Seydoux’s gut-wrenching performance at the center of Gentle Monster, combined with a sensitive approach to horrifying subject matter, makes a tough watch equally compelling.

It’s a heartwarming film about queer nightlife, fatherhood, self-worth, and growing up long after society says you should have already done so. More than anything, it understands that redemption isn’t about becoming perfect. Sometimes it’s simply about finally permitting yourself to change, one step at a time.

All of a Sudden is a two-pronged attack on the head and the heart, rewarding viewers for their patience and attention by leaving them emotionally and intellectually affected in a way that will last long after the credits end.

The Balloonists is a wild ride, and a captivating journey through this world of adventure. It’s also a deeply human story, one where hubris and courage mix like the gasses aboard the vessel, sometimes making things rise to implausible heights, sometimes crashing to the ground.

With Drucker single-handedly carrying the film’s emotional core on her shoulders, any minor quibbles instantly melt into afterthoughts, while her exquisite work remains at the forefront.

It’s easy to feel left behind by the film’s intentions. But no matter viewers’ specific level of interpretation, what Schoenbrun does with the slasher genre, using it as a springboard to explore ideas that clearly resonate with them, is compellingly intelligent and consistently fascinating.

The final notes are disappointingly underwhelming, but the emotional journey leaves a lasting impression.

Koji Fukada’s lovely film offers up unobtrusive but valuable lessons on the importance of accepting one’s reality while not shying away from reaching for what’s desired.

Each and every artistic element works in lockstep to create another exquisite Pawlikowski film.

The film’s adherence to these genre cliches, along with the characters’ very one-note motivations, holds “LifeHack“ back from reaching the tier of excellent heist films and, more importantly, settles for the best that a screenlife film can be.

The whimsical tone becomes repetitive at times, and the recurring flashbacks to Antoine’s relationship with Irene often slows the film’s narrative momentum. Additionally, the film nearly collapses under the weight of its lofty ambitions in the final act, only to dodge a potentially disastrous conclusion. However, the believability of Antoine and Suzanne’s shared journey holds firm.

Joker: Folie à Deux does many things right to deliver a fresh and unique sequel to the dark story of Arthur Fleck.

Without a doubt, The Furious is not only the best action film of the year so far, but the best action onscreen since maybe since John Wick 4.

Though the documentary remains fairly light overall, its brief reflections on grief land with genuine poignancy.

Is God Is has an infectious, rambunctious energy that wraps you up in the drama and sweeps you along with every wave of emotion. Thanks to the fun that Harris injects throughout, whether it’s a moment of sisterly bonding or a moment of visual flair, it’s a bold, brutal blast, and one of the best debuts of the year. At the very least, it announces Aleshea Harris as a major new voice in cinema.

This isn’t just some quirky look at an obscure American event and subculture or a love letter to the filmmaker’s home state; it’s a sly indictment of 21st-century America, wrapped up in what looks like a trashy thrill ride. It is pretty thrilling, to be sure, but much like how our intrepid hunters learn that the hunt is much more driving around in the dark than stalking and killing snakes, it’s not what you expect. For both the hunters and the audience, that’s for the best.

The School Duel is, at its core, a savage satire about a society so obsessed with its right to bear arms that it sacrifices its own children on the altar of nationalism. It dares to ask if patriotism has a limit and what happens when you blow past it. In doing so, Wiseman Jr. doesn’t just twist the narrative. He detonates it.

The film’s message is less about the remarkably bright creatures themselves, and more about the power of finding healing and solace in community. It’s a forgettable yet instantly re-watchable, feel-good story that tugs on your heartstrings and knows how to do it.

Billie Eilish Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour Live in 3D is the result of two very innovative artists joining forces to combine their artistry and create one of the greatest concert movies to date. It is the magic of music and film.

With a smart script that reclaims stigmatized narratives, they’ve made a thoughtful documentary that explores sex work through an imaginative and humanistic lens.

It may not always be easy to thoroughly enjoy a work like “Blue Film” because of its tough subject matter. Nobody wants to see an entirely sympathetic perspective of a person who has committed some of the most horrible deeds imaginable. But the strength of the film is not in seeking to answer those pure moral questions. It thrives in that gray area, contemplating the pain that leads people to the lives they end up creating for themselves.

It’s a tale as old as time, but the filmmaking basks in its luxurious style as the performances do their best to create captivating portraits of their own. There may not be too much distinctiveness from what’s on the page outside of the lack of talking, but sometimes words fail. Action is needed, and this has more than enough to satisfy.

This is a thoroughly enjoyable mixture of period drama, romance, and a coming-of-age story that’s extremely rewarding in its thoughtful central theme of the connection between past and future.

Lowery, clearly fascinated by the plight of the modern pop star, has made “Mother Mary” with both the fervor of a fan and the insight of a fellow artist. The questions the film asks about the identity of pop stars as well as the ownership of their music, their image, and their very souls don’t all have answers, and Lowery doesn’t provide them. He does, however, provide plenty of food for thought as he asks these questions, interrogating the relationship between artists and their audience and what each owes the other.

You, Me & Tuscany has all the right ingredients; the recipe’s just a little off. Throw in a little more spice and add some depth to the central romance, and the next time Page and Bailey do this together, they might just make a classic.

With a film called Fantasy Life, one might expect it to contain a romanticized version of reality, where the characters’ conflicts are magically solved, and their journeys are wrapped in a neat bow. Endearingly, Shear’s version is messier and far more grounded. While the characters live extremely privileged lifestyles and aren’t quite operating in the real world, the film simultaneously touches on the compelling subject matter of personal disillusionment and its impact on mental health struggles.

With a movie like The Serpent’s Skin, the accomplishments of the whole outweigh the nitpicks of its parts. The vibe is so, so right. Anyone looking for an empowering, forward-thinking, and trippy watch will feel right at home slipping into this movie’s, well, skin. It’s quite literally spellbinding.

Anya Taylor-Joy brings a dynamic playfulness and personality to her character. While Miles Teller doesn’t quite match Taylor-Joy’s level of screen presence, the two manage to create fun chemistry and make the most out of an unfocused concept.