Searching isn't just a gimmick movie. It delivers the goods.

As a genre picture, and as a nugget of pure unadulterated cult entertainment, Death Race 2000 is one of the best around.

Watching the film takes some patience. You have moments where there's 10 seconds or more of silence in between dialogue. When it gets violent, it's not the psychotic glee we're used to from Quentin Tarentino and his acolytes, it's simply the way things were in that life, unvarnished and brutally honest.

3 Days of the Condor is a classic spy thriller. It remains just as relevant and thrilling today as it did in 1975. It's a film built around political metaphors and pessimism, trends that continue to spiral and evolve throughout our culture even today, with events unfolding that oddly mimic this film's once outlandish plot.

The script is very clever, funny and tightly written, and manages to avoid almost every horror movie cliche.

For all of its social, political and cinematic significance, Dog Day Afternoon is a terrifically entertaining and emotionally devastating film to boot.

Another example of the explosive imagination that Miyazaki has. The world of the movie looks to use early 20th Century technology, yet it's filled with these giant airships and flying cities. There's a giant, yet lovable, robot that instantly becomes one of the most memorable characters in the film. Combine all of that with an excellent and memorable Joe Hisaishi score, and you have a jewel of animation.

If you want plot and thespian displays, well, look elsewhere. For action, you can't top this film.

Rocketman is an unforgettable, emotional experience that raises the bar for biopics.

In the Heights moves smoothly between cinematic realism and the magic of the stage, in a defiant musical about what it means to belong, and what it means to be remembered. It is one of the most moving and joyful films this year.

Jonah Hill's impressive directorial debut Mid90s is full of heart, fun and a sense of longing to belong somewhere.

From its powerful opening line to the very end, Grave of the Fireflies is an important film that will prove to even the most stubborn naysayer that animated films can move you just like the "real stuff".

Uniquely violent, stylish, and engaging, The Night Comes For Us is an exciting prospect that delivers on all fronts.

A time-honored classic filled with love, happiness and excitement.

I just can't get enough of the mid 60s/70s Disney animation styles. With still rough lines, you actually get to see more of the animator's handiwork as opposed to the perfectly clean lines that you find in today's animated movies.

Despite its age, Bambi continues to dazzle and amaze.

Liz and the Blue Bird, while seemingly straightforward and simple, is one of the most structurally complex films about the necessity of communication for healthy relationships. It displays human insecurity and vulnerability in beautifully honest ways.

The glass slipper, the Fairy Godmother, Jaq and Gus - Cinderella is a parade of majestic moments.

The film is a beautiful work of art to look at with some scenes that you just want to pull off the screen and have framed on your wall. Its use of color, character designs, and subtle CGI combine to create one of the best-looking traditionally animated films ever made.

Envisioned as a musical symphony come to life, Fantasia is a bizarre, almost trippy experience rich with hypnotic visuals, dazzling animation and beautiful music.

While Cronenberg works, the two other main humans - Boone and his girlfriend, are flat and boring, mostly due to uninspired performances. Still, that's like blasting Star Wars for Mark Hamill's acting. While this isn't as great as Star Wars, it's in the same vein, and if Nightbreed had made some loot, I think we would have gotten some very cool sequels with a fantastic mythology.

If you enjoy good horror or vampire flicks, Near Dark is one of the best.

Director Jason Reitman does his father and fans proud with a funny, sweet, and spooky family movie that proudly takes on the legacy of Ghostbusters, while also introducing something exciting and new.

The Suicide Squad is a gut-wrenching, gut-busting wild ride and DC’s best film in years.

History of the World: Part I might not be the best effort from Brooks, but it still remains one of his crowning jewels – a testament to bravado irreverent humor and biting wit.

Grand Prix is not just a wonderful 'race movie'; it's a brilliant cinematic achievement, period.

Nomadland is a radiant celebration of humanity and community.

Marked by a pair of powerful lead performances, Queen & Slim is a stunning feature directing debut by Melina Matsoukas.

Stalag 17 is a black comedy before the term black comedy was coined.

This is an amazing film, both for what it did in 1953 and what it still does today. It's a far better interpretation of H.G. Wells' novel than Spielberg's abrupt and lopsided film.

One of the most forward looking science fiction tales of the 70's.

With a nuanced script, standout performances, and the adrenaline of a well-executed heist, Hustlers is an entertaining ride with something meaningful to say about power and control.

This is easily one of Bava's crowning achievements as a filmmaker and one of the greatest horror anthologies ever filmed.

El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie is a tense, well-written story with a brilliant performance from Aaron Paul.

Intense and atmospheric, Keith Thomas’ The Vigil invigorates demonic horror by centering on Jewish traditions, especially those concerning death. Part haunted house, part tech thriller, and entirely grounded by Dave Davis’ harrowing performance, the film never loses sight of questions of cultural identity, and the ways it intersects with personal and collective trauma.

Saint Maud is an impeccably crafted, deeply unsettling, and wickedly engrossing religious horror film.

The French Dispatch is both an ode to print journalism and one of Wes Anderson’s most richly detailed films.

The Time Machine is an old-fashioned adventure that tries to remain as true to the original text as it could (the ending of the book isn't the same here, along with various other additions and changes) with an excellent score, great special effects, and a story that keeps you watching thanks to the excellent narration throughout the film.

It's a very good adaptation of the original novel that maintains the core themes and characters while at the same time making it distinctly "Disney". I

Fennell's film is a reflection of its antiheroine, a live-wire, exciting, dazzling, and dangerous. Fennell coats this heady blend of humor and horror in candy-colored palette of pinks dusted with pop music perfection and enriched by performances from a crackling ensemble cast.

The Vast of Night is a minimal marvel, drawing out fear and anticipation with not much more than a cunning script, stirring performances from its young stars, and the starkness of the dark skies above them. Within it you'll find a Spielbergian love for sci-fi peppered with a twisted appreciation for negative space and the unknown.

Nia DaCosta’s slow-burn sequel makes Candyman feel vital, both building on and course-correcting the movies in the series that came before it.

Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story is a dazzling complementary piece to the original.

Fear Street Part 1: 1994 is a film rich with character, world-building, Easter eggs, and scares. Horror fans will be grinning over a visual allusion, then be pulled to the edge of their seat by this slaughter-packed adventure, then catch themselves screaming at a harrowingly portrayed murder.

Paul Greengrass and Tom Hanks have given us something truly special with their latest collaboration: a film that is engaging and challenging but also just makes you feel good.

The Green Knight is truly astounding.

While it's the characters that make the movie memorable, it's their actions that make the movie a classic. Filled to the brim with eye-popping stunt and action sequences, the movie is a thrill a minute romp that rarely lets up.

With melancholy performances and an eye for natural beauty, Kogonada’s second feature film draws from masters of the past to create a glowing and moving future.

A dreamlike fictional biopic about Marilyn Monroe, Blonde features a stunning, volatile performance from Ana de Armas, whose daring vulnerability is matched by director Andrew Dominik’s equally daring formal approach, which keeps Marilyn in constant conversation with her iconic photographs, with the camera, and with the public at large.

Writer-director Mike Mills gets the very best from Joaquin Phoenix by pairing him with the young Woody Norman. Their pitch-perfect chemistry enlivens this quiet road drama about the perspectives of our youth with emotionality that won’t leave a dry eye in the house.

Benefitting from a strong story held together by a solid ensemble, Da 5 Bloods works as a caper, it works as a drama, and it works as a searing commentary on our current cultural moment.

As a piece of political filmmaking, Lovers Rock is deft and nuanced, a celebration of joy and community built in response to oppression.

While the film boasts a strong ensemble, all of whom give fantastic performances, especially Davis, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is Boseman’s movie from beginning to end. He shows his full range. All the tools, from his charm to piques of anger, that fated him for stardom.

Even with some questions left dangling, The Show offers a supremely intoxicating adventure, ripe with imagination, rank with decadence, and rabid with more, more Moore.

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm may not contain all of the shock and awe of the original, since exposing racists has sadly sort of become commonplace, but it still contains an avalanche of awkward, anxiety-cranking moments that'll have you laughing while watching through your fingers like you would a horror movie.

The latest addition to the Scream franchise expertly blends reverence for the source material while creating something that feels almost completely new. All of the performances are pitch-perfect as the new generation of Woodsboro teens step into their futures, the kills are gnarly, and no version of toxic fandom is left unmocked.

Derek DelGaudio's In and Of Itself is a beautiful, powerful performance that employs art, illusion, storytelling, and its own audience to explore aspects of identity, isolation, and our own desperate drive to figure out who we are as individuals. There's nothing quite like it, which, as goes the uniqueness of humanity, is the point.

Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar is extraordinary because – like its fluffy-haired heroines – it makes no apologies for what it is. Mumolo and Wiig have created a story that is proudly deranged, setups that are savagely silly, and centered all that around two delightfully daffy caricatures of middle-aged women that feel fresh yet familiar.

The fourth (and hopefully final, for the sake of its cast) Jackass is a nostalgic laugh riot.

Justice Society: World War II is an entertaining romp that ranks among DC's best animated movies.

It’s one of Scorsese’s most brutal films, yet one of his most thoughtful and self-reflexive, as he crafts a subversive murder “mystery” that leaves no lingering questions save for one.

Co-writer/director Julia Ducournau delivers a superb sophomore effort, which surpasses her cannibal horror-comedy Raw in provocative content and twisted laughs. Newcomer Agathe Rousselle is an extraordinary find, hurling herself face-first into grisly violence, lusty dances, and nerve-rattling emotional terrain.

Pig subverts the expectations of the average revenge-thriller and accentuates the deep emotional scars that often underscore these stories. It features a measured, meticulous performance from Nicolas Cage.

The Harder They Fall both subverts and embraces the Western tradition with some spectacular shootouts, slick dialogue, and a top-notch ensemble cast firing on all cylinders. Add a rollicking soundtrack to all of that and you’ve got fun and suave modern Western that smartly places a Black narrative squarely at its center.

Val is a refreshingly candid documentary that uses its title star’s impressive array of archival footage to delve into larger questions about the nature of stardom itself.

Encanto is a vibrant, visual delight that’s just as magical as the family at its center.

The Worst Person in the World is a concentrated emotional dose of living through the last half-decade of uncertainty.

A work of shattering empathy, Drive My Car makes you stare long and hard at people’s withholding exteriors as it carefully chips away at them, revealing how they patiently bear their burdens, working without rest.

A story of magical transformation as a metaphor for personal and cultural change, Turning Red (from Bao director Domee Shi) is Pixar’s funniest and most imaginative film in years. It captures the wild energy of adolescence, uses pop stars as a timeless window into puberty, and tells a tale of friendship and family in the most delightfully kid-friendly way.

Jordan Peele’s Nope is a bleak, hilarious sci-fi-horror romp, and one of the most entertaining summer movies in years.

The Lost Daughter is a stunning and unflinching portrait of a woman swimming against the tides of social expectation.

Belfast is a love letter to both a city, and the ghosts of Kenneth Branagh’s past. There’s clearly soul-searching going on as he re-examines events from his childhood, and how they affected those he loved, and the decisions they made.

Hit the Road is a quietly powerful yet very funny film about the sacrifices we make for family.

Inu-Oh is the electrifying, headbanging animated rock opera that film has been sorely missing, with a poignant message and unrestricted animation that reaffirms the visual prowess of director Masaaki Yuasa.

A gorgeous black-and-white film that harkens back to several cinematic eras, Joel Coen’s The Tragedy of Macbeth twists an old tale just enough to keep it fresh, but relies on tremendous lead performances by Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand to make the familiar feel exciting.

The Black Phone mixes the supernatural with relatable horrors in ways that will leave you both terrified and hopeful.

Jujutsu Kaisen 0 manages to work as both a standalone introduction to the anime and also a satisfying prequel to those familiar with this world. With stunning animation, complex and memorable characters, and a healthy dose of horror imagery, this is one of the best shonen anime films in a while.

The opposite of the soulless franchise extension it could've been, A Quiet Place: Day One delivers a prequel that elevates the series to new heights.

Cooper Raiff dances around complex emotions with the smoothest of steps in Cha Cha Real Smooth, sliding into the definition of feel-good filmmaking.

Guillermo del Toro sprinkles his signature dark whimsy on a fairytale classic with stunning puppetry and catchy original songs. Filled with heart, humor, and historical grounding, it’s a phenomenal feat of animated cinema.

The Adam Project is a thoughtful, witty mash-up of all the movies from my childhood. It’s Back to the Future meets The Last Starfighter with a slew of wonderful performances from a cast that clearly loves the concept as much as I do. Ryan Reynolds is on top form as Adam, while Walker Scobell matches him punch for punch with a great debut performance.

Bubble is an effervescent piece of heartfelt sci-fi that’s as refreshing as its cast and concepts.

James Morosini’s shockingly funny I Love My Dad builds on the actor-director’s real-life tale of being catfished by his distant father. The story is told from the point of view of his dad, a character played with hilarious desperation by comedian Patton Oswalt, resulting in a bizarre act of cinematic empathy that’s as moving as it is intense.

It’s a downright magnificent film that puts most modern studio comedies to shame. There isn’t a single joke that doesn’t land with gut-busting precision (even the most ludicrous, over-the-top gags are deeply character-centric), and when the filmmakers want to slow things down and make you take stock of key relationships, Ahn and de Ray know precisely how to paint with light in order to make moments feel like memories.

With a coming-of-age story that is universal in its portrayal of misunderstood artists and broken homes, but hyper-specific in its portrayal of the childhood that formed a legendary filmmaker, this is a therapy session turned into a hugely entertaining movie, aided by a fantastic cast, and one of John Williams' best scores in years.

Suzume is a captivating film that depicts the grieving process in a creative and thoughtful manner. It features a strong cast, a moving score, and some truly amazing animation.

The Menu is a hilariously wicked thriller about the world of high-end restaurants, featuring a stellar cast led by a phenomenal Ralph Fiennes, some of the most gorgeous food shots in recent film history, and accompanied by a delicious hors d'oeuvres sampling of commentary on the service industry, class warfare, and consumerism.

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story does for the music biopic what the real Weird Al did for many a hit pop song: it makes fun of it, reveres it, remixes it, makes it weirder, and improves it.

White Noise holds up a mirror to contemporary America, forcing a self-examination that both amuses and terrifies. It may be set in the ‘80s but it’s as prescient as ever, forcing us to examine the failings of postmodern culture and face the comedy and terror inherent in our society. It may be funny, even light-hearted in places, but White Noise confronts heavy, poignant topics with a level of awareness that will make you laugh while your skin crawls.

Cate Blanchett’s forceful performance as a world-famous composer makes TÁR a richly detailed exposé of ego.

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is a bigger, bolder, funnier, angrier sequel that improves on almost every aspect of its predecessor.

Asteroid City is one of the best movies Wes Anderson has made. It's deceptively hilarious, and includes all the visual flair one would expect from this veteran auteur director and such a large cast of renowned actors.

Evil Dead Rise is both a familiar and refreshing Evil Dead sequel that delivers all the gore you’d expect with a measured dose of the humor that makes this series a fan favorite.

All Quiet on the Western Front is just as bleak as you might imagine, with an unflinching examination of the horrors of war. It’s a brutal, exhausting, and raw reminder of the evil humanity is capable of inflicting upon each other, and it couldn’t be more timely.

Peter Pan & Wendy is a beautiful take on the classic children's story, retold for all of us who chose to grow up and continue to struggle with our decision.

Project Wolf Hunting goes for broke in terms of exquisite beatdown violence in the pursuit of primal genre happiness. Writer/director Kim Hong-seon executes like there’s a going-out-of-business sale on fake blood, and we reap the benefits as showstopping displays of action-horror devastation take center stage.

A film that volleys back and forth in time, Luca Guadagnino's Challengers builds the relationships between its leading tennis trio in exciting and exacting ways. Enhanced by layered physical performances from Mike Faist, Zendaya, and Josh O'Connor, the result is one of the sexiest and most electric dramas of 2024.

It’s the kind of thriller that only comes along every once in a while – truly unsettling and with enough twists and turns to not only keep you interested but on your toes.