Mae Abdulbaki

Totally Killer has its flaws, but it also has a distinct flair and charm. The film’s comedy is self-aware and witty, even if not all the comedic elements work, and there’s a love of the 80s that isn’t overshadowed by attempts to emulate it without question.

There are inklings of something more interesting and rich beneath the surface, but Dual never brings the pieces together.

The Assessment, directed by Fleur Fortuné, is conceptually sound and looks incredible, but while it’s psychologically involved and provoking, it doesn’t go beyond the surface of its ideas.

It’s an intricate and beautifully crafted work of art that’s quietly meditative and lovingly told.

The film keeps things simple, but it shines like a lighthouse in the darkness nonetheless.

Marks’ sophomore outing can be quite charismatic and fun, but it’s a misfire when it comes to exploring the couple and their attempts at polyamory.

It’s masterful in developing a gnawing suspense that permeates the film, and never falters in engaging us from start to finish.

The Lesson is gripping and compelling, enhanced by its cast and score. It knows precisely what kind of movie it is and, though at times predictable, has much to say and a sophisticated, unpretentious style to go along with it.

Flora & Ulysses has all of the right ingredients, but falls short of bringing them all together, leaving the film an uncharismatic and empty shell.

The film brings the drama, but it’s never overdone and the performances from the cast elevate the material, adding dimensions to the characters’ lives.

It’s still a serviceable film, and you’re in for a wild and weird ride. Even its message, while nihilistic, has merit. I only wish The Monkey had a more balanced story to counteract its weaker elements.

A Million Miles Away is genuine in the way it presents its story, and the struggle Hernández endures, but it’s also so laser-focused on his space goals that it forgets to explore his inner life.

In Land, actress Robin Wright’s directorial debut, the sad, isolated feelings that come with bereavement saturate the story, but the film has surprisingly very little to say about grief.

The dialogue-driven movie is genuinely funny and heartfelt, rarely, if ever, losing its momentum from start to finish. Conners is a confident director, bringing together a story that is personal while touching upon issues women face as they age with grace and care.

The gorgeous cinematography and costumes can’t make up for its emptiness — both in what it’s trying to say and in the way it’s trying to say it.

Suncoast is a strong feature debut from Chinn. It’s heartfelt and filled with warmth and messy emotions that are deeply felt.

The feature doesn’t dig any deeper than it has to, leaving us drifting along with Jacqueline without anything to latch onto to keep us afloat.

While the film could have spent more time specifically exploring Margaret’s life, The Map of Tiny Perfect Things is a thoughtful, charming, and heartwarming film that utilizes the time loop aspects to great effect.

With an exceptional performance from Ahmed and style meets substance storytelling, Hamlet is a journey worth taking.

The film and its character dynamics are intoxicating and wildly enjoyable, almost uncomfortably so due to the nature of their entanglements. If it had been less concerned with its twists, Saltburn could have been immaculate.

The Artifice Girl is engaging and compelling, bolstered by stellar performances from its cast, and exceeds where other AI-focused stories might falter.

The action sequences are fun. Paired with the film’s visual style and horror elements, it fares well enough, though the personal journeys are lacking.

It brings in new characters who stand apart and maintains the connection to the other films, all while critiquing these very aspects in the same breath. The horror commentary remains top tier, with the fifth installment proving the Scream franchise has still got it.

While the film is determined to live in the pain felt and lobbed at its main character, there are moments of gentle vulnerability and contemplation in its exploration of guilt, redemption, grief, and trauma.

Miller’s film is deceptively simple, but there is a tremendous amount of depth and nuance. Viewers will walk away thinking a lot about the film, and a second or third watch is needed to fully absorb the layers within its story.

While the film has its moments of genuine humor, it never lives up to the energy or intrigue of the opening scene. The rest of the film is an empty, exhausting watch that never truly builds towards anything.

A couple more action set pieces would have also helped the pacing from growing too stagnant as, like its predecessor, Den of Thieves 2 is far too long at nearly two and a half hours. It’s bloated and, with nothing too exciting going on, the wait for the heist itself starts to drag. Despite some tension, there’s no real sense of urgency at any point. The film sets up yet another sequel, but Pantera lacks the passion and consistency needed to dredge up any genuine excitement for yet another film in a struggling franchise.

House of Gucci boasts strong performances and is hammy enough to be occasionally enjoyable, but falls flat in the overall effectiveness of its story.

It’s unfortunate that Being the Ricardos never becomes as interesting as the people it’s centered on. The film offers enough interpersonal drama to keep audiences watching and intrigued, but while Sorkin’s script moves steadily towards the ending, the story wanes and never builds enough momentum to truly impress.

We Live in Time gives us what we’ve been missing from romantic dramas. It might be a tearjerker, but there’s a sense of peace watching the couple live as full a life as they can together. And really, that’s all we can ask for while we’re still here.

Leon imbues the film with an uncertain sense of dread, but he doesn’t lead the story or its protagonist anywhere worthwhile. It’s as though the narrative was designed specifically to capture the feeling of being lost in the city and what that might do to someone, but there’s very little exploration of Alina’s interiority for it to be satisfying.

While the human characters are there for exposition and could’ve used additional development, Godzilla vs. Kong is engaging and visually stunning.

It may not be laugh-out-loud funny at every turn, but Quiz Lady, with an irresistible cast, is entertaining with just the right amount of heart and energy.

While the film does take its time stepping out on its own and out of the shadows of Aladdin and its "tale as old as time" story (Long's own words), Wish Dragon is a heartwarming, charming film with a great message and lovely characters.

Nobody 2's themes could’ve been better explored, but it’s easy to overlook that and enjoy the fun, action-packed ride.

Is it a well-made film? Absolutely, and Morosini has a strong vision for how to shape a story and characters right out of the gate. Unfortunately, that doesn’t turn I Love My Dad into a must-watch.

The characters, in their fight to live another day, and the thrilling, suspenseful sequences are what make the film worth watching. However, Those Who Wish Me Dead could have more thoroughly explored the very details that drove the plot, which would have elevated it beyond a basic action-thriller.

Elfman’s directorial feature debut has enough to hold it together, including a tremendous cast and character dynamics that are thoughtful, interesting, and complicated.

While its performances are lovely and tender, with the execution somewhat messy in its handling of themes, All My Puny Sorrows doesn’t dig past the surface enough to make a strong enough case for itself.

Late Bloomers offers a nice take on the coming-of-age story that is endearing and gives its characters the attention they deserve.

As it stands, however, Spin Me Round is all over the place and even its best moments can’t be saved due to a muddled storyline and lack of character development.

Flamin’ Hot is not only entertaining, but feels like a warm hug. It’s sentimental enough, but doesn’t overstay its welcome. Longoria has ultimately crafted a sweet, funny, and bright movie that will surely have viewers looking up Montañez on Google after the film ends.

Freaky Tales may not be a perfect film, but it will definitely leave a strong impression on you long after the credits roll.

Eternity isn’t a bad rom-com; it’s charming and wildly entertaining for the most part, but by skirting a conventional narrative to be more creative, the story loses some of its effectiveness in the process.

The true story aspect will leave audiences wanting to dig deeper into the two disparate accounts, but even if they don’t, Howard’s Eden is a compulsory watch that does enough to satisfy.

The animation is still strong and the character beats are affecting, but the villain and his motivations stand in the film's way of true greatness.

Without Cena and Elba’s committed and charming performances, as well as great supporting turns from Considine and Carla Gugino as Vice President Elizabeth Kirk, Heads of State wouldn’t be worth discussing

While Small Engine Repair’s message is clear, it doesn’t completely take off and is fragmented in its pacing, with a twisted turn that doesn't land.

India Sweets and Spices has a lot of overall great ideas and themes, even if it doesn’t always rise up to the potential of its setup and story.

Dicks: The Musical is simply doing too much, and not enough of it is good to justify its runtime. It’s neither clever nor funny, save for the couple of jokes that actually land, and it’s too smarmy for its own good.

Arcadian may falter in its story details, building some character tension that is never fully fleshed out, but it succeeds in creating a gripping, tense experience that is elevated by its disturbing creatures.

The performance factor alone is fantastic and engaging. Boylan’s own performance is convincing and occasionally even emotional, but her acting talents unfortunately can’t overcome the issues that stem from the writing.

The film balances multiple storylines with intense action sequences and, despite pacing issues, packs a major punch that will keep audiences riveted.

It's underdeveloped and underwhelming, with clunky pacing and choppy scene transitions. What could've been a thoughtful, engrossing story unfortunately fails in every way imaginable.

It’s certainly not Ethan Coen's strongest film, though it is saved by an especially fantastic performance by Geraldine Viswanathan and a fun story.

Despite the film's underwhelming and bizarre story developments, French Exit will remain memorable for Pfeiffer's performance alone.

While Senior Year has certain moments that are indeed funny, it’s not enough to overcome the film’s many flaws.

It’s heartwarming, the occasionally funny moments aren’t shoehorned in, and the story has a solid message that plays into the fact the main characters are sloths.

The film is bolstered by the strength of Cooke's magnetic performance and is energetically entertaining, heartbreakingly sad, and darkly humorous.

The horror film has an engrossing premise that remains engaging even in its lulls.

While Old is certainly a different kind of thriller, with plenty of elements that work to create a sense of tranquility and desperation in equal measure, it grows wearisome as it evades its deeper themes for the thrill of that final discovery.

While the film meanders for a bit and is longer than need be, it maintains a good balance between character dynamics and the thrill of the chase. And with a fantastic cast at its center, audiences will surely be entertained overall.

Directed by Rob Savage, The Boogeyman does an outstanding job of terrifying without forgetting about the very human emotions and relationships that anchor and elevate the story.

The overall momentum stalls and prevents A Lot of Nothing from sticking its landing, but it's a promising debut from McRae, who has a strong grasp with regards to maintaining much of the film's tension through dialogue alone.

The story is just so rushed, there’s barely any time spent on establishing the world we’re introduced to before it’s full-speed ahead.

The fashion alone, from design supervisor Stefano De Nardis and the costume team, elevates the film, turning it into an extravagant spectacle.

It’s rare for a final film in a horror franchise to deliver character development, a chilling story, and a satisfying ending for the characters. The Conjuring: Last Rites does all three. As a farewell to the Warrens, Chaves balances the terrifying with the heartfelt to great effect.

Despite everything, it has its fair of shining moments. There's a clear direction Snyder's Justice League has that the 2017 version of the film does not, and for that alone viewers can appreciate this film a whole lot more because of it.

Bad Boys continues chugging along with Ride or Die. Watching the sequel reminded me a bit of the Fast and Furious franchise — it tries to go bigger than before, while also maintaining its core relationships as a key to its success.

Where’s the passion and the drama, the heart and the tension? Clooney’s lackluster film strips all that away, leaving behind a muted sports film that barely engages with its characters in any meaningful way.

Compared to other, stronger animated films, Spellbound sits comfortably in the middle. Kids will likely be delighted with it — though at nearly two hours long the wait to get to the end might be a struggle — and it offers just enough for them to keep watching.

The Beekeeper is an engaging ride, and once the action starts it never lets up.

The Mauritanian is an incredibly powerful, poignant, enraging film, one that is uplifted by an incredibly magnetic lead performance by Tahar Rahim.

Filled with a lot of action, The Forever Purge is at times thrilling, but it remains at surface-level rather than delving further into its themes.

While there's an attempt to convey a message about relationships, We Broke Up is more focused on awkward shenanigans than in exploring its characters.

It’s a fascinating story to balance, and though it doesn’t always work, Finley really runs with the concept and its various themes. It’s safe to say there’s never a dull moment in the film, and it isn’t predictable in terms of what comes next.

Renfield is goofy, with fantastic action sequences and a few comedic beats that land, but it could have also been so much more.

Held together by the cast’s chemistry and strong character dynamics, The Tender Bar is a touching film about growing up and the people who shape you.