All the Money in the World ★★★ “It’s impossible to write about All the Money in the World, Ridley Scott’s second film this year (after May’s Alien: Covenant), without mentioning the behind-the-scenes drama that unfolded in the 11th hour before the picture’s release.” Read more >>

Call Me by Your Name ★★★★ “Friendship soon blooms into hormonal infatuation, however, and the two forge a deeper bond that will shape the lad’s life. Non-judgmental and keenly observed, it’s another of the year’s best films.” Read more >>

Coco ★★ 1/2 “At a time when xenophobia runs rampant, and talk of building a wall along the Mexican border continues, it’s nice to see a family film take pains to humanize our neighbors to the south without coming off as a polemic.” Read more >>

Darkest Hour ★ 1/2 “The entire film is rather silly and cartoonish, and just the type of historical drama the Academy might eat up.” Read more >>

The Disaster Artist ★★★ 1/2 “…director/star James Franco’s The Disaster Artist is a ridiculously entertaining portrait of a mysterious man with delusions of genius…” Read more >>

Downsizing ★★★ “I appreciated the unexpected turns this whimsical, humanistic tale takes during its second half, even if many of my colleagues were turned off by the sharp narrative detour, which emphasizes drama over the first half’s humor.” Read more >>

Lady Bird ★★★★ (pictured above) “If you liked last year’s highly praised The Edge of Seventeen, a delicate comedic drama about high school life for an awkward teen girl, you’ll love the similarly themed, yet even more perceptive coming-of-age tale, Lady Bird. Read more >> 

Pitch Perfect 3 ★★ 1/2 “More of a cartoon than its predecessors, and with considerably lower stakes, the third and supposedly final Pitch Perfect picks up with the Barden Bellas as they aimlessly drift through post-college life.” Read more >>

The Shape of Water ★★ 1/2 “This 1962-set tale flips the script on Splash by focusing on a human heroine who falls for her amphibian prince, a finned merman.” Read more >>

Star Wars: The Last Jedi ★★ 1/2 “The sole writer and director of The Last Jedi, the acclaimed auteur (known for the high school-set noir Brick and time-travel thriller Looper) has given us a Luke at odds with the wholesome, blue milk-drinking hero we remember, the farm boy who dreamed of adventure—and found it.” Read more >>

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri ★★★ 1/2 “McDormand and her character are a force to be reckoned with, which she ably demonstrates when she dresses down a condescending priest, using words that would make Jesus himself blush.” Read more >>

Thor: Ragnarok ★★★ 1/2 “Even though he’s an A-list member of the mighty Avengers, Thor’s first two films aren’t exactly the most beloved of the 16 previous movies in Disney’s ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe. But with the latest installment headlined by Australia’s Chris Hemsworth, that’s about to change.” Read more >>

Wonder ★★★ 1/2 “Chbosky displays a great amount of empathy for all of his characters, presenting his warm-hearted drama—a rallying call against bullying—as a true ensemble piece, one that surprises with its constantly evolving point of view and shifting narrations that provide a deeper understanding of everyone involved.” Read more >>

Wonderwheel ★★ “The warm, saturated images evoke a ‘50s-era Coney Island that likely only exists in people’s imaginations, and here, the colors and light magically change with characters’ moods.” Read more >>