Brian Farvour

The problems are many, the ease with which it goes down is high, and whether Thrash set out to craft a solid thriller or a purposeful schlockfest, it lands squarely in the middle, destined to be forgotten.

Don’t expect the film to live up to its title. Don’t expect Marczak or his subject to find a way to tie up every loose end. Take in a difficult period in the life of a grieving father, unable to let go. It’s straightforward, sad, and somehow beautiful.

In the midst of our planet’s ongoing chaos, to see a beacon of light emerge from within doesn’t just make for a compelling film. It’s a message of hope, a story found alongside countless others scattered throughout the rubble of war.

Unafraid to shy away completely from the occasional crude humor, especially an early scene begging to be led by Will Forte, it fortunately never overstays its welcome, and for those who enjoy the payoff of hanging onto every line of dialogue, the best jokes throughout are the ones tacked onto the ends of conversations, almost as a comedic afterthought. It’ll make sense once you watch, more so than the plot itself.

This film stands comfortably alongside its ancestors, a perfect detour in a time when it’s most needed and a wonderful experience overall.

The overall point or purpose, beyond showing how a polar bear deals with a nearby human presence and vice versa, is conveyed relatively quickly, leaving the rest of the film to rinse and repeat until that final shot of a drowsy bear, resting atop a snow pile before a setting sun. It’s undeniably gorgeous, but what’s the greater message?

Hanging By a Wire is a nail-biting watch, one that never allows itself to become bogged down in excessive setup or backstory.

Finding ways to cope with any significant tragedy is hardly new, but in the hands of Foy and Lowthrope, it is.

It leaves almost nothing but questions as the credits roll, but from which it’s also just as easy to move on, a film with a title one may be thankful to say aloud as the realization that the runtime has concluded sets in.

Another romantic comedy in a long list of contemporaries which, despite scant traces of effort, fails in making its title character anything more than second fiddle to the couple who should rightfully take his place.

With a film like Anniversary, any ideas formed from the jump best take occupancy at the door. This is not meant to establish an unexpectedly entertaining journey or incredible third-act twist, but rather something far more frustrating.

There’s no time like the present for a viewing of The White House Effect, and there is no wrong audience, no one immune to the presence of climate change. For those who already know, take it in. For those on the outskirts, you might wonder if it’s needed. It is.

There’s no question as to the compelling way in which McCollum goes about his journey, less a tent-style preacher barking commands at a receptive crowd but rather a kind individual with nothing more than the belief that his life has a larger purpose. The bigger questions remain unanswered, but just as the film’s title carries a question mark, was that ever the point?

For all its faults, whether intentional or otherwise, the ending still manages to stick the landing, in all its strange glory, resulting in something that must be seen; that said, it’s not to be believed, but rather to appreciate, as tricky as that may be.

She Rides Shotgun sits as a perfect example of every filmmaking ingredient coming together beautifully, balanced in a way that would make Thanos take pause, and as much a showcase for the talent onscreen as for those working to fuse this film’s take on the world that is the neo-western. There’s plenty here to keep eyeballs glued, and every scene gets better.

Let’s say Dangerous Animals gets the job done, but were it not for Jai Courtney, this would fall somewhere in the realm of any film about a kidnapee.

If ever there existed a checklist of Food Movie Must-Dos, Nonnas tries to accomplish each, even down to that signature campfire-esque moment between the four nonnas as they bond over backroom drinks following a night on the town, and while no one can fault director Stephen Chbosky from trying to nail it all, nothing beyond that exists to render this particular story as anything other than average.

There’s hardly enough of a story to be told, and that which does exist has seen itself played out prior in far too many better films, both inside such a specific genre and beyond.

The dedication on behalf of everyone who makes up this cast helps what’s already tremendously unoriginal to, at minimum, warrant a watch.

Sadly, even for the biggest supporter of everything action has had to offer genre-lovers for decades, “G20” remains hard to recommend, as much as it hits those recognizable beats and with its Oscar winner attempting to lead the charge towards the end credits.

As Frankie, Mastroianni carries the film, and what could be considered an emotionless expression she wears nonstop carries far more than one realizes as the events unfold and whatever exists in Frankie’s life starts to unravel.

Alas, boilerplate could best describe the events of Control Freak, despite the genuine commitment of Tran and Robbins, particularly with both oozing chemistry and dedication to whatever routine setup the movie provides next.

Fortunately, the events onscreen do little, if anything, to tarnish the careers of two beloved actors who are still consistently operating at the top of their game despite the seemingly accidental efforts of director James Ashcroft.

There are some well-shot fights, even some decent use of weaponry to further ramp up the intensity a bit, but for a movie that wears its action ancestry fully displayed on its sleeve, more was expected.

The messages director Rachel Fleit has attempted to bring onscreen become lost in their own wake as scenes shift quickly; in a way, it is in keeping with the attention span of the TikTok generation, and much like your average TikTok, it will be over before you know it.

It would be easy to turn “Ricky” into something more, a commentary on recidivism and the hardships of a criminal coping with life in this day and age. Still, by only touching on these, a simple story performs the heavy lifting, unfolding as it does. We want to hope for Ricky, cheer his successes, and wish him a better life, not only for Ricky but for all those who are the same.

It may be straightforward in execution, but the care dedicated to bringing “Serious People” to life is just as evident.

It may seem like bias runs rampant, but that couldn’t be further from the truth, as Osit tries to answer his questions while looking behind the scenes in a manner that could if nothing else, showcase the obvious spin of mass media. In looking back at “To Catch a Predator,” Osit takes a look at much, much more.

It’s difficult to classify The Things You Kill properly, a film drifting into the revenge genre as much as it possesses an undeniable overtone of mystery, simultaneously knocking on the door of a slight psychological element.

It’s a unique profile of Matlin, and by incorporating a wealth of her similarly deaf friends, the film sits in stark contrast to its contemporaries; when any interviewee uses sign language, and the sound drops to near zero, it’s hard not to feel all the more engaged.

Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story serves as an introduction to the entertainment legend or a reminder of all that happened to cement her status as more than a mere performer, this film deserves to take a bow.

No one can fault the cast for giving it what might be seen as a decent shot, but if Star Trek: Section 31 leaves you with one thing, it’s that the final frontier, which is future spinoffs, might be best left alone.

The haunting atmosphere of The Girl with the Needle lies in equal measure with the acting masterclass that serves as the film’s primary source of fuel.

An admirable effort with just enough charm to keep audience interest where it needs to be with an unfortunate handful of shortcomings that ultimately relegate this film to the realm of average.

There’s too much good here that doesn’t deserve to be overlooked, and this is where the film misses the mark.

Awash in the chaos is a real sense of life continuing as it’s always been, even amidst the bodies at which Gutnik isn’t afraid to point the camera or the sad reveal of how the Ukranian tongue has been suppressed.

Were it not for the concrete that is Julia Garner’s take on the lead, “Apartment 7A” could unquestionably spiral into indistinguishable obscurity, but even amidst cliché after cliché, it still manages to fulfill minimum requirements within the pantheon that is Horror 101.

As a showcase for the talent that is Elizabeth Banks, in addition to its existence as a thought-provoking exploration of the field of medicine and the human side of patient care, it’s an undeniable victory.

The resulting film is truly as real as it gets. For a movie about the apparent world beyond our own, that’s saying more than any psychic could ever predict

Dinklage remains one of the finest actors around, and Lewis is undoubtedly more than capable of something better, with evidence seen here as she disappears within Bill, but all that holds “The Thicket” together does barely enough to qualify all that unfolds as just another movie.

Even though Exhuma may exist as a wellspring threatening to drown in ideas possibly better suited for multiple films, Jang Jae-hyun has still managed to bring to life a compelling story about something that should remain dead.

Nothing here could be considered a dull watch, and if it leaves the viewer thinking about how we, as a society, treat one another, it could very well be a lesson learned.

Previously, the filmmakers Franz and Fiala brought audiences into “The Lodge,” and 2014’s “Goodnight Mommy” and “The Devil’s Bath” is their finest, possibly most upsetting work yet.

Baghead cannot grapple with bigger questions; instead, it is mostly just satisfied with cheap jump scares that don’t provide any value or comfort to those who have suffered loss. And even as a basic scary horror, it just doesn’t hold the goods.

Overthinking Sting is a proper exercise in futility, and shedding such a tendency makes enjoying the adventure easy. It’s a minor little effort, with only a tiny venom, but its bite should do the trick for any genre head with 90 minutes to spare.

Director Sarah Dowland doesn’t tackle “In the Clutch” in a manner that makes any sterling advances in the world of documentary filmmaking, choosing instead to play it safe and allow Bird’s journey to do the talking, but that in and of itself remains enough to more than power the film.

To make it in show business, Carol Doda needed to show her business. These are almost exact words from the mouth of the woman herself, another example of her wit, appeal, and the type of trailblazer the world sadly lost before she got her proper due.

The frustration of watching Drew’s journey unfold makes for a unique viewing experience, and whatever it is he seeks in life, I hope he one day finds it.

While far from a poorly-made effort, Late Night with the Devil tries to take on too much and only slightly hovers above average in this regard.

Copa 71 may be just another documentary, but in telling the story of the 1971 Women’s World Cup, it is absolutely a success.

It’s feel-good at its best, and in this day and age, is anything more even necessary?

While Out of Darkness is by no means bad, it’s far from the iconic status Cumming presumably hoped to achieve.

For decades, cryonics were believed to be the key to immortality, with mind transfer pioneers such as Ray Kurzweil eventually leading the charge in a different direction, but as ChatGPT becomes as commonplace as a text message and the path to computer-based divinity continues to shorten at a shocking rate, films such as this become even more vital.

Sujo may not be a movie with which everyone will connect or find a wealth of relatable aspects, but the quality on display is enough to warrant a view.

This is far more than just a film.

Ito’s presence propels the film; her passion, vulnerability, and resilient strength are the film’s most compelling components, as they should be, and it’s hoped that the closure she’s pursued finally found its way to her.

This is far from the sort of cinematic experience one revisits time and time again, and it’s clear that’s not the intention; one viewing is all it takes to leave a lasting impression, like the simple memory of a young girl dancing with her dad.

Porcelain War tries its best to turn attention toward a trio of artists as they attempt to find some equilibrium between the art they love and the battle at hand.

Serves as little more than an exercise in striking photography mixed with a series of vignettes that’s as slice of life as one’s likely to find.

Revenge is often described as a dish best served cold, but with the way Mayhem! draws audiences into its compelling story, this film is white hot, and reminds audiences why revenge is on the menu in the first place.

It’s hard not to smile as Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget wraps things up, even if said smile comes unexpectedly; admittedly, this is the sort of surprising delight that serves to both remind an audience why the original remains such a gem while acting as a worthy successor.

The effort deserves a nod, but the execution stumbles, falls, and, whether intentional or not, can’t be saved.

This is as middle-of-the-road as it gets, something no one will remember minutes after it wraps and, for this reason, will likely prompt very few to express anything overwhelmingly negative or the opposite.

It’s only when you realize that this is indeed an aimless feature film where any symbolism or real-life commentary isn’t going to make much of a mark. That and the fact that this fearless director sees this oddly flat, though congenial, project as a comedy quickly all fall into a narrative hopelessly lost in a sea of tedium.

Even when it tries to swing for the fences as some commentary on what motivates hate speech, it may not always work, but Macdonald does the best with what he’s been given, and that’s enough to warrant a look, at least.

It’s inoffensive, possibly even heartwarming, and an undeniably terrific story in terms of adversarial triumph, and as history looks back on “A Million Miles Away” as much as it remembers the real Hernández, unlike the man himself, the movie will likely find itself forgotten.

What is certain is that there’s at least something here everyone should find appealing, even if the film that houses these special moments isn’t quite there.

They Cloned Tyrone is far from bad, but does require patience and the ability to shed those feelings of “I’ve seen this before” that pop up from time to time. Fortunately, the cast is here to help usher one along and maintain some sort of momentum before the film starts propelling forward on its own.

It’s hard to say if this is worth a view, as die-hard Cage fans might not see anything necessarily new, nor does the overall arc of the plotline break any new ground other than to offer a platform for Cage to again roll out his usual bag of acting tricks.

Whether a viewer might be a fan of Wham! or not is ultimately irrelevant, as Chris Smith has produced something as incendiary as any of Wham!’s hits.

It’s not a bad movie by any means, but in its attempts to plant a seed audiences may remember in years to come, it’s a misfire.

No matter how one tries to unpack the curious contents of “Big Gold Brick,” they’ll likely be unable to find much of anything outside of an unintelligible failure.

One Shot is merely an experiment in filmmaking chutzpah, and a failed one at that.

With nary a poor performance to be found and a tone that engages as much as it might cause one to shift uncomfortably in their seat, Bull is an engrossing experience. It’s not an instant genre classic but never strives to be, and in hitting such a simple goal, it, like Bull himself, somehow succeeds.

For those expecting information capable of blowing the doors off the Containment Unit, it’s nothing more than a big Twinkie.

There’s something present here, something perhaps even brilliant, but whatever that may be; it’s just not enough.

Settlers is ultimately little more than a bit of style and a smattering of substance.

Though Séance is mercifully brief, it’s also painfully forgettable, hopefully, nothing more than a fleeting, disposable misfire in Barrett’s otherwise strong filmography.

Oxygen may not be the most unique film, but its terrifically panicky and suffocating qualities will leave you breathless nonetheless.

The beautifully animated road comedy The Mitchells vs. The Machines manages to take the genre and, while admittedly dipping its toes in the murky waters of cliché more than a few times, offers enough of a fresh take to provide a breezy escape during the near-two hour journey that unfolds.