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 >>

Hostiles ★★★ “Set in 1892, the tale focuses on Capt. Joseph J. Blocker (Bale), a haunted soldier who’s seen (and taken part in) too much bloodshed.” Read more >>

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle ★★★ “A little body-swapping goes a long way as our heroes must learn to work together if they’re to survive the deadly game before losing the last of their three lives.” Read more >>

Lady Bird★★ 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 BirdRead 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 >>

Phantom Thread ★★★★ “When filming wrapped on Phantom Thread’s 68-day shoot, Day-Lewis released a statement announcing his retirement from acting. If this proves to be true, then the three-time Best Actor winner has gone out on a high note.” Read more >>

The Post ★★★ (pictured) “Ever the showman, Spielberg’s not working in a subtle gear here…but it’s hard to think of a movie that’s more of the moment than this one.” 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 >>

Thelma ★★★ 1/2 A “coming-of-age tale focused on a sheltered girl whose budding sexual desires trigger violent seizures that come with supernatural side effects.” 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 >>


Related Articles

Comments are closed.