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2015: The Year in Certified Fresh Movies

by RT Staff | December 28, 2015 | Comments

TAGGED AS: 2015, Certified Fresh

Though we predict with bottled anticipation that Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip‘s next two-hundred reviews will be positives, for now there exists 144 Certified Fresh movies from this year (compared to 133 in 2014, and 114 in 2013). How many have you seen?

Predestination
Tomatometer: 84%
Release: Jan. 9

Fun genre fare with uncommon intelligence, Predestination serves as a better-than-average sci-fi adventure — and offers a starmaking turn from Sarah Snook.

Human Capital
Tomatometer: 80%
Release: Jan. 14

Part character study, part socioeconomic fable, Human Capital offers trenchant commentary as well as absorbing drama.

Paddington
Tomatometer: 98%
Release: Jan. 16

Paddington brings a beloved children’s character into the 21st century without sacrificing his essential charm, delivering a family-friendly adventure as irresistibly cuddly as its star.

Appropriate Behavior
Tomatometer: 98%
Release: Jan. 16

Warm, funny, and quietly profound, Appropriate Behavior serves as a thoroughly compelling calling card for writer, director, and star Desiree Akhavan.

Black Sea
Tomatometer: 81%
Release: Jan. 23

Black Sea may not be particularly deep, but thanks to Kevin Macdonald’s judicious direction and a magnetic performance from Jude Law, it remains an efficiently well-crafted thriller.

The Duke of Burgundy
Tomatometer: 92%
Release: Jan. 23

Stylish, sensual, and smart, The Duke of Burgundy proves that erotic cinema can have genuine substance.

Red Army
Tomatometer: 97%
Release: Jan. 23

Fun and fascinating, Red Army delivers absorbing documentary drama for hockey fans and sports novices alike.

Timbuktu
Tomatometer: 99%
Release: Jan. 28

Gracefully assembled and ultimately disquieting, Timbuktu is a timely film with a powerful message.

Girlhood
Tomatometer: 95%
Release: Jan. 30

Powerfully acted and smartly scripted, Girlhood offers a fresh perspective on familiar cinematic territory.

The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water
Tomatometer: 79%
Release: Feb. 6

The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water won’t win over many viewers who aren’t fans of the show, but for the converted, it’s another colorful burst of manic fun.

GETT: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem
Tomatometer: 100%
Release: Feb. 13

On paper, GETT: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem might seem less than thrilling, but on the screen, it delivers two hours of nonstop, tightly wound, brilliantly acted drama.

What We Do in the Shadows
Tomatometer: 96%
Release: Feb. 13

Smarter, fresher, and funnier than a modern vampire movie has any right to be, What We Do in the Shadows is bloody good fun.

Queen and Country
Tomatometer: 78%
Release: Feb. 18

Graceful and bittersweet, Queen and Country finds writer-director John Boorman revisiting past glories with warmth and wisdom.

Wild Tales
Tomatometer: 95%
Release: Feb. 20

Wickedly hilarious and delightfully deranged, Wild Tales is a subversive satire that doubles as a uniformly entertaining anthology film.

McFarland, USA
Tomatometer: 79%
Release: Feb. 20

Disney’s inspirational sports drama formula might be old hat, but McFarland, USA proves it still works — especially with a talented director and eminently likable star in the mix.

’71
Tomatometer: 96%
Release: Feb. 27

Powerfully directed and acted, ’71 stays true to its fact-based origins while remaining as gripping as any solidly crafted action thriller.

The Hunting Ground
Tomatometer: 92%
Release: Feb. 27

The Hunting Ground isn’t director Kirby Dick’s strongest work as a filmmaker, but the movie’s powerful message more than trumps any technical weaknesses.

Merchants of Doubt
Tomatometer: 85%
Release: Mar. 6

Merchants of Doubt is a thought-provoking documentary assembled with energy and style, even if it doesn’t dig as deep as it could.

It Follows
Tomatometer: 96%
Release: Mar. 13

Smart, original, and above all terrifying, It Follows is the rare modern horror film that works on multiple levels — and leaves a lingering sting.

Seymour: An Introduction
Tomatometer: 100%
Release: Mar. 13

Seymour Bernstein’s genuineness shines so brightly in Seymour: An Introduction that viewers will forgive debuting director Ethan Hawke’s reverent treatment.

The Wrecking Crew
Tomatometer: 93%
Release: Mar. 13

The Wrecking Crew may not achieve the greatness of the many classic songs its subjects helped bring to life, but it remains a heartfelt, overdue tribute to overshadowed brilliance.

Cinderella
Tomatometer: 84%
Release: Mar. 13

Refreshingly traditional in a revisionist era, Kenneth Branagh’s Cinderella proves Disney hasn’t lost any of its old-fashioned magic.

Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter
Tomatometer: 87%
Release: Mar. 18

Powerfully acted and lovely to look at, Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter offers a treat for cinephiles with a taste for the pleasantly peculiar.

Danny Collins
Tomatometer: 78%
Release: Mar. 20

Thanks to Al Pacino’s stirring central performance – and excellent work from an esteemed supporting cast — Danny Collins manages to overcome its more predictable and heavy-handed moments to deliver a heartfelt tale of redemption.

Jauja
Tomatometer: 89%
Release: Mar. 20

Jauja will prove haunting for those lured in by its deliberate pace and lovely visuals, though it may test some viewers’ patience.

The Salt of the Earth
Tomatometer: 95%
Release: Mar. 27

While the work it honors may pose thorny ethical questions that Salt of the Earth neglects to answer, it remains a shattering, thought-provoking testament to Sebastião Salgado’s career.

While We’re Young
Tomatometer: 83%
Release: Mar. 27

Poignant and piercingly honest, While We’re Young finds writer-director Noah Baumbach delivering some of his funniest lines through some of his most relatable characters.

White God
Tomatometer: 90%
Release: Mar. 27

White God isn’t an easy watch, but its soaring ambition and powerful acting — human and canine alike — make it well worth the effort.

Furious 7
Tomatometer: 81%
Release: Apr. 3

Serving up a fresh round of over-the-top thrills while adding unexpected dramatic heft, Furious 7 keeps the franchise moving in more ways than one.

Lambert & Stamp
Tomatometer: 87%
Release: Apr. 3

A sharp accounting of an era framed through the early adventures of the Who and the managers who helped make them famous, Lambert & Stamp should prove fascinating for fans and novices alike.

About Elly
Tomatometer: 97%
Release: Apr. 8

About Elly offers viewers performances as powerful as its thought-provoking ideas, and adds another strong entry to Asghar Farhadi’s impressive filmography.

Black Souls
Tomatometer: 97%
Release: Apr. 10

Black Souls works within familiar themes to explore intelligent — and thrillingly entertaining — dramatic arcs that plunge into the deliciously dark depths of Mafia crime.

Clouds of Sils Maria
Tomatometer: 89%
Release: Apr. 10

Bolstered by a trio of powerful performances from its talented leads, Clouds of Sils Maria is an absorbing, richly detailed drama with impressive depth and intelligence.

Dior and I
Tomatometer: 82%
Release: Apr. 10

Dior and I will obviously appeal to fashion fans, but this beautifully tailored documentary may draw in even the least sartorially inclined.

Ex Machina
Tomatometer: 92%
Release: Apr. 10

Ex Machina leans heavier on ideas than effects, but it’s still a visually polished piece of work — and an uncommonly engaging sci-fi feature.

Monkey Kingdom
Tomatometer: 94%
Release: Apr. 17

Monkey Kingdom‘s breathtaking footage of primates in the wild is likely to please animal lovers of all ages.

Tangerines
Tomatometer: 85%
Release: Apr. 17

Tangerines‘ impassioned message and the strong work of a solid cast more than make up for the movie’s flawed narrative and uneven structure.

Avengers: Age of Ultron
Tomatometer: 84%
Release: May 1

Exuberant and eye-popping, Avengers: Age of Ultron serves as an overstuffed but mostly satisfying sequel, reuniting its predecessor’s unwieldy cast with a few new additions and a worthy foe.

Far From the Madding Crowd
Tomatometer: 86%
Release: May 1

Far from the Madding Crowd invites tough comparisons to Thomas Hardy’s classic novel — and its previous adaptation — but stands on its own thanks to strong direction and a talented cast.

Iris
Tomatometer: 97%
Release: May 1

A small, insightful feature with a deceptively thoughtful thesis, Iris adds a bittersweet postscript to director Albert Maysles’ filmography.

I Am Big Bird: The Carroll Spinney Story
Tomatometer: 84%
Release: May 6

Every bit as good-natured as longtime fans might hope, I Am Big Bird: The Carroll Spinney Story offers heartwarming behind-the-scenes perspective on a cultural icon.

Mad Max: Fury Road
Tomatometer: 97%
Release: May 15

With exhilarating action and a surprising amount of narrative heft, Mad Max: Fury Road brings George Miller’s post-apocalyptic franchise roaring vigorously back to life.

Good Kill
Tomatometer: 76%
Release: May 15

Thought-provoking, timely, and anchored by a strong performance from Ethan Hawke, Good Kill is a modern war movie with a troubled conscience.

I’ll See You In My Dreams
Tomatometer: 93%
Release: May 15

I’ll See You in My Dreams would be worth watching even if Blythe Danner’s central performance was all it had going for it, but this thoughtful drama satisfies on multiple levels.

Güeros
Tomatometer: 93%
Release: May 20

A striking effort that synthesizes disparate influences with inventive flair, Güeros marks a bold step forward for modern Mexican cinema.

Slow West
Tomatometer: 92%
Release: May 20

Slow West serves as an impressive calling card for first-time writer-director John M. Maclean — and offers an inventive treat for fans of the Western.

Sunshine Superman
Tomatometer: 90%
Release: May 22

Sunshine Superman shines a light on a fascinating life with copious amounts of incredible, thrilling footage.

When Marnie Was There
Tomatometer: 90%
Release: May 22

When Marnie Was There is still blessed with enough visual and narrative beauty to recommend, even if it isn’t quite as magical as Studio Ghibli’s greatest works.

Results
Tomatometer: 82%
Release: May 29

Results moves stubbornly at its own deliberate pace, but the well-chosen cast — and writer-director Andrew Bujalski’s insightful observations — offer rich rewards for patient viewers.

Heaven Knows What
Tomatometer: 84%
Release: May 29

Grueling and rewarding in equal measure, Heaven Knows What hits hard — and serves as a powerful calling card for its captivating star, Arielle Holmes.

A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence
Tomatometer: 89%
Release: Jun. 3

Expertly assembled and indelibly original, A Pigeon Sat on a Branch concludes writer-director Roy Andersson’s Living trilogy in style.

Love & Mercy
Tomatometer: 90%
Release: Jun. 5

As unconventional and unwieldy as the life and legacy it honors, Love & Mercy should prove moving for Brian Wilson fans while still satisfying neophytes.

Testament of Youth
Tomatometer: 82%
Release: Jun. 5

Testament of Youth is well-acted and beautifully filmed, adding up to an enriching if not adventurous experience for fans of British period dramas.

Spy
Tomatometer: 93%
Release: Jun. 5

Simultaneously broad and progressive, Spy offers further proof that Melissa McCarthy and writer-director Paul Feig bring out the best in one another — and delivers scores of belly laughs along the way.

Batkid Begins
Tomatometer: 81%
Release: Jun. 12

Sweet and unabashedly sentimental, Batkid Begins is an uplifting look at a selfless act that brought a city together.

Big Game
Tomatometer: 75%
Release: Jun. 12

Big Game‘s enthusiastic throwback vibe will appeal to fans of low-budget ’80s action movies, but co-writer/director Jalmari Helander adds a level of smarts and skill that make it more than just an homage.

The Wolfpack
Tomatometer: 84%
Release: Jun. 12

Offering a unique look at modern fears and our fascination with film, The Wolfpack is a fascinating — and ultimately haunting — urban fable.

The Tribe
Tomatometer: 87%
Release: Jun. 17

A bleak, haunting drama whose wordless dialogue speaks volumes, The Tribe is a bold, innovative take on silent films for a contemporary audience.

Inside Out
Tomatometer: 98%
Release: Jun. 19

Inventive, gorgeously animated, and powerfully moving, Inside Out is another outstanding addition to the Pixar library of modern animated classics.

Me & Earl & the Dying Girl
Tomatometer: 82%
Release: Jun. 12

Beautifully scripted and perfectly cast, Me & Earl & the Dying Girl is a coming-of-age movie with uncommon charm and insight.

Dope
Tomatometer: 88%
Release: Jun. 19

Featuring a starmaking performance from Shameik Moore and a refreshingly original point of view from writer-director Rick Famuyiwa, Dope is smart, insightful entertainment.

Eden
Tomatometer: 82%
Release: Jun. 19

Eden uses 1990s club culture as the appropriately intoxicating backdrop for a sensitive, low-key look at aging and the price of pursuing one’s dreams.

Infinitely Polar Bear
Tomatometer: 80%
Release: Jun. 19

Infinitely Polar Bear handles its thorny themes with a somewhat troublesomely light touch, but Mark Ruffalo’s complex performance keeps the drama solidly grounded.

The Overnight
Tomatometer: 82%
Release: Jun. 19

Witty and unpredictable, The Overnight benefits from writer-director Patrick Brice’s sure-handed touch and strong performances from a talented cast.

Amy
Tomatometer: 96%
Release: Jul. 3

As riveting as it is sad, Amy is a powerfully honest look at the twisted relationship between art and celebrity — and the lethal spiral of addiction.

Cartel Land
Tomatometer: 92%
Release: Jul. 3

Raw, brutal, and bitter, Cartel Land offers a ground-level look at vigilante efforts to thwart organized crime at the Mexican-American border.

Jimmy’s Hall
Tomatometer: 77%
Release: Jul. 3

Benefiting from a talented cast and sensitive work from director Ken Loach, Jimmy’s Hall offers period drama rich with relevant sociopolitical themes.

Do I Sound Gay?
Tomatometer: 84%
Release: Jul. 10

Do I Sound Gay? proves to be a light, affable, entertaining look at a largely unexplored issue.

Tangerine
Tomatometer: 96%
Release: Jul. 10

Tangerine shatters casting conventions and its filmmaking techniques are up-to-the-minute, but it’s an old-fashioned comedy at heart — and a pretty wonderful one at that.

Ant-Man
Tomatometer: 80%
Release: Jul. 17

Led by a charming performance from Paul Rudd, Ant-Man offers Marvel thrills on an appropriately smaller scale — albeit not as smoothly as its most successful predecessors.

Trainwreck
Tomatometer: 85%
Release: Jul. 17

Trainwreck drags commitment out of all but the most rom-com-phobic filmgoers with sharp humor, relatable characters, and hilarious work from Amy Schumer.

The Look of Silence
Tomatometer: 96%
Release: Jul. 17

The Look of Silence delivers a less shocking — yet just as terribly compelling — companion piece to Joshua Oppenheimer’s The Act of Killing.

Mr. Holmes
Tomatometer: 87%
Release: Jul. 17

Mr. Holmes focuses on the man behind the mysteries, and while it may lack Baker Street thrills, it more than compensates with tenderly wrought, well-acted drama.

The Stanford Prison Experiment
Tomatometer: 85%
Release: Jul. 17

As chillingly thought-provoking as it is absorbing and well-acted, The Stanford Prison Experiment offers historical drama that packs a timelessly relevant punch.

Phoenix
Tomatometer: 90%
Release: Jul. 24

Tense, complex, and drenched in atmosphere, Phoenix is a well-acted, smartly crafted war drama that finds writer-director Christian Petzold working at peak power.

Listen to Me Marlon
Tomatometer: 97%
Release: Jul. 29

Listen to Me Marlon offers a fascinating look at the inner life of a Hollywood icon, told in his own words.

Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation
Tomatometer: 92%
Release: Jul. 31

Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation continues the franchise’s thrilling resurgence — and proves that Tom Cruise remains an action star without equal.

Best of Enemies
Tomatometer: 94%
Release: Jul. 31

Smart, fascinating, and funny, Best of Enemies takes a penetrating — and wildly entertaining — look back at the dawn of pundit politics.

The End of the Tour
Tomatometer: 91%
Release: Jul. 31

Brilliantly performed and smartly unconventional, The End of the Tour pays fitting tribute to a singular talent while offering profoundly poignant observations on the human condition.

Shaun the Sheep
Tomatometer: 99%
Release: Aug. 5

Warm, funny, and brilliantly animated, Shaun the Sheep is yet another stop-motion jewel in Aardman’s family-friendly crown.

The Gift
Tomatometer: 93%
Release: Aug. 7

The Gift is wickedly smart and playfully subversive, challenging the audience’s expectations while leaving them leaning on the edges of their seats.

Cop Car
Tomatometer: 79%
Release: Aug. 7

Cop Car boasts a terrific premise and a grimly gripping opening act — and for some viewers, that will be enough to compensate for the movie’s uneven denouement.

Diary of a Teenage Girl
Tomatometer: 94%
Release: Aug. 7

Boldly unconventional and refreshingly honest, Diary of a Teenage Girl is a frank coming-of-age story that addresses its themes — and its protagonist — without judgment.

Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck
Tomatometer: 97%
Release: Aug. 7

Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck makes a persuasive case for its subject without resorting to hagiography — and includes plenty of rare and unreleased footage for fans.

Straight Outta Compton
Tomatometer: 89%
Release: Aug. 11

Straight Outta Compton is a biopic that’s built to last, thanks to F. Gary Gray’s confident direction and engaging performances from a solid cast.

Meru
Tomatometer: 90%
Release: Aug. 14

Gripping visually as well as narratively, Meru is the rare documentary that proves thought-provoking while offering thrilling wide-screen vistas.

Mistress America
Tomatometer: 82%
Release: Aug. 14

Mistress America brings out the best in collaborators Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig, distilling its star’s charm and director’s dark wit into a ferociously funny co-written story.

People Places Things
Tomatometer: 76%
Release: Aug. 14

People Places Things finds writer-director Jim Strouse in peak form — and makes the most of talented stars who help breathe fresh life into familiar narrative territory.

Grandma
Tomatometer: 92%
Release: Aug. 21

Boasting a stellar performance from Lily Tomlin and some powerfully empathetic work from writer-director Paul Weitz, Grandma is a dramedy that shouldn’t have to ask you to visit.

Queen of Earth
Tomatometer: 91%
Release: Aug. 28

Led by a searing performance from Elisabeth Moss, Queen of Earth is a demanding — and ultimately rewarding — addition to writer-director Alex Ross Perry’s impressive filmography.

The Second Mother
Tomatometer: 96%
Release: Aug. 28

The Second Mother‘s compelling characters serve an artfully drawn, thought-provoking story that’s beautifully brought to life by a talented cast.

Turbo Kid
Tomatometer: 88%
Release: Aug. 28

A nostalgic ode to kids’ movies of yesteryear, Turbo Kid eyes the past through an entertaining — albeit surprisingly gory — postmodern lens.

Z For Zachariah
Tomatometer: 78%
Release: Aug. 28

Z for Zachariah wrings compelling drama out of its simplistic premise — albeit at a pace that may test the patience of less contemplative viewers.

Steve Jobs: Man in the Machine
Tomatometer: 76%
Release: Sep. 4

Steve Jobs: Man in the Machine offers absorbing viewing, even if it doesn’t delve deeply into its complex subject.

The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution
Tomatometer: 92%
Release: Sep. 4

The Black Panthers: Vanguard Of The Revolution offers a fascinating — if somewhat rudimentary — introduction to a movement, and an era, that remains soberingly relevant today.

Coming Home
Tomatometer: 93%
Release: Sep. 9

The rare tearjerking melodrama with sociopolitical subtext, Coming Home plucks the heartstrings with thought-provoking power.

Breathe
Tomatometer: 93%
Release: Sep. 11

Breathe finds writer-director Mélanie Laurent opening a sensitive, well-acted window into the bittersweet upheaval of adolescence.

A Brilliant Young Mind
Tomatometer: 85%
Release: Sep. 11

A Brilliant Young Mind is tender and perceptive — and intelligent enough to find a wealth of dramatic riches buried under well-trod narrative ground.

Goodnight Mommy
Tomatometer: 82%
Release: Sep. 11

Dark, violent, and drenched in dread, Goodnight Mommy is perfect for extreme horror enthusiasts — or filmgoers who prefer to watch between splayed fingers.

Meet the Patels
Tomatometer: 84%
Release: Sep. 11

Meet the Patels works on multiple levels, offering an affably entertaining documentary about one man looking for love while posing thoughtful questions about cultural assimilation and modern romance.

Time Out of Mind
Tomatometer: 73%
Release: Sep. 11

Time Out of Mind demands patience, yet its noble intentions — and Richard Gere’s committed performance — are difficult to deny.

Black Mass
Tomatometer: 75%
Release: Sep. 18

Black Mass spins a gripping yarn out of its fact-based story — and leaves audiences with one of Johnny Depp’s most compelling performances in years.

The New Girlfriend
Tomatometer: 80%
Release: Sep. 18

While flirting with camp, François Ozon’s The New Girlfriend offers thoughtful — and humorous — commentary on sexual and gender identity.

Sicario
Tomatometer: 93%
Release: Sep. 18

Led by outstanding work from Emily Blunt and Benicio del Toro, Sicario is a taut, tightly wound thriller with much more on its mind than attention-getting set pieces.

99 Homes
Tomatometer: 91%
Release: Sep. 25

Fueled by powerful acting and a taut, patiently constructed narrative, 99 Homes is a modern economic parable whose righteous fury is matched by its intelligence and compassion.

Drunk Stone Brilliant Dead: The Story of The National Lampoon
Tomatometer: 87%
Release: Sep. 25

Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead might not be the definitive doc National Lampoon fans are waiting for, but it’s still almost as transgressively funny as the magazine in its heyday.

Mississippi Grind
Tomatometer: 89%
Release: Sep. 25

Well-acted and steeped in Southern atmosphere, Mississippi Grind is a road movie and addiction drama that transcends each of its well-worn genres.

The Martian
Tomatometer: 93%
Release: Oct. 2

Smart, thrilling, and surprisingly funny, The Martian offers a faithful adaptation of the bestselling book that brings out the best in leading man Matt Damon and director Ridley Scott.

Jafar Panahi’s Taxi
Tomatometer: 95%
Release: Oct. 2

Jafar Panahi’s Taxi offers another round of trenchant societal commentary from a director whose entire filmography stands as a daring act of dissent.

Labyrinth of Lies
Tomatometer: 75%
Release: Oct. 2

Labyrinth of Lies artfully blends fact with well-intentioned fiction to offer a thought-provoking look at how the lessons of history can be easily lost or forgotten.

The Walk
Tomatometer: 85%
Release: Oct. 2

The Walk attempts a tricky balancing act between thrilling visuals and fact-based drama — and like its wire-walking protagonist, pulls it off with impressive élan.

The Forbidden Room
Tomatometer: 94%
Release: Oct. 9

The Forbidden Room may frustrate viewers looking for a linear experience, but those seeking a challenge — or already familiar with director Guy Maddin’s work — will be rewarded.

Steve Jobs
Tomatometer: 84%
Release: Oct. 9

Like the tech giant co-founded by its subject, Steve Jobs gathers brilliant people to deliver a product whose elegance belies the intricate complexities at its core.

Victoria
Tomatometer: 82%
Release: Oct. 9

Victoria‘s single-take production is undeniably impressive, but it’s also an effective drama in its own right — and one that juggles its tonal shifts as deftly as its technical complexities.

Bridge of Spies
Tomatometer: 91%
Release: Oct. 16

Bridge of Spies finds new life in Hollywood’s classic Cold War espionage thriller formula, thanks to reliably outstanding work from Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks.

The Assassin
Tomatometer: 83%
Release: Oct. 16

The Assassin‘s thrilling visuals mark a fresh highlight for director Hsiao-hsien Hou, even if its glacial pace may keep some viewers at arm’s length.

Beasts of No Nation
Tomatometer: 90%
Release: Oct. 16

Beasts of No Nation finds writer-director Cary Fukunaga working with a talented cast to offer a sobering, uncompromising, yet still somehow hopeful picture of war’s human cost.

Experimenter
Tomatometer: 88%
Release: Oct. 16

Led by a gripping performance from Peter Sarsgaard, Experimenter uses a fact-based story to pose thought-provoking questions about human nature.

Room
Tomatometer: 97%
Release: Oct. 16

Led by incredible work from Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay, Room makes for an unforgettably harrowing — and undeniably rewarding — experience.

Tales of Halloween
Tomatometer: 79%
Release: Oct. 16

Tales of Halloween boasts a number of fun scares and is overall more consistent than many horror anthology films, even if it isn’t quite as dark or nasty as the classics of the genre.

Bone Tomahawk
Tomatometer: 87%
Release: Oct. 23

Bone Tomahawk‘s peculiar genre blend won’t be for everyone, but its gripping performances and a slow-burning story should satisfy those in search of something different.

Heart of a Dog
Tomatometer: 98%
Release: Oct. 23

Of a piece with much of director Laurie Anderson’s idiosyncratic output, Heart of a Dog delves into weighty themes with lyrical, haunting grace.

The Wonders
Tomatometer: 94%
Release: Oct. 23

The Wonders offers a charming coming-of-age tale that doubles as a quietly effective tribute to a vanishing way of life.

Brooklyn
Tomatometer: 98%
Release: Nov. 4

Brooklyn buttresses outstanding performances from Saoirse Ronan and Emory Cohen with a rich period drama that tugs at the heartstrings as deftly as it satisfies the mind.

The Hallow
Tomatometer: 73%
Release: Nov. 4

Drenched in dark atmosphere and bolstered with some real emotion underneath all the chills, The Hallow suggests a wonderfully horrifying future for director Corin Hardy.

Spotlight
Tomatometer: 97%
Release: Nov. 6

Spotlight gracefully handles the lurid details of its fact-based story while resisting the temptation to lionize its heroes, resulting in a drama that honors the audience as well as its real-life subjects.

The Peanuts Movie
Tomatometer: 86%
Release: Nov. 6

The Peanuts Movie offers a colorful gateway into the world of its classic characters and a sweetly nostalgic — if relatively unambitious — treat for the adults who grew up with them.

Theeb
Tomatometer: 95%
Release: Nov. 6

Led by an outstanding performance from Jacir Eid Al-Hwietat in the title role, Theeb is a startlingly assured first effort from director/co-writer Naji Abu Nowar.

Entertainment
Tomatometer: 85%
Release: Nov. 13

As brilliantly and uncomfortably confrontational as its protagonist, Entertainment is a boundary-blurring exercise in cinematic misanthropy that more than lives up to its title.

James White
Tomatometer: 91%
Release: Nov. 13

Led by powerfully complementary performances from Christopher Abbott and Cynthia Nixon, James White offers an affecting calling card for debuting writer-director Josh Mond.

Carol
Tomatometer: 93%
Release: Nov. 20

Shaped by Todd Haynes’ deft direction and powered by a strong cast led by Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara, Carol lives up to its groundbreaking source material.

Mustang
Tomatometer: 98%
Release: Nov. 20

Mustang delivers a bracing — and thoroughly timely — message whose power is further bolstered by the efforts of a stellar ensemble cast.

Creed
Tomatometer: 93%
Release: Nov. 25

Creed brings the Rocky franchise off the mat for a surprisingly effective seventh round that extends the boxer’s saga in interesting new directions while staying true to its classic predecessors’ roots.

The Good Dinosaur
Tomatometer: 77%
Release: Nov. 25

The Good Dinosaur delivers thrillingly beautiful animation in service of a worthy story that, even if it doesn’t quite live up to the lofty standards set by Pixar, still adds up to charming, family-friendly entertainment.

Chi-Raq
Release: Dec. 4
Tomatometer: 80%

Chi-Raq is as urgently topical and satisfyingly ambitious as it is wildly uneven — and it contains some of Spike Lee’s smartest, sharpest, and all-around entertaining late-period work.

Hitchcock/Truffaut
Release: Dec. 4
Tomatometer: 96%

Essential viewing for cineastes while still offering rich rewards for neophytes, Hitchcock/Truffaut offers an affectionate — and well-crafted — tribute to a legend.

The Lady in the Van
Release: Dec. 4
Tomatometer: 92%

Led by a marvelous performance from Maggie Smith, Lady in the Van wrings poignant, often hilarious insight from its fact-based source material.

Macbeth
Release: Dec. 4
Tomatometer: 96%

Faithful to the source material without sacrificing its own cinematic flair, Justin Kurzel’s Macbeth rises on the strength of a mesmerizing Michael Fassbender performance to join the upper echelon of big-screen Shakespeare adaptations.

The Big Short
Release: Dec. 11
Tomatometer: 85%

The Big Short approaches a serious, complicated subject with an impressive attention to detail — and manages to deliver a well-acted, scathingly funny indictment of its real-life villains in the bargain.

Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens
Release: Dec. 18
Tomatometer: 94%

Packed with action and populated by both familiar faces and fresh blood, The Force Awakens successfully recalls the series’ former glory while injecting it with renewed energy.

Son of Saul
Release: Dec. 18
Tomatometer: 92%

Grimly intense yet thoroughly rewarding, Son of Saul offers an unforgettable viewing experience — and establishes director László Nemes as a talent to watch.

45 Years
Release: Dec. 23
Tomatometer: 98%

45 Years offers richly thought-provoking rewards for fans of adult cinema — and a mesmerizing acting showcase for leads Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay.

The Revenant
Tomatometer: 80%
Release: Dec. 25

As starkly beautiful as it is harshly uncompromising, The Revenant uses Leonardo DiCaprio’s committed performance as fuel for an absorbing drama that offers punishing challenges — and rich rewards.

The Hateful Eight
Tomatometer: 75%
Release: Dec. 25

The Hateful Eight offers another well-aimed round from Quentin Tarantino’s signature blend of action, humor, and over-the-top violence — all while demonstrating an even stronger grip on his filmmaking craft.

Anomalisa
Tomatometer: 96%
Release: Dec. 30

Anomalisa marks another brilliant and utterly distinctive highlight in Charlie Kaufman’s filmography, and a thought-provoking treat for fans of introspective cinema.

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