There's no doubt that it's been a blast to watch McShane ham it up in the John Wick films over the last decade, but American Star offers a nice counterpoint, showing just how good the actor can be when given a role as layered and engrossing as this one.

If Breakup Season has a lesson for us, it is that relationships can end even when we least expect it and that it hurts like hell. It is an odd message to deliver on a date such as Christmas, but even odder is how cozy it feels. The movie is bittersweet, sure, but the sweetness is still there.

It Ends takes viewers for a terrifying ride in unexpected ways.

Carry-On is pure escapist fare that you can turn on while sitting next to your Christmas tree, and it has enough energy that you won’t feel the need to check your phone every 10 minutes.

Folktales' earnest, sensitive approach is its superpower, showcasing universal challenges being processed in a specific and singular way.

The movie shines the brightest, harshest light on Kaufman, and still ends up seeing nothing more than a silhouette. What was it all about? We may never know, but Thank You Very Much is about as close as we may get.

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.

Brides is an original and bold coming-of-age story that features two star-making performances from its young talent.

The film is at its best when Heller is executing novel kills or blackmailing his bosses, and we're given just enough of those adrenaline-pumping scenes to make it all work together well. The Amateur strikes that delicate balance often (though not universally), but it works well enough when it counts, for an outing worth seeing.

Words of War may not be a film that does anything stylistically or creatively to reinvent the wheel, but it has a message that transcends the bounds of art.

Despite the movie's obvious excesses, it is easy to find credible hyperbole for Janiyah's perpetually drawing-the-short-straw lifestyle, where Henson's performance and chemistry with the cast drive forward the socially relevant heart of the film.

Leonberg shows so much promise, ultimately delivering a horror movie that not only has the scares but also a massive heart. However, it does also help that the movie is centered around a cute dog.

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

Boys Go to Jupiter is the type of animated feature we need more of: experimental, unusual, yet fun and familiar.

Peter Hujar’s Day’s thesis seems to be that it’s these normal days that add up to a life and there’s beauty and importance to be found in living, documenting, and reflecting on them for those willing to be patient. There’s a similar sentiment to be said of the film — it’s a rewarding one for those willing to sit with something slow and experimental.

Miroirs No. 3 is enthralling from beginning to end, a smart, often heartbreaking story that thrives in its simplicity.

Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In is still a more than competent, entertaining, action-packed ride, even if it's not the most original in terms of its plot.

The Apprentice is a film that delves into the figures who shaped Trump’s worldview while never becoming a hall pass for the bad behavior of men like him.

The movie is full of trees, lights, snow, and all the aesthetic trimmings of a Christmas movie, but there's a coziness behind all the seasonal artifice that radiates from the screen, and that, surely, can only be down to the right combination of people having a whale of a time together.

This isn't the scariest zombie movie you'll ever see, and the second act begins to drag as it readies itself for the finale, but if you want a highly original one that makes you feel, Die Alone is flesh worth sinking your teeth into.

A fun, high-octane action movie about a chase against time through a fascinating city.

There is a simplistic charm to the movie that captures the strange in-between times of the early 2000s.

Crowder’s documentary could have just felt like another puff piece and, in some ways, it can be. However, the movie always feels completely genuine and told from the heart.

With a limited budget and a lot of dedication to the craft, the project is able to build on its references to thrillers from the '70s and '80s while finding its own footing.

Ultimately, Wicked Little Letters is a delightful comedy worth writing home about (just be sure to watch your language when you do).

That being said, if you are part of that target demographic, Spinal Tap II: The End Continues has a lot to enjoy. That's especially true when the film shows off a few surprisingly heartwarming moments, which were definitely not as prevalent in the original story.

Through its powerhouse performances, effective bare-bones plots, and strong horror elements, Adam MacDonald's latest survival story gets the job done, and does it well.

Cold Storage is a far better movie than you'd expect, thanks to its clever script, committed cast, and energetic direction. If you are hankering to watch more of Joe Keery battling monsters in the wake of the Stranger Things finale, this is just what the doctor ordered.