This is all competently executed, as Prior and Zagorodnii have impressive chemistry, and Rebane allows their performances to take center stage. Unfortunately, even though the two leads are a joy to watch, we can’t help but feel that we’ve seen what Firebird is offering before.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is a wild rollercoaster ride and reminds me of the days when I actively collected comic books.

Cha Cha Real Smooth is a series of reflections on life.

Meticulously crafted with powerfully nuanced performances, the film represents the best of what European cinema has to offer and is easily among the year’s best.

The Aviary is a stunning work of art about how people get sucked into something offering a glimmer of light and how that light becomes distorted.

While it holds more value for the conversations it will undoubtedly spark between audiences, the thriller still stands as a bold and brash experiment that demands multiple viewings to get the most of its style and themes.

Chang refuses to fall into this moralizing trap and creates something unique and enjoyable. Far beyond the topic of the coronavirus, the documentary teaches its viewers to think for themselves and be an individual.

Yes, it’s that kind of movie: ludicrous but seemingly unaware of its own pretensions, never quite so-bad-it’s-good, but rarely good enough to rise above bad. The filmmaker seems confident that he’s assembled an “elevated horror,” minimalist masterpiece. Unfortunately, the result is just minimal.

A bit too somber and detached for its own good, Human Factors nevertheless marks another strong entry from a filmmaker who – after several shorts, a documentary, and one other feature – is just getting started.

I Love America doesn’t delve too deeply, or at all, into things like the American dream, the implications of aging in contemporary society, cultural/generational differences, or the lasting marks one’s parents leave on their offspring. As it stands, the film is a cute little love letter to the City of Angels, bound to evaporate from your mind sooner than a meal at the In-N-Out.

Take Me To The River: New Orleans is edited together in a way more organic to music than traditional documentaries, which works wonders.

A warm heart beats subliminally throughout the narrative, a tinge of hope that may be gasping for air but remains vibrant, especially when juxtaposed against the disheveled, rotten backdrop.

Hold Your Fire is well constructed. It is as suspenseful as a top-notch thriller and has the added allure of being true and impactful.

It is hard not to recommend anything starring Rogowski, an actor so unique in approach and delivery that I always relish the opportunity to see him in a major role. I wouldn’t necessarily go so far as to say that he saves Luzifer entirely, but he certainly makes it watchable.

Seek this out if you like superhero films that are especially dark.

While not breaking any molds or revealing a side to addiction that many films haven’t before, Stay Awake tastefully captures how devastating it can be for family members.

In Santos – Skin to Skin, Golden weaves Santos’ colorful life story around Afro-Caribbean music to engaging effect.

Viewed as an epic fantasy, Imakake’s basked-in-golden-hues fever dream of a film is inspired and highly artistic, if overly complex and at times kind of ridiculous. Viewed as an endorsement of a cult, The Laws of the Universe: The Age of Elohim is more than a little creepy and didactic. Any way you view it, it’s pretty damn fascinating.

The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent offers something for hardcore Cage fans, cinephiles, or anyone looking for something refreshing and unique. It’s original, funny, dramatic, and action-packed without the tonal whiplash one might expect from such an ambitious narrative.

There’s enough good and exciting to recommend Sexual Drive, but oh, the sweet-savory possibilities that were missed.

Eggers immerses us in the world of Norse mythology, where Odin reigns supreme and Valkyries carry you to Valhalla if you die in battle. Visually and technically, the movie is a marvel.

The Earth Is Blue As An Orange is probably one of the most unique documentaries about filmmaking.

It’s funny, fast-paced, and just plain fun.

Does it lose focus from time to time? Sure, and its cumulative effect suffers because of it, but Drljača nails the little moments that matter.

"To elevate, to celebrate, to inspire,” another character states about the function of art. Rana and Warin’s film may not be perfect, but it does all three of those things rather effectively.

While the documentary refrains from giving family members clear direction on how to mitigate their fears and anxieties, they have each other. That familial strength is what injects this poignant documentary with so much optimism.

Cech is the heart of the film and coupled with her chemistry with Perlman, Marvelous and the Black Hole emerges as a sweet coming of age tale, worthy of experiencing, even if you feel like you’ve seen it all before.

See You Then isn’t perfect, but it is sincere. Its aim is true, and the message of evolution, healing, and growth is sorely needed.

Bloody Oranges somehow registers itself as an important film and proves significant in every cinematic sense.

Islands is as effective, familiar, and quiet as a microwave.

Ultimately, Father Stu is unlike any other faith-based film I’ve seen. It’s raw, honest, and uplifting without tapping into preachy territory, which ultimately makes it effortlessly uplifting.

On the grand scare scale of Asian horror, with The Ring and The Grudge as its standard-bearers, Room 203 is on the lighter side of horror.

If horror flicks came in cans like fake spaghetti, this would be the kind of can-shaped wormy mess that would slowly ooze out when held upside down and shaken.

Its ambition cannot be faulted, but I’ll Find You gets lost in its own nostalgia, ultimately drowning in mush.

Settings aside, Infinite Storm is Watt’s show, and she is thoroughly invested.

Women of the White Buffalo is a major triumph from a multi-talented artist. It may be grueling at times, but it is one of the best visions of something unseen released yet.

If you’re in the mood for some mindless zombie entertainment (pun intended), then Wyrmwood: Apocalypse has got you covered.

Luckily, the story of Waterman is so riveting and the hero so charming that it’s hard not to grow nostalgic along with the filmmaker.

The drama is a powerful examination of the many forms of grief. Without Exarchopoulos, though, this would have been a banal flight in coach, but thanks to her work, it is akin to a Business Class upgrade.

The Secrets of Dumbledore is hands down the best of the series.

Even at 81-minutes long, Poppy Field drags a bit in the middle. But, the story is important, the lead actor is stunning, and the direction is excellent. Overall, this is a revealing and riveting look at how countries are dealing with the LGBTQIA+ in the worst possible ways.

As They Made Us shines because of its cast.

Chariot may not blow anyone away with its inventiveness, but it’s right at home in the family of darkly funny science fiction films that are enjoyable to watch late at night. Full of bizarre performances and a fair share of laughs, this is more than worth a look for those seeking an unorthodox treat.

Meet Me in the Bathroom is a moving memory of each band and their legacy in a larger musical landscape. It captures the ethos of each artist and is an excellent visual companion to Lizzy Goodman’s oral history.

Nightride promises to take you on a ride, which it does; a bumpy one, filled with detours and ennui-inducing stretches.

Aline has quite a few things to praise, but the bio-pic overall feels like a slight step up from a made-for-television film when it comes down to it.

The documentary is made for big Dio fans and burgeoning metalheads. They’ll love it and maybe you will too.

Some pacing issues result in a feature that feels a bit uneven, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t entertained throughout all the craziness.

Thurier’s direction gives the production its soul. His vision for Kicking Blood creates a visual motif invoking exploration and inviting the audience into a world of tortured, blood-addicted vampires.

Big Gold Brick could’ve been trimmed down a bit with a runtime of two hours and twelve minutes, and some of the characters, like Lucy, are not fully fleshed out. But overall, I enjoyed Petsos’ strange vision.

Riddled with a familiar story of survival and characters who never stop observing and asking important questions (even though most of them are scientists), Jurassic Island offers some unconventional yet decent entertainment.

The plot lurches from one awkwardly-staged, heavy-handed, poorly-lit, bathed in eye-scorching soft-focus sequence to another with little regard for tonal shifts or narrative fluidity.

The core cast, Pine and Foster especially, are superb, while the screenplay gives them plenty to chew on. At a quickly moving 105 minutes, the film is worth the time investment.

The cast is strong, the comedy and the horror work perfectly in tandem, the meta-commentary is the best Scream, and the ending line is sheer perfection.

I Am Here stands as a testament to the enduring qualities of the human spirit.

You Are Not My Mother burrows underneath the nerves and stays there. It accomplishes this thanks to the amazing cast and strong visuals, which are ideally suited to the intense material.

Yang seems to have embarked on his own writer’s odyssey, going for broke, with a substantial studio budget to help visualize his dreams. There’s no doubting the creativity he displays in A Writer’s Odyssey; he could, however, work on coherence and restraint.

2nd Chance stands right up there as a complete portrait of someone we are simultaneously repulsed by and drawn to. As such, it is one of the year’s best documentaries.

Yes, there is a lack of real substance throughout Simple Passion, but the sex manages to fill that void to a degree and keep the film afloat.

There is a charm to Win a Trip To Browntown found in its story of family and ambition.

There is so much to love about the film. Its greatest achievement is its screenplay, which is very dense. Nothing is wasted — not a single side character, joke, gag, or plot point. Every element serves a purpose to the overall story.

Moore’s outstanding direction (seriously, how is this his first feature-length effort?) is stylish, subtly reeling one in, as the suspense and thrills slowly boil over.

Documentaries exist for many reasons. In the case of Ink & Linda, it’s to take us to a world that we may not be familiar with and show us something new, something interesting. Not only do we meet two unique artists, but we get to see them collaborate and create.

The drama is relevant, touching, and ultimately meaningful, as it aims to educate and enlighten its viewers. As such, if you’re willing to put in the time and effort, insert yourself in the narrative, actively ponder the questions being asked, and admire the nuances of what Jonas Bak creates, you are likely to find something to enjoy.

Where the first two acts tell an offbeat and strange story, the final act comes out of the blue and ties everything up in a hope-filled and tear-inducing way.

The film is not just important but also entertaining to the core. Her first feature shows Innuksuk is already a master filmmaker who has made a kick-a*s genre picture with dead-on horror instincts.

The Shepherdess and the Seven Songs contains many such moments of scintillating, mysterious splendor yet doesn’t entirely fulfill its lofty ambitions.

Soft and Quiet is the most unsettling real-life horror movie since Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer. The seemingly uninterrupted single take with a handheld camera fits the production perfectly.

Storywise, Campbell-Hughes ably plays audiences like a harp. The plot often lulls those watching into a false sense of complacency before upending the expected resolution. In this way, the filmmaker keeps the narrative fresh and unpredictable through the bitter end.

The Cow is a powerhouse creeper where one of the great actresses of her generation shows us how it’s done.

Thanks to strong direction, fantastic editing, and good acting, Deadstream is frightening, funny, and enjoyable.

While it is not for everyone, those who can stomach the admittedly cringey, well everything about the plot, will find much to love.

Streamline never establishes its footing, and I believe viewers will fail to see the allure of what Johnston attempts to create.

32 Sounds serves as a glorious pastiche of interviews with sound makers, found footage concerning sound, and interactive experiments for audience members to participate in.

Thanks to strong characters, a great cast, and one bonkers-in-the-best-way finale, the film is sure to please undiscerning fans that just want to have a bit of cool-looking fun for an evening.

Despite the many things it does right, atmosphere and casting, mostly, it doesn’t give you any reason to remember it.

Gripping and mercifully short, it doesn’t quite achieve the status of cinematic gold. Perhaps it’s for the best, or Hayes may have fallen prey to his ambitions.

Those first two acts feel fresh and different. I loved Pattinson’s take. He’s not a pretty boy, he’s a conflicted human being. He’s a hero who’s not so super.

The Changed is telling a story that has been told before. But, the writers have managed to create something compelling and different, thanks to the themes and excellent characterizations. Combine that with the stellar cast and fantastic ending, and you have a title to seek out as soon as possible.

My only real issue is the two leads. They’re crazy and hold nothing back. They are revolting and lovable, but there’s not much contrast between the two or real depth to their characters other than being lazy reprobates.

When morals and ethics become muddled, when right becomes indistinguishable from wrong, when there is nowhere to run, and the world closes in on you, what options do you have left? Though Abu-Assad’s equally muddled Huda’s Salon poses more questions than answers, they are compelling enough to warrant a recommendation.

Gerbase studies how loneliness brings out the worst, and sometimes the best, in us. She examines how some of us are more adaptable than others; how we are the products of our environment, creatures of habit. The film can also be viewed as a parable about autocracy, ruthlessly dissecting the abide-or-die mentality. Whatever you take from it, the drama is bound to hover over you for days.

The Fam sensitively deals with a tough subject and serves as a striking introduction to a roster of formidable talent. It certainly feels like the cast and crew have become a true family during the shoot.

By taking its time setting the stakes for all involved, when the action strikes, its impact is witnessed more through the cast rather than a cadre of CGI explosions.

The individual sequences, along with the confidence with which the two lead actors navigate the sometimes-turbulent currents, elevate the film into the realm of art. After all, sometimes it’s okay for the whole to be less than the sum of its parts.

Despite its narrative shortcomings, Soumaya presents a modulated perspective on the aftermath of reactionary politics and procedures.

Ronnie’s is bursting with vivacity and energy, and to weigh it down with staid interview footage would have been a fatal error stylistically.

It feels like The Other Me teases us Lynchian oddity but never goes all the way.

Is the fare for The Last Bus worth it? Spall’s performance ensures that the answer is a resounding yes! But, there is a caveat: viewers certainly shouldn’t expect a ride filled with joy and laughter.

What is lacking in the script is made up in the action sequences and scene compositions thanks to Fleischer’s vision. Though the main cast struggles to overcome the limitations of the screenplay, their banter and playfulness are enough to make me willing to sit through another installment of this potential franchise.

At a glance, this slow-burn plot may seem like an action-thriller. But thanks to the fascinating character study embedded in this script, it can hold anyone’s attention with the dialogue alone.

Coupled with a few inspired moments and an earnestness that’s hard to dismiss, the film manages, just barely, to stand out from the rest.

In the end, Marry Me is funny and worth watching.

Good storytelling and fantastic acting by Alessandra and Anamari Mesa make up for any limitations of not having a million-dollar budget. Superior is worthy of your support.

Fabian: Going to the Dogs is poetic, ugly, romantic, tragic, and side-splitting. Some sequences approach the edge of sanity, take a glimpse into the abyss, then the plot reassembles itself – but the threat of derailing remains, and it’s quite exhilarating.

The final product more than overcomes its weaknesses.

This touching film will undoubtedly make you sympathize with its protagonist, wonderfully interpreted with gentle poise and nuance by Diop.

Death on the Nile is more solid and engaging than Murder on the Orient Express, and despite the questionable presence of Hammer, it makes for a great latter-day career tentpole for Branagh. He will hopefully continue the adventures of Poirot for years to come.