While slight, yet accurate in his thesis, Stearns does what any good filmmaker should do to make that message stick: he makes us laugh.

Chandor crafts a film in that contemplated vein of consequences, with a moral consideration for everything at stake, including the very souls of these soldiers, No one comes out clean.

It’s a consistent laugh out loud comedy with a big heart that should please all kinds of audiences (and the rare rom-com aimed at both women and men and not just either or). “Long Shot” isn’t your typical Seth Rogen stoner comedy (not that those aren’t great) and is all the better for it.

The hedonism on display is very much of a piece with “Trash Humpers” and “Spring Breakers,” but in a surprising change of pace for Korine, the film is more at ease with itself, and more emotional than either of those two provocative efforts.

“Sword of Truth” is full of seemingly effortless charms and quirks, but Shelton keeps it from overloading into full-on twee. This is a small film in every way: one that sometimes lacks precision, but its casual feel really works within its world and among its characters.

As a sleekly-directed, crowd-pleasing horror film, it’s efficient, terrifyingly thrilling and a lot of fun. It’s the kind of movie that will be discussed and debated for decades to come, and perhaps thirty years from now, as things continue to descend into utter chaos, Us will be looked back in retrospect as prophetic. As it stands now, it’s fascinating, a little maddening, and entertaining.

The Wind still checks enough of the right boxes to please horror fans; it’s creepy, features some gruesome images, and has a couple standout scares. This film also has its share of flaws; it’s held back by some pacing issues and weak performances.

The Aftermath is simply another period melodrama that knows exactly what it is, and that just isn’t quite enough, especially when one considers the leading star’s career oeuvre.

In short, Babylon is bland and sadly, should be much better.

These characters are undoubtedly supposed to be parodies of themselves, but their collective unrepentant narcissism broods more resentment than laughter. By the end of the feature, it’s hard not to cringe every time somebody talks.

Moreso than any other movie in the back half of Marvel’s first decade, it’s tough to shake the feeling that Captain Marvel is an extended prologue to a story that is still off on the horizon. This character has the potential to be Marvel’s answer to Superman, with all the questions about power and ethics that implies, but her story is rushed here, and sometimes forced.

It merits being counted as one of the decade’s best and most wildly original animated triumphs and one of this awards season’s most unforgivable snubs.

An interesting, original concept combined with solid acting and creative directing propel “Stray” and keep its audience invested throughout its tidy 81-minute run-time.

This is a rousing, essential viewing experience that reminds us of exactly what humanity is capable of when we work together toward a single, world-changing goal.

The primary factor permitting Styx to warrant any sort of recognition is inarguably Susanne Wolff’s dynamically subtle performance.

An interesting if somewhat incomplete horror thriller with decent performances, “The Changeover” is nevertheless hampered by a script that doesn’t seem to know how to connect all its narrative dots.

While Dragon 3 suffers from the absence of a strong plot, poignant stakes, and narrative thrust, it’s still a story that most audiences will find something to connect with. It’s a fitting end for the Hiccup and Toothless’ story and How to Train Your Dragon 3 is mostly fantastical escapism that packs an emotional wallop.

The intimacy that Herbert attains with the kids and the respect that she affords them prevents the film from ever seeming exploitative of their lives and hardships and rather gives it a thorough sense of empathy.

Unfocused and unpolished, “Le Concours” might’ve been fared better if one of the prospective students picked up the camera instead.

The Plagiarists is a fantastic idea that is irredeemably marred by poor execution. There is a genuine sensation of effort on screen and a select few of the ideas the film touches upon are outright brilliant, but the product still falls remarkably flat.

Light of my Life is not a bad film, instead it’s a heartfelt, intelligent and earnest one (if a little tidy).

There are moments of joy and humor throughout, and the film insists on feeling those emotions, just as much as it does grief.

Combined with a narrative with a more defined ending, this darker tone suits Sang-soo’s minor-key ruminations, injecting more tension and pathos into his trademark conversations.

Alita lays out her empathetic groundwork early and rarely diverges from it. How wonderful to have a hero that always follows through with what she fights for. How wonderful to have a blockbuster that aspires for so much and mostly delivers on those ambitions.

It pokes fun at falling in love on screen, but it’s smart and sweet enough make us fall for it as well.

Melancholy in shape, but still hopeful, Crosby’s willingness to bare naked his personal struggles on-camera makes for a truly poignant movie.

Landon uses this winning sequel opportunity to not merely redo his refreshingly animated original film but challenge it— building upon its kooky, evergreen foundation and expand the story in scope, scale, genre, and tone.

Wang’s film is intimate, thought-provoking and well-crafted. It condemns the horrors of the policy without condemning those who were brainwashed into being its vessels, and it gives voice to so many families whose agency was stolen from them.

Brügger’s movie plays mostly like a real-time thriller, to be honest, but whatever hybrid of non-fiction you want to categorize Cold Case Hammarskjöld, it’s nothing short of groundbreaking.

Beyond Ocasio-Cortez and her magnetism, we may look back at Knock Down the House years from now as a nascent document of the beginnings of a groundswell in American politics.

Berlin gives a good enough picture of its host city, delving into its complicated history and giving glimpses of its beauty. But few of the segments connect us to its inhabitants and visitors in any meaningful way.

Offering very little in the way of enjoyment or anything other than clichéd horror tropes, The Prodigy isn’t offensively terrible and will unintentionally make for a few solid laughs, but it’s best not to let this forgettable vessel possess much of your time.

Lords Of Chaos is more interested in the spectacle than the substance behind the true story, and that kind of phoniness likely wouldn’t even get the film or Åkerlund invited into The Black Circle.

This strange, deliberately naïve film plunges a high-concept romance into a banal, lifeless world.

Luce is a dangerous minefield and simply crackles with the kind of distressing pressure that is beginning to define America in every conversation we have about race, marginalization, social strata, woke politics and even marriage.

Even as an homage The Hole in the Ground feels like business as usual rather imbuing the genre with a much-needed modern edge or new context.

As Vic chauffeurs, these individuals through a racially divided city—Mikhanovsky delivers a profound statement that celebrates the connective tissue of humanity with honesty, sensitivity and an endearing heart.

Flaws and all, Cold Pursuit is a gleefully violent good time. Moland’s movie is silly but sharp, with barbs drawing blood despite a story that we’ve seen before.

For every scene that doesn’t work there is another that’s spellbinding. It’s gutsy and provocative and, frankly, that’s a compliment you can’t give many independent films these days.

If the performances were as wooden as the plot, “Imaginary Order” would be unwatchable ... Instead, McLendon-Covey’s lead turn and some savvy supporting performances (most notably Kate Alberts as her daughter) keep things compelling for the film’s overstretched 100-minute run time.

A somewhat cool robot does not make a movie. ... The eventual twists aren’t that surprising and don’t really make sense in the context of even the film’s most basic world building.

A film that features a few fantastic comedic highlights unfortunately weighed down by a misfired performance from its lead actress. The result is an occasionally funny, inventive, but inconsequential, feature.

An uncommonly knotty and fiercely intelligent story of assault and blame in the social media age.

Ultimately, it’s hard to figure out exactly what movie Anvari was trying to make.

Survived pain arises as both a vehicle for growth and catalyst for the revaluation of one’s impetus in Joanna Hogg’s introspectively awe-inspiring stroke of virtuosity The Souvenir.

There is drama in the source material for sure, but maybe a little more style could have helped elevate this moment in history for the masses.

Paddleton is so busy not doing much, it blindsides you with its honestly-earned emotions.

Though Monos feels very contemporary aesthetically, its subjects are timeless: the malleability of group dynamics and how subtle changes can lead to either violence or harmony. It’s a philosophical film with very few words, examining its ideas through powerful images and feelings.

A thrilling, subjective, portrait of one family’s attempts to navigate the corrupt economy of emergency health care while, also, providing much-needed services for a city desperately in need of EMTs.

Light from Light is a quiet and modest film with big subjects on its mind and it will reward those viewers with the patience to listen to the faint wavelengths at the end of the dial.

The combination of Thompson’s sharp delivery and Kaling’s commercially friendly script make the film’s charms hard to resist.

The film team is so strong and the direction so fine that it’s simply hard to believe this is actually Talbot’s first full-length feature film. And to detail much more would spoil the genuine surprise of their many on-screen artistic contributions.

Honey Boy may center on the impressive portrayals of three talented actors, but it’s the woman behind the camera that makes it soar. You simply can’t wait to see what she does next.

[Nyong’o is] so good, in fact, that the pleasure of her performance makes “Little Monsters” worth seeing. But just barely.

Hala is keenly observed and quietly powerful, and we’ll be hearing much more from the talented women on either side of its lens.

Appropriately frosty and aloof, The Lodge is a meditative plumbing of the darkest parts of the human psyche, our vulnerabilities, and self-doubts and it’s these personal fears that resonate loudly.

It’s Wang’s singular gift for life’s simplest moments which makes The Farewell ring so truthfully bare, funny and emotional.

A superficial tale about the casualty at the center of the story, Extremely Wicked, rings hollow and false and is really just as interested in the sensational and salacious as any other reductive thriller.

The drama engages with the ever-present theological question of how the faithful endure the silence of God during times of great suffering. But it also ponders the extremes the devout will go not only to receive an answer from on high, but proselytize in His name.

There are no dull moments in this ridiculously brutal, often severely dumb, but enjoyable, film

Alfre Woodard may have graced us with the performance of her career.

The initial inspiration was clearly there, but the execution simply falls short.

Miss Bala fails both when judged on its own merits and when compared to its predecessor. Just like Gloria in the film itself, Rodriguez is the only hero here. She works hard to elevate the material, but both she and her character deserve so much better than this.

Where it surprises is in Bell’s fantastic performance and the fact it eventually stops becoming a laugh out loud comedy. It soon dives into much more of a heartwarming drama with a few random jokes thrown in.

The director resists the urge to make the family too heroic – in fact, his own character takes an unsympathetic turn near the end, which must’ve been a tough call. But it matters, because it renders his deeply-felt joy and pride at the picture’s conclusion all the more potent.

This is one of the most joyous and exhilarating movies you will see this year and because there is so much passion flowing out from the music, screenplay, and acting, you totally forgive the film when it strays into the predictable and even a little bit of corniness.

Orley’s direction is fine, and the picture is well made for a low budget indie, but Davidson is all you’ll really remember when you leave the theater. And for many, that’ll be enough.

Adam is a small movie, but it still feels like a big step forward for trans representation in film, which has lagged behind gay and lesbian progress made on screen in the last few decades. It’s as imperfect as its hero, but there’s still something to root for here.

Overall, “Fighting” works thanks to Merchant’s witty screenplay, Pugh’s transformative performance, Vaughn’s inspired off the cuff one-liners (likely improvised) and a cast that clearly respects the Bevis family story.

Apologies in advance, but for lack of a better descriptor the whole thing is a mess. It’s not even good enough to be a cult movie which is backhanded compliment anyway. But, hey, at least the actors tried.

High Flying Bird is often serious in how it deals with issues more substantial than just sports, but even beyond McCraney’s sharp, witty script, there’s a sense of joy here. The fun Soderbergh had making the film radiates off it, with this masterful movie that reminds the audience why we’re lucky one of the greatest living directors is still in the business.

Great cast, fun mysteries, well-crafted set pieces, and suspense for days isn’t enough to outweigh the crushing defeat felt at the end of Escape Room by the ludicrous ending that overshadows the proceedings.

Like its signature song (which has taken up permanent residence inside my brain), The Lego Movie 2 is fun and full of energy, but unlike the original, it’s not entirely memorable. Hopefully, its kind message will stick with kids and parents, even if none of the jokes do.

Most importantly of all: it’s funny. Really, really funny, consistently and constantly.

It’s not tolerable as even basic movie sustenance, or adventurous cuisine, and it’s a f*cking revolting mess.

Where King of Thieves fails its heralded cast is in its shifts in tone. We’ve been promised a fun ride with Caine in the driver’s seat, but the trip goes downhill too quickly.

The oily slick of sin across the surface of this film isn’t what makes it wickedly fun; it’s the utter devotion to its bonkers twist, at once defying logic and good taste. Serenity knows it’s trash, but that’s not to say that it’s not entertaining trash.

With her touching portrait of naivete and the necessity of “hard times,” Miller-Costanzo imbues a potent storyline with bursts of humor and hues of wonder, thus striking a chord of authenticity and comforting resonance within the viewer.

Interesting, funny, yet thin where it matters most, Tunnard’s film is nevertheless a good indication of promising work ahead.

In its first act, Close is a competent thriller, buoyed by early action sequences from director Vicky Jewson and some really solid scene transitions that point toward a strong style. However, as the film goes on, it switches from the precision of a sniper rifle to the scattershot effect of a drunk-wielded machine gun.

It may poke fun at Karen and Tina, but it never says that their choices around motherhood aren’t valid and deserving of happiness. Its ultimate sympathy for these women may be at odds with earlier jabs at them, but it creates an empathetic space that is surprisingly emotionally satisfying.

Little Woods isn’t always subtle, but the occasional lack of nuance doesn’t lessen the power of its timely themes or impressive performances.

In being such a simple, unshowy film, it avoids asking too many questions or digging for the larger truths writ large in the story of Fyre about our society, about celebrity and influencers and Instagram, and the patently manufactured lives that we’re taught to believe we can have.

Bolstered by a damn fine turn by Dorff, who carries most of the film, there’s more to like than dislike with this one.

In a Relationship lays out the director’s talents (working with actors and crafting tone) while also showcasing the areas where improvements can be made.

The Kid Who Would Be King blows the dust off an old tale, and makes it invigorating and inspiring for viewers who will be forming their own round tables of world-changers for generations to come.

Though anchored by strong performances that ultimately make it watchable, the surrounding film stumbles along thanks to a bumbling script that’s devoid of any originality.

While a few fun martial arts scenes pepper the effort, they are subsumed by an overall product that is riddled with plot holes, choppy cuts, laughable acting, and villains so evil that they’d make Skeletor blush.

Ultimately, Glass is a killer concept that suffers from a wobbly execution. Shyamalan nails the intimate stuff, but that third act is just bound to shatter and confound audience expectation.

A drama crafted with precision, and feeling, West of Sunshine succeeds admirably with its modest ambitions, as the filmmaker puts himself on the horizon as one to watch.

A film with a universal sensitivity that relates the pangs of first love, the desirous ache of adolescent sexuality and the excitement of not just discovering yourself but finding those kindred spirits with whom you can share your life.

As sweet, corny, and comforting as your grandma’s creamed corn, Dumplin’ may not be a balanced meal of a movie, but it’s an enjoyably carb-y binge.

Based on the story of a man beaten so mercilessly he had to construct a fantasy world in order to survive his great pain and suffering, Robert Zemeckis’ insipid Welcome To Marwen is a painfully schmaltzy misjudged disaster, and superficial retelling that dishonors a layered and agonizing story about trauma.

Even for those who do know Ailes’ history of profound power abuse and sexual harassment, Divide & Conquer is engrossing.

On the Basis of Sex is a well-enough-made movie, fully constructed in the mold of hundreds of biopics that came before; it’s emotionally satisfying but has few surprises.

If nothing else, Once Upon a Deadpool is an experiment that’s interesting in theory, but it doesn’t prove fruitful in terms of execution.

There is some fun to be had with Bird Box. Despite its sporadic eye-roll moments, the film is charming. It’s the epitome of a rainy day movie – a flick that you can watch wrapped in a blanket with a hot cup of cocoa when it’s too dreary to leave the house.

May the Devil Take You is less funny and a bit less playful than its inspiration in Raimi’s work, but there’s still a sense of fun here. That is, if you find shrieking and laughing in terror fun.