Following Films Podcast: Sam Levy on MAYDAY

In director Karen Cinorre’s bold new action fantasy film MAYDAY, Ana (Grace Van Patten) finds herself transported to a dreamlike and dangerous coastline. Once there, she joins a female army engaged in a never-ending war where the women lure men to their deaths with radio signals, like 20th century sirens. Though Ana finds strength in this exhilarating world, she comes to realize she is not the killer they want her to be. Also starring Mia Goth, Havana Rose Liu, Soko, Théodore Pellerin and Juliette Lewis,

MAYDAY was released by Magnolia Pictures on October 1st in theatres and on demand.

Today I had the chance to speak with MAYDAY cinematographer Sam Levy about his work on the film. We also discuss the rules artists impose on themselves, expressionism in film, and Sam avoids my questions about the upcoming Fletch film. Quick note about this episode... this is the 3rd time I've had the chance to speak with Sam, the first time was around the release of MAGGIE'S PLAN, the 2nd was for MAYDAY, aaaaannnnd the 3rd was for MAYDAY. We had audio issues the first time around, Sam was incredibly generous with his time and decided to give it another shot. We touch on this in our conversation but I wanted to take a moment to thank Sam for doing this! He is one of my favorite guests and I absolutely love speaking with him. So, its my pleasure to share our 3rd conversation with you.

Make sure you check out MAYDAY, its one of the good ones.

Explaining the Ending of MULHOLLAND DRIVE

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Final Destination Bloodlines Set to Bring Fresh Horrors to the Franchise

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4K Blu-ray Review: Drop (2025) — A Tense, Tech-Driven Thriller That Mostly Sticks the Landing

In Drop, director Christopher Landon (Freaky, Happy Death Day) crafts a nerve-wracking thriller centered on a devastating dilemma: would you take a life to save the ones you love? The story follows Violet, a widowed single mom attempting to re-enter the dating world after years of grief and recovery. Played with emotional precision by Meghann Fahy, Violet finds herself on a promising first date with the affable and seemingly genuine Henry (Brandon Sklenar) in an elegant, glass-walled Chicago restaurant. But their evening takes a sinister turn when Violet receives a disturbing message via a sleek, anonymous app called DigiDrop: if she doesn’t kill her date before the check arrives, her son and sister will die. What unfolds is a tightly wound 95-minute thriller that feels both classic and timely. The film builds its suspense through confinement, not action. Most of the story unfolds in real-time at their dinner table, creating a pressure-cooker environment that reflects Violet’s psycholo...

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