Film Reviews Why Flow is my favorite film of 2024 Director Gints Zilbalodis and co-writer Matīss Kažathe invite us into an animated vision of a flooded world in which animals reflect the dangers of who we are and the glory of who we can be.
Film Reviews Is The People's Joker the best Joker movie yet? (I know how I'm voting.) Vera Drew's fantastical truth-telling will discomfort those who are terrified of trans individuals. What's more — it will challenge Batman fans.
Film Reviews You'll love what Elliott learns from her "Old Ass" Megan Park's comedy about a young woman corresponding with her future self is unexpectedly engaging—one of 2024's most delightful surprises.
Film Reviews No Other Land: these filmmakers are risking their lives so you will watch their movie This Oscar-winning documentary should be seen and discussed by every American, as we are supplying the resources for cruelty and erasing whole communities.
Film Reviews Live from New York, it's... a ticking-clock thriller and a tribute to improvisational creatvity! Jason Reitman's controlled-chaos fantasy about the launch of SNL offers a good time with rowdy comedians at a turning point in TV history.
Film Reviews Carol Kane and Jason Schwartzman bond Between the Temples Just as he did in Rushmore, Jason Schwartzman plays a young man with an irrational longing for one of his teachers, a woman much older than him. Great awkwardness ensues.
Film Reviews Nine reasons to see Didi Sean Wang's Sundance Award-winning coming-of-age film is a joy and one of the year's most promising directorial debuts. Here are some of the reasons I enjoyed it so much.
Film Reviews Lee Isaac Chung gets carried away with Twisters The personal touch of Minari director Lee Isaac Chung is evident in this surprising sequel to a 1996 summer blockbuster, which turns some blockbuster cliches sideways.
Film Reviews Kings of infinite space: Inmates of Sing Sing stage a prison break through art The latest entry in the "Art Can Change Your Life" genre has particular strengths—it's a true story, it avoids narrative contrivance, and, most of the time, it shows admirable restraint.
Film Reviews Wicked Little Letters serves up wisdom with a clustercuss of conflict Now streaming on Netflix, Wicked Little Letters should not be overlooked. It's much more than a swear-word showdown between Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley.
Film Reviews Dazzled and disappointed by Furiosa, "the darkest of angels" While it's a thrill to be back in George Miller's awe-inspiring cinematic universe, Furiosa's story feels too narrowly focused on revenge.
Film Reviews A Quiet Place: Day One is a decent exercise in an exhausting, exhausted genre Nyong’o shines in an otherwise unremarkable prequel about an alien invasion, a cat, and the search for transcendent pizza.
Film Reviews Hail any cab but Daddio's Why I probably won't revisit Daddio, a movie about a Manhattan cab driver and his fare.
Film Reviews Stranded on Janet Planet, a young girl struggles to survive Annie Baker's directorial debut is a discomforting, intimate portrait of a struggling mother and a wide-eyed, intuitive daughter who draw difficult neighbors into their orbit.
Film Reviews Not so fast, but oh so furious: Thelma is a blast. June Squibb is 2024's funniest and most endearing action hero in this delightful play on Mission: Impossible clichés.
Film Reviews Ghostlight celebrates the healing power of community theater Kelly O'Sullivan's film about grief, reconciliation, and community theater deserves major acting awards.
Film Reviews Inside Out 2 gives us all some strong anti-anxiety treatment While it doesn't quite reach the heights of Pixar's golden-age masterpieces, we can be grateful for the wisdom and whimsy of this surprising sequel.
Film Reviews Hit Man hits and hits... but misses when it matters most Linklater's smart, good-humored comedy looks ready to launch a fantastic franchise starring Glen Powell... and then fumbles the ball and loses the game just when it seemed like a sure win.
Film Reviews Civil War — It's not about picking a side Some of my favorite critics have serious issues with Alex Garland's speculative fiction about a near-future collapse of democracy in the U.S. And I just don't get it.
Film Reviews Still recovering from an evening with Hundreds of Beavers The most original movie I've seen in years is also the most outrageous comedy I've seen in years. It's an endurance test for your brain, body, and sense of humor. Brace yourselves. And dress warmly.
Film Reviews Unworthy of Gosling or Blunt, Fall Guy's screenplay falls short of my summer movie standards If this is your idea of a satisfying summertime movie, well... knock yourself out. Me? Life's too short, and there are just so many better ways for me to spend my summer.
Film Reviews Love triangle aside — what is Challengers really about? Despite its tangled web (net?) of bad behavior, Luca Guadagnino's smash hit gets a lot right about the transcendence artists pursue and sometimes reach.
Film Reviews Low-budget, high imagination: Riddle of Fire may someday be an all-ages cult classic This retro adventure—which sends kids questing for an egg that'll help them bake a pie and save a sleeping beauty—will puzzle many moviegoers and win the hearts of a special few. I'm one of the few.
Film Reviews Playful, nightmarish, fantastical, political: Problemista is all over the place Julio Torres's leap from television's Los Espookys to the big screen has some remarkable highlights... and some complicated challenges.
Film Reviews Cabrini celebrates a true Christian vision of embracing immigrants and opposing cruelty Angel Studios' new film celebrates a woman who helped America practice what it preaches about welcoming immigrants and serving the poor. And this time, the studio gets it mostly right.
