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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

When it focuses specifically on the scares, Hokum is an effectively disconcerting film that relies on time-honored basics to really get under the viewer’s skin.

Compared to his other recent work, Carney’s latest pulls back a bit on the music and leans more into the comedy side of things, yet Power Ballad maintains the heart and optimism that is brimming from all his films, and hopefully, it will get the attention it deserves.

Ready or Not seemed to close the book on Grace's story, but Here I Come effectively shows that there are still potentially chapters to explore in this tale. Did we need a sequel to Ready or Not? Probably not. But hell yeah, it's great that we have one.

I Love Boosters is full of major swings and plenty of individual concepts that could take up an entire film, yet Riley balances everything this movie is trying to do quite well.

Through Wang's astute direction, some moving performances, and well-rounded vision, it is just as provocative as it needs to be, while making for a very entertaining watch.

Lord and Miller have created a new sci-fi classic, an incredible adaptation of Weir’s novel, and a film that deserves to be a part of 2027 Oscar consideration already. With Project Hail Mary, Lord and Miller have crafted a film that’s truly out of this world in every possible way.

The Immortal Man, while obvious at times, also gives you everything you could want in a Peaky Blinders movie. There's angst, there's violence, there's sex, explosions, and swagger.

The Bride! embodies an unconventional and rebellious nature that makes it wholly unique. Whether it's aware of its flaws or not, it's not ashamed to lean completely in. In many respects, The Bride! can come off as being just a little too much. Too much romance, too much theatricality, too much feminism — but sometimes, too much of a good thing is still a good thing.

Hoppers is an absolute delight, setting the bar high for animated films this year, while creating a film that reminds us just how amazing Pixar still is at making new, exciting worlds and stories, without relying on sequels.

It might not answer every lingering question or fully offload his tensions, but it does capture something more elusive and wholesome.

The McManus brothers have crafted something that manages to be both sprawling and intimate, complex yet without becoming convoluted. Redux Redux is a strong indie sci-fi film that will make you excited to see what the McManus brothers have up their sleeves for next time.

A vital documentary, Teng gives an intimate look at not only the toll the genocide has had on Gaza, but on the first responders who can do nothing but give their everything, even as the hospitals they work in become military targets of bombings, and survival is far from a certainty.

While it may not be for everyone, it is a love letter to and for genre fans, demanding the same kind of twisted, unconditional love it plays around with.