Maggie Lovitt

As it stands, Vampires of the Velvet Lounge is exactly what it seems to be: a messy, mildly entertaining vampire movie that works best when you’re only half watching it.

Fackham Hall holds its own as the first of its kind — and carves out a brand-new niche in the satire landscape.

The Thursday Murder Club is a delightfully charming movie that hits all the highs of the cozy murder mystery genre without any of the negatives.

How to Train Your Dragon is the gold-star example of how to do a live-action remake right.

Juliet & Romeo isn’t necessarily a good film, but it is a very fun film, and there are far too few films that seem content in simply entertaining for the sake of entertainment.

Words of War may not be a film that does anything stylistically or creatively to reinvent the wheel, but it has a message that transcends the bounds of art.

If you have been eagerly looking for a mash-up of Parasite and Fresh that fundamentally misunderstands why both films resonated with audiences, by catering to the deeply ingrained xenophobia of the upper class, then Delicious is the film for you.

Where the script falls short, Norton and Dunne pick up the slack and carry these characters through to the finish line.

Once again, Daisy Ridley proves she has the charm and star power to make even the shakiest scripts a thoroughly enjoyable watch. Like Protégé, Cleaner has a lot of compelling storylines, action sequences, and intention, but the execution leaves something to be desired.

This adaptation captures the atmospheric and sorrow-laden storytelling that comes with turning the pages on Richard’s final days.

While The Last Front struggles with its stylistic choices and lack of substance, it is still an entirely watchable and almost enjoyable war drama.

For a lower-budget actioner, Murder Company is absolutely worth its eighty-six-minute runtime.

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is a wild ride and one of Guy Ritchie’s better recent films even as its characters prove to be rather thin.

It’s a fun romantic romp, filled to the brim with gorgeous scenery, gorgeous clothing, and beautiful people.

Rather than embracing the more nuanced themes, the film shies away from deeper introspection.

It becomes apparent that the story is trying to do too much, with far too little time to do any of it well.

At its core, it's a light-hearted spy romp that riffs on a lot of the soap-opera tropes that crossover into the realm of espionage. "Dumb fun" might get thrown around a lot with Vaughn's films, and it might be true, but Argylle does try to be smart in its execution.

Race for Glory: Audi vs. Lancia is a compelling and rewatchable film though it feels as though some elements have been cut out.

The script might have glaring flaws and painfully ambiguous morals, but The Creator is a truly remarkable piece of original science fiction storytelling. Even when it borrows from ideas established in films that preceded it, Edwards manages to make it feel fresh and new. The Creator is a beautifully crafted, albeit imperfect, science-fiction thriller that tries to unravel what it means to be a good human in a bad world.

It’s funny, bizarre, uncomfortable, and an absolute cringe-fest for all the best reasons.

For horror fans who prefer a more subtle and nuanced brand of horror that verges on the very outskirts of psychological horror, the lo-fi grunginess of Falling Stars will certainly appeal to them, though the outcome may leave them with more questions than answers.

She Is Conann is not for the faint of heart, weak of stomach, or morally pious. It plays upon the most provocative ideas imaginable—pushing the boundaries of not only sexuality, gender, and self-image, but societal norms too.

So long as you aren’t expecting a masterpiece, Spy Kids: Armageddon proves itself as a fun, spy romp, where kids are king and parents are simply along for the ride. It’s childhood wish-fulfillment to the extreme, straight down to getting to live out video game fantasies and one-hit wonders.

The Movie Teller is a beautiful and moving look into how cinema can bring a community together and how art can help to heal broken hearts.

Booger is a bold and refreshing journey into grief and the damaging effects of holding it in when it desperately wants to claw its way out.

For me, it’s the film to beat this year, easily taking the crown as my favorite scary movie of the last several years — even if all the scares come from the idea of what might happen when your closest friends turn on you.

Book Club: The Next Chapter is a raucously funny movie that will leave audiences ready to grab their gal pals and set off on an adventure to Italy.

With Oliver Garcia’s exquisite costumes and Karen Murphy’s production design, both brought alive to their full potential by Jess Hall’s stunning cinematography, Chevalier is not just a compelling story, it’s a visually compelling one too.

On paper, Late Bloomers may not be a revolutionary tale, but its execution makes it a clear standout within this specific sub-genre of nihilistic millennial dread.

Down Low is an ambitious journey through sex work, repressed sexuality, accidental murder, the fragility of life, and an oddly tender exploration of the age-old question: can you still be a good person if you do bad things?

Moving On is yet another tour de force for Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, who once again prove that they are a force to be reckoned with.

Jethica feels like the middle act of a much more compelling film and is a rare example of a film that could have done with a smidge more exposition. If this were a proof-of-concept I would love to see a much deeper, broader look at this story.

It may be Cooper’s best historical film, and perhaps that’s because there’s a distinct melancholy to it that is etched into the bones of Virginia’s finest—just like Poe.

On the heels of Girl on the Third Floor and Jakob’s Wife, Stevens continues to prove that he is one of the best indie horror directors to emerge into the mainstream. He has a deft understanding of the genre and is keenly aware of when to dole out jumpscares, visual cues, and just the right amount of gore to delight horror lovers who favor psychological thrillers just as much as bloody horror.

While Devotion may not look to reinvent the genre, it does carve out its own space in this year’s impressive slate of war films. It’s a solid, straight-laced story, that doesn’t shy away from the realities of war or the 1950s. Once it finds its wings in the final act, it soars to a place of real power.

With Phyllis Nagy at the helm, Call Jane had all the potential in the world to be something revolutionary, but it ultimately chose to take the path of least resistance. It leans into a very glossy feel-good “girl power” energy, ensuring that its audience never once feels true discomfort when discussing uncomfortable truths.

War is hell and for a little over two and a half hours, All Quiet on the Western Front displays its ghastly horrors without ever venturing into voyeuristic consumption, opting instead to unsettle its audience with bleak realities and sobering truths.

It summons the magic of nostalgia with laughs, heart, and music, and perfectly satisfies the heart of audiences trying to rekindle the past.

At its core, Vesper feels like a dark fairytale, like something born from the haunted tales of Grimms' Fairy Tales.

Breaking is a powerful film that will leave audiences reeling as the credits roll. Corbin and Armah neatly adapted a tragic reality and presented it with grace and understanding, which will hopefully force audiences to think about the reality they live in.

With neat, concise storytelling, and a skilled cast, Rogue Agent is a compelling film that will appeal to thriller and true crime lovers alike.

Meta-filled mayhem that plays on some of the corniest and most familiar Star Wars tropes is the perfect piece of cinema for long summer nights.

Mali Elfman’s directorial debut Next Exit, sets out on a journey towards death, but along the way, it is filled to the brim with life and questioning about what it is to really live. What’s fascinating is that Elfman penned the script over a ten-year period, yet it so perfectly encapsulates the here-and-now.

All The Old Knives attempts to convince its audiences that it is a tawdry game of chess, but in reality, it’s a game of checkers. Pine and Newton are its saving grace, with their performances elevating it just above the waters of drowning in its own self-importance.