12 Years a Slave
This is one of the most searingly intense portraits of slavery ever committed to film, exercising onscreen brutality to bludgeon slavery’s grim, cruel and conscience-less degradation.
Machete Kills
The more people watch Machete kill, the more I wonder about the danger of forgetting that violence—real violence—isn’t at all a comedic caper.
Captain Phillips
The fierce finale of this story was broadcast around the world more than three years ago. But even so, the film offers a surprise or two.
Gravity
It’s a harrowing spaceship-themed roller-coaster ride of a movie, and it’s not without its content concerns. But in the end, we get out of our pods feeling inspired.
Parkland
John F. Kennedy was rushed to Parkland Memorial Hospital for treatment after he was shot in Dallas’ Dealey Plaza. Fifty years later, this film follows him there.
Runner Runner
Runner Runner is the readymade stuff of Saturday night movie dates, right? Wrong.
Metallica Through the Never
It is indeed a trip—an hour-and-a-half journey into a sonic maelstrom full of angst and anger, cacophony and coffins.
Don Jon
Don Jon tells us pornography is a terrible, addictive thing—while continuing to gawk and grin at that very terrible, addictive thing.
Baggage Claim
Baggage Claim flies high with its message of matrimonial commitment—then gets grounded by premarital sexual content.
Prisoners
Innocents are in danger. Evil is afoot and running wild. An angry “hero” attempts to beat the truth out of his handiest target. It’s a tried-and-tired Hollywood cliché … that doesn’t quite roll easily off this movie’s tongue.