U.S. Release Date: 2024-09-13
MPAA Rating: "R" (Sexual Content, Profanity, Implied violence)
Genre: Drama/Thriller
Director: Anand Tucker
Cast: Ian McKellen, Gemma Arterton, Mark Strong, Ben Barnes, Lesley Manville, Romola Garai, Alfred Enoch
To the extent that "The Critic" provides entertainment, it’s mostly a result of McKellan’s performance and the wonderful set design.
U.S. Release Date: 2024-08-23
MPAA Rating: "R" (Violence, Sexual Content, Profanity, Drugs)
Genre: Thriller
Director: JT Mollner
Cast: Willa Fitzgerald, Kyle Gallner, Barbara Hershey, Ed Begley Jr.
Unfortunately, once the “mysteries” have been resolved, "Strange Darling" loses a lot of its energy and the final act devolves into anticlimax.
U.S. Release Date: 2024-06-28
MPAA Rating: "PG-13" (Profanity, Drugs)
Genre: Drama
Director: Annie Baker
Cast: Julianne Nicholson, Zoe Ziegler, Elias Koteas, Sophie Okonedo, Will Patton
"Janet Planet" is emotionally inert, with the straightforward style keeping viewers at arms-length from the characters.
U.S. Release Date: 2024-06-21
MPAA Rating: "R" (Violence, Profanity, Drugs)
Genre: Drama/Thriller
Director: Jeff Nichols
Cast: Tom Hardy, Austin Butler, Jodie Comer, Michael Shannon, Boyd Holbrook, Emory Cohen, Norman Reedus
A passable production with some interesting performances but the bumpy screenplay and uneven pacing keep the audience at arms-length and limit the effectiveness of the narrative.
U.S. Release Date: 2024-06-07
MPAA Rating: "R" (Profanity, Violence)
Genre: Thriller
Director: Richard Linklater
Cast: Glen Powell, Adria Arjona, Austin Amelio, Evan Holtzman
Smartly written, melding screwball comedy elements with rom-com beats against a Hitchcockian thriller backdrop. The small twists have big payoffs.
U.S. Release Date: 2024-04-05
MPAA Rating: "R" (Profanity, Brief Nudity, Sexual Content)
Genre: Comedy/Mystery
Director: Thea Sharrock
Cast: Jessie Buckley, Olivia Colman, Timothy Spall, Alisha Weir, Joanna Scanlan, Hugh, Eileen Atkins, Gemma Jones, Anjana Vasan, Malachi Kirby, Paul Chahidi
As a comedy, it hits many of the right notes but as a mystery, it is less than impressive.
U.S. Release Date: 2024-03-29
MPAA Rating: "R" (Violence, Profanity)
Genre: Thriller
Director: Robert Lorenz
Cast: Liam Neeson, Kerry Condon, Ciaran Hinds, Jack Gleeson, Sarah Greene, Colm Meaney, Desmond Eastwood
Director Robert Lorenz does a good job of generating suspense but his handling of smaller, character-based moments is uneven at best.
U.S. Release Date: 2024-03-15
MPAA Rating: "PG"
Genre: Drama
Director: James Hawes
Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Johnny Flynn, Helena Bonham Carter, Lena Olin, Jonathan Pryce, Ziggy Heath, Ramola Garai, Alex Sharp, Samantha Spiro, Juliana Moska
Tells a story in a workmanlike fashion that allows viewers to learn more about the central figure and why his life is deserving of a big-screen treatment.
U.S. Release Date: 2024-01-19
MPAA Rating: "PG-13" (Profanity, Adult Themes, Violence)
Genre: Drama
Director: Ava DuVernay
Cast: Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Jon Bernthal, Niecy Nash-Betts, Emily Yancy, Blair Underwood, Vera Farmiga
"Origin" offers plenty to ponder and argue; the result is powerful and compelling.
U.S. Release Date: 2023-12-22
MPAA Rating: "R" (Sexual Content, Profanity, Drugs)
Genre: Drama/Fantasy
Director: Andrew Haigh
Cast: Andrew Scott, Paul Mescal, Jamie Bell, Claire Foy
Although aspects have a cheesy flavor, the raw honesty of the best moments propel the narrative through its less credible pitstops.