Taylor Gates

Strange Darling is a magic trick, showing you its cards up front and leaving your mind to fill in the blanks while it subtly performs a sleight of hand.

The characters somehow behave both flatly and erratically, driving a cliché plot that manages to be both overly simplistic and confusing. Take care of your skin — and sanity — by sitting this one out.

Borderlands is a fun ride, but a bloated cast and breakneck pacing don’t allow it to reach its full potential.

There’s an edgier, grittier, and more thought-provoking movie hiding in here somewhere — about chasing adrenaline and the commodification of your body, safety, and existence — but what we get is still plenty entertaining.

Sing Sing feels like a true ensemble piece, giving all of its characters a chance to shine.

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.

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.

This is the kind of film that has the power to change minds, hearts, and lives.

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

A Part of You is touching and effective without ever veering into emotionally manipulative or exploitative territory, which is not an easy feat when you’re dealing with this subject matter, especially in this genre

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.

The Contestant is riveting, but it stops short of the type of analysis that would take it to the next level.

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.

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

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.

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.

While Copa 71 can feel a little surface-level at times, it’s still an enjoyable watch and a solid introduction to an event very few remember.

There’s a fascinating and beautiful true story at the core of Ordinary Angels, but the bland way it’s told does it a massive disservice.

Though Suncoast features wonderful performances, its clichés dim its impact.

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.

Ibelin is an effective and creative documentary about the power of online friendships.

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.

Grounded by exceptional performance across the board, a rich and funny script, and confident direction, Lisa Frankenstein is a delightful film. It doesn’t break a lot of new ground (unless you count the many graves that are dug up throughout its 101-minute runtime), but it does manage to frequently subvert expectations of horror, comedy, and romance movies alike. All-in-all, it’s a bloody good time.

If there’s one thing we can take away from Will & Harper, it’s that transitioning and allyship can both save lives.

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.

Not only is this documentary a microcosm of the country at large, reflecting real life in the way that charisma and the ability to fire up the masses can make all the difference when it comes to politics, but it also gives us a sense of what the future can look like.

Eisenberg knocks it out of the park and proves he is a triple threat to be reckoned with, with solid writing, confident directing, and stellar acting — even if, at the end of the day, the film really does belong to Culkin.

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.