Graeme Guttmann

With Holland and Mara, the commitment to The Dutchman is apparent and though its ending feels as if things are wrapped up a bit too cleanly, the film succeeds in being an unnerving odyssey over one New York night.

While it ultimately reveals everything too late, the film still feels fresh and, unlike plenty of what is released today (on podcasts and in theaters), actually does have something to say.

Despite some of Bunnylovr's shortcomings, Zhu has a knack for filmmaking, and it's an exciting debut for the young artist.

It's a film that sneaks up on its audience, revealing layers to friendship and other intimate relationships that otherwise would not be parsed through if there wasn't the time.

With its brisk runtime, the film wastes no time and, though it plays into genre tropes often, its premise is enough to make this film a compelling watch. The film ends up being surprisingly emotional thanks to its protagonist, though its lack of characterization of its human counterparts hurts the film's climax just a bit.

While Red, White & Royal Blue is a little too light on laughs, its central romance follows the book closely enough that die-hard fans will be pleased and casual viewers will be able to find something to love.

For all its shortcomings, Sharper manages to pull together all of its cons with a finesse that could have easily been bungled in less capable hands. Even if it fails at its greatest con of all — pulling one over on audiences — it still manages to be a taut thriller that feels fully realized.

While it doesn't quite reach the horrific highs of the 2013 remake, it rips through other splatter-fests with the finesse of a freshly whetted chainsaw blade.

I imagine that Sound of Falling will reward repeat viewings. There's almost too much to take in upon first glance, decades of life condensed into two and a half hours. Schilinski's vision is so confident and so bracing that it's hard not to be arrested by what's happening onscreen, even if you're not sure what's going on.

Part revisionist history, part unconventional character study, Corsage is carried by Vicky Krieps' brilliant performance and its willingness to buck genre conventions in favor of a dark and dreamy fairy tale.

Thankfully, Boon, Graham, and Riseborough do enough to anchor the film and bring it home as it lands on a strangely poignant note both chilling and endearing.

Writer and director Chris Nash's In A Violent Nature may be the first slasher in a long time to truly deconstruct the genre in a way that feels surprising, even if the results of its experiment are mixed.

For all The Phoenician Scheme's eccentric thrills, sardonic performances, and globe-trotting adventure, the film still feels limited in the grand scheme of things.

Black Phone 2 is still a solid horror film, with gory kills and exciting set pieces. But the question of why still lingers over the film, even as it delivers on its many promises.

Luck may not reinvent the wheel — at this point, what can? — but it does what films like this do best, bringing forth a message about family and perseverance with humor, heart, and a lot of magic.

It's unclear if Stress Positions has arrived "too soon" but its proximity to the pandemic doesn't make it any less hysterical, even if it's hollow in other areas.

At times, it can be bitterly hysterical, with Aster, who also wrote the film, further flexing his comedic muscles after his previous film with Phoenix. On the other hand, Eddington can be almost too on-the-nose, knicking the surface of complex issues but pulling the blade away before it can really draw blood.

It's a bold swing from the director and, despite it being tonally uneven and a bit messy, Napoleon can be still quite fun.

Despite sturdy performances, Without Blood doesn’t fully come together.

The sense of timelessness and the sanctuary (itself a bubble made to burst) add a listlessness to the film that only underscores the constant shifting of the family's foundation. Glasshouse may build to a climax that many can see coming, but that's beside the point. The conclusion plays off what has come before it, feeling like a memory that could have easily been forgotten.

What A Love Song lacks in execution it more than makes up for in stellar performances and beautifully directed scenes.

The narrative of Monica is scant, but this makes way for a poignant examination of trans identity and loneliness through the lens of one family.

It never digs deep enough which, when looked at through the fairy tale lens, is appropriate, but ultimately seems like a missed opportunity for the film.

Hiding within Stars at Noon is a lean erotic thriller, one where the lack of chemistry between Alwyn and Qualley can be overlooked both because of Denis' directing and the standalone performances of its cast. Unfortunately, the film gets bogged down by pacing issues, hoping to coast on the chemistry of Qualley and Alwyn, but runs out of gas long before danger starts to creep in just past the hour mark.

There are great moments in the quiet of Treasure, the scenes where director Julia von Heinz's camera lingers on a look, an item, or a landscape. But Treasure finds itself stuck in the middle of these tender moments and a heavy-handed way with emotion that has good intentions but doesn't land the same.

There's something comforting about the way in which My Fake Boyfriend doesn't try to reinvent the wheel. It's content living in its charming version of New York where everything works out in the end.

It's a riveting film, but one that left me feeling hollow and ultimately frustrated with the continued way in which much of American cinema tackles crises like the one at the center of September 5.

There are a few bright spots in Rise of the Beasts, but these are largely overshadowed by a lot of generic parts that would not be out of place in any of the previous six Transformers movies.