Miguel loves his community. But more and more, neighbors are leaving: The Bronx is gentrifying.
That may be a bad thing, but there’s something worse to be tackled, and only Miguel and his friends seem to recognize it. The Bronx is now feat. vampires.
The kids’ quest to save home is witty and entertaining. Bronx-ness permeates every scene without feeling fake or forced. The movie is meant to be spooky, but you’ll find yourself more happy than haunted.
Nils Frahm puts on a show.
And we have the best seat in the house, thanks to pro camerawork. Balanced zooms show us all the highlights: sweat beads of concentration here, happy feet there, an evolving crowd always. The experience is intimate, but collective too.
Editing distracts us in the best way. How is he making these sounds—but look at that technique—wow the crowd is feeling this song—except for that person in the third row? Go with it. Sit and watch or stand and dance, you can’t go wrong.
Borat has given a bad name to his home, Kazakhstan. To make up for it, he must travel to the U.S., and make good with its leaders.
That’s the idea. The execution is ridiculous, cringe-worthy, and many times, laugh-out-loud funny.
The movie oversimplifies things, and is arguably pretty offensive. But it also spotlights ridiculous behavior. Because the leads play their exaggerated characters to perfection, it makes us wonder—as we laugh—where satire ends and sad reality begins.
Teenagers can suck. These three stand out even in that crowd, so they’re sent to the Scottish countryside for detention. The idea goes: You can’t fool around if you want to survive.
What could go wrong? A lot, it turns out. Especially when drugs and secret societies are involved.
This movie is just outrageous. It’s hilarious, punchy, and filled with youthful irreverence. The leads work well together, and as silly as it is, it makes an interesting point.
The rules of the jungle don’t change.
Indigenous people know this, and Agnes is catching on. She’ll need the jungle’s help if she wants to escape the bad guys.
It’s a haunting story, and one that takes cues from its setting. Nature can move slowly, but it’s always moving. Best listen to it before you act.
Craig is strong; Craig is gentle. Craig free dives in the wild ocean.
One day, he comes across something he’s never seen before. This begins an unexpectedly long and touching journey, where a man learns about an octopus, and an octopus learns about a man.
Waiting for the punch line? It is a funny story. But it’s also dead serious—about survival, intelligence, connection. Crisp picture gives us a movie that, like its parts, swells with life.
Enola Holmes was raised to be independent. At least, Mother tried. When this her best friend and teacher goes missing, we’ll see if Enola is truly ready to walk her own path.
Unexpected situations seem to be around its every bend. It’s hard to say whether those, or Enola’s problem-solving, are more fun to watch.
One thing is for sure: This movie has energy. Good music and writing chug us along, with lead actress as conductor. Sitting with her, the ride flies by.
A young woman is thinking of ending things, that much is clear. The rest of this movie is anything but.
As you’d guess, such thoughts make for an interesting visit to her boyfriend’s parents. Their discussions are poignant sometimes, bristling others.
It’s all so relatable. Then the visit becomes a journey, and the journey a descent. Personalities, timelines and daydreams spiral around us. Something’s not right, but everything feels real.
In the end, this exceptional movie does nothing other than to leave us feeling human: haunted, confused, deliriously hopeful.
Wendy holds back most day days. She’s become a pushover who can’t support her family.
It doesn’t have to be this way. If Wendy lets loose, she can take on anything. But her solution is her problem: Superhuman abilities can hurt people as easily as they can get things done. We watch as she (and some new friends) struggle through this dilemma.
This is a bit slower, and has less action than your typical superhero movie—which makes it refreshing and believable. Instead of yet another fight scene we can guess the ending to, each new interaction brings excitement and mystery.
That said, there’s no good without evil. Some scenes have distracting continuity issues. Characters are underdeveloped, and plot holes are jumped, all in the hopes that we’ll be happy enough rooting for the good guy.
Jeff is ex-special forces, a hands-on type. He’ll need to learn subtlety for his new spy gig.
The next mission might help. Or, it might be glorified babysitting. Only one way to find out.
This leads to more than a few funny moments. Sophie, her wit and relationship with Jeff, is the source of most. When she’s off the screen, though, the movie loses its charm. It’s a sweet premise that requires one too many stretches of the imagination.
The Social Dilemma is the existential threat of our time.
The most wealthy companies in the history of companies make their money by doing one thing. It’s easy, and it’s legal, so why would they ever stop?
Because it’s destroying the foundation of civilization. At least, that’s what some thinkers and industry insiders are saying. This movie is a sit-down with several of them. They patiently explain the problem: what it is, where it came from, and where it’s leading us.
Watching movies can be about having fun, or escaping, or learning. This one is about having a blindfold ripped off, and finding that you’re on a sinking ship. Once that happens, what’ll you do? Reach for your phone?
James loves art; talking about it, writing about it. He’s perceptive and calculating, and so, a good storyteller. When the opportunity to meet an art great knocks, he’s ready at the door.
Then it opens. What’s inside might be too much for James to handle. As he struggles with reality, we begin to grasp just how good a storyteller he can be. Scary good.
This is a sleek thriller. It blends the cushy, removed feel of high art with the sharp, clinging emotions of real life. Smooth writing and acting are somehow jarring, while the picture itself skews our perceptions. Sunset grays, blues, and oranges set each scene—for good reason.
Hua Mulan is gifted. We all have qi, but she’s got a country’s worth.
The problem? Boundless energy is not marriage material. The bigger problem? Invaders threaten the nation, and if Mulan wants to help defend it, she’ll have to break all the rules.
What follows is a colorful, nuanced, and exciting epic, suitable for all ages. Perhaps more impressively, it is all these things while examining what it means to live a virtuous life.
This is no fluff, or nostalgia trip.
You wouldn’t guess teen soccer to be so gripping. But you have no idea the layers and players to today’s game. Not yet.
As play develops on-field, the story develops off-. Each new piece of information deepens our investment.
It is a gritty, nerve-wracking movie. You don’t need to like sports to appreciate its genius.
Creative camerawork scores an extra point with natural light. Here find beauty. And barbarism.
Walter Mercado created a new mold.
He told people what to do, yet they loved him for it. He grew up poor in a macho culture, yet became as androgynous as he was famous.
The movie does well to capture the indescribable astrologer. Flamboyant, mysterious, and simple come to mind.
Each stage of Walter’s story gets more interesting. A slower ending shouldn’t stop us from hearing it through.
The Tree House is a place apart.
A man has traveled to Mars and wants to record his experience. It’s made him nostalgic—and curious. What is memory, anyway? Why does it come and go?
We struggle with these questions, too, as we watch people back in Vietnam discuss their lives.
The movie is not straightforward. But its connection to the natural world is powerful. It begs a rewatch.
Tesla is nothing short of a vision.
From first to last, Nikola Tesla’s days were hardship. No matter. He never stopped trying to make the world a better place. His freight train brain wouldn’t allow it.
The movie is just moments, but moments that encapsulate his tortured, hopeful life.
Dark colors, wildly different music, and quirky narration keeps us uncomfortable, but close. Every scene asks: Can you feel how he hurts? See how he stands out?
It’s a movie about ideas hundreds of years ahead of their time. And it’s told in a way only slightly less striking.
Project Power is quite the experiment.
Power now comes in a pill. There’s money to be made here—and people to be exploited.
As the drug makes its way through the city, the lives of three very different people will intersect. Their relationships and motivations, their fear and abilities, draw you in.
So is the experiment a success? Prepare for some eye-rolls. But the story, lead acting, music, sound mix, pace, and camerawork—they’re the work of experts.
Fagara is at constant simmer.
Ha Leung’s death will bring three women together. They’re strangers to each other, yet closer than they know.
Each scene makes the story richer. Death is ever-present, but reminds us that life can be as spicy as we make it.
Crisp picture and colors maintain a nostalgic vibe. A number of scenes last longer than they need to, but hey, life isn’t perfect.
Made in Italy usually means quality.
Jack is in a bad way and doesn’t know what to do about it. So, he grasps at straws. One is his father; another is their house in Tuscany.
Both are distant. As time passes, we learn why.
It’s tough to connect with this movie. The lead actors are stiff and unconvincing, and the scenes don’t flow. Dramatic plot and location aren’t enough to sell us on this kind of craftsmanship.