Project Hail Mary is a rollicking sci-fi blockbuster celebrating how much we can accomplish when we work together… and how much meet-cute mileage you can get out of watching Ryan Gosling befriend a rock alien for two and a half hours.

It’s more than a creature feature, but never in a way that undercuts the main event: Some truly startling above-and-underwater sequences.

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.

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.

Predator: Killer of Killers definitely delivers on its premise. Its journey through several time periods is the perfect way to give us multiple Predator stories that each have their own distinct flavor and action highlights.

Good Fortune is a witty, warm, celestial comedy of errors that splendidly blends the wry world of the Frat Pack with the dopiness of Bill & Ted. It's got great performances -- including a devilishly angelic one from Keanu Reeves -- and offers a fresh, funny look at modern hardships.

The slapstick comedy works wonders, and stands in stark contrast to the endless pop culture-based animated comedies of the past 20 years. But it's the heart at the center of the movie – the dynamic between the dogs played by the likes of Adam DeVine, Idris Elba, Kathryn Hahn – that sells the story and makes this more than a one-joke movie.

KPop Demon Hunters is a stunning animated action musical with terrific fight sequences, catchy musical numbers, and an ample amount of harmony and heart.

The adaptation stumbles in its third act, but before that, Akimoto builds a killer video game-like time loop with striking imagery and a heartfelt depiction of loneliness. The action is tremendous, and the character of Rita provides an excellent viewpoint for watching an alien attack play out over and over again.

Those looking for a straight Hamlet adaptation or an action-oriented animé should look elsewhere; those looking for a fantastical, visually glorious story that reflects on the potential and pitfalls of humanity are in for a good time.

It might not be Oscar-caliber cinema, and hardcore fans of the game with encyclopedic knowledge of the game may have a bone to pick, but it’s big and loud and gruesome and not afraid to have fun. The bar for video game movie sequels isn’t very high, but this one not only clears the bar, it twirls it around like a bo staff.

No Other Choice is another great film from Park Chan-wook, featuring excellent performances and the auteur’s signature directorial acumen.

An intoxicating historical musical about faith, led by career-best work from Amanda Seyfried.

Eternity is a bizarre but heartfelt dramedy that balances a wacky vision of the afterlife with strong performances and direction.

Goat isn’t doing anything new story-wise, but it’s a fun and engaging underdog (or undergoat?) sports comedy that shines thanks to its wonderful production design and animation.

A gorgeously crafted tale of time travel, Arco fills two sci-fi futures with hope like if Miyazaki had made Interstellar.

Rife with great performances and disturbing imagery, The Carpenter’s Son transcends its trappings as a mere horror take on Christ and verges on challenging.

Sisu: Road to Revenge offers a ludicrous and punishing take on the same fantastic action-forward indulgence as the original, resulting in a sublime outcome. Writer-director Jalmari Helander's brand of excitement is loud, resilient, and pushes breakneck intensity to the maximum.

Obsession should and will put Barker on the map as a horror filmmaker you need to watch. Thanks to fantastic turns by Michael Johnston and Inde Navarrette, you'll be addicted to this sour Valentine's Day counterprogramming.

At its best, Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die is a laugh-filled yet incredibly dark and poignant fever dream that pleads for a safer AI tomorrow. Verbinski's command over utter chaos is nothing short of marvelous, even if the pacing slows while jumping between storylines that eventually all fit together.

Bollywood gangster saga Dhurandhar walks a fine line between raucous entertainment and hateful propaganda. With more blood and guts than a slaughterhouse, it’s one of the most viciously enthralling films this year, following a fictitious undercover operative influencing real historical events, like Forrest Gump with a Kalashnikov.

They Will Kill You is a modern action gem with a knockout leading performance by Zazie Beetz, who more than cements her status as a star of the genre we ought to see more of.

It's a melting pot of experiences from comical to romantic to thrilling to richly ruminative. Everything flows together gracefully in step through a delicate and beautiful dance that speaks to the ever-changing beast that is New York City.

Baltasar Kormákur delivers a compelling survival thriller with both Charlize Theron and Taron Egerton throwing themselves into their adversarial roles. Theron crafts a relatable and grounded performance bolstered with emotional sensitivity and physical prowess, while Taron Egerton proves his worth as a weirdly menacing antagonist. Immersively conceived and nerve-rackingly realized, Apex is a visually-commanding action film bursting with impressively dynamic stunt sequences.

Though mostly played straight, Faces of Death has a wicked sense of humor that’s used in a commendable manner. It’s not overplayed, but always lurking under the surface, and it provides some of that aforementioned twisted fun.

Wonder Woman is leaps and bounds above the other three entries in the DCEU. With a dramatic setting, a few entertaining action scenes, and a strong supporting cast all working together to tell an inspirational Hero’s Journey, it more than offsets some occasionally uneven acting on Gadot’s part and some shaky technical aspects.

The Greatest Showman is wildly entertaining even when it’s spectacularly false, which is a lot of the time. But everyone is enjoying themselves on-screen, so you might as well enjoy yourself too.

It may not be Coppola’s most thought-provoking or emotional outing to date, but it’s a chilling and stunningly well-made one nonetheless.

White Boy Rick is a well-acted but hurried true crime tale.

The Happytime Murders may not be a timeless classic on par with Roger Rabbit, but it’s more interesting and nuanced than its raunchy, violent humor suggests. The puppeteering is fantastic, the characters are interesting, and although the story isn’t ingenious the jokes are usually funny.

Melissa McCarthy gives one of her best performances in a surprisingly relatable story about a criminal misanthrope with a heart beating deep inside her.

Vice is a funny and vicious political commentary, revealing in clear, thrilling detail a man whom filmmaker Adam McKay considers one of the most insidious and dangerous political figures of the last fifty years. But that viciousness also makes Vice one-sided, even reductive.

Netflix's I Am Mother is an engaging sci-fi thriller-meets-coming of age drama, with three strong lead performances.

A fun exercise in giant monster madness that indulges in all the kaiju fights fans and even casual viewers could hope for. It looks amazing while also giving its human characters a chance to stay interesting amid all the battling beasties by providing them with some really cool tech -- and some great one-liners among the supporting players. Unfortunately, the film’s plot is needlessly confusing, and not all that smart at times, and the lead characters could’ve used a little more fleshing out.

While it feels like it could use a more nuanced antagonist and is hit or miss in the comedy realm, there’s a nice sense of closure here, too, which would make this a perfect and redemptive beat to end the story on – both for the characters and the franchise as a whole.

Atomic Blonde is one of the best action films of the year.

Despite the character’s trademark flippancy, there’s a real unexpected warmth to Deadpool 2. Not only does the sequel explore this flawed character, it firmly establishes him as a loveable and effective hero.

I, Tonya is a fairly conventional biopic of the scandalized sports star, but one buoyed by Margot Robbie's performance.

Unsane is a creepy little thriller, with a concept that could terrify just about anybody, and a plot that wobbles but ultimately stays on the rails. Claire Foy gives a standout performance and Steven Soderbergh’s intimate visual style sells the idea that we are watching something horribly sinister get revealed.

The respective performances of DiCaprio and Pitt and the film’s meticulous attention to period detail are all great and keep you invested in where this cruise around Tinseltown will ultimately take you.

Fighting With My Family delivers on comedy, action, and a sweet message of acceptance and strength at its core. It might be a bit too wrestling-heavy for some, but the strong cast, interesting real life story, and a magnetic lead mean this black sheep sports story is a feel-good flick with chops that might finally put WWE Studios on the map.

It may not be a great movie, but Timotheé Chalamet delivers a performance so vibrant that it almost rubs off on everything else, and he’s matched in every scene by Steve Carell, Maura Tierney and Amy Ryan.

Cold Pursuit is partly a great action thriller, and Liam Neeson is still kicking plenty of butt, but the film is mostly an intriguing, relaxing, totally tuckered-out character study of old men running out of the energy required to run a criminal enterprise. As thrillers go, this one is more adult than your average.

The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then The Bigfoot lays all its cards on the table up front, but then still manages to never quite be what you expect it to be. It juggles a lot of ostensibly ridiculous ideas, but they all land just right because the film's deliciously dour tone, that sort of snuggles everything within the warm embrace of Sam Elliott's ruggedness and regret.

Netflix’s The Dirt won’t win any awards nor will it inspire any would-be musicians, but it is entertaining and offers up a compelling story about Mötley Crüe. And while it isn’t a completely accurate depiction of the band’s tumultuous career, the film itself is insightful.

In the end this is arguably Jarmusch's first popcorn movie and it's a pretty good one at that.

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

A goofy, kitschy- but- fun romp and the most purely entertaining of the three Thor movies, marked by its distinctive designs, ‘80s synth score, and assemblage of spirited characters. It’s carried by the excellent chemistry between Thor, Hulk, and Valkyrie, who give humanity to a visual effects-heavy spectacle that finally makes good on Thor’s title of God of Thunder.

Mission: Impossible - Fallout is a fun but very familiar entry in the long-running franchise.

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.

My Hero Academia: Two Heroes is an entertaining but inconsequential feature film take on the popular anime.

Crawl is a fun albeit familiar human vs. beast movie, one that gets plenty of mileage out of its setting and people’s deep-set fear of being eaten.

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

Idris Elba’s directorial debut is an atmospheric and catchy DJ Noir about criminals who’d rather spin vinyl than sell cocaine, and it’s an impressive first film, only held back by the conventions in the plot. But it’s the details of Yardie’s world that make it worth visiting.

Set It Up is as formulaic as they come. That fact alone isn’t enough to avoid it on Netflix though. Most fans of this genre know what they are getting into, easily enjoying the charming displays of friendship, the few silly moments, and predictable ending.

This is an entertaining game of tension and gore with a strong funny bone, all in a well-wrapped package clearly designed with surprising thought and artistic effort with a star-making performance for Samara Weaving.

The LEGO Movie 2 isn’t quite as funny or as brilliantly executed as the original, but it’s an ambitious, likable sequel. Kids will enjoy it and adults will appreciate that the filmmakers took it seriously, and tried to say something meaningful. Just don’t think about it too much, because the LEGO universe is often weird and confusing.

The fact that V/H/S Viral frequently substitutes laughs for scares means that the film will disappoint hardcore fright fans. But if you like your horror mixed with laughs, this anthology threequel is a blast.

While The LEGO Ninjago Movie does venture into overly cliched and cheesy territory at times, the performances of its actors and excited attitude of the material keep it from ever going stale.

The glee that director James Wan clearly has playing in the world of Aquaman is infectious. He’s made a movie for both types of 10-year-olds: literal kids and those who are 10 at heart. Aquaman is one hell of a popcorn movie.

Featuring one of Tom Cruise's best performances in recent years, American Made is a darkly funny, dizzying crime film that nevertheless ultimately feels inconsequential and overly familiar.

Everything in Ready Player One ties together into an action-packed, upbeat, hero’s journey that keeps the film moving along at a thrilling pace. While it’s not particularly emotional and I was disappointed by how many questions are left open by its shallow visits to the real world, it’s still a lot of fun.

Call Me By Your Name is a romanticized coming of age film, for better and worse. It’s a lovely place to visit but not particularly absorbing as a narrative, even though Armie Hammer gives an impressive performance.

Goodbye Christopher Robin is a good example of how far a film can go with just the talents of its actors and director, even when the script can feel jarring or emotionally uneven.

Annihilation isn’t always as consistently well-executed or involving as it might have been, and it’s told in a manner that robs the story of some much needed life-or-death suspense, but overall it’s a bold undertaking that doesn’t play it safe and features some strong performances.

While not exactly transcending the familiarity of its very predictable genre, The Ritual is a spooky, shadowy horror film with good character work, an excellent mood, some provocative themes, excellent lighting, and a scary... thing... that horror fans will love.

With a sensitive ear for the experiences of its friendly subject, and nothing but sympathy for what he says, Love and Saucers paints a fascinating portrait of a talented and unique person.

While it may be light on logic and effects, it’s still a lovely story about being yourself, no matter what anyone thinks.

Terminal is an interesting revenge story that mostly works. There are a few missteps, namely a few wasted characters and a straight forward plot made needlessly complicated. Still, Vaughn Stein should be pleased with what’s here.

Sweet and sincere, Pokémon The Movie: The Power of Us is a light and fun adventure film filled with likable characters, fantastic creatures, and enough classic Pokémon to make the most die hard of fans happy.

The Front Runner is too afraid to take a side in its central debate, but a strong ensemble cast and interesting ideas about accountability and newsworthiness make this a timely and thought-provoking film.

Peter Jackson's technical ambitions sometimes muddy his otherwise moving WWI documentary They Shall Not Grow Old.

It's Sandra Bullock and the ensemble that heap some heft into this standard scorched Earth story.

Annabelle Comes Home offers more humor in addition to the supernatural terror the Conjuring franchise is known for.

The film's a fun and humble horror offering set among the world of pretension and status.

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 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.

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.

Ultimately, Lupin III: The First plays it safe. While the film adds a new visual kick, there’s not a whole lot in the way of storytelling innovation. But maybe we don’t need it.

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

Covenant’s framework and exciting action put enough new spins on the series’ most reliable touchstones that the cast is able to carry it through to a satisfying end.

The Meg is a big, dumb shark movie that takes itself a little too seriously, and that’s the point. Jason Statham is perfect for the material, the shark attacks are entertainingly broad, and the supporting cast brings personality to the otherwise straightforward script.

Bohemian Rhapsody is fun but entirely superficial, playing it safe rather than trying to be as bold or brazen as its larger-than-life subject. It ultimately relies on the magnetism of Rami Malek’s portrayal of Freddie Mercury and Queen’s bombastic, beloved music to make up for its narrative shortcomings and by-the-numbers direction.

If you like weird, boundary-pushing, and unexpected movies that divide audiences you'll probably love The Perfection.

Sicario: Day of the Soldado is a darkly thrilling film with excellent performances, and its gritty, intense action is balanced by heady themes of moral decay, but overall, because of recent political developments, it feels behind the times.

Breaking In is a clever twist not the home invasion genre, with a dynamic lead performance by Gabrielle Union as a mother protecting her family. It’s a crowd-pleasing thriller, good but never quite great, because the story collapses under scrutiny. The film is trying to be clever and yet it relies on big, and obvious gaps in logic, but those flaws probably won't ruin the experience.

Triple Frontier features a cool cast and a gruesome story about greed, but it fails to capitalize on its own premise.

It’s a stylish and amusing thriller, but a hollow one, with mostly broad-stroke characters populating an otherwise ultra-detailed fictional criminal underworld. Fans of crime movies like John Wick will be entertained by the big ideas and backstories, but they probably won’t form the kind of connection they have to other, better films of its ilk.

Brightburn doesn't take its satire to any kind of satisfying extreme – although a mid-credits stinger does include a larger joke at work – but as a superhero murder thriller, it is perfectly entertaining.

Danielle Harris deserves a lot of credit for her work in Halloween 4. It's hard to find truly believable child actors in general, and in the realm of a film like this, it's easy to expect the worst, yet she is very credible and relatable and took an idea that probably had some fans cringing -- a little girl as the hero of a Halloween sequel! -- and made it work.

It's a strange, hypnotic, completely fresh vision, not of the future per se, but into Terry Gilliam's own mind.

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.

The big problem with this movie is its length. And the story it tells was really better suited for an episode of the series.

This should be effective in introducing the world of Uncharted to people who are meeting Nate and friends for the first time, although the changes it makes can be inexplicable and jarring to those of us who’ve spent many games with these characters.

It’s messy and flawed but it still offers enough entertainment value (mostly thanks to its likable characters) to make it worthwhile.

Though the visual effects aren’t always the best and the third act is a bit overwhelming, strong performances and a refreshing earnestness keep The Flash on track and running circles around many of the recent DC Universe movies. If this is the truly last stop on the Snyderverse express, then it’s a respectable way to go out.

Solo may not really develop its title character or justify why it needed to exist, but it still delivers a fun time.

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle brings audiences back to its classic fictional world with a fun, updated new twist on its well-worn story. So even if some of its subplots and emotional throughlines don’t quite click, the action-packed fun and humor should still make it worth your price of admission.