Pig takes itself way too seriously, making some interesting storytelling choices.

Much like the dynamite ladies that Mumolo and Wiig wrote and refreshingly bring to life, Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar is shimmery, vibrant, and as welcoming as a great big hug.

WITCH: We Intend to Cause Havoc is a wonderful history lesson, as well as a lovely introduction to a band and their music that, perhaps, most people would never have heard otherwise.

We may not learn about Casanova the gambler or the spy, but we get to see a vulnerable side previously unexposed.

None of the set pieces are inventive, and the dialogue is either overly serious or hacky ha-has. In addition to the bland everyman at the center of the story, all the supporting characters are soulless mouthpieces.

Anyone familiar with the global gender-gap problem will find nothing surprising about the themes presented in Platform. However, where Mossayebi’s documentary sets itself apart from other similar stories is how he captures the drive and determination of the three sisters and their good luck and misfortune along the way.

While the presentation is somewhat basic, Mosely: It’s Complicated is still interesting, if just because its subject was so much larger than life. So, if you don’t mind a talking heads-style doc, then this will be right up your alley.

One cannot deny that the director provides all the clues possible, while still leaving it to the viewers to decide if this is a film, as one of the many lawyers featured mentioned, about “people being paranoid or is the system really out there to get them.”

If you want to make an indie comedy, watch and study Eat Wheaties!

The gravity and tragedy of each shooting examined are intensely felt. While the subject matter is heavy, by looking at the grassroots movements that have cropped up to fight against this injustice, the director offers a glimmer of hope that change is possible.

Though I may not have connected with the final product as intended, if the idea of a psychological thriller about pregnancy appeals to you, then the movie might be your cup of tea.

It is sweet, engaging, and has a great message.

Like all of its predecessors, its overtly political message can’t decide whether its violence is justified or glorified. This means it sits right at average.

Although Soderbergh complicates his cinematic dish with too many flavors, No Sudden Move still offers plenty of bites to savor.

Stolakis presents the facts in a studied but engaging manner. The testimonies from her subjects are genuine and heartfelt, especially as they continue to struggle with their faith in light of what is seen as God’s “failings” in their lives.

Fast 9: The Fast Saga is a stupid, stupid movie. It lacks the fun and humor of some of the better entries, and it also lacks in the character development department.

I loved Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain because, like Bourdain himself, the film pulls no punches. It’s fearless in that it’s not looking to beatify its deceased subject.

Wolfgang examines the life and game-changing career of Wolfgang Puck in a visually engaging and charming way. While it repeats itself every so often, the food on display is delectable, and every interview is a trove of information.

Hadaway indicts this country’s misguided preoccupation with being first, scrutinizing America’s twisted values via the prism of her uber-competitive protagonist. As a result, The Novice officially claims the title of The Best Film About Rowing Ever Made.

For me, the relevance outweighs my enjoyment of Ailey, but this relevance bears a massive weight. Alvin Ailey has a fantastic story, but this might be a narrative that lends itself more to a bio-pic than a detail-oriented documentary.

The script for this film is absolutely incredible.

The story, centering around family, culture, and identity, comes from a unique perspective. Some sub-plots go unaddressed, yet Tedaishivili’s excellent performance always brings you back with the worn gaze of a battle-weary wrestler.

It empowers Chinese citizens while also shining a light on the exploitation and oppression they face in the workplace and job market.

Streetlight Harmonies manages to conjure up some compelling and highly evocative vignettes.

The Lost Leonardo tells the tale of the most scrutinized painting of all time in fascinating, exhaustive detail.

While a bit disjointed, the film does offer hidden beauty in a world of seemingly discontent and boredom.

In the hands of a less capable director and actor, the thriller elements would be squeezed out to the very last drop; the film would be yet another tired exercise in suspense. That is not what Sweat is going for. It is not trying to make you breathless from cheap tension; its goal is to leave you breathless from an aesthetic and storytelling perspective. Without a doubt, it achieves that goal.

Catch The Fair One is a fantastic and engaging effort across the board. The direction is lean and ably brings forth the emotional truth of each scene.

It may not be a perfect confection, but this cake’s got layers.

While Altman and Liu may have failed to create a fully developed storyline in All These Sons, the filmmakers enlighten the audience to the plights of young men who have been affected by the gun violence that has been ingrained into the overall image of Chicago.

As a comedy, Mark, Mary & Some Other People keeps the laughs light and the story grounded.

While it may raise more questions than answers and not quite cohere as a whole, the film nevertheless is poetic and at times breathtakingly beautiful, anchored by a superb cast.

Uproarious. Disturbing. Melancholic. Shrewd. All adjectives that the marketing teams behind Andrew Gaynord’s terrific dark comedy All My Friends Hate Me are welcome to use for promotional purposes.

Under the guise of a straightforward love story, Sethi’s film reveals itself to be an incisive look into the long-running Indian tradition of arranged marriages and its implications, set against the backdrop of a rapidly spreading COVID-19. If that sounds heavy, it’s anything but, the writer-director ensuring that things don’t get bogged down in ponderous polemic or pretentiousness.

Not since The Florida Project have I felt this emotional about a story of children forced to grow up way too fast.

The ensemble cast of Werewolves Within is what makes it.

I think what sets Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It apart from other end-of-life docs is that this one is just so honest, so forthcoming, and so remarkably detailed. Mariem Pérez Riera has perfectly captured an American icon at the moment we need her the most.

Gaia uses its atmosphere to great effect.

The filmmaker demonstrates a true cinematic eye with sweeping vistas he captures. If only he resisted the urge to inject himself so much into the story, An Unknown Compelling Force might’ve scaled to even greater heights.

In showing such a diversity of perspective, Sementara successfully captures a moment of transition for the country of Singapore.

Despite pacing issues, the film is a good look at imperialism and the mind of “the white Rajah.” The beautiful locations give the film an ambiance of mystery and adventure.

Despite lacking more elaborate storytelling, Kirk Caouette’s indie thriller features enthralling action and a consistent aura of dread.

The director understands what it takes to get viewers invested, but she throws that away in the finale.

Crow and her crew accurately capture everyone’s emotions throughout and refuse to pull any punches along the way. At the Ready is honest, even in the moments when it becomes frustrating.

Skate or Die is a great documentary with a positive message that will undoubtedly inspire and empower those who watch it.

Agony resounds with gothic horror vibes and feels like it belongs to the past.

It’s important to understand that the irony and the less-than-ideal qualities of The Hill and the Hole lead to something resembling comedy rather than the intended drama.

Blindfire is a tight thriller, effectively balancing the intense action with truly affecting dramatic moments.

Domino: Battle of the Bones is a bit quirky, utterly ridiculous, and intentionally offensive to just about everyone who watches. However, these aspects work in the film’s favor and reward the cast and crew with mild success.

Los Lobos is like a short diary of less-privileged immigrants. Though the settings and characters are from a specific geographical and ethnic origin, the issues addressed by the filmmaker are prevalent, experienced by millions of immigrants all over the world. This universal appeal and incredible acting make the drama an absorbing watch.

A Father’s Legacy is heartwarming and eye-opening, and just as importantly, it’s one of the best films I’ve seen in a long time.

Don’t come looking for scares either: possessed narcissistic actors choking themselves over and over isn’t all that frightening. The script, by Luke Baines and Nick Simon, just can’t find any new, intriguing ground to cover. As a comedy, however, the feature is infinitely more effective.

With unparalleled verisimilitude, Hirori captures both the helplessness and the resolve it takes to see past it, to hold on to a glimmer of hope, faint as it may be. Sabaya will leave you scarred, its images scorched forever into your mind.

As a movie, I thought Jon M. Chu did an incredible job bringing In The Heights to cinematic life. There’s nothing wrong with the actual production or cast. It’s all great, but my issue is with the source material, specifically the songs.

The real tragedy is that all of the characters in Holler seem incomplete.

Upheaval: The Journey of Menachem Begin does not solve Begin’s paradoxes, but it does a very good job presenting them.

Under The Stadium Lights stands out because of its two veteran actors in Milo Gibson and Laurence Fishburne.

It’s honestly one of the best dark comedies I’ve seen in years, and I can’t wait to watch it again.

This movie is absolutely fantastic!

In Monuments, the comedy outweighs the drama, for better and worse. For better because Sullivan is an engaging comedic presence, at once gawky, twitterpated, and restless. For worse, because the ending does not have nearly as much emotional effect as it probably should.

An eccentric local priest spouts nonsense, blood gushes out of the shower, bodies twist and contort at impossible angles, and creatures from hell crawl towards the camera. By the time the convoluted, shrieky finale arrives, it all blends together into nothing more than dull background noise. Your investment in the story will be indirectly proportional to its running time.

Hero Mode might make some adult viewers roll their eyes or just groan with its misunderstanding of technology. But the screenplay offers up some genuine laughs along with a general sweetness making it great for viewers of all ages.

The mundane is only as mundane as you make it, and the supernatural can be painfully mundane.

A Quiet Place: Part II offers another round of impressively staged set pieces, a few cheap (but damn effective) “gotcha” jumpscares, and a heavier dose of those spindly, flower-headed aliens.

The Oak Room is a movie that purports to be seen as a dark and twisty backwoods noir but takes so much time getting to where it actually wants to go that by the time the story winds itself up, we’ve lost interest.

This version stands on its own, problems and all, as an interesting tale of an anti-hero… or is it about a tragic villain?

These iconic images seem endowed with a sort of “livingness,” as if they have acquired special powers.

We’ve seen it all before: the obsessive cop with emotional baggage, the small-town folk being interrogated, the lovey-dovey subplot, the tonal dreariness. The filmmaker isn’t aiming to avoid tropes, and what the film does, it does splendidly, though an injection of humor would have certainly been welcome.

It might be a typical Guy Ritchie film and loaded with every cliché in the book, but it’s still fun.

It is a thorough examination of over a decade of conflict and strife, packaged into a feature film, which is no small feat. But its failure to focus on the FBI investigation and muddying its portrayal of King hurts the overall production.

Into the Darkness serves as a keen portrait of a deeply divided country, unsure of where its allegiance lies. Heavy-handed and slow-moving at times, further bogged down by extended speeches about the future of Denmark’s economy/industry, this behemoth nevertheless impresses, simply due to the sophistication of it all.

Few seasoned filmmakers can boast the lightness of touch, the comedic timing, and proficiency with an ensemble cast that the 21-year-old Lindon so nonchalantly possesses. The film would’ve been a treat if it were made by an established auteur; the fact that a complete newcomer concocted the entire thing makes it even more impressive.

Whether you’ll have a blast with this beat has nothing to do with your affinity for metal music and everything to do with your tolerance for “heart-on-the-sleeve” independent filmmaking.

Anyone seeking motivation, or just looking for inspiration, will marvel at the life story of Valerie Taylor, her sharks, and her love of the sea. She is a treasure, as is Sally Aitken for bringing her story to the screen.

Drunk Bus, directed by Brandon Laganke and John Carlucci, is a deja-vu inducing coming-of-age story with enough character and good cheer to make you forgive how unadventurous it is.

Billie Piper’s first feature-length movie as screenwriter and director may have bitten off more than it could chew, but it is a daring debut that marches to the beat of its own drum. I respect it for that and enjoyed it more often than not.

George Kosturos carries American Fighter. His acting is above average, and his fighting makes him look like this kid look believable. The bouts never feel choreographed or staged for the camera.

Beautiful and atmospheric but essentially empty and pointless, Berlin Alexanderplatz hits you with the bluntness of a sledgehammer.

As we all creep back into the theaters from our COVID cocoons, it serves up just the right amount of cinematic comfort food to keep us coming back for another serving.

It's jaw-dropping how slapdash Sheridan's approach is to what's supposed to be the heart and soul of the story – the bonding between Hannah and Connor. The characters are so cardboard, it's a wonder they don't catch fire.

Iranian cinema has always been very good at reminding you of your humanity, and Rasoulof’s anthology plumbs those depths perfectly.

It pulls viewers to the edge of their seats and never relents, and never stops prodding at the emotions of everyone watching.

When the film isn’t deafening you with the sounds of bullets and screams, it revels in silence, in birdsong, in the buzzing of flies, in the tranquil sounds of nature. These sequences are captured beautifully by cinematographer Andrew Commis, Arnhem Land’s emerald ponds and breathtaking vistas forming a stark contrast to the bloodshed and fire and chaos.

Papers Spiders is everything you want out of a teen drama, more Lady Bird than The Fault in Our Stars. That’s not to say fans of the latter won’t respond to Shampanier’s genuine gem. Don’t let this one slip under the radar.

There might have been time for some plot-holes to be fixed, characters to be developed deeper, or some such, but Undergods manages to mesmerize and captivate every minute of the way with a bewitching visual palette and an appropriately fitting electronic score

The Paper Tigers presents a fresh take on an old genre.

Rather unexpectedly, the result is gripping and immersive, bolstered by a committed cast and some remarkable visuals.

Leaving a traditional narrative structure in the dust, Beshir uses breathtaking cinematography to bring you into the Horn of Africa. The movie is moving poetry about the struggles in khat fields and Ethiopia itself.

The Resort takes a while to get to the good stuff, and the rhythm is interrupted every now and then. But the scares are effective, the cast does what they can with the material, and the cinematography is great. The island and the resort are captured well, and the strong reliance on setting does help smooth over some of the bumpier spots.

Best Summer Ever wants to do so much at once that it never slows down to allow the more dramatic moments to sink in properly. But, as a showcase for the cast and crew, it works rather well. Most of the songs are good, the dancing is energetic and well-choreographed, and it has charm to spare.

The entire production is odd, and it never gives off the intended thriller vibe. Rather, the whole affair comes off as depressing and sad. Unfortunately, sparse dialogue and subpar acting do not help The Inheritance in what it lacks in story and mystery. It’s too cold and simple, leaving viewers unfulfilled.

Gregory Bayne’s Making Sense puts the spotlight on a fantastic cast with disabilities and tells a story about disabilities that could only be told as science fiction.

Framed may not be the thriller you want, but it’s a fine drama and morality play.

The movie gushes about films in a way only cinema buffs could and tells the unknown story of a Hollywood giant in a way only his daughter could.

Even though the screenplay does not explore every character’s backstory enough to work fully, the film is still an engaging coming-of-age story with an utterly brilliant ending.

Painkiller hammers its message home, which might frustrate some viewers. But, the direction is good, the action exciting, the story interesting, and the score is beyond stellar.

Ultimately, Vanquish falls into the cliché of typical action films, where the focus is on the action, and the story is a way to string the action together

Though the film is about a missing person, unfortunately, it felt like something was actually missing from the plot.