As a film, Mortal Kombat II does still have some issues with some awkward pacing and perhaps one too many characters to juggle, particularly in the first half. But once the second half gets going, it becomes a bloody good time and a bone-crunching spectacle from start to finish.

While there may be one or two too many callbacks to the first film and a couple of unnecessary subplots, the sequel doesn’t rely entirely on nostalgia, nor does it strip away everything that made the original great. Maybe it’s not a perfect balance, but it’s pretty close to it. I don’t think I’ll be quoting this one as frequently as the first, but I certainly see myself grabbing some popcorn and peanut M&M’s for a pretty epic double-feature in the future.

As one of the year’s most delightful surprises, The Sheep Detectives is a charming, smart, and sincerely heartfelt whodunit that proves even the smallest voices can carry the biggest stories. But best of all, it’s also the kind of film you don’t expect to love this much and one you won’t forget anytime soon!

Though Apex's story largely just updates survivor-thriller tropes we've seen many times before, it's effective enough in its repackaging that it's certainly worth firing up on Netflix during a lazy night in. The physicality of Theron's performance, along with the film's vertigo-inducing cinematography, ultimately make Apex an adventure vacation from hell worth taking.

Michael may not rewrite the musical biopic, but it does just enough to set itself apart and inject a bit of new life into the genre by leaning into the family drama at its core. The performances are top-tier across the board, with Valdi and Jackson immediately becoming stars to watch and Domingo and Long proving once again why they’re considered two of the best in the business. The level of craftsmanship — from the hair and makeup to the costumes and production design — is unmatched, helping to compensate for a weaker screenplay and inconsistent direction.

Unfortunately, Lee Cronin's The Mummy is so focused on replicating other horror movies and relying on familiar tropes that it honestly has very little in common with the bandaged monster it's supposed to be about.

It's fairly common for creature features to be populated by characters we feel little to nothing for: flat, cardboard people whose only real purpose is to fill the runtime until they get eaten. Thrash does a solid job of avoiding this standard pitfall.

Outcome is clearly coming from a personal place for Hill. It doesn't come across as too bitter or full of self-pity, but the point of the movie is never made fully clear. It moves at too quick a pace to leave much of an impact, and it's a bit of a tonal nightmare.

I imagine there are a select few out there whose taste in comedy earnestly leans towards the likes of dadaism, and they might find actual humor in this almost anti-comedic story. There are perhaps a few more who will get the odd sensible chuckle out of the movie and forget it ever existed within a month.

For all its visual polish and strong performances, Faces of Death remains caught between commentary and replication. It wants to critique our obsession with violence, but it can’t quite resist indulging in it, too. The result is a film that feels acutely aware of the cultural moment it inhabits, yet strangely hesitant to push beyond it.

The movie isn't reinventing the wheel — it is ultimately a love story that plays with familiar tropes in a beautiful setting. But it does remind audiences why we love these movies in the first place.

The story might be thin, and some new characters might not get the attention they deserve, yet The Super Mario Galaxy Movie remains a charming, often hilarious, and playful testament to the greatest video game franchise of all time.

The Drama is a film that will stick in your mind long after you’ve left the theater.

Drag makes the most of its fairly simple conceit.

Although it could be debated whether this is a rom-com or not, given that the romance itself takes a back seat, it excels as a feel-good, indie dramedy anchored by Amanda Peet's career-best cinematic return.

Steve and Audrey Zahn pull it off in a beautiful film that will uplift your heart after breaking it.

They Will Kill You is an undeniably fun and berserk action film that relies on the style to make up for the lack of discernible substance. For the most part, They Will Kill You pulls this off, and it’s easy to get caught up in just how much this cranks itself to 11.

Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice is a ridiculous adventure that is constantly surprising, unexpectedly touching, and truly hilarious.

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.

The Sun Never Sets is a charming take on the love triangle and a strong return to movies for Swanberg. The mixture of Fanning, Johnson, and Smith works well, and this romance is handled quite nicely without becoming frustrating with all its relationship back-and-forths.

Sender wants to put us in the perspective of an addict, but instead, it always leaves the audience feeling like it’s missing something, not quite in step with what the film is trying to express. Goldman has a lot on his mind, but Sender sometimes feels like when you have too many ideas, and you try to say them all at once, but it comes out garbled and confusing.

While Kill Me doesn’t stick its landing, this is an impressive debut from Peter Warren, and it shows how well he can mix extremely dark subject matter with an engaging mystery that’s also quite funny.

Tow isn't a movie that anyone will outright hate, but it squanders so much of its potential that it fails to deliver the important message that it wants to share.

As it stands, Vampires of the Velvet Lounge is exactly what it seems to be: a messy, mildly entertaining vampire movie that works best when you’re only half watching it.

What starts as a more violent Mr. and Mrs. Smith takes an unexpectedly brutal turn, becoming borderline unamusing. Taccone pushes himself to try and break from his usual comic mold, but with Over You Dead Body, he ends up pushing too far.

Brian is an absolute blast and a hysterical coming-of-age story, centered on an impressive lead performance by Ben Wang, and an absolutely perfect handling of character and tone by Ropp and Scollins. Brian deserves to be amongst the great high school coming-of-age comedies that paved the way before it.

Pretty Lethal is at its best when it’s a straightforward film about bloody fights and survival. This isn’t the most complex concept, and when the movie tries to include unnecessary details, it stops the narrative dead in its tracks.

Wardriver feels familiar. It's Dane DeHaan that makes it worth investing in. If only they had gone deeper, Wardriver could have lifted itself past expectations into something more compelling.