Sumner Forbes

Slow pacing and blink-and-you’ll-miss-it details abound, placing the film in the tradition of foreign arthouse films.

It’s a challenge that may ultimately be gratifying for the right audience — just make sure you have a comfy chair.

Dark and uncomfortably funny, this work showcases a filmmaker acutely aware of the nuances of modern society.

A promising debut from a new international voice.

Ultimately, those hungry for a film that prioritizes a great performance over cheap thrills will not be disappointed.

Guzzoni, at times, drowns the film in its messaging by not mixing it up, but we’re never bored. We can thank López’ performance for that and our creeping sense of alarm at the abuses that the less fortunate are forced to suffer through.

Just the Two of Us won’t win any points for originality (it seems that stories like this are the all the rage on streamers), but it works as a well-constructed drama that checks the boxes of what people watching it want — an intense tale of conflict with two hot people. In that regard, we can definitely count this as a success.

Prison films are an underrated genre, and Pino’s film is a more than worthy addition to the great family of films that take place behind bars.

It works as a powerful mediation on the optimism lost for a peacefully cosmopolitan Lebanon.

It’s refreshing to see a sex comedy that recognizes that it’s really not all that simple for all of us.

The rise of anxiety is a serious problem with no real end in sight. Films like Anxious Nation are important for spreading the message. However, the only realistic way to change attitudes on mental health is to normalize seeking care and to make more people aware of the solutions.

The drama is a mostly compelling watch, but we’re left wanting more from a film with such an impressive assemblage of individual pieces.

The value of Petit Mal is in the performances and formal flourishes that disrupt the actors’ rhythm work against one’s overall enjoyment. Even so, there’s always a place for filmmakers willing to tell distinctive love stories, and one involving a lesbian throuple in Colombia certainly fits the bill.

Davis’ delusions of grandeur are definitely not bulletproof like some of his vests, but that doesn’t necessarily make this an essential watch.

There’s no shortage of entertaining moments in To Catch a Killer, but that won’t stop audiences from wanting more. Other than the performances from Woodley and Mendelsohn, there’s not a lot to grab onto, which would help distinguish this from countless other entries of this ilk.

Those who may not care quite as much about the economic messaging underpinning the film may still find Dinklage careening through windows and getting seduced by hot graduate students worthy of the time investment. Still, there’s no denying that this could have been so much more.

While Dead for a Dollar may not make one toss out their copy of The Searchers, it’s still a refreshing change of pace seeing three excellent actors in an uncommon genre. When it comes to its originality, though, we’re left watching the tumbleweeds float on by.

Trying to do too much in the span of ninety minutes is an insurmountable impediment to the success of Shadow Island. Still, even so, there’s a period of 30 minutes in the film that really gels together.

It’s a mature story, and with maturity comes a subtlety that goes beyond exposition. But filmmakers must balance tones effectively, and Khan is unable to shake his film’s monotone nature.

Their chemistry as performers together is particularly noticeable, so it’s a shame more focus wasn’t given to keeping the three of them on-screen together as much as possible.

Instead of a taut coming-of-age drama, we seem to have gotten a surfing movie that happens to have a skeleton of a story.

Maybe Banderas wanted to capitalize on the popularity of the Taken or John Wick franchises, which is entirely understandable. For a man used to covering a wide range of genres, the role of the older action star is one with a certain degree of cultural cache. The Enforcer, though, just isn’t the right vehicle.

As much as I find Eckhart and Dobrev to be a fun duo surprisingly well-suited for a movie like this, Harlin’s action opus is just begging for a rewrite and a jolt of originality.