It eludes classification, refusing to commit to being one thing and instead asking us to question our relationship with the world around us.

What's most fascinating about The Friend's House is Here is that it makes its protest heard through a story that remains adamantly vivacious for nearly its entire runtime.

The film is actress Regina King's directorial debut and it's a timely, wonderfully resplendent exploration of the men behind the renown, stripped of their titles while among friends and ready for the next stage in their lives.

Moonage Daydream doesn't really concern itself with David Bowie’s effect on the world; it lives and dies inside his own mind, and the decisions he made that impacted his art.

The animators bring this world to life with expert skill.

Baker's familiarity with the area gives Janet Planet a distinct sense of place and Baker an assured way with the camera, but there's also a universality to it and to the film's central pair that helps it transcend to something even more affecting.

The film is jam-packed with fun tidbits and celebrity cameos that will surprise a lot of Vandross' fans — the casual and the hardcore. Considering his level of fame, it’s strange we haven’t gotten a biopic or definitive piece of fiction with Vandross at the center, but Porter seems to have made the definitive Luther Vandross documentary and it's worth every minute of our time.

Masterfully written and directed, Saint Maud is a captivating, compelling, and disquieting horror film that is distinct and incredibly intense.

Along with a sharp sense of humor and compelling performances, Palm Springs delivers an absolutely charming rom-com with a fun sci-fi twist.

With a deliberate pacing that is aided by great performances and stellar cinematography, the movie does a phenomenal job at showcasing the human struggles that follow tragedy.

Thanks to phenomenal camera work and partnership with cinematographer Alejandro Mejía, In the Summers is elevated by an impressive experience both emotionally and visually.

The film feels unexpectedly mournful, bringing to life a time that does not exist anymore.

Driven by the emotional drama that is constantly bubbling to the surface, the film handles the unsettling feelings of its characters and tension-building with ease, leaving the audience with a complex, compelling story.

Despite a weaker final act, Night of the Kings is spectacular, enthralling, and gripping. It's nearly poetic in its execution and that alone makes it well worth the watch.

Savor Hit Man, however you come across it - it's not every day the movies entertain us in this way at this level of execution anymore.

Ghostlight bridges the gap between art and reality, blending a poignant narrative that aims to better understand a loved one and the expression of grief.

As strong as the movie can be when committed to the specificity of its characters and setting, it asks too many of the big, unanswerable questions at the heart of the human condition, and the further You Won't Be Alone reaches for the universal, the more chafing its grip on the viewer becomes.

For those with even a general interest in gaming and looking for a charming twist on the theater industry, Grand Theft Hamlet is still worth a watch.

Allen-Miller’s inventive feature debut suspends everything one may know about moving on too soon and getting over heartbreak. The creative world she conjures is vibrant and entertaining, leading to an experience that is humorous and immersive.

while the film may meander some, von Horn and Langebek’s script never loses sight of the story, offering something that is deeply bleak but also worth thinking about.

It’s an exemplary film that strikes an emotional and thoughtful chord.

Mielants’ film does a lot with little dialogue, setting the stage for something rich and thought-provoking.

It's dramatic storytelling with blockbuster-levels of energy, a triumph for Guadagnino, and a new all-time great sports movie where the games off the court are just as hot as they are on it.

An intense slow-burn, Pig is a beautiful meditation on the true meaning of loss, replete with vignettes drenched in humor, pathos, and violence.

The Holdovers won’t blow you away in any particular category of filmmaking, but in the capable hands of Payne, every one of these categories is above average, making the overall film equally enjoyable and well-made.

The film, comprised of over 20 stories, is a cry for help. A cry for humanity. A cry for justice.

Ultimately, Exhibiting Forgiveness is a movie that spoke to me on a deep level. It’s the type of transcendent experience that could make you confront your own demons and familial traumas you may not even have known existed.

You’ll Never Find Me is an excellent, audacious entry to the horror genre. It’s disconcerting and thrilling, with an emotional center and something to say. Allen and Bell confidently craft an effective story that will stay with you long after it’s over.

To put it in a kinder way, Little Amélie is a delicate testament to the power of solidarity and the ability of children to heal wounds across space and time.

It's a remarkably compelling film that is sure to stay in the hearts and minds of audiences for years to come.

While The Northman has a lot to offer and is quite beautiful and masterful in its execution, there is something missing. The film begins to meander a bit in the middle before getting back on track and the lack of additional character development — anything that would have given the film more depth — prevents The Northman from reaching its full potential.

While it's a very standard documentary in terms of style, and it's not brave enough to fully delve into race and gender, Deaf President Now! is never redundant and always urgent. It'll surely make your heart explode in happiness.

As a marriage of theme (the pace of modern life makes enemies of potential friends and renders everyone faceless) and technique, Duel is a compelling thriller that crystallizes Spielberg’s early promise and, as a result, is often seen as one of the best TV movies the medium has ever offered.

Because of its beautiful story about people simply living in 1980s Ireland, That They May Face the Rising Sun stands out as a perfect examination of the multifaceted nature of life.

Mass may not be an enjoyable experience, nor will it likely be remembered as a culturally significant film; yet, one leaves the movie with the overwhelming feeling that it is important viewing.

Wilson showed with his television series just how life-affirming it can be to just observe, and, with his triumph of a feature doc, he shows us how merely looking around can reveal entire histories.

From top to bottom, Brian just really works. It knows what game it's playing and does it with grounded honesty and the kind of blistering comedy that can only emanate from a truly genuine place.

There's a madcap, kinetic energy to Weapons that is wonderfully displayed in the preponderance of chase scenes in Weapons. We go under table legs and through shared bathrooms. It's like we're kids playing tag, and you don't want to be "it".

The film's final 30 minutes is simply phenomenal filmmaking, emphasizing Yamazaki’s ability to bring quality back to the franchise and showcase a stunning achievement of human storytelling.

At turns heartbreaking in its acuteness, at others exhilarating in its access to the dangers of pleasure, Djukić's is a rare kind of coming-of-age film. It is langorous in delivery, yet fast like lightning when it lands.

Perhaps one of the most provocative and strongest satires in recent memory, American Fiction contains wickedly smart writing, superb performances, and messaging so in-your-face that it could almost be easy to miss.

The Things You Kill may seem like a simple revenge drama, but it allows itself to be so much more through form and story.

With good pacing, writing, and a stellar cast, Barker has crafted a directorial horror debut that is deliciously dark, absurd, and eerie.

Memoir of a Snail never asks us or the narrative to compare the depth of sadness or experience. Every experience is treated with equal weight and importance. Even as we realize that Grace's life is becoming a string of misfortunes, it's impossible not to stick with her.

One of Dreams' strengths is that its dramatic devices pair well with its interests.

We are never not an integral part of this couple's evolving understanding of mortality, art, and partnership.

The writing, direction, and acting are spectacular. The score by Robert Ouyang Rusli is stirring and never ceases to amaze. Among 2023's film entries, Bruiser stands among the year's best so far.

Glass Onion: A Knives Out mystery is a strong and fulfilling sequel. It will leave fans wanting even more of the charismatic detective and the situations that bring him into the middle of enticing whodunits that put his mind to work. The cast, the writing, and the twists and turns the story takes will leave the audience intrigued right up until the very end.

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 1 isn't a perfect movie — there's one big fumble that's sure to be divisive — but it's damn near close.

There is nothing flashy about Davies' style and the found footage doesn’t feel obtuse; it feels imminent. The film sets out to execute a plan and does so without missing a beat. It is rare to extract so much emotion from a mostly technical achievement, but Benediction does just that.

Director Kaouther Ben Hania's The Voice of Hind Rajab is a shattering docu-film which utilizes a novel mix of real audio and footage with actors' reconstruction in a Herculean effort to make this profound loss even more immediate. Hers is a utilitarian mission: to embed the audience in the sensory experience of being in a war zone without letting them scroll past or swipe to the next video.

The Mitchells vs. the Machines is a charming blend of heartfelt family connection with a wildly fun action comedy twist in its robot apocalypse.

It doesn’t nail everything it set out to accomplish, but A Thousand and One is a breathtaking character study of perseverance in Black motherhood.

The magic of DaCosta's film is that it tells us that, regardless of who you are, what we're all searching for is the same thing: community, and a place to call home.

Despite its pitfalls, Wake Up Dead Man is still enjoyable. It has its charming moments, there’s a lot to think about in terms of the story, and the cast is good, if not great, overall. It’s just hard to watch the movie and realize the mystery and excitement have waned.

While Seyfried’s performance and Fastvold’s direction are almost without fault, there are several moments where the screenplay touches on some fascinating ideas but then never returns to them again.

While X could have dug a bit deeper into certain aspects of the story, the film’s twists, layered themes, and intriguing character dynamics blend together to make it one of the best horror films of the year so far.

Through the period and genre trappings of a 1970s heist film, Reichardt explores the inherent isolation of staying neutral at a time of ballooning cultural and political unrest.

Perfect Days is engrossing in its monotony and fascinating when something disrupts it, a portrait of a simple but beautiful existence that serves as a life-affirming reminder to value the little moments as much as we do the monumental ones.

Bolstered by fabulous performances by its lead cast, Passages delicately and intimately explores a love affair that goes awry because of one person’s decisions.

Xala fictionalizes the key years of post-independence in Africa. It is a story of choice: of the different paths Africa could take on its road to the future.

While the film isn’t overly ambitious or deep, it’s an energetic, occasionally thoughtful and honest film about the lack of honesty and its effects on relationships.

The Christophers trusts its two leads and their characters to guide the audience to its desired conclusion, and watching it unfurl is a rewarding experience.

With stunning performances and a stirring narrative, I found every departure this movie made from its inspiration completely worthwhile.

Everything about Barbie is crafted with both mass appeal and personal insight, much like the doll, resulting in a movie that knows how to please.

Strange Darling is an effectively disturbing movie, labeled as an erotic thriller, which visualizes some interesting themes even if it distracts from them.

Bonello posits that, even in fear, feeling is more important than forgetting, and every little death is a door to another future.

The doting relationship between the couple does some heavy lifting for the film and even in the third act (so conveniently announced by chapter cards that appear throughout Sleep), when things nearly go haywire, their believable bond papers over any horror movie lapses in logic. Yu is also wise enough to primarily put the focus on one half of the couple and Jung delivers.

It’s a film that is certainly a must-see, complex and emotionally devastating in its exploration of power and hierarchy.

This film may want to scare us, but it also strives to make us as observant and inquisitive as its heroine. We become active viewers, learning and making connections that fill the gaps left open in the worldbuilidng.

It is the type of film that asks for a deeper engagement than it is willing to offer, but Hadžihalilović may just be pulling us into her conception of image-making as a process of self-actualization. If that is the case, the film does well to break from Andersen's tragic tale for something a bit more existential.

Linoleum is filled with nostalgia — brought to life by the dreamlike, vivid cinematography by Ed Wu — and the overlapping of memories, the mind losing itself, and the fulfillment of a fantasy that feels incredibly out of reach. Not everything comes together so smoothly or cohesively, but the film is a solid effort nonetheless.

Mank is a wonderfully crafted and well-acted ode to a bygone era carried by Fincher's vision and Gary Oldman's standout performance.

Truly, all of Babygirl is fascinating to watch. There's such clear perspective in the filmmaking, and even though I've dwelt on Reijn's more thoughtful touches, the defining trait for many might be a wicked sense of humor. Laughter came easy and often for me and the audience I saw it with – sometimes with the characters, sometimes at them, but always with the movie. It's as if we're being reminded that, however serious the themes, this is supposed to be fun. And it is. But be prepared to find yourself grappling with a whole lot more.

The film's comedy is the cherry on top of a disgusting meal one has to hear to believe.

The film, directed by Peter Bebjak from a screenplay he co-wrote with Jozef Pastéka and Tomás Bombík, is urgent, effective, and also deeply painful.

Dune: Part Two is an awe-inspiring, visually stunning sci-fi spectacle and a devastating collision of myth and destiny on a galactic scale.

Monster is many kinds of stories all at once and both the direction and script make sure that it is all in service of making the best film possible.

It’s honest and willing to go to uncomfortable places without ever feeling exploitative. It’s a raw and real portrayal of how sexual assault can happen and the mental and emotional turmoil that comes after.

Though some may long for a meatier, more dialogue-heavy script, most viewers will appreciate the sumptuous meal offered by Miller's impressive visual storytelling and Taylor-Joy's powerful screen presence.

If cinema does go the way of the dinosaurs someday, it is at least good to know that the limits of its power are still being tested by the likes of Rajamouli, whose work reaches so far outside the frame it seems to magically reach out of the screen itself, into the audience's beating heart.

You can see why Aardman, with their simple stories and rudimentary character designs, would have a hard time standing out next to the more intricate narratives and realistic digital animation of recent Disney and Pixar films. And yet, it's that very combination of simplicity in plotting and stylization that makes A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon such a joy to watch.

Ghost Elephants is an almost diaristic documentary, eschewing normal pathways for a more esoteric exploration of survival, science, intuition and mortality.

Soderbergh fans and those looking for a slick thriller should be inclined to check KIMI out when they get a chance.

Twinless is designed to make you squirm, but it's through this discomfort that Sweeney finds humor and heart.

Conclave is not trying to be some treatise on the state of the Catholic Church, nor is it saying anything new about modern religion. It's engrossing nonetheless, and it milks the titular event for every dramatic drop its worth.

Nude Tuesday is incredibly entertaining and, though the central premise starts to wane after a while, the story picks back up as it nears its end.

Bolstered by an incredible cast, the film offers commentary on filmmaking as an art and the lengths the characters will go to outshine each other.

Priscilla is another masterwork from Coppola, a study of a woman in a gilded cage and her journey to freedom with two central performances that will go down as some of the best in Coppola's entire filmography.

From a superhero perspective, Vogt's movie recaptures that sense of primordial awe that many of today's blockbusters have lost touch with, simply by setting themselves in worlds so obviously distant from everyday life. Whatever its impact upon release, The Innocents seems destined to be remembered, and hopefully the industry will find room for more movies just like it.

I'm Thinking of Ending Things is a suitably eerie and creepy psychological thriller that ultimately never comes together as a comprehensible whole.

In addition to providing a great script, Russell proves to have an excellent eye in the director's chair. He and cinematographer Pat Scola nicely mix a range of visual styles for their scenes, making particular use of handheld close-ups, putting us right into the emotion of each scene.

Every life is a universe unto itself, and Ricciardi was clearly the kind of unique soul whose spirit enriched everyone around him, but its actually in the margins of this sometimes preening doc that Benna's film really hits its target. When the film rests, it destigmatizes a process that everyone will eventually go through (albeit in a range of ways).

Speak No Evil shows viewers the dangers of not speaking up about discomforts for the sake of politeness, and it’s horrifyingly twisted.

Kontinental '25 is an acerbic film which makes you feel uncomfortable for chuckling your way through it, because by doing so you acknowledge an awkward sense of resonance with the guilty.

While A Different Man attempts to be a thought-provoking work some of the time, it’s not as deep or as profound as it aims to be.

It's a beautiful film that entertains in as much measure as it deconstructs an often untouchable icon, making him seem more human, and thus, more impressive.

Top Gun: Maverick is a rare sequel that is not only better than the original but retroactively makes Top Gun's story altogether deeper.