United States
Molly’s Game is a prime showcase for one of Hollywood’s most versatile actresses, but the film as a whole doesn’t live up to Chastain’s fiery performance.
Upon first viewing, Phantom Thread is utterly irresistible, but the dense themes and examinations of inter-character relationships means that it is the rare Anderson effort that will only be upgraded to masterpiece status once it has fully been processed after multiple viewings.
The Insidious franchise has quietly grown to be one of the most impressive and contemporary horror- and Insidious: The Last Key is another solid entry, despite the January release date.
Though occasionally unsurprising, Better Watch out is a strong alternative to the regular holiday viewing because of the nasty genre thrills it delivers whilst being wickedly funny.
Bright is a film trying too hard, with an execution that leaves something to be desired. What is good gets smothered under the excess, and while it might keep some entertained it doesn’t stick with you.
Mom and Dad maintains its absurdity, while not completely abandoning its eerie core, sensitively playing off a very personal, instinctual source of parents defending their young – until they become prey.
Despite some wonderfully imaginative special effects, Downsizing falls short due to its unfocused nature, an underdeveloped love story, and some feeble attempts at social satire.
In finding the perfect lead in Jackman as Barnum, providing moving and invigorating musical numbers executed by a stellar secondary cast, impressive visuals, and covering timely topics, The Greatest Showman overcomes its narrative shortcomings.
Using archival footage and a present-day interview, Jim & Andy fills in the backstory related to Jim’s spot-on performance of Andy Kaufman in 1999’s Man on the Moon, at the same time providing an explanation for some of his modern bizarre behavior.
Should future encores of Pitch Perfect take the stage, we can only hope they have a little more verve and imagination than this one.
Edward Scissorhands is one of those rare films where everything, every single aspect came together perfectly to create “movie magic”.
The Shape of Water, Guillermo del Toro’s 10th feature, is loaded with qualities to praise, including beautifully-lit cinematography, a haunting score, and exceptional performances, but as a whole it’s not quite as impactful as it could’ve been.
The Family I Had is a sensitively-crafted and thoughtful documentary, utterly harrowing in its depiction of a family’s tragedy, but all the more powerful for being so.
Based on true events, Compliance is a film about the police and following authority – it’s compelling, if also extremely disturbing as well.
Gremlins, an ’80s holiday classic, comes mainly from two influences: old-fashioned sci-fi/horror and the Looney Tunes.