The passive-aggressive daughter of a dead country singer (Allison Tolman) and her moneyed mother (JoBeth Williams) are living comfortably off the old man’s legacy until a headlong sister-from-another-groupie (Sophie Reid) comes along to claim her piece of the residuals pie. Half the fun of watching a movie like this is …
Those wanting to bask in gore will have a long wait in this agonizingly slow to start set-’em-up-to-watch-’em-die horror fantasy. A degenerate team of five Turkish cops respond to a 911 call complaining that their neighbor in the abandoned building next door is conducting a Black Mass. Credit director/co-writer Can …
With but one The Batman (Robert Pattinson, his costume overacting) to keep tabs on dozens of criminals, the signal that brands the night sky takes on the dual-function of bat-summoner and criminal-beware alarm. As sure as the sun never shines anywhere in Gotham City — given their accumulated wisdom, the …
Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris — the team that brought you the irrepressibly cheerful Little Miss Sunshine — are back with another blast of candy-colored confection, this one based on what is considered by many to be the most highly publicized tennis match in history. Steve Carell stars as former …
Lower what little expectation you have going in and you’ll still be disappointed. How does powerlifting two refrigerators and flipping tractor tires make one a better lifeguard? Not sure, but having that question cross my mind provided the only laugh in this otherwise deadening trip to the multiplex. Note to …
In the spirit of 1950s sci-fi comes Jeffrey A. Brown’s gripping debut feature. Recent college dropout Randall (Noah Le Gros) is content at the thought of spending an eternity bumming around his father’s spacious waterfront property. Emily (masterfully played by Liana Liberato), his semi-estranged girlfriend, is a brilliant college student …
A gay friend once observed, “The problem with bisexuality is eventually you’re forced to make a choice.” It’s at precisely that point that we’re introduced to Frankie (Harris Dickinson), a goal-free pretty boy torn between trolling chat rooms for father figures and seriously dating his girlfriend Simone (Madeleine Weinstein), an …
Incomer Michael Pearce’s crude-around-the-edges approach to writing and editing is a perfect fit for this tale of a disturbed young woman (Jessie Buckley) who is slowly being sucked under by the toxic quicksand of her relationship with Mom. She finds comfort in the arms of a drifter (Johnny Flynn), who …
Dr. Nate Samuels (Idris Elba), guilt-stricken over his handling of his wife’s passing, escorts his two teenage daughters, the rebellious Meredith (Iyana Halley) and her younger, within an inch of rebelling sister Norah (Leah Jeffries), on an African safari in their mother’s village. Rather than mending fences, the trio and …
What is it that will ultimately draw the following four characters together: the misfortunate maintenance man at a men’s sauna, a crooked customs officer, the resilient boss of a glittery nightspot, and the battered B-girl she takes under her wing? Narcotics? Nope. The other drug: money — in this case, …
Outstanding location work and a knockout performance by young newcomer Quvenzhané Wallis are almost enough to recommend this Sundance favorite. A six-year-old scrapper lives with her father (Dwight Henry) in a post-Katrina New Orleans community called the Bathtub. With dad’s health failing, the girl is forced to set out in …
Destined to go down in history books as the first narrative feature released during Trump’s reign that takes direct aim at the billionaire-game-show-host-turned-POTUS. It also has the distinction of presenting Salma Hayek’s Beatriz with the worst haircut of the actress’s career. Miguel Arteta (Cedar Rapids, Youth in Revolt) is responsible …
The story of a college kid hooked on drugs as told by a director who’s addicted to closeups. (He has a macro lens on his back.) As the lad’s dad, Steve Carell is aiming at the rafters (and an Oscar), while his young supporting player — and last year’s Academy …
As the sun fades on the Twilight series, Hollywood sets its sights on another stretch of successful teen Harlequin Romances. Gatlin, South Carolina is the type of place people can leave only after they die. A group of "casters" (don’t call them witches) transform the town and an otherwise handsomely …