Beautifully shot and filled with lovable characters you could watch for hours, Americano is an amazing journey that makes one yearn for travel.

As a director, Underdahl can't entirely decide whether he's making a Hollywood film, a film school film, or post modern film.

The ultimate goal is entertainment and from an entertainment standpoint, The Almost Guys succeeds.

In the end, Who Needs Sleep is a great sleeping aid, but a horribly dull and uninspiring documentary.

Modern-day poetry about being older.

Live Free or Die is a low-fi farce that technically works. But in the end it feels like a pale version of say "Raising Arizona" or even "After Hours."

An interesting and shocking film that tells a story many of us knew nothing about but are affected by it nonetheless.

John C. McGinley carries the majority of the film's emotional weight, as he's the guy with the most to lose (and seemingly the most Hell-bent on losing), and his performance is easily one of the best of his career.

Like Ed Wood with a decent budget and a vision impaired by mind-expanding drugs, Christmas on Mars is about just that.

There will definitely be a need to see it again after the first time, for the atmosphere, for Hoyle, for the theories, for the case, for everything offered and happily accepted.

This is a small-scale, small-budget movie, but it’s got swagger.

Mustang Island was written by Elrod and Nathan Smith, who both must know the unpleasant and often comical pains of trying to move on, and the “why me?” shit luck that comes with trying to get over an ex. They create an organic and delightful atmosphere for us while we spend time with the three stooges.

The absurdity and the noir banter combine into a Lynchian high weirdness mix of the familiar plus the strange. Goofy fun for a rainy afternoon though you may have to work to follow along. Great score by Ryan Bayne, the music is a treat.

It’s interesting to watch a movie where some aspects of the production are of such a higher quality than others. The script’s dialogue is wooden, character motivations are often unclear, and it’s hard to infer what we’re supposed to get from some exchanges.... Meanwhile, the acting is all-around excellent.

It is a documentary that shows the passion one entertainer has for one of the most iconic singers of all time. Davi’s drive to see it happen is what keeps the audience engaged, and the discovery of his singing voice is worth the time to watch the movie all on its own.

There are occasional moments of inspiration, stylistically and thematically, where the movie hints at its true potential. But most of the time, the movie is tripping over its desire to be noticed.

Sunset Society manages to abuse what little b-grade credibility it earns through its cast and premise with an unbearable slog through monotony and surprising tameness.

Dead Envy seldom rises above its stock story plots and underdeveloped characters.

Sun Yi’s stoicism is admirable and moving, but it’s his ex-wife Fu Ning’s tearful recollection of their separation that cements the story in your mind. Her testimony does what so many activist documentaries fail to do: make large-scale suffering real to the viewer.

Carefully balancing breakneck momentum and a heartfelt investigation of the grieving process is no simple feat, but Kienle is mostly up to the task.

A Wizard’s Tale is blandly animated, badly edited, terribly, terribly written and its dearth of creativity hurts its core conceit. While most of the voice actors try their best, it is all for naught.

Diane is incredibly satisfying, especially at the end, with all the loose ends tying themselves together in a way that isn’t entirely expected but is kind of in your face the entire time.

Unfortunately, Another Time spends a chunk of the film giving viewers an unnecessary, unwanted and mind-numbing quantum physics lesson, which spoils all the romance and fun.

In Making Montgomery Clift, you see how brilliant an actor Clift was. You see his love of the art of storytelling, developing characters with depth and dimension, and his willingness to put the final product over his own ego. He loved living life just as much as portraying it on screen.

Dan Habib certainly has noble intentions in mind with Intelligent Lives. The energetic, ambitious young people at its core are a joy and discovering where they wind up is sweet. However, the documentary never goes far enough to explain vital elements in the civil rights advancements for those with disabilities, and the directing style fails to generate forward momentum.

e-Demon is original, told in a striking, engaging manner, with stellar acting, and a good number of scares.

The directing style of Strange Nature fails to bring any atmosphere, the acting is so nondescript that it barely registers (with two notable exceptions), and a lack of cohesive vision leaves the movie uncertain of what it truly is. An absolute waste of time for all involved, especially the audience.

In the end, you get a sense of what actually happened and what was imagined. However, you are still left feeling uneasy.

Travel Ban: Make America Laugh Again is frustrating to watch. Not because it is poorly made; it is not, quite the opposite in fact. Instead, it is frustrating that in this day and age, a person still has to fight for their right to be considered a human being. As this film proves though, comedy can combat bigotry.

Interviewing prominent politic figures, business executives, teachers, and everyday citizens with big dreams, the documentary finds the humanity that unites all the globe.

There are enough facts and inspiration to make Tiger worth watching. Mickey Rourke always gives a good performance, and he still fits in the boxing setting. The downside is the story’s structure is unoriginal insuring Tiger will never leap beyond being just a good film.

In all, Somm 3 is an absorbing 90 minutes that will likely whet your appetite for a glass of burgundy, and if nothing else, you’ll get a few tips on wines to check out.

The film’s events are easy to follow enough, but the grand ideas layered beneath this world are just too out of reach for us and them.

While nothing horrifying happens within the first half hour, what comes after is enough to give you some anxiety for at least the rest of the day after watching it.

Tejano is one of those films that can be described as a hidden gem as it sneaks under the radar and will have you talking, telling your friends about it, and wanting to watch it again.

Unbridled tells a conventional story, but it adds enough new twists to prove engaging. The acting is strong and the direction assured, so even when the script drops the ball, there is still a reason to remain invested. Plus, the ending is genuinely heartwarming and cathartic. Not all dramas achieve that.

Rockaway takes on, and a large part successfully addresses some very serious, very adult themes: abuse and its legacy for future generations, familial protection, and preservation, loss and redemption — all with a strong measure of grace and empathy.

Goodnight, Charlene is decently directed, beautifully lit, and most of the cast do well all things considered. However, two of the leads are quite dull, the script is trying too hard to be duplicitous, and winds up going nowhere all that compelling.

In Stay Human, Michael Franti examines the idea of staying human in these times when we’ve all embraced cynicism and fear over the optimism and potential of the human spirit.

All in all, Avicii: True Stories is a both an inspiring and pretty harrowing ride.

Films promoting self-improvement are suspect as they are prone to being preachy. To succeed, the filmmaker must create an experience so overwhelmingly entertaining the viewer forgets he/she is being improved upon. This film misses that mark, despite some engaging moments in the attempt.

Astral is a mediocre supernatural thriller at best.

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.

A low-key, warm-hearted-but-razor-sharp study of ambition, friendship, and humanity’s inherent differences – be it between two friends or two cultures – The Saint Bernard Syndicate leaves a lasting impression and is eminently rewatchable.

Welcome to Acapulco – at least partially – warrants your investment. It may not reach levels of great trash, but it sure aspires to such, and is always watchable, if only for the sight of thespians hamming it up for a buck. Here’s (vainly) hoping that Welcome to Acapulco will put those fallen legends back on the map.

Virginia Minnesota prefers to wade into darker waters for the sake of more compelling, everyday drama.

Although Great Great Great might not be as gripping and memorable as its name indicates, it manages to uniquely capture the essence of the lives of middle-class young adults trying to come to terms with the fact that their journeys will be very different from their parents’ and that nothing is as easy it seems in this trying time.

Game Changers does a formidable job of patiently tracing the history of game shows from their very inception to the current deluge of such shows on TV.

Among Wolves is a subliminally powerful – if perhaps a tad too minimalist – statement on achieving redemption in a seemingly doomed place.

It is the kind of movie where everybody gets together at the end to sing or dance in celebration of love, life, and family; so going in knowing nothing about The Storyteller, one will either be moved by its devotion to providing warmth and tears of joy, or not.

Living in the Future’s Past is quite conventional and presumably something we’ve already seen before, but it never hurts, especially as we are reaching the point of no return.

Though the title would have you believe you were watching a “futuristic” film involving robots, the truth is, it just feels like a cheesy soap opera or novella.

1st Summoning‘s final act plays like one of the better-quality segments from the V/H/S franchise, and it suggests that this filmmaking team might have been better represented by an all-killer-no-filler short subject rather than a feature.

In its favor, the film is competently edited, and the low production values aren’t too apparent – thankfully, it’s at least decently assembled.

It may not be perfectly executed, or original in its approach, or particularly memorable, but McGuire’s poignant film possesses an arguably more important trait: it’s totally honest, wearing its heart on its thick parka sleeve.

The documentary is a life-affirming piece of filmmaking that will paint a smile on your face and leave a song in your heart.

Something is an incredibly solid debut feature.

As it stands, despite an impressive cast and gorgeous cinematography, there isn’t much to hold the viewer’s attention.

There’s nothing offensively awful about Ms. White Light, but it lacks a unique perspective.

Nothing To Do doesn’t really do much of anything.

It’s the kind of comedy that should not work, but somehow does.

The true star and the reason to watch Pig Hag is Anna Schlegel as Jodie. She puts it all out there—her anger, vulnerabilities, and sexuality are on full display.

Being that I’m a fan of the 60s era and war films, I truly wanted to like this film. I feel like there were many missed opportunities for a film with this particular subject matter.

For American viewers, the film will hopefully provide an incentive to learn more about the Philippine-American War, an important but frequently ignored chapter in American history. Thanks to all of this, Goyo: The Boy General avoids being a complete disappointment, and you’ll at least be glad you watched it.

Those who support hunting will probably see a very different film in King of Beasts than those who oppose it. Supporters will see a strong, down-home man exercising his god-given dominion over the planet, while detractors will see a psychopath with a pathological need to overcompensate for his shortcomings by killing things. In this sense, Almagor and Harel are completely successful in presenting a subject with enough information that we can come to our own conclusions in the end.

Sobibor may not fully do justice to the Russians’ involvement in WWII, yet it certainly serves as a powerful reminder that the nation, so ostracized by the US these days, has plenty of heroes of its own. Hopefully, it makes enough of a dent Stateside to help the less-aware think outside the box.

Insofar as low-budget horror goes, The Edge of Isolation is successful at exploring its subject matter without becoming to cheesy or hackneyed. The acting and writing are good, as well as the score and cinematography. I think Houkal, who is also a prolific actor, has a good career ahead of him as a filmmaker.

Erasing Eden’s story is not for everyone. Sometimes I wanted to quit in the same way I almost (and actually) gave up on my friends like Eden. But it pays off in the end if you open your heart and stick it out.

Long Lost, Erik Bloomquist’s feature-length debut is a confident, impressive mystery-thriller. The actors are amazing, the cinematography and lighting are great, and the directing wrings tension out of every scene. This is a thrilling watch that will get under everyone’s skin.

A mildly stylish feature without any clear vision or purpose.

Victor Goodview is definitely goofy. There’s terrible ADR, a lot of weird time spent in bathrooms, too much man-butt, but it’s still got a heart of gold underneath. Which makes it fit into the Troma canon quite nicely, if you ask me.

There isn’t much in the way of original content to recommend in this experience beyond the film’s obvious use as easy fodder. The earnestness in which The Church was made ensures its status as an endearing failure, though sadly not as much else.

If you’re not familiar with Indian classical music and dance, the film offers a remarkable showcase of both, and you’ll come away wanting to learn more about them.

Rottentail is a disappointment, overall, and even forgiving viewers are likely to hop off the bunny trail long before the closing credits roll.

One thing that works well is Catalina Saavedra’s performance as the tormented Olga. The actress finds truth in an underwritten character. She reminds us that cinema needs more well-acted, nuanced films about those who are still inexplicably shunned. Sadly, Marylin brings little to that table. It purports to say a lot with a little but ends up saying very little with, well, a little.

Thanks to immaculate design and puppetry work, amazing acting, and a fully realized, vividly crafted world Yamasong: March Of The Hollows is a spellbinding adventure.

The life-like thriller, eccentric comedy, and outlandish horror elements don’t quite gel as well as intended, clumsily getting in each other’s way.

Overall the pace is a little slow and the film is too quiet, but it’s definitely a notch above typical low-budget fare and entertaining to watch.

Dead Trigger isn’t the worst film ever, but it oddly plays things safe. The characters have no discernible personalities, the story threads are very familiar, and the action is as generic as you can imagine. There are still only three good video game movie adaptations, and this is not one of them.

Tough Guy: The Bob Probert Story does a good job revealing the man behind the battered visage, on many levels humanizing the excessively partying, hard-hitting Probert. However, the filmmaker chokes when it matters most. He fails to do a deep dive into how this ongoing physical punishment adversely affected the health of Probert (and many of these so-called enforcers) while giving a pass to the NHL’s willful negligence and tacit acceptance or this carnage.

Although Hepi admits that he still has a lot of questions regarding his late mother – and his audience is bound to have theirs, as well – he’s nevertheless put together a stirring, deeply personal, and hard-hitting profile that goes a long way toward illuminating and immortalizing Mita’s contributions to Maori culture and world cinema as a whole.

Kulap’s life is on full display in Origin Story. I don’t think I could do it if I were in her shoes. The chamber of secrets has been opened, and she holds nothing back. Her story is fascinating, but also in a way, we become this voyeur into her life, like slowly passing a severe car accident on the freeway getting a good look at the damage.

For a film that purports to endorses equality and female empowerment, its female characters are so uniformly idealistic they’re borderline interchangeable.

Fun and chilling, this bed-and-breakfast gets an extra star for its committed hostess.

There is a lot that Game Girls forces the viewer to grapple with. The lack of accessible health care, income inequality, race relations, lack of opportunity for self-improvement in the inner cities, and the line between exploration and exploitation.

It offers a noteworthy reminder of the dangers of historical amnesia. And in so doing, it indirectly raises thought-provoking questions about the intimate, often fraught relationship between the past and present.

Rather than just sit in the background, nature performs opposite Huang, becoming a character of its own that interacts and responds to our protagonist as he experiences life for quite possibly the first time in his life. Much credit goes to cinematographer Kyle Crowell for making the scenery come to life.

The dark comedy is subtle, but hilarious. Serious topics bubble up from masterful situational humor.

Renegade Dreamers is a documentary that doesn’t ask it’s viewers to do anything beyond ask themselves, “When did you stop caring?”

Nary a moment rings true, nary a moment elicits anything close to chills or dread – or, at the very least, unintentional laughs.

Overall, Nothing Stays The Same: The Story of The Saxon Pub is a feel good movie. The ending is happy and it’s wonderful because all of these people deserve a place to showcase their art. Music is very important. Community is as well.

Unlike the films it aspires to – Heathers, Election, American Psycho or even The Voices – Lowi’s feature’s all sizzle, no steak.

It won’t necessarily blow your mind, but it’s refreshing to have a gentle, hopeful ode to our oceans, in contrast to all the “doom and gloom” environmental docs that come out these days.

Lost Angelas is neo-noir romance filled with engaging characters, intense action, a thrilling mystery, and a lovely romance to top it all off. The directing, acting, and especially the cinematography synch up perfectly for a pulse-pounding film, that works wondrously.

Into the Mirror is, as the kids say, a “#mood” but in all honesty, that is a great way to describe the film. It’s based on feelings and the subconscious seen through Daniel’s eyes, rather than being objective.

The film is good and will appeal to fans of the genre, but doesn’t do enough to transcend it, which is what you hope when you watch dozens of Rom-Coms every year and when you want to broaden the appeal of your film altogether.