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

In her directorial debut Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms, Mari Okada weaves a beautiful story about motherhood, aging, and loss.

Eileen is a nifty little shapeshifter of a thriller made of tremendous parts, just lacking a bit of steam upon exit.

The Shrouds may seem impenetrable at first, but it grows in the mind and heart like a cancer. Let it linger long enough, and it also starts to feel like Cronenberg's most complete, self-assured, and dramatically accomplished work in years.

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

Matt Reeves’ violent, thrilling, darkly beautiful take on The Batman more than justifies its place in the franchise’s canon.

Not a deeply probing Hollywood documentary but filled to the brim with fun behind-the-scenes footage. The Boy Who Lived is a likable, grounded, and heartfelt portrait of a Harry Potter stuntman whose career was cut far too short.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is a confident introduction to Marvel’s first Asian superhero, delivering the MCU’s best fight choreography and one of its most emotionally complex villains.

Pixar's Luca may not be one of the animation studio's strongest efforts, but it's still a sweet summer getaway.

Dan Trachtenberg’s Prey never lets up. It’s full of the Predator franchise’s trademark violence and tension, but it’s the ferocious, star-making turn from Amber Midthunder that stands as its greatest strength.

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

MoviePass, MovieCrash is an abundantly entertaining, easily digestible rendering of a ‘too crazy to be true’ story that looks at the turbulent, short life of the company from the perspective of its creators, its destroyers, and the rank-and-file workers who could do nothing but watch it all go down in flames.

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.

Based on a true story, the whole thing is a sloppy mess of football wishes and caveat dreams that will forever be remembered, but never watched in just one sitting.

Heretic’s slow-simmering first half is much better than its second, but the movie keeps you on your toes throughout. Most of its deranged charge comes from Grant, finding darkness under the pleasant hallmarks of his aging-star persona.

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.

Anchored by strong performances from Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson, The Long Walk overcomes the repetitive nature of its story to deliver a timely and powerful condemnation of normalized violence . . . with some seriously brutal, R-rated violence.

Spider-Man: No Way Home bounces from hilarious to hurt with ease as both the darkest and funniest MCU Spider-Man entry to date.

While the fun had at the expense of the internet isn’t exactly the freshest material, Ralph Breaks the Internet works well not because of where it sends its two main characters physically but rather emotionally.

Wonderstruck is another emotional and visually gorgeous outing from director Todd Haynes.

Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc has some issues and it sacrifices some of the first season's experimental approach, but it compensates with a compelling romance and one of the best soundtracks of the year.

Exit 8 can feel inspired, but only in fits and starts.

It’s the least Charli XCX movie yet, with her disappearing into her role so completely that it's often breathtaking to witness, but it's also the one that marks her arrival as an essential voice.

When is a murder mystery not about the murder or the mystery? When it's as beautiful-looking as Gemini.

It may not be the most accurate, well produced, or entirely awe-inspiring film adaptation of the caped crusader, but it is certainly the most amusing.

Director John Krasinski delivers that rare horror sequel that (almost) stands toe-to-toe with its predecessor.

The Outpost is a cleverly, and respectfully, crafted war film that uses a segmented, episodic approach to help you invest in the characters while building up to a very impressive battle sequence.

Dan Trachtenberg is heading in an interesting direction with this franchise and he gets bonus points for that. The Predator as a mysterious murder monster is getting some of his backstory filled in, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Badlands, in shifting the perspective to a Yautja main character, actually highlights what’s been great about this franchise in its better moments. Dek and Thia are an unexpectedly fun pairing that bring a new energy to the franchise and an altogether different kind of hunt. It might not be pulling the skull and spine out of us and screaming in bloody victory, but it gets close.

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World is a fantastic, visually stunning and poignant way to end this beloved trilogy.

It’s a rare misfire from director Sebastián Lelio, whose approach to his tale of a 19th century English nurse (Florence Pugh) investigating an Irish miracle is far too plain to be mysterious or stirring.

With impressive animation and a faithful script, Watchmen Chapter 1 is clearly a labor of love. But while it avoids some of the pitfalls of prior adaptations, it also reveals a few of its own.

The film manages to look at its characters with empathy and understanding, while simultaneously refusing to endorse their actions. And because of that, Matt Spicer’s directorial debut proves to be one of the more successful takes on the social media generation to hit the silver screen.

Whether you're a theater lover, who aches for playhouses to reopen, a cosplayer who yearns for the return of Comic-Con, or a sci-fi fan who dreams of making an Alien of your own, Alien on Stage is a must-see.

Molly’s Game doesn’t announce Aaron Sorkin as the next great filmmaker, but he’s a good one. It’s a competently filmed production with some fine performances, but it lacks the focus and showpersonship that would be necessary to make it feel like more.

Where Night of the Living Dead was a straight up horror film (with some minor social commentary buried beneath the ever-present threat of the shambling undead), Dawn is something a bit more intriguing. Sure, much of Dawn's first thirty minutes or so has the same unrelenting feel of the earlier film, but once our heroes arrive at their final destination, the tone changes.

Cam is an authentic, unexpected, and thrilling addition to modern horror canon.... It's a unique experiment, one that works incredibly well and benefits greatly from Mazzei's voice and Goldhaber's thoughtful direction.

Whether Piranha was made as an intentionally cheesy spoof of Jaws or a cynical bargain-basement imitation, the fact remains that it's just bad enough to qualify as good. As long as you don't take it too seriously (after all, the filmmakers clearly didn't).

Blitz's piercing sound design can't make up for its bloodless depiction of World War II, its scattered sense of place, and its saccharine approach to overcoming racial hostility. Saoirse Ronan is captivating in the role of a single white mother to a defiant Black son trying to make his way back home, but the movie can't seem to balance her talents with its own timeline.

Shazam! is a lot of fun and it further proves how, in the wake of the success of Wonder Woman and Aquaman, DC’s movie future is indeed bright. Zachary Levi was born to play this superpowered man-child, delivering lots of laughs alongside sarcastic but amiable co-star Jack Dylan Grazer.

Drew Hancock’s Companion is a funny and clever thriller, carefully balancing dark moments of violence and unsetting reveals with a disarming sense of humor.

Ford v Ferrari's James Mangold takes his hands off the steering wheel for A Complete Unknown, resulting in a Bob Dylan biopic that takes unpredictable turns. Rather than connecting the dots between how the world influenced him (and how he influenced it in turn), the film frames his enormous musical sea changes as personal drama for his peers. It’s formally straightforward, but its focus on the characters in Dylan’s life – rather than the musician himself, played by Timothée Chalamet – turn him into an enigma, for better or worse.

Rock 'n' Roll High School is like a ride on a music rollercoaster. For some, the ride will be a dizzying one they'll never want to endure again. But for others – mostly cult/punk enthusiasts – this is going to be one ride worth experiencing over and over again.

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.

An affectionate take on a much-romanticized subculture, The Bikeriders purrs along rather than zips, but its stellar cast ensures a smooth ride as Jeff Nichols offers some insights into the highs and lows of a legendary motorcycle gang.

Sisu keeps it simple as a smaller-focus WWII epic that loves killing Nazis as much as we love watching them die in over-the-top ways.

Many smaller details also hit home, and though it certainly is exaggerated all over the place, the film is dead on and plays even better now than in '92.

Ultimately, A Shot in the Dark is not superior to The Pink Panther, as many have suggested, but a somewhat predictably derivative sequel that maintains its predecessor's form but not substance.

Dev Patel’s diehard sincerity clashes with unwieldy religious imagery in an India-set revenge saga whose tepid action scenes fail to make up for its muddled politics.

In what could be the one of the best opening movie scenes I've ever seen, for example, Kermit, Fozzie and Gonzo hover next to the opening credits in a hot air balloon, wondering how soon they will finish.

Boasting some of the most creative action scenes and finely-calibrated comedy in the Marvel universe so far, Ant-Man and The Wasp doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it certainly knows how to make the ride even more fun.

French creature feature Infested delivers the creepy-crawly kicks promised by its title, although its human elements don’t really go anywhere.

Despite a bit of an imbalance between its first and third acts, Nightmare Alley delivers a delightfully meaty neo-noir packed with solid performances from its impressive ensemble.

If there is one thing that I've learned from Stephen Spielberg, and George Lucas it's that the easiest way to win an audience is to employ an antagonist that everyone hates, like the Nazis, or Stormtroopers. Producers Richard Donner and Joel Silver take a lesson in the first sequel to Lethal Weapon and pit Gibson and Glover against fascist dimplomatically-immune South Africans.

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.

Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe brings the boys back for an intergalactic comedy with plenty of their trademark crude laughs.

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.

This belated sequel lacks the wit and charm of its predecessor, resulting in a po-faced action flick that has "straight-to-DVD" written all over it.

A decently made but unsurprising thriller.

Frank LaLoggia's 1988 film scared the living hell out of yours truly with its singular combination of hometown horrors and operatic tragedy.

Hellbender, a coming-of-age movie from a family that’s built their own indie horror house, is a captivating, smart, and delightfully witchy tale.

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.

The Ugly Stepsister’s torture-porn take on a classic fairy tale is told from a teenager’s point of view, but the grotesque elements are appropriate for gorehounds of all ages.

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.

From a distance, Materialists seems like a straightforward love-triangle rom com, but Celine Song transforms it into a meaningful, introspective drama about self-worth.

An effective debut feature from director Riley Keough, War Pony is a rare breed – a native story told by an outsider seeking to uplift the community rather than exploit it.

A new Wes Anderson movie is always an event, but the writer-director’s latest whirligig comedy, The Phoenician Scheme, might be his slightest in a couple decades.

Hook's Dante Basco and his brothers deliver an outrageous comedy about love & family in The Fabulous Filipino Brothers.

God’s Creatures explores generational family gender dynamics in an extremely slow-burn way, but it has plenty of rewards for patient viewers.

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

The Little Hours is an enjoyable comedy that wears a little too thin by the time it’s over.

McDowell is as good as ever here – this time playing Cornelius – while Kim Hunter is hugely sympathetic as Zira.

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.

IT may not be the best Stephen King movie (even though it comes impressively close), but it’s probably the MOST Stephen King movie.

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.

While Blockers treads some familiar territory in its sex pact escapades, and occasionally buckles under the weight of its escalating insanity, its fresh perspective and stellar casting ensure a coming-of-age comedy that adds something vital to the genre.

Green Book lacks the depth it aspires to, and only works on a very superficial level. Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali give exceptional performances but this message movie fumbles its message.

Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey already feels like a timeless treat. Though it's a little longer than it needs to be, Jingle Jangle is still filled with enticing visuals, holiday heart, and seasonal cheer. It instantly feels like a snug, fabled world ready to be explored.

Bodies Bodies Bodies’ great ensemble and delightfully chaotic script make for a tense and laugh-out-loud funny film.

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.

For true Ray Harryhausen fans, Jason and the Argonauts will remain one of his greatest feats. And if you bring yourself back to the era, you'll find a world of wonder yourself.

Thanks to a top-notch screenplay by Nicholas Stoller, Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie manages to be both a faithful adaptation of Dav Pilkey’s source material and a fun-filled animated adventure suitable for all ages.

Gremlins 2: The New Batch is a great meta horror-comedy. It focuses less on scares, but makes up for it with great effects, a hilarious story, and awesome supporting characters.

Tenet is not Christopher Nolan’s masterpiece, but it is another thrilling entry into his canon. In a world where blockbuster cinema is dominated by franchises and sequels, it serves as an accomplished demonstration of the pleasures of unconnected and non-serialised original storytelling. But while it does tread new ground, Tenet is the ‘safest’ film from Christopher Nolan in some years. Following two recent ambitious movies from the filmmaker, Tenet feels a little conservative, as if Nolan’s style is a franchise rather than a framework. Despite this, it remains more interesting than most other tentpole movies and acts as a beacon for the director’s strengths.

One Piece Film: Red completely understands and captures what’s so great about the series, with some catchy songs to boot.

Henry Selick returns to our screens with Wendell & Wild, a new stop-motion nightmare that brings an edgier and darker tone, more mature subjects, and even more laughs to the director's toolbox. Partnering with Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key, this is a feast for the eyes; a hilarious, spooky, empowering story; and a movie you'll want to add to your Halloween rotation.

Seven films & almost 30 years later, the franchise is still going strong with this worthy new addition, Cult of Chucky.

All in all, Finding 'Ohana is a superb entry into the annals of kid-fronted adventure. The familiarity of concept and character welcomes you into the cozy romp of it all but provides surprises and spectacle unique to its Hawaiian environment. There are laughs and thrills aplenty, spiked with a bit of pathos, but not so much to derail the fun.

With The Birth of a Nation, Nate Parker has shown himself to be a confident, extraordinary filmmaker. He not only gets good performances from his cast, but has created a film that seems sure of itself, one that knows when to lean into depicting hatred, when to lean into depicting love, and when to cut away; when the look on a face is more important than the blood on a back and when it isn't.

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

Spider-Man: Far From Home is great fun, filled with heart, humor and lots of cool stuff for fans to geek out over.

Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon sizzles like a heated cajun fairytale that tells humanity how it is, brimming with Amirpour's distinctly creative voice that keeps me coming back for more.

Blood Relatives is a warts-and-all brand of vampire indie that gets by with a bit of help from tremendous actor chemistry.

Teen Titans GO! to the Movies is bonkers in the best way - a gleefully weird, frequently witty ride that has no desire to take itself - or any other superhero movie - too seriously.

Idea Man is a lively if shallow journey into the mind of Muppet maestro Jim Henson.

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

A good cast and Collet-Serra’s energetic staging elevate the kind of straight-down-the-middle entertainment Hollywood has mostly, sadly stopped bankrolling. It’s not quite Die Hard, but close enough.

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.

At its worst, First Match is a gripping drama centered on the relationship between a teen and her estranged father. At its best, it’s an emotional ride with a soul. Its inevitable praise is a testament to the powerful performances therein.