It delivers a beautiful and promising dressing before unveiling a largely by-the-book story. It is not bad by any means, but it doesn't push the envelope or explore anything new, either. Slingshot is a pleasant watch, but it doesn't ever rise above that.

The cast deserves real credit for that, Biscayart especially. His physical expressiveness is truly extraordinary, and without his performance to transition us to the final act, Kill the Jockey doesn't succeed.

A movie that means well, looks solid and is brimming with acting talent, but has neither the script nor the soul to bring home the bacon.

The Becomers could have achieved more, but it's a movie that struggles with definitions, relationships, politics, and just about everything else it attempts to authoritatively establish itself as.

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.

There's plenty to admire in Maria, and in Jolie's performance, but my connection to certain scenes shouldn't be mistaken for my being emotionally engrossed. In fact, I typically felt kept at a distance.

Beetlejuice and Delia are deployed just the right amount, each injecting the movie with their own flavor of chaos whenever things risk feeling stale.

Hell Hole is a really rewarding experience for horror genre fans who have longed to see a crazy body horror outing in the vein of The Thing.

Incoming has funny moments, and the young actors deliver their lines with the commitment of seasoned professionals every step of the way. However, as I was watching, I was endlessly reminded that watching Incoming's influences would have been more enjoyable.

Fortunately, the acting, action, and pacing of the story override the film's issues to make The Killer an extremely fun and engaging assassin movie.

Despite their best efforts, though, Wahlberg and Berry's chemistry is never quite enough to fully lift The Union from being another mediocre Netflix action offering. The story is both far too simple and predictable, the worldbuilding isn't thought out enough to be believable, and the action isn't so exciting as to fully turn one's brain off and enjoy the decently paced journey.

The overarching problem is the film's tendency to be a touch too shallow, even if that's the point of the narrative. Finding out more about Hope's hidden past, the supporting characters, and the big lives everyone hints at would have made the story more compelling and helped the characters feel real.

There’s no denying this is a film capable of winning audiences of all types with its inherent charm, humor, and nostalgia. For me, however, this was 91 minutes of unfocused, chaotic energy that I did not enjoy. Tonally, the movie is all over the place, while its themes are explored with timid execution.

The rom-com idea was solid, strong actors like Hale delivered, and chemistry between the leads was there. This can go a decent part of the way, but without more character development, direction, and a clear focus for the film, it's hard to offer much in terms of praise.

Ultimately, Watchmen: Chapter 1 is a relatively promising start to this two-part adaptation of Moore's graphic novels, though it's brought down by familiarity, failure to surpass its prior adaptations, and a somewhat rushed pace.

Many times, the movie felt like a tonal jumble, even though both the heartbreak and the antics certainly serve the inspirational animal story genre.

While Page’s beautifully nuanced and searingly felt performance will stick with me, the movie as a whole feels like something I watched through a window myself — one with frosted-over panes that, try as I might, I couldn’t scrape clean for a clearer, closer view of the story playing out on my screen.

Dance First won’t strike a chord with everyone, but it's also not intended for mainstream appeal, and those who connect with it will do so deeply.

If you've ever wondered what a remake of PrettyWoman written and directed by Guy Ritchie would look like, then Duchess (2024) is the film for you.

Somewhere between Alien & Aliens — fitting given its place in the timeline — Romulus serves up blockbuster-level action & visceral horror all in one.

The psychological thriller is clever, sharp, and intoxicating, even in its eeriest moments. There’s a charm and depravity that are all too real, hanging over every scene as it makes us wait with bated breath for the big reveal that comes in glimpses and acts as stark contrasts to the characters’ initial excitement.

For a story centered on childhood trauma, domestic violence, and the cycle of abuse, these themes feel like afterthoughts when they could have been its strength. It’s certainly lacking, but hearts were in the right place.

Blanchett knows exactly what movie she's in, and she seems to be having the time of her life fitting herself into the mold of a video game heroine.

The movie's atmospheric approach to horror sometimes works against it, but stellar performances from Dan Stevens and Schafer ultimately make it a home run.

Despite being flawed, though, Trap is thrilling at times and a ridiculous display of human behavior at others.

The Instigators is proof it can be very difficult to balance action, comedy and drama and nail a tone that fits the movie while still staying true to the genres. That said, the movie does have enough comedy, and a strong enough duo with Damon and Affleck, that it's still entertaining and fun to watch.

The saving grace of the film all comes down to Jay Will’s breakout performance. Rob Peace simply does not work without him. Will’s charisma and dedication towards showcasing the light that Rob was offers a comfort to me that this film as a whole failed to provide.

It’s quite familiar, yet impressively sweet. Kilris clearly understands the appeal of Cyprus, her home, and offers us the chance to witness flawed humans go through the intricacies of everyday life.