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.
Heavenly powers have a plan for Ne Zha. So do his parents. Neither seems to matter to the kid, who’s as stubborn as they come.
Can you blame him? It’s hard to learn right from wrong when everyone under the sun thinks your fate is sealed. But what makes life difficult for Ne Zha is what makes this movie worthwhile.
Complex but cute animation creates a fantasy world worth exploring. Quirky characters keep things light, balancing out a heavy premise.
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?
Akash may be blind, but he’s always on the lookout. Somewhere out there is the key to better music. He’s sure of it.
Good intentions aren’t helping, though. In fact, they usually lead Akash into trouble. This is when the movie is at its best: Akash’s reactions are as cheeky and inventive as his predicaments.
It’s clever yes, and long. We meet many characters, some of whom are frustrating, and some of whom add nothing to the story. But isn’t that life? Long enough to be unexpected, funny, confusing, dangerous? And so this movie.
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.
Oh, the Office! What will today bring?
Two new recruits are ready to find out. As they learn about work(/life), so do we.
It’s a musical equal parts play and movie. Dazzling set design builds emotion, and songs amplify it. There’s promise, intrigue, romance, and more.
The movie certainly has an opinion on the corporate world, but it’s never as tedious as a team meeting. It stays fun and energetic while exploring the highs and the lows.
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.
The Old Guard is something new.
In a world filled with wrongs, they fight for what’s right. And there’s nobody better.
Why? It’s a secret few know, and one that Big Pharma will stop at nothing to learn. So begins the latest fight.
It’s not every day an action movie blends espionage, fantasy, history, and philosophy into something that goes down easy. This one does. A cast more-representative-than-usual adds to the justice theme, and the writing can be downright poetic.
Amy can’t explain why. She just knows. So, she spends her last day doing things that make her happy.
She also tells people. And that’s when the movie gets interesting. Her conviction spreads like a virus, with each new host reacting in its own way.
The slow start and choppy timeline make this movie feel a bit too intellectual (in part because it’s more thoughts and discussions than actions). But good acting feeds off a great premise. Colorful close-ups infect us with a feeling: There are powerful things going on that we cannot see.
It’s a weird, eerie one.
Guns Akimbo shoots and misses.
Skizm livestreams real deathmatches. Miles has always preferred screen life over real life, but even he knows this is wrong. He fights back by trolling Skizm’s fans; real tough guy stuff.
Bad decision. When Skizm toys with Miles, he has no choice but to fight for real—and for his life.
The movie has an interesting premise, but it’s no more than one long chase scene with gun battles. Writing aims for woke though uses violence just like the bad guys do: to glorify and entertain.
Early camerawork and editing hit the target at least. They are powerfully disorienting, forcing us to feel a sickening situation.