Graeme Guttmann

While Schrader's directing and the casts' performances are more than up to standard, Master Gardener somehow ends up being less than the sum of its parts.

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's full of fast-talking tech nerds and morally compromised corporate A-holes, it bites off a bit more than it can chew in telling the story of Research in Motion, but it's still a good time, reminiscent of mid-budget dramedies that have all but disappeared in recent years.

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.

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.

Beau is Afraid will make one feel alongside its title character in a way few films do, and it's a torturous and glorious ride.

From its close-up shots to its wide framing of characters against the barren Texas desert, there is a sense of immediacy that makes the film's thriller elements all the more enrapturing.

Tetris is a serviceable adaptation, but for all its visual flair and 80s nostalgia, there's still something missing when all the pieces come together.

Scream VI evokes a different kind of nostalgia, taking what made the franchise's original college-set sequel great and amplifying it to a 10. Scream VI is bloodier, scarier, and funnier, nodding to its past while carving a brutal path forward for Ghostface and the new franchise torch-holders who find themselves at the receiving end of the blade.

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.

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.

The adaptation isn't perfect (what stage-to-screen adaptation is?), but Matilda the Musical comes with a game cast, expertly staged musical numbers, and just a touch of magic that all the best musicals have.

There may be few miracles in The Wonder, but it's clear that Pugh is one unto herself.

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.

As much as it tries to be a mash-up of several genres, it would've been much better had it picked one lane and leaned into it.

An unnerving rural gothic tale with two quietly fierce performances that make the film's slow burn to its climax worth the wait.

As a piece of horror, the film is certainly effective, achieving a kind of discomforting aura that is sometimes missing from the too-polished genre fare released all-too-frequently.

It needed something to make it feel fresh beyond dazzling visuals, but by stripping away much of what made the first film great, Pinocchio feels like the same old story, even if its fantastical elements shine onscreen.

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.

In the end, Samaritan commits a cardinal sin of the superhero genre: It thinks a high-profile actor with vaguely defined superpowers is enough to make the film interesting when it clearly needs something more.

With predictable twists and one grating character, the Lionsgate movie tries to do something different from others like it, but it can't quite reach the heights that its main characters aren't (and should be) afraid of.

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.

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

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.

The film is unsure if wants to be a portrait of a man on the verge, a slasher, or a psychological chamber piece, and it ultimately fails to live up to any of these ideas.

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.

An effective portrait of ambiguity accompanied by a stellar lead performance, Apples' contemplative nature hides nuanced questions about the modern age underneath its placid surface.