Cody Dericks

Amazingly, Coppola’s intimate portrait manages to have mass appeal, thanks to both her entertaining approach and Jacobs’ down-to-earth, relatable personality. It turns out the pair work well together, leading to a film that both label chasers and thrift store fanatics will love.

Alex Gibney’s documentary stands as a testament to the power of art in any form to push back against both abstract and real forms of oppression.

Wicker is a sweet, gently moving love story at its core that reminds its audience that the most effective and necessary traits for a successful relationship of any kind are simple honesty and respect.

Led by a terrifically tender performance by John Turturro, it’s a classy, enjoyable, lovely film about a man out of time, coming to terms with the fact that the world he occupies is no longer the world he knows.

Like the titular woman herself, the film from co-directors Judd Apatow and Neil Berkeley is equally hilarious and unafraid to be very, very real, beckoning viewers in like a close friend and rewarding them with laughs and profound insight.

Even with relatively minor quibbles, it’s hard not feel appreciation that a contemporary movie made in an uncompromised fashion about such a cinematically unpopular topic as sex exists at all. Hopefully, Araki doesn’t take another 12 years off and continues to probe into other areas of modern human interaction.

Zak Hilditch has crafted a harrowing, unsettling zombie movie that totally enmeshes the audience in its collapsing world.

Despite the constant threat of censorship (or worse), the reporters still manage to find joy and even humor in their daily lives. That comedic energy grows increasingly dark and even apocalyptic as the situation becomes more perilous, but “My Undesirable Friends” shows that the power of human connection and the fight for justice and freedom endure even in the most oppressive settings.

This quietly moving documentary takes a hands-off approach, which allows audiences to organically meet the film on its level. This method lets the farmers subtly present the central conflict that’s most affecting their lives and livelihoods. The gorgeous black-and-white photography gives the film an appropriate sense of timelessness.

A pair of excellent performances from Rosamund Pike and Matthew Rhys, led by clever direction from Babak Anvari, make this a tense, captivating thriller, even while set in only one location.

For fans of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, this is essential viewing. Whether you’ve seen the iconic musical one time or one thousand times, be sure to take a “Strange Journey.”

With The Librarians, Kim A. Snyder has crafted a moving, invigorating call for tolerant thinking and freedom to prevail. Thankfully, it provides a path forward for those who will watch it with concern, showing that the best way to combat ignorance and hate is with the further dissemination of knowledge. Evil prefers a closed mind, and like a good book, these librarians seek to open them.

Jennifer Lopez and Tonatiuh give exceptional, electric performances. The musical sequences are stunning, thanks to thrilling dancing and gorgeously old-fashioned designs.

Charming and truthful, this excellent film about the perils of the gig economy serves as a metaphor for the ruthlessness of the free market at large. Bastien Bouillon gives a terrific, grounded lead performance.

Cover-Up is an overall captivating, invigorating watch. Without editorializing too obviously, Poitras and Obenhaus have created an incredibly impactful and, at times, infuriating look at America’s history of violent imperfection, showing that when it comes to holding our nation accountable, journalists like Seymour Hersh are an absolute necessity.

Johnson, giving the performance of his career, along with excellent work from Blunt and Bader, makes an inconsistent screenplay not only watchable but entertaining and deeply moving.

Regardless of one’s beliefs—or lack thereof—”The Testament of Ann Lee“ is an undeniably moving and inspirational story of holding true to one’s convictions and finding strength in a like-minded community, effectively brought into the 21st century through powerful, stirring music.

The film deliberately avoids sweeping statements and proclamations, instead choosing to smartly focus on one ordinary person, brought to life by one of our most extraordinary performers.

Despite being overwritten in places, the screenplay is the real star of the show in The Wizard of the Kremlin. Full of astute observations and dryly humorous quips, it’s gratifying to listen to. Assayas’ film is catnip for followers of political machinations, even if more casual viewers may find it as unconquerable as Russia has proved to be over the centuries.

Father Mother Sister Brother is a cinematic series of variations on a theme, proving to be a gentle yet humorous look at how we interact with the people we have no choice but to know and, hopefully, love.

After the Hunt struggles to decide precisely how it wants to approach its examination of the (to reference one of Alma’s teaching topics) panopticon-like method of dealing with allegations of amorality in today’s society. But thanks to Guadagnino’s strong filmic choices, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ unnerving musical score, and striking performances, it still manages to draw audiences into its chilling, unsteady world effectively.