The Reunited States is an essential documentary for anyone who’s frustrated with the state of politics today, not only in Washington but at home.

Hobbs & Shaw is an action film in every sense of the word. You’re meant to check your brain at the door, shove your face with popcorn, and have a good time. Why would you expect more? This isn’t Shakespeare!

Both Glass and Clark provide enough ambiguity throughout (are we witnessing supernatural influence or the active imagination of an unreliable narrator?) to keep us engaged and marking the debut of a powerful new cinematic voice.

Kurosawa has not attempted to make a thriller but a vivid deconstruction of one.

Little Trouble Girls succeeds as a combination of poetic visual compositions and vibrant, dynamic performances from the female leads.

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.

Directors Jack Clark and Jim Weir deliver an unpredictable and eerie narrative that lingers long after. With its sharp character development and refusal to sanitize its dark themes, this Australian indie is an unsettling yet thrilling watch you won’t forget.

There is genuinely fantastic chemistry between the new lovers.

Ultimately, Sight brings audiences a good, wholesome tale of someone who wouldn’t let his past keep him from doing good in the world.

Slow pacing and blink-and-you’ll-miss-it details abound, placing the film in the tradition of foreign arthouse films.

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

Yalda, a Night for Forgiveness, might start softly, leaving viewers unsure what it is, but very quickly, it becomes fascinating and engaging akin to watching a game where we have to discern the truth. It is actually strange, though quite disturbing in hindsight, to think of it this way, considering real events inspire the story.

My one complaint about the film is that it is probably about half an hour too long for my liking (it’s almost 2.5 hours long). Otherwise, I thought it was one of the more honest portrayals of growing up in less than idyllic circumstances with a less than perfect family I’ve seen in quite some time.

Although a standard story of teacher and students overcoming their environment, Critical Thinking has enough thrills, excitement, and, most of all, hope to recommend.

The fun of Sigourney Weaver in directors Wallace Wolodarsky and Maya Forbes’ feature, The Good House, is watching a master actor create an everyday character so believable that she could literally walk into a room and pass as one of us. By the way, everything I said about Weaver equally applies to her co-star Kevin Kline as well.

The Teachers’ Lounge flows very well, and the story is quite effective, leaving viewers intrigued, engaged, and as eager as its protagonist to find the truth and answers to what is happening at the school.

Peter Case: A Million Miles Away is an eye-opening portrait of an unsung songwriting powerhouse.

Jungle Cruise is just plain, good, not-to-be-taken-seriously fun.

The movie, like the play, is a series of delightful songs strung together by a thin, loose thread of a plot, which lends a little credence to all the criticism and mockery online. But once you know this and have been warned by the trailer, what you’re in for is a remarkably fun time at the movies.

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

There’s much to like about The Electrical Life of Louis Wain — the Victorian setting, cats, Cumberbatch, and its visually stunning cinematography. But it may not be enough to spark enough life into a movie-going audience that wants something new.

The Room Next Door lacks the transgressive quality that initially endeared me to Almodóvar’s films, especially his early work. Perhaps it is a reflection of the director’s style and a renewed interest in the philosophy of death and dying as he gets older. While it’s still worth a watch, the movie leaves me wanting more, and not necessarily in a good way.

Thanks to Jacquelyn Mills’ direction, Geographies of Solitude is a visually remarkable documentary that explores the natural world through the eyes of someone who sees the connectivity of all living things. If only the rest of the world cared as much as Lucas and Mills to preserve the natural world.

While it may not dig incredibly deep, Forbidden Planet was a cut above the schlocky fare that dominated the theatrical sci-fi circuit of the 1950s, and I dare say it provides more meat to chew on than many of today’s bloated, effects-heavy “event films.”

The film takes a while to get into, but if you go in expecting a throwback to grindhouse adventure films or a Black Keys-esque western, this will be worth the watch.

Luckily, the attitude, the aggression, and the sex were let out in a burst of fire and they got it all on film.

A House Made of Splinters tells a story that needs to be told as loud as possible. While uncomfortable at times, the filmmaker is respectful and empathetic.

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.

In a Relationship doesn’t break any new ground and Boyd understands that. Instead of attempting to reinvent the wheel, he focuses on his character’s flaws and insecurities offering biting one-liners and honest moments that elevate In a Relationship to a bit above the norm.

Queen of Paradis is a fun art documentary from the beautiful collection of Reine Paradis. She, at times, imperils herself for her art and has a sharp sense of humor about it.

It’s a challenge that may ultimately be gratifying for the right audience — just make sure you have a comfy chair.

The Devil Wears Prada 2 succeeds because David Frankel trusts his cast and Aline Brosh McKenna’s script to handle both nostalgia and modern complications without preaching to the audience.

Rally Caps works where it counts: the friendship between Jordy and his new teammates. The inspirational aspect pulls hard at the heartstrings because Cipolla’s script carefully sets up Jordy and his dilemmas.

The film is never less than entertaining, and it’s easy enough to get caught up in its roller-coaster narrative and impressive recreation of mid-century Texas, but its makers occasionally struggle to get a handle on their protagonist and the attendant themes of ambition, failure, and stubborn perseverance that he represents.

Your Friend, Memphis warms your heart and challenges your perception of what it means to live.

If you’re a fan of zombie stories, Peninsula absolutely works. Writers Joo-Suk Park and Sang-Ho Yeon do a spectacular job of world-building beyond the first film.

Tells a fascinating story backed up by solid, compelling performances by Rockwell and Henson.

The overall experience of The Grand Bizarre is, in a lot of ways, an extremely eye-opening one. It forces a viewer to consider how complicated and incredible every single stitch of a rug, or a scarf, or a dishtowel actually is, and how easily it is to overlook that fact.

How to Deter a Robber is a wonderfully zany and energetic spin on the home invasion formula. It is a memorable debut, and I can’t wait to see what Bissell does next.

This little drama serves as the perfect alternative to the big studio dreck, plus no subtitles! Simple and sweet!

Ruby’s Choice has a few issues that prevent it from being great on all fronts. But most of the plot is interesting, and the ending is perfect. The cast, led by a stunning Jane Seymour, excels and outshines the occasionally wonky writing and voice-over.

The best laughs of Boys vs Girls come at the end, so be patient, and you’ll have fun.

The emotions of 200 Meters are honest and felt in almost every scene.

What enriches this film’s frothy concoction is its strong intellectual underpinnings. The questions raised about how social media has increased public persona versus private interactions carry a lot of weight.

It’s nowhere near the intimacy of Homecoming and Far from Home. Still, considering the heavy lifting it’s required to perform, it makes for a fitting grand finale for one of Marvel’s (and Sony’s) most enduring heroes.

All in all, I would say that R#J, as a new version of Romeo and Juliet, will have some appeal to its supposed Gen-Z audience, although I’m not sure they will understand it unless they read the play first. But isn’t that always the case that the book is better than the movie? If anything, do watch this film to the absolute very end.

Popular Theory is an amusing film with just enough heart to be more than a one-time watch.

Other Music is a compelling story of nostalgia and a memento of what once was.

The Big Ugly is a fascinating beast. While the premise of the film sounds annoyingly trite, writer-director Scott Wiper develops an engaging batch of characters.

The Brother from Another Planet profoundly illustrates, modern life is more unfair than it needs to be….It may not be the perfect John Sayles film, the perfect science fiction movie or the perfect film about black life — but it manages to seamlessly mix wit, slapstick, poignancy and politics.

The film boasts a sizeable effects budget too for some nice explosions, blood squirts, and bullet ballet. Sit back, disconnect, and have fun. Even with the lack of an A-List star, Triple Threat finds a way to stand on its own.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a fantastic return to the world and magic of the original Beetlejuice.

This is a unique, well-acted, handsomely produced movie, overall, the kind of thoughtful and wholesome, high-concept drama that you don’t see much, anymore.

It made bold choices to be a memorable sequel, and most of those chances are exciting. While it has some definite hits and misses, it finds its rightful place in the franchise.

This excellent cast of veteran actors makes comic-book dialogue palatable. In lesser hands, it would’ve come off hokey.

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.

Shazam! just refused to take any risks and put all its eggs in the family and comedy basket. The performances by all the leads are the best part of the film.

No, this isn’t going to be for everyone, and if you didn’t like the original show, you’ll probably hate this too. For everyone else, this is the one comedy in ’02 you can’t miss.

Sequestrada is a beautiful film showing off the elegance of the Amazon river and the simplicity of the indigenous villages. The drama is shot with handheld cameras giving off a fly-on-the-wall documentary style of filmmaking. The acting isn’t that great but oddly feels authentic.

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.

BlackBerry is another movie where we all know the ending, but the fun is in finding out how we got there.

Ultimately, Blonde is a recommend but loaded with caveats and disclaimers. It’s not for everyone. Its artistic visuals and Ana de Armas’ spot-on performance as Marilyn Monroe is worth seeing, but the almost three hours of emotional trauma may be a hard pass for most.

Chrissy Judy is a heartfelt, visually pleasing, and bittersweet take on friendship and drag. It will surely stir feelings within you regarding the friends you had to let go of for one reason or another.

Dark and uncomfortably funny, this work showcases a filmmaker acutely aware of the nuances of modern society.

I Get Knocked Down is lively and fun. It examines one of the odder songs to become a phenomenon with humor and surprising profundity. Plus, afterwards, you’ll have one helluva song stuck in your head.

Vice is Broke isn’t the ‘hit piece’ of its maker assets. It’s a valentine to the youth and the exuberance with which movements, literary or otherwise, ascend, make their mark, and then are heard from nevermore.

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

In a cinematic landscape often dominated by high-budget blockbusters, Tim Travers & the Time Traveler’s Paradox stands out as a testament to the power of creativity and storytelling. It’s a film that doesn’t just entertain; it challenges its audience to think about existence and the choices that define us.

Along with Hanks’ story and performance, the reason to see Greyhound is how it builds mystery and creates thrilling moments.

What works about Carolina Caroline is how it looks and feels.

Ultimately, David is a strong, solid film for kids. But I can’t help feeling the filmmakers were holding back on the true glory of God in this story.

Sketch isn’t the greatest movie ever made, but it’s great at being a touching and thoughtful story of young kids and preteens.

Doin’ My Drugs is an informative and inspiring documentary about a man and his guitar trying the change an entire nation, one person at a time.

A sweet, wistful piece, it is difficult to ignore the agonizingly slow way it gets to its main point – forgiven only because of a strong ensemble that adds considerable weight to the picture.

Insidious: The Red Door has some wonderful jump scares, some very creepy sequences, and it gives new terror to the prospect of receiving an MRI. This is an excellent summer horror film, and if you like having the bejesus scared out of you, Insidious: The Red Door will provide about 2 hours of entertainment.

Well-acted and primarily believable, especially in the ins and outs of London, where most of the film takes place, Midnight Taxi is encapsulating and intriguing. Although it moves steadily for suspense, maybe a bit slow at times, the end is worth the wait.

As much as I thought the film’s heist element was unnecessary, which it is, Liman sure knows how to make it exciting and even in a pandemic. Locked Down could have been a much worse movie, but ultimately it’s a love story and a good one too.

Sometimes, a movie’s impact transcends its story, delivering something we desperately need—a chance to reflect, connect, and simply breathe. Somewhere in Montana is one such film offering a heartfelt reminder that, despite our differences, people can win the day.

A promising debut from a new international voice.

Swallowed features great acting, especially from Malone, and a truly intense final act that must be seen to be believed.

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.

Auggie is at its best when Felix is vulnerable. The same goes for the actor playing Felix. Kind hasn’t been this good since A Serious Man.

All in all, it’s an effective meditation on the show and the aftermath of it.

Ultimately, those hungry for a film that prioritizes a great performance over cheap thrills will not be disappointed.

North Circular is a strikingly perceptive film.

Despite a few bumps in the movie-making road, Reinoso has crafted a fun pop culture documentary viable as an exploration into the props fans love and an inspiration to future collectors.

All in all, The Conjuring: Last Rites is a well-made film. I might even call it the best Conjuring film since the original. It could pass as a great drama if you removed the jump scares and other horror tropes.

Gateway isn’t the next new face of horror. But it is a visually dense fright fest with a solid cast. While it is a little long, Owens proves he has what it takes to succeed.

Much like the rides at the carnival, Whistle delivers heady highs and some disconcerting lows, sometimes within the same scene. It’s a film with flashes of imagination and nostalgia that suggest something brighter lurking beneath the surface. Much like the whistle itself, it delivers on what it promises, and the noise it makes is hard to ignore.

Jim Carrey as Dr. Robotnik does what he does best. His portrayal is over-the-top funny and clearly, Carrey is in his element. It reminds me a lot of Fire Marshall Bill.

This short but powerful film is extremely important in the MAGA era when all our civil rights victories as a nation are constantly in danger of being overturned. I also think it’s important for people to know that the true message of Christianity is love and acceptance, despite however many of the religion’s followers have twisted it to the contrary.

Despite all the flaws, Sputnik has one chief thing going for it: it holds your attention, from the first (and arguably best) twenty minutes, to the last (and arguably worst) twenty.

The performers all fall effortlessly into their slapstick roles and the troubadour duo -- the film's Greek chorus -- adds a delightfully poetic touch.

As far as thrillers go, The Night Clerk is a little light on thrills. That said, there are more interesting things going on, which makes the film worth watching.

All of the performances are at least solid, and for an indie, the production value is impressive. It won’t reduce you to a weeping mess, but at 78 minutes it’s a trim, satisfying drama that does justice to its inspirations.

St. Agatha is a fine thriller that is much better than you will expect it to be. Bousman guides a coherent and nimble narrative to shocking and satisfying builds.

Never less than clever and often digs down into some uncomfortable realities about the strange lives of that odd species known as “movie people.”

Brute 1976 is no X, but it is a solid if clichéd slasher. The cast is meh, with two exceptions, but the sheer amount of death and bloodshed provides a cathartic release. Then the ending happens, and the movie proves to have a shocking amount of staying power.