It’s a reminder of human resilience that manages to be both powerful and deeply flawed.

With characters that we watch but never know and some imitative storytelling, Galveston can’t help but feel like a compilation of cover songs, which, while listenable, are stilted and perfunctory.

A decent film, but not a great romantic comedy.

Silent Night is held back by its time. In 2023, we’ve seen tons of Woo inspirations and imitators; even in his Hong Kong days, Woo could create action-filled cinema with some emotional resonance, but Silent Night can’t keep up. The final battle and stairway shootout save the film, but don’t expect the wall-to-wall action seen in John Wick.

The new Witchboard is ambitious and fun at times, an overcooked horror revival with a blending addiction allegory, foodie satire, and supernatural spectacle.

A touching, stirring story even if it has been given the Hollywood treatment.

Basically, what you have in Ju-On is a collection of effectively scary sights and sounds - sound effects play a huge part in rolling that chill down your spine – and that's about it.

Sometimes the movie can't decide whether to tug REALLY HARD at the heart strings, or make you laugh at the zany oil riggers.

In the end, my question is whether Never Rarely Sometimes Always is meant to be just a story or offer something political to say in the great abortion debate. I’m certain the film exists to highlight the stories of young women forced to travel across state lines for abortions. Either way, there’s not enough of either to make it a compelling movie in the end.

Proof that an old genre can still have life as long as filmmakers are willing to fill it with energy, humor and respect for the genre. Add cannibals and beautiful teenagers and you’ve got an entertaining horror film.

The action sequences are still pretty imaginative, if not nonsensical.

The film sets a quirky tone and sustains it until a very bizarre and contrived ending.

It’s all very granola and sentimental, a path well-trodden.

Though this rude and crude film does deliver a few gut-busting laughs, its digs at modern society are all things we've seen before.

With a little more filmmaking flair, or drive, or a fresh perspective, East of the Mountains could’ve been a real gem. Instead, it’s a decent little character study about a man facing death, worth a look for the magnificent central performance alone.

Dallaire's tragic story is a fascinating chapter in a sad history.

Works because it pays tribute to these characters. I knew that American Wedding couldn’t be as funny as "American Pie 2" just as that film wasn’t as funny as "American Pie."

It's more about watching an ensemble cast try to one-up one another's performance than anything else – and for what it is, it works.

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.

While the film feels a little creepy towards the end, Archer has a really amazing visual style and I can't wait to see what he comes up with next.

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

The Class is a one-trick show: once you spot its approach, the narrative falls into a routine. To the "nsiders," the film is as familiar as an an aerial virtual reality ride would be to an airplane pilot. (This is hardly a surprise, since Bégaudeau was himself once an insider, though now safe in a film critic's chair.)

Now the big question: Does this whole thing actually work? Some of the time.

I got my first date because of this movie so you won't see me giving it any less than three stars.

House definitely put a smile on an insider's face, but outsiders can enjoy the ATL too. The only prerequisite here is the ability to laugh.

While Dead for a Dollar may not make one toss out their copy of The Searchers, it’s still a refreshing change of pace seeing three excellent actors in an uncommon genre. When it comes to its originality, though, we’re left watching the tumbleweeds float on by.

UglyDolls is good for the kids and a great way to occupy their attention for almost 90 minutes. For the adults, it’s just another uninspired children’s film to hold us over until the next one comes along.

This ballad falls right into the singular category of “so bad, it’s good,” a low-budget, highfalutin, bold, wildly overacted, and at times oddly lyrical gem that ought not to be overlooked.

If you bought into the messy magic of the first film, you will undoubtedly find much in which to revel with its successor.

Unfortunately, director Paul McGuigan tries to make it all serious at the end, and this isn't the kind of story that should be taken seriously.

It's such an insanely fun ride that most of its flaws are forgivable.

The Universal Theory works in fits and starts but is bound to leave the audience not entirely convinced by its logic.

A loopy plot trail leads us to Ferrara’s attempt at creating a cult psycho. His lack of commitment to his creation, haphazard and impulsive as Reno’s first plunge into a victim, suggests that the filmmaker was distracted by his own future aspirations.

It’s All Gonna Break is a labor of love that simply doesn’t know how to share the devotion with the uninitiated.

There’s just enough in Black Box to make for a mild goosebump or two this Halloween.

Leave the Visine and wrapping papers at home for A/K/A Tommy Chong, a surprisingly clear-eyed, sober account of what it’s liked to be embraced by a culture, while loathed by the Powers That Be.

In the end, the film isn't a complete waste of your time, and it is a neat little walk down a Patriot Act assisted cyber-terrorist "what if..." scenario, but don't expect anything brilliant.

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.

Strives toward greatness, toward a complete understanding of life in the roiling, unsettled, complex locale they call Marseilles, and its partial success must be applauded.

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

Alexandre O. Philippe is a fine filmmaker and documentarian. Memory – The Origins of Alien, however, is a bit of a class on story structure and theory.

The Hensman brothers’ The Prey: Legend of Karnoctus is really not that different from Crawl, whose CGI crocs were just a smidge more realistic than the concealed-in-shadows puppet here. Now I’d love to put my “critic hat” back on and review a movie by the same filmmakers that doesn’t contain an oversized rat.

It’s mostly light-hearted, and sadly the tone can sometimes conflict with the deeper themes the film is trying to get across. But still, this animated movie makes up for any shortcomings with its overall style and atmosphere.

A large, magnificent cast brings this story vividly to life, supported by superb art direction and technical contributions. Capped by Babenco's vigorous, often ferocious direction, the film is a towering achievement, offering an unforgettable portrayal of the lives and plight of the forgotten.

The story is tight and engaging, the acting first-rate, the themes solid and presented without being sentimental or preachy. But let's hope his next film ("Ash Wednesday") has something new to say.

Exploring universal themes of seeking familial connection and kindness, Adopting Audrey verges dangerously close to becoming as aimless as its heroine. But because of Malone’s sublime performance, it manages to stay on course. Maybe in the future Cahill could benefit from adopting a different approach.

With nothing in the way of inspiration coming on either the writing or directing end, it's up to the actors to maintain audience interest and emotional engagement, and two members of the cast rise to the occasion: Kline and Christensen.

Younger children getting in on the ground floor of fantasy will enjoy the film.

Despite its handsome cinematography, slathered in thick, neo-noir shades of red and blue, the film has no one to root for. Place your bets on Hoffman’s terrific portrayal of a weasely, wisecracking pervert, however, and you’re sure to get your money’s worth.

While this film offers plenty of laughs and a cool soundtrack, it also tiptoes around complex subjects of social change and inter-racial relations.

Conveys a much louder political message and the implementation of violence reflects as much.

Big Fur may be rather slight, but hey, if you ever yearned to know what the “huge difference” between a standing bear and a Sasquatch was, you’re in for a jolly good time.

It’s unfortunate that The Swan doesn’t fully catch fire as a family drama or a rites-of-passage story, but a film with such a rich and finely honed sense of place is one that nevertheless deserves to be seen.

The action IS pretty engaging, Sao Feng and his gang of South Asian cutthroats are a nice addition, and the constant plot explication does require you to pay attention.

A sum greater than its parts. The viewer is taken on a journey spanning nearly three decades of bittersweet camaraderie and history, in which we feel that we truly know what makes Holly and Marina tick, and our hearts go out to them as both continue to negotiate their imperfect, love-hate relationship.

Tammy’s Always Dying is a movie that does everything right but still somehow fails to be enjoyable. It is in every respect a good movie, but I can’t say that it was at all a pleasure to watch. It is well written, acted, and directed, and it skirts the line of overwrought melodrama and poverty porn.

A beautifully crafted documentary.

Tries to be a lot of things within its 78 minute running time, succeeding marvelously at some while crashing and burning on others.

It's a simple and sweet-natured movie, and one that seems appropriate even for the very young.

My assessment is that this is a kid’s movie. If you think Grogu and the other tiny creatures are cute, you’re going to love and adore this movie. Pay special attention to the new breakout character, Trapper Wolf. But honestly, I wanted more, and Trapper Wolf is not enough. The stakes are not that high. The story continues the character development of both the Mandalorian and Grogu. If they failed their mission…whelp, off to another. This is essentially four episodes of the television series padded to feature length.

Short does a good job playing Lynch but this whole Lynch thing might have played funnier ten years ago.

At 90 minutes or so, with the needless pseudo-artistic embellishments and tautology tossed out, Armand would have been an intense and cerebral little psychological nail-biter.

Director Dwight Little does a solid job to keep things credible and moving, while the script makes an earnest effort to hide the true villain until the climax.

Not terribly engaging, but surprisingly moving.

It is worthy of your time, simply because of the brilliant acting and the first and final acts but... the middle of the film feels like an endurance challenge.

In the end, the film and its storytelling is meh.

Over the course of 93 minutes, Madeline’s Madeline simultaneously feels like nothing happens and everything happens. It’s a strange, sometimes frustrating dichotomy that ultimately gives the film its bizarre edge.

While The Shade does a decent job examining grief and the complexities of a brotherly bond, it never digs too deeply, relying heavily on its central actor to reveal more depth than it contains.

Andrew Commis and Rick Rifici’s jaw-dropping camerawork is worth the ticket price by itself: Abby’s fingers brushing against the grouper, whales scaling the surface of a deep-blue ocean, the skeleton of a blue whale resting among rocks. These visuals make the abundant preaching throughout Blueback palatable but make you long for a tighter focus and a subtler approach.

If you're a college football fan, a fan of sports films or just a sports aficionado with a sense of history, this film is a safe bet.

If anyone can figure out the cosmic significance of the film's omnipresent pine tree car fresheners, you're a better man than me.

The stunts are great but they make sense and don't blow the sense of reality of the whole movie.

LaGravenese has an uncanny ability to write realistic female characters.

It's throwback, formula Ah-nuld all the way, a straightforward and simple revenge thriller.

Trying to do too much in the span of ninety minutes is an insurmountable impediment to the success of Shadow Island. Still, even so, there’s a period of 30 minutes in the film that really gels together.

Again, if you love Lou Reed or even like Lou Reed a little, musically this film is worth your time.

The movie's front-loaded with puerile, junior high humor (and, admittedly, several laugh out loud moments), which is fine, but all this still followed by an increasingly awkward and clichéd third act.

The film actually succeeds on several levels. Long and Davis both turn out strong performances, bolstered by above-average writing by the directors. The strongest element, however, comes in Julia Hapney’s gruesome gore effects.

Fast-paced, at times even a bit frantic, Under the Skin of the City is above all a mother-and-son story.

Writer/director John Kesselman serves up a stylin' live-action spoof that irreverently milks stereotypes and bravely pokes fun at that which is usually sacrosanct.

Overall, New York Doll is an affectionate (occasionally too much so) look at Arthur Kane.

Just what it says -- good. Not great, but not really bad, either.

A by-the-numbers underdog story, bolstered by an infectiously joyous spirit and admirable energy. Those with fond memories of 1990’s bands like Soundgarden and Pixies will especially respond to the nostalgic vibes.

The really good news is that the disaster money shots are some of the finest ever filmed.

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.

Disappointed fans of Michael Chabon will have to watch "Wonder Boys" for solace, for The Mysteries of Pittsburgh boasts only one core mystery: how one can take such promising material and render it completely unmemorable?

A rather forgettable affair.

A film that succeeds at being good without really succeeding in being worthwhile.

Despite the greatness of Lloyd, the acting overall comes across as a bit stiff. There are a lot of fresh faces here, so it’s to be expected. Your level of enjoyment of Spirit Halloween: The Movie will probably vary based on your expectations coming in. I kept mine low and had some fun with the spooky cheesiness of it all.

Matt Bomer and Alejandro Patiño, who play the two leads, have a chemistry that brings to mind Tom McCarthy’s superior studies of seemingly disparate characters bonding against all odds, The Station Agent and The Visitor. That unlikely companionship – the heart of Butler’s film – goes a long way to make up for other lags: underdeveloped secondary characters and a few misjudged sequences that unwittingly titter on the brink of “racist.”

As a heartfelt ode to an important historical figure, it works just fine. Just don’t expect the film to mirror Virginia’s success, come award season.

On its own terms, the picture is at least as contrived as it is charming and its characters in many cases bear less resemblance to flesh and blood human beings than those in a Farrelly brothers farce.

“Volume Two” is what they call a movie-lover’s movie, in that it’s replete with references to just about everything a cinema geek would appreciate.

Sometimes goes a bit over the top to make its point.

The idea of a fusion of these two prodigious talents, the mere notion of Wood’s multi-instrumentalist skills and love of art complemented by Figgis’ distinct visual style and jazzy vibes, is exhilarating. So it’s that much more disheartening that Figgis’ documentary, Ronnie Wood: Somebody Up There Likes Me, somehow ended up so damn perfunctory.

Luckily, the genuinely funny jokes far outnumber the duds in the film itself, which is helped by the generally energetic performances by Broken Lizard and their co-stars.

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.

The chief triumph here, it seems to me though, is one of style over substance. The disaffected kids who shuffle through its universe have nothing to say, nothing to tell us. I’m not sure the movie has a whole lot more.