Nadir Samara

Final Destination Bloodlines is a spectacle, a joyride, and easily the funniest iteration in the franchise.

The film is jam-packed with fun tidbits and celebrity cameos that will surprise a lot of Vandross' fans — the casual and the hardcore. Considering his level of fame, it’s strange we haven’t gotten a biopic or definitive piece of fiction with Vandross at the center, but Porter seems to have made the definitive Luther Vandross documentary and it's worth every minute of our time.

Skarsgård and Benjamin make for an odd pair that work well together at every turn. The vision of Mohr is clear and realized, and the resulting work of art will excite audiences around the world.

The sincerity with which The Book of Clarence approaches its story, combined with its sheer boldness, will cement Samuel as a filmmaker who soars to unimaginable heights.

Concrete Utopia is one of the best thrillers of the year.

The Holdovers won’t blow you away in any particular category of filmmaking, but in the capable hands of Payne, every one of these categories is above average, making the overall film equally enjoyable and well-made.

It is Baig’s vision that makes We Grown Now sing in a way that is totally incomparable. Every shot, every musical choice, everything that makes a riveting movie is on display and at its very best here.

Though there is one climactic heist the film rests on, there are a couple of mini crime sprees that come in the first act that set the tone for the finale. Combined with an absolute masterclass of an action set piece, Smugglers is a movie with a lot on its mind and expresses it in a very entertaining way.

Monster is many kinds of stories all at once and both the direction and script make sure that it is all in service of making the best film possible.

They Cloned Tyrone is funny, well-paced, and just plain cool, and when you think that's all it is, the script digs even deeper.

Eslyn has full control of every element of the filmmaking process and the team to execute that vision. Fenton's production design fits the film perfectly and every little touch works to build out this world. Duplass and Brown are an unlikely, but deeply successful, duo.

Palm Trees and Power Lines is eerie, provocative, and thought-provoking.

The writing, direction, and acting are spectacular. The score by Robert Ouyang Rusli is stirring and never ceases to amaze. Among 2023's film entries, Bruiser stands among the year's best so far.

To say Leonor Will Never Die is making bold choices would be an understatement. One never sees the comedy coming, the film is gorgeous, and the script is easily one of the year's best.

No part of Utama feels fabricated. The costumes are a part of the environment; the camera work is as simple as it could be, but what is in front of the camera is elevated by a lovely stillness. Alvarez turns Bolivia into a series of portraits and Grisi is the perfect conduit to tell such a specific tale of love and life.

All Quiet On The Western Front does not live and die by each round of ammunition, it thrives through personal connections and incredible shots of stunned faces covered in soot.

The film's tone and performances are in lockstep, creating a familiar but effective vibe, making MK Ultra a no-frills thriller reminiscent of classic 70s paranoia.

Mona Lisa and The Blood Moon is a tightrope of horror, revenge, and feminism set to awesome music.

Moonage Daydream doesn't really concern itself with David Bowie’s effect on the world; it lives and dies inside his own mind, and the decisions he made that impacted his art.

By the end of Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, fans will feel both nostalgia and elation for the direction the franchise is going.

Though the performances are all very enjoyable, the dialogue pulls down the script. Despite this, however, Karmalink is unique, introspective, and beautifully imperfect.

Hustle succeeds in being exactly the movie it sets out to be: A glimpse inside what it takes to get into, and stay in, the very competitive NBA.

Explorations of sex are a dime a dozen in Hollywood but Thyberg isn’t interested in sex, she is interested in people who are interested in sex. There is no judgment and no fetishizing. (The film even has time for a boner joke.) What more could one ask for in a film such as this?

Black Crab is a little long, but the movie is too cool to notice.

Gold isn't a gut-punch, but it lulls to sleep before spearing with a jagged branch.