Taylor Gates

Brides is an original and bold coming-of-age story that features two star-making performances from its young talent.

Peter Hujar’s Day’s thesis seems to be that it’s these normal days that add up to a life and there’s beauty and importance to be found in living, documenting, and reflecting on them for those willing to be patient. There’s a similar sentiment to be said of the film — it’s a rewarding one for those willing to sit with something slow and experimental.

Despite not ending on its strongest note, Daughters is still a highly effective documentary overall. Working with subjects this young and topics this sensitive can be challenging, and you always run the risk of feeling exploitative, but Daughters handles both with compassion and care.

The film has all the makings of something fresh and elevated, but it ultimately establishes itself as a solid yet still somewhat stereotypical teen romance with sparks of more interesting, daring fare sprinkled throughout.

The film memorializes André and keeps him from being forgotten — something he mentions multiple times throughout the film. Yet it also helps André come to terms with everything.

The film manages to capture the specific way queer communities communicate with one another and the unique chemistry between them in a way few others have.

Each subject is so rich and nuanced that any single one of them could carry the documentary as its sole focus.

While Ma’s script can feel broader than one might like when it comes to the core dynamic between Sara and Sumi, it thrives as a love story and character study and offers enough heartwarming moments of humor to make it well worth your while.

I’ll Be Right There is a light, breezy way to spend a little over an hour and a half filled with some genuinely funny gags, top-notch dialogue, and solid performances.

Despite its sometimes rocky editing and crowded ensemble, First Time Female Director does what it sets out to do: make you laugh and laugh hard.

Empire Waist features a moving tribute to friendship dressed up in a bright, colorful package.

Ahn’s feature debut is ultimately a beautiful, sensitive love story showcasing the healing power of unexpected human connection.

Chestnut is an effective and enjoyable if rather simple and slight coming-of-age movie about a unique time in a person’s life that few filmmakers have chosen to focus on.

Much like the setting it depicts, Sunfish (& Other Stories on Green Lake) is a quiet little gem with much more to it for people willing to take the time to look beneath the surface.

A tense atmosphere and great acting make up for some lackluster characterization choices.

By refusing to engage with messier material, Queen of Chess ends up being a rather straightforward, feel-good documentary, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Though it hits familiar biographical beats, Kennedy’s direction always keeps your attention and celebrates a remarkable woman whose amazing story deserves to be told.

Shirley is a relatively straightforward biopic, but it’s worth the watch to see Regina King’s beautiful performance that feels like an ode to the trailblazing woman.

Though the themes in Atropia are more subtle than one might hope and expect from a war satire, and the film could benefit from more focus, Hailey Gates successfully draws intriguing parallels between war and the entertainment industry that will have you looking at both in a whole new light.

While it’s a cozy and enjoyable enough watch with decent performances, Good Grief is too middling to be memorable, sticking to an overly sentimental tone despite its best moments having more edge and bite to them.

It’s never as deep as it thinks it is (or has the potential to be), but as long as you go in simply wanting a nasty, gorgeous, unhinged ride, you’ll leave the rollercoaster satisfied — and probably a little nauseous, too.

There’s a lot to like about Seeking Mavis Beacon, and the documentary is at its best when it feels like a celebration and tribute to the technology and its elusive cover model. Overwhelming and chaotic editing choices, however, detract from its overall impact, and what makes the film authentic and special threatens to get drowned out.

The actors do well working in Manuel’s specific directing style — one that’s characterized by unhurried dialogue — it’s just that the style doesn’t always resonate, tamping some of its power instead of enhancing it. Filipiñana is a feast for the eyes, but you’ll likely still leave hungry due to the punishingly slow pacing.

Magic Farm starts out promising, and there’s a lot to like when it comes to its performances and visuals, but the underbaked plot keeps it from being fully satisfying.

Prom Dates mostly blends into the countless other films that cover the same subject matter, but there are a few moments here and there that elevate it to something more. While the characters are thinly drawn and their arcs underbaked, the comedy is there for the most part.

While her first outing as a writer-director is a mixed bag, Kravitz shows undeniable potential to join the ranks of performers who are equally exciting behind the camera as in front of it.

Last Summer’s solid performances elevate it, but it never reaches the heights it could by digging more deeply into the themes and more firmly grounding us in the characters and their emotions.

Despite a strong central performance from Sasha Luss, Latency works against its own concept and falls into cliché thriller tropes.

Measures for a Funeral is brimming with style and painstakingly researched, but the fact Bohdanowicz seems to insist on showcasing every tiny detail she discovered at the sacrifice of making a leaner, more focused, and riveting story causes a dissonance that makes it feel dead on arrival.