The Hechtman Blog

Explore Max Hechtman's blog for insights on filmmaking, film lists, reviews, and industry updates from a professional filmmaker, editor, and videographer.

Reviews, Musical Theater Max Hechtman Reviews, Musical Theater Max Hechtman

A Pro-Shot for the Ages: My Film Review of “Hadestown: The Musical”

To the world we dream about and the one we live in now. That quote hits even harder now than it did a decade ago. And never has a 21st century musical masterpiece like Hadestown shined beyond the stage with this cinematic ProShot recording of a performance filmed in London’s West End, being released a week after Christopher Nolan unleashed his own take on another epic story in Ancient Greek history.

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Spielberg’s Latest Wonder: My Film Review of “Disclosure Day”

Well, I finally saw it. And it definitely was not what I, or many of us, were expecting this latest from the GOAT of filmmaking himself to be. Disclosure Day, Steven Spielberg’s new original science fiction thriller, takes some of the themes and concepts previously explored in Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) and brings them into the 21st century for a story about the relentless pursuit of the truth, while also making an earnest plea for the necessity of empathy.

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Reviews, Musical Theater Max Hechtman Reviews, Musical Theater Max Hechtman

All We Really Want: A Filmmaker’s Review of NXT Generation Theatrics’ “Jagged Little Pill”

I saw Nxt Generation Theatrics’ production of Jagged Little Pill today, and as an independent filmmaker, I left genuinely impressed. This nonprofit company—run by young artists aged 16–25—chooses to pare the piece down: instead of the usual spectacle that often surrounds this musical, the production places the story and the characters front and center. That choice pays off. The emotional core of Diablo Cody’s book, paired with Alanis Morissette’s raw, confessional songs from her iconic Grammy Award-winning album, feels immediate and urgent. Without the distraction of excess theatrics, you can actually hear and feel the pain, confusion, and occasional hope that drives the narrative.

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Immersive Narrative: A Filmmaker’s Review of “La La Land in Concert” at Radio City Music Hall

The “City of Stars” was shining brighter than ever this past Saturday, April 11 as this was the perfect way to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Damien Chazelle’s 2016 Academy Award–winning modern musical classic La La Land. What made this screening singular was not simply the film itself, but the living, breathing soundtrack that accompanied every frame: composer Justin Hurwitz conducted a full orchestra and jazz band as they performed the score and songs — many co-written with Benj Pasek and Justin Paul — live in sync with the picture. The result was equal parts concert and cinematic resurrection, a rare event that reframed familiar images and sounds with the immediacy of live performance.

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Film Lists, Broadway, Musical Theater Max Hechtman Film Lists, Broadway, Musical Theater Max Hechtman

My Top 5 2020s Movies That Should Become Broadway Musicals

This decade has been filled with movies that pushed the boundaries of their genres, and several of those films feel ripe to have their emotions amplified and their stories transformed into vivid musical theater experiences on the Broadway stage in the near future. Here’s a list of my top five films from the 2020s that I can imagine making the leap to Broadway, along with dream creative teams and casts who could bring their worlds and songs to life.

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My Ballot For The New York Times Readers' 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century

Last summer, The New York Times asked readers to create their own ballots for their “Readers’ Choice” edition of their list of the 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century. For my ballot, I selected 10 random films that I had seen from this century (a few of which influenced my filmmaking) and submitted them for consideration. Here are why I believe these 10 films are among the best of the century.

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My Most Anticipated Films of 2026

With 2025 about to be a year behind us, here’s a look at my most anticipated films of 2026, ranking from what I’m really most excited about to ones where I’m simply just going to go in with an open mind and see what happens.

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Max Hechtman's Top 10 Films of 2025

With the year coming to an end, now is the time to unveil my top 10 films of 2025. This year, two films from the same studio (Warner Bros.) have made it into my top 2, and even, for the first time on any of my public lists, two animated films have also made it in. Each film had something for everyone and I'm sure you're enjoyed them as much as I did. What were your favorites from 2025?

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