Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Spider-Man: Beyond the Multiverse is expected March 29, 2024. That’s 301 days from the day I’m typing this. Let the countdown begin.
The Little Mermaid
Folks, if you find you can’t relate to a magical fish creature because she’s not white, please consider doing whatever work is needed to figure out why that is.
American Born Chinese
American Born Chinese had every opportunity to be basic and commonplace. Its casting, its craft, and its dedication to deeply examining the life of a teenager ensures it will be anything but.
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret
Craig gets the most important - and probably the most difficult - part right. She expresses the mystery and wonder of this specific moment in a young girl’s life with an abundance of love and heartfelt respect.
Guardians of the Galaxy, Volume 3
The movie becomes a mirror that reflects Marvel’s greatest accomplishment back at us: the creation of a community made up of imperfect human beings, who gather together a few times a year for an often perfect storytelling experience.
Polite Society
Polite Society is an earnest high school punk band of amateur superhero poses and twirling saris determined to take down the patriarchy … It’s the best script of the year so far.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie
The plot doesn’t really matter at all. It’s only there to hold billions of shiny nostalgic Nintendo references. It’s not Shakespeare, but it is a ton of fun.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
I’m sure that long before all of the positive SXSW Festival buzz arrived that they knew they had accomplished their goal. I would agree.
John Wick Chapter 4
The Wick-iverse has always been completely upfront about what it is: a deliriously addictive death ride that always delivers.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods
Does it want to be silly? Shocking? Inspirational? A movie can be all of these things, but only when created with care and not by committee.
We Have a Ghost
Rather than terrifying us, Ernest’s spectral presence provides the story with a fun and goofy vibe. It’s no gritty, raw thriller. Instead, it's a surprisingly sweet coming-of-age story.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
It needs to be entertaining on its own while simultaneously establishing the stakes for Phase Five. It’s a lot to ask of anybody, even someone with Ant-Man’s ridiculous proportional strength to size ratio.
True Spirit
Writer/director Sarah Spillane keeps the pace moving along nicely by smartly tacking back and forth between Jess’s unending trek and the formative moments from her childhood that brought her to this point.
Knock at the Cabin
Knock at the Cabin will creep you out, and it’s a real good time. But it’s also a fascinating dissection of how we develop faith and how we decide where to place it.
Aliens Abducted My Parents and Now I Kinda Feel Left Out (Sundance Edition!)
It isn’t prestige cinema, but like a good-natured game show host, it asks important questions of its characters while making sure the audience has a blast. It’s charming. It’s genuine. It’s a great ride.