The story opens the door to a fascinating mythology of ancient warriors and immortality, although things get a little clunky when it comes time to explain how it all works. Still, The Old Guard is well worth watching if you’ve got an itch for something new.

Hamilton the stage musical may be a 10/10. But this filmed version falls short by repeatedly reminding the audience of what we missed by not being there.

The jokes in the sweet and silly Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga don't always pop as well as its songs.

Stewart’s goals are muddied by his approach, leaving us with a work that has a few pieces of wisdom to offer and a few laughs scattered throughout, but ultimately feels as inconsequential as the TV talking heads it’s trying to critique.

There's a throbbing theme at You Should Have Left's core about what it means to be a man. But if subtext isn't your jam, you can kick back, switch off, and enjoy the eerie thrills and jolting scares of this satisfying horror-thriller.

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.

Disney's Artemis Fowl is an empty science fantasy tale with forgettable characters and an uninspired story.

Even without the content of 2020 making the film feel even more unpalatable, Netflix's The Last Days of American Crime is a distractingly dull dystopian thriller with drab (and/or extraneous) characters and a squandered premise.

The King of Staten Island lumbers from one thread to another, seemingly uncertain over what it's about.

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.

Simon Pegg and Lily Collins act the hell out of a script with a fun set-up and a lazy payoff.

Michael Showalter and company aren't reinventing the wheel here, but it's a solidly made wheel. Following in the footsteps of similar comedies, The Lovebirds offers a wild ride with outlandish action, plenty of popping punch lines, and a romance you can really root for.

The earnest and entertaining Scoob! is a perfectly fine distraction for kids and parents stuck at home, with enough cute and amusing elements throughout to keep viewers engaged.

Josh Trank’s somber, small-scale drama is not the guns-blazing Al Capone biopic some gangster movie fans might be expecting, but it’s a curiosity that nevertheless demands a look-see for a fresh take on a crime legend whose most notorious exploits have been retold many times already.

The Wretched's endeavor to meld a junior mystery with some pretty extreme horror works more than it doesn't, but ultimately neither side of this narrative coin gets explored as much as it should. Despite this, as a well shot and admirably executed thriller, it's a good entry into the catalogue of on-the-cheap scares.

Extraction works because its simple, yet sufficient, story allows the film's action to take center stage. If the stunt work were mediocre, the entire thing would be an utter waste of time. Thankfully though, Extraction boasts an exhaustingly awesome showcase of expertly choreographed fists, knives, guns, and explosions.

The Iron Mask is a mess of cultural ideas that not even Jackie Chan or Arnold Schwarzenegger can make work.

The story's lifted a bit by some of the solid comedic actors, and the WWE Superstars who make a run-in, but when the story isn't sloppy, it's paint-by-numbers.

It's for kids and it's cute. It's also an absolute eyesore, crassly overstuffed with retina-scorching color combinations and explosions of glitter. Frankly, it's disappointing that an animated movie with so much talent attached didn’t strive to be more than just "cute for kids." But hey, at least you can dance to it.

Vivarium rates as an ambitious near-miss.

Coffee & Kareem keeps it simple, short, and to the (ultra) violent point as a raunchy cop comedy with clever jokes, zany action, and fun chemistry between leads Ed Helms and young Terrence Little Gardenhigh. It's a small cast but everyone in it is pretty funny, and the director easily knows how to craft a compelling mismatched partner scenario.

The Jesus Rolls, while a passion project for the writer/director/star -- though it's unclear what Turturro wanted to do more: remake Going Places or do a Jesus follow-up? -- comes off like a flat fever dream. The famous faces are fun and at times there's a wee bit of misfit charm, but in the end it's clumsy and churlish.

Top to bottom, Frozen is a delight. The writing is witty, the voicing is excellent, the story is nuanced and the songs are some of the best since Beauty and the Beast. It's a throwback to a wondrous time in Disney animation, and just a ton of fun.

Bloodshot is unapologetically a popcorn movie of the switch-off-your-brain-and-kick-back variety. Diesel and company soldier through a wonky plot to deliver glowers, superhero poses, and loads of action. Director Wilson brings the heat with solid visual effects and a relentless pace. But keen-eyed viewers will notice the telltale signs of "fix it in post" fiddling.

Director Zobel and writers Lindelof and Cuse, peering through the lens of social media hijinks and polarized politics, paint a ridiculous picture of how we’re all eating ourselves alive. That they do so in such a fun and absurdly bloody way makes The Hunt worth a retweet at the very least.

Mark Wahlberg and Winston Duke's fun chemistry helps elevate the predictable murder-mystery Spenser Confidential.

An accessible, efficiently made but not necessarily invigorating look at finance, reality, and racial injustice in the U.S.

The Way Back is a somber sports drama more interested in exploring the plight of its hero than in just the big games.

Though Benh Zeitlin clearly has a knack for directing children and an eye for shooting beautiful locales, Wendy ultimately falls flat. The pacing is uneven, the overt messaging spirals from hamfisted to uncomprehensible, and as good as the children at its core are, the film never offers up a story or film that is deserving of them.

From excellent team-ups between Deku and Bakugo to strategic standoffs featuring some of the more minor characters like Ashido and Tokoyami, the entirety of Class 1-A gets to shine in this new movie.

Leigh Whannell's bleak and brutal reimagining of the classic Invisible Man is chillingly effective.

All told, it's a terrifically entertaining tale filled with humor, heart, and allusions that are sure to delight fantasy fans.

Ride Your Wave is the sweetest and most conventional story Yuasa has ever directed. Even with its formulaic story occupied by characters who would have benefited with more development and personality, there’s still plenty to enjoy in this light-hearted romance.

Bad CGI takes away everything real about the relationship between man and dog in this inherently flawed, technically focused adaptation of Jack London’s age-old classic. Not even Harrison Ford, charming as he may be, can rescue this cynically made film from emotional bankruptcy.

Blumhouse’s theatrical adaptation of the TV classic Fantasy Island never quite works as a horror film, a comedy, or a melodrama despite its attempts at being all three. It works marginally better as a mystery but by that point, you’re not as invested in the story’s outcome or its generic protagonists to muster much of a reaction.

Sonic’s first foray into live-action is a fast-paced joyride that’ll ring in entertainment for both fans and children.

If The Lodge had focused as much on its three leads as it did on building a creepy atmosphere to put them in, it may have been as terrorizing an experience as it aspired to be.

Birds of Prey is a madcap joyride that puts Harley in the driver's seat, but sometimes leaves her cohorts in the dust.

Color Out of Space is a delightful surprise. The film’s success is best viewed through the lens of Nicolas Cage’s increasingly deranged performance, which always entertains as it heightens, but never at the expense of servicing the story and elucidating just how dangerous the Color is.

The Turning damns itself with good ideas turned bad and a flat-out ugly execution. Its talented cast can’t save it from cheap scares, poorly edited set-pieces, and a bad twist that leaves a worse taste in your mouth.

The movie doesn’t end up going anywhere and serves as little more than an excuse to get the movie’s stars into dapper suits and flat caps.

Fun, action-packed and dramatically deep, How to Train Your Dragon 2 is a prime example of "How to Make a Sequel."

Weathering With You still marks Makoto Shinkai as one of Japan’s finest directors when it comes to artistic vision and capturing the essence of turbulent, romantic youth. But it’s also safe to say that Shinkai’s formula, while tried and true to success, may also seem like an all too familiar territory for folks looking for something a little different.

Bad Boys for Life doesn't reinvent the wheel but if you like the franchise you'll likely love this outrageous sequel.

The talents of Robert Downey Jr. and the all-star voice cast are wasted in the disastrous mess that is Dolittle.

Powerful performances and solid direction elevate the conventional but impassioned fact-based drama Just Mercy.

Underwater is a slick yet flawed sci-fi thriller that never quite breaches greatness.

There’s nothing fresh, exciting, or particularly unique about Nicolas Pesce’s take on The Grudge. His passion for character-focused drama fails to spark in a barrage of scenes that feel like tedious outtakes from Lifetime movies.

There may be a sort of cutesy premise, and the message about fixing problems without violence might seem a bit innocent these days, but Spies in Disguise is absolutely charming.

Cats’ special effects render director Tom Hooper’s star-studded adaptation of the Broadway classic a lifeless disaster, though a few of its more charismatic cast members, namely Judi Dench and Idris Elba, manage to get a few licks in to add an alluring, ironic camp value.

For as much love, passion, and nostalgia is evident in this movie, it’s also a film very palpably made from a place driven by fear of disappointing the audience, and that anxiety fuels a lot of the story’s curious creative choices and unwieldy execution.

Underground is cartoonishly raucous explosion porn from mayhem maestro Michael Bay that feels like a film that was made over a decade ago and was just somehow recently unearthed by Netflix. It's a testament to star Ryan Reynolds and his seemingly effortless charisma because without him the movie would have been a snow-blind mess.

Sergio Pablos' Klaus is a beautifully animated mix of old and new - offing up a unique and quirky take on Santa's humble beginnings. It's a fun, fresh story about friendship and the power of kindness that coats snowbound cliches with a shiny sheen.

A Hidden Life is both inspiring and heartbreaking, and the result is Terrence Malick’s best film in nearly a decade.

Charlize Theron's eerie turn as Megyn Kelly aside, Bombshell doesn't do justice to the subject matter it explores.

Blended brilliantly, this remake of Black Christmas makes for holiday horror that's a tantalizing and terrifying treat.

Jumanji: The Next Level is a blast. Instead of relying solely on its proven premise, we get to know more about the kids and the adults playing the game. There are still moments of silliness, but there is also a whole lot of heart here.

The Aeronauts is a film flawed from its first concept. By blending fact and fiction so freely, Thorne and Harper turned a story of scientific discovery into a muddling romantic adventure that crashes and burns.

I Lost My Body stands as one of the year's best and most profound pieces of animation.

The Safdie brothers continue their winning streak of making harshly real films about everyday New Yorkers with fatal flaws. But this time, they’ve also given Adam Sandler a platform to show just how good he is with the right collaborators. The results are as stylish as they are affecting.

This movie exhibits a craft that belies Morita's inexperience as a director. He hasn't made a poetic film in the manner of his Ghibli mentors, but it's actually more polished in some ways than much of their work, especially in terms of movement.

1917 is an expertly crafted and emotionally exhausting thrill-ride behind enemy lines. Gloriously shot, deftly paced, and striking in its gruesome recreation of the time and place, Sam Mendes’ 1917 wisely never loses sight of the smaller, intimate elements in a fast-paced story with immense scale and action.

The central plot is a devious one that pulls the rug out from under the audience on multiple occasions; no mean feat in a genre where every variation and outcome would seem to have been tried and tested. But what really sets Knives Out apart from the competition is its humor.

Gerwig mostly plays it safe with this adaptation but a stellar cast and her impressive directorial eye mean that it's a total joy to watch.

Frozen 2 has amazing animation and great new songs but also a muddied message and some continuity issues.

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

While the destination is too easy to determine, this ride-along is solidly thrilling.

Netflix's Earthquake Bird is a not particularly engaging thriller featuring an inert performance from Alicia Vikander.

An entertaining plot, impressive script, fantastic cast, and awesomely shot action make Charlie's Angels one of the most unexpectedly fun films of the year.

Noelle is often lifted up and out of a full rut by Anna Kendrick's energetic and gallantly goofy turn as the North Pole's most deserving and capable Kringle. Without her, Noelle is average fare, rehashing a lot of timeworn cliches from other, more clever, festive films.

The comedy is broad and slapstick, but ultimately the film is heartwarming and lovely. You’ll find yourself laughing in spite of your initial reaction to the goofiness of the premise. It’s also a fun way to spend an afternoon with the kids.

Emilia Clarke charms in this clichéd, kooky Christmas rom-com.

I walked out wondering how a mini-series might have better served this historic moment and the men who made it. Still, with all its gaps and flaws, Midway is a serviceable ode to servicemen this Veteran's Day weekend.

If you can compartmentalize the film’s well-intentioned but problematic modernized elements and just focus on the cute dogs then you will likely find Disney+’s remake of Lady and the Tramp a lightweight and engaging distraction to watch at home.

The King is a relevant reshaping of Shakespeare's Henry V featuring a stunning turn by Timothée Chalamet.

The period setting is sumptuous, and Edward Norton brings true humanity to the role of Lionel Essrog.

Harriet has the best intentions, but despite a powerful lead performance by Cynthia Erivo, the film feels bereft of originality. It’s a shame that a film centering a woman whose life was filled with fear, risk, and compassion couldn’t summon those same elements for its story.

The scary and powerful Doctor Sleep works best when doing its own thing rather than recreating parts of The Shining.

While One Piece: Stampede doesn’t leave an impact, story-wise -- there are no great upheavals or shifting of the status quo -- that’s not really the point here. This movie is a celebration of the legacy of One Piece.

Tim Miller’s film deftly builds upon what worked in the first two James Cameron-helmed entities while bringing in a new host of characters and circumstances to challenge the course of humankind. While there’s definitely some frantic leap-frogging involved in terms of accepting why some characters have evolved the way they did, Terminator: Dark Fate ultimately succeeds in serving as both a suitable closing chapter for the original two films and a possible gateway to exciting new chapters ahead.

Zombieland: Double Tap is a riot, and a lot of that is due to Zoey Deutch and her character, Madison. While it doesn’t quite achieve classic status in its own right, when it comes to sequels that do the original film justice, it is up there. It’s worth the wait, your time and your money.

Though its meta-heavy plot gets tiresome after a while, Jay and Silent Bob Reboot is a successful return to form for Kevin Smith. Though it’s a bit rough around the edges, all involved clearly came to have fun and that infectious energy is palpable for the entire runtime. It may be his raunchiest film in years, but it’s also his most emotionally intelligent.

Impressive visuals and a very watchable cast make this a fun popcorn fantasy flick that's at its best when it leans into its genre roots and aims to create a truly fantastical fairytale world.

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

Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson give their all to Marriage Story, a smart exploration of the emotional intricacies of divorce and how they can rip love to shreds. As characters, they’re a little too extraordinary in their careers to be as relatable as the film wants them to be, but that doesn’t get in the way of the sheer power of the writing and acting on grand display.

Frighteningly funny and fresh, this hilarious animated treat will introduce a whole new generation to the loving and strange family whilst also pleasing those who grew up with the iconic '90s movies. With a sweet story, tight runtime, and impressive animation, this is the perfect Halloween treat for film fans young and old!

Uneven but ambitious, Ang Lee's return to the action genre isn't as good as it should be but Will Smith, Benedict Wong, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead make this weird flick an entertaining watch even with an uninspired script.

If you haven't read the manga or watched the anime then Tokyo Ghoul S might be an exercise in frustration, though if you love horror, action, ambitious effects work and might enjoy a glam knock-off Hannibal Lecter then it's definitely worth trying out.

The master filmmaker has made an introspective, thoughtful, even somber film that manages to be just as entertaining as his classics, even while diving deep into the darkest souls and finding some semblance of a heart.

Wrinkles the Clown is a documentary that frequently entertains, but lacks true insight into the viral phenomenon.

The action is thrilling and the science fiction stuff compelling, but there are several occasions where it feels like the screenplay is talking down to its audience, most notably during its heavy-handed climax.

Promare's fun characters, stylish animation, and constant escalation make for a great first film from Studio Trigger.

Abominable is a simple, sweet, slight story that’s been told before, and told better.

Between Two Ferns: The Movie does its best to coat Zach Galifianakis' dense and dopey TV host with a larger story but, in the end, the best parts are still when it's just him glassily staring into the eyes of a movie star and telling them how much they suck at acting.

Rambo: Last Blood captures everything that's gone wrong with this action franchise over the years.

Ad Astra is grand but, rather frustratingly, it's not great. James Gray’s film is a most impressive technical achievement, and the first half is exciting and flirts with profundity. The second half, however, slows to a maddeningly sluggish pace, and the film ultimate leaves you worn out and disengaged.

Writer-director Jason Lei Howden does try to sneak social commentary into proceedings, the film satirizing reality TV and attacking the poison of online comments. But ultimately this is balls-to-the-wall action, with Guns Akimbo delivering thrills, spills and genuinely spectacular kills.

Ford v Ferrari is well acted and shot, but the story doesn’t engage, making James Mangold’s latest effort something of a slog.