The end result is stunning and scary, full of swooping, swooning, doomed romanticism and moments of pure, unblinking horror.

Kidman's performance is simultaneously vulnerable and feral, yet another tally on the board proving her as one of the greatest to ever do it.

Moana 2 bites off a bit more than it can chew at times, and the pacing is as smooth as it can be for a series that was condensed into a feature film, but it's hard to be bothered by any of the film's shortcomings when "Moana" stories embody resilience, the pursuit of curiosity, community-building, defying gendered expectations, and embracing personal growth.

Worst of all, the film is loooong. It's not just low-energy. It drags. One could listen to Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" three and a half times in the same 161 minutes. And perhaps one should. It would be a more edifying musical experience.

Paddington in Peru is ultimately a missed opportunity, but it's also a pleasant, entertaining-enough time.

Gladiator II gets the job done. It doesn't reinvent the wheel, and it doesn't have to. I don't for one second think Scott is setting out here trying to make an absolute masterpiece; he's content to simply make a damn entertaining action pic with an pulpy old school sensibility. Third act machinations aside, Gladiator II ends up being rather simple in its construction, and perhaps that's ultimately its greatest strength.

I came out of "Let There Be Carnage" wanting more Venom and Eddie. I came out of "The Last Dance" content to never see them again. If this really is "The Last Dance," it comes not a moment too soon.

Although it doesn't possess the hard-boiled, shifty-eyed salaciousness of a traditional whodunnit, "Conclave" is certainly in the spirit of a private investigator story.

The Shadow Strays feels more like a step back than a step forward. By the time the mid-credit coda arrived, I wanted less, not more. Still, those craving copious amounts of carnage will find plenty to dig here.

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.

Some may be tempted to refer to The Shrouds as Cronenberg playing in a minor key, but that does no justice whatsoever to a chilly, almost shell-shocked drama that derives so much meaning and even poignancy out of its emotional remove. Cronenberg fans, you will not want to miss this one.

Whether this atypical Burroughs adaptation and unconventional love story truly works for you in the end or not, you won't regret getting swept up in the journey.

Crowley may be telling a melodramatic story, but he studiously avoids sentimentality.

Will & Harper is a sweet little road trip comedy, even if the "spontaneous" appearances of famous faces constantly pull the film into a "celebrities, they're just like us!" realm of faux-documentary authenticity.

It is superior in acting, lighting, pacing, and clarity. It's also raw and confrontational in a satisfying way. But it's also a glorified remake more than it is a sequel. "Platform 2" is not an expansion, but a retread, nihilistically sifting through violence and cannibalism to get to a point it repeated over and over. Second verse, same as the first. 

Practically every immaculate shot in Maria is framed as if it were the title character's own theater stage. This makes an apt runway for Angelina Jolie to do her thing and deliver easily her most dialed-in performance of the last decade (or more).

In the end, Emilia Pérez can't help but feel like a half-completed thought experiment, anchored by the performances of a trio of women all but willing this past the finish line.

Eventually, Salem's Lot finds some life in its climax, gleefully unleashing monster mayhem that feels ported over from a much more enjoyable B-movie.

Eventually, Heretic does evolve into something a bit more familiar, shedding the heart-pounding sense of pure wrongness that defines the first hour in favor of more action, violence, and traditional excitement. And it's all very well-executed, frequently very scary and, honestly, probably the right choice for filmmakers who clearly care about their audience.

This is a biopic made by a mad man, filmed in a visual language that defies categorization, with musical numbers that would make Baz Luhrmann dizzy.

This is a great time at the movies, the kind of dark comedy that plays to the crowd and the kind of pseudo-thriller that keeps you guessing as each poor decision made by its lead character introduces a new wrinkle in the ongoing spiral of drama and recklessness.

The Apprentice is a good movie, albeit a difficult one to watch, with stellar performances elevating the proceedings.

Sanders' ability to interpret the material on the page and turn it into this living painting of a film is nothing shy of a wonder.

Pound for pound, segment for segment, death for death, this is everything we could possibly want from a horror anthology.

I'm not saying all movies need to feel this effortless, and deliver such big emotions wrapped in such thoughtful complexity. But I am saying movies like this remind me why I like movies so much in the first place.

I suppose the best thing to say about Apartment 7A is that once it's over, you'll probably immediately want watch the much better Rosemary's Baby and wash the dull memory of this movie away.

This is a movie that sets out on its own dark mission, and accomplishes that mission with a skill that is undeniable.

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.