Brian Truitt

It does explore tech, kids and friendship in a thoughtful way that feels fresh and relatable for youngsters and parents alike, and also gives Conan O'Brien the insecure toy he was born to play.

It’s classic Spielbergian fare, given that it’s a movie much more about us than intergalactic beings.

Directed by Ol Parker (“Ticket to Paradise”), the film can’t escape all of the usual genre tropes or overt sentimentality, yet that's tempered by a bawdy sense of humor and fits of wild broad comedy.

There’s enough infectious energy and heart to give this sugar-bombed throwback a mainstream appeal more sizable than Galitzine’s impressive deltoids.

At least Krasinski, doing his part yet again as the likable Everyman, gives “Ghost War” enough of a moral center and steely presence to stick with the dad-movie narrative.

It’s an enjoyable throwback romp with plenty of action and weird creatures to overcome its weaknesses.

Director David Frankel’s comedy is honest and clear-eyed as it digs into a media world where story clicks increasingly matter more than quality.

While You, Me & Tuscany doesn’t add anything significantly new or innovative to the rom-com recipe – and certainly doesn’t blow up the thing like The Drama – it’s a breezy respite for those who dig the familiar in their escapist pleasure.

The Drama is a moral thought experiment conducted amid a disaster-filled deconstruction of the romantic comedy. And given the plot's somewhat jaw-dropping twist, it’s also one of the boldest, brashest movies in some time.

Alongside the bullets and the one-liners, “Mike & Nick” doesn’t completely make the most of its time-travel premise. But it’s forgivable considering a story full of colorful personalities and the sneakily heartwarming theme of finding empathy and understanding.

Funny and dramatic when it needs to be as well as exceptionally rousing throughout, the movie perfectly captures the story of human resilience and interstellar bromance that Andy Weir’s 2021 brilliant novel did so well.

There are elements borrowed from B-movie horror flicks, crime dramas, Broadway musicals and love stories, mashed together in bold and bizarre strokes. And while imperfections exist in the violent, genre-defying romance, they don’t dim Gyllenhaal’s clear-eyed passion, grand ideas and big swings spattered on the screen.

The joyous gallows humor and horror-movie commentary of old are gone and some inspired working-in of new technology falls apart.

It’s an essential watch for every music fan, even if you’re not an Elvis junkie.

“Killing” clumsily flits between wry humor and serious drama for much of the runtime before finally finding its satirical bite.

Fennell’s adaptation takes some liberties with Emily Brontë’s original 1847 Victorian-era novel but unless you’re a devout superfan, you likely won’t be too mad. The Oscar-winning British filmmaker crafts a sumptuous bad romance that’s quite haughty, darkly hilarious and ultimately heartfelt.

The film aims to be a Gen Z/millennial “This Is Spinal Tap” but with much less clever wit and way more vocal fry.

While it does offer an extremely flattering view of all things Melania, outside of a few candid glimpses, you're not really going to learn a lot about who she really is.

Full-tilt Momoa and quietly powerful Bautista, with some gore and goofiness tossed in, is a satisfying improvement on the usual two-fisted formula.

Damon and Affleck lead a starry action vehicle – including Golden Globe winner Teyana Taylor – that, even with some plot issues and an overbearing intensity, is way better than most straight-to-Netflix potboilers.

Director Josh Safdie’s globetrotting, genre-busting comedy thriller is a proudly oddball period movie that boasts throwback elements but leans timeless in its unlikely hero’s journey.

Fortunately, Hudson and Hugh Jackman, in total showman mode, make up for the narrative shortcomings as the '90s dynamite duo Lightning & Thunder.

Steamy, twisty, demented and not exactly subtle in its aim to entertain film fans and BookTok alike. Director Paul Feig’s movie doesn’t hit all the marks of its addictive source material, but the thing is plenty wild enough to be a holiday guilty pleasure.

James Cameron’s third adventure in his blockbuster sci-fi franchise, is just as cool a watch as the previous films, yet also as narratively frustrating. Endless subplots, scattershot character development and borrowed story beats backfire on “Fire and Ash,” although it does benefit from an unhinged but relatable villain whose presence keeps it interesting.

There’s plenty of murder, some gore and wild sequences but also a beating heart, via O’Connor’s character, that the others don’t have as much.

It's Clooney's most poignant role in some time, and one he was bred, if not born, to play.

It’s an outstanding, feel-good combination of East and West that depicts Japan's popular "rental family" business – where actors play a client's parent, spouse, sibling or friend at events or in their personal life – while also nimbly exploring loneliness, identity and the importance of found family.

A stronger and tighter movie than its Oscar-nominated predecessor without losing any of its splendor.