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.

The film gives good insight into the confusion and fear we may face when exploring our sense of self.

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.

Ultimately, Pain Hustlers is a mixed bag of entertainment that opts for flashiness instead of focusing on the important elements of the story at hand — the people affected by the carelessness of others.

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.

Because of some questionable decisions, the film's key messages aren’t as effective as they could be.

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

Birth/Rebirth contains wonderful performances from Ireland and Reyes. But Moss’s directorial debut needs quite a bit more than stunning performances to leave a lasting impression.

There’s no denying this is a film capable of winning audiences of all types with its inherent charm, humor, and nostalgia. For me, however, this was 91 minutes of unfocused, chaotic energy that I did not enjoy. Tonally, the movie is all over the place, while its themes are explored with timid execution.

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.

The most interesting and beautiful piece to this puzzle is the fact that Dillane's performance can steer the audience in any direction emotionally and at any given moment.

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

None of the film's themes blend together appropriately, even when one may suspect a great film will break through.

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.

The film tends to bite off more than it can chew, and the end result is a colossal disappointment.

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.

The film is endearingly sweet, smart, and funny.

Armageddon Time excels at capturing naiveté but under-commits to sharing the truths of racial disparity when it comes to the American dream.

While showing good potential overall, Kendrick’s directorial debut is hindered by tonal imbalances and poor editing.

Though it tends to overstay its welcome, She Said takes its time sharing the experiences of women in a way that leaves enough impact to make one want to stand up to the systematic mistreatment of women in their own workplace.

A harrowing narrative that contemplates the transition from girlhood to womanhood, Arnold uses magical realism to capture preteen angst with a strong desire for existential freedom.

What makes Dossier 137 a fascinating watch is being able to observe a singular character battle all the complexities of morality when it comes to justice, truth, and conflict of interest. Moll doesn’t write Stéphanie with the intent of letting her take the easy way out, which creates some exceptional character study moments.

Though Baylin & Coogler’s script gives just enough to not be forgettable, Jordan’s direction seals the deal and provides fulfilling entertainment.

The stellar cast, in particular, is reason enough to run to the theater to see Air.

The film exceeds expectations with respect to being a Netflix Christmas production, but it is thoughtful and sincere all the same.

Thankfully, Covino and Martin never insult our intelligence by over-explanatory dialogue and lectures. Instead, this talented writing duo focuses on what audiences want: human desire and the wild things we’ll do for connection.

Thanks to the intriguing nature of the titular character’s existence, audiences everywhere can expect a thrilling horror feature that capitalizes on the charm and acting of its leads, campy sequences, and fun uses of music. This is the type of film enjoyed best with a crowd.

An obvious inspiration pulled from experiencing losing his wife Carolyn to cancer, Cronenberg delivers a subdued horror film on grief, which feels unlike any of his previous works.

Director Chuck Russell’s projects always bring a sense of vivacity and killer action sequences in ways his peers often struggle with. But this time around, the magic is missing from Paradise City. Sure, his film contains reliable and entertaining components like most action features do — including an underlying vengeance plot, an expert conman, and even a budding romance — but these elements tend to quickly run their courses thanks to a predictable script, wonky dialogue, and pacing issues.

While Cohen’s latest doesn’t break any genre barriers, this coming-of-age story dissects and visualizes female friendships with grounded realism, welcoming us into its world while leaving room for us to picture ourselves in it.

It’s a simple story about the power of pure determination and will, and it’s certain to leave you fully captivated from the minute lead actor Jorma Tommila appears onscreen.

As a testament to its strong script, Basir’s latest tackles various themes related to addiction, religion, and even manhood. And in its methodical approach towards addressing mental health, To Live and Die and Live defies and exceeds emotional expectations.

It doesn’t break any genre barriers, nor does the film offer anything new to say about these respective topics. However, Tagliavini nicely crafts a Christmas rom-com that is funny and sincere — a feat with which many other holiday romantic comedies have struggled.

The Piano Lesson captures the importance of honoring our ancestors through legacy.

With the exceptional performances from the cast and several laugh-out-loud moments, this creative film is wildly entertaining.

Unfortunately, the film lacks any style, substance, or suspense despite a killer performance from Tom Pelphrey.

It may not be the best biopic ever told, but people will certainly walk away from Rustin more educated, inspired to be the change they want to see in the world, and grateful that movies like this are willing to tell the truth about buried history.

Where the film lacks realism and sense, it is made up entirely by Hathaway and Galitzine’s sensational chemistry.

Sissy sacrifices its themes for violence and surface-level explorations of psychological realism, making it as frustrating as it is compulsively fun.

Even though it doesn’t take its own storyline seriously enough, Smile 2 is entertaining. Don’t expect the horror film to have the best commentary on mental health issues, but be ready for some jump-scare fun.

This isn’t a film that relies on gimmicks and shock value. Instead, first-time feature directors Johnson and Merrick masterfully craft a story that relies on social media and technology to the benefit of the script. And thanks to a well-framed story and clever structure, everything comes together by the film’s end, revealing the answers from clues that just may have been there the entire time.

This breathtaking, funny, and heartwarming tale is creativity and sincere storytelling at its finest.

With sincerity and style, Schrader offers a thoughtful film about life and legacy.

The First Omen contains the scary elements from the classics and creative upgrades, resulting in a hit for the horror genre and The Omen franchise.

An appropriate mix of levity and devastation, Sitting in Bars with Cake is a heartwarming journey about endless support, friendship, and appreciating life.

Warwick Thornton’s feature tests faith and humanity in a way that will leave a lasting impression. It’s the kind of film that requires no stance from us, yet is fully capable of opening hearts and minds from a place of empathy and understanding.

Yorgos Lanthimos’ Kinds of Kindness is a melting pot of anthology narratives that callously spotlight our desperation for affection and acceptance.

Your Monster is a magical movie experience you do not want to miss. A nice blend of levity and drama, Lindy’s debut assertively makes its mark on the genre.

Bring Them Down is 105 minutes worth of violence and misery, but it’s great storytelling, nonetheless.

If nothing else, it's best to walk into Sean Price Williams’ feature debut, The Sweet East, as a satire decorated with light political and human commentary and wild excitement that never lets up.

While not breaking any molds or revealing a side to addiction that many films haven’t before, Stay Awake tastefully captures how devastating it can be for family members.

Though it runs out of steam during its second act, Butler and company do everything they can to keep the energy going, closing out the film with a well-earned bang.

Shannon and Neveu’s compassionate display of understanding different perspectives when it comes to something as tragic as a school shooting is simply beautiful storytelling.

The standouts are certainly more on the technical side, with Elisha Christian’s cinematography, Will Bates’ score, and Mohan’s close-ups. Then, there’s Sweeney, who, without a shadow of a doubt, convinced me of her acting skills thanks to what she was able to accomplish through her emotional and physical performance.

The saving grace of the film all comes down to Jay Will’s breakout performance. Rob Peace simply does not work without him. Will’s charisma and dedication towards showcasing the light that Rob was offers a comfort to me that this film as a whole failed to provide.

Barthes’ thought-provoking script is backed by phenomenal performances from Clark and Ejiofor. And despite its longer-than-needed runtime, the feature is sure to keep audiences entertained from start to finish.

Tom George returns to directing, attempting to take on the genre with humor and flair. Relying heavily on whodunit tropes, See How They Run is a little too stale and unfunny for its own good.

The acting, from both Black Panther's Letitia Wright as June and Tamara Lawrance as Jennifer, is a particular standout. Their commitment to delivering intriguing performances as troubled twins elevates this weak script and enables viewers to become fixated on what was happening to them.

Thanks to the cast and crew, this flamboyant tale of lavishness works on almost every level. At the heart of Pretty Problems lies a story about appreciating what you have and not relying on the compliments of strangers to influence your self-worth.

Evans and Porter deliver heartbreaking performances with the right amount of intensity, leaving a lasting impact.

A highly restrained examination of multiple topics, The Second Act is a film about everything and nothing all at once. Perhaps in line with Dupieux’s style, the surreal, dark humor and commentary produce a messy end product that overstays its welcome.

Some pacing issues result in a feature that feels a bit uneven, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t entertained throughout all the craziness.

Though The Perfect Find struggles with the romance aspects, its commentary on finding love late in life is a pure delight.

As ambitious or complicated as the script may get, the film is the ultimate crowd-pleaser, entertaining the idea of horror tropes but structuring the story with clever twists and thrills that defy the genre.

Despite a committed and great performance from Jennifer Connelly, the themes of co-dependency and toxicity within mother/daughter relationships were simply not executed well. It goes without saying, but this is one of the biggest disappointments in recent memory.

A decent feature debut, The Absence of Eden is a film that means well. Restrictions in the script hinder the film emotionally, which often show up in the actors' performances as well.

Megalopolis isn't just a transcendental delight for the senses, it's a manifestation of Coppola's dreams for humanity and his dedication to cinema.

Riddled with uncomfortable dialogue, audacious sequences, and a piercing score, Club Zero has all the ingredients to become a future cult classic. It’s for a great reason, too. The film contains a terrifying yet wonderful performance from Wasikowska, it includes brilliant commentary on the dangers of following blindly, and it provides great entertainment.

The incomparable Daniel Giménez Cacho stars as Silverio Gama, giving an unforgettable performance that captures the intensity of the film’s concepts. While everything doesn’t always work in Bardo, Iñárritu takes his time painting a visually scrumptious tale even though it’s overly saturated with style over substance.

It doesn’t always capitalize on its strengths, but Don’t Make Me Go is a journey worth taking thanks to fantastic performances from its two leads.

Sure, the script takes wild liberties that bear no resemblance to historical accuracies, but with Vikander and Law leading this wonderful ensemble, it’s a rather welcomed addition that will keep your eyes glued to the screen from start to finish.

Ungar’s Bandit entertains because of genre alone, but the ambiguous messaging leaves much to be desired.

Cocaine Bear is exactly what one would imagine from its title, yet the carnage and shocking scenes yield an experience that soars beyond expectations.

It isn’t the best in its genre, of course, but the commitment from Keaton, as actor and director, is more than enough for me to rally behind this film for another watch.

For a story centered on childhood trauma, domestic violence, and the cycle of abuse, these themes feel like afterthoughts when they could have been its strength. It’s certainly lacking, but hearts were in the right place.

While Emancipation contains beautiful cinematography amidst brutalities of oppression, it conveys very little about the man who should easily inspire the world.

This is merely an example of misalignment when it comes to direction and script. Because while Kane’s vision is mostly clear, the execution of this particular script stumbles.

Sharp Stick is charming thanks to great performances, but the lopsided script doesn’t reach its full potential.