The Blackening is a flat-out satire from frame #1, and there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s a breath of fresh air in what has become a very stale multiplex atmosphere.

Although the film provides material for adult viewers to chew on, it is not as deep or thoughtful as some of the Pixar classics.

Despite a too-long running time of 144 minutes (the entirety of which much be endured to get to the post-credits scene), the story feels slight. There’s a strong emotional hook but it doesn’t fully compensate for all the half-baked story elements that litter the film.

This is cheap-looking, ugly filmmaking. It goes without saying that the story is nonsensical. The characters have the depth of crepe paper. But perhaps what’s most surprising is that the endless CGI hasn’t gotten a noticeable upgrade since 2017’s Transformers: The Last Knight. Modern video games look better.

Those looking for a quick horror fix may be satisfied – there are enough jump-scares to fill a quota – but, when one considers the number of inventive and interesting genre titles that have graced multiplex screens in recent years, this a disappointing exception.

Co-writers Phil Lord & Christopher Miller bring their trademarked unconventional approach to the story and that helps the movie stand-out in what is quickly becoming a wasteland of superhero sameness. But it’s tough to call Across the Spider-Verse “great” without seeing whether the final chapter sticks the landing or falls on its sword.

This is sit-com level material and, as such, there’s not much new or interesting that De Niro can bring to the proceedings.

Kandahar is one of those movies that exists without having a compelling reason for doing do. As a war movie, it’s not especially insightful or gut-wrenching. As an action film, it lacks energy, momentum, and consistency. As a drama, it feels artificial and manipulative.

For a story like this, there’s something about a purely animated approach that can’t be replicated in a live-action repetition. Nevertheless, as an alternate telling with a more mature point-of-view and a greater focus on narrative over music, Rob Marshall’s The Little Mermaid leaves its mark and Halle Bailey’s Ariel can stand alongside Jodi Benson’s.

In Fast X, there's plenty of noise and CGI (some of it on the dodgy, cheap-looking side) and things crashing and blowing up, but there's never a sense that it means anything.

Affleck is at his best playing wisecracking supporting roles (like in the recent Air, which Affleck also directed) and at his worst as an action hero. He sleepwalks his way through Hypnotic, doing little to rouse the audience from its own slumber while failing to generate any sparks with his co-star, Alice Braga.

While some of the darker threads in the movie are welcome – Guardians was in danger of becoming overtly jokey – it suffers from many of the same problems that have dogged the latest round of comic book movies: a too-long running time, not enough genuine excitement, a generic villain, and a weak ending that doesn’t justify all the build-up.

The movie highlights how little things can become big issues within the preteen bubble and draws the audience into a communion with the characters and their circumstances. Although the target audience is unquestionably mothers and daughters, Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret has things to say to viewers of all genders and ages.

Sisu is one of those unheralded films that comes seemingly out of nowhere to grab the adventurous movie-goer by the throat. For a perfectly-pitched 90 minutes, it glories in the excesses of gore and violence with an exuberance rarely experienced this side of Quentin Tarantino.

Guy Ritchie’s name not withstanding, there’s little here with strong mass appeal – not enough mind-numbing action; too much dwelling on a recent, tragic, failed war; and a muted catharsis. It’s also one of the best things Ritchie has done since his early years (only Lock, Stock is unequivocally better) and deserves a viewing when MGM brings it to streaming.

At any rate, Lee Cronin’s Evil Dead Rise take on the Deadite universe is better than Alvarez’s but remains considerably below that of Sam Raimi, who helmed the original trilogy.

Cage’s performance provides the glue for an uneven film.

A comedy without a single funny joke, Mafia Mamma will likely go down as one of the year’s worst theatrical releases.

By sticking so close to the look and feel of the source material, The Super Mario Bros Movie comes across as something more desirous of being played than watched. I could see this adventure being great fun if approached with game controller in hand. Sitting in a movie theater, however, I found myself wanting more, as if I was only getting part of the experience.

There’s nothing in Paint to excite fans of the late painter and even less for those who don’t know anything about him.

Air feels less like an Oscar contender (hence the April release) than something designed to provide a solid two hours of nostalgic entertainment. It features strong acting and a well-written screenplay and the tone is kept on the light side.

Although narrative aspects of A Good Person occasionally veer into areas that are either cliched or artificial, many individual scenes are effective (at times powerful).

It's hard to imagine a D&D-branded movie doing a better job than this one of bringing the game to a cinematic platform.

John Wick Chapter 4 has its high points, including a well-earned ending, but it’s characterized by an exhaustive repetitiveness that diminishes what was so good and unique about the first two installments of the series. The time has come to put John Wick to rest.

Taken as a whole, the second Shazam! is an overlong mess with an awful ending that feels like it was assembled as a result of reading focus group responses.

By keeping its goals limited, it’s able to deliver what it promises, and that stands for something. I’ll admit I was more entertained by this high-concept sci-fi adventure than half the films I have seen thus far in 2023.

Scream VI offers two hours of fan service while serving up enough gore to appeal to many generic slasher/horror movie aficionados, but there’s not much beyond that.

Unfortunately, the lukewarm spy thriller offers a convoluted, meandering storyline that’s almost entirely devoid of tension and suspense. There’s less action than one might expect and the character development is so thin that even when a character is in danger, it’s hard to care.

In short, by delivering the expected and doing so with style and intensity, it lands in the top tier of the nine Rocky universe movies, although falling short by a few titles from the pinnacle.

Cocaine Bear is imperfect. By traditional cinematic standards, it’s probably not very good. But it is fun and won’t disappoint many who are titillated by the title.

Jesus Revolution takes a fascinating period of American history – the hippie movement and its associated fallout within the Christian community – and transforms it into a bland, TV movie-of-the-week experience.

For this homage, Emily, actor-turned-director Frances O’Connor uses speculation and outright fiction to fill in the threadbare historical tapestry. The result, although impressively mounted and passably entertaining, has the generic feel of many woman-centered 19th century period pieces.

Quantumania is the best of the three Ant-Man movies, outshining the previous installment by a good bit and even edging out the first one. It can be amusing when appropriate and serious when necessary and maintains a high level of energy to go along with its eccentricity. For all its epic aspirations, however, it feels slight.

The movie doesn’t exactly do Philip Marlowe a disservice but neither does it successfully re-invent the character for a new era and its attendant audience.

The actors may not have perfect chemistry but they are as likable as they’ve ever been and it’s not a chore to spend 110 minutes with them even though one can’t help but wish the fantasy is better realized and the ending doesn’t feel rushed and unearned.

Magic Mike’s Last Dance is one of Soderbergh’s most notable misfires and, although one can justifiably argue that sub-par Soderbergh is as good as a solid effort by many other directors, that doesn’t change the end result: there’s something unsatisfying about this motion picture.

Although there are occasions when individual set pieces are effective (such as a short bit involving a locked bathroom door), the film as a whole seems more like a series of missed opportunities than a “return to form” for director M. Night Shyamalan, who continues to trade on a name he made two decades ago.

Like Possessor, Infinity Pool is challenging and eclectic but it’s not one of those pretentious movies that’s weird for weirdness’ sake. The film piques the intellect and feeds the bloodlust while offering an experience that only a Cronenberg can deliver.

Missing works well enough as a popcorn flick that doesn’t demand much in the way of concentration. That makes it a solid throw-way that offers a couple hours of forgettable entertainment.

With a less probing screenplay and an amplification of the manipulative elements, Broker could have been a generic melodrama. However, Kore-eda strives for something more thought-provoking.

Written without much concern for logic and coherence, the movie wavers between being a drama and a thriller and, as is too often the case in situations like these, doesn’t work as either.

The movie offers limited entertainment for those who enjoy this sort of fare but it’s impossible to recommend as anything more than a throw-away at-home selection when all the better streaming titles have been watched.

Although very little of what appears on screen could be classified as original (most of the issues have been addressed ad nauseum in science fiction since the days of pulp magazines), the modern spin is commendable even if the script could have used considerable tightening up.

The movie does everything LARGE, whether it’s an action sequence or an emotional connection. By the time the 3-hour running time has expired, most viewers will be exhausted from the nonstop energy of the experience.

Although the level of manipulation is several notches higher than in the Swedish original, A Man Called Otto boasts fine performances from Tom Hanks and Mariana Trevino and offers the kind of crowd-pleasing arc that runs counter to the prevalent mood of worldwide cynicism.

A by-the-numbers, slightly fictionalized chronicle of the rise and fall of pop singer Whitney Houston (Naomie Ackie), the film struggles to find a reason to exist beyond providing fans with an opportunity to listen to some of her most popular songs.

Without offering more than dialogue, Women Talking has difficulty sustaining itself for 104 minutes.

Living offers restrained optimism leavened with enough cynicism to win over those who might be less enamored of something more artificial. It’s one of the year’s best films.

Babylon is uneven, to be sure, but any missteps are more than compensated for by the exultation derived from the moments of frenetic exuberance that have become Chazelle’s bread-and-butter since he exploded on the scene with Whiplash and took La La Land to the brink of an Oscar victory.

There’s an energy here that has been sadly absent from too many recent Hollywood blockbusters. For 2022, The Way of Water may not be the most intricately made or intellectually rigorous motion picture, but it exemplifies what “cinematic” means today.

Although the 1940 landmark may work better as pure family fare, this slightly more mature film (which is by no means child-unfriendly) is artistically and narratively superior.

Empire of Light offers an appetizer of nostalgia for those who remember theaters during the early 1980s but the main course isn’t the easiest to digest, despite several strong performances.

The cynic in me believes this movie may have been constructed primarily for end-of-the-year plaudits because there doesn’t seem to be another compelling reason for it to exist.

Violent Night isn’t going to go down as a classic (although it may have cult classic potential) but, despite all the gore and violence and other R-rated material, it’s arguably less offensive than the kind of bilge proliferated by Netflix and Lifetime/Hallmark/etc. in the name of Holiday Cheer. There are certainly worse ways to spend a chilly December evening.

It’s crisply paced and, although there are times when Lady Chatterley’s Lover seems like little more than an intellectually-approved bodice-ripper, it’s an impressively mounted production that looks good and is emotionally true to the characters and their era.

This is one of those grim movies that requires viewers to endure the experience; however, instead of providing a worthwhile payoff, it never varies from the expected trajectory and leaves the viewer as cold at the end as the emotional temperature of the key relationships.

Glass Onion is a late year present from a director who rarely disappoints.

The problem with Bones and All isn’t that it’s disgusting or shocking or transgressive; it’s that it’s a tedious slog.

The Fabelmans isn’t likely to go down as “Great Spielberg” or even “Very Good Spielberg” but it’s a warm, enjoyable plunge into the 1950s and 1960s.

Although not on the same high level as certain other chronicles of investigative journalism – All the Presidents Men (Watergate), Spotlight (Catholic Church sex scandals), and The Post (the Pentagon Papers) – She Said nevertheless offers many of the same qualities that made those earlier movies both compelling and memorable.

A dark satire that skewers privilege and eviscerates the famous, the wealthy, and professional critics (gulp), this film from prolific TV director Mark Mylod takes no prisoners.

n the one hand, The Wonder is a fascinating examination of the war between the sacred and the scientific. On the other hand, despite its strong sense of atmosphere and an intense performance by lead actress Florence Pugh, it’s strangely uninvolving.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is an overlong blockbuster in search of an editor. It’s a series of impressive action sequences without a compelling narrative to connect them. It’s a frustrating example of how financial success, not creative impetus, drives the existence of sequels, and it illustrates how unwieldy, contradictory, and overstuffed the MCU has become.

Movie-going isn’t a civics assignment but Till is a sufficiently powerful motion picture that it offers more than a history lesson.

It’s not that there’s anything fundamentally wrong with the film. Some of the individual moments are impactful or effective at evoking nostalgia. But, as they say, the whole is less than the sum of the parts. It feels like a watered-down replica of other, better coming-of-age stories.

Tar isn’t based on a true story but it possesses an emotional and intellectual honesty that makes it seem more real than countless made-for-mass-consumption biopics.

In a streaming series spread out over four or six hours, this might have offered compelling content (and certainly would have seemed less rushed) but, in its current format, it’s more frustrating than satisfying and the facile ending doesn’t hit the right spot.

Although this features high wattage stars, it represents a curiously anachronistic attempt at escapist fare.

Black Adam embraces many of the worst elements and tropes of the superhero genre, resulting in a loud, discordant experience replete with fist-fights, pyrotechnics, and an overdose of CGI.

The tapestry is large enough for the big screen and the overall experience will reward the movie-goer far more than something slick and superficial like Don’t Worry Darling.

Editing is increasingly a lost art and there are times when Triangle of Sadness might have been more effective had it been presented with greater economy. Stylistically, however, that’s Ostlund. We’ve seen it before and doubtlessly we’ll see it again. There’s enough here to make it worth enduring the length.

Although Halloween Ends is a better-than-serviceable slasher film, its old-school approach to horror might feel dated in comparison to the flow of new, more intricately plotted films in Hollywood’s post-pandemic pipeline.

With its whiplash-inducing tonal inconsistencies and sloppily assembled narrative, Amsterdam often feels like a pastiche of (take your pick) Monty Python, The Coen Brothers, or Wes Anderson grafted onto a crime caper/espionage thriller with a strong allegorical message about fascism.

Smile represents the latest in an impressive roster of horror films that have pushed the envelope, daring to go where most cookie-cutter fright-fests of the past decade have avoided treading. This is a dark, uncompromising movie that explores serious subjects like trauma and suicide.

The director may be able to make a compelling case for why he made Blonde the way he did but I can make an equally compelling case for why only a masochist would want to sit through the whole thing.

The pacing is too leisurely and, although Ungar is invested in telling Galvan’s story and fleshing out the man behind the dubious legend, there are times when it feels like he’s bypassing a more intense rendition of the same basic story. Bandit offers more of a diversion than an experience.

Although there are a number of problems with the production, the most glaring is the screenplay. The flaws of the final act are so flagrant that nothing short of a rewrite would have solved them.

Many of the characters might have longer, more fully fleshed-out arcs. But what Prince-Bythewood provides is more than enough for a rousing motion picture filled with well-choreographed battle scenes effectively folded into stories of human interest.

In terms of humor, See How They Run is more amusing than outrageous. Outside of the few instances of slapstick and physical comedy, it is designed to generate smiles (rather than provoke belly laughs). The script is clever and silly at the same time. (That may seem contradictory but it’s not.)

It’s experimental without being off-putting and it uses its 100 minutes to build out a character who was frustratingly incomplete in X.

Smith has infused this final chapter of the accidental trilogy with an odd tone. It’s a comedy that wants to be serious but has trouble finding the right pitch.

For roughly two-thirds of its 100-minute running length, Barbarian is a top-notch excursion into the dark, twisty tunnels and catacombs of a mystery-cum-monster movie.

True Things is solidly made but there’s just not enough substance underlining the characters or their story for it to be memorable.

The movie is at times funny, at times blistering, and at times insightful, but it lacks consistency, thereby arguing that perhaps the short film that provided its basis offered a better length.

Samaritan isn’t terrible but neither is it especially good. It’s a B-grade comic book movie that looks, sounds, and plays like a B-grade comic book movie.

It’s an elegant and highly unexpected offering from George Miller that allows him to step away from the Mad Max universe if only for one interlude.

The film is unquestionably more accessible than Horse Girl, but for all of its parodic elements and unpredictability, it nevertheless feels unpolished and unfinished.

Older viewers may lose patience with the thinness of the narrative. Nostalgia might keep them watching but there’s only so far that can go and 90 minutes is too much to ask without the correspondingly intriguing story that Summering lacks.

In terms of the balance between narrative, mystery, and razor-sharp dialogue, I was reminded of Knives Out. Very different films in some ways but not that different in their ability to engage, entertain, and not overstay their welcomes.

Forgettable? Yes. But good enough to provide a couple hours’ diversion.

There’s a time and a place for mayhem, and that’s essentially what Bullet Train is: two hours of fights, carnage, and witty repartee. Oh, it’s too long, to be sure – probably at least by 20 minutes. And its puzzle-like structure is too complicated for its own good. But, taken on its own terms, it’s fun and energetic as only this sort of film can be.

At under an hour, it could have been creepy and unsettling enough to work without being weighed down by narrative issues. At over 100 minutes, it feels too long and there’s a law of diminishing returns in effect. Once we recognize the underlying dynamic, the movie becomes less of a story and more of an acting/directorial exercise.

This Blumhouse production marries fish-out-of-water elements with some philosophical musings and offbeat characters that might remind viewers of (Robert) Altman lite. The ending feels a little forced, as if the filmmakers felt that not providing some kind of punch might disappoint viewers, but there are enough little pleasures along the way to more than compensate.

It might be fair to argue that Shephard overreaches with Not Okay, but there’s something bracing and fresh about throwing caution to the wind the way she does. The movie doesn’t have the bland, cookie-cutter feel of so many of the other productions that comment on the evils of the Internet.

It’s an entertaining enough movie and the sound design and visual palette make a strong case for theatrical viewing (over the phone/tablet/TV alternative) but the elliptical narrative may frustrate some viewers and the lack of an epic scope make this a most atypical would-be blockbuster. Still, Peele’s name recognition is strong and the less-is-more style of the trailer has created a level of buzz. Those who see Nope might not get exactly what they’re expecting but they may enjoy it anyway.

The Gray Man is part of an unflattering pattern where creativity plays second fiddle to algorithms.

Whether it’s the screenplay, the direction, or the acting, Art of Love never ascends to the level that would make it more of an experience than a way to pass a couple of hours.

Where the Crawdads Sing is not without flaws but it draws the viewer into its specific time and place and offers an engaging two-hour escape into the life of a memorable individual.