It’s a film of maddening contradictions, missed opportunities and half-taken risks, but it’s destined to be one of the year’s most polarizing and talked-about releases regardless.

The Monkey quite competently makes a monkey out of the human ego, though the comedy choreography is a few bananas short of a bunch.

Fast X doubles down on everything longtime fans have come to know and love about the franchise, but anyone who isn't sold on the saga at this stage isn't going to be won over.

If you like the 1992 classic you might enjoy this update, but if you don't have the time to kill, it's probably worth sticking to the original.

As it smiles and waves to the rest of the genre like a good little rom-com, you may catch a hint of a gleam in its eye and wonder, very briefly; is that who Irish Wish really is? Or did director Janeen Damian and screenwriter Kirsten Hansen just pull off one of the most maliciously untheatrical, galaxy-brain plays of the year?

As an experience, Avatar: The Way of Water is second to none. In terms of the storytelling, though, James Cameron has fallen into the exact same pitfalls as he did on the first visit to Pandora.

The Void is a portal back to the 80s, hinged on immersive practical effects work that picks up the slack of a slighter story.

No Man of God doesn't tell us anything about Ted Bundy we didn't already know, but it's a riveting drama anchored by two phenomenal performances from Luke Kirby and Elijah Wood.

Annabelle: Creation is no lifeless dummy. Plotting may run a bit thin and coincidental, but David F. Sandberg whips up bone-chilling scares and hefty doses of peek-through-your-fingers imagery.

In essence, Bloody Birthday is the old horror film, The Bad Seed, multiplied by three on the crazy scale, but far less chilling.

Split is never as clever or poignant as it thinks it is, but James McAvoy won't let it be forgotten, either.

In terms of performance, Freeman generates about all the emotion this nearly one-man show puts out. At first, Andy’s mission is protection and self-reservation, but Freeman captures the process of shifting priorities marvelously, making Andy’s transition from worried improviser to adapted martyr all the more pleasing to experience.

Four powerhouse performances cannot quite make Richard Linklater's occasionally moving dramedy, Last Flag Flying, into more than a minor war movie.

It’s broody and disciplined, soaked in the pungent style of foreign auteurs who molded Scorsese’s own love of film – yet overburdened by a downward spiral lacking fire and unforgiving features.

The Princess fully embraces its outlandishness to deliver a cheesy, violent, R-rated fantasy actioner that's destined to ensure as a camp cult favorite.

20th Century Women relegates a set of extraordinary female characters to supporting players in a standard coming-of-age narrative. It's entertaining, but also disappointing.

Violent Night delivers everything that was promised, and it's destined to find long-lasting life as a cult classic, but there's barely anything of note beyond the superficial.

Ultimately, Stars At Noon provides an interesting look into an important time in history for Nicaragua from the perspective of a French director who has no direct involvement with the reality she is representing. Unfortunately, the conventionally attractive hetero-normative romance between the leads, and the espionage shenanigans they get up to, are wildly uninteresting compared to the gravitas of everything that is going on in the background.

Malignant is messy, chaotic, ridiculous and quite possibly the most insane movie you'll see this year, but James Wan doesn't just know that; he uses it to his advantage.

Psychonauts, the Forgotten Children is bizarre, imaginative and beautiful, but it's also crying out for a stronger narrative.

Michôd’s military dramedy is more about press tours, TV interviews and power plays. That’s what makes this Netflix new release redeeming in its political poignancy – but having Brad Pitt doesn’t hurt.

With a little less preamble and a lot more momentum, The Cow might have been something special.

Doctor Strange is the psychedelic kung-fu spectacle that Marvel hoped director Scott Derrickson would deliver, but it’s got a strange problem – the doctor himself.

Anchored by a top-notch performance from its lead, The Hero surpasses its cliches and becomes an ideal vehicle for its star. In Sam Elliot we trust.

Combining Amblin-style adventure with grind house exploitation theatrics, 'Kids vs. Aliens' is the ultimate 80s man-child movie.

In its braggadocios final form, genre fans have a unicorn watch that surely won’t be replicated anytime soon. Points for creativity, points for ambition, and points for a studio showing the balls to back provocative genre cinema.

Sing runs on some serious super-piggy performance power, even if the emotional notes are expected.

Unfortunately, Smith’s would-be comeback vehicle is hamstrung by a weak script, paper-thin characters, and gets caught too often being overly earnest rather than emotionally honest, something that ultimately taints the integrity of the endeavor and will leave audiences disappointed.