Dream Log

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 3
2024 | Dir. Jeff Fowler | 110 Minutes
4 out of 5
Hard to imagine the third installment of the Sonic the Hedgehog film franchise would be the one to win me over, but here we are. We somehow got from Ugly Sonic to one of the most visually mind-blowing video game adaptations ever. It delivers on spectacular action, gripping dramatic stakes, a ton of heart, and plenty of fun references to the classic Sega games. Keanu Reeves brings the appropriate level of stoic gravitas voicing Shadow, the perfect foil to Ben Schwartz's Sonic who in turn does surprisingly nuanced work this time around as the blue hero's seemingly unflappable exuberance up until this point is shocking broken before the final act. Jim Carrey is so very funny giving genuinely excellent performances as both the zanier-than-ever Eggman and his older meaner grandfather.

QUEER
2024 | Dir. Luca Guadagnino | 137 Minutes
4 out of 5
Daniel Craig is superb as a portrait of lonely desperation headlining this haunting William S. Burroughs adaptation. Exploring heartache and alienation in his signature deeply affecting style, Luca Guadagnino's picture is consistently enagaging and often surprising aesthetically, especially in the way it expertly features relatively modern but appropriately poignant needle drops for a 1950s period piece. Not for the faint of heart, the love scenes are intense, as are the deep dives into dreamscapes and unadulterated psychedelia.

GLADIATOR II
2024 | Dir. Ridley Scott | 148 Minutes
3 out of 5
A top-tier cast and an abundance of wild violent spectacle do little to elevate what is merely a passable sword and sandal action movie, particularly disappointing when compared to its iconic predecessor. This long-gap sequel sorely lacks a strong emotional story, squandering the dramatic chops of lead Paul Mescal, and the payoffs for various plot beats ring hollow. Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger are distractingly wacky as the pair of mad emperors, and Pedro Pascal seems lost in a role that is a perfect fit for him on paper, though Denzel Washington makes a full meal of the scenery evidently having the time of his life delivering the most compelling performance of the picture.

A REAL PAIN
2024 | Dir. Jesse Eisenberg | 90 Minutes
4 out of 5
A character-driven dramedy elevated by a fantastic performance from Kieran Culkin that seamlessly drifts between incredibly funny and deeply affecting. Writer/director/co-lead Jesse Eisenberg explores the different ways people process grief and sorrow or, perhaps more often, choose to bury these feelings. While the narrative is pretty straightforward, the emotions driving the picture are earnest, and the odd couple energy of a manic Culkin and a neurotic Eisenberg serve this picture well.

ANORA
2024 | Dir. Sean Baker | 139 Minutes
4 out of 5
A wild, chaotic, and deeply earnest emotional ride driven by a truly exceptional leading performance from Mikey Madison. Despite the somewhat unconventional and ostensibly salacious aspects of its narrative, at its heart the picture is an engaging universally-relatable story of misplaced love and heartbreak. The pacing  and incessant shouting can be a tad relentless during the second act, but the film starts and ends masterfully.

SMILE 2
2024 | Dir. Parker Finn | 127 Minutes
4 out of 5
Larger in scale than its predecessor in terms of production value as well as pure anxiety, the toothy trauma monster feeding off a troubled pop star opens the narrative up to all manner of ingeniously plotted and deeply uncomfortable moments. The pacing unfortunately stumbles for long stretches, and while the air of dread is palpable throughout, the jumpscares and disorienting twists do little to break the tension that somewhat devolves into monotony. Naomi Scott is very impressive, incredibly convincing as a celebrity gradually descending into total madness.

SATURDAY NIGHT
2024 | Dir. Jason Reitman | 109 Minutes
4 out of 5
Tense, funny, and very engaging, this dramatization of the 90 minutes leading up to the broadcast of the first episode of Saturday Night Live is an entertaining glimpse into the stress and chaos of creating something brand new under overwhelming pressure and uncertainty. Driven by its larger-than-life characters more than by narrative, Jason Reitman's picture does a decent job of selling the suspense of whether or not the show will even make it to air, though the inevitably of how television history plays out takes quite a bit of the edge off. Leading a fun ensemble cast, Gabriel LaBelle perfectly captures the nervous bottled-up energy of untested talent playing SNL creator Lorne Michaels. Other  standout performances include Ella Hunt as Gilda Radner exuding pure sweetness, Nicholas Braun pulling double weirdo duty with varying degrees of success as both Andy Kaufman and Jim Henson, and Cory Michael Smith perfectly cast as arrogant upstart Chevy Chase.

MEGALOPOLIS
2024 | Dir. Francis Ford Coppola | 138 Minutes
3 out of 5
Clearly fueled by raw passion, Coppola's allegorical epic is a fascinating incoherent rant of a film. The dialogue and performances are distractingly affected, and while the ideas the narrative carries are intriguing, if overly broad, the plot is disjointed and even confounding at points. This is the cinematic equivalent of a master chef stepping out of the kitchen to lecture the diner about delicious imaginary dishes, but these illusory delicacies are somehow still undercooked. Its heart is in the right place, I guess.

THE WILD ROBOT
2024 | Dir. Chris Sanders | 102 Minutes
4 out of 5
Visually rich and conceptually inspired, this warmly crafted robot feature is an earnest tale of motherhood, found family, community, and belonging that's accessible to all ages without condescension. The quality of the animation is superb, breathtaking at times, though the design of the titular machine is somewhat derivative. Lupita Nyong’o is excellent leading a very interesting voice cast, and Matt Berry once again demonstrates that his presence just makes everything funnier.

THE SUBSTANCE
2024 | Dir. Coralie Fargeat | 141 Minutes
5 out of 5
Incredibly daring and delightfully grotesque, it's a cautionary tale body horror film with inventively disgusting imagery you cannot unsee. The picture stylishly and mercilessly confronts and subverts the absurdly high value society places on youth and surface-level beauty. Most provocatively, arguably the most terrifying aspect of this feature is its depiction of one woman's self-loathing mutating into full-on self-destruction. Stars Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley are nothing short of perfect, particularly impressive as the narrative spirals into absolute chaotic revolting weirdness with no turning back.

HIS THREE DAUGHTERS
2024 | Dir. Azazel Jacobs | 104 Minutes
4 out of 5
Carrie Coon, Elizabeth Olsen, and Natasha Lyonne are simply excellent as a trio of estranged, radically different sisters bonding through shared grief. The three leads are each given ample screentime in roles that fully capitalize on their individual strengths as performers. The picture is authentically heartfelt, packed with genuine emotion in its portrayal of both the love and the resentment people may carry for family members, and the gradual process of reconciliation is depicted naturally - if somewhat truncated to fit within the confines of a single film.

MY OLD ASS
2024 | Dir. Megan Park | 89 Minutes
4 out of 5
A slight, amusing, touching, and wistful picture about the impermanence of youth and what we all lose to the steady passage of time. The cinematic analog for a warm hug, it's a film that comes to life in small funny day-to-day moments, for what it's worth its whimsical premise is utilized only sparingly (along with Aubrey Plaza's masterful talent for deadpan). Maisy Stella shines in the lead role, convincingly silly, reckless, vulnerable, and courageous.

STRANGE DARLING
2024 | Dir. JT Moller | 96 Minutes
5 out of 5
A totally unpredictable and thoroughly engaging ride, JT Mollner's serial killer thriller is designed to disorient and sucker punch audiences craving something dark and, more often than not, wickedly funny. The credits deservedly make special mention of Giovanni Ribisi's work as cinematographer, the picture shot on 35mm has a certain gorgeously raw quality from start to finish. Willa Fitzgerald's fantastic performance is the biggest highlight of the film, skillfully dancing alongside the twists and turns of the wild plot.

BLINK TWICE
2024 | Dir. Zoë Kravitz | 102 Minutes
4 out of 5
Visually rich with a plot that gradually goes from vaguely unsettling to completely harrowing, Zoë Kravitz's directorial debut is a tense and sharply-crafted thriller in which evil is just barely hidden in plain sight. The cathartic comeuppance, while thematically appropriate pertaining to the stark difference between forgiving and forgetting, just isn't quite proportional to the horrendous actions of the film's monsters that are revealed in gut-wrenching jolts. The cast is terrific all-around with Naomi Ackie capably carrying the emotional core of the picture.

ALIEN: ROMULUS
2024 | Dir. Fede Álvarez | 119 Minutes
4 out of 5
Returning to the sci-fi horror roots of the Alien franchise in a major way, Fede Álvarez's ostensibly stand-alone side story is at its grotesque best and most imaginative when it leans into outright body horror and its ingeniously staged set pieces. This otherwise satisfyingly gnarly creature feature is unfortunately severely hamstrung by elements drawn too heavily from previous Alien films, most ridiculously, even calling back to a few lines of dialogue that are distractingly out of place within this particular narrative. In the Ripley-esque lead role, Cailee Spaeny is the perfect blend of strength and vulnerability, though David Jonsson delivers the most engaging performance of the picture as a genuinely affecting Weyland-Yutani android.

WE ARE ZOMBIES
2024 | Dir. RKSS | 80 Minutes
3 out of 5
The jokes are disappointingly stale, the social commentary far from subtle, but the gore effects are fun and plentiful. When the zombie mayhem finally picks up in the third act, the RKSS filmmaking trio shows off what they do best: creative visually hilarious violence set to an excellent synth soundtrack by Le Matos. Unfortunately, there isn't nearly enough of the good stuff to make this one memorable.

TWILIGHT OF THE WARRIORS: WALLED IN
2024 | Dir. Soi Cheang | 125 Minutes
5 out of 5
An exciting blend of fantastical martial arts action and triad melodrama set against the backdrop of the most infamous part of Hong Kong that no longer exists. In the best possible way, this slum labyrinth epic plays like a throwback to old fashioned heroic bloodshed and kung fu flicks, but with considerable contemporary production value. Just don't go in expecting grounded fight scenes and a plot that adheres to reality, this one deals in impossible wuxia-level skills and mean twists of destiny, and it's so much fun if one is willing to roll with it. Raymond Lam is immediately sympathetic in the lead role as a desperate refugee, Philip Ng is amusingly obnoxious as the psychotic frustratingly nigh-invulnerable mob lieutenant, while Louis Koo and Sammo Hung contribute substantial star power.

CUCKOO
2024 | Dir. Tilman Singer | 103 Minutes
4 out of 5
More bizarre than scary, Tilman Singer delivers a visually striking horror flick that sets up an entertainingly creepy mystery that is oddly fully explained rather haphazardly by the end of the second act. Outlandish visuals and editing aside, its plot may more likely inspire shrugs than fright. What keeps the picture engaging is Hunter Schafer's impressive emotional range in the lead role as a disaffected teen surrounded by distant and untrustworthy adults.

SING SING
2024 | Dir. Greg Kwedar | 106 Minutes
5 out of 5
Colman Domingo delivers a superb performance in this affecting but artfully sincere picture spotlighting the Rehabilitation Through the Arts program at Sing Sing Maximum Security Prison. Filmmaker Greg Kwedar skillfully conveys the importance of theatre as a means for emotional release, with the power of artistic expression extending even into one of the world's most hostile and depressing places. It's a film that's genuinely uplifting without being ever being saccharine, and it treads that line with exceptional grace.

DÌDI
2024 | Dir. Sean Wang | 94 Minutes
5 out of 5
A funny, heartfelt, and exceptionally authentic coming-of-age story that's painfully perfect in capturing the awkwardness of being an Asian American teenager and the seemingly ever-present shame, however unwarranted, that comes with that label. Sean Wang's script for his feature directorial debut is all-around brilliant, delivering genuinely complex characters and natural dialogue, particularly in its portrayal of late aughts nascent social media text messaging. Young lead Izaac Wang gives a soulful performance that's ranges from hilarious to heartbreaking, and Joan Chen is incredible as a loving mother under immense pressure.

LONGLEGS
2024 | Dir. Osgood Perkins | 101 Minutes
5 out of 5
A stylishly bleak and deeply unsettling thriller that never allows its audience to feel at ease. Expertly-paced and well-structured, alongside some shockingly brutal scenes and flashes of creepy surreal imagery, perhaps the most surprising thing about the picture is its modest share of genuinely funny moments. Horror fans undeterred by Nic Cage's wildly ghoulish performance and the narrative's sharp third act turn ought to find much to admire about this thoroughly nerve-wracking ride.

THE IMAGINARY
2023 | Dir. Yoshiyuki Momose | 105 Minutes
3 out of 5
Studio Ponoc's second feature-length film is a visually splendid and emotionally potent picture that gets a little too wrapped up in establishing the rules of its fantastical world. Its themes exploring the nature of grief, the power of imagination, and the need to let go are too often buried in overwrought exposition. Fortunately, a number of breathtaking ingeniously-staged sequences and some genuinely heartfelt moments make it a worthwhile journey overall for animation fans.

MAXXXINE
2024 | Dir. Ti West | 104 Minutes
4 out of 5
Though not nearly as thematically rich as X or Pearl, MaXXXine is an entertaining capper to Ti West and Mia Goth's gory trilogy correlating hunger for fame and recognition with homicidal madness. As the picture messily weaves several bloody plot threads together, its greatest asset is its incomparable star. In the lead role as the sympathetic erstwhile final girl burying her past trauma under a mountain of blow while trying to make it big in Hollywood, Goth's consistently arresting performance cuts straight through all the 80s period-appropriate neon, glitz, and noise.

A QUIET PLACE: DAY ONE
2024 | Dir. Michael Sarnoski | 99 Minutes
4 out of 5
Michael Sarnoski's Quiet Place spin-off is more ambitious in scale than John Krasinski's previous mainline installments, though more notable than the bigger action sequences is the emotionally powerful performance from Lupita Nyong'o. The picture's ultimate message contrasting the difference between surviving and actually living is rather rote for anyone even passingly familiar with post-apocalyptic stories (such as anyone who is already a fan of this franchise), but Nyong'o and solid supporting player Joseph Quinn elevate the plot well beyond its basic function to bridge a series of escalating large scale alien monster set pieces. The movie also stars a pair of adorable cats in the role of the arguably the most precious support animal in horror cinema history.

KINDS OF KINDNESS
2024 | Dir. Yorgos Lanthimos | 164 Minutes
4 out of 5
A triple helping of Yorgos Lanthimos's signature dark absurdity that's sometimes inscrutable but consistently amusing. As with most anthology films, not every segment is an unqualified success, but even the least satisfying tale presenting a scenario of doppelgangers(?) and madness(?) is thoroughly captivating in the wild unpredictability of it all. Jesse Plemons is the undisputed MVP of the feature, showcasing his versatility as a performer in all three of his roles, giving brilliant Lanthimos regular Emma Stone a run for her money.

FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA
2024 | Dir. George Miller | 148 Minutes
4 out of 5
A deliberately paced origin story wrapped in an episodic tale of revenge set in George Miller's signature post-apocalyptic Australian wasteland, this one is worth seeing for the exceptional audio-visual experience alone. The action sequences more than match Fury Road's level of intensity and excitement, if not its sense of dramatic urgency, delivering moments that range from totally exhilarating to delightfully bizarre. Very good in the lead role, Anya Taylor-Joy makes for a convincing action hero, though Chris Hemsworth in the role of absolute scoundrel Dementus just takes the picture and runs.

KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES
2024 | Dir. Wes Ball | 145 Minutes
4 out of 5
This follow-up to the 2010s Planet of the Apes Trilogy is a thoughtful sci-fi adventure picture with a timeless message about the evils of distorting history. The pacing is on the slower side, but the characters are well-defined and the action is adequately thrilling. The feature's greatest success is in how it admirably tells an original story worthy of carrying on the simian-centric franchise, delivering some genuinely surprising twists without wholesale rehashing plot beats from Caesar's epic saga or making unearned callbacks to the classic Planet of the Apes films.

THE FALL GUY
2024 | Dir. David Leitch | 126 Minutes
3 out of 5
A rather disposable romcom action flick loosely adapted from the 1980s TV show of the same name. Despite the combined star power and charm of Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, not to mention a thorough showcase of impressive stuntwork, the script is simply painfully milquetoast, and the picture's runtime is bafflingly bloated for this sort of ride, rendering the entire endeavor less than the sum of its quality parts.

CHALLENGERS
2024 | Dir. Luca Guadagnino | 132 Minutes
5 out of 5
An exquisitely turbulent sports drama presenting tennis as a catch-all analogy for the complicated ebbs and flows of human relationships. Friendship, love, jealousy, resentment, and everything in-between both on and off the court is delivered through auteur Luca Guadagnino's brilliant artistic sensibility and elevated further by a heart-pounding score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. Zendaya, Mike Faist, and Josh O'Connor play their respective parts perfectly, all sharing exceptional on-screen chemistry.

ABIGAIL
2024 | Dir. Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett | 109 Minutes
4 out of 5
Very fun and incredibly bloody, this kidnapping-gone-horrifically-wrong horror comedy is lifted beyond its deliciously simple premise by its superb ensemble cast. The script is clever, sporting some amusing twists and turns, though its emotional core is somewhat undercooked and ultimately slightly off-putting when it comes back around at the very end of the picture.

SASQUATCH SUNSET
2024 | Dir. David and Nathan Zellner | 88 Minutes
5 out of 5
Daring, disgusting, ridiculous, and surprisingly touching, it's a weird little gem of a picture loaded with scatalogical humor, excellent cinematography, creature effects that range from awe-inspiring to laughably bad, and an abundance of genuine emotion. If anything, the feature is quite an achievement in visual storytelling. It's certainly not for everyone, but those with a healthy appreciation for the absurd and in the mood for something radically different will find much to love about this one.

CIVIL WAR
2024 | Dir. Alex Garland | 109 Minutes
4 out of 5
A super grim and suffocatingly intense episodic journey into war-torn dystopian America through the eyes and lenses of reckless photojournalists. Well-shot, well-paced, and well-cast, and lacking almost exclusively in the story department, the picture isn't even all that interested in firmly establishing the circumstances behind its fictional titular civil war, and whatever social commentary present is surface-level at best. It is first and foremost a character-driven feature with impressive performances from Kirsten Dunst, Cailee Spaeny, Wagner Moura, and Stephen McKinley Henderson.

MONKEY MAN
2024 | Dir. Dev Patel | 113 Minutes
4 out of 5
Gritty, violent, and ultra-stylish, Dev Patel's directorial debut is an ambitious revenge actioner that has quite a lot to say about religion, political corruption, and the plight of the impoverished. Unfortunately, hyperkinetic camerawork and erratic editing hold back the feature significantly, making most of the action sequences more difficult to follow than wholly engaging. However, it is clearly a labor of love from its fully committed director and star, well worth watching for fans of Patel and action cinema junkies.

THE FIRST OMEN
2024 | Dir. Arkasha Stevenson | 119 Minutes
4 out of 5
With striking visuals and an extraordinary performance from its lead, this horror prequel is among the very few that's indisputably better than the original work. At its core, the picture is unabashedly a statement against child abuse and corruption within the Catholic Church. Its only flaw is its conclusion's rather distracting adherence to the continuity of the original 1976 film, a mixed bag of both startling twists and rather silly "a-ha" moments that cheapen an otherwise solid supernatural thriller.

GODZILLA X KONG: THE NEW EMPIRE
2024 | Dir. Adam Wingard | 115 Minutes
4 out of 5
An entertaining kaiju slugfest with the MonsterVerse's least obnoxious human storyline since 2014's inaugural Legendary Pictures iteration of Godzilla. The plot is pretty shallow but fortunately intellectually inoffensive for the most part, perfectly serving its purpose as a vehicle for fun and inventive Titan battle match-ups. It's at least as good as some of the better Heisei Era Godzilla movies, and audiences craving that brand of giant monster action should be pleased as punch. A fan favorite classic kaiju makes a surprise appearance, lending more than enough support to put a big goofy smile on my face. 

LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL
2024 | Dir. Colin Cairnes and Cameron Cairnes | 93 Minutes
5 out of 5
Twistedly hilarious and scary as hell, this pitch-perfect pastiche of old fashioned late night talk shows with a Satanic panic twist is an instant horror classic. It is perfectly paced, atmospherically unsettling and intense, and aesthetically authentic to its 1970s setting. In the lead role, David Dastmalchian gives a charismatic and nuanced performance as the desperate host, demonstrating his full acting range as things gradually get hellishly out of hand.

GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE
2024 | Dir. Gil Kenan | 115 Minutes
3 out of 5
Overburdened with world-building and an over-expanded cast of characters, this Ghostbusters sequel doesn't have enough story, comedy, or heart to make it a quality extension of the franchise. It's not straight up awful, and it offers up a few moments that are genuinely neat, but it is woefully lacking in emotional content. At best, it's an excuse to see more ghostbusting action with decent contemporary special effects. At worst, it's a waste of talent, particularly for new players, beloved comedians Kumail Nanjiani and Patton Oswalt.

LOVE LIES BLEEDING
2024 | Dir. Rose Glass | 104 Minutes
4 out of 5
Writer/director Rose Glass serves up a shockingly violent, unapologetically queer romantic noir featuring outstanding work from leads Kristen Stewart and Katy O'Brian. Despite losing a bit of narrative coherence when it goes off the rails barreling into the realm of the absurd towards the end, the picture's emotional throughline proves to be a highly potent performance enhancer. For those with an open mind, it's an intense, hilarious, turbulent, touching, and thoroughly enjoyable ride.

DUNE: PART TWO
2024 | Dir. Denis Villeneuve | 166 Minutes
5 out of 5
Epic. Absolutely delivering on the potential established in the first part by essentially completing a magnificent thematically rich five-hour sci-fi feature charting the subtle descent of a reluctant hero. The acting, the writing, the production design, the set pieces, the visual effects, the musical score, every aspect of the picture across the board sets a new standard for sci-fi and fantasy filmmaking. Genuinely a monumental cinematic achievement.

DRIVE-AWAY DOLLS
2024 | Dir. Ethan Coen | 84 Minutes
4 out of 5
For all of its shaggy dog twists and turns, and frequent detours into psychedelic imagery, Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke ultimately deliver what amounts to a short and sweet lesbian comedy that's narratively pretty straightforward all things considered. The writing is mostly just amusingly quirky save for a few laugh-out-loud moments. Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan are very charming as the mismatched pair of protagonists, while Beanie Feldstein is a force to be reckoned with appearing briefly playing a fearsome spiteful ex.

LISA FRANKENSTEIN
2024 | Dir. Zelda Williams | 102 Minutes
3 out of 5
Zelda Williams's feature directorial debut is an entertaining enough horror comedy that never quite feels completely authentic in its intended 80s teen movie aesthetic and tone. The plot is all-together unremarkable but serves as a passable coming-of-age yarn specifically catering to teens with an affinity for tragic misunderstood monsters. Kathryn Newton totally carries the film with a fun and earnest performance even at points when the screenplay isn't completely supporting her effort. The uneven quality of the writing is somewhat surprising considering screenwriter Diablo Cody's usual reliability for storytelling ingenuity and consistently sharp dialogue.

ARGYLLE
2024 | Dir. Matthew Vaughn | 139 Minutes
2 out of 5
A star-studded cast was never going to elevate the bafflingly dumb screenplay for this uninspired action comedy. Most of the picture's jokes just don't land and its plot twists are the sort that inspire shoulders to shurg rather than jaws to drop. While the action ramps up at the tail end of the film with set pieces that take director Matthew Vaughn's signature over-the-top nonsense to new levels of ridiculousness, it's a slog to get there and it's likely not worth the trip for most audiences.

I.S.S.
2024 | Dir. Gabriela Cowperthwaite | 95 Minutes
3 out of 5
Despite its intriguing setup, and some decent visual effects, this film ultimately amounts to a standard chamber piece thriller with a plot that leans heavily into the distrustful nature of humanity without fully capitalizing on the potential of its premise. If it weren't for Ariana DeBose lending the picture a solid performance alongside a good supporting cast, this one would be entirely forgettable.

THE GOLDFINGER
2023 | Dir. Felix Chong | 126 Minutes
4 out of 5
The incomparable Tony Leung is scary good in the role of an amoral opportunist making his fortune by any means necessary in this sprawling epic of grand scale financial fraud based on true events. While the structure of the picture is flawed, oddly paced and indulging in a number of artistic flourishes that are more distracting than inspired, it's admirably ambitious and often darkly funny. The film is worth watching if just for solid performances from Leung and megastar Andy Lau, reuniting on screen for the first time since the Infernal Affairs Trilogy.

THE IRON CLAW
2023 | Dir. Sean Durkin | 132 Minutes
5 out of 5
An epic family tragedy set in the world of pro wrestling chronicling the true history of the Von Erich wrestling dynasty, the film weaves a sprawling tale of love, pride, ambition, jealousy, misfortune, death and, above all, brotherhood. Zac Efron gives a performance for the ages as the kind-hearted Kevin, deftly delivering a multitude of complex emotions. Supporting cast members Holt McCallany, as demanding emotionally-manipulative patriarch Fritz, and Jeremy Allen White, playing deeply troubled brother Kerry, also deliver exceptional performances.

LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND
2023 | Dir. Sam Esmail | 140 Minutes
4 out of 5
Writer/director Sam Esmail gradually lays out a terrifyingly plausible apocalyptic scenario in this taut psychological thriller that examines the distrustful nature of humanity. While the pacing takes its time and Esmail's impressive visual flourishes can be a little distracting, the excellent set pieces are inspired and the emotionally intense drama driving the film is exceptionally engaging thanks to superb performances from Julia Roberts, Ethan Hawke, Mahershala Ali, and Myha'la.

THE BOY AND THE HERON
2023 | Dir. Hayao Miyazaki | 124 Minute
5 out of 5
A stunning animated odyssey through a strange and beautiful world, Miyazaki comes out of retirement to deliver another visually exciting superbly-crafted masterpiece. Despite seemingly meandering out of plot coherence during its second act, by its conclusion the story satisfyingly comes together like a brilliant magic trick. At its core, the fantastical narrative carries a heartwarming message about accepting love and indelible human connection.

SILENT NIGHT
2023 | Dir. John Woo | 104 Minutes
2 out of 5
Despite its non-verbal gimmick, John Woo's bloody Yuletide return to Hollywood is a rather by-the-numbers revenge flick that wallows in hatred, pain, and misery. Thematically shallow, the film offers very little to keep its audience engaged, featuring a protagonist without anything resembling a character arc. Not even its action sequences - the main draw of the feature - are consistent in pacing and quality. The feature is entirely too grim to be an unconventional holiday picture, and too unimpressive to stand out among contemporary actioners (many of which are still heavily inspired by better John Woo movies).

GODZILLA MINUS ONE
2023 | Dir. Takashi Yamazaki | 125 Minutes
4 out of 5
Aptly harkening back to the monster's origins as a symbol for post-war trauma, Toho's latest Godzilla film is a chilling and emotionally resonant creature feature. Marking the 70th anniversary of cinema's longest running franchise with arguably its very best most moving human story to date, the picture ultimately promotes a message of hope and perseverance in the face of gargantuan catastrophic adversity. The characters are rather archetypal but the narrative is genuinely captivating, even without taking into account the iconic monster of mass destruction (though this variant has got truly the most terrifying atomic breath yet!).

NAPOLEON
2023 | Dir. Ridley Scott | 158 Minutes
3 out of 5
Frantic and trashy but undeniably entertaining, Ridley Scott presents what amounts to a cursory checklist of the infamous French emperor's greatest victories and most disastrous failures with special attention paid to Napoleon's tumultuous relationship with his first wife Josephine in tawdry detail. It's a well-paced aesthetically engaging picture, though it's virtually devoid of subtext while offering nothing particularly insightful regarding the inner workings of its subject. Somewhat broad but excellent performances from Joaquin Phoenix and Vanessa Kirby in the lead roles greatly elevate the feature.

DREAM SCENARIO
2023 | Dir. Kristoffer Borgli | 100 Minutes
3 out of 5
An off-beat comedy about the capricious nature of fame pairing an amusing premise with the perfect actor for the leading role of a living meme. While it would be impossible for any film to fully capitalize on the irresistible concept of Nic Cage entering people's dreams while still telling a satisfying story, aside from a handful of delightfully unhinged moments beautifully performed by its seasoned wildly versatile star the picture is surprisingly subdued as whole. The narrative presents keen observations about the plight of the unintentionally famous but stops short of developing into anything particularly profound.

THE KILLER
2023 | Dir. David Fincher | 118 Minutes
4 out of 5
A meticulously crafted thriller that's as much about the impersonal nature of the service industry as it is about a hitman out for revenge. David Fincher's cold and calculated aesthetic perfectly suits the rogue assassin narrative. While his constant voice over can be a bit heavy-handed, Michael Fassbender gives a solid performance that seamlessly shifts from hypnotic to brutal.

NO ONE WILL SAVE YOU
2023 | Dir. Brian Duffield | 93 Minutes
4 out of 5
Virtually dialogue-free, this sci-fi horror flick has more on its mind than home invasion, or even planetary invasion. In addition to filling the screen with more grey alien imagery by volume than any other piece of media in at least the last decade, the creature feature explores themes of isolation and guilt on a remarkably deep level. The creature VFX are a bit janky, and there's a whole lot of it, though the true special effect is Kaitlyn Dever's soulful performance that carries the film, more than balancing out all the questionable CGI.

STRAYS
2023 | Dir. Josh Greenbaum | 93 Minutes
4 out of 5
Homeward Bound with a hard-R twist, between the abundance of toilet humor and the dramatic question of whether or not a cute pup will bite off a hateful Will Forte's dick, this crude canine comedy is far more touching than one might expect. For pet lovers and/or those with a high tolerance for gags involving excrement and genitalia, there are genuine laughs to be had particularly when the feature leans hard into the absurd.

BLUE BEETLE
2023 | Dir. Ángel Manuel Soto | 127 Minutes
3 out of 5
As distractingly derivative as it is, this DC superhero film is at least full of heart. The live action Jaime Reyes Blue Beetle looks remarkably comics-accurate, there are plenty of amusing references to his loveable loser predecessor Ted Kord, and the action sequences, though less than groundbreaking, aren't too shabby. Perhaps not the cinematic breakout role that Xolo Maridueña deserves, but his natural charisma is undeniable. The very best thing about the picture, and the very best thing about the adorable Reyes family, is Nana's secret past as a badass anti-imperialist revolutionary.

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: MUTANT MAYHEM
2023 | Dir. Jeff Rowe | 99 Minutes
4 out of 5
An inspired reinvention of the beloved heroes in a half-shell taking massive but thoughtful liberties with the source material. With loads of authentic adolescent humor that truly lands and frantic (sometimes hard-to-follow) action sequences elevated by the picture's gorgeous aesthetic, it's a among the best of the new wave of animated features in the wake of the Spider-Verse style revolution. Also, it's incredibly refreshing that the turtles sound and behave like actual energetic, occasionally insecure teens.

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - DEAD RECKONING
2023 | Dir. Christopher McQuarrie | 164 Minutes
5 out of 5
The overstuffed first half of what may be the ultimate Mission: Impossible film. The picture delivers exceptional action set piece after exceptional action set piece, and it features an unfathomably powerful and terrifyingly timely antagonist. The stakes are elevated to astronomical heights, taking the espionage thriller to a frightening new frontier of speculative technological tyranny that is only becoming more and more plausible. It would all play a bit too grim if it were not for the phenomenal chemistry shared between Tom Cruise and Hayley Atwell, the most delightfully fun partnership of this long-running movie franchise yet.

INSIDIOUS: THE RED DOOR
2023 | Dir. Patrick Wilson | 107 Minutes
3 out of 5
Despite a few pacing issues and generally underwhelming scares, the film is a satisfying conclusion to the astral projection jump-scare-a-thon franchise. This fifth installment's most impressive feat is how it manages to build upon the conceptually creative but thematically hollow first two chapters of the series to create an emotionally fulfilling overarching story that retroactively completes a trilogy of sorts. Making his directorial debut, it's endearing that star Patrick Wilson clearly cares about the Insidious movies judging from the way he lovingly delivers various callbacks and character development.

INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY
2023 | Dir. James Mangold | 154 Minutes
4 out of 5
TL;DR: It's leagues better than Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Overall, Dial of Destiny is an uneven final quest for the iconic archeologist action hero that functions better as a rather somber tribute to the character than as a thrilling globetrotting adventure. The treasure hunt for various components of a MacGuffin is a bit tired and by-the-numbers, with set pieces that tend to drag a bit, but the final act goes so far off the rails that it will make or break the film for audiences depending on their willingness to accept the ambitious fantastical madness (subjectively speaking, it works for me!). As grumpy old Indy ready for retirement in more ways than one, the role doesn't seem to require much acting from Harrison Ford but he musters some effort to bring heart and an air of sadness reprising the part one last time. Phoebe Waller-Bridge is charismatic and a lot of fun as Indy's roguish goddaughter, while Ethann Isidore makes for a decent kid sidekick. Engaging as ever, Mads Mikkelsen turns in a memorable performance as the picture's formidable villain.

THE FLASH
2023 | Dir. Andy Muschietti | 144 Minutes
4 out of 5
Essentially the swan song for DC's cinematic universe before impending reboot, it's a genuinely fun comic book flick loaded with surprises courtesy of chaotic multiverse shenanigans. The pacing is a little rough and the visual effects are incredibly janky, but it's an entertaining ride overall particularly for those intimately familiar with DC superhero film adaptation history. Ezra Miller delivers impressively distinct performances playing different variations of Barry Allen, while Sasha Calle is a revelation portraying a no-nonsense take on Supergirl Kara Zor-El. Distracting obligatory catchphrases aside, Michael Keaton is simply excellent as an older wiser Batman, returning after three decades without missing a beat.

EXTRACTION 2
2023 | Dir. Sam Hargrave | 122 Minutes
3 out of 5
A straight-forward action thriller sequel featuring extended excessively brutal action sequences that are impressively staged but do little to elevate the rather generic plot and characters. Once again, Chris Hemsworth deserves praise for putting in the work to convincing deliver the hurt in elaborate set pieces, but other than an intense 21-minute oner leading to the halfway point of the picture, nothing else about the somewhat dour feature is particularly unique or memorable much like its predecessor.

ASTEROID CITY
2023 | Dir. Wes Anderson | 105 Minutes
4 out of 5
Amusingly quirky and visually delightful, Wes Anderson's space age sci-fi feature about human connection doubles as a humorous look at the potential chaos behind the scenes of a stage play from inception to production. There is much to enjoy for devotees of the director though it's likely too indulgently off-beat and aesthetically specific to appeal to general audiences. The ensemble cast led by Jason Schwartzman is excellent through and through. Jeff Goldblum's cameo appearance playing a key role deserves special mention.

TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS
2023 | Dir. Steven Caple Jr. | 127 Minutes
4 out of 5
Delivering a ton of impressive robot action with a bit of heart despite a premise that's somehow both paper-thin and ridiculously convoluted, it's not bad for a live-action Transformers movie but it's a step down from 2018's genuinely endearing Bumblebee. As a fan of the original 1986 animated film, it's gratifying to see the planet-devouring Unicron realized in all his terrifying glory with contemporary visual effects. The 1990s setting doesn't add too much to film aside from a few nostalgia-activating needle-drops. Solid performances from Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback give a good deal of credibility to this picture's designated human characters. Pete Davidson is actually pretty great as flashy smart-talking Mirage, perhaps proving he might be more charismatic when the audience doesn't see his face.

SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE
2023 | Dir. Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson | 140 Minutes
5 out of 5
Exponentially expanding upon Into the Spider-Verse on every single level, this middle chapter not only deconstructs but seriously interrogates what makes all Spider-Man variants who they are while fully demonstrating all of the wonderful ways Miles Morales is an anomaly in control of his own narrative. It's exciting, hilarious, heartbreaking, and the myriad of different animation styles come together to create an aesthetically breathtaking work of cinematic art unlike any other before it. All this with deep-cuts to Marvel Comics lore that are inessential to the plot but add so much enjoyment for those in the know.

SHIN KAMEN RIDER
2023 | Dir. Hideaki Anno | 121 Minutes
3 out of 5
A mixed bag that's a bit too dour and not quite fun enough despite essentially being an action-packed cinematic revival of the classic tokusatsu show. Conceptually, its foundation is solid with interesting thematic components, but the production could have used an extra coat of polish, the variable quality of its episodic plot prevents it from being consistently engaging, and Sosuke Ikematsu just isn't all that compelling in the lead role.

KNIGHTS OF THE ZODIAC
2023 | Dir. Tomasz Bagiński | 112 Minutes
2 out of 5
Another textbook example of how not to adapt shonen manga for the cinema. The script is eye-rollingly bland and the visual effects, with the exception of the rendering of one impressive fantastical location, are glaringly janky. While it's understandable that creative liberties must be taken to modernize a decades-old martial arts fantasy series steeped in lore, the choices taken are uninspired and questionable. The action choreography courtesy of Joseph Le and Vi-Dan Tran is worthy of praise but it's drowned out with CGI but the final act of the picture. The cast featuring Mackenyu (son of Sonny Chiba), Nick Stahl, Madison Iseman, and Mark Dacascos is fine but can't salvage the weak material. The unexpected GoldenEye reunion of Sean Bean and Famke Janssen is amusing but the thrill is fleeting. However, Caitlin Hutson stands out as the Seiya's masked master Marin, one of the few elements of the manga that translated surprisingly well.

FOOL'S PARADISE
2023 | Dir. Charlie Day | 99 Minutes
2 out of 5
Sold on a fun premise and an all-star cast, comedian Charlie Day's feature directorial debut unfortunately falls quite flat. The one-note gag of a uniquely docile mystery man stumbling his way through the Hollywood system runs out of steam after about 15 minutes. Day's talent for physical comedy is on full display but it's squandered on an undercooked story that eventually aims for earnest but completely misses the mark.

SISU
2023 | Dir. Jalmari Helander | 91 Minutes
5 out of 5
A briskly paced, gorgeously photographed extravaganza of righteous cathartic carnage, Sisu is a straight-forward bloody pleasure. Depicting a nigh-unstoppable force of a man annihilate Nazis and bring hope to the hopeless, the picture is a thoroughly satisfying ride, loaded with inventively brutal action sequences including a super intense stand-off in a minefield and a bonkers-in-the-best-way finale on a rickety airplane. Jorma Tommila is completely captivating as the seemingly unkillable taciturn Finnish bad-ass.

POLITE SOCIETY
2023 | Dir. Nida Manzoor | 103 Minutes
4 out of 5
Nida Manzoor's feature directorial debut is a stylish action comedy about sisterhood and teenage rebellion infused with fun martial arts. Consistently entertaining and thoroughly heartfelt, Manzoor specifically distills the British Pakistani experience into a rollicking yarn heightened with over-the-top fight scenes and pseudo-sci-fi twists, though some of these aspects are more effective than others. Priya Kansara shines in the lead role, convincingly delivering on both the flying kicks and the drama.

GHOSTED
2023 | Dir. Dexter Fletcher | 120 Minutes
2 out of 5
Despite the star power of Ana de Armas and Chris Evans, and a slew of fun cameo appearances, this spy action rom-com is entirely forgettable. It's not awful, but it's also not particularly satisfying. The banter is passable, and the set pieces are competent, but there just isn't enough chemistry between the two leads to keep things engaging.

EVIL DEAD RISE
2023 | Dir. Lee Cronin | 97 Minutes
5 out of 5
A showcase of genuinely creepy thrills and gnarly kills with extra pulp, this spectacular addition to the Evil Dead franchise achieves a delicate balance in offering long-time fans an exciting glimpse of delightfully horrifying new possibilities while also not requiring prior knowledge of Deadites and boomsticks for the uninitiated. The film’s themes of motherhood and family dysfunction only heighten the terror, giving it a distinct overtone of heartbreak unlike any Evil Dead film before it. Alyssa Sutherland is fantastic as the primary sadistic trash-talking homicidal Deadite, while Gabrielle Echols also stands out as middle child Bridget. Lily Sullivan is also quite good as this installment’s troubled everywoman-turned-shotgun-blasting-chainsaw-wielding-badass.

BEAU IS AFRAID
2023 | Dir. Ari Aster | 179 Minutes
3 out of 5
A long anxiety endurance test that ambitiously takes giant creative swings only achieving mostly mixed results. It's tense and darkly funny when it's at its best. It's irritatingly broad, putting forth frustratingly obvious symbolism when it's at its worst (though that's amusing in its own way). The film would likely be an unmitigated disaster without Joaquin Phoenix in the lead role, delivering a thoroughly affecting performance as the deeply troubled, perpetually disoriented Beau.

RENFIELD
2023 | Dir. Chris McKay | 93 Minutes
3 out of 5
Worth a look for anyone who finds the novelty of seeing Nicolas Cage playing Dracula appealing. Beyond that, it's a poorly scripted muddled action horror comedy with too many jokes that fall flat and a tiresome abundance of gore, much of which is of the jarring CGI variety. The rest of the cast featuring Nicholas Hoult, Awkwafina, Ben Schwartz, and Shohreh Aghdashloo is fine but can't quite elevate the weak writing. Cage is the clear MVP here, and the only reason anyone should even consider giving this one a go.

THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE
2023 | Dir. Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic | 92 Minutes
4 out of 5
A love letter to Nintendo fans packed with easter eggs, some obligatory references but also some surprising deep cuts. While the story isn't the deepest, it serves its purpose as a vehicle for delivering colorful imagery and fun action sequences faithfully lifted straight from decades of iconic video games that are sure to delight fans of the perennial platforming plumbers young and old. The ensemble movie star voice cast gets the job done, though special shout-out to Jack Black for really bringing it as Bowser.

TETRIS
2023 | Dir. Jon S. Baird | 118 Minutes
3 out of 5
The remarkable true story of how Nintendo acquired the rights to the most addictive puzzle video game ever is embellished with menacing corrupt Soviet officials and car chases through the streets of Moscow. If the film had just accurately presented how things played out in reality, this would have perhaps been a more grounded (though likely understated) drama. As is, this one's a serviceably entertaining thriller inspired by actual events that clearly takes some wild liberties. The picture benefits from Taron Egerton's solid performance, playing video game entrepreneur Henk Rogers as a reckless hero with more pluck than sense.

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: HONOR AMONG THIEVES
2023 | Dir. Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley | 134 Minutes
4 out of 5
Though this adventure comedy doesn't break any new ground for the fantasy genre storytelling, it's a thoroughly entertaining irreverent ride with plenty of amusing characters and inspired action sequences. The film works as well as it does due to the authentic chemistry of the central questing party composed of Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Justice Smith, and Sophia Lillis. Regé-Jean Page stands out as a hilariously straight-laced no-nonsense paladin with extraordinary skills.

JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4
2023 | Dir. Chad Stahelski | 169 Minutes
5 out of 5
A spectacular extravaganza of fists, bullets, and blades that indisputably exceeds the lofty heights achieved by previous installments of the fantastical secret assassin society franchise. The elaborate set pieces and exciting stuntwork go above and beyond, delivering some of the most thrilling and imaginative practical cinematic action sequences ever captured in motion pictures. Keanu Reeves has never been better as the infamous Baba Yaga, and this exhilarating sequel is further elevated by phenomenal work from supporting cast members Donnie Yen, Shamier Anderson, Marko Zaror, Rina Sawayama, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Scott Adkins, an extraordinary collection of accomplished and rising action stars alike who all majorly capitalize on ample opportunities to shine.

SHAZAM! FURY OF THE GODS
2023 | Dir. David F. Sandberg | 130 Minutes
4 out of 5
A serviceably entertaining Shazam Family sequel featuring bigger set pieces, a few that noticeably drag on for too long, but significantly less thematic heft. This one is chock-full of juvenile gags and mythological monsters with just a few moments of genuine heart, all-in-all amusing but ultimately inconsequential. As a fan of the erstwhile Fawcett Comics Captain Marvel, it checked all the right boxes for me. For DC fans, while its ties to the soon-to-be-rebooted cinematic universe are fun, the frequent references and cameo appearances won't keep this one from being any less forgettable in the grand scheme of things.

COCAINE BEAR
2023 | Dir. Elizabeth Banks | 95 Minutes
3 out of 5
A cartoonishly gory, proudly silly comedy that adequately delivers on the premise of a bear viciously high on cocaine. While the pacing of the film noticeably struggles to maintain momentum, the picture leans just hard enough into the insanity of the situation to be consistently entertaining as long as the viewer is rooting for the rampaging coked up bear and not her bumbling assortment of victims. Featuring a talented and fully committed ensemble cast, almost inexplicably so for such a ridiculous affair, Isiah Whitlock Jr., O'Shea Jackson Jr., Margo Martindale, Christian Convery, and the late great Ray Liotta stand out in particular.

MAGIC MIKE'S LAST DANCE
2023 | Dir. Steven Soderbergh | 112 Minutes
3 out of 5
Steven Soderbergh concludes Channing Tatum's male stripper saga with an implausible love story that ultimately comes off as disingenuous despite a handful of amusing moments. While its elaborate stage show finale is entertaining enough, the erotic acrobatics never quite recapture the spark of scandalous fun inherent in the previous installments of the trilogy. Tatum is reliably charismatic though he's given better performances than this by far, while Salma Hayek Pinault is as appealing as ever in a role that can only be described as manic cougar dream woman.

KNOCK AT THE CABIN
2023 | Dir. M. Night Shyamalan | 100 Minutes
2 out of 5
This one would have been an engaging quasi-supernatural thriller if the characters just spoke like normal human beings. Director M. Night Shyamalan's idiosyncrasies overpower what is otherwise an intriguing premise that quickly devolves into a confounding metaphor clumsily delivered with an earnestness that's more off-putting than disarming. Dave Bautista, Ben Aldridge, and Jonathan Groff are commendably committed to their roles but their performances are wasted on this bizarre mediocre film.

MISSING
2023 | Dir. Nick Johnson and Will Merrick | 111 Minutes
4 out of 5
An engaging and unpredictable mystery told through computer and phone apps, social media discourse, video news clips, and surveillance footage that's ambitious in scope and rich in commentary about human connection, and the questionable value of true crime entertainment. Setting aside the story's somewhat conventional resolution, the film is an impressive showcase of the narrative potential extrapolated from the creative "screenlife" contrivances utilized so effectively in 2018's Searching.* Carrying the entire picture with a stand-out performance, Storm Reid is incredible as a desperate and resourceful young woman investigating the sudden disappearance of her mother.
*While this follow-up isn't a direct sequel to Searching and may be enjoyed as a stand-alone movie, both films share a lot of thematic DNA and it wastes no time immediately referencing the events of its predecessor in an amusing way.

ŚAKRA
2023 | Dir. Donnie Yen | 132 Minutes
4 out of 5
Adapting the beginning of tragic hero Qiao Feng's story arc from Jin Yong's wuxia classic Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, Donnie Yen's ambitious directorial debut attempts to balance spectacular heightened fantasy kung fu fights, chivalric melodrama, and dozens of characters with mostly successful results. While the film takes a few liberties condensing the plot of just a portion of the epic novel, the changes make sense in the interest of telling a coherent self-contained story while still leaving room for potential follow-up installments. Yen is a good fit for the charismatic fugitive protagonist, while Chen Yuqi is captivating as Qiao Feng's clever master-of-disguise love interest Azhu.

SKINAMARINK
2023 | Dir. Kyle Edward Ball | 100 Minutes
3 out of 5
A super creepy, wildly experimental horror film that's very much visually murky and narratively inscrutable by design. Making startlingly effective use of eerie analog audio, grainy film stock, and public domain old-timey cartoons, the picture more than makes up for its shoestring budget with exceptionally immersive, sometimes suffocating atmosphere. Recommended for patient horror junkies keen to try something radically different but really no one else.

M3GAN
2023 | Dir. Gerard Johnstone | 102 Minutes
4 out of 5
A wildly entertaining, darkly funny high-tech thriller that's exactly as amusing and creepy as its killer robot doll premise. Aside from having a ball with the tried but true sci-fi concept of technology run horrifyingly amok, the film also has some real heart to it, adequately exploring the importance of properly processing grief, and the challenges of balancing career and family. Allison Williams makes for a sympathetic lead as the genius inventor, Violet McGraw brings a good deal of nuance to the role of the grieving child who forms a bond with the murderous machine, while Ronny Chieng is hilariously convincing as the constantly agitated head of the toy company.

I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY
2022 | Dir. Kasi Lemmons | 146 Minutes
3 out of 5
A competently-made though frustratingly by-the-numbers affair that ticks all of the obligatory boxes on the biopic checklist for films chronicling the rise and fall of beloved recording artists. The narrative noticeably skims over years of Whitney Houston's life, condensing it into an all-too-familiar tragic story that fits the cinematic biography template a little too neatly. Nevertheless, Naomi Ackie delivers a fine performance as the legendary singer.

BABYLON
2022 | Damien Chazelle | 189 Minutes
3 out of 5
Loud, rambling, and chaotic, Damien Chazelle's farcical tribute to a bygone Hollywood era is a broad, meandering, volatile mess. The picture goes off the rails in its opening scene, and while it presents a few moments of sincerity throughout, the narrative frequently goes out of its way to be outrageous to the point of obnoxiousness. The ensemble cast lead by Diego Calva, Margot Robbie, Jovan Adepo, and Brad Pitt is loaded with talent but struggles to shine through the bedlam.

THE WHALE
2022 | Dir. Darren Aronofsky | 117 Minutes
3 out of 5
Playing a morbidly obese shut-in English professor facing mortality, Brendan Fraser's spectacular performance greatly elevates an otherwise stilted script by playwright Samuel D. Hunter. Falling in line with director Darren Aronofsky's repertoire, the film adapted from Hunter's stage play presents an overwhelmingly bleak tale that often dips into melodrama despite ultimately encouraging the audience to have more faith in humanity. Sadie Sink is compelling as a nightmare teenage daughter though to her disservice the role is as poorly written as the rest of the story. The picture also features Ty Simpkins as a wayward young missionary, Hong Chau as a conflicted enabler, and Samantha Morton standing out in her one scene as the professor's long-suffering ex-wife.

VIOLENT NIGHT
2022 | Dir. Tommy Wirkola | 112 Minutes
3 out of 5
Amusing but totally disposable. It's just about as bloody and brutal, though disappointingly not nearly as funny, as one might expect from the premise of everybody's favorite lovable curmudgeon-with-a-heart-of-gold David Harbour as a disillusioned Santa Claus taking on a squad of paramilitary goons led by a scenery-chewing John Leguizamo to save an adorable little girl and her obnoxiously wealthy awful family from certain doom. It's entertaining enough, even taking the time to offer tantalizing bits of intriguing Santa Claus lore, but while the devasting blows land upon the scumbags with visceral satisfaction (some of which would not seem out of place as Mortal Kombat Fatality finishers), the jokes really just don't.

GLASS ONION
2022 | Dir. Rian Johnson | 139 Minutes
4 out of 5
Another delightful Benoit Blanc mystery. While the film's skewering of modern business magnates opportunistically carrying on as "geniuses" is more on point than ever (if just a tiny bit hackneyed), the game afoot is an unpredictable, thoroughly entertaining ride with plenty of fun twists and turns. Starring a phenomenal ensemble cast lead by the ever-charming Daniel Craig, Janelle Monáe delivers the stand-out performance of the film. The picture also features numerous fantastic surprise cameos.

THE MENU
2022 | Dir. Mark Mylod | 106 Minutes
3 out of 5
A vicious takedown of pretentious foodie culture that's serviceably entertaining but could have benefited greatly from being just slightly more outrageous. Well-crafted and cleverly scripted, though once the premise is fully revealed the feature unfortunately quickly loses steam. Anya Taylor-Joy is compelling as the one character one can reasonably root for in this whole endeavor, Ralph Fiennes and Hong Chau make for amusing antagonists, while Nicholas Hoult is hilariously convincing as a mindless culinary sycophant.

BONES AND ALL
2022 | Dir. Luca Guadagnino | 130 Minutes
5 out of 5
With gorgeous cinematography and superb performances, Luca Guadagnino's adaptation of Camille DeAngelis' novel centered on a pair of teenage cannibals in love is a bizarre and beautiful road film that's both shockingly gruesome and deeply romantic. Taylor Russell and Timothée Chalamet are fantastic as the wayward duo who find each other in a hostile world against all odds. Highly recommended for anyone who's in the mood for a heartfelt love story with a large side order of horror.

GUILLERMO DEL TORO'S PINOCCHIO
2022 | Dir. Guillermo del Toro and Mark Gustafson | 117 Minutes
4 out of 5
A stop-motion spectacle that adapts the famous children's tale with a darker edge than one might expect. Set in Fascist Italy, the animated picture explores what it means to be human under dehumanizing circumstances as evil men attempt to use the little wooden boy to promote their agendas while all the living puppet wants is to do right by his old heartbroken father. The film features an excellent voice cast, with Ewan McGregor, David Bradley, and young Gregory Mann standing out in particular.

BLACK ADAM
2022 | Dir. Jaume Collet-Serra | 124 Minutes
3 out of 5
A serviceable cinematic origin story for DC's de-facto super-powered anti-hero that is unfortunately less than the sum of its potentially fascinating parts. Shallow exposition and mind-numbing CGI-heavy spectacle drown out the charisma of the picture's larger-than-life star and his excellent supporting cast. If anything, the movie lays tantalizing groundwork for more ambitious and, with any luck, more engaging big budget DC superhero adventures going forward.

TILL
2022 | Dir. Chinonye Chukwu | 130 Minutes
4 out of 5
Danielle Deadwyler delivers one of the very best performances of the year as Mamie Till-Mobley in director Chinonye Chukwu's film recounting the woman's unfathomable grief and uphill struggle for justice after the horrendous kidnapping and murder of teenage son Emmett Till. While it never veers into exploitation or gratuitousness, the picture doesn't pull any punches emotionally, conveying the deeply upsetting aftermath of a hate crime in a manner that effectively elicits despair and outrage. The film also places appropriate emphasis on the true bravery and heroism of the men and women at the forefront of the civil rights movement.

HALLOWEEN ENDS
2022 | Dir. David Gordon Green | 111 Minutes
3 out of 5
A thematically muddled but reasonably satisfying final chapter to David Gordon Green's Halloween Trilogy. The picture delivers on the promise of the ultimate showdown between nigh indestructible homicidal boogieman Michael Myers and perennial survivor-turned-badass Laurie Strode but not before presenting a half-baked primary storyline about the product of a small town's fear and hatred taking mass-murdering shape. It's perhaps only fitting for this mixed-bag series of reboot follow-ups to end this way. The film's bloody conclusion offers a genuine sense of catharsis, as well as the impression that no more sequels or retcons are necessary (though that's never stopped the franchise's respective rights holders before.)

HELLRAISER
2022 | Dir. David Bruckner | 120 Minutes
4 out of 5
An engrossing fresh start for an iconic horror franchise with a premise that remains unique by contemporary standards. Though the central characters of this story are undeniably underdeveloped, the picture leans hard into the strength of its grisly source material. Striking visuals, excellent production design, and imaginatively gnarly creature effects thoroughly (re)establish the nature of sadistic unearthly entities linked to an enigmatic puzzle box, offering just enough gory mayhem and disturbing imagery.

AMSTERDAM
2022 | Dir. David O. Russell | 134 Minutes
3 out of 5
An absurdly star-studded ensemble cast, led by Christian Bale, John David Washington, and Margot Robbie, only makes this excessively convoluted yarn a watchable diversion at best. For all of its twists and turns, acclaimed writer/director David O. Russell's script is never quite as captivating or as funny as it perhaps should be. The plot meanders through big ideas regarding love, art, social status, racism, fascism, greed, and over-medication, but it all stops short of gelling as an engaging story even if "a lot of this actually happened" as the opening title card claims.

SMILE
2022 | Dir. Parker Finn | 115 Minutes
4 out of 5
What this super creepy supernatural thriller lacks in originality of premise it makes up for in well-crafted jump scares, unrelenting tension, and a strong thematic through line revolving around the insidious nature of trauma and the societal stigma on mental illness. Delivering an impressively nuanced performance that demonstrates her range. Sosie Bacon carries the picture, giving it more credibility than it would perhaps otherwise have, absolutely convincing as the troubled protagonist enduring an increasingly inexplicable and terrifying affliction.

DON'T WORRY DARLING
2022 | Dir. Olivia Wilde | 123 Minutes
2 out of 5
Gorgeous retro aesthetics and a strong performance from Florence Pugh doesn't save this picture from the half-baked twist it is built upon. When the film finally shows its hand after so much teasing, the underdeveloped social commentary the story is meant to convey is sadly underwhelming. It's disappointing considering the talent involved, failing to capitalize on the potential of its out-there premise.

THE WOMAN KING
2022 | Dir. Gina Prince-Bythewood | 135 Minutes
4 out of 5
Featuring spectacular battle scenes and a thoroughly excellent ensemble cast, this exhilarating crowd-pleaser vividly brings the story of the all-female West African warriors known as the Agojie to the screen. In the role of the no-nonsense general, Viola Davis delivers both drama and action in equal measure. Lashana Lynch also gives a notably magnetic performance as a good-natured seasoned soldier. Though the plot takes one or two melodramatic detours too many, mainly to serve the character arc of an enthusiastic young recruit convincingly portrayed by Thuso Mbedu, the film is ultimately a thrilling adventure centered on some of the toughest fighters the world has ever seen.

PEARL
2022 | Dir. Ti West | 102 Minutes
5 out of 5
Old-timey cinema flourishes and a strikingly vibrant color palette juxtapose sharply against this hypnotically disturbing portrait of a deeply troubled woman who dreams of a more glamorous life. The entire film is carried by the astounding talent of Mia Goth as she skillfully alternates between terrifying and heartbreaking all through the picture. While there is bloody mayhem as advertised, the true thrills of this feature come from watching Goth's titular Pearl succumb to madness in long, uncomfortable, yet captivating extended takes. Not for the faint of heart but highly recommended for connoisseurs of off-beat horror for Goth's harrowing performance alone.

MOONAGE DAYDREAM
2022 | Dir. Brett Morgen | 135 Minutes
4 out of 5
An overwhelming audio visual barrage presenting the life, music, art, and philosophical musings of David Bowie. At times disorienting but inspirational throughout, this unconventional documentary weaves a provocative impression of a deeply thoughtful artist constantly challenging societal standards in search of existential meaning while delivering some of the most enduring pop hits decade after decade. For Bowie fans, essential viewing on the biggest screen possible.

CLERKS III
2022 | Dir. Kevin Smith | 100 Minutes
3 out of 5
Objectively, an uneven meta nostalgia-laden mess that's amusingly quirky at its grounded best and straight-up irritating at its over-the-top worst. Though transparently self-indulgent and loaded with jokes that just don't land, the heartfelt earnestness on display is truly admirable. If nothing else, it brings a definitive ending to the low-stakes saga of Kevin Smith's perennial New Jersey slackers.

BLONDE
2022 | Dir. Andrew Dominik | 166 Minutes
2 out of 5
A dizzying, brutal, hyper-stylized nightmare molded into the shape of a prestigious biopic. Admirably committed to this thanklessly demanding role, Ana de Armas' talents are squandered on this frequently grotesque shallow recounting of Marilyn Monroe's life that leans too far into the realm of exploitation. Overlong and mean-spirited, the film drags its star and the audience through a miserable journey without offering anything insightful, thought-provoking, or even particularly deep.

BARBARIAN
2022 | Dir. Zach Cregger | 102 Minutes
4 out of 5
Tense, entertaining, and considerably gnarly when the plot really gets moving after the first act. Thematically thorough, it's an elevated B-movie with A-movie talent in the very best way, one of those thrillers in which the less the audience knows going in the better. Georgina Campbell makes for a compelling scream queen while Justin Long is convincing as the worst kind of Hollywood creep. Most definitely worth a watch for horror fans.

THREE THOUSAND YEARS OF LONGING
2022 | Dir. George Miller | 108 Minutes
3 out of 5
George Miller's meandering though aesthetically breathtaking adaptation of The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye is at its core a flawed underdeveloped tale romance intertwined with myth and magic composed on an enormous canvass. The film's episodic structure presents segments of varying quality, though they are all more impressive and affecting than the framing narrative. As the whole, it's engaging if not entirely satisfying as a cohesive story about the nature of stories.

BREAKING
2022 | Dir. Abi Damaris Corbin | 103 Minutes
3 out of 5
Driven by a powerhouse performance from John Boyega, this tense dramatization of a real life tragedy is genuinely engaging, though it's unfortunately hamstrung by somewhat monotonous pacing. The film is still worth watching for Boyega's compelling turn as a desperate vet wronged by the establishment in the midst of a mental breakdown, and for Michael K. Williams (sadly in his final film role) as a sympathetic negotiator running dangerously low on time and support.

PREY
2022 | Dir. Dan Trachtenberg | 99 Minutes
4 out of 5
A visceral action thriller featuring a cast and a setting that are rarely depicted in the genre, much less with so much care and authenticity. Though the general premise of the iconic extraterrestrial monster hunting humans for sport has been squandered again and again, this film is much more in line with the original 1987 Predator than any of its other follow-ups in terms of suspense and overall quality while it can also easily stand alone without prior familiarity with the franchise. Amber Midthunder makes for a compelling lead, convincing as a fledgling warrior facing an unimaginably terrifying and ruthless adversary head on.

BULLET TRAIN
2022 | Dir. David Leitch | 126 Minutes
3 out of 5
This action comedy's stellar cast and entertaining fight choreography is offset by a convoluted plot that's honestly more tiresome than clever. It's fun while it lasts but ultimately doesn't offer anything particularly memorable, delivering amusement as fleeting as the film's handful of surprise appearances from cameo players.

BODIES BODIES BODIES
2022 | Dir. Halina Reijn | 95 Minutes
4 out of 5
In this super dark slasher comedy, nothing is more horrifying and hilarious than shallow self-centered rich twenty-somethings. As cast members are eliminated one-by-one, the tension and the narcissistic behavior escalate hand in hand, one feeding off the other in a cycle as disturbing as it is funny and compelling. It all culminates with a deliciously mean-spirited twist that may turn off some viewers despite its inevitability. The film is worth a watch for anyone in the mood for some laughs at the grisly expense of the young, privileged, and beautiful.

NOPE
2022 | Dir. Jordan Peele | 131 Minutes
4 out of 5
Jordan Peele's latest film is a consistently suspenseful and sometimes darkly hilarious ride. It takes its time unpacking its premise, but once the ball gets rolling, it really gets going. While not everything about the picture necessarily fits together perfectly, it nonetheless boldly swings for the fences with utmost confidence, at its best when it puts its own unique spin on established genre tropes in rather unexpected and thrilling ways.

THE GRAY MAN
2022 | Dir. Anthony and Joe Russo | 127 Minutes
3 out of 5
A flashy globetrotting assortment of elaborate action set pieces and fight scenes performed by big deal movie stars. Though for all its blockbuster budget sound and fury, it's all empty calories on a silver platter, the film's undercooked espionage plot barely registering through all the noise. For what it's worth, Chris Evans looks like he's having the time of his life playing the smirking over-the-top evil heavy opposite Ryan Gosling who seems to be stuck in mechanically stoic hero mode.

MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON
2022 | Dir. Dean Fleischer-Camp | 89 Minutes
5 out of 5
Absolutely adorable but also surprisingly poignant, this gem of a mockumentary is just as charming and yet substantially deeper than the original animated shorts it expands upon. While the narrative is relatively simple, it packs a hefty emotional punch. The story of this tiny sentient shell is all about appreciating family, community, and the more mundane things in each of our day-to-day lives, distinguishing and balancing the things we do to survive and actually living.

THE BLACK PHONE
2022 | Dir. Scott Derrickson | 103 Minutes
4 out of 5
An eerie, well-paced thriller with an irresistibly intriguing premise. While the twists are somewhat predictable, the film is an engaging ride through and through as Scott Derrickson perfectly captures the tension and horror of the Joe Hill short story that the picture adapts. Ethan Hawke delivers a captivatingly creepy performance as a deranged child abductor while Madeleine McGraw absolutely runs away with the movie as a foul-mouthed little girl with mild psychic powers.

BEAVIS AND BUTT-HEAD DO THE UNIVERSE
2022 | Dir. John Rice and Albert Calleros | 86 Minutes
4 out of 5
Mike Judge's iconic idiotic duo return to wreak havoc on the year 2022 without missing a step. The same old gags from the 90s play out on bigger set pieces in a contemporary setting as the hilariously dumb and perpetually horny teens adjust to the times but, as long-time fans would attest, there's no need to reinvent this wheel.

THE BOB'S BURGERS MOVIE
2022 | Dir. Loren Bouchard and Bernard Derriman | 102 Minutes
4 out of 5
Though it ultimately amounts to an extended episode with slightly higher stakes, more dynamic shading, and a bevy of musical numbers, it's a delightful little ride that loses none of the lowkey offbeat charm of the animated series. Long time fans of the show should be pleased, while newcomers should find the feature entertaining and, perhaps more importantly, entirely accessible.

MEN
2022 | Dir. Alex Garland | 100 Minutes
3 out of 5
Alex Garland serves up a creepy slowburn that is in actuality a meditation on grief, guilt, and misogyny that takes quite a sharp turn into the surreal. Featuring superb performances from Jessie Buckley and Rory Kinnear gorgeous cinematography capturing some truly bonkers imagery courtesy of regular Garland collaborator Rob Hardy, the film is a worthwhile experience though its rather incoherent last act makes the narrative as a whole more confounding than satisfying.

SHIN ULTRAMAN
2022 | Dir. Shinji Haguchi | 112 Minutes
4 out of 5
An entertaining tribute to the perennial tokusatsu superhero featuring a wealth of amusingly weird alien creatures and imaginary science, as well as sharp commentary regarding Japanese geopolitics and human nature. Structured rather episodically, and paced quickly, watching the film may feel like binging an entire season of a television show. Still, this one is highly recommended for anyone with a healthy appreciation for campy fun sci-fi.

FIRESTARTER
2022 | Dir. Keith Thomas | 94 Minutes
3 out of 5
Readapting a Stephen King novel about a pyrokinetic little girl pursued by nefarious government forces written over forty years ago, the premise is as old hat as it sounds and this film offers no surprises for better or worse. All in all, it's a serviceable, competently constructed, totally forgettable B movie with a decent amount of modern production polish. The most notable thing about the picture is its delightfully synthy throwback musical score by John Carpenter and sons.

THE UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF MASSIVE TALENT
2022 | Dir. Tom Gormican | 106 Minutes
4 out of 5
Beyond its ridiculously meta premise, it's a solid briskly paced comedy that's in actuality a genuinely sweet story about true friendship with just enough plot to carry the jokes. Playing both a fictionalized version of himself and his off-putting-by-design CGI de-aged unhinged movie star id doppelganger, Nicolas Cage has so much fun in this picture that it's easy for the audience to get on board, particularly for admirers of the iconic thespian's turbulent career through all of its ups and downs. The comedic chemistry between Cage and Pedro Pascal just further elevates the film.

THE NORTHMAN
2022 | Dir. Robert Eggers | 136 Minutes
5 out of 5
Epic, gorgeous, immersive, and gruesome as hell, Robert Eggers delivers a harrowing vision of savagery steeped in mythology. A visually spectacular adaptation of the legend that inspired Hamlet, complete with creepy sorcery and trippy prophetic visions, this visceral tale of vengeance and destiny is as mesmerizing as it is brutal. Alexander Skarsgård makes for a captivating lead, flanked by a spectacular supporting cast that includes Anya Taylor-Joy, Claes Bang, Nicole Kidman, Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe, and Björk(!). An absolute must-see for those who can stomach the gore.

FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE SECRETS OF DUMBLEDORE
2022 | Dir. David Yates | 142 Minutes
4 out of 5
Easily the best installment yet of this (still) questionable extension of the Harry Potter Wizarding World saga. While there are somehow two more films in the works chronicling this pre-Potter magic war, this chapter effectively brings a few of the character-driven storylines to surprisingly satisfying respective culminations. The plot is more focused, the stakes more well-defined, the set pieces a lot more fun, and best of all Mads Mikkelsen is ever the compelling antagonist as the third face of Gellert Grindelwald, opening Jude Law's Dumbledore to more emotional depth and ample opportunity to really shine.

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2
2022 | Dir. Jeff Fowler | 122 Minutes
3 out of 5
While a definite improvement over Sonic's first live action adventure, especially for longtime fans of the flagship Sega video game franchise, this bigger, louder, longer sequel is a flashy mindless ride with something passably fun for nearly every demographic, nothing more, nothing less. Kids (and inner children) should definitely get a kick out of the Saturday morning cartoon character dynamics between Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and an even more Jim-Carrey-style zanny Robotnik. On a personal level, the film totally delivered the one thing I wanted to see in a Sonic movie ever since discovering a particular mind-blowing game secret playing the old Genesis Sonic 2 cart as an impressionable 8-year-old who also loved Dragon Ball Z, so props to that!

X
2022 | Dir. Ti West | 106 Minutes
4 out of 5
Brutal, hilarious, as lurid as expected considering the film's premise, and yet unexpectedly poignant, X puts an intriguing spin on the slasher genre. Exploring themes of youth, exploitation, and mortality, it's a solid horror film concerned with more than just blood, guts, and titillation, though it certainly delivers on those fronts with an authentic grimy quality that completes the picture's sleazy late 1970s setting and complementing aesthetic. Mia Goth is simply amazing, giving a performance that is truly full of surprises.

THE BATMAN
2022 | Dir. Matt Reeves | 176 Minutes
5 out of 5
A deeply immersive, atmospheric, and engaging crime drama that functions exceptionally well within the well-worn trappings of DC Comics' Batman mythos. The picture features the very best live action iteration of the Dark Knight depicted for the first time on film as a highly capable detective. The ensemble cast is impeccable, offering either definitive cinematic versions of classic characters or captivating fresh takes. It is a surprisingly exciting new beginning for the pop culture icon.

THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH
2021 | Dir. Joel Coen | 105 Minutes
4 out of 5
Joel Coen's takes a minimalist approach to the old "Scottish Play" and delivers a visually stunning screen adaption featuring cinema legends Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand in the lead roles as the infamous regicidal couple. Stefan Dechant's set design is striking in its pared down simplicity, and Bruno Delbonnel's black and white cinematography is breathtaking. Though the entire production would perhaps be a bit too stark and artificial, though technically and aesthetically pleasing, if it were not for Denzel and McDormand taking the tried and true material and absolutely dominating it. The picture also features stand-out performances from Kathryn Hunter as the witches (chillingly, all three of them!) and Corey Hawkins as Macduff.

THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS
2021 | Dir. Lana Wachowski | 158 Minutes
4 out of 5
More companion piece to The Matrix Trilogy than standard sequel, Lana Wachowski's new Matrix story is trippier and considerably wilder than the average long-gap movie franchise extension. As the film gradually reveals how a post-war Matrix and its inhabitants have moved on mostly in unexpected ways, it provides amusing sharp social commentary on how corporations thoughtlessly cash in on nostalgia. As in the original trilogy, the picture is at its heart a love story and it stays on target thematically between philosophical musings on the nature of free will. However, it could have used better action direction.

ENCOUNTER
2021 | Dir. Michael Pearce | 108 Minutes
3 out of 5
A rather bleak drama with perhaps fewer twists than one might expect telling the story of a troubled and desperate man motivated first and foremost by his love for his children. While the plot isn't the most original or the most memorable, it's an affecting film during its quieter moments when it's at its best thanks to strong performances from Riz Ahmed, Octavia Spencer, and young Lucian-River Chauhan.

HOUSE OF GUCCI
2021 | Dir. Ridley Scott | 157 Minutes
3 out of 5
More farcical dark comedy than prestige crime drama, Ridley Scott depicts the fall of the Gucci family in strokes as broad as its all-star cast's Italian accents are exaggerated. As depicted, the characters in this story are utterly unsympathetic, and the plot plays out like a trashy soap opera at best or alternately like an overlong SNL skit with a razor-thin premise at worst but to the picture's credit, mostly to Lady Gaga's credit, it's never boring. As fun and occasionally good as supporting players Adam Driver, Jeremy Irons, Al Pacino, and Salma Hayek are in this mostly amusing mess, Jared Leto is a total disaster.

GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE
2021 | Dir. Jason Reitman | 124 Minutes
3 out of 5
A somewhat listless long-gap sequel that's perhaps more dramatic and less affecting than it should be, relying a bit too heavily on the audience's love of the original 1984 film and late great Harold Ramis to tug on heartstrings. It's competent - fine visual effects, some inventive world-building, and good performances with a truly excellent nuanced turn from young Mckenna Grace leading the way - but it really could have used more genuine laughs more than anything else. OG Ghostbusters fans ought to dig it at least on some level, but it might be a bit dull for any newbies, not playing to the franchise's core strengths to function properly as a soft reboot or even as an objectively good stand-alone film.

TICK, TICK... BOOM!
2021 | Dir. Lin-Manuel Miranda | 121 Minutes 
4 out of 5
Adapting Jonathan Larson's autobiographical musical for the screen, Lin-Manuel Miranda's directorial film debut realistically captures all the struggles of pursuing a career as an artist with impressive cinematic flair and an abundance of energy. While the narrative inevitably checks all the standard biopic boxes, following Larson's journey that eventually leads to the creation of Rent, the film is visually engaging and the musical numbers are all-around superb. Andrew Garfield is perfectly charming in the lead role, turning in a natural affecting performance.

RED NOTICE
2021 | Dir. Rawson Marshall Thurber | 115 Minutes
3 out of 5
An entertaining enough if incredibly generic action comedy with a crowd-pleasing cast fulfilling the assignment with a passing grade but nothing more. The novelty of Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, and Gal Gadot chasing a set of MacGuffins around the globe and moving through the customary blockbuster set pieces while cracking predictable quips wears thin pretty quickly. Ultimately, it's a spot of inconsequential fun that's totally disposable.

FINCH
2021 | Dir. Miguel Sapochnik | 115 Mintues
3 out of 5
If the premise of Tom Hanks, an adorable dog, and a chatty robot traversing a post-apocalyptic wasteland sounds appealing, this road movie is exactly that, nothing more, nothing less. There's a decent amount of drama to be mined from Hanks' distrustful engineer dealing with his mortality but the picture as a whole is a mostly innocuous, reasonably enjoyable, but rather routine and somewhat forgettable journey.

LAST NIGHT IN SOHO
2021 | Dir. Edgar Wright | 116 Minutes
3 out of 5
Despite questionable late-film plot revelations, Edgar Wright's first non-comedic thriller is an engaging ride rich with his signature visual flair and exceptional craftsmanship, taking heavy stylistic inspiration from retro 60s and 70s horror. The picture is most fittingly disturbing and captivating in its exploration of women with artistic aspirations falling prey to the seedy underbelly of London but disappointingly fails to deliver a thematically satisfactory ending. Leads Thomasin McKenzie and Anya Taylor-Joy are both superb, as is the late Diana Rigg in her final film role.

ARMY OF THIEVES
2021 | Matthias Schweighöfer | 127 Minutes
3 out of 5
A rather standard heist film directed by and starring Matthias Schweighöfer, reprising the memorable role of the quirky safecracker from Zack Snyder's Army of the Dead. Much of the humor falls flat and its tangential connection to Snyder's Las Vegas zombie extravaganza is immaterial, but the charm of its lead actor/director and a solid performance from Nathalie Emmanuel are just enough to make this one a serviceably entertaining, if mostly inessential, diversion.

THE HARDER THEY FALL
2021 | Dir. Jaymes Samuel | 139 Minutes
4 out of 5
A thoroughly entertaining, visually spectacular wild west epic featuring an outstanding all-star Black cast. All of the classic Spaghetti Western tropes are not only present but brilliantly executed. At points, it isn't the most emotionally engaging picture but all the characters are consistently captivating, even those that aren't much more than a collection of fascinating skills, thanks to the ensemble of excellent performers portraying them lead by Jonathan Majors as the charming outlaw and Idris Elba as the intimidating heavy. It's got a fantastic eclectic soundtrack to boot, mixing the grandeur of a score that accurately emulates those traditionally associated with the genre with the high energy of more contemporary tracks.

THE FRENCH DISPATCH
2021 | Dir. Wes Anderson | 103 Minutes
4 out of 5
Wes Anderson's loving tribute to the New Yorker won't win him any new fans but it is as twee and whimsical as one would expect, serving up his perhaps predictable signature blend of diorama-like imagery, 1960s aesthetic sensibilities, and extraordinarily dry humor without modifying the formula in any meaningful way. Structured like a magazine of old, the anthology film consists of three amusing vignettes with a few brief tangents, each segment touching upon specific aspects of loneliness. Many of the players within Anderson's regular troupe of performers return in major and minor parts, delightful as ever, with the notable additions of Benicio del Toro, Timothée Chalamet, and Jeffrey Wright in memorable roles.

THE LAST DUEL
2021 | Dir. Ridley Scott | 153 Minutes
4 out of 5
Ridley Scott and writers Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, and Nicole Holofcener (notably, the first writing collaboration between Damon and Affleck since Good Will Hunting) construct a meticulously realized, fully immersive medieval tale of misguided pride, toxic masculinity, and the painful truth as experienced by women that is often disregarded by men in power. Absolutely engaging, though this multi-perspective Rashomon-style narrative structure frequently revisits key moments, the picture's process of re-examination never fails to be enlightening. Damon and Adam Driver are excellent in their respective parts as a financially struggling knight and a nobleman's favorite squire, and Affleck is incredibly amusing in a supporting role as a frat boy dudebro count, but Jodie Comer is the true star of this picture, captivating and exceptionally sympathetic as the victim of a horrific crime neglected on multiple levels.

HALLOWEEN KILLS
2021 | Dir. David Gordon Green | 105 Minutes
3 out of 5
A direct continuation of the 2018 long-gap slasher sequel that ups the body count considerably but never reaches the exhilarating heights of that film's brilliant final sequence. On a narrative level, this is very much an underachieving in-between episode, a middle chapter of a planned trilogy that seems more interested in exploring the folly of mob justice driven by mass hysteria than developing the story of hardened trauma survivor Laurie Strode, haphazardly positioning the seemingly nigh-invulnerable Shape as the manifestation of Haddonfield's fear. Conceptually intriguing but incongruous with the gratuitous brutal carnage on display that's admittedly pleasing to my inner 13-year-old gorehound.

MALIGNANT
2021 | Dir. James Wan | 111 Minutes
2 out of 5
Highly-polished schlock. James Wan's latest horror film is slickly executed, hyper-violent, and totally weird but not particularly scary or even all that engaging. The concept is original at the very least, but it's undeniably trashy B-movie material that's bizarrely, painfully incongruous with Wan's considerable craftsmanship.

CANDYMAN
2021 | Dir. Nia DaCosta | 91 Minutes
4 out of 5
An equally chilling and thought-provoking direct follow-up to the iconic 1992 horror film of the same name, writer/director Nia DaCosta successfully resurrects the terrifying vengeful manifestation of uniquely black trauma seeking bloody retribution from those who would mock or deny its existence, or wantonly appropriate his harrowing legend for gain. While some plot points are noticeably underdeveloped, most glaringly the tragic backstory of Teyonah Parris' Brianna, the film's primary thematic focus on the power behind perpetuating tales of atrocities committed past and present, and of telling these stories responsibly, elevates the feature far above standard slasher fare and arguably over the original picture. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is absolutely compelling as the conflicted painter protagonist, Teyonah Parris shines as the skeptical voice of reason, while the reliably excellent Colman Domingo delivers a stellar performance.

THE SUICIDE SQUAD
2021 | Dir. James Gunn | 132 Minutes
4 out of 5
You will believe an extraterrestrial starfish can be terrifying. James Gunn gives DC's infamous Task Force X the film it deserves, delivering a significantly more appealing, much more satisfying, and all-around weirder take than Warner Bros' first attempt at bringing to cinematic life the team of expendable C-list super-powered convicts. The body count is high, the needle drops are on point, the quips are non-stop, the overall excess of it all can be a bit tiresome as the pictures rolls along, accessibility be damned, but the story's heart is in the right place courtesy of Gunn's sense of decency where it really counts. Every character the audience is meant to care about gets at least one genuinely touching moment (yes, even the giant shark man voiced by Sylvester Stallone) just as the numerous disposable ones meet swift and grisly, often hilarious ends. Margot Robbie continues to be the perfect fit for Harley Quinn, Idris Elba is reliably excellent as the reluctant leader Bloodsport, and John Cena has never been funnier in the role of the complete sociopath Peacemaker. In stand-out performances, Daniela Melchior is captivating playing a surprisingly affecting take on Ratcatcher and David Dastmalchian simultaneously hysterical and haunting as the tortured kafkaesque Polka-Dot Man.

ANNETTE
2021 | Dir. Leos Carax | 139 Minutes
3 out of 5
A visually striking, wildly inventive, frequently disturbing musical about troubled performers and the folly of stardom with a pitch dark story and phenomenal soundtrack courtesy of Sparks. An overwhelming sense of foreboding permeates the entire picture and the tension never really lets up, making for a deeply uncomfortable watch. Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard are well cast in the lead roles though their lack of formal training as singers is apparent and somewhat distracting at points.

THE GREEN KNIGHT
2021 | Dir. David Lowery | 130 Minutes
5 out of 5
A visually splendid, thematically dense, extraordinarily atmospheric journey packed with medieval dread and wild trippy imagery. Director David Lowery's take on Sir Gawain's quest stays true to the source material's examination of chivalry even as it goes off the rails in fascinating ways. Leading an all-around amazing cast, Dev Patel is magnificent, delivering a grounded, affecting performance as the tale's inherently flawed, tragically human protagonist facing fantastical circumstances.

PIG
2021 | Dir. Michael Sarnoski | 92 Minutes
4 out of 5
More meditative drama than thriller, this story of a mysterious recluse's quest in search of his kidnapped beloved truffle hog is much more touching than it may seem on paper. While it's a relatively straightforward, occasionally bizarre journey through the underbelly of Portland, Oregon's culinary scene, it's significantly elevated by a masterfully nuanced and heartbreaking performance from Nicolas Cage, proving once again that, in the right role, Cage remains one of the very best at his craft.

FEAR STREET PART THREE: 1666
2021 | Dir. Leigh Janiak | 114 Minutes
4 out of 5
Uneven as a whole but fun throughout. The first hour of the conclusion to Leigh Janiak's Fear Street Trilogy is a chilling colonial period horror story wrapped in a tragic romance, atmospheric and at times effectively disturbing. It weaves an equal parts creepy and touching tale of black magic, human malice, and forbidden love. The second half reverts back to some of the tonally campier aspects of Part One, juxtaposing harshly against the stronger first half of this installment, though it satisfyingly closes out the overarching narrative on a high note.

GUNPOWDER MILKSHAKE
2021 | Dir. Navot Papushado | 114 Minutes
3 out of 5
An ultra-stylized neon-soaked action comedy stunt show that's clearly a product of the age of John Wick. The humor doesn't always hit its mark but the spectacular all-star predominantly female cast led by Karen Gillan, and the fun and inventive bloody combat sequences make this one worth a watch for action junkies looking for a decent if fleeting fix.

FEAR STREET PART TWO: 1978
2021 | Dir. Leigh Janiak | 110 Minutes
4 out of 5
A consistently amusing Friday the 13th pastiche in which the terror steadily builds to a shockingly merciless bloodbath. Full of the sex, drugs, and rock and roll to be expected of its late 70s setting (with maybe too many obvious retro tunes) and populated by a cast of well-defined characters, it strikes the right tonal balance between macabre comedy and gruesome horror. The stakes always feel genuine despite the feature's heightened style. While it's a decent, considerably accessible example of the genre on its own, its function as the middle chapter of a fully-formed trilogy is appealingly ambitious.

FEAR STREET PART ONE: 1994
2021 | Dir. Leigh Janiak | 107 Minutes
3 out of 5
Fast-paced, entertaining, and surprisingly brutal, the first installment of the Fear Street Trilogy inspired by RL Stine's other, more mature (non-Goosebumps) young adult paperback horror series is competently made though it gives off the distinct impression of being a bit too manufactured. The 90s setting isn't portrayed entirely accurately and while the nostalgia factor is off the charts, the incessant needle drops prove to be irritating. The queer romance at the center of the narrative is certainly refreshing for this sort of thing, as is the merciless body count, and the cast is generally more likeable than your standard roster of empty-headed slasher flick fodder.

NO SUDDEN MOVE
2021 | Steven Soderbergh | 115 Minutes
4 out of 5
Steven Soderbergh delivers an engaging 1950s era Motor City crime thriller full double-crosses and dark humor with a good measure of social commentary. Its sprawling story of common criminals getting in way over their heads only to eventually come face to face with one of the true crooks of the world is as timely as ever though the film takes a number of amusing detours to get there. Don Cheadle and Benicio del Toro are reliably captivating, leading an ridiculously stacked ensemble cast featuring Brendan Fraser, Julia Fox, Kieran Culkin, Amy Seimetz, David Harbour, Frankie Shaw, Jon Hamm, Ray Liotta, and Bill Duke, with a surprise uncredited big name actor, all bringing their respective A-games.

SUMMER OF SOUL (... OR, WHEN THE REVOLUTION COULD NOT BE TELEVISED)
2021 | Dir. Questlove | 117 Minutes
5 out of 5
Questlove's uplifting and revelatory documentary covering the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival effectively captures an essential moment in American pop culture history that deserves much more exposure than it had ever received, its footage literally sitting in a basement for decades finally gets a chance to be seen and heard in all its glory. Featuring unforgettable performances by Stevie Wonder, The 5th Dimension, Sly and the Family Stone, and Nina Simone among countless other legendary artists, with interviews from various organizers, performers, and attendees to provide historical context, it's a snappy and engaging ride all the way through. Highly, highly recommended viewing for all.

IN THE HEIGHTS
2021 | Dir. Jon M. Chu | 143 Minutes
5 out of 5
Jon M. Chu's film adaptation Lin-Manuel Miranda's first Broadway musical is an uplifting, absolutely exhilarating triumph, a perfect combination of Miranda's electrifying music and Chu's penchant for elaborate kinetic directorial style. Its story of chasing dreams and facing the threat of impending change is universally appealing while its focus on the various struggles of Latin American immigrants is presented with a deft touch. The songs and the set pieces are top notch, and the cast is uniformly superb with Corey Hawkins and Leslie Grace standing out in particular. In a fun supporting role, Stephanie Beatriz's versatility impresses me immensely.

THE CONJURING: THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT
2021 | Dir. Michael Chaves | 112 Minutes
3 out of 5
A well-constructed if by-the-numbers horror flick that's a worthy extension to the entertaining, if-not-terrifying paranormal investigation film franchise proudly and dubiously sold as "based on true events." Changing things up from other entries of the mainline Conjuring series in a mostly refreshing way, the film takes the Warrens well beyond the confines of a haunted house as the plot finds the demonologist couple tracing an infernal curse back to its source, giving the filmmakers the opportunity to fabricate and embellish heavily upon the bizarre case that loosely inspired the narrative. Returning as the heroically courageous cinematic versions of Ed and Lorraine Warren, Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga are fantastic as ever, significantly strengthening the often hokey material with tons of heart.

A QUIET PLACE PART II
2021 | Dir. John Krasinski | 97 Minutes
4 out of 5
A fine, thrilling sequel to John Krasinski's sci-fi monster sound design showcase. With bigger action sequences and more nerve-wracking post-apocalyptic peril, this second chapter doesn't add or improve too much upon its predecessor, it's just more of everything that worked about the original picture which isn't necessarily a bad thing for those who enjoy the premise. Millicent Simmonds shines, capitalizing on having a larger role this time around while Cillian Murphy makes for an excellent addition to the cast, bringing his A-game as a tormented survivor.

ARMY OF THE DEAD
2021 | Dir. Zack Snyder | 148 Minutes
4 out of 5
Truly hilarious, action-packed, epic in scale with some intriguing world-building to boot, Zack Snyder's penchant for grandiose spectacle and over-the-top mayhem is put to good use in this casino heist/horror comedy mash-up. While the film doesn't necessarily reinvent the concept of zombies, it embellishes and evolves the popular lore in interesting ways, a real treat for fans of the genre. The ensemble cast is delightful through and through with Dave Bautista in the leading role adding another notably impressive dramatic performance to his eclectic filmography.

THE PAPER TIGERS
2021 | Dir. Tran Quoc Bao | 108 Minutes
3 out of 5
Solid Asian American representation and a few genuinely poignant dramatic moments aside, director Tran Quoc Bao's feature debut is only passable as a martial arts comedy. Alain Uy, Mykel Shannon Jenkins, and particularly Ron Yuan are entertaining as pitiful middle-aged washed-up erstwhile kung fu upstarts but the premise and the gags disappointingly wear thin rather quickly. The picture is mostly saved by a touching narrative about rekindling old friendships and righting past wrongs, as well as a surprisingly satisfying final duel, though the film perhaps should have been stronger as a whole.

MORTAL KOMBAT
2021 | Dir. Simon McQuoid | 110 Minutes
3 out of 5
As gruesome and goofy as one would expect from a hard-R re-adaptation of the cartoonishy bloody video game that riled up Congress in the early 90s. It's mostly satisfying for anyone looking for creative fight choreography with some over-the-top gore. However, the narrative doesn't quite deliver on bringing the audience to the proverbial "fireworks factory" and the sets are generally lacking in both quantity and quality. The cast is impressive overall with Hiroyuki Sanada and Joe Taslim getting a real chance to shine as iconic MK ninjas Scorpion and a thrillingly bad-ass take on Sub-Zero, though Josh Lawson totally hilariously steals the movie as Kano. Perhaps not as fun as the sublimely dumb 1995 PG-13 film adaptation but it serves its purpose as a visceral if somewhat hollow fight movie.

GODZILLA VS. KONG
2021 | Dir. Adam Wingard | 113 Minutes
4 out of 5
Spectacular fun. The very best kaiju fights since the old school Toho suitmation era. The continued world-building of Legendary's MonsterVerse is iffy and some of the logic of the human protagonists is questionable at best but both King Kong and Godzilla are well-represented in all their iconic glory. It's been just shy of 60 years since these cinematic titans last clashed and this highly entertaining rematch was fortunately well worth the wait.

NOBODY
2021 | Dir. Ilya Naishuller | 92 Minutes
4 out of 5
If the idea of Bob Odenkirk starring in a gritty hyper-violent action vehicle as a highly-skilled stone-cold professional assassin sounds totally ridiculous, that's because it is, but man, it makes for an awesome entertaining ride. Plotwise, it's nothing fans of the genre haven't seen before, but the set pieces are spectacular, particularly in the second half of the film, sold by some truly inventive stunt work and Odenkirk's impressive dedication to the role.

ZACK SNYDER'S JUSTICE LEAGUE
2021 | Dir. Zack Snyder | 242 Minutes
4 out of 5*
Superior in every way to the 2017 version of the film, this overstuffed relatively optimistic conclusion to Zack Snyder's generally bleak iteration of the DC Universe is wholly satisfying if rather bloated. The biggest benefit of the extended runtime is that it allows supporting heroes like Ezra Miller's Flash and, in particular, Ray Fisher's Cyborg to have fuller, more rewarding character arcs. While issues with the sometimes questionable characterization of the heroes and the overall air of cynicism permeating this continuity are still present (exacerbated by F-bombs and a bit of gore allotted by this version's R-rating, and a hodgepodge epilogue that frustratingly swerves into the director's doom and gloom proclivities), the tone is at least consistent, the film is visually stunning (fascinatingly in full frame aspect ratio by design), there are a wealth of moments featured that are genuinely spectacular, and the final act of the picture is truly awesome.
*Recommended for all DC Comics fans (honestly, even those who hated Batman v Superman). Frankly not recommended for anyone else due to its four-hour runtime and pre-requisite viewing of Man of Steel and Batman v Superman.

THE LITTLE THINGS
2021 | Dir. John Lee Hancock | 127 Minutes
2 out of 5
Even the combined star power of Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, and Jared Leto can't elevate the dated plot of this uninspired pulpy thriller. The performances are good - Denzel brings his A-game as a disgraced former homicide detective with Malek doing a decent job as his young hotshot protégé while Leto is set to maximum Leto as an absolute creepazoid - but the script is packed with tired tropes and the ending seriously fails to satisfy.

PG: PSYCHO GOREMAN
2021 | Dir. Steven Kostanski | 95 Minutes
3 out of 5
A delightfully schlocky, impressive display of low-budget practical gore and creature effects with a hilarious premise - bratty kid controls a murderous intergalactic warlord, gruesome hijinks ensue. It is without a doubt too violent, mean-spirited, and generally too unpolished for mass consumption but undiscerning horror junkies might just get a kick out of this brisk 90-minute diversion that's equal parts heavy on splatter and unabashedly silly - it's the sort of movie with gushing fountains of blood but it's also the sort of movie with a plot-summarizing rap song playing over the end credits.

WONDER WOMAN 1984
2020 | Dir. Patty Jenkins | 152 Minutes
4 out of 5
Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman sequel is bright, entertaining, and actually pretty touching but at least 30 minutes too long. While the action sequences are a sight to behold, the pacing of the picture could have been tighter overall. It might be the 1980s setting, which pays off quite well thematically for a film about compassion and truth overcoming excessive avarice and deceit, but it gives me Superman II vibes in the very best way. Gal Gadot is radiant and convincing as ever in her latest appearance as the iconic warrior goddess, Chris Pine makes a welcome return as her charming and funny flyboy love interest, Kristen Wiig plays against type with remarkable success as a well-defined foil to Diana, and Pedro Pascal is simply a pleasure to watch as super fraudster Maxwell Lord.

ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI...
2020 | Dir. Regina King | 110 Minutes
4 out of 5
Regina King's feature debut - a film adaptation of Kemp Powers' play centered on an extended debate of ideologies between Cassius Clay, Sam Cooke, Jim Brown, and Malcolm X - is a showcase of four excellent performances from its leads. Eli Goree, Leslie Odom, Jr., Aldis Hodge, and Kingsley Ben-Adir are all phenomenal as the larger-than-life personalities, particularly Odom's Sam Cooke and Ben-Adir's Malcolm X. Though somewhat limited in cinematic scale, the picture presents big ideas about the social responsibility of public figures and the power of representation that are as relevant now as they were in 1964.

THE GODFATHER, CODA: THE DEATH OF MICHAEL CORLEONE
2020 | Dir. Francis Ford Coppola | 157 Minutes
3 out of 5
Francis Ford Coppola's re-edit of his conventionally maligned third Godfather film is a slightly leaner, slightly more coherent picture that remains a flawed epilogue to one of cinema's most revered duologies. The most significant changes fittingly place more emphasis on the tragedy of Michael's failure to attain redemption - Al Pacino truly delivering such a great performance - though weaker plot threads centered on estranged nephew Vincent's journey, his doomed romance with Corleone daughter Mary and his inevitable violent rise to power still present a real burden to the overall narrative. Ultimately, this new edition doesn't quite elevate Godfather, Part III to the lofty level of the first two installments, no amount of re-working ever will, but it is to its benefit marginally better paced, a few minutes shorter than the original 1990 release without excising anything essential.

MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM
2020 | Dir. George C. Wolfe | 94 Minutes
4 out of 5
A stirring adaptation of August Wilson's acclaimed stage play centered on a particularly tense recording session on a hot summer day. Stressful and claustrophobic by design, it's a tightly-paced drama that offers an abundance of biting commentary on the social standing of African American entertainers. The film is carried by masterful powerhouse performances from Viola Davis as the short-tempered Mother of the Blues and Chadwick Boseman in his stunning final film appearance as Ma's upstart trumpet player with big dreams and horrific personal demons.

THE DEVIL ALL THE TIME
2020 | Dir. Antonio Campos | 138 Minutes
4 out of 5
A sprawling, somewhat meandering Southern Gothic thriller that's heavy on angst and violence. While its plot threads come together a tad abruptly, the pacing is a bit uneven, and the ever-pesent voice over can be distracting, all of the tension fortunately builds to an adequate, mostly satisfying conclusion. The film's unbelievable ensemble cast featuring Bill Skarsgård, Mia Wasikowska, Harry Melling, Riley Keough, Jason Clarke, Sebastian Stan, and Eliza Scanlen is led by a convincingly dour and brutal Tom Holland, while Robert Pattinson contributes yet another impressive performance as a despicable predatory reverend.

TENET
2020 | Dir. Christopher Nolan | 151 Minutes
3 out of 5
First off, the action sequences in Nolan's latest feature are simply mind-blowing. Problem is, despite a provocative timey-wimey hook (that's right up my alley -- Nolan's trademark fascination with time manipulation reaches a whole new level), the convoluted story doesn't serve a particularly engrossing plot. The characters deliver expository dialogue in such an uninspired and unpolished manner that the momentum of the film derails a little too often. Not one of Nolan's best overall, but still totally worth watching. John David Washington and Robert Pattinson have convinced me they can both be 007, Elizabeth Debicki turns in a solid performance as the tortured wife of a rather hammy Kenneth Branagh's Bond-style villain complete with standard nonsensical evil scheme, frustratingly-durable brawny henchman, and exaggerated Russian accent. I'd be remiss not to mention that Ludwig Göransson's score is fire.

I'M THINKING OF ENDING THINGS
2020 | Dir. Charlie Kaufman | 134 Minutes
3 out of 5
This one's tough to recommend for anyone not already a fan of filmmaker Charlie Kaufman's unique repertoire. It's a surreal slow-burn existential nightmare that functions like a breakup story with a morbid sense of humor, a disquieting melancholic abstract mindjob that borders on completely inscrutable. Excellent performances from Jessie Buckley and Jesse Plemons help to keep the confounding narrative engaging while the always-brilliant Toni Collette and David Thewlis fill delightfully disturbing supporting roles.

BILL & TED FACE THE MUSIC
2020 | Dir. Dean Parisot | 92 Minutes
4 out of 5
A long-gap sequel that remains true to the goofy humor and optimistic spirit of its predecessors. While it never quite reaches the thrilling heights of Excellent Adventure's best moments, it's a fun ride with a narrative that's more focused and more ambitious in scale than Bogus Journey. It's an undeniable joy to see Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter reprise these iconic characters as they come to terms with their future, and Brigette Lundy-Paine and Samara Weaving are well-cast as their industrious offspring who embark on a delightful quest of their own.

PALM SPRINGS
2020 | Dir. Max Barbakow | 90 Minutes
4 out of 5
A sweet and affecting rom-com twist on "those infinite time-loop situations you might have heard about." Despite not really doing anything markedly innovative with the tried and true time-loop concept, it cleverly explores existential complacency and loneliness while operating within the trappings of the romantic comedy genre. Charismatic leads Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti share excellent chemistry on screen, doing a great job of selling the wackier aspects of the picture's central gimmick while also exuding convincing vulnerability in the picture's more touching moments. It's always great to see JK Simmons in a supporting role that allows him to go slightly off the rails, and it's amusing to watch Tyler Hoechlin play a decidedly not super guy.

EUROVISION SONG CONTEST: THE STORY OF FIRE SAGA
2020 | Dir. David Dobkin | 123 Minutes
3 out of 5
Light on plot and surprisingly heavy on sentimentality, it's an amusing diversion with some catchy tunes and a handful of great gags. The comedy noticeably runs low on fuel about halfway through but thankfully the picture manages to arrive at an emotionally satisfying ending. Will Farrell is reliably silly as ever but noticeably less mean-spirited as a small-time musician with big impossible dreams while Rachel McAdams is straight-up hilarious as the more naive, more talented performer of the Icelandic duo. While Dan Stevens' pompous Russian pop star is disappointingly one-note, it's a pleasant surprise to see erstwhile-Bond Pierce Brosnan in a grumpy dad role.

DA 5 BLOODS
2020 | Dir. Spike Lee | 155 Minutes
5 out of 5
An action-packed Vietnam War film, a suspenseful treasure hunt adventure, and a powerful drama examining generational trauma suffered by African American veterans and the Vietnamese today, Spike Lee delivers a genuinely must-see epic that's both topical and broadly appealing. It's a technically dazzling feature, utilizing varying aspect ratios and film formats to skillfully and stylishly tell its story. Exuding palpable camaraderie, the excellent ensemble cast features Delroy Lindo, Clarke Peters, Norm Lewis, Isiah Whitlock Jr., and Jonathan Majors. Delroy Lindo's work stands out in particular, delivering the best performance of his career playing a complex, haunted, deeply broken vet. The cast also notably features Chadwick Boseman essentially playing an ethereal superhero, Johnny Trí Nguyễn as the canniest tour guide ever, Jean Reno as a shifty French businessman, Mélanie Thierry, Paul Walter Hauser, and Jasper Pääkkönen as landmine removal volunteers caught in the middle of a tense situation, and Veronica Ngo as the infamous propagandist Hanoi Hannah.

THE LOVEBIRDS
2020 | Dir. Michael Showalter | 87 Minutes
3 out of 5
Elevated by its charming leads Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani, Michael Showalter's irreverent romantic comedy about a couple on the rocks getting into some serious trouble is good for a few laughs but unfortunately, the film is overall less than memorable. The situations that occur throughout the couple's unpredictable night aren't all that engaging despite Rae and Nanjiani's best efforts to sell them, and the payoff at the end of the narrative falls somewhat flat. It's a pleasant enough silly ride but it could have been funnier or more romantic.

THE INVISIBLE MAN
2020 | Dir. Leigh Whannell | 124 Minutes
4 out of 5
An intense psychological thriller in which the hidden toxic horror of domestic abuse and gaslighting takes tangible form. Though it is by far his most restrained production to date, Leigh Whannell's appropriately disturbing modern take on the classic movie monster is really damn good. The film takes its time before it really gets going, but once it does the escalating suspense and terror never quite let up until even its stillest moments leave viewers on edge. Elisabeth Moss is simply fantastic as the tormented subject of the psychopath's attention, her striking remarkably expressive face alone impressively carries much of the picture.

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG
2020 | Dir. Jeff Fowler | 99 Minutes
2 out of 5
So it isn't an abomination but the final product is just truly bizarre. Not sure exactly who this one's aiming to please. It's a passable kids' movie with occasional low-key references to the Sonic of the 90s that feel out of place and out of touch. Besides the scenes featuring a criminally dialed-back family-friendly(?!) Jim Carrey ravenously devouring the scenery, the tone of the humor switches between cute, dull, and cute and dull. Props to folks behind the highly publicized reworked effects, Sonic looks pretty great and some of the action beats are neat if not particularly memorable.

BIRDS OF PREY (AND THE FANTABULOUS EMANCIPATION OF ONE HARLEY QUINN)
2020 | Dir. Cathy Yan | 109 Minutes
4 out of 5
An absolute blast with spectacularly choreographed brutal action, genuine laughs, a great cast, and one hell of a soundtrack. The new takes on established Gotham City characters introduced in the film are pretty inspired with Rosie Perez's Renee Montoya, Jurnee Smollett-Bell's Black Canary, and (naturally) Margot Robbie's Harley particularly shining. The one creative choice that doesn't quite pay off is its disjointed story structure. It's another prime example of how Warner's DC films are more interesting and much more satisfying when they are allowed to be conceptually unique stand-alone pictures that play with genre tropes, not obligated to clumsily force connections to a shared continuity.

COLOR OUT OF SPACE
2020 | Dir. Richard Stanley | 111 Minutes
3 out of 5
Definitely worth a look for fans of H.P. Lovecraft, Nic Cage, and/or long-absent visionary director Richard Stanley though objectively, it's a flawed combination of all three elements. The film is visually splendid and undeniably eerie, transforming into full-blown gross-out psychedelic cosmic horror by its third act, though some of the creative choices it makes are rather questionable, most baffling a zanny subplot regarding alpacas. Nic Cage's performance in this one is out of control, unfortunately mostly in a bad way, as if he were in a different picture than the rest of the cast. Pretty, weird, freaky, gory, trippy, alternately intentionally and unintentionally funny, this one's got classic midnight movie written all over it.

JUST MERCY
2019 | Dir. Destin Daniel Cretton | 136 Minutes
4 out of 5
An affecting, captivating, and appropriately upsetting legal drama based on the true story of a righteous attorney's fight to correct the wrongs of a woefully broken criminal justice system on behalf of death row inmates, too many of whom are wrongfully convicted due to blatant bigotry and incompetent law enforcement. Though the narrative is presented in a rather straightforward no-frills manner, the film is significantly elevated by excellent performances from Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Foxx, Brie Larson, and Tim Blake Nelson.

IP MAN 4: THE FINALE
2019 | Dir. Wilson Yip | 105 Minutes
4 out of 5
Between its exhilarating fight scenes, the conclusion of Donnie Yen's signature kung fu series actually has a lot to say about the mistreatment of immigrants and minorities in the U.S., taking an unambiguous anti-white-supremacist stance featuring overtly racist villains written with zero nuance. It makes it all the more satisfying to watch Master Ip beat the tar out of racist assholes all over San Francisco -- and anyone still on board with the franchise should have no problem continuing to roll with historical inaccuracy. The fights aren't the most impressive of the series but Yuen Woo Ping's choreography, as good as ever, sells the hell out of each and every blow. Of note, Danny Chan finally gets his moment to shine as Bruce Lee in an extended alleyway fight that plays like it was ripped straight out of The Big Boss or Way of the Dragon. Scott Adkins' gunnery sergeant is a worthy intimidating opponent for Donnie Yen's Master Ip, though his character is the most cartoonishly evil character of the four movies.

 UNCUT GEMS
2019 | Dir. Josh and Benny Safdie | 135 Minutes
5 out of 5
A nerve-wracking character study on a duplicitous swindler ruled by his highly precarious schemes running afoul of virtually everyone in his path. Emotionally intense, absolutely gripping, wickedly funny, and visually stunning, it's a hell of a film. In one of his rare dramatic performances, Adam Sandler hands down delivers the best work of his entire career. As an added bonus, fans of Boston Celtics legend Kevin Garnett are sure to get an extra kick out of this one.

KNIVES OUT
2019 | Dir. Rian Johnson | 130 Minutes
5 out of 5
Phenomenal entertainment. Recommended for anyone who appreciates the craft of a solid mystery. It's a captivating, hilarious, sometimes hilariously nasty whodunit that offers biting social commentary on longstanding American social problems while delivering a sweet central moral. Considering its eclectic all-star cast, each doing magnificent work from beginning to end, it's truly impressive how Ana de Armas drives the narrative with a heartwarmingly earnest stand-out performance.

 A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
2019 | Dir. Marielle Heller | 107 Minutes
4 out of 5
A pleasant and well-constructed picture about how everyday kindness, introspection, and empathy can overcome trauma, anger, and cynicism. It isn't so much a narrative about Fred Rogers as it is about the positive impact he had on the people he reached with his simple but powerful message, centered on a weary investigative journalist determined to uncover flaws in Mr. Rogers' character. The film is cleverly structured loosely emulating an episode of Rogers' show, less corny than it may sound though some of the drama and imagery is a bit heavy-handed particularly in a pair of hallucinatory sequences. Tom Hanks is expectedly delightful as Mr. Rogers, delivering a remarkably nuanced performance that is much more than a pitch perfect impression.

 DOCTOR SLEEP
2019 | Dir. Mike Flanagan | 153 Minutes
4 out of 5
Ambitious, trippy, entertaining, but only mildly frightening. As long as you don't go in expecting Stanley Kubrick or to be scared out of your wits, you'll be in for a weird and fun pulpy yarn about psychic heroes and monsters, and demons both personal and supernatural. In fact, while the callbacks to Kubrick's film are handled gracefully, the heavier ones may be the weakest aspects of the picture. Despite its flaws it's easily the best among the myriad of movies adapted from Stephen King this year thanks to filmmaker Mike Flanagan's evident love for the material and his proven talent for unpacking trauma and presenting the paranormal in cinematically exciting ways. Ewan McGregor makes for a convincing tormented Dan Torrance who is easy to sympathize with and to root for, and young performer Kyliegh Curran plays brilliantly against her more established co-stars, but the undisputed MVP of the feature is Rebecca Ferguson who captivates as the charismatic and menacing antagonist.

TERMINATOR: DARK FATE
2019 | Dir. Tim Miller | 128 Minutes
3 out of 5
It's the strongest entry in the franchise since Terminator 2: Judgment Day (a low bar to clear for sure) but even its most dynamic and inspired action sequences are tinged with distracting CGI weightlessness, and the handwavey timey-wimey way its plot justifies its own existence as a sequel is rather flimsy at best. After years of witnessing the franchise's steady decline, diehards who somehow haven't jumped ship yet should find this one pleasing, if not absolutely rewarding, while it might be best for other fans to wait for streaming options. Notably, the film acknowledges contemporary Mexico/US border politics but falls short of anything resembling actual commentary. Returning to their iconic roles, Linda Hamilton is totally badass as expected and Ahnuld is a real charmer despite his limited minutes. Natalia Reyes and Mackenzie Davis are solid action heroes and they carry the central message of the picture with admirable gusto. Erstwhile Ghost Rider Gabriel Luna is pretty damn great, convincing as a methodical nearly invincible killing machine.

 ZOMBIELAND: DOUBLE TAP
2019 | Dir. Ruben Fleischer | 93 Minutes
3 out of 5
Despite the ten-year gap, this one's an adequately amusing (if totally unnecessary) sequel that sticks to the feel-good broad comedy/light horror tone of the original movie. It's mostly an inconsequential ride but not a joyless one, inevitably lacking the original spark of its predecessor but not without a few pleasing surprises, in other words exactly the sequel one would expect for better or worse. Both slightly intriguing and slightly disappointing, world-building tidbits are introduced but not explored in any meaningful way. The returning cast once again elevates the picture in a major way, and it's honestly pleasing to see everyone come back and fully commit.

 THE LIGHTHOUSE
2019 | Dir. Robert Eggers | 110 Minutes
4 out of 5
A gorgeously photographed slightly meandering plunge into straight-up madness. Frustrating and deeply disturbing at points but consistently engaging thanks to tour de force performances from Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe who share fantastic, frequently explosive chemistry. Though I personally didn't like it quite as much as The Witch, filmmaker Robert Eggers is two-for-two in my book so far. This one's quite possibly the most A24 film on A24's slate for 2019.

VILLAINS
2019 | Dir. Dan Berk and Robert Olsen | 88 Minutes
4 out of 5
Tense, funny, and unpredictable, this engaging dark comedy about two criminal couples is surprisingly romantic. The film features four nuanced and brilliant performances from leads Bill Skarsgard, Maika Monroe, Kyra Sedgwick, and Jeffrey Donovan, each putting some of their best work on display, fully showing off their respective versatility. It's a brisk and twisty ride, highly recommended for anyone in the mood for a thriller with a nasty sense of humor.

 RAMBO: LAST BLOOD
2019 | Dir. Adrian Grunberg | 89 Minutes
2 out of 5
For what it's worth, the now seriously geriatric Sly Stallone still manages to convincingly deliver the ultra-violent action that's been the hallmark of this series since Part II. However, the over-simplistic plot centered on a cartoonishly evil Mexican gang and the depiction of allegedly non-existent border security are grossly misguided and absolutely problematic in the very worst way possible. Hopefully, Stallone keeps the book closed on John Rambo for good after this one.

AD ASTRA
2019 | Dir. James Gray | 124 Minutes
3 out of 5
Visually striking, broody, contemplative and, unfortunately, somewhat lifeless. It's a grounded sci-fi yarn that never really picks up momentum despite a handful of effective set pieces, the whole endeavor almost painfully straightforward. Brad Pitt does an admirable job carrying the entire picture though the dramatic arc of his lead role is perhaps too methodical and less than emotionally engaging.

IT: CHAPTER TWO
2019 | Dir. Andy Muschietti | 169 Minutes
3 out of 5
Highly recommended to anyone who is fond of the 2017 adaptation of the story's first half as long as they are prepared for a long sitting. Objectively, this back half is marred by overly ambitious scope and length but ultimately redeemed by the inherent strength of the cast and manages to deliver a satisfying conclusion. Where the pacing of Muschietti's first chapter is relatively brisk, excising and truncating elements of the source material as necessary, this one desperately needed a tighter edit. The episodic story structure consists of sequences that play like tedious video game fetch-quests complete with meticulously-designed but noticeably weightless set pieces. The actors portraying the adult Losers are excellent throughout, all the leads strikingly resemble their younger counterparts reprising their roles in extensive flashbacks. Bill Hader truly stands out, giving a hilarious, surprisingly nuanced and tragic take on lovable trashmouth Richie.

READY OR NOT
2019 | Dir. Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett | 95 Minutes
4 out of 5
Gut-wrenchingly gory and wickedly funny, this dark-as-midnight horror comedy is a bloody good time. Courageously receiving and dishing out a whole lot of carnage with natural charisma to spare, Samara Weaving is most definitely a scream queen heroine to be reckoned with. Though the family drama that plays out is handled fairly well, the picture is at its most engaging when it focuses on satirically taking down the 1%.

 GOOD BOYS
2019 | Dir. Gene Stupnitsky | 89 Minutes
5 out of 5
Beyond the clever very R-rated humor, accentuated by the innocence and naivety of the picture's pre-teen protagonists, is an excellent authentic heartfelt journey about growing up, the anxiety that comes with trying to fit in, and moving on. Leads Jacob Tremblay, Brady Noon, and Keith L. Williams are not only hilarious throughout the comedy's over-the-top situations but also superb in dramatic moments, particularly Williams whose character has a staggering amount of emotional baggage to deal with.

 SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK
2019 | Dir. André Øvredal | 108 Minutes
3 out of 5
The filmmakers made an ambitious choice in foregoing the straightforward anthology movie format for this adaptation, opting to tell an original overarching story, but I mostly wish they hadn't. The plot tying together Alvin Schwartz's spooky yarns is competent, but it never comes close to reaching the frightening heights of the folklore-inspired tales. Yet, André Øvredal's superb direction really shines when the picture directly adapts the titular Scary Stories of the source material. In these deliciously tense sequences, the feature effectively evokes all the dread felt by any elementary school kid daring enough to peruse those classic horror anthology tomes. The creature designs are overall pretty nifty, the best are naturally the ones that stick closest to Stephen Gammell's forever-terrifying illustrations.

THE KITCHEN
2019 | Dir. Andrea Berloff | 103 Minutes
3 out of 5
A disappointingly trashy mob flick that struggles to capitalize on its promising potentially prestige-picture-level premise. Excellent performances from Melissa McCarthy and Tiffany Haddish fail to redeem the mediocre plot, uneven tone, and inconsistent muddled statements on empowerment. Here's hoping this one doesn't prevent McCarthy and Haddish from getting more dramatic roles. Though captivating as ever, Elisabeth Moss has frankly done much better work than this, severely hamstrung by her character's one-dimensional arc. The sight of Domhnall Gleeson playing a dead-eyed killer is a novelty that wears off surprisingly quickly.

 STUBER
2019 | Dir. Michael Dowse | 105 Minutes
4 out of 5
A serviceable, surprisingly bloody, R-rated comedy deserving of an extra point thanks to the charm of its two excellent leads and fun supporting cast. Kumail Nanjiani and Dave Bautista are without a doubt an entertaining duo, fully committing to their roles as the timid doormat Uber driver and the too-macho-for-his-own-good hero cop. While the picture features some truly hilarious moments, the script is slightly undercooked, leading up to a third act that's somewhat lacking. It could have also made more use of Iko Uwais though we do get a couple brutal, if brief, fights between the Indonesian action phenom and Bautista.

 MIDSOMMAR
2019 | Dir. Ari Aster | 147 Minutes
4 out of 5
Writer/director Ari Aster's follow-up to Hereditary is a beautifully shot exercise in ritual catharsis, and as far away as viewers can get from a generic big studio horror film. In fact, hyper-elaborate pagan ceremonies and lingering graphic violence aside, I'm not 100% sure I'd even file this one under horror. It's strange, it's engaging, it's creepy (maybe not outright scary enough for weirdos *like me* who ravenously consume the genre), it's morbidly funny, it drifts a bit before it goes off the rails, and it's ultimately mighty gratifying.

 YESTERDAY
2019 | Dir. Danny Boyle | 116 Minutes
3 out of 5
A sweet and adorable romcom starring very attractive people that just happens to feature decent covers of the Beatles' greatest hits performed by charming lead Himesh Patel. The fun and intriguing high-concept plot device that sets the story in motion is mostly played for clever (but never too clever) laughs, eventually tying into the stardom-is-corrosive moral of the tale. The universe-altering incident is never explored in greater metaphysical depth - and that's fine, really! It's one of those saccharine-by-design follow-your-heart movies, not a speculative sci-fi mindwarp after all. The most creative aspect of the picture is director Danny Boyle's signature visual flair, and he's clearly overqualified for the job. Side note: Kate McKinnon is awesome as Ed Sheeran's aggressively evil manager.

 ANNABELLE COMES HOME
2019 | Dir. Gary Dauberman | 106 Minutes
3 out of 5
The latest Conjuring-adjacent flick has a lot going for it - amiable and versatile young leads, inspired creature designs and set pieces, and even a touching story at its core. The problem is that it just isn't particularly scary. Despite having all the right components, and competent direction that adequately builds the appropriate atmosphere, the scares are impressively constructed but disappointingly toothless. Also, for an Annabelle movie, the comically creepy doll (or, per the lore, the demon that manipulates it) doesn't really do very much, sharing the spotlight with the other entities unleashed from the Warrens' storied room of cursed objects. It's a fun, but ultimately forgettable ride. Here's hoping the next mainline Conjuring film delivers the quality horror that these spin-offs lack due to one mediocre aspect or another.

 MEN IN BLACK: INTERNATIONAL
2019 | Dir. F. Gary Gray | 115 Minutes
2 out of 5
This soft reboot is so dull, it's downright criminal. Casting Tessa Thompson and Chris Hemsworth in the respective MIB rookie and burned-out mentor roles was a brilliant notion but their talents are utterly, heartbreakingly squandered on a not-very-clever not-quite-weird-enough plot, and the lifeless and forgettable set pieces in between. Perhaps most upsetting, Kumail Nanjiani, one of my favorite performers ever, provides the voice for a tiny alien creature that essentially serves as the joke writers' weaksauce punch-up dispenser. While the movie's not offensively terrible, it's just a waste of time for everyone involved including its potential audience. It could have been so much more.

 GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS
2019 | Dir. Michael Dougherty | 132 Minutes
4 out of 5
Thoroughly satisfying kaiju/Titan action with a glorious soundtrack. This iteration of Ghidorah absolutely steals the show for me (particularly the left head), a worthy and formidable adversary to the once and future kaiju king as he should be. Mothra and even Rodan are afforded great action beats, too. Sure, the human story isn't anything special despite the movie's impressive cast, but at least it isn't mind-numbing dull or embarrassingly bad save for a peppering of super corny one-liners.

 JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 3 - PARABELLUM
2019 | Dir. Chad Stahelski | 131 Minutes
4 out of 5
A fine continuation to the bloody saga of New York's deadliest dog owner. The brutal action sequences are some of the most inventive and entertaining yet, most notably the ones featuring Halle Berry, in her most badass role ever, and a pair of German Shepherds trained for testicular destruction. Veteran action star Mark Dacascos (perhaps best known to general audiences as the acrobatic Iron Chef America Chairman), and martial arts stars Yayan Ruhian and Cecep Arif Rahman from the Raid films, fit in perfectly, showing off their excellent skills to the fullest. Plotwise, rather than close out a trilogy, this one plays like an elaborate wheel-spinning middle chapter, introducing a few more layers of mythology to the film series' surreal not-so-hidden world of contract killers, neither enhancing nor detracting from the overall experience.

 SHAZAM!
2019 | Dir. David F. Sandberg | 132 Minutes
5 out of 5
Hands down the best, and certainly most focused and coherent, superhero film released by Warner that takes place in their DC shared universe so far. This cinematic take on Billy Batson is charming and fun (despite a new decidedly sadder backstory), the jokes totally land, and the action and surprises (especially for those with even a passing familiarity with the source material) are absolutely thrilling. For once, the picture's references to the Justice League aren't distracting in the slightest but instead serve to add depth to its characters and its humor. The story's central message about the value of family, biological or not, is genuinely touching.

US
2019 | Dir. Jordan Peele | 116 Minutes
5 out of 5
Suspenseful, surprisingly funny, and delightfully creepy, Jordan Peele once again delivers a horror story with an intriguing central concept that's rich with subtext, this time offering an amusingly weird spin on underground tunnels, doppelgangers, and Hands Across America. The movie features strong dual role performances across the board from its solid cast, most of all from Lupita Nyong'o.

 HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON: THE HIDDEN WORLD
2019 | Dir. Dean DeBlois | 104 Minutes
4 out of 5
A solid conclusion to DreamWorks' HTTYD Trilogy, though this one just didn't hit have as much of an impact on me as the first two films. The story is centered on the idea of letting go of what you love so that it may flourish, a heady concept for children's entertainment for sure, but fitting for a series that heavily features themes of sacrifice and loss. The thin material for the supporting players is more glaring than ever as Hiccup's sidekicks continue to be written without any real character growth. On a technical level, the picture sets a new standard for DreamWorks' animated features, the lighting effects are particularly exquisite.

 THE LEGO MOVIE 2: THE SECOND PART
2019 | Dir. Mike Mitchell | 107 Minutes
4 out of 5
Not quite as fresh or original but just as clever and charming as the first film centered on the colorful brand name Danish construction bricks. Like its predecessor, the story ultimately presents an existential crisis wrapped in a mildly subversive toy ad for kids. The songs featured on the soundtrack are self-consciously catchy and the lyrics are just as metatextual as the picture's narrative about the often misguided ways adolescents force themselves to appear more mature. It's incredibly amusing to me that Warner's DC Comics films are the butt of many of the movie's laugh-out-loud jokes.

GLASS
2019 | Dir. M. Night Shyamalan | 129 Minutes
5 out of 5
It's not for everyone, but it's a definitive surprisingly satisfying conclusion to M. Night Shyamalan's grounded superhero trilogy, completing story threads established three years ago in Split and nineteen(!) years ago in Unbreakable - it would be inadvisable to sit down for this one without having seen the previous films. It's a complete warts-and-all encapsulation of Shyamalan's as a storyteller, his talent for building suspense, his proclivity for building up to an eleventh hour twist (this is one of the times the twist truly works), his unwieldy dialogue. James McAvoy is spectacular, rapidly switching between a multitude of different characters, going over the top and back again. It takes awhile for his part to come into play, but Sam Jackson nearly matches McAvoy's energy in the second half of the movie. While neither of these performances leave any room for nuance, they are a joy to behold. Conversely and unsurprisingly, Bruce Willis phones it in, but thankfully his role in the story is minimal by design. Considering the way this movie ends, it would be unwise for Shyamalan to revisit this story.

DESTROYER
2018 | Dir. Karyn Kusama | 123 Minutes
4 out of 5
Despite a few questionable elements of the film's narrative structure, it's a solid gritty crime thriller. Nicole Kidman is absolutely captivating in her best performance to date, completely disappearing into the role of a fundamentally broken LAPD detective on a desperate self-destructive quest for vengeance. The supporting cast is a delightful eclectic mix of excellent character actors featuring Sebastian Stan, Toby Huss, Scoot McNairy, Bradley Whitford, Toby Kebbell, and Tatiana Maslany.

MASTER Z: THE IP MAN LEGACY
2018 | Dir. Yuen Woo Ping | 107 Minutes
4 out of 5
A solid kung fu movie featuring talented internationally-renowned performers in the likes of Max Zhang, Tony Jaa, Michelle Yeoh, and Dave Bautista with thrilling choreography by the ever-reliable Yuen Woo Ping (and man, am I ever so thankful for Yuen Woo Ping!). The heavy-handed decidedly anti-drug anti-corrupt-cop anti-gweilo plot and weird off-brand Batman references don't detract too much from some of the best fight sequences contemporary cinema has to offer, giving even the mainline Ip Man movies a run for their money.

 MARY POPPINS RETURNS
2018 | Dir. Rob Marshall | 130 Minutes
4 out of 5
It's a quality long gap sequel to an untouchable Disney classic. Emily Blunt's take on the magical nanny is somewhat sterner than Julie Andrews' but she absolutely shines and is overall a terrific fit for the role. Lin-Manuel Miranda is impressive as the lamplighter Jack, essentially filling in for Dick Van Dyke's Bert, complete with ridiculous cockney accent (and yet in her featured cameo, Meryl Streep's got him beat on totally off-kilter accents!). More plot-driven than the original film, the stakes are decidedly higher with the Banks family fallen on hard times and an evil banker, Colin Firth going full Colin Firth, determined to repossess their house. The musical numbers are consistently delightful though not really memorable. The sequence blending live action actors with animation (within a Royal Doulton Bowl instead of pavement art this time) is a real highlight.

SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE
2018 | Dir. Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman | 117 Minutes
4 out of 5
Features unique dazzling visuals with a whole lot of humor and heart. Would have liked more screen time for some of the parallel Spider-People (Nic Cage's Spider-Man Noir is a total riot), but the core dynamic shared between Miles Morales and a down-in-the-dumps washed-up Peter Parker is simply delightful. Plus, Gwen Stacy absolutely rocks. Though not a prerequisite, the movie finds clever ways to reward familiarity with the extended Spidey mythos.

IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK
2018 | Dir. Barry Jenkins | 117 Minutes
5 out of 5
Engaging, beautiful, breathtaking, and heartbreaking, Barry Jenkins' adaptation of James Baldwin's novel presents a touching romance under constant threat from ever-prevalent social injustice. Jenkins continues to evoke strong Wong-Kar-Wai-esque vibes as he continues to improve as a filmmaker, perfectly capturing the complex inner lives of his characters through skillful use of close-ups, insightful interior monologue, and special attention paid to small day-to-day moments. Simply put, it's a gorgeous-looking film with a powerful emotional core.

MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS
2018 | Dir. Josie Rourke | 125 Minutes
3 out of 5
A fairly standard historical drama framed in a feminist perspective. Though told with a rather progressive disposition (notably some interestingly historically inaccurate, though not unwelcome, casting choices), the narrative is invariably a muddled stew of political struggles for power and succession. Thankfully, the film is elevated (though not quite saved) by two engaging performances from Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie, both bringing intimacy and humanity to the larger-than-life monarchs they portray. It's musing to see David Tenant play a one-note religious leader preaching hateful rhetoric to his flock, though that shtick quickly becomes tiresome.

WIDOWS
2018 | Dir. Steve McQueen | 129 Minutes
5 out of 5
A thematically potent heist thriller about the forces of greed, corruption, loss, and survival. It comes with all the dramatic twists and turns, as well as the emotional gut-punches one would expect from novelist/screenwriter Gillian Flynn punctuated by the thoughtful meditative sensibilities of director Steve McQueen. The extraordinary ensemble cast is led by Viola Davis, showcasing one of the very best, most controlled performances of her career. Glad to see Michelle Rodriguez actually stretch her acting muscles in a heist movie unrelated to the Fast and Furious franchise!

FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD
2018 | Dir. David Yates | 134 Minutes
3 out of 5
Too much plot and world-building, not enough story. While it adds intriguing new wrinkles to the mythology of JK Rowling's Wizarding World, the exposition is significantly clumsier in execution than in Newt Scamander's inaugural cinematic adventure. It plays like a meandering history lesson for devoted fans, introducing plot threads and dispensing callbacks without serving the characters. Much of the charm is markedly absent. As a chapter in a larger saga, it's a whole lot of setup without anything remotely resembling satisfactory payoff. As a film, it doesn't bother to come together as a complete narrative.

OVERLORD
2018 | Dir. Julius Avery | 110 Minutes
4 out of 5
A standard, albeit competently executed WWII picture that gradually shifts into an undead Nazi horror B-movie, plunging into full-blown Wolfenstein-esque mayhem by the last half hour with imagery that's as grotesque as anything featured in a pre-CCA era EC comic book. Jovan Adepo is a serviceable lead as the blandly heroic reluctant soldier, but he's certainly done better work before. Wyatt Russell stands out as the no-nonsense mission-driven corporal, playing the sort of character his father Kurt would play in the 80s without missing a step.

THE BALLAD OF BUSTER SCRUGGS
2018 | Dir. Joel and Ethan Coen | 133 Minutes
4 out of 5
The central theme of the cheapness of life in the old west tie together six short tales of wildly varying tone. It's a serviceable Coen Brothers sampler, showcasing fine examples of their penchant for dark violent humor, amusing dialogue, and warped karma. Not their best nor their worst. The segment featuring Tom Waits as a methodical prospector is my favorite.

SUSPIRIA
2018 | Dir. Luca Guadagnino | 152 Minutes
3 out of 5
Luca Guadagnino takes the concept of a coven of witches disguised as a European dance school from Dario Argento's sensory feast of a cult classic and transmutes it into a grey melancholy meditation on the neglected influence of women taking on terrifying forms conflicting and contrasting against the ruin brought on by men. More frustrating than artful, nearly all exposition essential to understanding the semi-abstract supernatural elements of the story is casually delivered verbally, not visually. Despite Thom Yorke's beautiful haunting soundtrack, and copious helpings of weird violence and disturbing imagery (particularly in the picture's bloody sixth and final act), the mounting dread fails to build to anything close to emotional or visceral satisfaction. Dakota Johnson's unaffecting acting style works well enough in her portrayal of the unassuming Susie but it's regretfully unremarkable especially in comparison to Mia Goth's engaging performance as Susie's doomed friend Sara. Almost goes without saying, Tilda Swinton is the true highlight of the feature, playing three distinct roles (one of which is a bizarre open secret).

THE NIGHT COMES FOR US
2018 | Dir. Timo Tjahjanto | 121 Minutes
4 out of 5
Yeesh! The action choreography, stunt work, and camera work are top notch if you can stomach the buckets of gore and viscera. It's hands down the most gruesome movie I've seen all year by sheer volume. I'm pretty desensitized to movie violence, but I had my hand over my mouth for nearly every brutal fight sequence in this one. Martial arts stars Joe Taslim and Iko Uwais are at the top of their game while Julie Estelle completely steals the show.

HALLOWEEN
2018 | Dir. David Gordon Green | 106 Minutes
3 out of 5
I wish it was better. There are glimmers, real hints of brilliance. Jamie Lee Curtis is a treasure reprising her star-making role of Laurie Strode with excellent added layers of Sarah-Connor-style defense mechanisms brought on by post-traumatic stress. The final set piece is immensely entertaining, though slasher movie traditionalists may take issue with how it defies the trappings of the genre defined by its prime progenitor. Getting to that inspired sequence is at times a chore as the film shifts between various cycles of undercooked material that doesn't pass muster or mesh together smoothly: standard modern slasher movie complete with a nonsensical twist that serves no purpose, horror satire with jokes that don't quite register, pale imitation remix-style remake with callbacks that only remind fans that the original picture did it first and/or better. Can't shake the feeling that director David Gordon Green and his writing team ambitiously tossed everything they had into this stew but didn't quite develop any of its aspects well enough. Plus, this is yet another film that criminally underutilizes Judy Greer! Diehard fans of the series are bound to hate this one for discarding decades of continuity in exchange for such an uneven, sometimes stupid ride. Without that baggage, it wavers between passable and enjoyable for horror audiences that aren't completely put off by its inconsistency.

 FIRST MAN
2018 | Dir. Damien Chazelle | 138 Minutes
3 out of 5
Damien Chazelle's latest film is mostly a dour affair presenting the narrative of Neil Armstrong's involvement in the Gemini and Apollo missions within the context of his personal tragedy and the various pressures he faced leading up to Apollo 11. More disorienting than thrilling, flight sequences are framed almost exclusively in claustrophobic close-up to dial up the feeling of danger and anxiety experienced by astronauts. Ryan Gosling gives his most soulful performance to date as a tortured quietly temperamental Armstrong, although at times his brand of controlled cool juxtaposes rather poorly against Claire Foy's natural intensity as Armstrong's suffering wife Janet.

BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE
2018 | Dir. Drew Goddard | 141 Minutes
4 out of 5
Tarantinoesque in structure and in tone, several twisty yarns weave into an uneven, convoluted, bloody, and entertaining tapestry. Featuring an eclectic cast of intriguing characters brought to pulpy life by Cynthia Erivo, Jeff Bridges, John Hamm, Lewis Pullman, Dakota Johnson, and Chris Hemsworth, the picture is elevated by the strength of its stars but unfortunately not quite enough to pull itself out of its momentum-killing final stretch. Erivo in particular delivers a stand-out performance as a down-on-her-luck singer among a group of liars and killers. The extended running time of nearly two and a half hours is rough but it's certainly worth a watch for fans of non-linear suspense and the work of director Drew Goddard (responsible for masterful horror genre deconstruction The Cabin in the Woods and some of the best episodes of Lost).

APOSTLE
2018 | Dir. Gareth Evans | 129 Minutes
4 out of 5
An intense and gory ride that really picks up during its last third. The supernatural aspect of the story is underwhelming, the film could've done without it altogether or, conversely, would have greatly benefited if it was taken much further. A solid feature-length horror debut for director Gareth Evans, but pales in comparison to the smashing home run successes of his Raid action epics.

 MANDY
2018 | Dir. Panos Cosmatos | 121 Minutes
5 out of 5
CRAZY! Sweet sensory overload. Simultaneously beautiful and beyond over-the-top and in its gloriously visceral gorey colorful vision. The first half is a slowish boil but if your attention-span holds you'll see the film go off the rails at a million miles per hour after the shit hits the fan. Director Panos Cosmatos delivers a biker gang that looks and operates like Clive Barker-style demons, animated dream sequences that take a page from Heavy Metal magazine, the worst Christian folk musicians ever, and more! Best of all, we get Nicolas Cage going Full Cage in the best way imaginable. Filing this one under Great 3am Fever Dream Movies.

SEARCHING
2018 | Dir. Aneesh Chaganty | 102 Minutes
4 out of 5
An intense thriller that amounts to much more than what its rather novel format might suggest. While the message on facing and accepting grief at the film's core is emotionally resonant, if somewhat heavy-handed, as a whole the picture does an excellent job of weaving a captivating mystery while hiding intriguing clues and even curious bits of world-building in plain sight. John Cho turns in a fantastic performance as the distraught father to a teenage daughter gone missing, and Debra Messing is convincing as a wary detective with nerves of steel.

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - FALLOUT
2018 | Dir. Christopher McQuarrie | 147 Minutes
4 out of 5
Another solid entry in the series. It's death-defying stunts and convoluted twists galore. Henry Cavill and his mustache are glorious. Plot-wise, it's absolutely ludicrous that the IMF hasn't been permanently shuttered at this point but whatever -- we're here to see Tom Cruise skydive, leap across buildings, and dangle off helicopters. I suspect these movies will continue to thrive and entertain as long as Cruise believes he's invulnerable.

SORRY TO BOTHER YOU
2018 | Dir. Boots Riley | 111 Minutes
5 out of 5
Hilarious, disturbing, incisive, and timely. Boots Riley's directorial debut is rich with cutting social commentary and inventive visual flourish. There's a lot to unpack but notable sight gags and some of the film's upsetting satirical concepts will undoubtedly prove to have real lasting power. Lakeith Stanfield is magnificent as morally-conflicted telemarketer Cash, leading a fantastic cast.

HOTEL ARTEMIS
2018 | Dir. Drew Pearce | 94 Minutes
3 out of 5
Loaded with fun actors and style but less than the sum of its highly derivative parts. Somehow, the plot and characters are simultaneously overwritten and underdeveloped. At best, it's an entertainingly meandering ride. At worst, it's a substantial waste of talent and vision.

HEREDITARY
2018 | Dir. Ari Aster | 127 Minutes
5 out of 5
Deeply, deeply unsettling with long uncomfortable sequences of mounting dread that play like the inverse of the standard cheap jump-scare. Toni Collette delivers an award-worthy performance as a troubled woman in a truly awful situation nestled within pre-existing challenging circumstances. I particularly appreciate the way the picture doesn't beat you over the head with exposition, methodically laying out all the pieces that lead to its masterfully disturbing conclusion.

UPGRADE
2018 | Dir. Leigh Whannell | 95 Minutes
4 out of 5
A gory sci-fi action flick in the vein of RoboCop featuring some clever speculative future-tech and sequences with fun fight choreography. Written and directed by Leigh Whannell (perhaps most famously known as James Wan's writing partner on the original Saw and Insidious movies), this one even has a twisty, slightly clumsy Saw-style reveal at the end.

SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY
2018 | Dir. Ron Howard | 135 Minutes
4 out of 5
Sure, it was pretty much designed to be an effortless cash-grab but, damn it, it's packed with good action, solid humor, and surprising references to deep-cut Star Wars lore. The first half has some weird structural problems (quite possibly due to the picture's widely-publicized behind-the-scenes drama) but once the narrative gets going, it quickly becomes the rollicking Kessel Run space heist movie that I always wanted. I adore the cast. Donald Glover is an amazing Lando, while any doubts I had about Alden Ehrenreich's Han were quickly laid to rest.

DEADPOOL 2
2018 | Dir. David Leitch | 119 Minutes
4 out of 5
A funnier, more focused ride than its predecessor. Josh Brolin is appropriately badass as Cable, and Zazie Beetz totally steals the show as Domino proving that Luck is absolutely cinematic as a superpower. Hilarious cameos and nerdy Marvel inside-jokes galore.

A QUIET PLACE
2018 | Dir. John Krasinski | 90 Minutes
4 out of 5
A thrilling horror flick that fully utilizes its solid premise for maximum tension. There's a simple but affective well-acted family drama between the mix of good jump scares and cheap ones - thankfully, most of them are pretty darn good. Spoken dialogue is sparse, a creative risk for this major studio release that really pays off. The creature work is decidedly less risky, a CGI blend of stranger things you've probably seen before if you're into genre stuff.

READY PLAYER ONE
2018 | Dir. Steven Spielberg | 140 Minutes
3 out of 5
70% animated, 30% live action, corny fun, very goofy, a little hollow, and slightly meandering. The movie doesn't feel completely genuine/fully-realized until its last thirty minutes. There are a few turns that take the narrative into Black Mirror Lite territory, particularly in its commentary on corporations monetizing the internet, but Spielberg is quick to pull back. Unsurprisingly, the vast majority of the pop culture references consist of in-your-face Warner-owned IPs. Zak Penn and original author Ernest Cline did a fine job of condensing the novel into a reasonable screenplay that mostly improves on the book. I could have done without TJ Miller's lame character written exclusively for the movie.

PACIFIC RIM: UPRISING
2018 | Dir. Steven S. DeKnight | 111 Minutes
2 out of 5
The cinematic equivalent of a Big Mac and a bag of Doritos. The colorful anime-inspired mecha-on-monster battles are flashy and, at times, fun, but the characters and the story are woefully underdeveloped for the fights to carry any dramatic weight. John Boyega does his best with the thin material, as does up-and-comer Cailee Spaeny, but Scott Eastwood is still devoid of charisma. Guillermo del Toro's passion for this stuff, highlighting every frame of its predecessor, is noticeably absent from this too-little way-too-late sequel from Steven S. DeKnight.

ISLE OF DOGS
2018 | Dir. Wes Anderson | 101 Minutes
5 out of 5
A lovely work of stop-motion art that tells a sweet story with some real emotional stakes. It's funny, slightly dark, but touching, striking particularly true for pet owners. The all-star voice cast turns in charming performances, never distracting. Highly recommended for fans of animation and fans of Wes Anderson's stylistic sensibilities. Dog-lovers take special notice!

ANNIHILATION
2018 | Dir. Alex Garland | 115 Minutes
4 out of 5
Visually stunning and captivating hard-R sci-fi horror led by a strong female cast. There's some breathtaking imagery in this picture as well as a number of well-executed gory visceral scares. Thematically, the film is decidedly nihilistic, presenting a universe that cares not for the intrinsically human search for knowledge and meaning.

THE CLOVERFIELD PARADOX
2018 | Dir. Julius Onah | 102 Minutes
4 out of 5
An entertaining sci-fi thriller that plays like a haunted fun house in space with a really good cast. The premise is pretty wild and yet disappointingly the internal logic of the picture tilts between either lazy or inconsistent. Although Bonus Points for dropping on Netflix seemingly out of nowhere, and for possibly starting to bring together the threads of the shared Cloverfield universe.

I, TONYA
2017 | Dir. Craig Gillespie | 121 Minutes
4 out of 5
An unconventional biopic that puts a very human face on one of the most vilified figures of the mid-1990s popular consciousness. While the final third of the film inevitably covers the infamous 1994 Nancy Kerrigan incident, the main focus of the picture is on Harding's troubled relationships with her mother and her ex-husband Jeff Gillooly. The captivating, occasionally distracting, but undeniably entertaining structure of the movie shifts between the main narrative (in which Harding regularly breaks the fourth wall) and documentary-style mock-interviews with Harding, her mother, Gillooly, and others. The cast is excellent, led by a magnetic and hilariously frank performance from Margot Robbie as Harding. Allison Janney fully commits as Harding's uncompromisingly thuggish mother. Eerily convincing, Sebastian Stan portrays Gillolly as deceptively soft-spoken, abusive and despicable human garbage.

THE DISASTER ARTIST
2017 | Dir. James Franco | 105 Minutes
4 out of 5
An affectionate love letter to one of the worst movies of all time, and to the man who made it. James Franco is outright weird, compelling, and surprisingly endearing as the supremely bizarre Tommy Wiseau. Dave Franco makes an excellent audience surrogate as Greg Sestero. The picture is more an ode to friendship and perseverance, and less a meticulous examination of a bad work of art. I suspect that a better balance between these two aspects would have made this dramedy a stronger film.

JUSTICE LEAGUE
2017 | Dir. Zack Snyder | 120 Minutes
3 out of 5
Stupid over-the-top haphazard fun (that's right, fun). A poorly-realized adversary, garbage CGI, and hit-or-miss one-liners aside, its biggest flaws are unavoidable plot points carried over from BvS. Gal Gadot really shines as Wonder Woman (definitely benefiting from following up on the only good solo DC shared universe picture). Ben Affleck is still not the best nor the worst big screen Batman but his "funny" lines fall the flattest. Ezra Miller's socially awkward Barry Allen/Flash eventually won me over but your mileage may vary. Jason Momoa's Aquaman is as dude-bro dumb as one would expect, delivering the sort of performance more fitting for a Fast and Furious movie. Ray Fisher's Cyborg just wasn't given enough of a story to leave a significant impression. Digital-mustache-removal be damned, Henry Cavill's Man of Steel returns in truly triumphant fashion augmented by John Williams' -and- Hans Zimmer's Superman themes. Oddly, it's not a culmination of DC's shared universe movies, certainly not the World's Finest, but it's a decent start. Bring on the Lanterns and the Legion of Doom, please.

 THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER
2017 | Dir. Yorgos Lanthimos | 121 Minutes
3 out of 5
A challenging film that ramps up dramatic tension with every passing minute, completely foregoing conventional logic. This one is difficult to watch, categorize, and process, hard to recommend to genre fans - even those seeking a psychological horror fix. It's an artfully slow burn with line-delivery that's jarringly, and intentionally awkward. Top performances from Colin Farrell and Nicole Kidman, with a truly excellent turn from Barry Keoghan as the enigmatic and off-putting Martin, and a surprise appearance from Alicia Silverstone as Martin's troubled mother.

THE FLORIDA PROJECT
2017 | Dir. Sean Baker | 115 Minutes
4 out of 5
An honest look at pure childhood innocence in a setting of extreme poverty just miles outside of Disney World. While Willem Dafoe and Bria Vinaite deliver brave and wonderful performances, Brooklynn Prince is simply phenomenal, carrying more than her share of the picture's dramatic weight as little Mooney. Just as the drama boils over, the harsh realities of the world finally encroaching on Mooney's summer, director Sean Baker refuses to let childhood end. Though I appreciate the sentiment, it's not a conclusion I find to be completely fitting for this narrative.

 BLADE RUNNER 2049
2017 | Dir. Denis Villeneuve | 163 Minutes
5 out of 5
Thought-provoking, meticulously realized, and visually mesmerizing dystopian sci-fi noir with a soulful story at its core. Sylvia Hoeks steals the show as the homicidal corporate enforcer Luv. Reasonably functional as a stand-alone film, but naturally thoroughly rewarding as an extrapolation of Ridley Scott's original picture. Props to Warner for not disclosing any significant plot points in the ad campaign for this one.

 MOTHER!
2017 | Dir. Darren Aronofsky | 121 Minutes
4 out of 5
Despite featuring some of today's biggest movie stars, and its deliberately vague marketing as a high profile horror film, the best way to describe Darren Aronofsky's latest picture is undiluted art house cinema. A meticulously crafted slow-boil until its shocking and deeply upsetting final act, the film operates on disorienting, and often disturbing, dream logic. Not recommended for anyone with a weak stomach, or those expecting any semblance of a conventional story. Mother! is a tense, uncomfortable, and beautiful work of art with a central theological message that is open for interpretation and sure to incite controversy.

IT
2017 | Dir. Andy Muschietti | 132 Minutes
4 out of 5
An absolutely engaging, if slightly flawed, horror film packed with expensive-looking CGI-heavy scares and a few narrative structural oddities. Thankfully, the picture is carried by consistently excellent performances from its young stars. The late 1980s setting adds flavor, and luckily the screenwriters don't utilize it as a cheap crutch. Would have been nice if the feature were slightly more self-contained, but considering its source material (and the confidence the studio must have felt once they knew they had a winner in the making), paving the way for the second part of the story is a bold but reasonable choice. Glad to return to this cinematic take on Derry, Maine. Here's hoping the second half is as good or better than the first.

 THE DARK TOWER
2017 | Dir. Nikolaj Arcel | 95 Minutes
19 out of 99
This bland and uninspired adaptation strays too far from the source material, stripping away nearly everything captivating about Stephen King's sprawling multiverse-traversing magnum opus, leaving just enough clumsy references and underdeveloped mythology to confound the uninitiated. While young actor Tom Taylor isn't completely awful as a completely rewritten Jake (with completely new generically-realized parents), centering the narrative on *this* Jake instead of Idris Elba's Roland (admirably, completely committed to the role) is a profoundly disappointing choice. Matthew McConaughey sleepwalks to an easy paycheck as Walter-with-too-many-powers.
The Good: The Tet Corporation logo preceding the film. Idris Elba as Roland. Hearing the Gunslinger's Creed spoken in a movie.
The Bad: Haphazardly cramming characters, artifacts, concepts, and locations from late in the novel series into this film (presumably what the producers intend to be the start of a movie franchise). Basic story beats that the undermine the unique nature of the novels. Some truly groan-inducing dialogue.
The Ugly: The feeling I have leaving the cinema that Sony squandered away this property that could have been something truly different and special. Incidentally, if this is considered a sequel to the novel series as the producers are claiming it to be, Roland truly fucked things up...

ATOMIC BLONDE
2017 | Dir. David Leitch | 115 Minutes
4 out of 5
A superb showcase of action and style furnished with a loopy and, truth-be-told, practically inconsequential Cold War espionage narrative. Charlize Theron convincingly kicks so much KGB ass and the spot-on aesthetics of the production are so perfect, the relative shortcomings of the plot almost don't matter. If anything, the infectious 80s synth-pop needle-drops and excellent choreography of the downright brutal fight scenes are worth the price of admission.

VALERIAN AND THE CITY OF A THOUSAND PLANETS
2017 | Dir. Luc Besson | 137 Minutes
2 out of 5
At its best, it can be imaginative and visually stunning. At its worst, seemingly its default setting, it's a clumsy and poorly-scripted waste of a production. Dane DeHaan and Cara Delevingne are virtually devoid of charisma as Valerian and Laureline, their cringe-worthy dialogue and anti-chemistry constantly deflating the movie. It's a real shame that this was clearly a passion-project for Luc Besson, and it will ultimately be remembered as one of his worst films - if it will even be remembered at all.

 WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES
2017 | Dir. Matt Reeves | 140 Minutes
4 out of 5
A suitably epic climax for the modern Planet of the Apes film trilogy, adding a fascinating new wrinkle to the simian flu story point. It's astounding that the motion-capture technology developed to bring the lead primate characters to life is so advanced now, it barely registers. Despite pacing issues leading up to the final section of the film, it's satisfying thematically-rich character-driven sci-fi feature. Not recommended for the uninitiated - it is in no way intended to be a stand-alone film - but it's a worthy addition to the Apes canon.

MARY AND THE WITCH'S FLOWER
2017 | Dir. Hiromasa Yonebayashi | 103 Minutes
4 out of 5
A charming, visually impressive effort from Studio Ponoc (founded by ex-Studio Ghibli animators). For better or worse, Ghibli fans are sure to find much of the imagery and many of the themes incredibly familiar. It will be interesting to see how Ponoc will carry on as this first film looks very much like it was developed in Ghibli's shadow.

OKJA
2017 | Dir. Bong Joon Ho | 120 Minutes
4 out of 5
Bong Joon Ho's latest film is a harrowing journey with a powerful message about the treatment livestock told through his signature satirical sci-fi lens. It's difficult to watch at times but definitely worth seeing. The excellent cast features An Seo Hyun, Tilda Swinton, Paul Dano, Jake Gyllenhaal, Steven Yeun, and Giancarlo Esposito. Swinton is an impressive chameleon as ever. Unfortunately, Gyllenhaal distractingly turns in possibly the worst performance of his career. Luckily, An does an amazing job as the emotional center of the picture, acting against a CGI character in most of her scenes no less.

 BABY DRIVER
2017 | Dir. Edgar Wright | 113 Minutes
5 out of 5
A wonderful blend of inventive action, brilliant often-hilarious dialogue, an eclectic mix of catchy music, and overall fantastic film-making courtesy of Edgar Wright. Everything about this film just puts a big goofy smile on my face. It's a real pleasure to see Kevin Spacey, Jon Hamm, and Jamie Foxx really deliver as multi-faceted scoundrels. Also, who knew the USPS was an untapped gold mine?

THE BIG SICK
2017 | Dir. Michael Showalter | 124 Minutes
5 out of 5
A touching dramedy demonstrating all the best qualities of a Judd Apatow production. Based on the real-life unconventional courtship of comedian Kumail Nanjiani and writer Emily V. Gordon, the film earnestly, and occasionally humorously, explores the value of honesty in both familial and romantic relationships, cross-cultural conflicts faced by immigrant-Americans, and the anxiety one faces when a loved one is unexpectedly hospitalized. Kumail is incredibly charming playing himself sharing good chemistry with Zoe Kazan as Emily. As Kumail's parents, Zenobia Shroff and Anupam Kher are adorable, funny, heartbreaking, and all-around excellent. The picture also stars Holly Hunter and Ray Romano at their absolute finest playing Emily's quirky bickering mother and father.

IT COMES AT NIGHT
2017 | Dir. Trey Edward Shults | 91 Minutes
5 out of 5
A tense psychological thriller that mostly forgoes conventional horror movie shock scares in favor of ramping up the sheer dread of an awful situation in which the central terror is the often dishonest nature of humanity. The film avoids spoon-feeding exposition to viewers, more interested in allowing its small and excellent cast to tell the story through subtle dialogue and devastating character-driven action. Joel Edgerton, Carmen Ejogo, Christopher Abbott, and Riley Keough are all brilliant, but Kelvin Harrison Jr. delivers a particularly heartbreaking performance as the main character Travis.

WONDER WOMAN
2017 | Dir. Patty Jenkins | 141 Minutes
4 out of 5
A thoroughly entertaining cinematic take on the timeless superhero featuring an excellent cast headlined by the captivating Gal Gadot. It's solid as a standalone film with strong well-realized characters and spectacular action. The awkward framing device that ties it back to the shared "DC Extended Universe" of movies only highlights the fact that this picture is by far the best entry in the series. Here's hoping the upcoming Justice League film doesn't lower the bar.

ALIEN: CONENANT
2017 | Dir. Ridley Scott | 122 Minutes
3 out of 5
Essentially a big budget B-movie that pays lip service to a handful of big philosophical ideas but discards them a little too quickly. The real meat of the film, so to speak, is in its plentiful hyper-violent elaborately-staged body-horror sequences. Comparisons to Ridley Scott's Prometheus are unavoidable and, for maybe better and assuredly worse, Covenant plays like an inverse of everything that worked and didn't work about its direct predecessor. The cast led by Katherine Waterston is great, delivering performances that are appropriately captivating. Danny McBride gets a too-rare opportunity to do some drama work, and Michael Fassbender still makes one damn charismatic synthetic (actually, two this time around). Fans of the Alien series should definitely see this one, especially those curious about how Scott ties up the plot threads left dangling at the end of Prometheus. For everyone else, the feeling that the picture is missing something is unshakable. Naturally, this is by design -- Scott plans on connecting this one to 1979's Alien with a few more movies...

THE VOID
2016 | Dir. Steven Kostanski & Jeremy Gillespie | 90 Minutes
5 out of 5
Lovecraftian eldritch cosmic terror at its gnarliest, and an exemplary showcase of startlingly nasty practical make-up effects. This one really tested my tolerance for cinematic body horror (off-the-charts gross-out factor). It's the best straight-up horror flick I've seen in some time. Absolutely stunning.

POWER RANGERS
2017 | Dir. Dean Israelite | 121 Minutes
3 out of 5
It's a fun injection of nostalgia for those that carry any affection at all for Saban's repurposing of Japan's long-running Super Sentai series from the mid 90s. The core narrative works for the most part, and some of its characters, like RJ Cyler's autistic Blue Ranger Billy Cranston, are downright likeable. Elizabeth Banks' Rita Repulsa is delightfully campy. Forced grittiness really hurts the film and, most noticeable as it charges towards its kaiju battle climax, the ranger suits, the zords, and Goldar are poorly-designed piles of CGI. It'll be interesting to see if Lionsgate can make this franchise grow. Here's hoping they go back to the drawing board for the stuff that's supposed to look cool.

KONG: SKULL ISLAND
2017 | Dir. Jordan Vogt-Roberts | 118 Minutes
3 out of 5
Loaded with spectacle but with only a handful of noteworthy moments (arachnophobes take heed), paper-thin characters letting a good cast go to waste, undercooked narrative made worse with mediocre film editing. Entertaining but flawed, ultimately on par with Godzilla (2014) as Legendary and Warner adds this second movie to their ambitious shared MonsterVerse.

LOGAN
2017 | James Mangold | 137 Minutes
4 out of 5
The most grounded and emotionally earnest of Fox's X-Men films, and also the most violent by far. It's a good stand-alone hard-R action movie doubling as the perfect downbeat coda to both Hugh Jackman's run as Wolverine and Patrick Stewart's take on Charles Xavier - reasonably rewarding/depressing for fans keeping up with these movies since Bryan Singer launched the notably uneven series seventeen years ago. Child actress Dafne Keen is fantastic as the lethal pint-sized Laura, keeping pace with Jackman in both the picture's heartfelt dramatic moments and in its excellent action sequences. The decision to keep exposition at a minimum keeps the focus strictly on Logan's extremely personal final struggle, but may be somewhat frustrating to the uninitiated and continuity hounds alike.

 THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE
2017 | Dir. Chirs McKay | 104 Minutes
4 out of 5
A one-note, albeit hilarious, gag supported by witty dialogue and clever use of pop culture references that reach beyond the DC Comics brand. Though knowledge of Batman lore is not required, the picture is overstuffed with in-jokes that reference seemingly every incarnation of the world's most popular comic book vigilante, rewarding Batman fans proportional to their level of obsessive fandom. It's a good time for kids and adults overall, but slightly lacking as a tangential follow-up to the pure creative joy of The Lego Movie.

JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 2
2017 | Dir. Chad Stahelski | 122 Minutes
5 out of 5
One of those rare sequels better than its predecessor, pushing the gun-fu action genre further, while expanding on the enticingly absurd alternate world of contract killers just left of our own in new and exciting directions. Like the first film, it's a perfect extension of Keanu's post-Matrix outlet for his impeccable action star skills. So much fun for those who have an appetite for wanton extremely well-choreographed cinematic R-rated violence with a side of pungent self-aware cheese. Sincerely hoping production on Chapter 3 begins soon because how can there not be a third epic chapter at this point?

JOURNEY TO THE WEST: THE DEMONS STRIKE BACK
2017 | Dir. Tsui Hark | 108 Minutes
3 out of 5
A totally inconsequential continuation of Stephen Chow's zanny take on Monk Tang's westward trek loaded with heavy (occasionally exhausting) CGI effects, goofy quips, and little in the way of plot development. Amusing enough but some bits drag on for way too long. Probably could have been marginally better if the cast featured accomplished actors instead of pop stars and a former NBA player.

ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY
2016 | Dir. Gareth Edwards | 133 Minutes
5 out of 5
+ Thrilling despite knowing very well the story's inevitable outcome, appropriately bleak, and expands greatly on the back story of the Rebel Alliance immediately preceding Star Wars (1977)
+ Every line of dialogue spoken by K-2SO is the best
+ Vader has a flippin' castle on Mustafar and is presented as the terrifying classic film monster he's meant to be at the height of his power
+ Michael Giacchino's film score with great new themes and awesome use of John Williams' material at key points
+ "I am one with the Force. The Force is with me."
+/- CGI Tarkin and Leia are neat additions but very distracting
+/- An explanation for the conveniently fatal flaw in the Death Star's design is retconned in
- Chirrut and Baze stick around with Jyn and co. without any real explanation
- Underdeveloped character arcs all around

FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM
2016 | Dir. David Yates | 133 Minutes
4 out of 5
Despite the picture's uneven pacing, it's ultimately a delightful extension of JK Rowling's Wizarding World with plenty of whimsical world-building. Perhaps by design, it's slightly odd that Eddie Redmayne's subdued performance as Newt Scamander is absolutely outshined by his cast mates, most of all by funnyman Dan Fogler's turn as lovable average joe Jacob Kowalski. It's a no-brainer must-see for Harry Potter fans.

OUIJA: ORIGIN OF EVIL
2016 | Dir. Mike Flanagan | 99 Minutes
4 out of 5
A surprisingly good horror film with likeable characters and solid performances from its entire cast, elevated higher by truly inspired scare work from director Mike Flanagan. If possible, tune out the horrid ad campaign and its superficial franchise ties to Universal's previous (awful) Oujia movie. Nostalgic stylistic flourishes, such as on-screen "cigarette burns" appearing during act changes throughout the picture, couple well with the movie's authentic 1960's setting. The ending is slightly undercooked but this one's worth seeing for any horror fan.

 MASCOTS
2016 | Dir. Christopher Guest | 89 Minutes
3 out of 5
The broadest and, disappointingly, least charming Christopher Guest mockumentary to date. It has its moments: a hockey team mascot that's simply a giant fist (with abs), a break-dancing BM, a running gag with a creepy furry. However, something is clearly missing. New players Zach Woods and Sarah Baker are amusing as a couple humorously on the rocks, but Guest regulars Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara are noticeably MIA.

THE BIRTH OF A NATION
2016 | Dir. Nate Parker | 120 Minutes
5 out of 5
If viewers can bring themselves to separate the controversy surrounding the artist behind this artwork, it is a great film that absolutely deserves an audience. Presenting the life of Nat Turner and the slave rebellion he lead in an appropriately epic lens, Nate Parker's directorial debut is a powerful picture with beautiful, striking, and often harrowing imagery. The film ultimately questions how far we've come (or haven't come) as a country on the issue of institutionalized oppression.

 THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN
2016 | Dir. Antoine Fuqua | 133 Minutes
4 out of 5
Not the most thought-provoking iteration of this story that's been retreaded countless times, but one of the most entertaining with an astoundingly diverse cast featuring every old west archetype and then some. Muddled character motivations aside, it's a great ride for fans of the genre that manages to step away from the shadow of the original picture that inspired it.

THE GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS
2016 | Dir. Colm McCarthy | 111 Minutes
4 out of 5
A solid horror film set in a dystopian world falling somewhere in between 28 Days Later and The Last of Us on the non-zombie zombie fiction spectrum. Good cast with young actress Sennia Nanua front and center as the film's emotional core. While it's bound to some unfortunate trappings seemingly inherent with the genre (some characters making maddeningly bad decisions), the picture does a few neat things with familiar material with some real heart.

BLAIR WITCH
2016 | Dir. Adam Wingard | 89 Minutes
3 out of 5
A well-produced sequel that is so slavishly true to the original found-footage-style film that it might as well be a full-on remake, accentuating many of its creepy strengths but also suffering the same illogical narrative flaws. It's a slow and steady build to an exhilarating (and dizzying) final act that's just shy of being truly rewarding. Recommended for any horror film fiend that's even remotely curious about it, especially fans of the original picture, but maybe wait for the video release.

THE BEATLES: EIGHT DAYS A WEEK - THE TOURING YEARS
2016 | Dir. Ron Howard  | 97 Minutes
5 out of 5*
A lovingly assembled documentary on the meteoric rise and cultural impact of a certain cheeky band from Liverpool covering their formative years and heyday on the road. While the information presented is more anecdotal than thoroughly informative, featuring interviews with the surviving Beatles, a handful of their famous fans and collaborators, and archival archival sound bites of John and George, it is still insightful and nothing short of mandatory viewing for any Beatles fan.
*Of note, the theatrical presentation of the doc includes a remastered and restored 30-minute film of The Beatles' 1965 concert at Shea Stadium. A real treat!

SULLY
2016 | Dir. Clint Eastwood | 96 Minutes
4 out of 5
Clint Eastwood crafted a patient, well-made tribute to the ordinary men and women behind an extraordinary feat of real heroism in the face of imminent crisis. At the center of narrative, Tom Hanks does what he does best, exuding quiet dignity and humanity while still addressing natural human frailty and self-doubt, dramatizing the bravery resourcefulness of Captain Chesley Sullenberger. Though the pacing is slightly disjointed at times, it's a crowd-pleaser of a picture from a reliable director featuring a reliable star.

 KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS
2016 | Dir. Travis Knight | 102 Minutes
5 out of 5
Absolutely beautiful stop-motion animated epic with a moving story that doesn't talk down to kids. Breathtaking production design through and through with a beautiful shamisen-heavy film score that perfectly complements every touching moment and fantastic action sequence. If you can tolerate it, the 3D premium is worth it (the movie was reportedly shot in 3D). Easily my favorite film from Laika to date.

SUICIDE SQUAD
2016 | Dir. David Ayer | 123 Minutes
3 out of 5
At best, it's a generic summer blockbuster starring Will Smith featuring a selection of interchangeable elements and big budget set pieces that distract from a thin plot loosely adapted from B-list DC Comics material. At worst, it's another chapter in a cinematic shared universe that's still stumbling and disoriented only a few steps away from the starting line, too concerned with what the competition is doing (and still trying rather desperately to match their style) instead of focusing on the potential strength of its own characters and history. As Harley Quinn, Margot Robbie fully commits and is instantly iconic in the role. Too bad the script doesn't do much to support her impressive work, often objectifying Harley Quinn to a ridiculous degree. Will Smith is serviceable as Deadshot as are Viola Davis as Amanda Waller, and Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flag. Jared Leto is probably the most boring, least believable on-screen Joker - which I guess is impressive in its own right.

SHIN GODZILLA
2016 | Dir. Hideaki Anno & Shinji Higuchi | 119 Minutes
4 out of 5
Toho's signature kaiju by way of the Operation Yashima episodes of Neon Genesis Evangelion, it's Hideaki Anno's politically conservative take on how Japan as a country would respond to an unprecedented giant monster disaster while foreign powers watch. The conflict at the center of the picture has more to do with bureaucratic indecision than with a massive mutant sea creature laying waste to the island nation. The new take on the monster is magnificent, ever-evolving and absolutely grotesque, but be advised that those seeking old-school city-leveling Godzilla action from this film must have a stomach for endless cabinet meetings and pseudo-scientific jargon. The movie is primarily concerned with Japan's place on the world stage, while showcasing the nastiest version of the creature's trademark automatic breath (FUCKING AWESOME) is a second priority at best.

STAR TREK BEYOND
2016 | Dir. Justin Lin | 122 Minutes
4 out of 5
A good, if more or less inconsequential, installment in the Kelvin Timeline Trek Films, more in line with a standard TOS adventure than the last two. The cast really gets to shine with the very best character beats belonging to Zachary Quinto's Spock and Karl Urban's McCoy.

LIGHTS OUT
2016 | Dir. David F. Sandberg | 81 Minutes
2 out of 5
An inspired concept for a horror movie with shades of 90s J-Horror marred by a cast of bland underwritten characters, clunky dialogue, and an (unintentionally?) awful message regarding mental illness.

TRAIN TO BUSAN
2016 | Dir. Yeon Sang-ho | 118 Minutes
4 out of 5
Wildly entertaining zombie movie with a good set of solidly-defined characters and a great selection of truly original gags. Expertly paced and well-crafted. Fans of the genre should seek this one out.

GHOSTBUSTERS
2016 | Dir. Paul Feig | 116 Minutes
4 out of 5
A consistently funny and enjoyable reboot of the long-dormant horror/comedy franchise. Kate McKinnon's Holtzmann utterly steals the show.

 INDEPENDENCE DAY: RESURGENCE
2016 | Dir. Roland Emmerich | 120 Minutes
2 out of 5
A broader, dumber, explode-ier long-gap sequel to the 1996 alien invasion blockbuster that arrives well past its expiration date. High-end production design and spectacle are not enough to save this from being an astoundingly dull uninspired ride with returning characters that have gone stale and new characters that were just written that way. Fans of ID4 may feel tempted to check in on this sci-fi world 20 years later but in good conscience, I can only recommend the eventual bargain price on demand rental to minimize the letdown.

WARCRAFT
2016 | Dir. Duncan Jones | 123 Minutes
2 out of 5
For fans of the computer game series, it plays out like a dry history lesson (assuming you don't need too much context to make sense of the story) featuring incredible production value. For everyone else, it's a narrative mess that fails to be captivating on a fundamental level. The lead orc characters are brilliantly rendered and relatively sympathetic but the human heroes are simply awful (especially the way Lothar was written and performed). Worth renting or a matinee screening if you're already a fan of that world - everybody else should steer clear.

THE CONJURING 2
2016 | Dir. James Wan | 134 Minutes
4 out of 5
A worthy well-constructed horror sequel that can only be faulted for not taking enough creative risks. It packs more scares than the first film but quantity noticeably dilutes impact as each haunt sequence plays out. Like the original movie, much of this one's success can be attributed to the consistent quality of Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga's winning performances as heroic paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. There's a lot to like here for fans of the the genre despite it not being a better film than its predecessor.

X-MEN: APOCALYPSE
2016 | Dir. Bryan Singer | 144 Minutes
3 out of 5
The worst of the current run of McAvoy/Fassbender X-Men movies but not nearly as terrible as The Last Stand before the reboot. It's a mash of jumbled plotting, weird pacing, and missed opportunities. The 1980s setting doesn't add anything to the movie, the spectacle isn't quite up to snuff, and the action scenes are pretty uninspired aside from another impressive Quicksilver sequence that handily outdoes the one from Days of Future Past. James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender are once again the best things about this movie (though Magneto's character arc is ridiculously forced this time around). Jennifer Lawrence and Nicholas Hoult aren't given very much to do and Rose Byrne returning as Moira MacTaggert adds virtually nothing to the film. Oscar Isaac does his best playing the poorly-conceived villain of the picture under layers of downright ugly prosthetics and costuming - the costumes for these movies, with an over-reliance on black leather (still!), just aren't very appealing. Maybe it's the mohawk but Alexandra Shipp makes for a better Storm than Halle Berry. Sophie Turner and Tye Sheridan are cute as Jean and Scott. Everyone else in the cast just ranges from passable to forgettable.

THE NICE GUYS
2016 | Dir. Shane Black | 116 Minutes
5 out of 5
Sharp and darkly hilarious neo-noir set in late 1970s LA featuring Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling at their best. The appropriately twisty plot is accentuated by brilliant character beats and a handful of inspired action scenes. One of director Shane Black's best movies, right up there with Lethal Weapon and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.

THE LOBSTER
2016 | Dir. Yorgos Lanthimos | 118 Minutes
4 out of 5
Darkly funny but somehow also really sweet and romantic at its core. Behind its kooky premise that lampoons the way society regards couples and single people, it's a visually striking and thematically rich film with solid controlled performances across the board from an excellent cast.

KEANU
2016 | Dir. Peter Atencio | 99 Minutes
4 out of 5
The premise loses steam a little too quickly but the hilarious chemistry shared by Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele loses none of its potency on the jump from television to the silver screen. Method Man is a serviceable antagonist flanked by a crew of amusingly trope-y thugs. A few unadvertised but reliable character actors round out a solid supporting cast. That kitten is ADORABLE!

BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE
2016 | Dir. Zack Snyder | 151 Minutes
2 out of 5
A weird stupid hot mess of a movie. Visually striking, if cold and sterile, with odd storytelling choices, uneven pacing, and muddled character motivations. Way, way too long. Clumsy, poorly-conceived universe-building through and through. Ben Affleck is pretty great as a clearly psychotic Batman (complete with prophetic visions and unreasonable bouts of rage). Gal Gadot looks good in an ultimately thankless role as Wonder Woman. Henry Cavill just doesn't get the play a fully-realized Superman. Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor is flat out awful, from the way he's written to the way Eisenberg plays the part.

MIDNIGHT SPECIAL
2016 | Dir. Jeff Nichols | 112 Minutes
4 out of 5
Captivating slow-burn science fiction headlined by a great performance from Michael Shannon. Plotted like a good stand-alone episode of early X-Files but executed with much more production value and directorial flair.

10 CLOVERFIELD LANE
2016 | Dir. Dan Trachtenberg | 104 Minutes
4 out of 5
A taut thriller and a much smaller picture than what the ad campaign (and the Cloverfield title) might suggest. Practically the entire film takes place in one relatively tiny setting. Mary Elizabeth Winstead is a captivating lead and John Goodman delivers one of his best performances ever.

EYE IN THE SKY
2015 | Dir. Gavin Hood | 102 Minutes
4 out of 5
A modern drone warfare thriller that asks some tough questions- Is sacrificing one innocent life worth saving potentially dozens of lives? Who ultimately has the right to make the call? Concise and suspenseful with excellent performances from Helen Mirren, Barkhad Abdi, Aaron Paul, and the irreplaceable Alan Rickman.

THE WITCH
2015 | Dir. Robert Eggers | 93 Minutes
5 out of 5*
A slow boil that never lets up building to one heck of a payoff. Truly terrifying without cheap jump-scares or in-your-face visual effects. There's some great filmmaking on display here if you're in the mood for a side of mild to extreme discomfort with your horror.
*Possible bonus point for New Englanders. Your results may vary.

ZOOLANDER 2
2016 | Dir. Ben Stiller | 102 Minutes
3 out of 5
Hilarious at its best, with some great celebrity cameos, but sporadically flat throughout its running time. A long-gap sequel that's consistent with its predecessor in virtually every way for what it's worth.

DEADPOOL
2016 | Dir. Tim Miller | 108 Minutes
3 out of 5
Completely crude and juvenile R-rated fun that is, at its heart, a love story that doesn't quite work, operating within the familiar trappings of a typical superhero movie, self-awareness be damned.

THE MERMAID
2016 | Dir. Stephen Chow | 94 Minutes
4 out of 5
While it's undoubtedly a Stephen Chow comedy with plenty of expertly-staged slapstick, the movie carries a prominent environmental message. Chow's wuxia throwback musical choices are delightfully absurd, and more out of place than usual, for maximum comical effect.

HAIL, CAESAR!
2016 | Dir. Joel and Ethan Coen | 106 Minutes
4 out of 5
As amusing a send-up of old Hollywood as one can expect from the Coen Brothers, featuring pastiches of various defunct film genres woven into its low-stakes narrative. Sight gags and throwaway Biblical references galore.

 KUNG FU PANDA 3
2016 | Dir. Jennifer Yuh Nelson & Alessandro Carloni | 93 Minutes
3 out of 5
Charming, colorful, mostly on par with the first two movies in terms of overall quality though noticeably lighter on action. The Furious Five are majorly sidelined but Bryan "The One Who Knocks" Cranston is pretty great as Po's long lost dad. At this point, the story feels complete and DreamWorks doesn't really need to make more of these.

 IP MAN 3
2015 | Dir. Wilson Yip | 105 Minutes
4 out of 5
The third (and final?) installment of the highly-polished kung fu movie series *loosely* based on the life of Wing Chun Master Ip Man (not counting Ip Man: The Legend Is Born and Ip Man: The Final Fight - movies from different creative teams clearly made to cash in on the success of this series, and Wong Kar-wai's The Grandmaster which always was its own animal). A historically accurate biopic this isn't, but neither were the first two. Exemplary fight choreography by Yuen Woo-ping (as always), taking over for Sammo Hung, and it always feels right to see his work paired up with fight star Donnie Yen's formidable skill set. The plot meanders a bit until it finds its emotional drive halfway through the movie in the form of a grounded family tragedy in Ip Man's life juxtaposed with a challenge from another Wing Chun Master (played by physical powerhouse Zhang Jin) who challenges Ip Man over the authenticity of his style. The primary antagonist of the first half of the film, with surprisingly passable Cantonese, boxing champ Mike Tyson is actually pretty great in possibly the most historically anachronistic role of the series as a wealthy gang boss land developer in 1950s Hong Kong. Also notable is Danny Chan (best known to audiences as the goal keeper from Shaolin Soccer) in a brilliant extended cameo appearance as a young Bruce Lee.

KRAMPUS
2015 | Dir. Michael Dougherty | 98 Minutes
3 out of 5
Darkly amusing, featuring a solid cast and a wholesome (yeah, wholesome) message at its core, but not funny or scary enough to be a genuine Alt-Christmas classic.

THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY
2014-2015 | Dir. Francis Lawrence | 123 Minutes (Part 1) & 137 Minutes (Part 2)
4 out of 5
The YA-adapted film series that redefined Lionsgate and turned Jennifer Lawrence into a household name concludes with an epic but uniquely bleak two-parter featuring some of my favorite film and TV actresses (though hardly any screen time for Gwendoline Christie) and solid performances across the board. Hard for me to be impartial since the finale also features Philip Seymour Hoffman in his last film role. Could have done without the love triangle subplot but like the first and second films in the series, it's chockfull of social commentary on the media we consume daily and the nature of war. Also, I can't imagine waiting an entire year between parts 1 and 2. I see why the ended the first part at that point of the story but it's such an abrupt break.

CRIMSON PEAK
2015 | Dir. Guillermo del Toro | 119 Minutes
4 out of 5
Not so much a ghost story but a pretty good yarn set in a dilapidated old mansion that just "happens to have ghosts in it." Appropriately spooky and beautiful with a few instances of over-the-top violence, but not exactly make-your-skin-crawl nightmare-fuel by any means.

STEVE JOBS
2015 | Dir. Danny Boyle | 122 Minutes
4 out of 5
Great supporting performances all around, particularly from Kate Winslet and Seth Rogen. Michael Fassbender is a powerhouse in the title role. Unmistakably Aaron Sorkin in the best and worst ways, mostly obscuring Danny Boyle's signature style.
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