Truthfully, there's a shorter iteration of "Slash/Back" that I'd adore — but I still like what premiered at SXSW. You can't help but want to champion the film's trademark sweetness, shining a light on badass little girls who take on their entire community's enemies.

Fresh is shameless and hilariously audacious, anticipating critique even when it can't quite offer a response. But the film happily rolls with the punches, so self-assured that you're hard-pressed to let the flaws win out. Because even if its commentary won't linger, the experience of "Fresh" is something to savor.

Followers of Carax will be warmed by his return if a little disappointed it doesn’t quite recapture the magic, while fans of Sparks (many newly minted thanks to Wright) may appreciate the foray into a different outlet for their art. For those of us open to the experience but without a baked-in attitude to love this sight unseen, Annette proves to be a deeply flawed picture that still has many moments to recommend it.

By focusing on the shifting dynamics between our two characters and nothing else, viewers are treated to a cat-and-mouse game where its players refuse to let up. With the infectious energy of Qualley and Abbott, along with set-altering cinematography and a tight script, there is a lot to love about this new, sick take on the sex comedy.

The King of Staten Island wants to balance sweetness with humor, but it never quite figures out the formula. Many of Davidson’s quips are pretty funny, but there’s nothing here that’s going to stick with you – the next great quotable comedy this is not. The pathos fairs a bit better, but here the problems of Davidson’s range become apparent.

Shortcomings is a charming debut with plenty of fast-cracking jokes.

Sadly, some only listen when the quiet part is said out loud — Sissy blares its concerns and horrors like neon demons in front of the brightest ring lights.

Like Scream, Freaky understands and loves the horror movies that came before it. It takes these raw materials and molds them into its own unique identity, resulting in one of the most refreshing entries in the horror genre in a long time.

When it comes to Nicolas Cage movies where he fights insurmountable odds while losing his mind, The Surfer is a great time.

Instead, The Life of Chuck is one of the most insightful and moving philosophical films ever made, a movie that's as much Kierkegaard as it is King.

And yet, The Final Reckoning is too messy, too awkward, too clumsy. It somehow feels overlong and inert even as it never slows down.

And underneath it all is a beating heart; a tribute to both Boseman's loss and legacy. The emotional punch is more impactful than the physical one here, and whatever the flaws of "Wakanda Forever," its emotional heft is strong — and honest. There's no sense of manipulation here, only a sense of grief coupled with acceptance. What else can there be?

The routine genre elements are forgivable blips on a technically gripping journey through one woman's fight for survival in a world whose perils, like ours, are increasingly impossible to maneuver.

Smile 2 is relentless. It's a non-stop spookshow that just keeps increasing in madness, building towards a grand finale that pretty much absolves the film of any negative issues you might.

By humanizing the events of such a huge tragedy, Sara Colangelo shines a light on both the victims and the forgotten bystanders who were left behind, opening that closed-off compartment once more and bringing those folks back to the forefront.

For as dark as the story becomes, the film still has such a twisted sense of humor that feels right at home with Kravitz's sensibilities and social commentary. The pacing might be frustrating for some, and the intensely bleak material might be too much to handle, but that's precisely what makes Blink Twice so interesting.

It completely stands on its own and almost serves as an argument for a franchise starter (please, don't) because the combinations of different couples from different cultures are endless. Those who are willing to roll with the changes are in for a hell of a bonkers treat.

With such a large ensemble and diversity of personalities, Happy New Year fails to flesh them out.

An endlessly charming, funny, and delightfully lo-fi British comedy.

What viewers are left with is a bold, twisting, and audacious thriller that will leave you breathless ... though maybe a bit underwhelmed by a nagging sense of déjà vu, too.

Sometimes you watch a film and know the moment the credits roll that you've witnessed something special, one that will become a beloved favorite and be passed down for years to come. The Imaginary is that film for 2024, a breathtaking feat of animation with a powerful story that lends it to being a generational classic in the making.

Devotion is far more interested in what's happening on earth rather than in the sky. It's a character drama with occasional bursts of action, and while there's certainly nothing wrong with that, the film ends up rather muddled. You can see the bones of something greater here, and Dillard remains a filmmaker worth paying attention to.

What Mulan does suffer from is the absence of the levity that the musical elements would have brought. Mulan is serious verging on dour, so bent on presenting itself as a serious war drama that its rare moments of comedy feel almost awkwardly slotted in.

As a celebration and an elegy for a creature that isn't and never was, "Sasquatch Sunset" is kind of beautiful and kind of ridiculous.

Holy Spider shines a light into the murky corners of a society that emboldens its aggressors. In that sense, the film is essential viewing. Even if it is completely devastating.

Watching Lawrence and Henry act off each other is what really makes "Causeway" worth watching.

Though Verbinski's smallest movie since "Mouse Hunt," it still feels as ambitious as the director's blockbuster work.

So while Timothée Chalamet doesn't have the magic to hold the movie on his back, the movie around him is still rather splendid and enjoyable. Even if Chalamet ends up leaving a displeasing taste in your mouth, he doesn't end up ruining this sweet treat.