Ferdosa Abdi

What makes it practically perfect is that it accomplishes everything it sets out to do. It is funny, exciting, beautiful, and all-around meaningful.

While the film is romantic and poignant in parts, the whole thing falls apart when it relies on the central couple, who lack intense chemistry and substance.

It is a solid sports biopic that aims to celebrate the cherished memories the Antetokounmpos have and their continued success as a united, happy, and prosperous family.

The talent is abundant on screen and behind the camera, but a flimsy screenplay fails them all.

To enjoy After Blue, one should be open to an experience that overtakes the senses. Despite the long runtime, it offers a wholly unique experience.

Interceptor checks all the boxes in terms of making an action film that will grab the audience's attention, have one root for the hero, and let out a few chuckles (especially for one horribly done cameo) before promptly forgetting the movie exists.

Fire Island is a mesmerizing, joyous experience and one of the best modern adaptations of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. The film has also solidified itself as one of the best romantic comedies to date. It is filled with plenty of hearty laughs, heartfelt sighs, and heartbreaking moments, making it worth revisiting repeatedly.

Sure, the film may feel somewhat tepid in places, and it meanders, but the overwhelming wholesomeness of the picture will make one embrace its simplicity.

A Perfect Pairing may not stand out to most, but its wholesome aura, charming leads, and beautiful cinematography is enough to warrant an enthusiastic watch. If the goal for any romantic comedy is to fill one with that particular, indescribable warm and fuzzy feeling, then A Perfect Pairing accomplishes that.

Sadly, this adaptation fails to stand out from all the other sci-fi horrors about people being used for experiments. It doesn't even compare to the original 1984 film nor does it stand tall alongside great recent Stephen King adaptations like 2017's IT and 2019's Doctor Sleep. Firestarter is more like Pet Sematary and Carrie, a dull, exhausting remake that doesn't do anything new.

Ricci’s assured and robust lead performance helps build upon some exciting ideas in the script and is ultimately the reason to watch. She is thoroughly captivating and, while the film never reaches her level of excellence, it is still a relatively fun, wonky ride.

In the end, Escape the Field is tolerable at best. It doesn't shatter any expectations, but it won’t be utterly hated if one decides to give it a go. There are more charming and innovative horror-thrillers about escaping a maze, but Escape the Field tries. For a first feature, it is serviceable for a small-budget venture.

It does not reinvent the wheel, but it engages viewers on a visual and cerebral level. There is a precarious balance between the heavy themes of the script and the upbeat nature of this Bad Boys-esque action film, but somehow it sticks the landing.

The convergence of the story of a bereaved mother with a cult-like presence in the new country she calls home does not blend as effortlessly as one would like. The third act proves it cannot. Despite this, however, The Twin makes for a fairly constructive horror that is worth a watch.

The film is a basic thriller with little to offer audiences who enjoy the genre.

Despite its flaws, it encourages a re-examination of Apartheid South Africa and a closer look at the tiny sparks that lit the flame known as the Free Nelson Mandela campaign and the overall cultural shift against Apartheid.

The synopsis sounds straightforward, but there is a lack of balance from the start, and the film has an ill-mannered approach to telling a sensitive or impactful story about sex trafficking.

Those who may be new to the genre or merely want to disengage for a little bit will find merit in Choose or Die. But for bona fide horror fans, the derivativeness and the flatness of the execution is too much to tolerate.

The result is a baffling and confounding mess that is either intended to make audiences laugh or is dead-serious in its pursuit. Whatever the intention, it is up to viewers to decipher what is most true to them.

The film is at its best, visually and narratively, when it is deeply entrenched in metal. There is a visceral impact to the third act which truly hones in on what this film has been lacking from the beginning.

As the film marches to its conclusion, one will have some appreciation for the rotoscoping animation, the score, and the voice work from some of the actors. However, the murky narrative structure and the lack of a central protagonist only works against all the gory goodwill the film possessed.

A stumble in the third act derails the whole adventure, bringing the enjoyment to a screeching halt. However, with some foresight, Windfall could have been a sure-fire hit.

The Outfit is an old-fashioned and masterfully crafted crime thriller that makes good use of its setting, charismatic cast and an excellent lead.

It is great that this blended family is so diverse, but if there is no thoughtful integration of their stories, they remain merely set dressing.

The Long Walk is a film that requires patience from the audience as it unfolds; there is plenty to digest. With a stellar ensemble cast and a challenging, emotionally-driven narrative, this atypical ghost story will nestle into viewers' minds until Mattie Do’s next directorial triumph.

Asking For It is a pop-rock take on the revenge thriller that tries to take a stance, but fails to make a case for why it exists. Asking For It often feels like a mansplaining version of what a modern revenge thriller should be.

There is no single frame of this film that isn’t maximizing this story's potential, its wit, humor, or charm. Every moment counts and transforms Turning Red into a visual feast.

As a film birthed from the pandemic, the presentation already feels outdated. There is an attempt to revitalize the format, but it falls flat. All in all, the family dramedy has all the right pieces, but, like any dysfunctional family, they don’t come together in the most cohesive of ways.