Though it may not be as iconic as the 1940s version, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio is still astounding. Every character is fleshed out and filled with eccentricities lacking in prior versions. Themes of empathy, fascism, dealing with death, and learning to live again run deep within this masterpiece. And for all the complexities, the film is just plain enjoyable.

The most beautiful thing about EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert is that in connecting us so intimately to the man and showing him in all his complexity, Luhrmann cuts through the baggage we bring and gives us a fresh look at one of the most fascinating and accomplished musicians who has ever lived.

Borat isn't just one of the funniest movies of the year, it might be one of the funniest movies of all time.

Marty Supreme is a rare film that will become a watershed moment in cinematic history, in the same way that Taxi Driver and Pulp Fiction did. It will be spoken of in reverent tones in years to come, and will be endlessly studied and then copied by lesser filmmakers.

Does for psychedelics what "Boogie Nights" does for cocaine; displaying in graphical detail the ultimate failure of drugs as an escape route.

The cast’s commitment throughout The Whale allows Aronofsky to create a tearful experience.

What Josiah Saw examines religion, trauma, grief, sanity, and familial bonds in a truly unique way. Grashaw elegantly balances the heavy drama, action, and horror moments, crafting an unforgettable journey. Dilts intelligent screenplay is brought to life by a stunning cast giving it their all in every scene.

I love love love love loved Cold Souls. That might be because I love love love Paul Giamatti.

The results are either darkly comic and tragic, depending on the viewer's mindframe. But McElhinney's route to these results, as with the Bertolucci, is nothing short of stunning.

This is a documentary that is very difficult to stomach.

The director lets us take an intimate look at the San Quentin 1000 Mile Club and some of these prisoners’ stories while they run 26.2-mile marathons around the dirt and gravel-filled prison yard.

Brutal and breathtaking.

In 1968, a variety show appeared on PBS that would permanently change the face of television. That program, created, produced, and hosted by openly gay African American Ellis Haizlip, was Soul! His niece, writer/director Melissa Haizlip, now tells the story of her uncle’s legacy in the enthralling, all-encompassing documentary Mr. Soul! 1960s television was full of white people. They were well-off posing as middle class, as in The Donna Reed Show and Mr. Ed, or the hillbillies featured in The Beverly Hillbillies and Green Acres, but everybody, from sitcoms to news to commercials, was white. Ironically, this same decade also saw the rise of the color television, yet programmers remained colorblind. Ellis Haizlip had a vision, though: a black show for black people. His connections in public broadcasting made it happen, and he went through a handful of hosts before taking on the duty himself. What emerged became one of the single most important broadcast series in the history of television. Of course, the powers that be eventually caught on, leading to the show’s demise. Yes, this is a basic summary, but honestly, it would be a disservice to go any deeper for anybody previously unfamiliar with this show or its content. Simply put, this was one of the most amazing things ever to appear on television, and that’s not hyperbole. Ellis’ connection to the Black Arts Movement brought in a wide range of artists, from Stevie Wonder, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, members from The Last Poets, to Amiri Baraka. Author James Baldwin, Minister Louis Farrakhan, and boxer Muhammad Ali all appeared, as well as actors Harry Belafonte and Sidney Poitier. BAM poet Nikki Giovanni frequently guest hosted. “In 1968, a variety show appeared on PBS that would permanently change the face of television.” Essentially, Melissa Haizlip has built a motion picture monument to Ellis and his vision. There’s a brief glimpse of his life, enough to understand where he was coming from and what he was doing. But, the movie is really about the show he created, where Gospel choirs would collaborate with poets and jazz musicians, sometimes all at once, and figureheads of black culture could come to express the beauty and experience of their lives. This wasn’t about denigrating others for their privilege, but rather a serious discussion of what was happening then and there. Haizlip wasn’t afraid to challenge his guests, either. We see Ellis question Farrakhan on the Nation of Islam’s position on homosexuality. The minister’s response can be interpreted in many ways, but Haizlip allowed for that. He addressed issues without anger, resentment, or provocation. He kept things low-key and relaxed, a social gathering where all were welcome no matter where they came from. This was not only the first program to fully embrace African American being, but also a landmark in arts programming, as in Nikki Giovanni’s in-depth conversations with James Baldwin. This was different, innovative, groundbreaking. Soul! ended in the wake of the Nixon administration, but its legacy lives on. About two-thirds of the series is available for streaming, and after watching just a few episodes, you understand why this show from fifty years ago deserves to be the subject of serious analysis today. To get the full story, though, you should watch Mr. Soul! and understand why Ellis Haizlip deserves and embodies that title.

It is not only the year's best documentary, but it is also among the finest films ever made about religion.

One of the year's best films. It is an extraordinary triumph of nonfiction filmmaking, presenting a wild mind game that leaves the viewer invigorated by its sheer audacity and complexity.

Here's the sliver of hope: In contrast to everything we've been told, the people who run Al Jazeera turn out to be decent and level headed.

Masculine, Feminine could be viewed as Godard's reaction to his own success and the state of the world around him.

Every scene in Never Steady, Never Still feels focused and intentional, like someone has agonized over how to most directly and honestly express the characters’ inner states.

Funny Face is a rare gem of a film that will keep you guessing from beginning to end, and you’ll be lucky if you get to see it.

As he did with “The English Patient,” director Minghella performs a miraculous juggling act, balancing his epic, sweeping story with the subtleties of character and detail that make Cold Mountain breathe.

What makes Breathless a masterpiece along with its style is how Godard captures the overall malcontent, which still resonates with much of modern life as we know it and ultimately leaves us all breathless.

Nossa Chape has an urgency and poignancy that several narrative dramas only wish they could achieve.

Paltrow gives the performance of the year, and perhaps of her career, in this extraordinary and powerful dissection of genius, jealousy, madness and serenity.

Kudos to Andrea Werhun for laying out her sex work story for all to see, to Sean Baker for continuing to highlight such under-reported stories, and to director Nicole Bazuin for doing such a masterful job of making the subject both relatable and entertaining. Werhun is a true star in every sense, shining a light on philosophical issues while being extremely charismatic in the process.

Arguably, the greatest horror film of the past thirty years.

Only a little over an hour-long, yet manages to be one of the most compelling subversions of the possession genre I’ve ever seen.

Every line of dialog, every camera angle, every beat is precisely engineered.

Bhagwan Bharose fully envelopes everyone watching into its character lives.