Brian Truitt

A hilarious, heartbreaking, touching and rather wonderful close to an enjoyable trilogy.

It’s a more demanding narrative to navigate than the director’s previous efforts, and not all of it works with its sly subtlety. Yet there’s sensational artistry at work, with Aster peppering much of his storytelling in the background of scenes (photos on walls, informative signs, etc.) that a lot of folks might not even notice.

There’s plenty to sink your teeth into when Cage is this superbly outrageous and manically inspired while Hoult, who’s got great comedic timing, is just as batty in his own way. Everything else about Renfield needs to go back in the coffin.

“Live by Night” aside, Affleck’s directorial record is pretty impressive and Air feels like his most inspired effort to date, an underdog story with the greatest basketball player of all time at its heart.

Based on the popular role-playing game and far better than that forgettable 2000 “D&D” big-screen outing, “Thieves” is a clever and often hilarious action adventure that overcomes pacing issues with well-crafted characters and a host of wondrous creatures both stunning and icky.

John Wick: Chapter 4 delivers on the ballet of bullets and fiesta of firearms you expect while also successfully showcasing the dynamic, reluctantly unretired title hitman as a real underdog.

“Fury” piles on the mythos, monsters and magic, a smidge too heavily at times, but stays grounded, thanks to its earnestly goofy main man.

This “Scream” is neither king of the hill nor top of the heap, but you can’t be too mad at a picture that makes a cathartic treat out of a plunged knife in the eye.

In addition to reprising his role as Adonis Creed, Jordan packs his directorial debut with the usual “Rocky” melodrama and bombastic ring entrances while freshening the series with stylish, anime-influenced fights and a new spotlight on deaf representation.

A proudly ridiculous yet sincerely enjoyable exercise of putting wacky characters in the war path of a dangerous (and very high) beast. The “Citizen Kane” of coked-out bear movies is not perfect by any stretch but like its furry star, the film is scrappy and hungry while owning its throwback absurdity.

Returning director Peyton Reed pumps in enough family bonding and signature whimsy to complement the massive world building and a new time-traveling big bad played by a terrific Jonathan Majors. Laying important groundwork for Marvel’s film future unfortunately means losing some of the franchise’s essential scrappy charm.

Tamer and what one could arguably call classier, this movie trades bromantic machismo and beefcake high jinks for female empowerment and character maturity, though still boasting hunky dudes and clothes being ripped off.

With a screenplay by Emily Halpern and Sarah Haskins – who worked on the genius “Booksmart” – it has a fun energy, especially when the main characters are left to their own devices, but often pumps the brakes before it goes too overboard.

Top-shelf Shyamalan. Centered on a family having to make the most dreadful of decisions, “Knock” is a well-crafted intimate thriller that plays with your expectations and immerses you in a disconcerting situation.

Produced by horror masters Jason Blum and James Wan ("The Conjuring"), M3GAN satisfies with slasher gusto, “Black Mirror”-esque satire and social media savvy. It’s also just plain fun to watch a film that packs a healthy amount of absurdity alongside an insightful exploration of 21st-century parenting, though you might never trust Alexa ever again afterward.

Like Rami Malek’s Freddie Mercury in “Rhapsody,” Ackie’s own voice is heard at times though mainly she’s performing to Houston’s own signature vocals. And the actress does an exceptional job capturing the pop singer’s mannerisms and performance style in those moments. It’s everything else in between that’s the real problem.

Even with a great turn from Brad Pitt, an impressive showing by newcomer Diego Calva and a bunch of entertaining cameos, the madcap comedy-drama can’t help but run out of creative crazy juice by the end as it unspools into cinematic sentimentality.

It’s a gorgeous and stunning thing to look at, with awesome sights of underwater fauna, and the new movie is an emotionally charged outing that again dips into themes of colonization while adding environmental issues and relatable family drama.

[Del Toro's] wonderful new take on the classic tale is the most essential adaptation of Carlo Collodi’s novel since Walt Disney’s 1940 cartoon masterpiece, with a practically perfect mix of tragedy, comedy, adventure, parental worries, societal expectations, childhood precociousness and antiwar leanings.

The heart of the matter gets lost amid the action-movie elements – with shades of "The Revenant” and “Glory" – though a dedicated Smith emotionally steadies the film through its rougher spots.

The Whale is an exquisitely soulful tale that avoids forgettable sentimentality.

It’s a bigger, showier follow-up, from the A-list cast to the twistier twists, even if it doesn’t have the same witty punch as the original. The script is taut and surprising, though, and Daniel Craig's return as super-sleuth Benoit Blanc is a Southern-fried godsend.

Unsurprisingly, Spielbergian wonder is sprinkled throughout the episodic Fabelmans. The movie starts out slow, though when the filmmaker gets to Sammy’s high school days, he finds that signature electricity so apparent in his blockbuster career.

An enjoyable piece of vibrant world building that steps away from the musical bent of recent non-Pixar efforts like “Encanto” and the “Frozen” flicks.

A riveting cinematic quest for journalistic truth – especially one like She Said, which tackles an issue that means so much to so many – should always be embraced, no matter the era.

All the contemporary wrapping, a dizzying array of tones (from screwball humor to cornball earnestness) and endless songs by “The Greatest Showman” duo Benj Pasek and Justin Paul winds up being like tinsel distracting from what works best: Will Ferrell as a determined phantom and Ryan Reynolds as his snarky Scrooge.

The new “Black Panther” celebrates and honors its fallen hero, at the same time showing that this corner of the MCU remains in extremely capable hands.

Banshees masterfully explores the complications of a platonic friendship – when old pals stop being polite and start getting real – with a sailor’s mouth and a mix of hilarity and tragedy in one wail of a tale.