Ross Bonaime

Confess, Fletch is decent—not quite a great mystery, not an excellent comedy, but fully enjoyable for what it is. A major part of that is Hamm’s ability to play up his charms, while also showing his gifts as a comedic actor.

Meet Me in the Bathroom is a tremendous document of one of the most integral musical periods of our time, when the kids asked "is this it?" and responded by changing the world.

The Bad Guys 2 is a gorgeous, fun animated film that occasionally spreads itself too thin.

Pizza Movie is a charming throwback to the stoner comedies that inspired it, an ambitious college movie that knows how to take a simple idea and turn it into something broad, wild, and expansive. While the joke might start to get a bit thin near the end, Pizza Movie is a clever bit of fun, and we definitely need more broad comedies like this in the world.

While Luhrmann can do his best to recreate the glitzy, nonstop nature of Presley’s life, in those final moments, it’s easy to see that Elvis lacked the weight that this real footage captures. It’s that little bit of substance that reminds how hollow the previous hours of style have been.

Buddy is a blood-soaked nightmare full of dark humor and surprisingly touching moments. Like its title character, Buddy isn’t just fluff, there’s something deeper inside.

Even if The Musical isn’t always a hit, it’s worth it when the film does find its high notes.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 isn’t just the ideal sendoff for this group, it’s the best MCU film in years, and a reminder of how much fun and moving the Marvel Cinematic Universe can actually be after film-after-film of recent disappointments. The Guardians of the Galaxy were the best corner of the MCU, and Gunn has created the perfect goodbye to this gang of misfits.

All You Need Is Kill might not be as impactful as the Takeuchi / Obata manga, or Tom Cruise’s live-action update, but it does make some intriguing choices that will absolutely be worthwhile for fans of these other versions to check out.

This incredible cast, especially Washington, Nielsen, and the overlooked Pascal, and this expansion of the compelling political machinations make Gladiator II a worthwhile sequel, even if it can't match its predecessor. Gladiator II will leave you entertained, but leave you with an unfortunate feeling of déjà vu.

The Bad Guys brings a deep love for heist films to this animated adventure, and in doing so, creates one of the year’s best animated films.

Theater of Thought could've easily become a straightforward documentary about the evolution of thought and the fascinating science behind our brains, yet in the hands of Herzog, this topic becomes far more entertaining, as he approaches the topic with a wide-eyed wonder that lets this subject go down smooth.

A New Era shows that Downton Abbey doesn’t have to sacrifice joy to also explore sorrow and pain. Amongst charming tales of Hollywood and French getaways, A New Era delves into loves lost, missed opportunities that leave its mark on our lives for years, and how one will be remembered long after they’re gone.

I Want Your Sex proves that every generation needs its own Araki film.

At its very core, Knock at the Cabin works because it reminds of the early days of Shyamalan, when he felt like the next coming of Alfred Hitchcock, and his films would leave the audience talking for days after.

Kiss of the Spider Woman is yet another decent adaptation, but even Condon's visual panache and scale can’t quite elevate this story to greatness.

Östlund's comedy of inequality and broken class structures might be a bit too blunt at times, slightly too long, and is often best when at its simplest, but Triangle of Sadness is too fun and ridiculous to not enjoy, and compared to The Square, is a step-up in Östlund's criticism of the bourgeoisie.

The budget might have ballooned to ten times what Terrifier had, and the kills have gotten far more gruesome, yet Terrifier 3 is still the same mixed bag that this franchise has always been.

For Andrews, Bring Them Down is a capable, intriguing debut, but it needs more depth than this revenge tale has to offer.

Beau Is Afraid is bold, enthralling, and unlike anything you've ever seen before. Whether that's a good or bad thing, well, Aster leaves how we enter this shrieking void up to the viewer.

Gillan gets a great opportunity to show her comedic skills, and Stearns remains a solid purveyor of dark comedy, but Dual’s gloom eventually overtakes the absurdity to a depressing degree.

Stay Awake is certainly a balancing act of addiction, compassion, difficult choices, that still manages hilarious moments and periods of joy. Stay Awake isn’t just an integral film about addiction, it’s also one of the best directorial debuts of the year.

The Mardini sisters in real life went through hell, and their journey is incredibly powerful, considering what they went through. But The Swimmers only occasionally gives this story the power that it needs, instead, falling into easy tropes and an unfocused narrative.

The Actor is a film about discovering who you truly are, and it also reveals that Johnson is a captivating, promising filmmaker who hopefully won’t wait another decade to make his next film.

I Want You Back largely relies on the overwhelming charm of its tremendous cast, and in particular, the magnificent dynamic between Slate and Day, but that’s all I Want You Back really needs.

Americana is an interesting modern take on the Western, with a standout performance by Halsey.

This third Avatar film might not have the groundbreaking impact of the first film, or the vast improvement that The Way of Water had over what came before it, but Fire and Ash is still an exceptional moviegoing experience that proves there’s still plenty of gas in this tank.

Babylon is often pure mayhem, but it’s the beauty of life and film itself underneath that makes this one of the best movies about movies this year, and one of the best films of 2022.