When Alex Garland made the jump from writing to directing, he was one of the few to successfully make the leap. Known for penning acclaimed films like 28 Days Later and Sunshine, Garland’s directorial debut of Ex Machina in 2014 turned heads. And if his follow up – the 2018 adaptation of the novel Annihilation, by Jeff VanderMeer – didn’t outright turn heads, it at least tilted them.
The long-awaited sequel, Top Gun: Maverick, is just around the corner – and miracle of all miracles, it’s as good as you’ve heard.
SELL/BUY/DATE, a loose adaptation of Sarah Jones’ popular one-woman show, hides an anti-sex work polemic behind a documentarian facade.
AMERICANISH is a solid but overstuffed romantic comedy/culture clash dramedy held together by an immensely charming cast.
HOMEBODY is a genderqueer bodyswap movie that falters in the last act, despite a charming performance from star Colby Minifie.
Every so often, a documentary finds a truly odd story and a truly novel way to tell it, and THE PEZ OUTLAW unquestionably fits that mold.
Leave it to Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert – the writer/director duo behind Swiss Army Man, which showed us Paul Dano using Daniel Radcliffe’s corpse as a fart-powered motorboat, because why not – to find a fresh spin on the concept that occupies critical darling territory.
KING RICHARD lets Will Smith play the role of Richard Williams, father to Venus and Serena. But is it focused on the wrong guy?
Ti West’s latest horror opus, the porn meets backwoods slasher, X, has a terrific premise but a detrimental lack of focus.
Freshman year of college is a once-in-a-lifetime set of memorable and unique experiences. But that set of experiences varies widely from one person to the next. Will you win the roommate lottery, or will your shared occupancy of your tiny room be a living hell? Will you thrive in a bigger, deeper pond, or will you flounder?
Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn, a bizarro Romanian dramedy, is an insightful and fascinating look at our modern moment.
ROSE PLAYS JULIE is a subtle and sophisticated rape-revenge drama that I can’t get out of my head, no matter how hard I try.
The Batman, Matt Reeves’ new take on the Caped Crusader, is without doubt the best big screen iteration of the character.
KIMI may be a pastiche of better films — The Conversation, Blow Out, Rear Window — but it’s still an excellent thriller in its own right.
THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH is a remarkable adaptation of one of Shakespeare’s most beloved plays that feels at times like a half-remembered nightmare.
