Luke Parker

Any misgivings bestowed upon Ford V Ferrari by the script are, more or less, eliminated by the film’s big draw: the racing. Gloriously calibrated, simply designed, and modestly edited, audiences are reminded of the dynamite, nearly natural relationship automobiles share with filmmaking.

The Irishman is delicately handled by experienced, especially-inspired makers. It’s simply the kind of film that isn’t made too often anymore; and it’s one of the best this year has to offer.

Dolemite Is My Name belongs to Murphy.

A simple and simply satisfying seal, El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie will, in no way, tarnish the alchemic legacy of its TV precursor, though it doesn’t do much to enhance it.

Edward Norton mines political relevance in some areas of noir-drenched New York and completely ignores it in others. As a result, Motherless Brooklyn becomes Chinatown’s outshined, ugly stepbrother.

Blazingly and brilliantly over the top, Jojo Rabbit’s total dismissal of subtlety is its most ferocious ally and, only occasionally, its most frustrating foe in the war against hate.

Every typical category of film analysis – the performances, the cinematography, the score, the wit, so on and so forth – needn’t be labeled as anything less than great.

Elegant and entrapping, muddy and magnificent, Monos is a thrilling, if ambiguous endeavor of guerilla warfare, human nature, and adolescent anarchy.

Between the split bones and compulsive carnage, a disjointed script, co-written by Stallone and Matthew Cirulnick, makes Rambo: Last Blood mindless and messy.

As a timely testament to our willingness to validate and support rather than investigate, White Lie is both insightful and terrifying.

While it takes a few too many cues from similar coming-of-age tales, Honey Boy offers audiences an egoless dissection of Shia LaBeouf’s side of his own story.

A rebirth for both actor and director, Pain and Glory sees Banderas and Almodóvar at the peak of their electric, heart-wrenching capabilities.

Any hint of sappiness in the neighborhood is squashed by Hanks’ paralyzingly delightful turn as Mister Rogers in A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood.

A macabre masterpiece, Joker’s social relevance may be disputed for years, but the film and its star may never be denied the grandeur of their cinematic revolution.

For 130 minutes, the writer-director disorients and delights, confidently trailblazing through his murder mystery two, maybe even three steps ahead of the audience. This isn’t a simple, direct testament to the slick, sidesplitting script, nor the fully committed, second-to-none ensemble, but rather a passed inspection of these cogs and their ability to form a purely entertaining experience.

The Lighthouse boasts and thrives off of a maritime rap battle between Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattison, whose claustrophobic journey together towards madness is among the sickest and most memorable collaborations in recent memory.

The Banana Splits Movie is a peculiarly fresh nostalgia trip and has just the right amount of gore to make this otherwise by-the-numbers slasher a surprisingly amusing experience.

Good Boys successfully exploits a newfound ground between crudeness and innocence, but nearly runs it dry.

Once Upon a Time in…Hollywood is a wistful fantasy fueled by a series of top-grade performances, a stampeding collage of Tarantino-isms, and of course, a happy slathering of movie magic.

Nearly every aesthetic decision that went into this version of the The Lion King detracts from the artistry and the heart that helped its predecessor surpass immortality.

Ari Aster continues on as filmmaking’s ringleader of grief in Midsommar, an unsettling, often shocking portrayal of cultic life that’s rich with both ambition and beauty.

Yesterday’s lackluster, underwritten script both births its golden egg concept, and also restrains it from ever reaching the next level of sophistication or interest.

Toy Story 4 is as mediocre a Toy Story movie as there is and probably can be, but it also marks another unbelievable triumph at Pixar in their never-ending quest to realize the imagination.

With a greener blend of heart and humor, Shaft safely ushers in the vigilante detective for modern audiences, though safety never seemed to be a factor before.

A fantasy in nearly every sense of the word, Rocketman reaches for and grabs hold of the stars so often that the dazzle occasionally becomes too much to handle.

Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut bursts outward with neon electricity, encompassing, even if overcooking, the teenage tropes levied by similar films of the past, while also staying deeply rooted in the here and now.

Charlie Says may not reach deep enough into the horrors that birthed the Manson Family, but as an exhibit of pathetically prophetic garble used to dehumanize and control women, it’s attentive and provocative.

Extremely Wicked wobbles between its two best, but unfortunately, contrasting features: Efron’s eerily seductive performance, and the psychological experience of loving a camouflaged monster.

Endgame is the superhero equivalent to an original cast revival in a long-running Broadway show, and often has the same hair-raising effect.

Coupled with an uninvited human story at its forefront, Burton’s chilling style makes Dumbo nearly unrecognizable.

[The film] is really little more than a collage of gag-worthy and violent attempts at comedy.

Adopt A Highway seems as confused as its lead character, wandering around and never quite figuring out what story it wants to tell.

Doff’s directorial debut bursts off the screen with eccentric energy and yet, retains a relentless sense of duty to the company its characters keep. It’s effectively touching as a display of camaraderie, equally ridiculous, and a great deal of fun.

[LaBeouf is] one of the few actors capable of turning this protector companion on the page into a layered role.

Though The Highwaymen makes sure it tells the right story about Bonnie and Clyde, it doesn’t win the argument that it tells the better one.

All in all, though it may not be totally awesome, The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part is still fun, which is what it should be, and you’ll still leave with a song stuck in your head. Maybe even two.

Replicas lacks vigor in its plot, intelligence in its science, depth in its ethics, and humanity all around. It’s a disaster.

There’s just enough cleverness in Escape Room to enjoy that this bad-horror-movie experience becomes more discouraging than droll.

Bohemian Rhapsody may not totally rock you, but Rami Malek channels the thrilling, show-stopping charisma of the late Queen super singer, ensuring this inappropriately timid biopic is as entertaining as it can possibly be.

Poorly written and with hardly any thrills, The Mule disappointingly depends on the amiability of Eastwood’s character, whose extreme social ineptness is far beyond the redeeming powers of star power.

There isn’t a moment in Mary Poppins Returns that I would put above the 1964 classic, but there also isn’t one worth throwing away in this magical, if formulaic production.

The best ensemble cast of the year live through Steve McQueen’s Widows, an entertaining, intelligent, but altogether familiar rendition of the heist film.

First Man hardly comes close to capturing the overwhelming triumph behind Neil Armstrong’s lunar explorations, though the journey to get there is technologically masterful.

In spite of a momentous directorial debut and performance from Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga leaves the lasting impression in A Star Is Born, a beautiful production perfectly suited to re-release the superstar as a top-tier performer; she is nothing short of astounding.

Feig, who’s been known to conjure up categorical spoofs (Spy, Bridesmaids), throws up Fincher-like curveballs, each one more disturbing than the last, only to strike out in the ninth.

Michael Moore points all 17 of his fingers in all directions during his latest ferocious, if scrambled film, surprisingly avoiding individual attacks and instead convincingly describing what role we all played in this globally-recognized disaster.

There are just enough explosions in Mile 22 to keep you awake throughout the almost unbelievable amount of sludge that buries the rest of the film’s trim runtime.

Frankly, it’s heartbreaking to see the Henson name tossed about a project that’s so heartless and so gruesome that the only thing I imagine sticking from it is Phil’s “Silly String.”

Spike Lee offers no solution here – his story’s conclusion, in the long run, hardly ends on a positive note – but rather a very, very loud plea that cannot be ignored.

The fuzzy residents of the 100-Acre Wood cutely convert to the real world in Christopher Robin, a mildly entertaining film that'll remind kids and grown-ups alike of the fun that can be had in doing absolutely nothing important.

This time around, Denzel’s “Equalizer” is less of a Robin Hood-like hero for the helpless, and more of a Travis Bickle-like vigilante, shooting his way through a murder caper that has neither the incentive nor the heart of its already forgettable precursor.

Driven by Stanfield’s performance, an intelligent story, and an even more impressive structure, this film is as funny as it is bizarre, and as bizarre as it is clever. It succeeds enough early on that Riley trusts he’ll hold everyone’s attention as he jumps off the deep end.

This beautiful work pays an immaculate tribute to him, illustrating the legacy of a man whose nature transcended the concepts of knowledge, understanding, age and love. Fifteen years after his death, the heroic and criminally under-appreciated efforts of Fred Rogers are finally being celebrated on the big screen in what may very well be the best documentary of the year.

The fresh cast seems to have just as much fun as Knoxville and his buddies did making Jackass, but with its half-assed story and unusual presentation of the alluring and advertised stunts, Action Point feels half as genuine.

In terms of performance, Freeman generates about all the emotion this nearly one-man show puts out. At first, Andy’s mission is protection and self-reservation, but Freeman captures the process of shifting priorities marvelously, making Andy’s transition from worried improviser to adapted martyr all the more pleasing to experience.

Meow, there are laughs to be had here and there throughout Super Troopers 2, but unless you’re really riding the Highway Patrol's wave of manic police work, miss this stale revival and stick to the original.