The Best Movies of 2018

Critics Consensus: Ready Player One is a sweetly nostalgic thrill ride that neatly encapsulates Spielberg's strengths while adding another solidly engrossing adventure to his filmography.

Synopsis: In 2045, the creator of a virtual reality universe promises his fortune to the first person to discover a digital Easter egg. Soon, young Wade... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, Lena Waithe

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

Critics Consensus: A kaleidoscopic neo-noir, Gemini is a visually striking murder mystery with a convoluted but largely compelling plot and an impressive showing from Lola Kirke.

Synopsis: A heinous crime tests the complex relationship between a Hollywood starlet and her tenacious personal assistant. As the assistant unravels the mystery, she must confront... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Lola Kirke, Zoë Kravitz, John Cho, Ricki Lake

Directed By: Aaron Katz

Critics Consensus: Final Portrait finds writer-director Stanley Tucci patiently telling a quietly absorbing story, brought to life by a talented ensemble led by Geoffrey Rush and Armie Hammer.

Synopsis: In 1964, American writer James Lord is asked to sit for a portrait by artist Alberto Giacometti.

Starring: Geoffrey Rush, Armie Hammer, Clémence Poésy, Tony Shalhoub

Directed By: Stanley Tucci

Critics Consensus: Smart, stylish, and packed with solid performances, Bad Times at the El Royale delivers pure popcorn fun with the salty tang of social subtext.

Synopsis: The El Royale is a run-down hotel that sits on the border between California and Nevada. It soon becomes a seedy battleground when seven strangers... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jeff Bridges, Cynthia Erivo, Jon Hamm, Dakota Johnson

Directed By: Drew Goddard

Critics Consensus: Never Goin' Back benefits from the chemistry between leads Maia Mitchell and Camila Morrone, whose easy rapport lifts a coming-of-age story with uncommon insight.

Synopsis: Angela and Jessie are best friends intent on taking a wild beach trip, but when their roommate loses all of their money in a drug... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Maia Mitchell, Camila Morrone, Kyle Mooney, Joel Allen

Directed By: Augustine Frizzell

Critics Consensus: Smallfoot offers a colorful distraction that should keep younger viewers entertained - and a story whose message might even resonate with older audiences.

Synopsis: Migo is a friendly Yeti whose world gets turned upside down when he discovers something that he didn't know existed -- a human. He soon... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Channing Tatum, James Corden, Zendaya, Common

Directed By: Karey Kirkpatrick

Critics Consensus: Mom and Dad's gonzo premise serves as an effective springboard for a wickedly dark, bloody comedy - and an appropriately over-the-top performance from Nicolas Cage.

Synopsis: A teenage girl and her little brother try to survive a wild 24 hours during which a mass hysteria of unknown origins causes parents to... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Nicolas Cage, Selma Blair, Anne Winters, Zackary Arthur

Directed By: Brian Taylor

Critics Consensus: Before We Vanish finds Kiyoshi Kurosawa working within well-established genre guidelines to take a poignant, surprisingly sincere look at the human condition.

Synopsis: Three aliens travel to Earth on a mission in preparation for a mass invasion. Having taken possession of human bodies, the visitors rob their hosts... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Masami Nagasawa, Ryuhei Matsuda, Hiroki Hasegawa, Mahiro Takasugi

Directed By: Kiyoshi Kurosawa

Critics Consensus: Westwood: Punk, Icon, Activist takes a thoroughly entertaining -- albeit necessarily incomplete -- look at the life and career of a British fashion pioneer.

Synopsis: Since igniting the punk movement with ex-partner and Sex Pistols' manager Malcolm McLaren, Dame Vivienne Westwood has been redefining British fashion for over 40 years... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Vivienne Westwood

Directed By: Lorna Tucker

Critics Consensus: Destroyer's grueling narrative is as uncompromising as Nicole Kidman's central performance, which adds extra layers to a challenging film that leaves a lingering impact.

Synopsis: As a young cop, Erin Bell went undercover to infiltrate a gang in the California desert -- with tragic results. Bell continues to work as... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Nicole Kidman, Toby Kebbell, Tatiana Maslany, Sebastian Stan

Directed By: Karyn Kusama

Critics Consensus: Let the Corpses Tan challenges the audience's expectations -- and delivers a singularly stylish, unforgettably unique viewing experience in the bargain.

Synopsis: During a beautiful Mediterranean summer, Rhino and his gang steal a cache of of gold. They believe they've found the perfect hideout: a remote and... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Elina Löwensohn, Stéphane Ferrara, Bernie Bonvoisin, Michelangelo Marchese

Directed By: Hélène Cattet, Bruno Forzani

Critics Consensus: Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot avoids inspirational biopic clichés thanks to sensitive work from writer-director Gus Van Sant and the admirable efforts of a well-chosen cast.

Synopsis: After nearly dying in a car accident, the last thing Oregon slacker John Callahan intends to do is give up alcohol. Encouraged by his girlfriend... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Jonah Hill, Rooney Mara, Jack Black

Directed By: Gus Van Sant

Critics Consensus: The Escape probes gender mores while surveying the wreckage of a marriage -- and offering the underrated Gemma Arterton another opportunity to prove her dramatic mettle.

Synopsis: Tara is a housewife in suburban London who's raising two young children while married to an overworked, self-absorbed husband. In desperate need of a change,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Gemma Arterton, Dominic Cooper, Jalil Lespert, Frances Barber

Directed By: Dominic Savage

Critics Consensus: Anna and the Apocalypse finds fresh brains and a lot of heart in the crowded zombie genre - not to mention a fun genre mashup populated by rootable characters.

Synopsis: A zombie apocalypse threatens the sleepy town of Little Haven - at Christmas - forcing Anna and her friends to fight, slash and sing their... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ella Hunt, Malcolm Cumming, Sarah Swire, Christopher Leveaux

Directed By: John McPhail

Critics Consensus: Black '47 anchors its grim and gritty action in deceptively deep genre storytelling, although its epic ambitions arguably exceed its grasp.

Synopsis: In 1847 an Irish mercenary fighting for the British army abandons his post to seek revenge on those responsible for the death of his family.

Starring: Hugo Weaving, James Frecheville, Stephen Rea, Freddie Fox

Directed By: Lance Daly

Critics Consensus: Mid90s tells a clear-eyed yet nostalgic coming-of-age tale that might mark the start of an auspicious new career for debuting writer-director Jonah Hill.

Synopsis: In the 1990s Los Angeles, a 13-year-old spends his summer navigating between a troubled home life and a crew of new friends he meets at... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Sunny Suljic, Lucas Hedges, Na-kel Smith, Gio Galicia

Directed By: Jonah Hill

Critics Consensus: Capernaum hits hard, but rewards viewers with a smart, compassionate, and ultimately stirring picture of lives in the balance.

Synopsis: After fleeing his negligent and abusive parents, a hardened, streetwise 12-year-old boy sues them to protest the life they've given him.

Starring: Zain Al Rafeea, Yordanos Shiferaw, Kawthar Al Haddad, Fadi Yousef

Directed By: Nadine Labaki

Critics Consensus: Dark River is just as bleak as its title would suggest, but solidly conceived characters and a standout performance from Ruth Wilson make it worth diving in.

Synopsis: Following the death of her father, Alice returns home to Yorkshire for the first time in 15 years to claim the tenancy of the family... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ruth Wilson, Mark Stanley, Sean Bean, Esme Creed-Miles

Directed By: Clio Barnard

Critics Consensus: I Kill Giants' moody magical realism sometimes slips into the mundane, but impressive CGI and a powerhouse performance by Madison Wolfe pack an unexpected punch.

Synopsis: A teen must face her fears in increasingly dangerous ways when horrible giants threaten to destroy her small town.

Starring: Zoe Saldaña, Imogen Poots, Jennifer Ehle, Madison Wolfe

Directed By: Anders Walter

Critics Consensus: The King pursues a wildly ambitious thesis through some fairly bumpy territory, but emerges as a provocative and insightful look at modern America.

Synopsis: Filmmaker Eugene Jarecki takes a musical road trip across the U.S. in Elvis Presley's 1963 Rolls-Royce during the 2016 presidential election, comparing Elvis's transition from... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Eugene Jarecki, Alec Baldwin, Chuck D, Ethan Hawke

Directed By: Eugene Jarecki

Critics Consensus: Mary Poppins Returns relies on the magic of its classic forebear to cast a familiar -- but still solidly effective -- family-friendly spell.

Synopsis: Now an adult with three children, bank teller Michael Banks learns that his house will be repossessed in five days unless he can pay back... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Emily Blunt, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ben Whishaw, Emily Mortimer

Directed By: Rob Marshall

Critics Consensus: A coming of age drama with a surfing twist, Breath navigates seemingly familiar waters -- but has surprising depth below the surface.

Synopsis: In the 1970s, in a remote corner of the Western Australian coast, two teenage boys, Pikelet and Loonie, are hungry for discovery. The pair form... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Simon Baker, Samson Coulter, Ben Spence, Elizabeth Debicki

Directed By: Simon Baker

Critics Consensus: Apostle resists easy scares in favor of a steady, slow-building descent into dread led by a commanding central performance from Dan Stevens.

Synopsis: London, 1905. Prodigal son Thomas Richardson has returned home, only to learn that his sister is being held for ransom by a religious cult. Determined... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Dan Stevens, Lucy Boynton, Michael Sheen, Kristine Froseth

Directed By: Gareth Evans

Critics Consensus: 22 July offers a hard-hitting close-up look at the aftereffects of terrorism, telling a story with a thriller's visceral impact and the lingering emotional resonance of a drama.

Synopsis: Norway's deadliest terrorist attack, in which a right-wing extremist murders 77 teens at a youth camp in 2011, is dramatized.

Starring: Anders Danielsen Lie, Jonas Strand Gravli, Jon Øigarden, Ola G. Furuseth

Directed By: Paul Greengrass

Critics Consensus: Well-acted and beautifully filmed, Alpha offers a canine-assisted epic adventure that blends rousing action with an extra helping of canine charm.

Synopsis: Young Keda tries to survive alone in the wilderness after he's left for dead during his first hunt with his Cro-Magnon tribe. He soon forms... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson, Marcin Kowalczyk, Jens Hultén

Directed By: Albert Hughes

Critics Consensus: Refreshingly understated, Ben Is Back subverts family drama stereotypes - and provides a forum for terrific performances from Lucas Hedges and Julia Roberts.

Synopsis: Nineteen-year-old Ben Burns unexpectedly returns to his family's suburban home on Christmas Eve. Ben's mom, Holly, is relieved and welcoming but wary of her son's... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Julia Roberts, Lucas Hedges, Courtney B. Vance, Kathryn Newton

Directed By: Peter Hedges

Critics Consensus: Unsane unleashes Steven Soderbergh's inner B-movie maestro, wading into timeless psychological thriller territory and giving it a high-tech filmmaking spin.

Synopsis: Sawyer Valentini relocates from Boston to Pennsylvania to escape from the man who's been stalking her for the last two years. While consulting with a... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Claire Foy, Joshua Leonard, Jay Pharoah, Juno Temple

Directed By: Steven Soderbergh

Critics Consensus: Halloween largely wipes the slate clean after decades of disappointing sequels, ignoring increasingly elaborate mythology in favor of basic - yet still effective - ingredients.

Synopsis: It's been 40 years since Laurie Strode survived a vicious attack from crazed killer Michael Myers on Halloween night. Locked up in an institution, Myers... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, Andi Matichak, Will Patton

Directed By: David Gordon Green

Critics Consensus: Love, Cecil shines a warm - and long overdue - spotlight on the work of an Oscar-winning talent whose contributions to classic cinema are too often overlooked.

Synopsis: The life and work of Oscar-winning costume designer Cecil Beaton.

Starring: Hamish Bowles, Leslie Caron, Rupert Everett, David Hockney

Directed By: Lisa Immordino Vreeland

Critics Consensus: Old-fashioned charm meets sharp wit and modern social satire in The Party, a biting comedy carried by a shining performance from Patricia Clarkson.

Synopsis: A comedy of tragic proportions.

Starring: Patricia Clarkson, Bruno Ganz, Cherry Jones, Emily Mortimer

Directed By: Sally Potter

Critics Consensus: Anchored in empathy by writer-director-star Joel Edgerton, Boy Erased proves the road to complex, powerfully performed drama can also be paved with good intentions.

Synopsis: Jared Eamons, the son of a small-town Baptist pastor, must overcome the fallout after being outed as gay to his parents. His father and mother... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman, Joel Edgerton, Russell Crowe

Directed By: Joel Edgerton

Critics Consensus: Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again doubles down on just about everything fans loved about the original -- and my my, how can fans resist it?

Synopsis: In 1979 young Donna, Tanya and Rosie graduate from Oxford University -- leaving Donna free to embark on a series of adventures throughout Europe. On... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Amanda Seyfried, Lily James, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth

Directed By: Ol Parker

Critics Consensus: Smart, stylish, and well-acted, What Keeps You Alive proves it's still possible to spin an engrossing horror yarn without fundamentally altering established formula.

Synopsis: Jackie and Jules are a couple celebrating their first anniversary at a secluded cabin in the woods belonging to Jackie's family. From the moment they... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Hannah Emily Anderson, Brittany Allen, Martha MacIsaac, Joey Klein

Directed By: Colin Minihan

Critics Consensus: Grim and gripping in equal measure, Have a Nice Day is an animated drama that pulls no punches -- and leaves a satisfying mark.

Synopsis: A city in southern China and a bag containing stolen money draws several people from diverse backgrounds into a bloody conflict.

Starring: Zhu Changlong, Jian Liu, Cao Kai, Yang Siming

Directed By: Jian Liu

Critics Consensus: Green Book takes audiences on an excessively smooth ride through bumpy subject matter, although Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortensen's performances add necessary depth.

Synopsis: Dr. Don Shirley is a world-class African-American pianist who's about to embark on a concert tour in the Deep South in 1962. In need of... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Mahershala Ali, Linda Cardellini, Sebastian Maniscalco

Directed By: Peter Farrelly

Critics Consensus: Beirut tells a complex, tightly plotted tale of international intrigue, further elevated by strong central performances from Jon Hamm and Rosamund Pike.

Synopsis: In 1980s Beirut, Mason Skiles is a former U.S. diplomat who is called back into service to save a colleague from the group that is... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jon Hamm, Rosamund Pike, Dean Norris, Mark Pellegrino

Directed By: Brad Anderson

Critics Consensus: Part revisionist war drama, part zombie thriller, and part all-out genre gorefest, Overlord offers A-level fun for B-movie fans of multiple persuasions.

Synopsis: On the eve of D-Day, American paratroopers drop behind enemy lines to penetrate the walls of a fortified church and destroy a radio transmitter. As... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jovan Adepo, Wyatt Russell, Pilou Asbæk, Mathilde Ollivier

Directed By: Julius Avery

Critics Consensus: Led by mesmerizing work from Willem Dafoe in the central role, At Eternity's Gate intriguingly imagines Vincent Van Gogh's troubled final days.

Synopsis: Famed but tormented artist Vincent van Gogh spends his final years in Arles, France, painting masterworks of the natural world that surrounds him.

Starring: Willem Dafoe, Rupert Friend, Oscar Isaac, Mads Mikkelsen

Directed By: Julian Schnabel

Critics Consensus: Far more traditional and straightforward than its unwieldy title, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society offers delightful comfort food for fans of period drama.

Synopsis: In 1946 a London-based writer begins exchanging letters with residents on the island of Guernsey, which was German-occupied during WWII. Feeling compelled to visit the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Lily James, Matthew Goode, Michiel Huisman, Glen Powell

Directed By: Mike Newell

Critics Consensus: Early Man isn't quite as evolved as Aardman's best work, but still retains the unique visuals and sweet humor that have made the studio a favorite among animation enthusiasts.

Synopsis: A plucky cave man named Dug, his sidekick Hognob and the rest of their tribe face a grave threat to their simple existence. Lord Nooth... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Tom Hiddleston, Maisie Williams, Miriam Margolyes

Directed By: Nick Park

Critics Consensus: Fahrenheit 11/9 finds Michael Moore in fine fighting form, delivering a political call to action that ranks among his most effective works.

Synopsis: Filmmaker Michael Moore predicted that Donald Trump would become the 45th President of the United States. Traveling across the country, Moore interviews American citizens to... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Michael Moore, Brooke Baldwin, Ashleigh Banfield, Steve Bannon

Directed By: Michael Moore

Critics Consensus: Where Is Kyra? rests on Michelle Pfeiffer's magnetically raw performance -- and lives up to it with a trenchant, hard-hitting story.

Synopsis: A fragile woman is already stressed from a fast-paced world when her mother dies and she must find a means for survival while hiding her... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Michelle Pfeiffer, Kiefer Sutherland, Suzanne Shepherd, Sam Robards

Directed By: Andrew Dosunmu

Critics Consensus: A satisfying must-watch for diehard cineastes, The Other Side of the Wind offers the opportunity to witness a long-lost chapter in a brilliant filmmaker's career.

Synopsis: After years of exile in Europe, a maverick director returns to Hollywood to finish his comeback movie, The Other Side of the Wind.

Starring: John Huston, Susan Strasberg, Lilli Palmer, Dennis Hopper

Directed By: Orson Welles

Critics Consensus: Instant Family may not quite capture the complexity of real-life adoption, but fittingly for the unconditional bond it honors, this flawed yet well-intentioned dramedy is ultimately worth the investment.

Synopsis: When Pete and Ellie decide to start a family, they stumble into the world of foster care adoption. They hope to take in one small... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Rose Byrne, Octavia Spencer, Isabela Merced

Directed By: Sean Anders

Critics Consensus: Ghost Stories offers a well-crafted, skillfully told horror anthology that cleverly toys with genre tropes while adding a few devilishly frightful twists.

Synopsis: Professor Phillip Goodman devotes his life to exposing phony psychics and fraudulent supernatural shenanigans. His skepticism soon gets put to the test when he receives... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Martin Freeman, Andy Nyman, Paul Whitehouse, Alex Lawther

Directed By: Jeremy Dyson, Andy Nyman

Critics Consensus: Chappaquidick can't help leaving some of this true story's most intriguing questions unanswered, but it's bolstered by outstanding work from Jason Clarke in the central role.

Synopsis: On July 18, 1969, Sen. Ted Kennedy drives his car off of a bridge on Massachusetts' Chappaquiddick Island. The accident results in the death of... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jason Clarke, Kate Mara, Ed Helms, Bruce Dern

Directed By: John Curran

Critics Consensus: Juliet, Naked's somewhat familiar narrative arc is elevated by standout work from a charming cast led by a well-matched Rose Byrne and Ethan Hawke.

Synopsis: Annie breaks up with her longtime boyfriend Duncan -- a teacher who's obsessed with former 1990s rocker Tucker Crowe. She soon develops an unexpected bond... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ethan Hawke, Rose Byrne, Chris O'Dowd, Megan Dodds

Directed By: Jesse Peretz

Critics Consensus: Powered by an intriguing story and a pair of outstanding performances from Jessica Chastain and Idris Elba, Molly's Game marks a solid debut for writer-director Aaron Sorkin.

Synopsis: The true story of Molly Bloom, a beautiful, young, Olympic-class skier who ran the world's most exclusive high-stakes poker game for a decade before being... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba, Michael Cera, Kevin Costner

Directed By: Aaron Sorkin

Critics Consensus: Mohawk delivers effective period horror while skillfully weaving in sociopolitical subtext that pushes the film past genre -- and budgetary -- constraints.

Synopsis: After one member of her tribe sets an American camp ablaze, a young Mohawk warrior finds herself pursued by a contingent of military renegades set... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Tiio Horn, Justin Rain, Wayne W. Johnson, Ezra Buzzington

Directed By: Ted Geoghegan

Critics Consensus: Well-acted and visually stylish, Monsters and Men tells its timely story with enough compassion and complexity to make up for occasionally uneven execution.

Synopsis: Tensions rise when a young man records a police officer shooting a black motorist in a Brooklyn, N.Y., neighborhood.

Starring: John David Washington, Anthony Ramos, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Chanté Adams

Directed By: Reinaldo Marcus Green

Critics Consensus: Lover for a Day offers an absorbing character study that's as well-acted and believable as it is beautifully filmed.

Synopsis: A woman returns home to discover her father is dating a woman who is the same age as her.

Starring: Éric Caravaca, Esther Garrel, Louise Chevillotte, Paul Toucang

Directed By: Philippe Garrel

Critics Consensus: Puzzle transcends its quirky premise with honest emotion -- and Kelly Macdonald, whose nicely understated performance proves she's too often underutilized.

Synopsis: A woman who has a talent for assembling jigsaw puzzles sneaks away from her suburban town and goes to New York City, where she partners... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Kelly Macdonald, Irrfan Khan, David Denman, Bubba Weiler

Directed By: Marc Turtletaub

Critics Consensus: Blockers puts a gender-swapped spin on the teen sex comedy -- one elevated by strong performances, a smartly funny script, and a surprisingly enlightened perspective.

Synopsis: Julie, Kayla and Sam are three high school seniors who make a pact to lose their virginity on prom night. Lisa, Mitchell and Hunter are... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Leslie Mann, Ike Barinholtz, John Cena, Kathryn Newton

Directed By: Kay Cannon

Critics Consensus: Creed II's adherence to franchise formula adds up to a sequel with few true surprises, but its time-tested generational themes still pack a solid punch.

Synopsis: In 1985, Russian boxer Ivan Drago killed former U.S. champion Apollo Creed in a tragic match that stunned the world. Against the wishes of trainer... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson, Phylicia Rashad

Directed By: Steven Caple Jr.

Critics Consensus: Elevated by a solid soundtrack and a terrific cast, Dumplin' offers sweetly uplifting drama that adds just enough new ingredients to a reliably comforting formula.

Synopsis: The plus-size, teenage daughter of a former beauty queen signs up for her mom's pageant as a protest that escalates when other contestants follow in... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Danielle Macdonald, Jennifer Aniston, Odeya Rush, Dove Cameron

Directed By: Anne Fletcher

Critics Consensus: Though it threatens to buckle under the weight of its meta gags, Deadpool 2 is a gory, gleeful lampoon of the superhero genre buoyed by Ryan Reynolds' undeniable charm.

Synopsis: Wisecracking mercenary Deadpool meets Russell, an angry teenage mutant who lives at an orphanage. When Russell becomes the target of Cable -- a genetically enhanced... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin, Morena Baccarin, Zazie Beetz

Directed By: David Leitch

Critics Consensus: Under the Tree leads viewers into decidedly bleak territory, but it's leavened by sly intelligence and a surprising sense of humor.

Synopsis: When Baldvin and Inga's next-door neighbors complain that a tree in the couple's backyard casts a shadow over their sun deck, what starts off as... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Steinþór Hróar Steinþórsson, Edda Björgvinsdóttir, Sigurður Sigurjónsson, Þorsteinn Bachmann

Directed By: Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson

Critics Consensus: The Third Murder makes satisfying work of its weighty themes, even if it doesn't quite stand with writer-director Hirokazu Koreeda's best efforts.

Synopsis: Well-known attorney Shigemori takes on the defense of murder-robbery suspect Misumi, who served jail time for another murder 30 years ago. Shigemori's chances of winning... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Masaharu Fukuyama, Kôji Yakusho, Shinnosuke Mitsushima, Mikako Ichikawa

Directed By: Hirokazu Koreeda

Critics Consensus: Pope Francis - A Man of His Word offers a compelling look at the pontiff's ideas and message, even if its distance from the man means it won't win many new converts.

Synopsis: Pope Francis embarks on a personal journey to present his work of reform and answer today's global questions -- from his deep concern for the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jorge Bergoglio, Sister María Eufemia Goycoechea, Ignazio Oliva, Joe Biden

Directed By: Wim Wenders

Critics Consensus: The Final Year uses director Greg Barker's wide-ranging access to take a detailed inside look at the closing months of the Obama administration.

Synopsis: An account of President Barack Obama's foreign policy team during their last year in office.

Starring: Ben Rhodes, Samantha Power, John Kerry, Susan Rice

Directed By: Greg Barker

Critics Consensus: Borg vs McEnroe makes tennis improbably cinematic -- and brings the absolute best out of Shia LaBeouf, who delivers some of the best work of his career.

Synopsis: It's the summer of 1980, and Björn Borg is the top tennis player in the world, dominating the sport both on and off the court.... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Sverrir Gudnason, Shia LaBeouf, Stellan Skarsgård, Tuva Novotny

Directed By: Janus Metz

Critics Consensus: Disobedience explores a variety of thought-provoking themes, bolstered by gripping work from leads Rachel Weisz, Rachel McAdams, and Alessandro Nivola.

Synopsis: New York photographer Ronit Krushka flies to London after learning about the death of her estranged father. Ronit is returning to the same Orthodox Jewish... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Rachel Weisz, Rachel McAdams, Alessandro Nivola, Anton Lesser

Directed By: Sebastián Lelio

Critics Consensus: The Wife relies on the strength of Glenn Close's performance to drive home the power of its story -- and she proves thoroughly, grippingly up to the task.

Synopsis: Joan and Joe remain complements after nearly 40 years of marriage. Where Joe is casual, Joan is elegant. Where Joe is vain, Joan is self-effacing.... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Glenn Close, Jonathan Pryce, Christian Slater, Annie Starke

Directed By: Björn Runge

Critics Consensus: With a talented cast turned loose on a loaded premise -- and a sharp script loaded with dark comedy and unexpected twists -- Game Night might be more fun than the real thing.

Synopsis: Max and Annie's weekly game night gets kicked up a notch when Max's brother Brooks arranges a murder mystery party -- complete with fake thugs... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jason Bateman, Rachel McAdams, Kyle Chandler, Sharon Horgan

Directed By: John Francis Daley, Jonathan M. Goldstein

Critics Consensus: Avengers: Infinity War ably juggles a dizzying array of MCU heroes in the fight against their gravest threat yet, and the result is a thrilling, emotionally resonant blockbuster that (mostly) realizes its gargantuan ambitions.

Synopsis: Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk and the rest of the Avengers unite to battle their most powerful enemy yet -- the evil Thanos. On a... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Josh Brolin, Chadwick Boseman

Directed By: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo

Critics Consensus: Nancy is an uncomfortable watch, but worth the effort thanks to Andrea Riseborough's central performance -- and writer-director Christina Choe's powerful empathy for her character's dangerously misguided choices.

Synopsis: Craving connection with others, Nancy creates elaborate identities and hoaxes under pseudonyms on the internet. When she meets a couple whose daughter went missing 30... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Andrea Riseborough, J. Smith-Cameron, Steve Buscemi, Ann Dowd

Directed By: Christina Choe

Critics Consensus: Monrovia, Indiana finds Frederick Wiseman observing the citizens of one small American town with his typically patient - and ultimately revealing - approach.

Synopsis: Filmmaker Frederick Wiseman documents the day-to-day experiences of living and working in the farming community of Monrovia, Ind.

Directed By: Frederick Wiseman

Critics Consensus: The Gospel According to André offers an engaging overview of its fascinating subject, even if his accomplishments -- and outsize personality -- prove too expansive for a single film.

Synopsis: Filmmaker Kate Novack explores the life and career of fashion journalist André Leon Talley -- from his childhood in the segregated South to his iconic,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: André Leon Talley, Anna Wintour, Marc Jacobs, Whoopi Goldberg

Directed By: Kate Novack

Critics Consensus: The Sisters Brothers rides familiar genre trails in occasionally unexpected ways - a satisfying journey further elevated by its well-matched leading men.

Synopsis: It's 1851, and Charlie and Eli Sisters are both brothers and assassins, boys grown to men in a savage and hostile world. The Sisters brothers... View Full Synopsis

Starring: John C. Reilly, Joaquin Phoenix, Jake Gyllenhaal, Riz Ahmed

Directed By: Jacques Audiard

Critics Consensus: Twisty, twisted, and above all simply fun, A Simple Favor casts a stylish mommy noir spell strengthened by potent performances from Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively.

Synopsis: Stephanie is a widowed single mother who works as a vlogger in Connecticut. Her best friend, Emily, seems to have it all, a successful career,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Anna Kendrick, Blake Lively, Henry Golding, Ian Ho

Directed By: Paul Feig

Critics Consensus: Tully delves into the modern parenthood experience with an admirably deft blend of humor and raw honesty, brought to life by an outstanding performance by Charlize Theron.

Synopsis: A new comedy from Academy Award®-nominated director Jason Reitman ("Up in the Air") and Academy Award®-winning screenwriter Diablo Cody ("Juno"). Marlo (Academy Award® winner Charlize... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Charlize Theron, Mackenzie Davis, Mark Duplass, Ron Livingston

Directed By: Jason Reitman

Critics Consensus: The Captain makes chillingly persuasive points about the dark side of human nature -- and underscores how little certain tendencies ever really change.

Synopsis: A German army deserter finds a Nazi captain's abandoned uniform during the final weeks of World War II. Emboldened by the authority it suddenly grants... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Max Hubacher, Milan Peschel, Frederick Lau, Waldemar Kobus

Directed By: Robert Schwentke

Critics Consensus: Mountain offers a visually thrilling -- and surprisingly affecting -- look at man's relationship with some of Earth's most imposing natural wonders.

Synopsis: A cinematic journey of sound and nature that explores the beauty of the upper world. With advancements in technology, venturing to the peak of a... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Willem Dafoe

Directed By: Jennifer Peedom

Critics Consensus: Cargo takes a refreshingly character-driven approach to the zombie genre that's further distinguished by its Australian setting and Martin Freeman's terrific lead performance.

Synopsis: Stranded in rural Australia in the aftermath of a violent pandemic, an infected father desperately seeks a new home for his infant child, and a... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Martin Freeman, Anthony Hayes, Susie Porter, Simone Landers

Directed By: Ben Howling, Yolanda Ramke

Critics Consensus: Let the Sunshine In pairs a powerful performance from Juliette Binoche with a layered drama that presents director Claire Denis at her most assured.

Synopsis: Isabelle, a Parisian artist and divorced mother, is looking for love.

Starring: Juliette Binoche, Xavier Beauvois, Philippe Katerine, Josiane Balasko

Directed By: Claire Denis

Critics Consensus: The Miseducation of Cameron Post tells its timely coming-of-age story with wit, compassion, and an affecting overall generosity of spirit.

Synopsis: In 1993 after teenage Cameron is caught in the backseat of a car with the prom queen, she is sent away to a treatment center... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Chloë Grace Moretz, Marin Ireland, Jennifer Ehle, Quinn Shephard

Directed By: Desiree Akhavan

Critics Consensus: Formally familiar but a brilliant match for its lead, Colette is a thoroughly entertaining biopic and an overdue testament to Keira Knightley's underrated gifts.

Synopsis: After moving to Paris, author Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette agrees to ghostwrite a semi-autobiographical novel for her husband. Its success soon inspires her to fight for creative... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Keira Knightley, Dominic West, Denise Gough, Fiona Shaw

Directed By: Wash Westmoreland

Critics Consensus: Like its augmented protagonist, Upgrade's old-fashioned innards get a high-tech boost -- one made even more powerful thanks to sharp humor and a solidly well-told story.

Synopsis: A brutal mugging leaves Grey Trace paralyzed in the hospital and his beloved wife dead. A billionaire inventor soon offers Trace a cure -- an... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Logan Marshall-Green, Betty Gabriel, Harrison Gilbertson, Christopher Kirby

Directed By: Leigh Whannell

Critics Consensus: Led by an outstanding central performance from Mary Elizabeth Winstead and brilliantly held together by writer-director Eva Vives, All About Nina is a delightfully raw dramedy.

Synopsis: Nina Geld's passion and talent have made her a rising star in the comedy scene, but she's an emotional mess offstage. When a new professional... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Common, Grace Shen, Beau Bridges

Directed By: Eva Vives

Critics Consensus: Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami takes an unconventional approach to the rock biopic, resulting in a compelling experience for fans and an intriguing, albeit confusing, primer for novices.

Synopsis: Electrifying concert performances and intimate, personal footage showcase the life and talent of singer and actress Grace Jones.

Starring: Grace Jones

Directed By: Sophie Fiennes

Critics Consensus: Mary and the Witch's Flower honors its creator's Studio Ghibli roots with a gentle, beautifully animated story whose simplicity is rounded out by its entrancing visuals.

Synopsis: Young Mary follows a mysterious cat into the nearby forest and discovers an old broomstick and the strange Fly-by-Night flower, a rare plant that blossoms... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ruby Barnhill, Louis Ashbourne Serkis, Kate Winslet, Jim Broadbent

Directed By: Hiromasa Yonebayashi

Critics Consensus: Madeline's Madeline proves experimental cinema is alive and well -- and serves as a powerful calling card for Helena Howard in her big-screen debut.

Synopsis: Madeline has become an integral part of a prestigious physical theater troupe. When the workshop's ambitious director pushes the teenager to weave her rich interior... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Helena Howard, Molly Parker, Miranda July, Okwui Okpokwasili

Directed By: Josephine Decker

Critics Consensus: Elevated by a bravura performance from Maggie Gyllenhaal, The Kindergarten Teacher is one American remake that retains its impact the second time around.

Synopsis: A teacher sees such great promise in her 5-year-old student that she goes to unreasonable lengths to protect his talent.

Starring: Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gael García Bernal, Michael Chernus, Anna Baryshnikov

Directed By: Sara Colangelo

Critics Consensus: Thoroughbreds juggles genres with panache, delivering a well-written and refreshingly unpredictable entry in the teen thriller genre.

Synopsis: Childhood friends Lily and Amanda reconnect in suburban Connecticut after years of growing apart. Lily has turned into a polished upper-class teenager who has a... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Olivia Cooke, Anya Taylor-Joy, Anton Yelchin, Paul Sparks

Directed By: Cory Finley

Critics Consensus: Matangi/Maya/M.I.A. makes up in energy and ambition what it lacks in objective distance, offering fans a personal perspective on a singular career.

Synopsis: Drawn from a never before seen cache of personal footage spanning decades, Stephen Loveridge creates an intimate portrait of the Sri Lankan artist and musician... View Full Synopsis

Starring: M.I.A.

Directed By: Stephen Loveridge

Critics Consensus: A powerful character study, A Ciambra burns slowly, letting its compelling cast carry what could otherwise be just another coming-of-age story.

Synopsis: A 14-year-old miscreant sets out to prove he's ready to step into his older brother's shoes.

Starring: Pio Amato, Koudous Seihon, Damiano Amato, Francesco Pio Amato

Directed By: Jonas Carpignano

Critics Consensus: With its thorny themes and aggressive humor, Bodied dares to offend - and justifies its approach with a subversive comedy that edifies as it entertains.

Synopsis: A progressive graduate student finds success and sparks outrage when his interest in battle rap as a thesis subject turns into a competitive obsession.

Starring: Calum Worthy, Jackie Long, Rory Uphold, Walter Perez

Directed By: Joseph Kahn

Critics Consensus: Love, Gilda pays gentle, unequivocal tribute to its subject with more than enough of her genuine spirit to compensate for a lack of critical distance or truly fresh insight.

Synopsis: Diaries, audiotapes, videotapes and testimonies from friends and colleagues offer insight into the life and career of Gilda Radner -- the beloved comic and actress... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Chevy Chase, Bill Hader, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph

Directed By: Lisa Dapolito

Critics Consensus: What They Had finds laughter and tears in its portrait of a family at a crossroads, with writer-director Elizabeth Chomko getting outstanding performances out of a talented cast.

Synopsis: After her ailing mother wanders off during a blizzard, Bridget returns to her childhood home in Chicago, accompanied by her rebellious daughter. Forced to referee... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Hilary Swank, Michael Shannon, Robert Forster, Blythe Danner

Directed By: Elizabeth Chomko

Critics Consensus: The Insult uses its familiar courtroom drama framework to deliver a hard-hitting statement on modern Middle Eastern politics that's as gripping as it is thought-provoking.

Synopsis: A minor incident between a Lebanese Christian and a Palestinian refugee turns into an explosive trial that ends up dividing the two communities.

Starring: Adel Karam, Kamel El Basha, Camille Salameh, Diamand Bou Abboud

Directed By: Ziad Doueiri

Critics Consensus: Whitney shifts from soaring highs to heartbreaking lows with palpable emotion and grace befitting its singular subject.

Synopsis: Filmmaker Kevin Macdonald examines the life and career of singer Whitney Houston. Features never-before-seen archival footage, exclusive recordings, rare performances and interviews with the people... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Kenneth Babyface Edmonds, L.A. Reid, Cissy Houston, Clive Davis

Directed By: Kevin Macdonald

Critics Consensus: American Animals tangles with a number of weighty themes, but never at the expense of delivering a queasily compelling true crime thriller.

Synopsis: Spencer Reinhard, Warren Lipka, Eric Borsuk and Chas Allen are four friends who live an ordinary existence in Kentucky. After a visit to Transylvania University,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Barry Keoghan, Evan Peters, Jared Abrahamson, Blake Jenner

Directed By: Bart Layton

Critics Consensus: Ralph Breaks the Internet levels up on its predecessor with a funny, heartwarming sequel that expands its colorful universe while focusing on core characters and relationships.

Synopsis: Video game bad guy Ralph and fellow misfit Vanellope von Schweetz must risk it all by traveling to the World Wide Web in search of... View Full Synopsis

Starring: John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Gal Gadot, Taraji P. Henson

Directed By: Phil Johnston, Rich Moore

Critics Consensus: Annihilation backs up its sci-fi visual wonders and visceral genre thrills with an impressively ambitious -- and surprisingly strange -- exploration of challenging themes that should leave audiences pondering long after the end credits roll.

Synopsis: Lena, a biologist and former soldier, joins a mission to uncover what happened to her husband inside Area X -- a sinister and mysterious phenomenon... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gina Rodriguez, Tessa Thompson

Directed By: Alex Garland

Critics Consensus: The Post's period setting belies its bitingly timely themes, brought compellingly to life by director Steven Spielberg and an outstanding ensemble cast.

Synopsis: Katharine Graham is the first female publisher of a major American newspaper -- The Washington Post. With help from editor Ben Bradlee, Graham races to... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Bruce Greenwood, Matthew Rhys

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

Critics Consensus: A lighter, brighter superhero movie powered by the effortless charisma of Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly, Ant-Man and The Wasp offers a much-needed MCU palate cleanser.

Synopsis: Scott Lang is grappling with the consequences of his choices as both a superhero and a father. Approached by Hope van Dyne and Dr. Hank... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Michael Peña

Directed By: Peyton Reed

Critics Consensus: First Man uses a personal focus to fuel a look back at a pivotal moment in human history - and takes audiences on a soaring dramatic journey along the way.

Synopsis: Hoping to reach the moon by the end of the decade, NASA plans a series of extremely dangerous, unprecedented missions in the early 1960s. Engineer... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy, Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler

Directed By: Damien Chazelle

Critics Consensus: Museum (Museo) approaches familiar genre territory from a refreshing new perspective that's as exciting visually as it is narratively.

Synopsis: In 1985 a gang of criminals steals 140 pre-Hispanic pieces from the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City.

Starring: Gael García Bernal, Simon Russell Beale, Lynn Gilmartin, Ilse Salas

Directed By: Alonso Ruizpalacios

Critics Consensus: Divide & Conquer: The Story of Roger Ailes offers an overview of the media mogul's rise and fall that proves as engrossing as it is deeply disturbing.

Synopsis: Filmmaker Alexis Bloom examines the rise and fall of Roger Ailes, the Republican Party booster and controversial Fox News mogul who went down in flames... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Glenn Beck, Austin Pendleton

Directed By: Alexis Bloom

Critics Consensus: Happy as Lazzaro uses a friendship's ups and downs as a satisfyingly expansive canvas for a picture rich with thematic and cinematic depth.

Synopsis: Lazzaro, a good-hearted young peasant, and Tancredi, a young nobleman cursed by his imagination, form a life-altering bond when Tancredi asks Lazzaro to help him... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Adriano Tardiolo, Alba Rohrwacher, Agnese Graziani, Tommaso Ragno

Directed By: Alice Rohrwacher

Critics Consensus: Boom for Real: The Late Teenage Years of Jean-Michel Basquiat offers an insightful look into a key period of the artist's life, his peers and influences, and the early '80s art world.

Synopsis: Never-before-seen works, writings and photographs offer insight into the life of Jean-Michel Basquiat as a teenager in New York in the late 1970s. The times,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Alexis Adler, Felice Rosser, "Lee" George Quinones, Jim Jarmusch

Directed By: Sara Driver

Critics Consensus: Maria by Callas offers an intimate look at the life of a brilliantly talented artist whose absorbing story matches the operatic heights reached by her work.

Synopsis: Never-before-seen footage and performances offer insight into the life and career of renowned opera singer Maria Callas.

Starring: Fanny Ardant, Joyce DiDonato

Directed By: Tom Volf

Critics Consensus: Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood offers plenty of prurient thrills for film fans, but beyond the gossip lies a poignantly illuminating look at decades of sexual mores.

Synopsis: "Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood" is the deliciously scandalous story of Scotty Bowers, a handsome ex-Marine who landed in Hollywood after World War... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Scotty Bowers, Peter Bart, Stephen Fry, Tony Charmoli

Directed By: Matt Tyrnauer

Critics Consensus: Studio 54 offers audiences an engrossing close-up look at an emblem of a decade's decadence - as well as its sobering aftermath.

Synopsis: In 1977 college friends Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager opened Studio 54, a nightclub that quickly becomes the most popular hot spot in New York...

Starring: Ian Schrager, Norma Kamali, Bob Colacello, Nile Rodgers

Directed By: Matt Tyrnauer

Critics Consensus: Skate Kitchen takes a beguiling slice-of-life approach to its characters, approaching its timely themes with a light hand that serves the story well.

Synopsis: Camille's life as a lonely suburban teenager changes dramatically when she befriends a group of girl skateboarders. As she journeys deeper into this raw New... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Rachelle Vinberg, Dede Lovelace, Nina Moran, Jaden Smith

Directed By: Crystal Moselle

Critics Consensus: A Private War honors its real-life subject with a sober appraisal of the sacrifices required of journalists on the front lines - and career-best work by Rosamund Pike.

Synopsis: Celebrated war correspondent Marie Colvin is a woman who is as comfortable downing martinis with high society's elite as she is brazenly staring down warlords... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Rosamund Pike, Jamie Dornan, Tom Hollander, Stanley Tucci

Directed By: Matthew Heineman

Critics Consensus: Bracingly elevated by a typically committed lead performance from Joaquin Phoenix, You Were Never Really Here confirms writer-director Lynne Ramsay as one of modern cinema's most unique -- and uncompromising -- voices.

Synopsis: A contract killer uncovers a conspiracy while trying to save a kidnapped teen from a life of prostitution.

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Ekaterina Samsonov, Alessandro Nivola, Alex Manette

Directed By: Lynne Ramsay

Critics Consensus: The beautifully stop-motion animated Isle of Dogs finds Wes Anderson at his detail-oriented best while telling one of the director's most winsomely charming stories.

Synopsis: When, by executive decree, all the canine pets of Megasaki City are exiled to a vast garbage-dump called Trash Island, 12-year-old Atari sets off alone... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Scarlett Johansson, Bill Murray

Directed By: Wes Anderson

Critics Consensus: Hereditary uses its classic setup as the framework for a harrowing, uncommonly unsettling horror film whose cold touch lingers long beyond the closing credits.

Synopsis: When the matriarch of the Graham family passes away, her daughter and grandchildren begin to unravel cryptic and increasingly terrifying secrets about their ancestry, trying... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Toni Collette, Gabriel Byrne, Alex Wolff, Ann Dowd

Directed By: Ari Aster

Critics Consensus: Led by strong work from Margot Robbie and Alison Janney, I, Tonya finds the humor in its real-life story without losing sight of its more tragic -- and emotionally resonant -- elements.

Synopsis: In 1991, talented figure skater Tonya Harding becomes the first American woman to complete a triple axel during a competition. In 1994, her world comes... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Margot Robbie, Sebastian Stan, Allison Janney, Julianne Nicholson

Directed By: Craig Gillespie

Critics Consensus: Hal pays affectionate tribute to a filmmaker whose offscreen life proves as engaging as his best work.

Synopsis: Filmmaker Hal Ashby's obsessive genius leads to an unprecedented string of Oscar-winning classics, including "Harold and Maude," "Shampoo" and "Being There." But as contemporaries Francis... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jon Voight, Rosanna Arquette, Beau Bridges, Robert Towne

Directed By: Amy Scott

Critics Consensus: The Price of Everything will be of immediate interest to art lovers - but this look at the relationship between creativity and commodification has something for all audiences.

Synopsis: Filmmaker Nathaniel Kahn delves into the contemporary art world, where everything can be bought and sold.

Starring: Jeff Koons, Larry Poons, Simon de Pury, Amy Cappellazzo

Directed By: Nathaniel Kahn

Critics Consensus: Set It Up follows the long-established outlines of the rom-com template -- and in the process, proves there's still substantial pleasure to be wrought from familiar formulas.

Synopsis: Two overworked and underpaid assistants come up with a plan to get their bosses off their backs by setting them up with each other.

Starring: Zoey Deutch, Glen Powell, Lucy Liu, Taye Diggs

Directed By: Claire Scanlon

Critics Consensus: Tender performances and a strong sense of style combine to create an eccentric, dreamy portrait of love and loneliness in On Body and Soul.

Synopsis: When a man and woman who meet at work begin to know each other, they discover that they have the same dreams at night, and... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Géza Morcsányi, Alexandra Borbély, Zoltán Schneider, Ervin Nagy

Directed By: Ildikó Enyedi

Critics Consensus: Lean on Pete avoids mawkish melodrama, offering an empathetic yet clear-eyed portrayal of a young man at a crossroads that confirms Charley Plummer as a major talent.

Synopsis: Charley, a teen living with his single father, finds work caring for an aging racehorse named Lean on Pete. When he learns Pete is bound... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Charlie Plummer, Chloë Sevigny, Steve Zahn, Justin Rain

Directed By: Andrew Haigh

Critics Consensus: Widows rounds up a stellar ensemble for a heist thriller that mixes popcorn entertainment with a message - and marks another artistic leap for director Steve McQueen.

Synopsis: A police shootout leaves four thieves dead during an explosive armed robbery attempt in Chicago. Their widows -- Veronica, Linda, Alice and Belle -- have... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Viola Davis, Colin Farrell, Michelle Rodriguez, Elizabeth Debicki

Directed By: Steve McQueen

Critics Consensus: With appealing leads, deft direction, and an affecting love story, A Star Is Born is a remake done right -- and a reminder that some stories can be just as effective in the retelling.

Synopsis: Seasoned musician Jackson Maine discovers -- and falls in love with -- struggling artist Ally. She has just about given up on her dream to... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga, Sam Elliott, Andrew Dice Clay

Directed By: Bradley Cooper

Critics Consensus: Claire's Camera adds another deceptively unassuming entry to writer-director Hong Sang-soo's oeuvre -- one whose lingering impact belies its brief length.

Synopsis: While visiting Cannes, France, a high school teacher develops a friendship with a woman who's just been fired from her job as a film sales... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Isabelle Huppert, Kim Min-hee, Chang Mi-hee, Jeong Jin-yeong

Directed By: Hong Sang-soo

Critics Consensus: Nico, 1988 takes an absorbing -- and appropriately idiosyncratic -- look at the singer's later years.

Synopsis: Approaching age 50, singer/songwriter Nico leads a solitary existence -- far from her days as a Warhol superstar and celebrated vocalist for the Velvet Underground... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Trine Dyrholm, Sàndor Funtek, Anamaria Marinca, Karina Fernandez

Directed By: Susanna Nicchiarelli

Critics Consensus: Dreamlike and haunting, We the Animals approaches the coming-of-age odyssey with a uniquely documentarian eye.

Synopsis: Manny, Joel, and Jonah tear their way through childhood. Their mother and father have a volatile relationship that makes and unmakes the family many times... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Raúl Castillo, Sheila Vand, Evan Rosado, Isaiah Kristian

Directed By: Jeremiah Zagar

Critics Consensus: Teen Titans Go! To the Movies distills the enduring appeal of its colorful characters into a charmingly light-hearted adventure whose wacky humor fuels its infectious fun -- and belies a surprising level of intelligence.

Synopsis: It seems that all the major superheroes out there are starring in their own movies -- all but the Teen Titans. Robin is bound and... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Greg Cipes, Scott Menville, Khary Payton, Tara Strong

Directed By: Peter Rida Michail, Aaron Horvath

Critics Consensus: A well-told story brought to life by a beautifully matched cast, The Old Man & the Gun is pure, easygoing entertainment for film fans - and a fitting farewell to a legend.

Synopsis: At the age of 70, Forrest Tucker makes an audacious escape from San Quentin, conducting an unprecedented string of heists that confound authorities and enchant... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Robert Redford, Casey Affleck, Sissy Spacek, Danny Glover

Directed By: David Lowery

Critics Consensus: With a terrific cast and a surfeit of visual razzle dazzle, Crazy Rich Asians takes a satisfying step forward for screen representation while deftly drawing inspiration from the classic -- and still effective -- rom-com formula.

Synopsis: Rachel Chu is happy to accompany her longtime boyfriend, Nick, to his best friend's wedding in Singapore. She's also surprised to learn that Nick's family... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh, Gemma Chan

Directed By: Jon M. Chu

Critics Consensus: Phantom Thread's finely woven narrative is filled out nicely by humor, intoxicating romantic tension, and yet another impressively committed performance from Daniel Day-Lewis.

Synopsis: Renowned dressmaker Reynolds Woodcock and his sister Cyril are at the center of British fashion in 1950s London -- dressing royalty, movie stars, heiresses, socialites... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Vicky Krieps, Lesley Manville, Camilla Rutherford

Directed By: Paul Thomas Anderson

Critics Consensus: The simplicity and colorful warmth of Mirai's animation is underscored by a story with surprising - and deeply affecting - depth and emotional resonance.

Synopsis: A young boy named Kun feels forgotten by his family when his little sister Mirai arrives. Running away from home, Kun stumbles upon a magical... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Haru Kuroki, Moka Kamishiraishi, Gen Hoshino, Kôji Yakusho

Directed By: Mamoru Hosoda

Critics Consensus: Kusama: Infinity shines a richly deserved spotlight on its subject's brilliant work while opening a fascinating - albeit necessarily incomplete - window into her personal life.

Synopsis: Artist Yayoi Kusama's journey from a conservative upbringing in Japan to her brush with fame in America during the 1960s.

Starring: Yayoi Kusama

Directed By: Heather Lenz

Critics Consensus: A Prayer Before Dawn is far from an easy watch, but this harrowing prison odyssey delivers rich rewards -- led by an outstanding central performance from Joe Cole.

Synopsis: The amazing true story of Billy Moore, an English boxer incarcerated in Thailand's most notorious prison. Thrown into a world of drugs and violence, he... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Joe Cole, Billy Moore, Pornchanok Mabklang, Panya Yimmumphai

Directed By: Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire

Critics Consensus: Revenge slices and dices genre tropes, working within an exploitation framework while adding a timely -- yet never less than viscerally thrilling -- feminist spin.

Synopsis: Jen is enjoying a romantic getaway with her wealthy boyfriend -- until his two sleazy friends arrive for an unannounced hunting trip. As tension mounts... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Matilda Anna Ingrid Lutz, Kevin Janssens, Vincent Colombe, Guillaume Bouchède

Directed By: Coralie Fargeat

Critics Consensus: Thoroughly sweet, comfortably familiar, and elevated by the chemistry between Nick Offerman and Kiersey Clemons, Hearts Beat Loud offers feel-good father-daughter drama.

Synopsis: In the hip Brooklyn neighborhood of Red Hook, single dad and record store owner Frank is preparing to send his hard-working daughter Sam off to... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Nick Offerman, Kiersey Clemons, Ted Danson, Sasha Lane

Directed By: Brett Haley

Critics Consensus: The Ballad of Buster Scruggs avoids anthology pitfalls with a consistent collection tied together by the Coen brothers' signature blend of dark drama and black humor.

Synopsis: An anthology of six short films that take place in 19th-century post-Civil War era during the settling of the Old West.

Starring: Tim Blake Nelson, Willie Watson, David Krumholtz, James Franco

Directed By: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen

Critics Consensus: Love, Simon hits its coming-of-age beats more deftly than many entries in this well-traveled genre -- and represents an overdue, if not entirely successful, milestone of inclusion.

Synopsis: Everyone deserves a great love story, but for 17-year-old Simon Spier, it's a little more complicated. He hasn't told his family or friends that he's... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Nick Robinson, Josh Duhamel, Jennifer Garner, Tony Hale

Directed By: Greg Berlanti

Critics Consensus: Mandy's gonzo violence is fueled by a gripping performance by Nicolas Cage -- and anchored with palpable emotion conveyed between his volcanic outbursts.

Synopsis: In the Pacific Northwest in 1983, outsiders Red Miller and Mandy Bloom lead a loving and peaceful existence. When their pine-scented haven is savagely destroyed... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Nicolas Cage, Andrea Riseborough, Linus Roache, Ned Dennehy

Directed By: Panos Cosmatos

Critics Consensus: Searching's timely premise and original execution are further bolstered by well-rounded characters brought to life by a talented cast.

Synopsis: David Kim becomes desperate when his 16-year-old daughter Margot disappears and an immediate police investigation leads nowhere. He soon decides to search the one place... View Full Synopsis

Starring: John Cho, Debra Messing, Joseph Lee, Michelle La

Directed By: Aneesh Chaganty

Critics Consensus: Sicilian Ghost Story uses a horrific real-life story as the framework for a powerfully acted foray into surprisingly beguiling fantasy territory.

Synopsis: After the boy she loves vanishes, a teenage girl ventures into the forest to search for him.

Starring: Gaetano Fernandez, Julia Jedlikowska

Directed By: Fabio Grassadonia, Antonio Piazza

Critics Consensus: Journey's End brings R.C. Sherriff's 90-year-old play to the screen with thrilling power, thanks to director Saul Dibb's hard-hitting urgency and brilliant work from a talented cast.

Synopsis: In 1918, a group of British soldiers, led by an officer whose mental health is deteriorating, await their fate in an Aisne dugout as World... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Paul Bettany, Sam Claflin, Asa Butterfield, Toby Jones

Directed By: Saul Dibb

Critics Consensus: With a brilliantly stark visual aesthetic to match its lean narrative, Cold War doesn't waste a moment of its brief running time -- and doesn't skimp on its bittersweet emotional impact.

Synopsis: Set against the backdrop of the 1950s Cold War in Poland, two people of differing backgrounds and temperaments begin an almost impossible romance.

Starring: Joanna Kulig, Tomasz Kot, Agata Kulesza, Borys Szyc

Directed By: Paweł Pawlikowski

Critics Consensus: Support the Girls handles serious themes with wit and humor, and provides a strong showcase for Regina Hall and a talented ensemble cast.

Synopsis: Lisa is the general manager of Double Whammies, a sports bar that features skimpily dressed waitresses. Always nurturing and protective of her staff, she soon... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Regina Hall, Haley Lu Richardson, Shayna McHayle, James Le Gros

Directed By: Andrew Bujalski

Critics Consensus: Beast plays like bleak poetry, unfurling its psychological thrills while guided by its captivating leads and mesmerizing, visceral visuals.

Synopsis: In a small island community, a troubled young woman falls for a mysterious outsider who empowers her to escape her oppressive family. When he comes... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jessie Buckley, Geraldine James, Johnny Flynn, Charley Palmer Rothwell

Directed By: Michael Pearce

Critics Consensus: As timely as it is overall impactful, Blindspotting blends buddy comedy with seething social commentary, and rises on the strength of Daveed Diggs' powerful performance.

Synopsis: Collin must make it through his final three days of probation for a chance at a new beginning in his Oakland, Calif., neighborhood. His bond... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Daveed Diggs, Rafael Casal, Janina Gavankar, Jasmine Cephas Jones

Directed By: Carlos López Estrada

Critics Consensus: Brought to life by delicate work from writer-director Paul Schrader and elevated by a standout performance by Ethan Hawke, First Reformed takes a sensitive and suspenseful look at weighty themes.

Synopsis: The pastor of a small church in upstate New York spirals out of control after a soul-shaking encounter with an unstable environmental activist and his... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ethan Hawke, Amanda Seyfried, Philip Ettinger, Cedric the Entertainer

Directed By: Paul Schrader

Critics Consensus: Bumblebee proves it's possible to bring fun and a sense of wonder back to a bloated blockbuster franchise -- and sets up its own slate of sequels in the bargain.

Synopsis: On the run in the year 1987, Bumblebee the Autobot seeks refuge in a junkyard in a small California beach town. Charlie, on the brink... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Hailee Steinfeld, John Cena, Jorge Lendeborg, John Ortiz

Directed By: Travis Knight

Critics Consensus: Fearlessly ambitious, scathingly funny, and thoroughly original, Sorry to Bother You loudly heralds the arrival of a fresh filmmaking talent in writer-director Boots Riley.

Synopsis: In an alternate reality of present-day Oakland, Calif., telemarketer Cassius Green finds himself in a macabre universe after he discovers a magical key that leads... View Full Synopsis

Starring: LaKeith Stanfield, Tessa Thompson, Jermaine Fowler, Omari Hardwick

Directed By: Boots Riley

Critics Consensus: 24 Frames offers Kiarostami fans one final, affecting reminder of what made this filmmaker a talent to treasure.

Synopsis: Film of paintings and photographs.

Directed By: Abbas Kiarostami

Critics Consensus: The Guardians proves that the oft-unraveled canvas of World War I still has fresh stories to tell -- and adds another gorgeously filmed entry to Xavier Beauvois' filmography.

Synopsis: Frenchwomen maintain a farm while their husbands and sons fight in World War I.

Starring: Nathalie Baye, Laura Smet, Iris Bry, Cyril Descours

Directed By: Xavier Beauvois

Critics Consensus: Smart and suspenseful, CAM is a techno-thriller that's far more than the sum of its salacious parts -- and an outstanding showcase for Madeline Brewer in the leading role.

Synopsis: A camgirl has her principles, until a mysterious woman who looks just like her takes over her channel.

Starring: Madeline Brewer, Patch Darragh, Melora Walters, Devin Druid

Directed By: Daniel Goldhaber

Critics Consensus: Private Life uses one couple's bumpy journey to take an affecting look at an easily identifiable - and too rarely dramatized - rite of adult passage.

Synopsis: A couple coping with infertility struggle to keep their marriage going as they navigate through the world of adoption and assisted reproduction.

Starring: Paul Giamatti, Kathryn Hahn, Kayli Carter, Molly Shannon

Directed By: Tamara Jenkins

Critics Consensus: Custody uses formal restraint -- and a series of searing performances -- to take a hard-hitting look at the often painful bond between parents and children.

Synopsis: Miriam and Antoine Besson have divorced, and Miriam is seeking sole custody of their son Julien to protect him from a father she claims is... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Denis Ménochet, Léa Drucker, Thomas Gioria, Mathilde Auneveux

Directed By: Xavier Legrand

Critics Consensus: Burning patiently lures audiences into a slow-burning character study that ultimately rewards the viewer's patience -- and subverts many of their expectations.

Synopsis: Jong-soo runs into Hae-mi, a girl who once lived in his neighborhood, and she asks him to watch her cat while she's out of town.... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Yoo Ah-in, Steven Yeun, Jeon Jong-seo, Kim Soo-kyung

Directed By: Lee Chang-dong

Critics Consensus: RBG might be preaching to the choir of viewers who admire Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, but it does so effectively.

Synopsis: An intimate portrait of an unlikely rock star: Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. With unprecedented access, the filmmakers explore how her early legal battles changed the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Gloria Steinem, Nina Totenberg, Brenda Feigen

Directed By: Betsy West, Julie Cohen

Critics Consensus: If Beale Street Could Talk honors its source material with a beautifully filmed adaptation that finds director Barry Jenkins further strengthening his visual and narrative craft.

Synopsis: In early 1970s Harlem, daughter and wife-to-be Tish vividly recalls the passion, respect and trust that have connected her and her artist fiancé Alonzo Hunt,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: KiKi Layne, Stephan James, Regina King, Colman Domingo

Directed By: Barry Jenkins

Critics Consensus: Loveless uses its riveting portrait of a family in crisis to offer thought-provoking commentary on modern life in Russia -- and the world beyond its borders.

Synopsis: An estranged Russian couple going through a brutal divorce both have new partners and want to start over until their 12-year-old son disappears after witnessing... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Maryana Spivak, Alexey Rozin, Matvey Novikov, Marina Vasilyeva

Directed By: Andrey Zvyagintsev

Critics Consensus: Wildlife's portrait of a family in crisis is beautifully composed by director Paul Dano -- and brought brilliantly to life by a career-best performance from Carey Mulligan.

Synopsis: Fourteen-year-old Joe is the only child of Jeanette and Jerry -- a housewife and a golf pro -- in a small town in the 1960s... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Carey Mulligan, Jake Gyllenhaal, Ed Oxenbould, Bill Camp

Directed By: Paul Dano

Critics Consensus: Subtle and tender, A Fantastic Woman handles its timely, sensitive subject matter with care.

Synopsis: A transgender singer faces scorn and discrimination after the sudden death of her older boyfriend.

Starring: Daniela Vega, Francisco Reyes, Luis Gnecco, Aline Küppenheim

Directed By: Sebastián Lelio

Critics Consensus: The Favourite sees Yorgos Lanthimos balancing a period setting against rich, timely subtext - and getting roundly stellar performances from his well-chosen stars.

Synopsis: In the early 18th century, England is at war with the French. Nevertheless, duck racing and pineapple eating are thriving. A frail Queen Anne occupies... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz, Emma Stone, Nicholas Hoult

Directed By: Yorgos Lanthimos

Critics Consensus: Incredibles 2 reunites Pixar's family crimefighting team for a long-awaited follow-up that may not quite live up to the original, but comes close enough to earn its name.

Synopsis: Telecommunications guru Winston Deavor enlists Elastigirl to fight crime and make the public fall in love with superheroes once again. That leaves Mr. Incredible with... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah Vowell, Huck Milner

Directed By: Brad Bird

Critics Consensus: Dark Money does an impressive job of tackling a complicated subject in easily understandable -- and, for many viewers, utterly enraging -- terms.

Synopsis: In the wake of the Citizens United ruling, dark money floods elections nationwide, but Montanans are standing up to stop history from repeating itself in... View Full Synopsis

Directed By: Kimberly Reed

Critics Consensus: Western earns the viewer's attention with an unpredictable, patiently told tale that evokes the spirit of the titular genre while adding its own unique touches.

Synopsis: When some German construction workers begin a challenging new job in the Bulgarian countryside, their sense of adventure is awakened, but so, too, are their... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Meinhard Neumann, Reinhardt Wetrek, Syuleyman Alilov Letifov, Veneta Fragnova

Directed By: Valeska Grisebach

Critics Consensus: As lyrical and bittersweet as the music its subject left behind, Blaze takes a decidedly unconventional -- yet richly rewarding -- approach to the musical biopic.

Synopsis: A reimagining of the life and times of Blaze Foley, the unsung songwriting legend of the Texas Outlaw Music movement.

Starring: Ben Dickey, Alia Shawkat, Charlie Sexton, Josh Hamilton

Directed By: Ethan Hawke

Critics Consensus: Sweet Country makes brilliant use of the Australian outback as the setting for a hard-hitting story that satisfies as a character study as well as a sociopolitical statement.

Synopsis: An Aboriginal man from the Northern Territory goes on the run after he kills a white man in self-defence in the 1920s.

Starring: Bryan Brown, Matt Day, Tremayne Doolan, Anni Finsterer

Directed By: Warwick Thornton

Critics Consensus: The Endless benefits from its grounded approach to an increasingly bizarre story, elevated by believable performances by filmmakers Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead.

Synopsis: Two brothers receive a cryptic video message inspiring them to revisit the UFO death cult they escaped a decade earlier. Hoping to find the closure... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Aaron Moorhead, Justin Benson, Callie Hernandez, Tate Ellington

Directed By: Justin Benson

Critics Consensus: Foxtrot uses topical themes to deliver a bruising sociopolitical statement that's equally effective taken simply as an absorbing, well-acted drama.

Synopsis: A knock on the door leads to unfathomable grief as a man and his wife learn that their son died in the line of duty... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Lior Ashkenazi, Sarah Adler, Gefen Barkai, Dekel Adin

Directed By: Samuel Maoz

Critics Consensus: Call Me by Your Name offers a melancholy, powerfully affecting portrait of first love, empathetically acted by Timothée Chalamet and Armie Hammer.

Synopsis: It's the summer of 1983, and precocious 17-year-old Elio Perlman is spending the days with his family at their 17th-century villa in Lombardy, Italy. He... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Armie Hammer, Timothée Chalamet, Michael Stuhlbarg, Amira Casar

Directed By: Luca Guadagnino

Critics Consensus: A Quiet Place artfully plays on elemental fears with a ruthlessly intelligent creature feature that's as original as it is scary -- and establishes director John Krasinski as a rising talent.

Synopsis: If they hear you, they hunt you. A family must live in silence to avoid mysterious creatures that hunt by sound. Knowing that even the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe

Directed By: John Krasinski

Critics Consensus: BlacKkKlansman uses history to offer bitingly trenchant commentary on current events -- and brings out some of Spike Lee's hardest-hitting work in decades along the way.

Synopsis: Ron Stallworth is the first African-American detective to serve in the Colorado Springs Police Department. Determined to make a name for himself, Stallworth bravely sets... View Full Synopsis

Starring: John David Washington, Adam Driver, Laura Harrier, Topher Grace

Directed By: Spike Lee

Critics Consensus: Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind offers a poignant -- albeit tantalizingly incomplete -- peek behind the curtain of a brilliant performer's tragically curtailed life and career.

Synopsis: This intimate portrait examines one of the world's most inventive comedians. Told largely through Robin's own voice and using a wealth of never-before-seen archival footage,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Lewis Black, Elayne Boosler, Billy Crystal, Pam Dawber

Directed By: Marina Zenovich

Critics Consensus: Bisbee '17 offers one town's reckoning with its own history as a compelling argument that the mistakes of the past are truly corrected only when they're faced head on.

Synopsis: Locals stage re-creations of the town's controversial past.

Directed By: Robert Greene

Critics Consensus: To All the Boys I've Loved Before plays by the teen rom-com rules, but relatable characters and a thoroughly charming cast more than make up for a lack of surprises.

Synopsis: A teenage girl's love letters are exposed and wreak havoc on her life.

Starring: Lana Condor, John Corbett, Noah Centineo, Emilija Baranac

Directed By: Susan Johnson

Critics Consensus: Filmworker offers long-overdue recognition to one of Stanley Kubrick's key collaborators while opening an often troubling window into the director's demanding work.

Synopsis: The story of Leon Vitali, who surrendered his promising acting career to become Stanley Kubrick's devoted right-hand man.

Starring: Leon Vitali, Ryan O'Neal, Danny Lloyd, Matthew Modine

Directed By: Tony Zierra

Critics Consensus: Zama offers a series of scathingly insightful observations about colonialism and class dynamics -- and satisfyingly ends a long wait between projects from writer-director Lucrecia Martel.

Synopsis: Zama, an officer of the Spanish Crown born in South America, waits for a letter from the King granting him a transfer from the town... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Daniel Giménez Cacho, Lola Dueñas, Matheus Nachtergaele, Juan Minujín

Directed By: Lucrecia Martel

Critics Consensus: Surreal and surprising, Three Identical Strangers effectively questions the nature of reality and identity.

Synopsis: Identical triplets become separated at birth and adopted by three different families. Years later, their amazing reunion becomes a global sensation but also unearths an... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Robert Shafran, David Kellman, Lawrence Wright, Will Ennis

Directed By: Tim Wardle

Critics Consensus: The Death of Stalin finds director/co-writer Arnando Iannucci in riotous form, bringing his scabrous political humor to bear on a chapter in history with painfully timely parallels.

Synopsis: When tyrannical dictator Joseph Stalin dies in 1953, his parasitic cronies square off in a frantic power struggle to become the next Soviet leader. Among... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Steve Buscemi, Simon Russell Beale, Jeffrey Tambor, Paddy Considine

Directed By: Armando Iannucci

Critics Consensus: Roma finds writer-director Alfonso Cuarón in complete, enthralling command of his visual craft - and telling the most powerfully personal story of his career.

Synopsis: Cleo is one of two domestic workers who help Antonio and Sofía take care of their four children in 1970s Mexico City. Complications soon arise... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Yalitza Aparicio, Marina de Tavira, Marco Graf, Fernando Grediaga

Directed By: Alfonso Cuarón

Critics Consensus: An impressive technical achievement with a walloping emotional impact, They Shall Not Grow Old pays brilliant cinematic tribute to the sacrifice of a generation.

Synopsis: Using state-of-the-art technology and materials from the BBC and Imperial War Museum, filmmaker Peter Jackson allows the story of World War I to be told... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Peter Jackson

Directed By: Peter Jackson

Critics Consensus: I Am Not a Witch approaches real-life injustices with a beguiling blend of sorrow, anger, and humor, marking debuting writer-director Rungano Nyoni as an exciting new talent.

Synopsis: Shula is the first child taken to a traveling witch camp, where she is told that should she cut the ribbon and attempt to escape,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Maggie Mulubwa, Nancy Murilo, Henry B.J. Phiri, Nellie Munamonga

Directed By: Rungano Nyoni

Critics Consensus: Thrilling, unpredictable, and brilliantly acted, Border (Gräns) offers a singular treat to genre fans looking for something different.

Synopsis: Customs officer Tina is known for her extraordinary sense of smell. It's almost as if she can sniff out the guilt on anyone hiding something.... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Eva Melander, Eero Milonoff, Viktor Åkerblom, Matti Boustedt

Directed By: Ali Abbasi

Critics Consensus: The Rider's hard-hitting drama is only made more effective through writer-director Chloé Zhao's use of untrained actors to tell the movie's fact-based tale.

Synopsis: After a riding accident leaves him unable to compete on the rodeo circuit, a young cowboy searches for a new purpose.

Starring: Brady Jandreau, Tim Jandreau, Lilly Jandreau, Lane Scott

Directed By: Chloé Zhao

Critics Consensus: Led by a breakout turn from Amandla Stenberg, the hard-hitting The Hate U Give emphatically proves the YA genre has room for much more than magic and romance.

Synopsis: Starr Carter is constantly switching between two worlds -- the poor, mostly black neighborhood where she lives and the wealthy, mostly white prep school that... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Amandla Stenberg, Regina Hall, Russell Hornsby, K.J. Apa

Directed By: George Tillman Jr.

Critics Consensus: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse matches bold storytelling with striking animation for a purely enjoyable adventure with heart, humor, and plenty of superhero action.

Synopsis: Bitten by a radioactive spider in the subway, Brooklyn teenager Miles Morales suddenly develops mysterious powers that transform him into the one and only Spider-Man.... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld, Mahershala Ali

Directed By: Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman

Critics Consensus: Fast, sleek, and fun, Mission: Impossible - Fallout lives up to the "impossible" part of its name by setting yet another high mark for insane set pieces in a franchise full of them.

Synopsis: Ethan Hunt and the IMF team join forces with CIA assassin August Walker to prevent a disaster of epic proportions. Arms dealer John Lark and... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Tom Cruise, Henry Cavill, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg

Directed By: Christopher McQuarrie

Critics Consensus: Black Panther elevates superhero cinema to thrilling new heights while telling one of the MCU's most absorbing stories -- and introducing some of its most fully realized characters.

Synopsis: After the death of his father, T'Challa returns home to the African nation of Wakanda to take his rightful place as king. When a powerful... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira

Directed By: Ryan Coogler

Critics Consensus: Leaning Into the Wind offers an alluring introduction to a brilliant artist's utterly original life and work.

Synopsis: British sculptor and environmentalist Andy Goldsworthy uses his natural surroundings to create works of art in San Francisco, St. Louis, New England, Brazil, Scotland and... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Andy Goldsworthy

Directed By: Thomas Riedelsheimer

Critics Consensus: The Cakemaker explores all-consuming emotion with beguiling restraint, adding up to a delicately understated character study fueled by the power of love.

Synopsis: Thomas, a young German baker, is having an affair with Oren, an Israeli married man who has frequent business visits in Berlin. When Oren dies... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Sarah Adler, Zohar Shtrauss, Tim Kalkhof, Sandra Sade

Directed By: Ofir Raul Graizer

Critics Consensus: In Between takes a light yet nuanced approach to dramatizing complex, timely themes, further enriched by outstanding cinematography and powerful performances.

Synopsis: Three Arab-Israeli women share an apartment in Tel Aviv and try to balance their traditions with the modern world.

Starring: Mouna Hawa, Sana Jammelieh, Shaden Kanboura, Mahmud Shalaby

Directed By: Maysaloun Hamoud

Critics Consensus: Science Fair offers further proof that real-life academic competition can make for effortlessly entertaining - and ultimately uplifting - cinema.

Synopsis: Filmmakers follow nine high school students from around the globe as they compete at an international science fair. Facing off against 1,700 of the smartest... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jack Andraka, Anjali Chadha, Ryan Folz, Harsha Paladugu

Directed By: Cristina Costantini, Darren Foster

Critics Consensus: Free Solo depicts athletic feats that many viewers will find beyond reason - and grounds the attempts in passions that are all but universal.

Synopsis: Alex Honnold completes the first free solo climb of famed El Capitan's 3,000-foot vertical rock face at Yosemite National Park.

Starring: Alex Honnold, Tommy Caldwell, Sanni McCandless, Jimmy Chin

Directed By: Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin

Critics Consensus: Deftly directed and laced with dark wit, Can You Ever Forgive Me? proves a compelling showcase for deeply affecting work from Richard E. Grant and Melissa McCarthy.

Synopsis: Lee Israel is a frustrated, hard-drinking author who can barely afford to pay her rent or bills in 1990s New York. Desperate for money, Israel... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Richard E. Grant, Dolly Wells, Ben Falcone

Directed By: Marielle Heller

Critics Consensus: The Tale handles its extraordinarily challenging subject matter with sensitivity, grace, and the power of some standout performances led by a remarkable Laura Dern.

Synopsis: Jennifer has it all, with a loving boyfriend and a great career as a journalist and professor. But when her mother discovers a story -... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Laura Dern, Elizabeth Debicki, Laura Allen, Jason Ritter

Directed By: Jennifer Fox

Critics Consensus: Tea with the Dames proves there's plenty of entertainment value to be found in rounding up a quartet of screen legends for a chat -- and is likely to leave audiences wishing these stars would keep brewing up pots for an ongoing series.

Synopsis: Spend a delightfully bawdy afternoon with four legends of British stage and cinema -- Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, Eileen Atkins and Joan Plowright -- as... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Eileen Atkins, Joan Plowright

Directed By: Roger Michell

Critics Consensus: Sleek, well-acted, and intelligently crafted, The Guilty is a high-concept thriller that wrings maximum impact out of a handful of basic - and effective - ingredients.

Synopsis: Alarm dispatcher and former police officer Asger Holm answers an emergency call from a kidnapped woman. When the call is suddenly disconnected, the search for... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jakob Cedergren, Jessica Dinnage, Omar Shargawi, Johan Olsen

Directed By: Gustav Möller

Critics Consensus: McQueen offers an intimate, well-sourced, and overall moving look at a young life and brilliant career that were tragically cut short.

Synopsis: Archival footage and interviews with friends and family offer insight into the extraordinary life and career of British fashion designer Alexander McQueen.

Starring: Bernard Arnault, Joseph Bennett, Detmar Blow, Katy England

Directed By: Ian Bonhôte, Peter Ettedgui

Critics Consensus: Understated yet ultimately deeply affecting, Shoplifters adds another powerful chapter to director Hirokazu Koreeda's richly humanistic filmography.

Synopsis: On the margins of Tokyo, a dysfunctional band of outsiders is united by fierce loyalty and a penchant for petty theft. When the young son... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Lily Franky, Sakura Andô, Mayu Matsuoka, Kirin Kiki

Directed By: Hirokazu Koreeda

Critics Consensus: Won't You Be My Neighbor? takes a fittingly patient and honest look at the life and legacy of a television pioneer whose work has enriched generations.

Synopsis: Filmmaker Morgan Neville examines the life and legacy of Fred Rogers, the beloved host of the popular children's TV show "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood."

Starring: Joanne Rogers, Bill Isler, Hedda Sharapan, Margaret Whitmer

Directed By: Morgan Neville

Critics Consensus: Eighth Grade takes a look at its titular time period that offers a rare and resounding ring of truth while heralding breakthroughs for writer-director Bo Burnham and captivating star Elsie Fisher.

Synopsis: Thirteen-year-old Kayla endures the tidal wave of contemporary suburban adolescence as she makes her way through the last week of middle school -- the end... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Elsie Fisher, Daniel Zolghadri, Fred Hechinger, Imani Lewis

Directed By: Bo Burnham

Critics Consensus: Steadily drawing viewers into its harrowing tale with equal parts grim intensity and startling compassion, Night Comes On heralds the arrivals of debuting director Jordan Spiro and her magnetic young stars.

Synopsis: Released from juvenile detention, a teen and her 10-year-old sister embark on a quest to avenge the death of their mother.

Starring: Dominique Fishback, Tatum Marilyn Hall, James McDaniel, John Earl Jelks

Directed By: Jordana Spiro

Critics Consensus: Oh Lucy! roots its narrative quirks in universal themes and deep empathy for its characters, all brought to life by strong performances from a talented cast led by the thoroughly charming Shinobu Terajima.

Synopsis: A lonely woman in Tokyo discovers her alter ego when she takes an English class.

Starring: Shinobu Terajima, Josh Hartnett, Kaho Minami, Kôji Yakusho

Directed By: Atsuko Hirayanagi

Critics Consensus: Shirkers uses one woman's interrogation of a pivotal personal disappointment to offer affecting observations on creativity, lost opportunity, and coming to terms with the past.

Synopsis: In 1992 teenager Sandi Tan shoots Singapore's first road movie with her enigmatic American mentor, Georges, who then absconded with all of the footage. The... View Full Synopsis

Directed By: Sandi Tan

Critics Consensus: Hannah Gadsby: Nanette brilliantly moves modern comedy into nakedly honest new territory, pivoting from dry humor to raw, powerful storytelling.

Synopsis: Australian comic Hannah Gadsby reshapes standard stand-up by pairing punchlines with personal revelations on gender, sexuality and childhood turmoil.

Starring: Hannah Gadsby

Directed By: Madeleine Parry, Jon Olb

Critics Consensus: Pick of the Litter has all the fluffy adorableness audiences expect from a puppy documentary, along with a story that's as edifying as it is heartwarming.

Synopsis: Following five spirited puppies from the moment they're born through their quest to become guide dogs for the blind.

Directed By: Dana Nachman, Don Hardy

Critics Consensus: Minding the Gap draws on more than a decade of documentary footage to assemble a poignant picture of young American lives that resonates far beyond its onscreen subjects.

Synopsis: Three young men bond together to escape volatile families in their Rust Belt hometown. As they face adult responsibilities, unexpected revelations threaten their decade-long friendship.

Starring: Bing Liu

Directed By: Bing Liu

Critics Consensus: Summer 1993 (Estiu 1993) finds writer-director Carla Simón drawing on personal memories to create a thoughtful drama elevated by outstanding work from its young leads.

Synopsis: Six-year-old Frida looks on in silence as the last objects from her recently deceased mother's apartment in Barcelona are placed in boxes. Although her aunt,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Laia Artigas, Paula Robles, Bruna Cusí, David Verdaguer

Directed By: Carla Simón

Critics Consensus: Leave No Trace takes an effectively low-key approach to a potentially sensationalistic story -- and further benefits from brilliant work by Ben Foster and Thomasin McKenzie.

Synopsis: A father and daughter live a perfect but mysterious existence in Forest Park, a beautiful nature reserve near Portland, Ore., rarely making contact with the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ben Foster, Thomasin McKenzie, Jeff Kober, Dale Dickey

Directed By: Debra Granik

Critics Consensus: Paddington 2 honors its star's rich legacy with a sweet-natured sequel whose adorable visuals are matched by a story perfectly balanced between heartwarming family fare and purely enjoyable all-ages adventure.

Synopsis: Settled in with the Brown family, Paddington the bear is a popular member of the community who spreads joy and marmalade wherever he goes. One... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ben Whishaw, Hugh Grant, Sally Hawkins, Hugh Bonneville

Directed By: Paul King