“May was banished at a time when male auteurs were granted an unprecedented amount of latitude. She was treated as a liability rather than a maverick, and it’s difficult not to read that assessment as gendered.”
“‘Il Grido’ is about a man’s utter inability to comprehend the modern world and adapt to it. The end result is a hopeless, pitiful film, and that’s meant as a compliment.”
“‘Booger’ is a surprisingly poignant and sensitive meditation on grief that utilizes a truly wild metaphor.”
“There are moments of richness in ‘The Remarkable Life of Ibelin,’ but they only materialize when Ree allows his tale to be told from the only truly lived-in perspective.”
“With ‘The Becomers,’ Clark frequently barrels all the way to the edge of the line but rarely puts anything more than a toe across it.”
“While there’s a great movie hiding inside a solid one, ‘Smile 2’ remains one of the most demonically entertaining horror films of the year through Finn’s twisted and refreshing style.”
“‘Saturday Night’ punctuates each act with impressive editing. It’s a big exclamation point — an ode to the original cast and crew, a celebration of comedic camaraderie and the creative process.”
“‘Juror #2’ is one of the finer cinematic works of 2024.”
“‘Heretic’ is the thinking man’s dumb horror movie of the year.”
“‘Road Diary’ is intimate and illuminating, revealing the E Street Band’s brilliance and how they function like a well-oiled machine, with Springsteen as the engine that guides them.”
“There is an intriguing idea that Arnold weaves throughout ‘Bird,’ one that flows naturally from Bailey’s isolation.”
“‘Nightbitch’ is all empty message and no provocation, its few shots of a fully transformed protagonist shocking only because of how little effort was made beyond giving Adams some contact lenses…”
“For my money, Jean-Baptiste gives one of the strongest performances in Leigh’s oeuvre, afforded the space to go ‘big’ in ‘Hard Truths’ without ever feeling like she’s commanding a self-aggrandizing actor’s showcase.”
“‘Anora’ excels by digging beneath the protagonist’s sparkling demeanor while unearthing the grit beneath each sequin.”
“Tiger Bay as a state of mind may be long gone, but ‘Tiger Bay’ the film remains a document of a place long turned to rubble. And what vital documents.”
“With ‘Electric Lady Studios,’ McDermott artfully explores intriguing stories about hard-working music professionals who experienced first-hand what it was like to make a dream come true.”
“Miller’s documentary will likely bore viewers who are unfamiliar with Medeski Martin & Wood, but ‘Not Not Jazz’ is still a worthy tribute to what makes the band members such singular musicians.”
“‘Frankie Freako’ is deliriously silly and wholesomely entertaining, and so genuine in its profound lack of depth or meaning — it’s a refreshing antidote to all the dreaded “elevated horror” offerings.”
“‘Oddity’ is the scariest movie of the year.”
“The main issue with ‘Guy Friends’ is that the film hinges on Jariwala’s performance, which is heavy on histrionics and lacking in truth.”