Wendy should not be written-off entirely, and younger audiences may be taken with the movie’s sugar-rush charms. But in the end, there’s not enough fairy dust in the world to make Wendy fly.

In Coppola's mind, all that matters is the work, and the act of creating it. We are lucky he returned to make a new movie, and even in its messy, muddled state, we are lucky to have Megalopolis.

The movie unexpectedly has a ton of heart that's guaranteed to refuel your Christmas spirit this year.

It's a type of slow-burn, psychological horror. The type of thrills and chills that don't register at first, but come creeping back when you're in bed, awake at night, unable to sleep, and the darkness starts to creep in.

While I have a few complaints and there are a couple of head-scratching loose ends, The Flash is still a funny, emotional, action-heavy crowd-pleaser that ranks among the best DC movies ever made.

A movie like Elf, as its opening credits suggest, seemingly sprung to life out of a children's book. Spirited evokes the sense that it sprung to life out of a series of focus-group sessions among corporate executives.

Butcher's Crossing makes a lot of little, stretching its small budget to the extreme to create a nightmarish saga of violent men who seem convinced of their own superiority over everything, especially the land.

While Clouds absolutely has its heart in the right place, that heart doesn’t translate into a similarly winning story.

Chastain gets some huge, showstopping moments – her final scene is genuinely terrific, and another scene that recreates Tammy Faye's on-air conversation with gay minister and AIDS activist Steve Pieters is effective and tender – but it would've been nicer if the movie itself was more worthy of her considerable talents.

Whether talking to himself or talking at his audience as if delivering wisdom deserving of an inscription on stone tablets, Iñárritu has nothing new or interesting to say. He's established he can move a camera with astonishing fluidity as well as blur fantasy and reality seamlessly. Now what? "Bardo" is a film high on its own supply yet low on any sense of actual intrigue or intuition.

There is something about the humanity of this specific type of dread that seeps into your bones and hangs on for dear life. It’s the type of horror that taps into the fears we’re either too afraid to articulate, or would rather keep to ourselves lest we be judged.

Not only are "Free Guy" director Shawn Levy and star Ryan Reynolds reuniting to send characters back in time to save the world, but the movie itself is like a time machine, transporting you back to a period in your life when a trip to the movie theater or the video store was your ticket to a world of yesterday, tomorrow, and fantasy.

The Sacrifice Game is cool, calm, and collected despite bringing so many subgenres to the party, achieving tonal unity that should please crowds and leave them craving whatever comes next for Wexler and company.

Hellraiser was in bad shape, and what Bruckner has done here is lift the series out of the gutter to give it a touch of old-school charm. But I know he can do better, and I just wish this revival was more of an icky, gooey success rather than a moderately okay horror pic.

Using the framework of territory as well-worn as "Bride of Frankenstein" (which, to be fair, was pretty subversive for its time) to launch such a visually sumptuous, unapologetically bold story of love, graphic violence, and rage has to count for something. At a time when movie studios taking big risks and big swings feels more unlikely than ever, "The Bride!" is willing to charge headfirst into intentional audacity.

If you’re looking for less fright and more fun as you tick down the Halloween season, or if you just want to see John Carpenter tell terrible puns while forcing severed heads to make-out, Body Bags is for you.

Don't Make Me Go is at its strongest when Cho and Isaac are onscreen together, reflecting back the kind of tense, but loving, father-daughter dynamic which is so lovingly familiar and relatable to many of us.

This movie veers in some truly wild directions and it's not quite as polished as its predecessor. At the same time, it feels in line with what came before. It certainly doesn't betray the characters or the world Feig has set up.

Despite its beasties, "Keeper" is not a monster movie, but is instead a scathing look at an idea inherent in human relationships, particularly romantic ones.

Beast is no great shakes, but it's also a rare enough summer movie, in that it knows its limits, it delivers on its specific promises, and it doesn't belabor the point.

Those craving some gloomy, unforgiving post-apocalyptic drama might get a kick out of what's on display here. Everyone else might want to scurry away. You know, like a crab in the dark.

Whatever the flaws of The Conjuring series as a whole, "Last Rites" feels like a worthy conclusion.

Though you can see its twists coming from a mile away, Caine and Plaza's oddball dynamic and Roessler's visually stimulating direction makes "Best Sellers" a movie that's diverting enough to cozy up with.

Spiderhead is a movie that defies conventional genre labels, and while Kosinski isn't always successful in balancing the various elements, I have to admit: this is one hell of a ride.

In fact, “very dumb and very enchanting” could sum up Zack Snyder’s Justice League as a whole. There was never a single moment where I bought the story Snyder was selling, but I did enjoy his attempt to create a superhero movie that rises above the din.

Green’s humanistic stamp is evident when Wahlberg expresses a soulful sentiment or denunciation of narrow-minded thinking, yet there’s little for any director to do when faced with such an untidy script.

Granted, the story leaves something to be desired, and it's missing one of the franchise's signature traits, but as someone who was underwhelmed by the trailers teasing Po's return, I walked away feeling adequately entertained.

As much as The War of the Rohirrim tries its best to live up to the lofty standards set by the original movies, it only really shines when it manages to forget that it's a franchise movie at all.

While competently performed — Liu in particular is exceptional, lending a fraught likability to Darby; Haysbert exudes a natural warmth; and Dickey gives a good frayed performance despite a disappointing characterization — and decently directed, it feels like there's something missing from No Exit.

Smith, Lawrence, Adil & Bilall keep Mike and Marcus winningly human. They're adult men who suffer from heart attacks and panic attacks as much as they leap over cars and make impossible shots with their pistols. That special, magic mixture of grounded heart with over-the-top action and comedy is what makes a "Bad Boys" film, and make no mistake: "Ride or Die" is not only a great "Bad Boys" film, it's also a top-tier action comedy.

As a whole, House of Darkness is a very mixed bag of a film. The script shifts from nuanced to blunt depending on what minute you're watching, but the central performances add a layer of complexity that's often worth watching.

Though I had a feeling Strays could be special, I'm still pretty floored by just how hilarious it is. Perrault's script finds an excellent balance of wince-worthy humor and genuine heart, and the voice acting is more than spirited enough to make up for the inevitable issues with trying to make animals emote like humans.

Assayas becomes so subservient to the sheer volume of events and information he must bring to life that the film completely subsumes any sense of personal style or voice.

There’s something here, beneath the glassy-eyed performances and the Instagram aesthetics, about class and privilege and the evils of men — and you could even make a case for False Positive being yet another effective display of gaslighting as horror — but any actual messages are too vague to parse.

The original "M3GAN" was a drag show. "M3GAN 2.0" is a drag show where a straight bachelorette hijacks the VIP table. But since she tips well, is a respectful ally, and has a non-ironic appreciation for "Above the Law," she can stay.

The film tastes like the cinematic equivalent of Clooney's tequila brand Casamigos. That is to say, The Boys in the Boat goes down smoothly, if somewhat unremarkably.

David Coggeshall's script has more than a few tricks up its sleeve, including some jaw-dropping twists that I will confess I did not see coming. It makes sense — the first film had a jaw-dropping twist too, after all. The twist feels fresh and exciting here, and changes the entire film in a way that's wickedly enjoyable.

In its desperate attempt to satisfy everyone, "The Mandalorian and Grogu" neglects to tell a meaningful tale worth anyone's time. Instead of the pulpy, thrill-a-minute adventure that was promised, "Star Wars" has never felt duller or more mundane. This ain't the way, folks.

I'm all for rampaging animal movies. I'm all for ultra-silliness. I'm all for lots of gore. But after a while, the repetitive nature of Cocaine Bear began to wear me down, and the humor started to fall flat.

Evil Eye deserves acknowledgment for taking a supernatural approach that involves cultures beyond Western trappings (there are countless horror movies that use American-centric Catholicism as their guide, for instance), but that’s about the only positive thing I can say here.

You can drop Nic Cage in your dull movie all you want, but when you do, you're only getting a memorable Cage performance in an otherwise unmemorable story. I love to watch Cage work. I just wish I didn't have to watch him work under these conditions.

For all the storylines it juggles — part love story, part franchise extension, and part treatise on how mind-numbingly awful group projects in class can be (seriously, this early section might actually be the highlight of the movie) — The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes feels caught between its humbler, more character-driven aims and the blockbuster expectations of reinvigorating a brand.

As entertaining as it may be to revel in the 1990s setting of it all, not updating the script makes The Little Things feel stale. The bad guys are one-note creeps; the men are stoic and violent; the women only exist to be either background noise or helpless victims. Even some 30 years ago all of this would’ve felt dated. Today, The Little Things has even less to offer.

It all ends up being a touch forgettable by the time the end credits roll, but the journey to get there is never dull.

There are plenty of enjoyable moments here, and audiences who want nothing more than a Jason Statham beat-'em-up will surely be satisfied. But this movie's narrative and creative stumbles put into stark relief what we've known for 10 years now: The "John Wick" formula might seem easy to replicate, but to make an equally legendary action film is much, much harder than it looks.

As a movie, It Ends With Us is an infuriating, emotionally manipulative watch and a disservice to the talents of every actor involved.

Anemone does a capable job of building up the mystery at its heart, waiting and waiting until the pressure builds before finally giving both audiences and its characters a release valve — primarily through yet another tour-de-force monologue that Daniel Day-Lewis makes a meal out of, as he's done many a time before.

A maniacal whirlwind of cinematic insanity, it feels equally likely that Prisoners of the Ghostland could become a cult classic or disappear into the fog. Whether its overall inscrutability is a bug or a feature remains to be seen.

If you're simply looking to see Murphy slip back into a familiar role and have a little fun, "Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F" might do the trick. Even though this film is lackluster, it's still fun to watch Eddie Murphy do his thing, and there are moments here where he genuinely seems to be having a good time, and that can be contagious. So maybe that's enough to satisfy. Or, when you sit down and fire up Netflix to watch this film, you can make a wiser choice and just watch "Dolemite is My Name" instead. It'll be a much better use of your time, I promise.

If you're looking for a creepy children horror film to watch, "There's Something Wrong with the Children" will deliver that in half-measures. But there are enough bloody thrills and dramatic tension at play here to make it a fun romp for a Friday night and bowl of popcorn.

There’s so much wasted potential here. As the story draws to its big, loud climax, and one fan-service moment after another arises, you begin to get the sense that Abrams is just checking off boxes and fulfilling a quota. There’s no spark; no joy; no life. If this truly is the end of the Skywalker Saga, what an ignoble end it is.

The Forever Purge is at its best when it’s attempting to subvert the standard formula.

The beauty of the "V/H/S" series is that it continues to showcase the infinite flexibility of found footage horror, giving thrilling collections of genre filmmakers a chance to strut their stuff and test the boundaries. And with "V/H/S 85," everyone means business.

We Have a Ghost can't escape its overstuffed nature, and that hampers the entire experience.

This version of Nani and Lilo's relationship is far closer to reality, which makes the heartstring-pulling snap back with even more intensity. In a cute albeit sanitized reimagining, the bond of these sisters is the one thing that cannot be broken.

Despite a villain that does everything possible to elevate The Amazing Maurice, this is a forgettable movie. I think kids will have a decent time with it. Adults won't be as fortunate, and it'll take a lot of restraint to not stare at their watches.

Blackk makes for a great protagonist, and Haddish gets some big laughs here and there, but the rest of the cast feels slightly lost, primarily because the story introduces them only to then have them fade into the background.

I found myself annoyed that such a fresh new take on Dracula, and from Nic Cage no less, is wasted on such a lousy movie. Nicolas Cage's Dracula deserves a better movie, and so do we.

In the end, Affleck is the film's only real draw. His funny, uncouth, working-class schlub performance breathes much-needed oxygen into the film's lungs, but at the end of the day, this isn't his story, and it really should've been.

It's silly at times. It doesn't take itself too seriously. Yet, it also has something pretty loud and timely to say. It goes hard with the gore when it needs to. The movie feels a little long in the tooth at times, particularly before we figure out what's going on, but that's a minor crime compared to what Nelson got away with here.

After this solid set-up, The Devil Made Me Do It occasionally grows a bit murky.

All of this is very silly, but there's nothing wrong with that! In fact, Hypnotic would be a lot better off if it learned to lean into that silliness. Instead, Rodriguez keeps everything very dour, and while he injects some life here and there via action beats (the bank robbery scene is quite well-staged, as are several chase sequences), the filmmaker can never really get "Hypnotic" working.

Love it or hate it, believe it to be honest or self-indulgent, "The Moment" is a movie that refuses to pander, and for that, I appreciate it. We may never know who the real Charli XCX is, but unlike the fictional Charli, she seems to be putting herself out there on her own terms.

Deep Water has its pleasures, some of which are of the inexplicably daffy variety . . . And when you compare Deep Water to ... well, just about every other movie available right now, either in theaters or streaming, it really does feel like a singular sensation.

Elba is his usual dependable self — the man oozes charisma, even when threatening people with violence. And Serkis is clearly having fun playing such a repulsive bad guy; the type of villain we can't wait to see get his comeuppance. This all results in a sturdy little thriller that runs a little long but mostly gives you what you want.

Tatum and Johansson are the stars of the show, oftentimes conveying with a mere look what entire monologues couldn't have accomplished. These are the two engines propelling the movie into the stratosphere, taking what could've been a disposable, forgettable effort and transforming it into an experience that'll have you floating on air out of the theater ... likely as you hum a very apt Frank Sinatra tune to yourself.c

There's a difference between intentionally misleading the audience and cleverly setting up, then subverting, expectations. Ultimately, "Monstrous" does the former, leaning far too heavily on expository dialogue that fundamentally contradicts everything the audience is seeing.

Happy Gilmore 2 is a poor excuse for nostalgic comedy, and you'd have more fun getting a colonoscopy with a rake.

Austin Zajur and Siena Agudong make for such a cute high school romance prospect that the movie doesn't feel like a total wash. Kevin Smith is still good at constructing funny dialogue and crafting characters you like to watch.

Ryder is honestly the only shining light here. ... But she deserves better than the murky slog that is "The Cow."

It's A Wonderful Knife might make its points with steel blades, but that doesn't negate the saccharine earnestness that assures this one as a new Christmas horror favorite with a heart three sizes bigger than you'd expect.

When the film quite literally runs out of plot, only the filmmaker's sheer determination and commitment to the bit manage to salvage an ending that throws logic and reason out the door several times over.

An aggressively misguided, strangely dour affair that starts off bad and only gets worse.

With Eternals, Marvel turns a risky gamble into another piece of the puzzle. Its cosmic ambitions, its prevailing humanism amid a nihilistic outlook, and its gestures at maturity — the (real!) sex scene, the depth and warmth that they give to Henry's LGBTQ relationship — are not enough to make Eternals more than just another film to fit neatly in the Marvel Studios mold. But even so, Zhao brings an elegance to the film and the cast bring a vulnerability and care to their characters that leave a lingering impression, even as the last super-punch fades.

While Snook and LaTorre give it their all, Run Rabbit Run is just another example of a movie not working unless it knows what it wants to be.

There’s a beating heart at the center of First Date, but unfortunately, the movie is less interested in exploring that central relationship and more amused with its zany cast of idiotic supporting characters. Good pacing can only get you so far.

The film is undeniably at its best when grappling with the push and pull of technology versus old-school espionage.

Every aspect of the production is nearly flawless, from the production design to direction to the performances, and it all builds to an absolutely perfect ending that's hinted at from the very beginning. If you're looking to get your heart rate up and your mind racing, there are few better ways to spend an afternoon inside than by checking out Windfall on Netflix.

The best that can be said about everything surrounding Powell and Sweeney in Anyone But You is that they mostly have the good sense to move the plot quickly and then let the stars sparkle.

Rather than the gritty drama of the first film or the delightful fantasy of the second, we instead get a dull romance with paper-thin characters, lame voice-over narration, and rather clean and puritan dance numbers, resulting in a film that feels more like an advertisement for the "Magic Mike Live" show than a movie.

Over Your Dead Body pulls off the magic trick of bringing exploitation cinema into a timeline that's a walking parody of itself, delivering one of the bloodiest and most entertaining films of the year.

I don't know if I'd call this a memorable take on Dracula, but as a simple little monster movie with plenty of atmospherre, it does the trick.

The Contractor challenges expectations in many ways, it just never goes quite far enough.

80 for Brady isn't the most original play in the playbook, minus the sheer atypicality of aiming a gang of protagonists with around almost 400 years between them at a sports event for which they aren't the usual fanbase. That said, the comedy has enough charm, memorable moments, and charismatic performances from legendary actresses that it's a good, breezy time.

There's a place for brainless, R-rated action movies like this in theaters, and there always will be. But, hopefully, it's not asking too much for one that properly justifies the average moviegoer's time and hard-earned money.

Parents are frequently looking for transitory horror films to help bridge the gap between certifiable children's films to hard-R horror, and The Watcher in the Woods is a perfect addition.

The overstuffed "Despicable Me 4" abandons any pretense of caring about characters or narrative, choosing instead to fit in as many gags, characters, and little stories with as little consequences as they can.

It's really a movie about a couple reconnecting with each other and with their kids through the power of the lottery. It's very silly, yes, but the movie at least seems to sincerely believe in this.

When "Final Cut" works, it's mostly because it just repeats what "One Cut of the Dead" did, and as ill-conceived as this film is, the jokes still land. Of course, that only says more about the success of the original film than this one. The problem is that, outside of the French market, it is hard to recommend this movie to anyone.

This is just another run-of-the-mill, dramatically limp music biopic meant to be pure brand management. There are so many scenes of Naomi Ackie lip-synching full performances of these songs, and all you can say is, "Yeah, Whitney Houston was such a great singer." I don't need this movie to know that. I can just stay home and listen to her, which is an infinitely more rewarding experience.

For casual fans, "World Heroes' Mission" is solid enough in its watchability, crowdpleasing action, sight gags, and core relationship. But for all the wealth of material, there's little substance here.

Dark Harvest is ultimately a film of style over substance, but hell, that style sure is grand.

If you want to watch a bunch of silly rich people get murdered by a unicorn, this is the film for you. And if you want to watch Jenna Ortega co-lead a horror/comedy slasher movie again, you're gonna have a good time.

While its premise is fairly run-of-the-mill for a teen flick, its underlying messaging and approach to a taboo subject matter elevates the material into a uniquely moving film fit for ages pre-teen and up. Darby and the Dead feels made by people who have gone through a hard loss: It's a love letter to those grieving, reminding us not to forget to celebrate life too. 

Despite the film's clear edict to include as many tasteless jokes as possible . . . Quasi possesses a strangely disarming, hangout quality, leaving it feeling ultimately harmless and even a little bit friendly.