Ultimately, Smith finally achieves that perfect balance between humor and heart that he's been dancing towards with all his films.

In terms of "narrative," the film keeps excellent pace, maintains your attention, and educates you on psychological ramifications of memory.

It’s unfortunate that Knocking is so muddled as Milocco is thoroughly engaging. Plus, Kempff demonstrates a visual strength and confidence that will serve her well when she gets ahold of a script that is a bit more grounded than the one here.

It’s scary, intense, and moody. Derrickson’s first film since Doctor Strange (the first one, the good one) is one of the best horror films in a very long time.

A hard luck, true life fairy tale story told with poignant humility, embellished with solid acting and determined direction.

A powerful no-frills drama. It's a film that never flinches from its colorful, if sometimes cruel namesake neighborhood and the people who populate it.

The juiciness of the storyline overflows into a series of rushing strawberry rapids that will carry you away.

Homegrown is not a film that takes a stance one way or the other on the extreme political divide Donald Trump has created in the nation. It instead gives you a glimpse into the mind of men who fought for and ultimately went to prison for him.

As a documentary, Rodents of Usual Size makes good use of animation illustrating how Louisiana got itself into this environmental disaster. The filmmakers interview a wide variety of citizens who come at the problem from their own unique perspective. They also capture some of the most once beautiful and now devastating images of Louisiana itself.

Medem's astonishing, magical-realist love story Sex and Lucía is easily the best Spanish film since "All About My Mother." But such a statement actually undersells the beauty of what Medem has created, which in many ways rather defies description.

As a whole, the film is perhaps a bit too gentle and meandering, but it's jammed full of superb moments.

We Are Living Things unravels gradually, methodically. It could’ve used a bit more tension and slightly higher stakes, for the silences in-between its words aren’t as weighty as the filmmakers seem to have intended. Yet it’s refreshing to see a love story rooted in reality, despite the sci-fi undertones.

Dark and quiet is the tone from start to finish.

The Rose Maker is at its best during its quiet moments when characters are allowed to simply exist and grow.

Handsomely produced but emotionally inert offering.

Aviva is a palindrome, reflecting the film’s ouroboros-like narrative. It’s also a Hebrew name, which translates as “spring-like” or “fresh”–both adjectives applicable to the sensual and passionate Aviva. Love it or hate it, it’s… well, it’s art. I loved it, warts and all. Perhaps Yakin has finally discovered his style.

With the keen eye of a seasoned documentarian, the filmmaker captures all the depression, anxiety, boredom, love, loathing, and insecurity of seemingly apathetic teens, her gaze never mocking or judging.

A Boy. A Girl. A Dream may seem simple but every frame is a vibrant work of a passionate filmmaker.

What The Phantom of the Open has going for it is a sweet and unconventionally inspirational story.

Bomb City isn’t a phenomenal effort for a first-time director, it’s a phenomenal film, period.

It strives as hard for authenticity as its protagonist does to remain relevant; the strain shows.

Mirabella-Davis somehow perfectly captures a woman’s perspective on the twisted series of events that leads Hunter to where she lands by the end of the film.

This is a good film; strong, honest, strikingly photographed (by Dean Semler) and appropriately devastating.

This is a timeless tale; the time period is irrelevant as the story is a profoundly personal one about trying to reject the strong internal drive for vengeance.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is good, when it should have been great.

Overall, June Zero is a worthy film that follows delayed justice coming to a Nazi war criminal, bringing to the surface events of the post-war that aren’t well known.

The cast in this film is incredible.

It’s easy to forgive its melodramatic excesses, especially if you happen to be partial to the genre. And things do pick up as the story unfolds.

What might just be this film's greatest strength is how it shows that no matter how "different" we might appear to be on the outside, what's on the inside is what provides our common bonds.

Maya Erskine is hilarious, which is no surprise, given how funny she is on Hulu’s Pen15.

An original and utterly unconventional tragedy of fantasy and reality, and the potential lethal results of worlds colliding. Ed, glad to have you back.

Featuring a mix of fiction and real life, Touch Me Not explores intimacy in an experimental feature film that manages to make sex seem unlikely and tiresome.

Those seeking more adventurous, cerebral, inspired stuff will get a helluva kick.

The average viewer will be satisfied with the product, even if the film offers hardly any new information. The doc buff will witness a film that can't surface above the steady nonfiction output at the art house.

The cast playing these eccentric characters is magnificent...This is definitely one of the most unique comedies you’ll see all year.

It’s an exhilarating experience, and raises the bar for the use of digital technology in film.

Reports of boos at the film's debut at Cannes are more understandable now, not because Marie Antoinette is an inaccurate or indifferent look at French history (it is), but because it's self-indulgent shit. Booing - and beheading - are too good for it.

Hanging by a Wire emphasizes the self-reliance of the people of Battagram, who are accustomed to solving problems on their own. Naqvi brings us along to witness their strength and determination on display.

This film is very much of our current era, but you can even be *gasp* over 30 and enjoy CRSHD, even if it is a little reminiscent of a lot of the college movies that came before it.

To their credit, Miller and Buscemi engage the audience’s interest in what is essentially an extended conversation for an extraordinarily long time.

A thoughtful and skillfully developed story and a true Independent film.

Danny Boyle still creates an impressive world, visually rich and yet cold and claustrophobic.

Much of the animation is stunning and all of the vocal performances are good to great. It's just much of the passion seems to be in not stepping on anyone's beliefs or interpretations, instead of in telling the story in the most compelling way possible.

Lee makes a great looking film, though the soap box message about greed becomes exhausted and overplayed early on.

A Desert is a solid neo-noir with excellent visuals, good characterizations, and fantastic acting.

If you’re looking for a good scare, or at least an Alien sequel that is willing to be a sweaty blue-collar fable, seek out Alien: Romulus. This is a very fine flick.

What you get out of Frozen II over the original is Anna and Elsa’s stronger relationship. They are together throughout most of the film, and their sisterhood is strong, fun to watch, and remains the heart of the film. Frozen II is a worthy sequel, and you’ll be glad Disney got greedy and made it.

The Damned is an oppressive film filled with static images of ice fields, dark, almost chiaroscuro moments in cabins, and thoughtful, if not over-indulgent, dialogue.

If you’re in the market for a great slasher film or even just a movie about how people used to make movies, seek out MaXXXine. It’s absolutely a great two hours at the theater.

So immodestly unripe; yet so horrendously tempting you’ll find it hard to resist.

It's in the characters that the film works beautifully, right up to the clever and tender final sequence.

I’m not suggesting Cherry should have a laugh track, because it is not funny at all, despite several attempts at humor.

For all of its shortcomings, Wanted is a strangely enjoyable flick.

Thanks to the incredible editing and score, the story never loses momentum. In fact, due to real-world parallels (as a part of the plot is based on true events), Enola Holmes 2 offers more intrigue and danger than the original.

Gaia uses its atmosphere to great effect.

Tessa Thompson answering phone calls is not enough to justify a feature-length film. A short film absolutely would have knocked this out of the park, but there is just nothing holding your attention here.

The film also has some hilarious moments and some that tug at your heartstrings.

Without much help from a weak script, and barely in need of some carefully tuned cinematography, Mol fuels so much of the film that a handful of lackluster elements seem to work.

It’s a fantastic World War II movie, the action is tense, and the stories on the ground are inspiring and heartbreaking.

If this is the direction Williams is headed in his career, fantastic. For auteur Romanek, it was at least a good first try.

See the true story of Sister Helen and her band of weary men now.

Even the harshest critic has to recognize the sheer unbridled joy of their ignorance.

For those who have read any of the McDonald adventures with the reporter (there are nine, not including the “Son of Fletch” novels), Confess, Fletch feels much more authentic. Hamm is given one of the biggest sandboxes yet for his talent and he pulls it off. Here’s hoping for future chapters.

Suitable Fresh is wild and weird, but it has something to say beneath all the kinks and mind games.

Bonjour Tristesse is a rich experience in more ways than one, while it also burns beneath with a rising secret fire. Give it some patience, and it will give you an unforgettable experience.

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.

Princesas isn't the cliché "Pretty Woman" type romantic-comedy you'd expect – it's actually quite surprising.

It’s not perfect, but it’s unforgettable. Call it a miracle, call it a parable, call it cinema that dares to believe.

Well-executed and thoughtful, it is a solid film that is culturally relevant and enjoyable to watch.

This is not just another Beatles documentary. It is something in its own category. This is someone’s love story, a very beautiful one.

Especially to anyone with kids, the film packs some punch. Apart from that, The Pursuit of Happyness is emotionally manipulative and way too glossy to really hit home.

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.

It’s impressive that Bombshell is able to discuss all the issues at hand all at once.

The art direction finds a new identity, the music by Radiohead’s Thom Yorke could easily be held up against the predecessor’s soundtrack by Goblin, the story makes sense, the performances are all on point, yet, without the glorious murder set pieces, we wonder why we are watching, to begin with.

1408 isn’t great cinema, but does an adequate job in spite of its flaws.

It's brainy and brilliant, but despite amorous overtones and a few good action set pieces, it just doesn't generate the thrills or romance that would have made it a true classic.

About as much fun as a grouchy ayatollah in a cold mosque.

Not an incredible disappointment, but it could have used some more work in making us remain curious about these characters and what their next course of action would be.

Loaded with tons of personal stories told by both Johns (the two main members of They Might Be Giants) as well as people within the music industry.

Chokri’s work has a pulse that beats so hard it could split veins. Yet, it remains in a reality that is vulnerable to suddenly wacky quakes.

The Europeans expects you to meet it halfway. When you do, you’re rewarded with a story that’s rich with complicated emotions, despite its self-confident exterior. It’s like its characters in that way, and also in the way, it thinks highly of itself and presents itself accordingly. Modesty never did a movie good.

The end result is stale, clumsy, and about as compelling as an average episode of "As the World Turns."

Hardy and Nachman’s film is the uncommon near-perfect documentary: the filmic elements fade, done so well the viewer focuses on the dogs and their journey. All of this leads up to the tremendous joy of freedom and partnership for those whose lives are transformed by their new guide dogs.

Approaches the serial killer archetype in a tremendously unique way. It turns the old stand-bys on their ears and gives a fresh perspective on the genre.

Laugh hard, laugh long, but just laugh at true greatness. Parker and Stone have done it again, multiplied millions of times.

Director Sam Dunn weaves wonderful mythology that leaves you happy for the band’s longevity and ready for more from the sharp-dressed men.

The result, while flawed, is glorious: majestic, atmospheric, visually stunning, led by two charismatic leads. Scott, at 86, shows the young ‘uns how it’s done.

In other hands with another cast, You Kill Me might easily have proven just another modest production indulging in mob violence and postmodern irony. There certainly is no shortage of those. Dahl’s latest, however, is something more than a modest production. It’s a small wonder.

LaGravenese has an uncanny ability to write realistic female characters.

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.

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.

The story twists and struggles keep engaging through, whether you know the outcome or not.

A compelling screenplay, to be certain. But sadly, Omarova's direction is too leisurely to wring any emotional power.

A well-designed vehicle for the director's long-time star, Isabelle Huppert, whose focused portrayal makes this film a well-honed character study.

Like a moving cubist painting, Where is Where? is created to confuse, and yet inspire. With the combination of silent stock footage, and sparse theatrical settings the film may seem very long to some, even if it is only an hour. Making it to the end, however, is very rewarding if you are willing to put in the effort.

It’s a thoroughly intense and mostly entertaining movie.

Nadja succeeds most when embracing its lineage, those visual echoes of Universal and Hammer Studios, with the visual weight borrowed from European art horror, yet falters when maintaining cool distance from material that demands a stronger commitment

Emily Blunt’s Victoria and Rupert Friend’s Albert come across like museum mannequins – utterly devoid of any genuine passion.