Patrice Witherspoon

Thanks to a stunning lead performance from Jean-Baptiste and an ending that doesn’t take the easy way out, it is a must-watch.

It isn’t just stellar filmmaking, it’s necessary viewing for those of us aching to break the cycle of abuse.

The Color Purple is a resounding success with respect to quality and entertainment. From its messaging about sisterhood and self-love to its stunning filmmaking achievements, it’s a film that's easily enjoyed on the big screen. While the entire cast brings their A-game, Barrino, Henson, and Brooks steal the show with Oscar-worthy performances.

Anatomy of a Fall is as addicting as any true-crime story, and as riveting as some of the best murder mysteries thanks to a team effort in front of and behind the camera.

Luckily, it’s as entertaining as it is insightful, using humorous undertones to highlight the dangerous personalities of those who offend. And thanks to that eccentric and campy score to match the tone of the story, Haynes’ latest has all the elements needed to confuse us as much as it entertains and educates, which takes us on a fascinating watching experience.

This story of civic injustice isn’t just a great achievement by the director. It’s a cautionary tale about the repetition of tragic moments in history.

Thankfully, Craig captures the magic that so many have fallen in love with over the decades. The story explores the uncertainties of religion, sex education, and girlhood with incredible sincerity and without judgment of any option. What's more, it beautifully reveals the side to humanity that society often tries to hide with these concepts — but does so with genuineness and care.

Thanks to phenomenal camera work and partnership with cinematographer Alejandro Mejía, In the Summers is elevated by an impressive experience both emotionally and visually.

Allen-Miller’s inventive feature debut suspends everything one may know about moving on too soon and getting over heartbreak. The creative world she conjures is vibrant and entertaining, leading to an experience that is humorous and immersive.

Ultimately, Exhibiting Forgiveness is a movie that spoke to me on a deep level. It’s the type of transcendent experience that could make you confront your own demons and familial traumas you may not even have known existed.

The film's final 30 minutes is simply phenomenal filmmaking, emphasizing Yamazaki’s ability to bring quality back to the franchise and showcase a stunning achievement of human storytelling.

Perhaps one of the most provocative and strongest satires in recent memory, American Fiction contains wickedly smart writing, superb performances, and messaging so in-your-face that it could almost be easy to miss.

It doesn’t nail everything it set out to accomplish, but A Thousand and One is a breathtaking character study of perseverance in Black motherhood.

Dumb Money is a crowd-pleasing story with great performances and a script that keeps it simple.

The exceptional camera work by Kore-eda and tender script from Yuji Sakamoto is a near-perfect pairing. Together, this dynamic duo created a great film that enabled the cast to put every ounce of emotion into their performances.

Speak No Evil shows viewers the dangers of not speaking up about discomforts for the sake of politeness, and it’s horrifyingly twisted.

Packed with great technical achievements and sequences that will keep viewers on the edges of their seats, John Wick: Chapter 4 is, without a doubt, a great time at the movies.

The Chronology of Water is a boisterous spectacle of the female experience directed with pure love and sincerity.

It’s unapologetic with showcasing the intricacies of girlhood, and it’s a joy to experience and witness sexuality, queerness, and female friendship in its honest totality — free of judgement and restraint.

While dissecting the world’s ridiculous beauty ideals, Fargeat directs her sensational feat with pungent audacity, fearless humor, and dysmorphic body horror.

Even in the most discomforting moments, director Parmet finds a way to delicately balance morally complex issues. The Starling Girl, even with its unsettling themes about abuse, is a triumphant effort about finding love within.

It may not incite fear in a classical sense, but it haunts us at every minute of its runtime. Gorgeous cinematography and an exceptional score elevate this tale of obsessive torment. Sure, we’re in a time when remakes are becoming more of an annoyance than anything, but with a final product like Nosferatu, it almost seems silly to care about these things.

Full of action sequences and an incredibly moving score to pair, this could be the kind of war drama that audiences have been missing. It’s heavy on the violence and anti-war messaging, and contains a beautiful story about survival, humanity, and doing the right thing even when there are countless obstacles in the way.

Without relying on cheap jump scares, Soderbergh’s psychological horror thriller is a shattering mystery about instinct that will chill you.

A fascinating character study that shows us the dangers of finding fulfillment in all the wrong places.

A roaring achievement for the first-time feature director, In Flames is an intensely vivid tale of survival. Khan’s humanistic approach towards understanding marginalized women is hauntingly beautiful.

For a directorial debut, Shanks hits it out of the park with his delightfully squirm-worthy horror comedy.

A satisfying David vs. Goliath tale of justice, The Burial is the type of film you’d watch for the history lesson, stay for the entertainment, and return to see a wonderful cast let loose in all the best ways imaginable.