If it is not as urgent as the first film, this is still an excellent companion piece. Together, the movies paint a complete picture of the physicality and mentality of war, and it is riveting.

Co-writer and director Chris Peckover clearly knows his way around both the holiday and horror genres, and while this isn’t the first time someone has blended the two, it is one of the more-effective efforts. It’s scary and fun, if your idea of fun involves occasional gore and torture, things like that.

It’s a messy but ultimately satisfying film, an opportunity to carry a movie that Davidson takes full advantage of.

Some elements of the film are too melodramatic, but there's not a bad performance in it -- look at the cast and that's not surprising -- and Gosling is outstanding.

Randall Park, the actor (“Fresh Off the Boat”) making his feature-directing debut with a script Adrian Tomine adapted from his graphic novel, displays a confidence here that is infectious.

There is an honesty to The Perks of Being a Wallflower, a genuineness of experience that makes the movie soar when it just as easily could have stumbled.

To call the film slight is an understatement, and its budget, particularly for a movie with genuine sci-fi elements, is miniscule. But it is so charming and sweet...and the songs are so winning that it is impossible not to fall for it.

The performances, by Brenda Blethyn and Sotigui Kouyaté, are outstanding.

It’s nearly impossible to sit through The Sapphires without a smile on your face. It’s a little shallow, sure, but, as with the girls’ troubles, when they open their mouths to sing everything feels like it’s going to be all right.

Long Shot is a love story for underdogs, whether they're gifted but out-there wackos or glamorous glass-ceiling breakers. It's unsurprising that this raunchy dark horse could charm anyone to hit the polls.

It’s the kind of movie that takes you by surprise. By the time it’s done, the honesty of the performances and the depth of character that’s revealed is exhilarating.

More than anything else, Freaky is a lot of fun. Just enjoy it.

This is one of those little movies that stays with you, the announcement of an original voice worth watching. It’s a quirky, magical delight.

If you like a little bit more in a movie — say, characters that are mildly interesting or a plot that's a wee bit logical — stay far away.

Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood is a fascinating and undeniably irresistible look into that world. You just feel, despite Bowers' sunny disposition, a little dirty about enjoying it.

The cast, in particular Macdonald and Everett, rise above. However gritty the film may be, you want the best for these characters.

Director Lorcan Finnegan is relentless in his pursuit of disquiet. But “The Surfer” is not just an exercise in making a hard-to-watch movie. It’s also a commentary on toxic masculinity and the absurdity of bro culture that poisons X and podcasts and other forms of media.

It’s the classic example of the sequel to a really imaginative original: If the first one didn’t exist, this one would seem revolutionary. But the first one does, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, for all its charms, will live in its shadow.

The Connection is long and occasionally long-winded and determinedly old-fashioned in its approach. That's why I liked it.

No, it’s not “The Shining.” It’s not trying to be. But it is a salve when we need one most, and that’s a lot.

It could be a really showy role, but Phoenix is patient, letting the character, and the audience, come to him. It's a journey worth taking.

Stewart proves to be an able filmmaker in Rosewater. But he also shows hints of being something more.

Welcome back, Whit Stillman -- with Damsels in Distress, the hipper-than-thou club is back in session.

Wakanda Forever misses Boseman greatly — the entire film is about missing him — but it moves the story forward in a way that seems logical and fitting.

It's a measure of how good a film Nowhere Boy is that it would be compelling even if it were the story of the formative years of a boy named Joe Brown.

No one wants to live in the past, but in The Peanuts Movie, the old stuff still stands up, while the new story is just flimsy glue holding the classic bits in place.

Whatever it is, Giamatti finds it and sells it. And despite a few dead ends with the story, I'm buying.

Director Shawn Seet’s film is surprisingly sweet and moving.