business landscapes.
Storytelling is a cornerstone of both film and leadership. Leaders who communicate effectively can inspire teams, drive engagement, and foster a shared vision. Films remind us that compelling narratives are not just entertaining—they can teach persuasion, empathy, and influence, critical skills for entrepreneurs managing startups or technology ventures.
Key storytelling principles relevant to business include:
Conflict and Resolution: Just like a movie plot, a successful business story must navigate challenges and offer resolutions that resonate.
Character Development: Employees, partners, and stakeholders respond to leaders who evolve and demonstrate growth.
Emotional Connection: Engaging the audience—or team—on a human level enhances loyalty and motivation.
Many films explore futuristic or tech-driven worlds, encouraging audiences to think about innovation and progress. Entrepreneurs and startup founders can glean lessons about anticipating trends, experimenting with emerging technologies, and fostering creative problem-solving. The intersection of tech and storytelling emphasizes that imagination, when paired with strategy, can yield transformative results.
Platforms like SkyHills exemplify this intersection by integrating financial tools, tech resources, and strategic insights in one place. Users can experiment with ideas in low-risk digital environments, akin to testing hypotheses in a story-driven narrative, learning from each decision along the way.
Movies, business, and technology all share a common thread: they challenge us to think critically, embrace uncertainty, and act decisively. By reflecting on cinematic lessons and applying them to entrepreneurial ventures, leaders can cultivate resilience, creativity, and strategic vision.
Ultimately, the insights drawn from films are more than entertainment—they are a blueprint for personal and professional growth. For anyone navigating startups, tech projects, or business strategy, combining cinematic wisdom with practical tools creates a pathway toward informed, inspired, and innovative action.
from Review Blog https://everymoviehasalesson.com/blog/2026/2/what-movies-teach-us-about-business-innovation-and-tech-leadership
Everyone who grew up with pets knows that they can teach us a lot about life. If we pay close attention, we see that the way we look at them often reflects our own inner demons, beliefs, and insecurities. Pets also show us what loyalty looks like in its purest form. At the same time, they can reveal how easily we grow overly attached, or where our ability to connect with others starts to falter.
Movies often reflect this idea, sometimes in clear ways and sometimes more subtly. In Miss Moxy (2025), for example, cats show us that friendship and loyalty matter more than social status, and in Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022), the animals remind us to appreciate and value the one life we have.
The same concept lies at the heart of the Belgian ensemble film Life’s a Bitch (original title: Chiennes de vies), a pitch-black comedy told in three segments. The film is as sharp as it is funny, and it uses dogs as allegorical figures to explore the complexities of human psychology. Each part focuses on a different theme: fear and self-loathing, obsession and control, compromise and loyalty—and each segment comes with a different lesson.
The first segment, “Mezcal,” follows Tom (Jean-Jacques Rausin), a lonely man who believes he doesn’t deserve love.
When he takes in a chihuahua, he convinces himself the dog is evil and responsible for its former owner’s death. In reality, the dog reflects Tom’s own fears and self-hatred. Mezcal teaches us that sometimes the monsters we fear are simply our own insecurities, and that accepting love can feel scarier than rejecting it.
The second segment, “Sophie,” centers on Greta (Aurora Marion), a wealthy celebrity who adores her dog but treats people poorly. After Sophie dies, Greta tries to replace her and even attempts to turn her assistant into a substitute for the dog. She believes a dog’s joy and devotion can heal her emptiness, but her dependence leads to tragic consequences.
Sophie’s story shows that animals cannot fix our emotional wounds for us, and that we must confront our own lack of empathy and humanity.
The third segment, “Perdita,” tells the story of Franck (Arieh Worthalter), a man devoted to his dog, who begins a relationship with a woman who demands he choose between her and the animal. As he distances himself from his pet, he grows increasingly miserable. When the dog falls ill, Franck must decide where his loyalty truly lies.
Perdita teaches us that love without conditions is rare and precious, and that abandoning those who depend on us can cost us more than we expect.
As director Xavier Seron himself puts it: “Even though the tone shifts from one segment to another, the film keeps circling back to the same uncomfortable truth: humans struggle to live in harmony—with others and with themselves. Animals, by contrast, seem to possess a clarity and honesty that we often lack.”
Vanessa Morgan is the editor of the movie reference guides When Animals Attack: The 70 Best Horror Movies with Killer Animals, Strange Blood: 71 Essays on Offbeat and Underrated Vampire Movies, Evil Seeds: The Ultimate Movie Guide to Villainous Children, and Meow! Cats in Horror, Sci-Fi, and Fantasy Movies.
She also published one cat memoir (Avalon) and four supernatural thrillers (Drowned Sorrow, The Strangers Outside, A Good Man, and Clowders). Three of her stories became movies. She introduces movie screenings at several European cinemas and film festivals and is also a programmer for the Offscreen Film Festival in Brussels. More recently, she has started The Cat Movie Archive so she can talk in-depth about every single cat movie ever made.
When she's not writing, you will probably find her eating out, reading, doing yoga, or taking photos of cats. Get updates about new animal-related movies by subscribing to her newsletter https://gmail.us15.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=c47ba3cd95826f6148e3cc4ca&id=16d84cd0cf.
You can find Vanessa's books on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/stores/Vanessa-Morgan/author/B0092GUO2M .
from Review Blog https://everymoviehasalesson.com/blog/2026/2/chiennes-de-vies-lifes-a-bitch
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by Nancy Fernandez
The global film industry has long been perceived as male-dominated, but over the past few decades, female entrepreneurs have emerged as powerful forces reshaping the landscape. From launching production companies to leading studios, financing films, managing distribution networks, and building streaming platforms, women entrepreneurs are not only participating in cinema—they are redefining it.
Female entrepreneurs in film often begin by identifying gaps in representation—both on screen and behind the scenes. By founding their own production companies, many women have taken control of storytelling and created opportunities for underrepresented voices.
For example, Reese Witherspoon co-founded Hello Sunshine, a media company focused on female-driven stories. Through strategic investments and partnerships, she built a brand that prioritizes complex, multidimensional female characters. Similarly, Shonda Rhimes, founder of Shondaland, revolutionized television storytelling with diverse casts and bold narratives, demonstrating how entrepreneurial leadership can shape culture.
By establishing their own platforms, female entrepreneurs reduce dependency on traditional gatekeepers and create new entry points for women directors, writers, and producers.
Women entrepreneurs are not only creative leaders—they are strategic business innovators. In an industry where financing, distribution, and marketing determine success, female executives are proving their expertise in managing high-budget productions and global releases.
Kathleen Kennedy, as president of Lucasfilm, oversees one of the most successful franchises in cinematic history. Her leadership exemplifies how women can balance creativity with commercial success.
Entrepreneurs are also leveraging digital platforms to bypass traditional studio systems. The rise of streaming services has created opportunities for women-led companies to pitch directly to global audiences. This shift has made the film ecosystem more flexible and inclusive.
Female entrepreneurs understand that representation is both a social responsibility and a profitable strategy. Audiences are increasingly demanding authentic, diverse stories. Women-led production companies often prioritize narratives centered on women’s experiences, intersectionality, and global perspectives.
Ava DuVernay, founder of ARRAY, focuses on distributing films by women and people of color. By building alternative distribution pipelines, she has amplified voices that mainstream systems historically overlooked.
When women control budgets and creative direction, hiring practices also change. More women are employed as cinematographers, editors, composers, and department heads—roles traditionally dominated by men. This ripple effect transforms the industry from within.
Female entrepreneurs contribute significantly to the economic strength of the film industry. Their ventures generate employment, attract investment, and expand market reach. Studies consistently show that diverse leadership teams lead to better financial outcomes, and film is no exception.
Women-led companies are also pioneering innovative business models, including cross-platform storytelling, branded content, and community-based marketing. By blending creativity with entrepreneurship, they demonstrate that inclusion and profitability are not mutually exclusive.
Perhaps one of the most profound impacts of female entrepreneurs in film is inspiration. Visibility matters. When young women see leaders successfully managing studios, negotiating deals, and winning awards, it reshapes what they believe is possible.
Organizations, mentorship programs, and film labs founded by women further support emerging talent. This ecosystem of empowerment ensures that the next generation of filmmakers enters a more equitable and opportunity-rich industry.
Female entrepreneurs play a major role in the film industry by challenging norms, creating inclusive narratives, driving economic growth, and inspiring future leaders. Through strategic vision and creative courage, they are transforming cinema into a more representative and dynamic art form.
As the industry continues to evolve, the influence of women entrepreneurs will not only grow—it will define the future of global storytelling.
from Review Blog https://everymoviehasalesson.com/blog/2026/2/how-female-entrepreneurs-play-a-major-role-in-the-film-industry
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from Review Blog https://everymoviehasalesson.com/blog/2026/2/structured-free-spins-offers-supporting-exploration-and-engagement-in-casino-gameplay
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Chalk it up to increasing income inequality in the first quarter of the 21st century, or maybe the fact that a braggart billionaire is parading as the current President of the United States, but the classic trope and rallying call of “eat the rich” has enjoyed a steady resurgence as a reliable plot hook for entertainment. Originally derived from a quote by political philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau during the French Revolution, the mantra has grown to become a metaphor advocating for a class uprising against wealthy power dynamics. Clear as day, How to Make a Killing coyly shifts its morals to play on this trope with all of the valor and style it can muster.
LESSON #1: “EAT THE RICH” ALWAYS WORKS— Why? It’s because it can, and the approach always works. For the screenwriter, craft whatever “evil aristocrats” or “corrupt corporate executives” you want from plentiful parallel examples, and flesh out a compelling and virtuous hero or heroine doing the eating. Skew to the absurd for the former and the more fetching the better for the latter. How to Make a Killing builds that foundation immediately.
In the early 1990s, an 18-year-old heiress named Mary Redfellow (Nell Williams of Blinded by the Light) became pregnant from a one-night stand and, against her rich family’s wishes, refused to terminate the pregnancy. Cut off from her Long Island wealth, Mary raised her son Beckett Redfellow in blue-collar New Jersey with the hope that someday an inheritance would come his way. How to Make a Killing presents this backstory from the lips and heavy narration of the now-adult Beckett (played by the headliner Glen Powell), speaking with a summoned priest and forking down his final Death Row meal four hours before his execution for murder. Alas, as Beckett goes on to explain with his self-prescribed “sense of clarity” and “presence of mind,” there’s a more impressive real story that plays on the literal and figurative possible meanings of the idiom that comprises this film’s title.
Beckett, now in his 30s, is between jobs after reconnecting with his former childhood crush, Julia Steinway (The Substance’s vamp Margaret Qualley), who went on to marry rich. Knowing Beckett’s story of familial disownership, she tosses a zinger of a goodbye his way to say, “Call me when you’ve killed them all.” Like a germ of an idea from Inception, the sarcastic and backhanded line turns inspirational. Beckett gets it in his mind not to wait his turn and bump off the seven Redfellow heirs ahead of him in lineage.
Like the panache of a Knives Out movie that has turned murder into cinematic comfort food and the setting for smiles and cheers, How to Make a Killing widens its gaze and scope to build off the character goals of Lesson #1. From Raff Law’s Wall Street nepo hire and Topher Grace’s sketchy televangelist on up to Ed Harris as the Final Boss grandfather, each Redfellow relative represents different negative qualities worth rooting against and embodies, as choice targets, obstacles that put Glen Powell in a lite version of his Hit Man chameleon act.
LESSON #2: BEQUEATHING A PROMISE OF PERSISTENCE— Part of Lesson #1 was formulating a protagonist with enough righteousness at heart to allow an audience to condone repeated premeditated murder. How To Make a Killing writer-director John Patton Ford (Emily the Criminal) achieves that in two facets. The first is bequeathing Beckett a promise of persistence at a young age. His mother, Mary, instilled the goal of “Don’t quit until you get the right kind of life” and the lament of “You should have more than this.” As simple as they are, those stirring motivations are presented soundly. Casting Glen Powell was the second angle. His studly good looks and garrulous way with words are precisely the types of traits that turn possible finger-wagging reprimands for breaking laws into tongue-wagging spectacle for daring escapes.
How to Make a Killing is not without its breaks away from the “eat the rich” blueprint, which cast doubt over the entire escapade. With each new funeral, Beckett is seen getting more and more chummy with the Redfellow family, particularly the one uncle of the bunch, Warren (veteran character actor supreme Bill Camp), who expresses apologetic regrets over Beckett’s exclusion, and the ex-girlfriend, Ruth (Jessica Henwick of The Gray Man), of one departed cousin, who becomes his fiancée. Both characters, through nice complementary performances with Powell that build over time, ground Beckett and provide him comfort and success that begs the big question of what he would even do—or need—with all of the money if he succeeds.
LESSON #3: GIVE US A WILD CARD— Next to that dangling question is the wild card of the whole movie in the form of Margaret Qualley’s grown-up golddigger. As previously hinted, John Patton Ford giftwraps her the best lines and monologues of How to Make a Killing. While she only has a few extended scenes trying to push her own agenda on Beckett, Qualley might as well be napalm dropped on a battlefield, as she scorches every room she enters and character she passes. Questioning whether she is an ally or adversary is the kind of dangerous amusement that advances the entire “eat the rich” schtick, even if there’s not a heap of thicker or more brazen commentary with it. Skipping the larger lectures, How to Make a Killing hovers at the amusing level more than a firebranded one. Not everything has to be a societal wrecking ball or message movie.
LOGO DESIGNED BY MEENTS ILLUSTRATED (#1373)
from Review Blog https://everymoviehasalesson.com/blog/2026/2/movie-review-how-to-make-a-killing
