Matthew Dougherty

Director Sean Baker continues his strong career of shedding light on the fringes of American society with incredibly human stories. The undeniable center of Red Rocket, however, is a powerful turn from Simon Rex.

The Safdie brothers continue their winning streak of making harshly real films about everyday New Yorkers with fatal flaws. But this time, they’ve also given Adam Sandler a platform to show just how good he is with the right collaborators. The results are as stylish as they are affecting.

Emilia Clarke charms in this clichéd, kooky Christmas rom-com.

Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson give their all to Marriage Story, a smart exploration of the emotional intricacies of divorce and how they can rip love to shreds. As characters, they’re a little too extraordinary in their careers to be as relatable as the film wants them to be, but that doesn’t get in the way of the sheer power of the writing and acting on grand display.

The master filmmaker has made an introspective, thoughtful, even somber film that manages to be just as entertaining as his classics, even while diving deep into the darkest souls and finding some semblance of a heart.

This is an entertaining game of tension and gore with a strong funny bone, all in a well-wrapped package clearly designed with surprising thought and artistic effort with a star-making performance for Samara Weaving.

Though it’s too long, and not every action scene or comedy bit works, Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, and terrific rising star Vanessa Kirby ensure that there’s fun to be had in a Fast & the Furious movie not centered around cars or racing.

One of the most original films of the year so far, The Art of Self-Defense is a searing critique of male violence, and the notion of power at large, told through a traditional kung fu flick set in present day America. Dryly funny, the film also carries a wisdom that makes Riley Stearns a talent to watch.