We’ve seen coming-of-age dramas many times over, so Pools is not revolutionary in that sense, but the blending of genres and the top-of-the-line young cast are what make this film special.

The film is so gloriously absurd that we are mainly driven through the narrative by the continuous reveal of new elements in this bizarre and hilarious universe. Still, when everything does come together at the end, there are some emotional payoffs that sneak up on you like a wandering turkey.

The Farewell is wonderfully specific towards the culture depicted, but there’s a universality to its issues regarding family. Just about everyone will be able to take something away from The Farewell.

The Auschwitz Report is an intense, visually bold tale of a courageous pair of people who endured the tortures of a concentration camp to escape and become heroes.

Crafted with exquisite care with music and images the film is a narrative that is not just entertainment but a learning experience for some to choose to let yourself into the film world.

Denis Villeneuve delivers on the big epic space story we’ve been waiting for and comes through in unique and unexpected ways.

The Science of Sleep truly has to be seen to be believed.

Let's discuss those extra four minutes for a second, shall we? I found them incredibly distracting. [Special Edition]

Structurally, Science Fair is sound. Its a cross-section of human-interest stories is inspiring. The subjects are engaging and worth rooting for. It looks in depth at the processes of competing in a science fair. And the revelation of winners is exciting and nail-biting.

Wander Darkly is a hard watch that is worth it, as the movie will pull a few tears from your eyes at the end.

It is a charming affair featuring a stellar cast with believable chemistry. Plus, there is enjoyment in getting to decide Cami’s fate and seeing where it takes you. I am going to rewatch this and choose another path.

The score is appropriately ethereal. From the Paris skyline to the Great Wall of China, the film's locales on every continent are rarely less than breathtaking. Calling the camerawork stunning, of course, is an understatement.

Yardie is a ripping classic gangster tale done right, but that’s only part of the appeal. It goes beyond the narrative into full cultural immersion with music as the window into a time and place.

The thematic equilibrium within Smoke Sauna Sisterhood does not negate the male gaze. Rather, it asserts the feminine. Through confession and testimony, women become embodied. Witnesses, irrespective of gender, fortify their truth.

This is a hard film to watch. If you can stomach it and its terrors, this film rewards you with a cracking good fireside story

The filmmaker educates and entertains with a profoundly human story about the life of a young woman. Viewers will become invested in what happens to Di and learn about the Hmong tradition along the way.

Spiro has produced a beautiful film on loss, and the cycles of violence that all too many are understandably pulled into, yet she still manages to give us a glimmer of hope in a world of desperation.

A wild, rapid-fire collage that's as fiercely funny, original and provocative as anything I've seen on a screen in a good long while.

A mesmerizing documentary that shows the vulnerability -– and brutality -– that emerge when one is showered in recognition, only to have such fame pulled out from under him.

A Haunting in Venice marks the best, most succinct, and humorous adaptation of an Agatha Christie story by Kenneth Branagh yet.

Manages to put a new spin on things while being touching, honest, and thought-provoking at the same time.

This is a thoughtful film with several intimate moments, but it might leave you feeling gloomy. On the other hand, if you are like me and enjoy movies that leave you with something to chew on and don’t necessarily have happy endings, The Fragile King is for you.

So much of Art for Everybody follows a traditional rise-to-power and fall-from-grace structure. The story gives equal time to Kinkade’s adoring friends and his harshest critics while allowing his family to serve as both. Yousef never tries to immortalize or romanticize the painter but instead focuses on the person and his path to the limelight.

The endless loop, the anomalies, the reset — all of it connects back to who the man is and what his fundamental flaw as a person is. When the ending hits, it doesn’t explain itself. You just sit there and work backward, and then it clicks.

This is the kind of film you can watch over and over again on several levels, especially as you mine the script for knowing jokes about the theatre (it's packed with them).

The pace is tight, and the film’s last scene is a fantastic conclusion to the story: a little bit Telenovela, a little bit grindhouse, and 100% quality.

Champs tells a rags-to-riches story set in the brutal landscape of boxing and sports entertainment. You’ll find inspiration from the stories of its three subjects and make you think again about the gladiatorial game and business, we know as boxing.

Despite budgetary limitations, Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes perpetually surprises with its ability to keep all its plates spinning throughout its kaleidoscopic journey.