The Mother And The Bear is a very different spin on the romantic comedy and self-actualization tale. By combining the two, Johnny Ma creates a distinct and engaging story. It is led by the brilliant Kim Ho-Jung, who is aided by a wonderful supporting cast. The music also does a lot of heavy-lifting, emotionally speaking, and everything just comes together in a truly sweet and life-affirming way.

OBEX is an earnest, strange, and delightful adventure.

At its core, Come Closer is an unexpected reality check in a coming-of-age story about handling loss. Israeli writer-director Tom Nesher’s debut feature pushes emotions and reveals the underside of life, delivering a universal snapshot set in Tel Aviv, Israel.

You feel the horrors of those 12 hours. Abeckaser tells the right stories, from innocent festivalgoers to military-trained fathers, and to the mothers and children who perish. Before you utter the words, “Yeah, but…,” 12 Hours in October is pretty one-sided, and I’m not blind to the protests that have occurred in the streets and on university campuses in the U.S.

Homegrown is not a film that takes a stance one way or the other on the extreme political divide Donald Trump has created in the nation. It instead gives you a glimpse into the mind of men who fought for and ultimately went to prison for him.

Adult Children is funny and dramatic in equal measure.

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.

The picture is a wonderful example of social horror, fear of strangers who are not what they seem, worth a look for the production values well used, and the committed actors.

Between Black’s signature enthusiasm and Rudd’s insecure actor persona, there is fun to be had. Plus, Selton Mello walks off with every scene, leaving the audience at his mercy. Overall, this is good, not great.

The story entertains from start to finish, and the filmmaker absolutely delivers another home run.

With all the talk of how wonderful Christmas pantomimes are in the script, the whole movie seems to shrink away from any tradition that may have made this pitiful excuse of a Santa sneeze enjoyable.

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

Song Sung Blue is one of my favorite movies of the year. It all has to do with Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson’s performances, along with a touching script by Craig Brewer and Greg Kohs. What makes this story so compelling is not only that it is true, but also that Mike Sardina and Claire Stengl are us. They are normal people who want to perform and bring happiness to the world.

Virginia Gilbert’s Reawakening ends on a brutal yet honest note, refusing to hand out easy answers or emotional closure. It’s not clean, but it’s meant to be an unflinching reality check.

The Summer Book is a wholesome meditation on the life cycle.

Ultimately, it’s fine. Yet, considering its cinematic history, fine is never good enough.

The film is described as “docufiction,” meant to present an authentic sketch of working-class Australian life. While we are not always seeing the real events, we are getting the concentrated essence.

Although Byrne always brings a great performance in whatever she’s cast in, I would almost say just go watch her in Platonic. There she, too, plays a mom who deals with the issues of being married and life’s trials and tribulations.

If you want to see the shark device used with the precision of a scalpel, watch Beast of War. It is knock-out entertainment with many rows of teeth that won’t let go.

Europe’s New Faces is a worthy exercise to pull back the curtain on the experience, but it should perhaps be edited down to 90 minutes or so and include some framing context so we know who and what we are seeing and why the migrants chose to make this trip.

The stark contrast between the way-too-confident-for-his-age Jake and the introverted, insecure Ben underscores how identity at that age calcifies in opposition: one boy armoring himself with swagger, the other shrinking under its weight.

The story of Happy Holidays starts out fragmented, so it’s a bit disorienting. But when the puzzle comes together, it clicks in a satisfying way.

If you don’t like musical theater, you’re not going to like Merrily We Roll Along. If you’re a musical theater fan, Merrily is a must-see.

Peaches Goes Bananas is one of the weirdest and most touching music documentaries I’ve seen.

The strength of Out of Plain Sight is that it dramatically illustrates both the importance and process of science and journalism, at a time when both are under attack.

You’ll never look at life—through a camera lens, that is—the same way again.

Roman Polanski’s J’Accuse, released internationally as An Officer and a Spy, is a brilliant exercise in controlled storytelling, visual discipline, and moral searching.

Esta Isla (This Island). is an excellent and absorbing drama. Its characters are well-written and behave in sensible and relatable ways. The cast excels at bringing authentic emotions and subtle details to the forefront, making everything as authentic as possible.