100% SPOILER-FREE
NOTE: These are reviews of movies that
were seen in an actual movie theater.
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COMING NEXT:
- AKIRA THEATER RE-RELEASE IN 4K
- HEAVEN IN GLASS AND STONE
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Recommended: COYOTE VS. ACME
Even better than all the Looney Tunes cameos is knowing that the plot of the movie (fighting an evil corporation) mirrors the story of how the film got made.
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Recommended if you like Herschell Gordon Lewis films: ONSLAUGHT
The music and blood spray are straight out of the 70s, but the batshit crazy is timeless.
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Meh-commended: THE DOG STARS
A dog dies [see below].
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Meh-commended: THE END OF OAK STREET
The writing was terrible, the effects were okay, the directing was good, and the acting was great.
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Highly Recommended: TEENAGE SEX AND DEATH AT CAMP MIASMA
This one's even more meta than I Saw the TV Glow!
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Recommended for Insidious Fans: INSIDIOUS: OUT OF THE FURTHER
New flesh on the usual bones; good to see that it's back on its game after (ugh) Red Door (ugh).
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Recommended for Bollywood-Extravaganza Fans: NAGABANDHAM
As grandiose as Baahubali and RRR, but with reeeeally a lot of tragic slaughter.
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Highly Recommended: SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY
I didn't think it could beat No Way Home, but it did; Tom and Zendaya are in this year's two best films so far.
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Recommended for Kids: MINIONS AND MONSTERS
Lots of Easter eggs for film buffs.
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Highly Recommended: THE ODYSSEY
Here's a complete review: https://vmkmorrison.substack.com/p/seventeen-comments-on-nolans-the
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Recommended: THE INVITE
Imagine Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf as a sex comedy.
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Recommended: EVIL DEAD BURN
Vaniček adds a solid contribution to the franchise, with insane directing and over-the-top gross-outs.
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Recommended: MADDIE'S SECRET
It's like John Waters and Douglas Sirk made an ABC Afterschool Special.
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Meh-commended: SUPERGIRL
It's a mixed bag of good and bad qualities; the audience I saw it with loved it, so take that info as you will.
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Recommended: LEVITICUS
It's being billed as a horror/romance, but it's more of a horror/suspense-thriller; the tension is urelenting.
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Highly Recommended if you like this genre: THE FURIOUS
It's Ong-Bak, but the elephant is some kids; I'd love to see the two leads in a buddy-cop film.
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Recommended: DISCLOSURE DAY
Argue with your friends about which Spielberg movie it's most like, or about whose face is more weird, Emily's or Josh's.
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Recommended: BACKROOMS
House of Leaves meets Annihilation; Chiwetel Ejiofor is the best thing about it.
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Recommended: MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE
It's a comedy (funnier if you're familiar with the tv show, but still hilarious either way).
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Highly Recommended: TUNER
Soooo much better than expected, very noir morality/mentality.
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Recommended: INTO THE GREY
Cleverly constructed storytelling with good performances and gorgeous scenery.
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Recommended: THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU
Engaging, unpredictable plot, but I have to warn you that a [space version of a criminal] dog dies in it.
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Recommended: I LOVE BOOSTERS
Every bit as insane as Sorry to Bother You; pretty sure the post-credits scene is a piece that was cut out of a monologue in the middle.
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Recommended: IS GOD IS
An absoluely wild ride, not for the squeamish.
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Not Particularly Recommended: BY DESIGN
I enjoyed it, but it's probably too weird for most people.
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Recommended?: THE SHEEP DETECTIVE
Sure it's cute and funny and all, but it has some really sad parts.
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Recommended?: MORTAL KOMBAT 2
Too much CGI and not enough EDM #1995forever
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Recommended: OBSESSION
This called for some wild acting, and the leads hit it out of the park.
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Recommended: ONE SPOON OF CHOCOLATE
A great film by RZA, but a rough watch about a horrific subject (white supremecists killing Black men to sell their organs).
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Recommended if you liked the first one: THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA 2
A new plot, but feels generally like the first one.
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Recommended: HOKUM
A messy mash-up of this and that, but worth it.
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Recommended: MOTHER MARY
Michaela is electric, and Anne does well despite being miscast; helpful hint-- it's all metaphors!
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Recommended if you can stand gore, Numero Deux: NORMAL
Not the best writing, but Odenkirk makes it enjoyable.
Recommended if you can stand gore: OVER YOUR DEAD BODY
Clever and funny, if you have a strong stomach.
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Recommended?: MERMAID
Extremely "indie" despite 4 brand-name actors and studio-quality creature sound and design.
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Recommended: THE DRAMA
Thought-provoking and well acted, with interesting director/editor choices.
Meh-commended: FORBIDDEN FRUITS
Cheezy fun with a great cast; don’t pay to see it.
Highly Recommended: THEY WILL KILL YOU
Insane, hilarious, ultraviolent.
Recommended: READY OR NOT 2: HERE I COME
As much fun as the first one.
Recommended: PROJECT HAIL MARY
Very likeable despite Venus-sized plot holes.
Recommended: THE BRIDE!
A bold, if imperfect, experiment.
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Recommended: PILLION
I did NOT expect this to be a cringe-humor dramedy!
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Recommended: NIRVANNA THE MOVIE
It's Tim and Eric mixed with Canadian Borat for Tim Robinson fans.
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Highly Recommended: WUTHERING HEIGHTS 2026
Emerald Fennell is a much better storyteller than Emily Bronte.
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Recommended: CRIME 101
No matter what kind of role anyone gives Hemsworth, he always knocks it out of the park.
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Meh-commended: DRACULA
Another retelling, closest in style to the FFCoppola version.
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Recommended: SEND HELP
Not a typical horror movie, and amazingly riveting for a movie with mostly only two people in it.
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Recommended: NIGHT PATROL
This is unlike any other police movie you have ever seen.
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Recommended: THE TESTAMENT OF ANN LEE
It should have been a drama with some scenes of music/dance instead of a 2.5-hour musical, but it's weird enough to hold your interest.
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Recommended for those who are into these films: 28 YEARS LATER: BONE TEMPLE
Feels like merely the connective tissue between the first and third movies of this trilogy, but there is one Ralph Fiennes scene that makes the whole film worth it.
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Recommended: CHRONOLOGY OF WATER
The best work I have seen IPoots do, with exceptional directing and editing from KStewart.
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Recommended: IS THIS THING ON
Bradley Cooper masters both acting and directing; good sound design.
Highly Recommended: DEAD MAN'S WIRE
Ten out of ten, no notes.
Highly Recommended: MARTY SUPREME
Despite being about ping pong, it was every bit as frantic and stressful as Uncut Gems; check the cast list beforehand to enjoy the cameos from writers whose names you know but whose faces you don’t (e.g., David Mamet, Pico Iyer).
Recommended: WE BURY THE DEAD
I was pleasantly surprised to find that this is a drama that happens to have some zombies in it, not “a zombie movie.”
Recommended: THE HOUSEMAID
Went in expecting crap, but it was SO GOOD; maybe someday SydSwee’s acting will improve like Kristen Stewart’s and Blake Lively’s did.
Recommended: DUST BUNNY
It’s hard to describe this film; just sit back and let it happen.
Recommended: NO OTHER CHOICE
I thought it was a bit silly, but the audience found it funny; good social commentary.
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Recommended: SENTIMENTAL VALUE
Sorry, but the only word I can think of to describe this is "Bergmanesque."
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Recommended: HAMNET
Here come the Oscars!
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Recommended: 100 NIGHTS OF HERO
An amusing fairy tale with a message.
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Recommended: NOW YOU SEE ME 2025
What made this especially good was the addition of the girl from Barbie, the guy from TV Glow, the guy from Leftovers, and Rosamund Pike's South African accent.
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Recommended: ZOOTOPIA 2
Still fun, still political, still full of Shakira; amazing cast.
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Highly Recommended: WAKE UP KNIVES OUT
Not just an excellent mystery movie, but an excellent movie; how does Rian Johnson keep doing this???
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Recommended if you liked the first one: SISU 2
It's the guy from Sisu vs. the guy from Don't Breathe; need I say more?
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Recommended: WICKED FOR GOOD
Not as much fun as the first one, but still wonderfully political, and it's satisfying to see how everything turns out.
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Recommended: RENTAL FAMILY
Comfort food: like a Hallmark movie, except it doesn't suck.
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Recommended: JAY KELLY
A look at the price of fame, with a cast that makes you wonder how much applies to them personally; one of those rare, wonderful times when Sandler is a real actor.
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Highly Recommended: THE RUNNING MAN
This tale of America's possible future may just be my favorite movie so far this year.
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Not Recommended: KEEPER
As much as I love Osgood and Tatiana, this is just a load of crazy bullshit.
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Recommended: BUGONIA
Typical Yorgos Lanthimos: an excellent film about horrible things.
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Recommended: DELIVER ME FROM NOWHERE
For a number of reasons, I am very biased, but other people have verified that this film really is terrific.
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Recommended: FRANKENSTEIN
Major differences (in the details, not the spirit) from the novel, but visually sumptuous.
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Recommended for Academics: AFTER THE HUNT
If you work in the world of higher ed, you will love it; if not, maybe not.
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Recommended: PREDATOR: BADLANDS
The best and loudest movie in this franchise.
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Recommended: GOOD FORTUNE
Mediocre comedy, but fantastic social commentary.
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Recommended: ROOFMAN
A well-cast comedy with Tater Channing once again playing a big, loveable jabroni.
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Meh-commended: THE SMASHING MACHINE
Good work by the actors, but odd music and editing choices by the director.
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Recommended: ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
It's tense, tender, creepy and crazy; everybody involved understood the assignment.
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Meh-commended: HIM
Visually stunning but very hard to follow.
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Recommended for DA fans: DOWNTON ABBEY: THE GRAND FINALE
It was like the GoT series ending in that everything turned out the way it should have, but it felt rushed.
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Recommended for Conjuring fans: THE CONJURING: LAST RITES
The usual, but, at the end, you get to see photos of how the real people turned out.
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Recommended: SPINAL TAP: THE END CONTINUES
A lot like A Mighty Wind; fun cameos; if you don't listen to the lyrics, Spinal Tap is actually a good band.
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Meh-commended: HONEY DON'T!
Ethan Coen’s second lesbian film, this time using old film noir tropes.
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Recommended: CAUGHT STEALING
Stressful and sad, but with [about as much] humor [as you can probably get with Aronofsky], and more proof than Elvis that Austin Butler can carry a movie.
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Recommended: THE ROSES
More clever and witty than "funny," with excellent lead performances, and the worst wardrobe I have ever seen a woman wear (Oh, Olivia, WHY?).
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Recommended: HIGHEST TO LOWEST
Is it just my imagination, or does Denzel seem to be at his most comfortable and uninhibited when Spike Lee is directing???
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Highly Recommended: WEAPONS
How the writer/director thought of this, wrote it, then did a good job directing it, I will never know.
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Recommended if you liked old-school Naked Gun: NAKED GUN 2025
The usual; absurdist fun.
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Recommended: FANTASTIC 4
It's fantastic *shrug*
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Recommended? TOGETHER
Creepy, funny, gross, but guess what: probably stolen (a lawsuit has been initiated).
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Recommended: EDDINGTON
Classic Aster: brilliant, unpleasant, darkly humorous, bloody, and well acted and directed.
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Recommended: SUPERMAN 2025
It's exactly as if James Gunn made a Superman movie.
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Recommended for JPark fans: JURASSIC PARK: REBIRTH
Sure they added much more character development and plot this time, but consequently, there were NOT ENOUGH DINOSAURS.
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Recommended: F1
As it says on the tin; rewards attention to small details.
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Recommended: M3GAN
Action-packed sequel in which mildly amusing protagonists attempt to defeat what is basically Thiel's Palantir.
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Recommended: 28 YEARS LATER
Maybe more stylish than it had to be, but what a ride-- this was insane!
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Recommended: LIVE ACTION HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON
I never read the books or saw the animated versions so I can't compare, but this was GORGEOUS.
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Recommended: THE MATERIALISTS
Unexpectedly deep and serious look at various philosophies of love; best character Dakota Johnson has ever played.
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Recommended: THE LIFE OF CHUCK
Imaginative approach to a number of philosophical issues and existential questions, with an excellent cast.
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Recommended: BALLERINA
NOT a cheesy money-grab, but a legit John-Wick-style film with cinematography and good direction and everything, including a few set pieces like nothing you've ever seen.
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Recommended: THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME
Wonderfully un-twee for a WesA film: delToro really sells it.
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Meh-commended: BRING HER BACK
Cool movie with lots of suspense and good acting (actually contains Sally Hawkins!), but it kinda doesn't make sense.
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Highly Recommended: MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE-- THE FINAL RECKONING
Even if you aren't into the M:I franchise, the directing, editing, effects, and cinematography make this worth watching.
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Recommended if you like the humor of Tim Heidekker and/or Tim Robinson: FRIENDSHIP
This film comes across like a collab between both Tims.
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Recommended: FIGHT OR FLIGHT
Hartnett is amazing at playing a beat-up and wrecked person in this well-made ultraviolent dramedy which is a cut above the typical formulaic action film.
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Recommended: THUNDERBOLTS
With more psychology in it than most Marvel movies, this is a good but not great dramedy made better by the miracle that is Florence Pugh; Harbour is a little hammy and JLD's make-up crew needs to be shot, while FauxCap and Ghost are barely an afterthought.
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Recommended: ACCOUNTANT 2
Even better than the first; I now know that I would see anything wth Affleck and Bernthal teamed up like this.
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Recommended: CHEECH & CHONG'S LAST MOVIE
Creative approach to documentaries, very meta, with lots of suprising facts about C&C.
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Recommended: SINNERS
The real stars of this film are the direction and the music; Marvel-alum Coogler serves up both a mid-credit and after-credit bonus.
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Recommended: THE WOMAN IN THE YARD
This beautifully crafted psychothriller is not at all what the trailer makes you expect, and Danielle Deadwyler is fantastic.
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Recommended: BLACK BAG
A stylish whodunnit that demands attention and intelligence; watching it on a phone won't work.
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Recommended?: THE RULE OF JENNY PEN
This is a brilliant movie, but extremely unpleasant to experience.
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Recommended: NOVOCAINE
Fun variation on the typical action film; not for the squeamish.
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Recommended: MICKEY 17
This sci-fi dramedy raises social, political and existential questions; interesting work by Pattinson and Ruffalo.
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Recommended: CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD
Different from the usual Marvel movie, but in some ways, more enjoyable for that reason.
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Recommended: THE MONKEY
Think of it more as an extremely dark and gory comedy than as a horror movie.
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Recommended if you stream it in the background but pay attention for the fight scenes: LOVE HURTS
It makes a valiant attempt to be a higher quality film than it is, but there are just too many flaws.
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Recommended but maybe not as highly as the original: DIG XX
Although I never saw the original, I suspect that this extended-extra-footage version did not need to be 2.5 hours long, especially since there is too much Anton and not enough Courtney and Joel.
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Highly Recommended: COMPANION
Actually, the less you know going in, the better.
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Recommended: PRESENCE
An eerie and sad, well acted and directed, reminder that live humans are worse than ghosts.
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Recommended: GRAND THEFT HAMLET
I expected it to be funny, and it was, but it was also surprisingly serious too.
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Meh-commended: THE ROOM NEXT DOOR
Despite having important themes, this film contains the weakest work I have ever seen from Almadovar, Swinton and Moore.
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Not Recommended: IT DOESN’T GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS
Some good ideas in there that need to be taken by people with more skills and crafted into a better movie than this one.
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Recommended: THE BRUTALIST
A few confusing bits and weird sound-design choices, but a beautiful work of art; has an intermission!
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Recommended: THE LAST SHOWGIRL
So good, so real, so depressing.
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Recommended as a kids' film: SONIC 3
As usual, Jim Carrey outshines everyone else; there are mid-credits AND after-credits clips.
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Recommended: NOSFERATU
Kind of a mishmash, but an interesting take on the old story; it's visually fantastic, and might actually be one big sexual metaphor.
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Highly Recommended: A COMPLETE UNKNOWN
Terrific film, terrific performances, but it will be better for people who know all the history and references.
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Personally, I enjoyed it: KRAVEN THE HUNTER
It has a lot of things that I like: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, parkour, Russian accents, and a pro-animal/anti-hunting stance.
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Recommended: QUEER
Not much plot, but super cool-looking, and Daniel Craig gives the performance of a lifetime.
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Recommended: Y2K
See it for Julian Dennison and Fred Durst.
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Recommended: MOANA 2
Eye-poppingly gorgeous; has a mid-credits sequence.
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Meh-commended: GLADIATOR 2
Cool looking, but takes itself way more seriously than it earns the right to, considering the bad dialogue and occasional malarky.
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Recommended: WICKED
Yes, it's as corny, sappy and fakey as most musicals, but it's visually opulent, and the leads are an absolute joy to watch.
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Recommended: RED ONE
Awkward blend of adult action film and sappy kids film, but a fun ride nevertheless.
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Highly Recommended: A REAL PAIN
Brilliant writing and acting, though emotionally exhausting.
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Recommended: JUROR #2
Excellent cast and premise, but it kind of drags despite the tension, and you may or may not like the ending.
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Meh-commended: ANORA
Interesting story and characters but with uneven pacing, and it's nowhere near as good as Red Rocket.
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Recommended: EMILIA PEREZ
Though its provenance includes a opera libretto, the film would have been better had they not made it into a musical; however, the story and performances make the film riveting.
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Recommended: HERETIC
Hugh Grant is almost a parody of classic-hugh-grant in this highly philosophical blend of regular horror, existential horror, and plot-hole horror.
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Highly Recommended: CONCLAVE
Every element of this thriller is first-class.
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Recommended if you like Venom films or Ted Lasso: VENOM 3: THE LAST DANCE
Not an Oscar contender, but who cares when you've got Tom playing Eddie and Venom, with Juno Temple, and Dani Rojas all grown up!
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Recommended: SMILE 2
Should be trimmed down to 90 minutes, but otherwise a better quality movie than the first one; in some ways, fame is the real demon here.
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Recommended: SATURDAY NIGHT
Does an effective job of getting across the many issues at hand and the unrelenting chaos; fun performances.
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Recommended: MY OLD ASS
Better than expected and surprisingly poignant.
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Highly Recommended: JOKER: FOLIE A DEUX
This well shot and acted foray into mental illness and the faulty institutions surrounding it will be disliked by people who wanted the film to be something different and didn't get their way; it does some interesting things with the Gothamverse as well which crybaby fanboys might not like.
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Recommended for kids old enough to see cartoon violence: THE WILD ROBOT
Beautiful scenery, cute animals, terrific voice acting; kids won't notice all the plot holes.
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Highly Recommended: MEGALOPOLIS
Appropriately subtitled "a fable," this unique surrealist gem was worth the extra money to see in IMAX.
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Highly Recommended: WILL AND HARPER
This is a beautiful film <3.
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Recommended: DON'T LET GO
Grim, but clever and well acted; will keep you guessing.
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Meh-commended: THE KILLER'S GAME
Typical for its type, but it was fun to see Drax being smart and Mantis being vicious.
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Highly Recommended: THE SUBSTANCE
A stunning allegory with top-notch writing, acting, directing and cinematorgraphy, but take a Xanax first if you're squeamish.
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Recommended: CASA BONITA MI AMOR
What a story--it's amazing, and provides a lot of insight into the personalities of the creators of South Park.
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Recommended if you like Burtoncore: BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
It's a fun sequel, but might be hard to follow for people who did not see the first one.
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Recommended: THE FRONT ROOM
Typical A24 mix of horror and humor, worth seeing for Kathryn Hunter and for a lot of the directorial choices.
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Recommended: STRANGE DARLING
Freaky as hell in the best way--go in blind and do not let anyone spoiler anything for you!
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Recommended: BLINK TWICE
Although it could have been tightened up a bit, this is a very promising first effort from Kravitz, and benefits mightily from its amazing cast.
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Recommended: ALIEN-ROMULUS
Gorgeous, yet also hilariously gross, with character types that echo past crews, this movie gives us yet another great synthetic to enjoy.
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Recommended: SKINCARE
Shocking: that this actually happened, and that Banks' acting just keeps getting better and better over the years.
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Recommended: CUCKOO
Insane in the best way: Hunter Schafer's acting and makeup, and Dan Stevens doing a German accent, are worth the price of admission.
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Recommended for having on the background when you can stream it for free: BORDERLANDS
The problems were the writing and the visuals, but I am worried that the poor quality will be blamed on having female and Black heroes, even though the key players did a fine job 
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Recommended if you like movies about people at the cringy middle-school age: DIDI
Slow but well acted and directed time capsule of 2008.
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Recommended: TRAP
Don't ruin the experience by trying to anticipate a "twist," as this is simply a normal suspense film with a lot of great qualities.
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Highly Recommended: DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE
A comedy with even less of a fourth-wall than Fleabag, this raises the bar on superhero films, then shatters the bar, then urinates on the pieces.
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Recommended: TWISTERS
Entertaining despite some plot holes and clunky writing, and if you don't mind a country-music soundtrack.
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Recommended: LONGLEGS
Wonderfully weird; crazy and creepy.
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Highly Recommended: SING SING
This little "equitably made" film was better than the majority of big studio pix I've seen this year; worth making an effort to see.
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Meh-commended: FLY ME TO THE MOON
This historical-reimagining has better acting than writing, but even the acting has a "look at what great actors we are" feeling to it, maybe because we've seen these great leads in so many other things.
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Highly Recommended: MAXXXINE
The crown jewel of this trilogy, Maxxxine proves that Ti West and Mia Goth are the king and queen of Caviar Grindhouse.
NOTE: I am copyrighting the term "Caviar Grindhouse."
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Recommended if you like knife wounds: KILL
This is basically one giant set piece that might more properly have been titled STAB.
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Recommended: KINDS OF KINDNESS
Unlike some other Lanthimos films, this strikes the perfect balance between batshit-nuts and riveting; stay for the mid-credits sequence.
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Recommended: THELMA
Everybody else in the theater clearly thought it was hilarious and adorable, but I thought it was a depressing look at the horrors of old age and of parents like Posey and Gregg.
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Highly Recommended: BIKERIDERS
The acting, the directing, the editing, the music, the cinematography, the sound... this may turn out to be the movie to beat this year.
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Not Recommended to Pay to See: THE WATCHERS
Well crafted, well acted, and suspenseful, but full of head-shakingly-stupid plot points.
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Recommended: BAD BOYS: RIDE OR DIE
Good action, direction, and set pieces, with fun characters and cameos.
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Recommended: FURIOSA
While nothing can beat Fury Road, this was good in its own way, especially because of the melodramatic direction and action.
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Recommended: HIT MAN
Works as both a simple rom-com and as a philosophical conversation-starter; good performances.
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Recommended if you like PotA movies: KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES
It's exactly what you see in the trailer.
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Recommended if you like arthouse-type films: I SAW THE TV GLOW
A giant metaphor full of references to 90s tv.
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Recommended: BOY KILLS WORLD
Completely batshit insane dark comedy with nonstop mayhem.
Recommended: MARS EXPRESS
This movie was like Ryan Reynolds: Gorgeous, smart, and funny.
Recommended if you like this sort of a thing: TAROT
To borrow a Britishism: As it says on the tin.
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Meh-commended: JEANNE DU BARRY
Not a good movie, but interesting cast, nuanced performances, and actual on-site filming at Versailles.
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Recommended: THE FALL GUY
Likeable rom-com with almost-non-stop action and amazing stunts.
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Recommended: CHALLENGERS
Often brilliant, sometimes hamfistedly stylish, but overall the best of Luca's three films; might turn guys bisexual idk.
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Recommended: ABIGAIL
Better written, acted and directed than you'd expect.
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Recommended: MINISTRY OF UNGENTLEMANLY WARFARE
Fun though violent; feels more like a heist film than like a war film.
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Not Recommended: SASQUATCH SUNSET
Silly and disgusting; I went becasue I like Riley and Jesse, but you can't even tell it's them.
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Highly Recommended: CIVIL WAR
Brilliantly written, acted and directed; more about war journalism than about America's issues.
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Recommended: DOGMAN
Excellent film, but depressing overall; note that no dogs were harmed.
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Highly Recommended: MONKEY MAN
DEV PATEL IS GOD.
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Meh-commended: THE FIRST OMEN
Weird, slow-moving film with good cinematography and sound design.
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Highly Recommended: LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL
Despite one gaping plot premise hole, this is clever, funny, and scary.
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Highly Recommended for Kaiju Fans: GODZILLA X KONG
This was utterly ridiculous; I loved every minute of it.
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Highly Recommended: THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MAGICAL NEGROES
The social-commentary parts of the film were brilliant, and the rom-com parts of the film were very well acted.
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Recommended: IMMACULATE
Surprisingly well made and horrifying.
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Recommended: LOVE LIES BLEEDING
A clever, 80s-style thriller that's both tense and intense.
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Recommended: DUNE 2
It's The Two Towers, but Dune.
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Not Recommended: MADAME WEB
I was 200% ready and willing to welcome it, but it was like a movie made by highschool students.
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Meh-commended: DRIVE-AWAY DOLLS
Qualley and Feldstein were fanstastic as always, but the movie comes across like a film student trying to "make a Coen Bros movie."
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Recommended: OUT OF DARKNESS
Very intelligent and well acted slow-burner with amazing sound design.
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Recommended but TW: THE ZONE OF INTEREST
Eerie and surreal look at what Arendt called "the banality of evil"-- would have "highly" recommended it for its brilliance, but it's a tough watch because of the subject matter.
Recommended: BOB MARLEY: ONE LOVE
Worshipful biopic with a terrific lead.
Highly Recommended: ORIGIN
Not just a great "issue" movie but just a great movie; every person in America should see this.
Recommended: GODZILLA MINUS ONE IN BLACK AND WHITE
It's somehow more poignant in black and white, and FUPAzilla looks scarier.
Recommended: ARGYLLE
A fun parody of spy movies that is also a fun spy movie.
Not Recommended: LISA FRANKENSTEIN
It has its charms, but it's a little annoying and silly.
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Recommended if you like the Statham Genre: THE BEEKEEPER
Here's the latest excuse for Statham to cause mayhem, with some semi-big names in the cast, and a few more interesting characters than usual.
|
Recommended: MEAN GIRLS
Fun update of the original with good callbacks; if you don't like musicals, just focus on the lyrics when each song comes on, because they're clever.
|
Highly Recommended: THE BOOK OF CLARENCE
Multiple-genre film with a interesting premise, cinematography, directing, and music (much of which was by the director) and well worth seeing for the cast alone, especially Stanfield's performance.
|
Not recommended: FERRARI
Strange directing and editing choices, very uneven sound, bad fake accents, and some gratuitous gore; Cruz gave the only non-mediocre performance.
|
Recommended if you like musicals: THE COLOR PURPLE
This is an excellent musical with some stellar performances, but because it's a musical, it lacks some of the poignancy of the book or the 1982 movie.
|
Meh-commended: AQUAMAN
If you just want to shut off your brain and enjoy a mildly amusing comedy with lots of action and cool stuff to look at, then this is for you.
|
Meh-commended: POOR THINGS
Visually and musically imaginative, but rather unpleasant, with too much of the fisheye-lens that YL overused in The Favorite; only scratches the surface of what it could have explored philosophically.
|
Highly Recommended: THE IRON CLAW
Compelling and well acted; you don't have to be into wrestling to be drawn in.
|
Recommended for Kids: WONKA
Gorgeous, with fun auditory callbacks to the original film, plus a great way to teach kids about the evils of big business.
|
Highly Recommended: AMERICAN FICTION
A dramedy about SO many things; Sterling K. Brown steals every scene he's in, and that's saying a lot considering the fine cast.
|
Recommended: EILEEN
Well shot and acted neo-noir psychological thriller.
|
Recommended: THE BOY AND THE HERON
Beautiful and bizarre, takes you on an unexplainable journey.
|
Recommended for Gojira fans: GODZILLA MINUS ONE
Wait, this was actually a pretty good movie, WTF???
|
Meh-commended: DREAM SCENARIO
Interesting premise, but they didn't know what to do with it; Cage does a fine job, though.
|
Not Recommended: NAPOLEON
Joaquin's take on the character is interesting, but the movie lacks coherence, historical insight and psychological depth.
|
Meh-commended: NEXT GOAL WINS
Very nice movie, but flawed in a lot of ways.
|
Recommended if you like Hunger Games: BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES
Solid addition to the franchise: not as good as 1 but better than 3.
|
Highly Recommended: SALTBURN
I am not going to tell you a thing about this except that it's INSANE and you must see it.
|
Highly Recommended: THE HOLDOVERS
A 70s-motif comedy with heart as well as exceptional writing and acting.
|
Highly Recommended: THE MARVELS
Kamala and the Khans make this movie great, on top of the awesome fact that there are are like zero white males in this and you won't miss them at all.
|
Recommended: THE KILLER
Recommended if you will pay attention, because if you're just listening while looking at something else, or just watching while talking to somebody, you won't get the full quality of this Fight-Club-flavored Fincher piece.
|
Recommended: ANATOMY OF A FALL
If you like crime procedurals and psychological studies, and snow, this is for you.
|
Highly Recommended: DICKS--THE MUSICAL
Now we know who will take on the mantle of hilarious campy filth when John Waters retires.
|
Highly Recommended: STRANGE WAY OF LIFE
A lifetime of drama brilliantly packed into a 30-minute short (paired with a lesser short plus a taped interview to fill out 90 minutes).
|
Mehcommended: EXORCIST: BELIEVER
Good performances, but it will work better for people who believe in a religion.
|
Recommended: Dumb Money
Important lesson about the evil rich, with a terrific cast and fun soundtack.
|
Highly Recommended: The Creator
Thought-provoking, and full of good acting, visuals, direction and music.
|
Meh-commended: It Lives Inside
Excellent effort that shows tremendous promise, but didn't blow me away, except for the insights into the culture of India.
|
Not Recommended: Expend4bles
I went to this specifically to see Jaa, Tran and Uwais do martial arts, but it was all boring guns, explosions, and substandard banter.
|
Recommended if you like mysteries: A Haunting in Venice
Gorgeous and spooky, but otherwise a typical who-dunnit.
|
Highly Recommended: Cassandro
An important story beautifully acted and directed!
|
Recommended if you're a JanesWaniverse fan: The Nun 2
Surprisingly not bad with some beautiful cinematography.
|
Recommended if you like this series: EQUALIZER 3
It was better than 2 but not as good as 1.
|
Mehcommended: GOLDA
Artsy and interesting, but you won't learn very much from it.
|
Recommended: GRAN TURISMO
Typical sports-triumph movie upgraded by the choice of sports (racing, gaming) and cast (Hounsou, Harbour and Madekwe).
|
Highly Recommended: BOTTOMS
HILARIOUS (unless you prefer mainsteam humor; if you like the trailer, you'll like the movie).
|
Highly Recommended: BLUE BEETLE
So much to love about this movie and very little to not love.
|
Recommended if you like this sort of thing: THE MEG 2
Not a high-quality movie, but a fun one.
|
Meh-commended: STRAYS
Classic Will-Ferrell-type role, and Jamie Foxx is great, but it's just not that funny.
|
Not Recommended: LAST VOYAGE OF THE DEMETER
This is a handsome-looking film with good performances, but there are SO many nits to pick; I actually got up to go to the bathroom during it because it was that obvious what was going to happen in the upcoming scene.
|
Recommended: TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES
Worth it for the art and the soundtrack alone; some good voice acting.
|
Recommended if you like the Disney ride: HAUNTED MANSION
Only about as good as the average kids movie, but the easter eggs and Tiffany Haddish make it fun; LaKeith does actual good acting, which is kind of wasted here except that nothing regarding LaKeith is ever a waste.
|
Recommended: THEATER CAMP
Fun comedy with a terrific cast and child actors who were not annoying at all!
|
Recommended: OPPENHEIMER
Top-notch acting, directing, editing, story structure and sound.
|
Recommended: BARBIE
At first I was sorry that it took a serious turn, but now I'm glad it became such a societal talking point; it is still a fun comedy and a visual picnic.
|
Recommended: MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: DEAD RECKONING
Great cast, with many cool scenes and director choices, but still not as good as 1 or 6.
|
Recommended if you like the Insidious movies: INSIDIOUS: THE RED DOOR
Sinclair Daniel was a standout, but otherwise, this was a pretty typical Insidious movie.
|
Highly Recommended: JOY RIDE
It's the raunchier sister of Bridesmaids.
|
Recommended: INDIANA JONES: DIAL OF DESTINY
Better than 2 and 4, but not as good as 1 and 3.
|
Recommended: THE BLACKENING
Funny, but also very suspenseful and scary, with interesting looks at relationships.
|
Recommended for Wes Anderson Fans: ASTEROID CITY
The W.A. film with the most beautiful aesthetic and the least respect for women; interesting framing device, but it trips over itself.
|
Highly Recommended: THE FLASH
Now I get why they didn't kill this when Ezra Miller went bad: it's terrific.
|
Recommended if you like Transformers movies: TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS
Better than usual Transformers movie.
|
Meh-commended: THE MACHINE
Mildly amusing.
|
Highly Recommended: ACROSS THE SPIDERVERSE
Not just a great movie, but an amazing creative achievement.
|
Highly Recommended: YOU HURT MY FEELINGS
Insightful comedy about identity, age, careers and relationships, with excellent acting and writing.
|
Not Recommended: MASTER GARDENER
Promising premise, but weird dialogue, 80s-ish synth music, and a bad performance by Sigourney Weaver.
|
Recommended if you're not usually a F&F fan; Highly Recommended if you are: F&FX
The epitome of all F&F films, full of meta-humor and cameos, and the best two villains of the series (Charlize and Momoa).
|
Mehcommended: HYPNOTIC
Fun premise and twists, but somehow a very mediocre movie.
|
Highly Recommended: BLACKBERRY
An Armando-Iannucci-style dramedy with outstanding writing, acting, and directing (but terrible fake hair).
|
If you're a Marvel fan, you're seeing it anyway: GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY 3
Better than GOTG-2 and not as good as GOTG-1, but, warning-- it contains tragic animal cruelty (keep reminding yourself it's only fiction).
|
Highly Recommended: CHEVALIER
A 90-minute baroque-era opera film with a hot protagonist and an eat-the-rich mentality: it's like they made a movie just to cater to me personally!
|
Highly Recommended: POLITE SOCIETY
Badass combo of comedy/homage/spoof/drama/kung-fu, proving that a mostly-women movie can kick all the ass.
|
Recommended: SISU
As if Grindhouse had a third movie about an old Finnish John Wick.
|
Recommended: EVIL DEAD RISE
Innovative, yet still a clear part of the Deadite canon; Raimi-esque fun.
|
Not Really Recommended: BEAU IS AFRAID
Does capture the surreal quality of nightmares, but is three hours long with insufficient payoff, so, basically a David Lynch film.
|
Recommended: THE POPE'S EXORCIST
Schlocky but fun, with surprisingly good directing, camerawork and cinematography, not to mention my new favorite Russell Crowe role; I'm actually hoping for a sequel.
|
Recommended: RENFIELD
Both Nicholases bringing the over-the-top fun, plus Awkwafina.
|
Mehcommended: AIR
Overall average quality, but good actors.
|
Highly Recommended: DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS: HONOR AMONG THIEVES
Lots of fun, great cast, and probably Chris Pine's best work (no kidding).
|
Highly Recommended: A THOUSAND AND ONE
Amazing acting, directing and writing; compelling story.
|
Recommended: THE LOST KING
Steve Coogan making another social-issues story, this time portraying men as hijacking the narrative to cut down women, people with disabilities, and political rivals.
|
Mandatory If You Like John Wick: JOHN WICK 4
Of the four films, this has the best cinematography, dog, and performance by Donnie Yen.
|
Not Recommended: MOVING ON
Why would anyone try to make a comedy out of rape trauma?
|
Recommended: SHAZAM: FURY OF THE GODS
A jumble of plot holes and malarky, but lots of fun.
|
Mehcommended: OPERATION FORTUNE: RUSE DE GUERRE
Typical movie of this type, unexceptional except for Hugh Grant and Aubrey Plaza (both the characters and the acting).
|
Recommended: CREED 3
I loved it; MBJ managed to pull off both terrific acting and directing, and there was only one badly written line in the whole thing.
|
Recommended but not for didactic purposes: EMILY
Good movie about Emily Bronte but entirely fictional and full of actual wrong info.
|
Recommended if you follow the MCU: ANT-MAN: QUANTUMANIA
Mediocre and full of plot holes, but Jonathan Majors is divine.
|
Recommended if you like Hayek, Tatum and choreography: MAGIC MIKE 3
MM2 had the best plot, but MM3 was the most moving because of Salma; this may actually be my favorite of her performances.
|
Recommended: LIVING
Kurosawa's original and this version balance out as to which is better; Nighy is great (he even sings!), but Brendan F. should still get the Oscar this year.
|
Recommended if you like The Cronenberg Family: INFINITY POOL
As usual, futuristic "transformation" and gruesome fetishes; the lesson is that rich people are bad.
|
Recommended: WOMEN TALKING
Beautifully shot and directed thought experiment with an amazing cast, but the dialogue is fakey.
|
Highly Recommended: MISSING
Brilliantly clever and suspenseful, and so well acted and directed that you won't mind the few blips in logic.
|
Recommended: M3GAN
So much fun, basically what you would expect from the trailer.
|
Not Recommended: CORSAGE
Granted, it's based on a difficult historical figure to discuss, but in its overblown efforts to be artistic, it becomes ineffective.
|
Recommended if you have 3.5 hours: BABYLON
Best use of movement and chaos since Uncut Gems; a beautful mess with some amazing needles in the haystack.
|
Highly Recommended but tragic: THE WHALE
Aronofsky again reminds us that there is no horror movie worse than some people's real lives.
|
Recommended if you're patient: AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER
Gorgeous, but feels long; the moral is that humans are evil and kids are dumb.
(TW: animal killing)
|
Highly Recommended: SPIRITED
Only the hilarious synergy of Farrell + Reynolds could make me love a musical this much.
|
Recommended if you want to see exactly what it's like to lose a loved one to cancer: SPOILER ALERT
Excellent writing and acting; incredibly sad even though it is sort of a rom-com.
|
Meh-commended: THE FABELMANS
Generally hokey acting and writing except for Lynch, Hirsch, LaBelle and Berlin who were perfect; great cameo by Lane Factor of Rez Dogs.
|
Highly Recommended: VIOLENT NIGHT
Manages to be a hilarious comedy and a fun Christmas film despite the insane gore and violence.
|
Highly Recommended: GLASS ONION
So clever, you won't mind the little plot holes; Monae's best to date; better than Knives Out.
|
Recommended: BONES AND ALL
Bizarre yet moving, and a better film than CallMeBYN (tighter, better dialogue, better performances)
|
Highly Recommended but it's really long: Iñárritu's BARDO
Sumptuous and surreal, with humor, sadness, and political commentary.
|
Meh-commended: ARMAGEDDON TIME
Artsy look at privilege and the lack of it, with good performances.
|
Highly Recommended: WAKANDA FOREVER
The most arthouse of the Marvel films, poignant, and super fucking cool.
|
Recommended: BLACK ADAM
Badass characters, action, editing, directing and political commentary.
|
Recommended: THE MENU
Harrowing high-concept fable.
|
Recommended for people who like to be sad: BANSHEES OF INISHERIN
Proof that you can build a whole movie on Colin Farrell's face and Carter Burwell's music.
|
Not Recommended: TAR
Cate deserves an Oscar, but people other than music experts will find this movie to be too scholarly and action-free.
|
Highly Recommended: TRIANGLE OF SADNESS
Every scene was so perfect and so real; lots of dark humor; you will either love or hate the ending.
|
Mehcommended: SMILE
Could have been shorter, but was good despite hamfistedly overapplied cliche horror-film techniques.
|
Recommended: AMSTERDAM
Strange mix of earnestness and unabashedly contrived dialogue, but an interesting story with many messages and some fun performances.
|
Highly Recommended: BROS
So funny and so terrific!
|
Mehcommended: CONFESS FLETCH
I will watch Jon Hamm in anything, and this certainly was anything.
|
Recommended: DON'T WORRY DARLING
Cool movie (despite plot holes) with exceptional acting, cinematography and sound design.
|
Mehcommended: MOONAGE DAYDREAM
Cluttered with non-Bowie noise, but a cool approach to biography and better than no Bowie movie at all.
|
Highly Recommended: SEE HOW THEY RUN
Great cast and so much meta-meta fun!
|
Highly Recommended: THE WOMAN KING
A beautiful and badass film; loved every minute.
|
Recommended for KS fans only: CLERKS III
Mandatory for KS fans, but offers little for everyone else except fun cameos.
|
Recommended: BARBARIAN
Well written, acted and directed; also batshit nuts.
|
Highly Recommended: FUNNY PAGES
The hardest I ever laughed at cringe humor, and the most realitic view of North Jersey weirdos that you will ever see.
|
Recommended: THREE THOUSAND YEARS OF LONGING
Beautiful, well directed and scored fairy tale carried by Idris Elba.
|
Highly Recommended: BULLET TRAIN
So much fun, such great cameos!
|
Recommended: BODIES BODIES BODIES
Suspenseful, funny, clever; will keep you guessing until the end.
|
Recommended: THE BLACK PHONE
Weird, interesting, unusual little movie.
|
Highly Recommended: THE GRAY MAN
Action, comedy, and my favorite roles ever for Gosling, Evans, Woodard and Thornton.
|
Recommended if you like this kind of thing: MRS. HARRIS GOES TO PARIS
Pleasant and nice; if the tropes seem old that's because they're from a book written in 1958.
|
Highly Recommended: NOPE
Very cool movie with many creepy moments and interesting themes; Kiki rocks.
|
Recommended: VENGEANCE
Outstandingly brilliant until the last few minutes.
|
Recommended: THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER
Typical Taika Waititi comedy: equal parts humor and pathos.
|
Recommended: ELVIS
Brilliant; belongs with Amy and Rocketman on the list of exceptional biopics.
|
Meh-commended: LIGHTYEAR
Less funny or fun than most Disney/Pixar films, but visually wonderful, with excellent female characters.
|
Recommended: JURASSIC WORLD
Super-scenic action thriller; fun callbacks but you don't need to have seen previous films to enjoy this one.
|
Recommended if you like Cronenberg: CRIMES OF THE FUTURE
All the classic Cronenberg ingredients but with better performances and more humor than usual.
|
Not Recommended: MEMORIA
This should have been an episode of Black Mirror, not a 2-hour movie.
|
Highly Recommended: RRR
Outrageously epic, like if Tarantino and Rob Rod collaborated while on acid and cocaine.
|
Recommended: BOB'S BURGERS
Above-average cartoon-to-film movie with numerous voice cameos; if you like the show, you will like it.
|
Highly Recommended: TOP GUN: MAVERICK
Will win you over immediately and keep you to the end; great job all around, no complaints.
|
Recommended for All D'Abbey Fans: DOWNTON: NEW ERA
Julian Fellowes has a Dickensian knack for spinning threads then tying them all up with a bow in the end.
|
Not Recommended: MEN
Two hours of Jessie Buckley and Rory Kinnear, and weird BS, with insufficient pay-off.
|
Recommended: THE DUKE
Mirren and Broadbent are terrific as ususal in this amazing true story about interesting people.
|
Recommended: DR. STRANGE: MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS
Light on plot and dialogue; extravagant on visuals, action, surrealism, sfx, surprises, and cameos.
|
Recommended: THE BAD GUYS
Great heist movie for young and old.
|
Recommended: THE UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF MASSIVE TALENT
Fun and funny send-up of Hollywood in general and Cage in particular; Pascal and Cage are charming.
|
Meh-commended: THE NORTHMAN
Conan the Barbarian did it better with fewer fake accents; just because a movie's weird doesn't make it good.
|
Recommended for Kids: SONIC 2
Not as good for an adult as the first one, but Carrey is great as Robotnik again.
|
Catch it on TV, I guess: MORBIUS
Leto, great; Smith, great; soundtrack, great; face-morphing, great; writing, dumb.
|
Recommended: THE OUTFIT
Sylish and clever, would make a great stage play; Rylance is brilliant.
|
Mildly Recommended: THE LOST CITY
More interesting than the usual rom-com, and, if you like Sandra and Tatum, this is CLASSIC Sandra and Tatum.
|
Recommended: EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE
I liked it and found it amusing; the rest of the audience loved it and found it hilarious.
|
Recommended: THE LOST DAUGHTER
Weird movie about weird people; Colman deserves all her nominations.
|
Recommended: CODA
Saddled with cramming a book full of issues into a 2-hour movie, it comes across as a bit contrived, but still manages to be likeable.
|
Not Recommended: DRIVE MY CAR
Way longer than it had to be, with only one stand-out performance and a trite message despite the unusual story.
|
Highly Recommended: THE BATMAN
The best Bats movie ever made, super noir, every element perfect.
|
[see it on tv] Recommended: DOG
Less about dogs and more about the way in which military service can wreck people.
|
Recommended: DEATH ON THE NILE
Many fun changes from the original novel; only minor problems.
|
Highly Recommended: PARALLEL MOTHERS
A riveting story that is perfectly shot, acted and directed.
|
Recommended: POWER OF THE DOG
Despite some artsiness and bad line readings, this slow-burning period piece packs a powerful punch.
|
Highly Recommended: THE 355
Above-average spy thriller with women doing all the action--grown women, not twenty-somethings!
|
Highly Recommended: RED ROCKET
Needs tightening up and a better ending, but otherwise brilliant; amazing acting.
|
Catch it when it comes on tv: THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH
Coen and Washington valiantly tried some new things that don't quite work, but the visuals, sound and music are tremendous.
|
Mildly recommended: LICORICE PIZZA
Aimless but charming love letter to 70's SoCal; more fun if you know all the true backstories.
|
Highly recommended if you're a fan of the original trilogy: THE MATRIX: RESURRECTED
A joy ride of meta-meta-meta fun, with in-jokes, call-backs and Easter eggs; has a post-credits scene.
|
Not Recommended: THE KING'S MAN
Too serious to be a fun Kingsman film but too Kingsmanish to be a good serious film; dialogue needs editing; acting got too acting-y at times.
|
Recommended if the subject interests you: BEING THE RICARDOS
Fascinating look at tv, history, and this marriage; bumpy in spots, but the cast and the dialogue make up for the flaws.
|
Highly Recommended: SPIDERMAN: NO WAY HOME
The epitomal Spidey film, the ne plus ultra; an all-star cavalcade of Easter eggs and fun; you'll laugh/you'll cry.
|
Highly Recommended: NIGHTMARE ALLEY
Sumptuous, brilliant, classic, with a killer ending; easily Laustsen and del Toro's best; Cooper and Blanchett get better with every film.
|
Recommended: DON'T LOOK UP
Exactly what will happen if a comet is headed toward Earth; well written/acted/directed.
|
Recommended: C'MON, C'MON
"Arthouse" in a good way (deep themes, artistic look and music); Phoenix and Nelson are outstanding.
|
Recommended: BERNADETTA
Suspenseful (and sexually explicit) look at religion in general and medieval religion in particular, with politics and psychology thrown in; good cinematography, direction, music and acting.
|
Highly Recommended: THE HUMANS
YES, this is precisely what humans are like; every family will recognize itself in this existential nightmare.
|
Recommended: ENCANTO
Easily the prettiest Disney movie of all time, BUT, get ready to explain to your kids the oblique references to colonizer genocide #SadLikeBambi'sMom
|
Recommended: HOUSE OF GUCCI
Not a perfect movie, but see it for the cast and the drama.
|
Neutral: RES EVIL RACCOON
Run-of-the-mill horror with a few good scenes; see it if you like this kind of thing.
|
Recommended: BELFAST
Beautifully shot, directed and acted, with all the music by Van Morrison, who I didn't even know was Northern-Irish.
|
Recommended: SPENCER
Stewart crushes it in this surreal psycho-emotional portrait; not factual, but you need to know the facts to understand it.
|
Recommended only if you're into Marvel: ETERNALS
Corny movie with cheesy effects, but Kit and Kumail are great.
|
Recommended: LAST NIGHT IN SOHO
The plot holes/inconsistency are not enough to ruin the overall experience of the film, which is stylish and engaging.
|
Recommended: THE FRENCH DISPATCH
Fun, clever smorgasbord with great actors; might be too quirky for non-Wes-Anderson-fans.
|
Highly Recommended: THE HARDER THEY FALL
Not only my new favorite western ever, but one of the best movies of the year so far (writing, acting, directing, music).
|
Recommended: THE ELECTRICAL LIFE OF LOUIS WAIN
A creatively made biopic of a strange life: poignant, funny, and charming, with great performances and cameos.
|
Highly Recommended: DUNE 2021
Zimmer, Villeneuve and Ferguson excel; yes, Chalamet is a good Paul; see it on the big screen with the good sound system.
|
Not Recommended: THE LAST DUEL
This movie was hard to watch for a large number of widely varying reasons.
|
Do not waste two hours: LAMB
Who in the hell thought this was a good script?
|
Mandatory for Bond fans: NO TIME TO DIE
One of the better and more self-aware Bond films; has a post-credit moment.
|
Recommended: TITANE
Wildly unpleasant hilarious sick comedy/horror with great performances, cinematography and direction.
|
Recommended: VENOM--LET THERE BE CARNAGE
Very dark comedy; seems like the writers and actors had fun.
|
Recommended: COPSHOP
Twisted fun with three great leads; best Toby Huss role since Dale Gribble.
|
Recommended if you are into the subject matter: EYES OF TAMMY FAYE
Tongue-in-cheek camp that paints Tammy as a good-hearted patsy.
|
Recommended but don't pay movie prices: THE CARD COUNTER
A weird drama with the look/feel/sound of a 70s horror film; a very compelling wreck.
|
Recommended: SHANG-CHI
Just what you would expect from an MCU kung-fu movie with Awkwafina, in the best way.
|
Recommended: Neill Blomkamp's DEMONIC
Interesting sci-fi drama with demons; Pope & Martin are good at playing normal people speaking normally.
|
Highly Recommended IF you liked the first one: DON'T BREATHE 2
Same batshit-insane sleigh ride as the first (note: will not pack the same punch if you didn't see the first).
|
Highly Recommended: FREE GUY
Highly endearing and not just for gamers; fun face and voice cameos.
|
Highly Recommended: NINE DAYS
Existentialism that will rip your heart out; amazing performances.
|
Recommended: SNAKE EYES
Hey wait, this movie was actually good: wtf?
|
Recommended (but see below): SUICIDE SQUAD
Great fun, but it will really help if you have a very sick sense of humor.
|
Highly Recommended: SUMMER OF SOUL
Beautiful, joyous, inspiring and a perfect time capsule!
|
Recommended: PIG
Excellent writing, acting and directing, but I wish it had ended differently.
|
Recommeneded: JUNGLE CRUISE
Pure classic-era Disney look, feel and story, with a few neat modern touches.
|
Highly Recommended (but not for The Normals, just for A24-types): THE GREEN KNIGHT
Cleverly done writing, spellbinding score, riveting direction.
|
Recommended: THE SPARKS BROTHERS
Wright's work made me sorry that I had never heard of Sparks until this documentary.
|
Recommended: OLD
Inventive direction and camerawork; interesting concepts.
|
Recommended: BLACK WIDOW
Florence triumphs as always (and my personal favorite roles for Weisz and Harbour); minor plot holes/problems, nothing ruinous.
|
Not Recommended (unless you already love F&F films): F9
So much effort crafting the backstory and none on making the main plot believeable.
|
Highly Recommended: GERMANTOWN
Finally, a role worthy of Waltz; his best since Inglourious.
|
Highly Recommended: @ZOLA
So much better than anyone could have hoped: the direction, writing and performances were brilliant.
|
Highly Recommended: WEREWOLVES WITHIN
One of the best movies of 2021 so far, and nobody has even heard of it!
|
Can't Really Recommend: MORTAL KOMBAT 2021
It's sad when a movie made in 1995 is 1995 times better than its remake in 2021.
|
Not Recommended (unless you are one of those die-hard Conjuring/Warren fans)
CONJURING: THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT
These dumb movies are fun, but this was less good than the others, and involves an actual tragic murder.
|
Not Particularly Recommended: THE UNHOLY
Had a made-for-tv feel, but it was a riot to watch Cary Elwes do a Boston accent.
|
Recommended: CRUELLA
I have so many complaints about this, and yet I really enjoyed it; you will too if you like The Emmas, fashion, and/or bitches.
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Mildly Recommended: WRATH OF MAN
Neither a typical action film nor a typical Ritchie film, but some awkward hybrid; merely okay.
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