The finale could use a little honing (greater context, a little more clarity, some tighter thematic context and background information), but it's still full of enough twists, tension, and surprises to have a solid time at the theater that audiences will be thinking about afterward.

For a story that should be brimming with intrigue, danger, and the horrors of inventing your own reality, The Wizard of the Kremlin is instead a bloated, tiring recitation of facts that doesn't know how to elevate its dark subject matter.

By cutting back and simply sticking to the thrills and the madness of this situation and little else, Bay has made one of his best films in decades.

The Boogeyman is at its best when it strips away all the excess to draw us deeper into darkness.

The best thing Whistle has going for it is that the "monster" is actually pretty creepy, and the rules created behind what it does are intriguing enough. The gore and death scenes are effective, pulling in the viewer, as the character building pushes them away.

All through the scattered experience, Page is a shining light. Every move he makes gives the film something greater that it is never able to grasp.

The sluggish pacing and lack of specific characterization make it feel longer than its hour-and-a-half runtime, though the strong performances and beautiful cinematography are just enough to keep it from ever becoming a total slog.

Director Margarethe von Trotta delivers a thoughtful exploration of love in a patriarchal society, which ends up being surprisingly hopeful considering how cruel reality can be.

Much like the city being built in the film, it’s all more interesting in theory than it ever is in actuality. Now that we will all have the chance to take it in for ourselves, the greatest revelation is that there just isn’t that much there to see.

While being far from perfect, Violent Night is just too fun not to revisit, which means it can become a new holiday classic in the years to come.

Despite its flaws, Mr. Harrigan’s Phone remains a careful adaptation of one of King’s most touching stories to date. And while there are not many frights in this horror movie, it remains a solid entry of Netflix’s enviable collection of King’s adaptations.

Chaos ensues, dozens of better movies are ripped off, and despite a few fun kills, it leaves you feeling not very much of anything.

Cameos and fan service are fine to have, but the story has to be there to back them up, and it’s not quite there with The Flash.

The key to what makes this newest retelling work is the combination of Ferrell and Reynolds, both of whom are able to play to their comedic strengths, while also having the opportunity to do some solid dramatic work as well. This duo is delightful, and as they work together on Christmas Eve, it’s wonderful to watch how this relationship shifts.

While the group of actors who play the students offer strong performances, particularly Luke Barker, Ksenia Devriendt, and Florence Baker, Hausner's meandering feature eventually concludes without a real ending.

For as much care and passion that the Hawkes put into Wildcat, the film never knows what it wants to be or even what audience it wants to be speaking to.

It's personal without being indulgent, it's unique without feeling incomprehensible, and it's full of heart and soul without being saccharine.

Director Brad Anderson’s Blood is one of the rare vampire movies to focus entirely on the subject of drug addiction, which could make it a refreshing entry to the subgenre. Unfortunately, Blood’s script leans too heavily on tropes. Besides that, Anderson’s competent direction cannot help with Blood’s mixed messages about drug addiction and an ultimately unlikable protagonist.

So long as you aren’t expecting a masterpiece, Spy Kids: Armageddon proves itself as a fun, spy romp, where kids are king and parents are simply along for the ride. It’s childhood wish-fulfillment to the extreme, straight down to getting to live out video game fantasies and one-hit wonders.

The Tiger's Apprentice is a self-contained, satisfying story that will both entertain and tug at the audience's heartstrings.

Iñárritu has always been heavy-handed but his attempt to be airier creates more areas to bloat. And it gets incredibly unwieldy at points.

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.

Without talking about how, why, or in what manner, it is Acken who emerges as the darkly delightful standout of The Sacrifice Game.

Ultimately, the new Hellraiser isn’t entirely bad. It’s just bland. Forgettable. And in the world of horror films, isn’t that worse than being bad?

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.

Don’t Move is a tense but ultimately forgettable experience that will likely leave you — much like its protagonist — staring tiredly, and blankly ahead.

Overall, Goodbye June proves Winslet is just as talented onscreen as she is calling the shots, bringing a raw approach to this already emotionally-driven story. Through her thoughtful direction, the ensemble is able to deliver a convincing portrayal of a dysfunctional yet loving family dealing with potential loss and precocious grief.

Iron Lung is far from a perfect movie, and the pacing ultimately makes the conclusion feel exhausting rather than exhilarating or shocking. You'll be ready to leave once the credits roll. Yet, the craftsmanship is there; with his directorial debut, Fischbach shows that he's more than just a YouTuber, and he can conjure up the same kinds of scares that make him scream as he's playing games.

Luz is an ambitious film but one that overreaches a little and becomes jumbled as a result, but it shows promise for filmmaker Flora Lau.

Similar to the original, Another Simple Favor manages to defy your expectations. It's a sequel that never feels hellbent on just repeating the same plot beats as the first. While it does get too cocky in delivering dozens of plot twists, the sexiness and soapiness are still there.

Maslany can effectively react to shadows and reflections, and Perkins can navigate this cabin to maximize its horror potential, but without the screenplay to back them up, this just becomes a curious experiment without much focus.

Alienoid is a movie that wants to be everything and satisfy everyone, and when you try to satisfy everyone, you invariably end up satisfying no one.

Beast has its flaws and is mostly by-the-numbers, but if the idea of Idris Elba fighting a lion is something that is of interest to you, then Beast is going to deliver.

What Last Rites gets most correct is its family dynamics, hearkening back to the first film's initial moments and providing a strong thread throughout the series. Farmiga, Wilson, and new and returning characters all pull this off brilliantly.

All the clear love the film has for the references it is throwing out is never molded into anything memorable of its own.

Kosinski has already made one of the year's best movies with Maverick, and with an extremely intriguing concept and fantastic performances all around the board, Kosinski has for the second time this year made one of the best movies of this summer.

Don Lee comes out the other side unscathed since his charisma helps carry most of the story and he’s always fun to watch.

Kung Fu Panda 4 is a film all about deciding to not do the easy thing of remaining stagnant and comfortable, but rather, trying something new and hopefully finding the greatness in the new opportunity. Kung Fu Panda 4 similarly does this, attempting a new approach to this world and mostly finding success, while also potentially setting up the future of where this series could go.

It's a well-balanced animated actioner that captures everything fans already love about Geralt of Rivia while exploring the complicated politics of monster hunting.

The cast is sufficiently fun and the remote location a proper backdrop for the offbeat story to play out. It just never brings all its pieces together, revealing that the greatest paranormal force haunting the entire affair is the ghost of a better film.

War of the Rohirrim's storytelling woes might mean this isn't the epic return to Middle-earth that many Lord of the Rings fans may have been hoping for, but that's not to say the film's not without merit.

Arthur the King plays out like both your typical sports movie and your average dog flick. It's sometimes emotionally manipulative and full of melodrama, yet that doesn't stop it from being a perfectly fine way to spend 90 minutes at the movie theater, especially for dog lovers.

The lure of some solid '90s nostalgia should be good enough bait for a compelling story, but unfortunately, the only thing that Monster Summer reels in is a story that we've all heard a hundred times before.

It's certainly not Francis Ford Coppola's most well-known war movie, but Gardens of Stone is a pretty decent one, and does feel somewhat underrated.

Bad Boys: Ride or Die might explore too many plotlines or bolt between too many characters, but brains-free enjoyment reigns supreme.

Strays aims to be as raunchy and dirty as a talking dog movie can get, taking full advantage of its premise, although never really going anywhere beyond that. Not all the jokes land perfectly, but those that do illicit some of the biggest and best laughs you'll have at the theater all summer.

With a messy story and confusing characters, Aïnouz's Firebrand is a disappointment to behold no matter how exquisite the film looks.

Like the family at the center of the film, Nutcrackers is rough around the edges, but it's lovable in a shaggy way.

A film filled with intensity, this is a worthwhile, deliciously vile watch.

Some will definitely not be able to buy into the ridiculousness of it all, but if you can, you’ll be rewarded with a great time at the cinema. If you thought after the first movie that this killer doll was just a viral blip in the movie world, M3GAN 2.0 is here to tell you in the most deliciously over-the-top way that you are very wrong.

While most movies have a particular section reserved for fun and games, Karaçelik's tale is engaging in its entirety, with captivating performances from its cast that will make parting ways with Keane, Suzie, and Kollmick a difficult thing to do.

Fackham Hall holds its own as the first of its kind — and carves out a brand-new niche in the satire landscape.

Adulthood is a film with three-dimensional people who are good for some laughs due to their reactions, but the surrounding plot is high-stakes and filled with suspense. Every single time you think you know where it's going, a new twisting avenue carries us somewhere else.

For being based on such a memorable story, it's incredible how forgettable The Boys in the Boat is. Clooney's direction is so empty and the writing so trite that it leaves the committed cast stranded out on the water with nowhere meaningful to go.

With a well-composed original soundtrack and stunning visuals, Spellbound is one of the best animations of the year.

First Kill is a smart, tight film that fits perfectly into what the first Orphan film set up over a decade ago.

War Machine does indeed struggle to stand out in a crowded subgenre of alien invasion movies, but it also does enough to likely satisfy action and sci-fi fans. There are glimmers of brilliance with Ritchson's surprisingly nuanced performance in the lead role and at least one truly great action sequence, but just about every other aspect falls into "just fine" territory.

Simply put, Cocaine Bear is exactly what you want. It's a film that knows that it's ludicrous and relishes in the wildness of watching a cocaine-fueled bear go nuts on Blood Mountain.

Sympathy for the Devil should be thankful for Cage and Kinnaman's brilliant dynamics as, without them, the movie would be nothing more than a bland thriller.

Echo Valley is a tense thriller propelled by strong performances from Moore and Sweeney and a never scarier Domnhall Gleeson.

By focusing on the gray between the good and the bad, and with a scale and scope that the other films never quite had, The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes might just be the most engrossing film in this series—and almost makes one wish there were more stories here to be told.

Through sensitive portrayals by Glaser and Schwerdt, and a moving sequence featuring Anderson, the new Palacio adaptation once again proves that kindness is the remedy to evil, and it is never too late to choose the high road.

Scare Package II: Rad Chad’s Revenge suffers from the same issue as superhero media in the last few years, as it demands some homework to be done so you can follow and maybe enjoy the story the movie is trying to tell. That won’t be an issue for hardcore fans, but Scare Package II: Rad Chad’s Revenge still didn’t find a way to make the franchise more widely accessible.

There's an interesting story in here, and a far better Keaton performance within it too, but it is the kind of thriller that lacks the tension and excitement that it needed.

Quirky characters and an unpredictable story combine for a film that will break your heart while making you laugh.

Empire of Light ultimately becomes a confusing mixture of ideas that never congeal into one solid narrative. Yet Mendes’ film does have the tiniest slivers of magic poking through the seams, proving his thesis about the beauty of film, even when he’s too distracted to focus on that idea himself.

What a shame even a master filmmaker like John Woo couldn’t at least partially liven up a derivative piece of action cinema like Silent Night.

It's an action movie with plot beats that might make certain audience members raise their eyebrows and scoff, but it will have Statham devotees smiling, laughing, and cheering in their seats.

'It Ends With Us' is a sensitive depiction of abuse and its performances elevate the adaptation.

While it’s certainly great that Daniel Day-Lewis is back in his element, and Ronan Day-Lewis can craft impressive, imposing imagery, Anemone is just too much empty space, waiting to be filled with something.

The predictable story would be forgivable if Bad Shabbos' execution of this darkly comedic crime caper had a truly excellent execution.

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel ' perfectly recaptures the joy of the original two films and is powered by a joyful Eddie Murphy.

There's Something Wrong With the Children is fine as it is for a casual watch, but it’s painful to watch such a talented cast trying to salvage a bland horror film that had so much potential to be unforgettable.

Everything is glued together by another Dafoe performance that proves he’s one of the greatest actors of all time, especially when given enough room to tap into the lunacy of his characters. In short, Katsoupis managed to craft a crowd pleaser that still has something interesting to say.

There is a good film in here that could be made more present if the story itself was punched up as much as the enemies are. This is unfortunate as every dynamic moment of deadly destruction is undercut by ones that are ultimately uneventful.

Playing out almost like a spoof of various genres with both macabre horror and mumblecore misdirects, it's an odd film that's often as lost as the charming characters themselves before settling into a strange groove that starts to cast a spell of its own.

Midas Man may not go on to become as influential as the individuals it has as its subjects, but it's still a decent enough crowd-pleaser that is safe, entertaining, and just the right amount of twisty and shouty.

With its depth, style, and surprisingly outlandish ending, Night Patrol is the latest feather in Long's mightily-quilled cap.

To anyone interested in the history of film, Champagne includes the earliest known examples of freeze-frame techniques, highlighting how innovative Hitchcock was.

Without Winter in the frame, it lacks direction and oomph, leading the Lost Boys star to carry everything on his foam latex-covered shoulders.

Intriguing moments of animation experimentation and a new batch of characters just aren’t going to be enough to keep this series worthwhile. Right now, Trolls is going in one direction, and it needs to shake it up a bit more to make things in sync again.

Even though the brutality is seemingly never-ending, we never dull to the constant barrage of pain—both physically and emotionally. Yet when Fuqua and Collage aren’t focusing on the cruelty of this world, the film stops dead, lumbering through the motions, complete with derivative choices, characters, and dialogue.

When creative directors are given the chance to take big swings and actually do so, the result can bring about nightmarish experiences unlike anything out there. The glimpses of this in V/H/S/85 serve as a reminder of the value of the series and the visions it can ultimately provide a home for.

Neither wacky enough to be a winning comedy nor clever enough to be a horror sendup, We Have a Ghost is a film that leaves little to grasp onto as it all just ends up slipping through your fingers.

Lilo & Stitch feels like it was made by a boardroom of folks who wanted to sell more Stitch merchandise. Chris Sanders and Maia Kealoha have enough charm to keep families entertained, but it's also hard to deny that these two characters are just as, if not more, endearing in a film you can watch right now on Disney+.

By appealing to the more casual moviegoer without losing the best things she brings to the table, Miller has birthed her best film yet.

With clever lyrics, punchy tunes, and a committed cast, this is another jewel in the crown of Australian musical films, a worthy watch even for those cynical about such unabashed flights of tuneful fancy.

Elric Kane's The Dead Thing packs an unsettling tone and real moments of insight into its lean runtime.

Landscape with Invisible Hand is certainly a mixed bag that isn’t nearly as tight as Finley’s previous work, but the bold attempt to make something so unique and singular makes this wild story ultimately work.

Director McKay seems to understand that special balance between terror and camp, and it’s that which makes Renfield, which premiered this week at the Overlook Film Festival, such a delight to watch.

Dunham's latest has a particularly game cast, and a solid concept, but Dunham makes this feel like a collection of mismatched ideas and inconsistent characters.

The film's animation is charming, with a quirky, storybook quality to the whole thing that helps the tale feel timeless, even when mentions of the not-so-distant war conjure up images familiar to older audiences.

It's well-acted and not schlocky, but it's one of those presents you open on Christmas, excited to receive it, only to forget about it the next day.

When all the pieces come together, it is a work that proves to be one of the more well-rounded experiences from Rodriguez in quite some time.

A little more full-throated absurdity and humor would've been a great step for the film to take. Ultimately, The Moment is a delightful spotlight for Charli XCX as an actor, and the concept itself finds some playful ways to expand on the lore of of her massively successful album. "brat" is dead. Love live "brat."

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.

Brick fails to offer a compelling solution to its central mystery.

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.