Ronan Day-Lewis makes a superb debut with this expressively shot and scored tale of familial reconciliation. The cast, led by the great Daniel Day-Lewis, is uniformly spectacular.

“Fire and Ash“reaffirms Cameron as one of our greatest storytellers and the Avatar series as the pinnacle of Hollywood blockbuster entertainment.

The writing is original, rich, and effective, ramping up tension until it reaches a graphic, brutal crescendo in the third act.

Wasteman might be one of the bigger surprises this year at the Toronto International Film Festival and certainly one to keep your eyes on.

John Early's unique sensibility bursts onto the big screen with huge laughs in this loving recreation of '80s-'90s Lifetime movies that's just as heartfelt as it is hilarious.

This is a powerful, well-made, urgently topical thriller that should put writer-director John Swab firmly on the map.

Leading with sincerity, Hikari makes a moving love letter to the people and places of Tokyo. Brendan Fraser performs with his heart on his sleeve, which lends perfectly to the film’s concept.

Stephanie Ahn offers an evocative portrait of the immigrant experience, moving beyond surface observation to investigate the visceral, internal world of children raised in the crosshairs of cultural expectation and personal identity.

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.

Whether you attended those shows, had your own musical taste shaped by those that took the stage, or are simply interested in a more detailed look at this impactful period of popular music history, Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery provides an excellent guide to this most epic of traveling shows.

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

Either you’re able to get on Fuller’s wavelength or not, but the freshness and boldness of Dust Bunny are cause for celebration, regardless of which side you find yourself. There’s nothing else like it.

This is an entertaining and emotionally engaging mix of music and song that will play well to both die-hard fans and newcomers alike, with Bono proving charming company throughout the film’s 87 minute running time.

Predators emerges as both a deeply unsettling reflection on a cultural moment and a probing look at how quickly compassion can erode when entertainment takes precedence over humanity. Stirring and provocative, it is not only one of the year’s most fascinating documentaries but also a career highlight for Dave Osit.

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.

This is a powerfully intense erotic drama that exposes its central character’s exploitation of both the wealth gap and the age gap to devastating effect. Here’s hoping Chastain’s collaboration with Franco continues because they are doing exceptional work together.

You don’t watch a movie like this for character or dialogue, you watch it to see fierce, strong young women twirl, kick, and stab their way through a pack of mobsters to the sound of Tchaikovsky. On that front, Pretty Lethal delivers. Brava, ladies!

Falconer deftly captures the pain and worry present in such a conundrum. But through her beautiful ode to Green Lake, she reminds her audience and characters that it will be okay.

Dylan O’Brien delivers a career-best performance, and James Sweeney shows both a deft hand and great talent behind the camera as director.

While it’s impossible not to be moved by Holding Liat, Kramer also challenges his audience to consider the situation in Gaza carefully and really question what is best for the region going forward.

Staggering animation, jaw-dropping fights, and sensitively-handled subtext that makes these scraps meaningful. Some of the best Japanese voice acting in anime this year.

This is a film that’s as concerned with lofty ideas of existentialism as it is with the simply mundane observations of daily beauty. That both co-exist through the lens of Amélie makes this a timeless and essential tale about growing up and learning what it means to live to the fullest.

At its best, Blue Heron soars, creating the world of Sasha’s family in impressively precise ways and allowing the underlying questions to linger without succumbing to simplistic answers or pat moments for cathartic release.

For purists, this approach may be considered sacrilegious. For others, it will be exhilarating. There is no denying that Wuthering Heights will inspire fierce debate. But there is also no denying its craft, ambition, and emotional conviction.

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.

Through puppets, recreations, and other hybrid material, León & Cociña have produced an otherworldly, and thought-provoking cultural artifact on Chile's nationalist history.

This quietly moving documentary takes a hands-off approach, which allows audiences to organically meet the film on its level. This method lets the farmers subtly present the central conflict that’s most affecting their lives and livelihoods. The gorgeous black-and-white photography gives the film an appropriate sense of timelessness.

Disney producing a beautifully animated film full of cute anthropomorphic animals may not be much of a surprise, but the quality of the screenplay is.