It’s sexy, but it avoids the common tropes. It takes the Black woman “jezebel” stereotype and flips a middle finger towards it by jumping head first in this sensual world. And that brazzeness makes for a unique story that you have to see for yourself.

It’s an unbeatable combination of humor and heart.

Close is a story about growing up and losing those wondrous childhood relationships forever, but it's far more than that. It's a tender glimpse of loss on an unimaginable scale, told through the lens of a young boy trying to make sense of it all.

Skywalkers: A Love Story is a dizzying and dazzling look at a hyper-niche culture that delivers some of the most jaw-dropping real-life footage you'll likely ever see.

At times, The Suicide Squad feels less like a movie than a mission statement from a director. Behold, look what I can do with a budget and all the comic book characters I can play with. But, the unexpected heart at the center of the film, a sneaky anti-imperialist bent, and Gunn’s wild visual leaps make The Suicide Squad a bloody, gory delight.

Emerald Fennell remains a filmmaker to watch, a provocateur who's downright giddy to sit in the muck with you, teeth flashing in a deadly grin. And in Barry Keoghan, she's found a collaborator who understands her nasty sensibilities and digs in up to the hilt.

Ti West is back with a violent vengeance, slicing and dicing through likable characters that light up the screen throughout their doomed and debaucherous overnight shoot. West is operating on another level — even the slightest editing cut cranks fear factors another notch higher.

This is Ira Sach's best film in years, a magnetic, emotional, and hugely watchable exploration of love and sex in the modern age. Those of us who've been following Rogowski for a while have been ready for this, and "Passages" might just be the film that makes him a superstar.

Wild Indian is a singular achievement; a film so raw and centered that it dares you to look away from scenes that simmer and burn. It’s too early in 2021 to jump the gun and start calling out “best of the year” material, but Wild Indian certainly deserves to enter the conversation. It’s a film you won’t soon forget.

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.

I don't know if I could rightfully say that this is the best "V/H/S" movie ever. "V/H/S/2" would have something to say about that. But it absolutely continues the hot streak the series has been on. If they continue to be this good, the franchise could run forever and I'd be happy about it.

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.

This is an intimate film with grand ideas, a small boat floating on a giant ocean, and the extraordinary discovery at the heart of the narrative is outweighed by the sense as a filmgoer that we’re seeing a talented director coming to the surface, sticking her tendrils in, and reshaping our expectations as we’re taken along for the journey.

There's something about a Mike Mills film that feels like it's gently caressing the hair out of your face and kissing you on the forehead: a softness, a wistfulness that acknowledges how hard reality can be while tucking you into bed. While "C'mon C'mon" can't protect you from the world, it can at the very least hold your hand as it tries to figure out the path forward too.

Though the flavors of past genres are present in Lucky Grandma, all those ingredients add up to a truly unique, unforgettable dish that brings a familiar formula to a whole new level.

Boyz In The Wood is the hippest, wildest, most energetic genre blowout to come from the UK since Attack The Block.

If you meet the film halfway, "Never Let Go" becomes enjoyably compelling and eerie. Yes, there are a good amount of scares to be had here, as Aja has only perfected his sense of jumpscare timing as well as his knack for finding collaborators who can conjure up some truly unsettling demonic zombie creatures.

Oddity is one of the best horror movies of the year.

The Iron Claw is an emotionally eviscerating watch anchored by one of the best ensemble casts of the year.

Jackass Forever is as bluntly, dementedly, brilliantly funny and horrific, and unforgettable as any of its predecessors or the TV series that started it all. If you are a fan of anything or anyone even tangentially related to Jackass Forever, you can rest assured that you know what you're getting.

Three Minutes – A Lengthening is not a ghost story, but it still feels haunting.

A Portrait of a Lady on Fire is a richly textured, highly evocative story of love, lust and longing, and thanks to exceptional direction and remarkable, talented actors it’s a work to be cherished.

For my money, The Black Phone is more complete and effective than Derrickson's previous horror movie "Sinister" and is the first feature adaptation of Joe Hill's work that demands more big-screen Joe Hill adaptations.

It's as if Diablo Cody and Zelda Williams took Sprouse's "I'm a weirdo" speech from "Riverdale" and turned it into an entire movie to prove the point. For all of its fantastical elements of undead boyfriends and tanning bed magic, there's a genuine message about how ungodly difficult it is to be a teenage girl in all of its forms, but that gallows humor is one of the strongest coping mechanisms to employ.

This film is intentionally exhausting because it wants you to feel the way Sissy feels as the special concludes: chewed up, spit out, used, abused, martyred for something you thought could love you back.

At first, you might not detect the tonal deception seeded into Ryusuke Hamaguchi's Evil Does Not Exist. Yet, seemingly innocuous nature shots unfold into a thriller.

It’s a crowd-pleaser, to be sure, and a little on the corny side, but it’s so unwavering in its sincerity that it manages to hit all the right notes.

The Man Who Knew Too Much remains an underrated gem from Hitchcock — one that may not stand alongside his most venerated classics, but one that shows the power of a really good villain, and a great opera setpiece.