Critics Consensus: The Art of Self-Defense grapples compellingly with modern American masculinity -- and serves as an outstanding calling card for writer-director Riley Stearns.

Synopsis: After getting attacked on the street, Casey enlists in a local dojo that's led by a charismatic and mysterious sensei. He soon uncovers a sinister... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Alessandro Nivola, Imogen Poots, Steve Terada

Directed By: Riley Stearns

Critics Consensus: The role of a lifetime for Matthew McConaughey, The Beach Bum is set apart by Harmony Korine's distinctive style, but that isn't always enough to offset the unfocused story.

Synopsis: Moondog is a fun-loving, pot-smoking, beer-drinking writer who lives life on his own terms in Florida. If he can put down the drugs for just... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Snoop Dogg, Isla Fisher, Stefania Owen

Directed By: Harmony Korine

Critics Consensus: The Boy Downstairs finds a few fresh moments in its familiar setup and benefits from Zosia Mamet's charismatic performance, both of which are enough to keep viewers interested.

Synopsis: Diana moves back to New York City after a few years abroad and finds the perfect Brooklyn apartment for a fresh start. During the first... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Zosia Mamet, Matthew Shear, Deirdre O'Connell, Sarah Ramos

Directed By: Sophie Brooks

Critics Consensus: Absurd yet anchored in knotty real-world themes, The Day Shall Come adds another bleakly funny satire to director/co-writer Christopher Morris' filmography.

Synopsis: An impoverished preacher who brings hope to the Miami projects is offered cash to save his family from eviction. He has no idea his sponsor... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Marchánt Davis, Anna Kendrick, Danielle Brooks, Kayvan Novak

Directed By: Christopher Morris

Critics Consensus: Colossal's singular strangeness can be disorienting, but viewers who hang on may find that its genre-defying execution -- and Anne Hathaway's performance -- is well worth the ride.

Synopsis: Gloria is an out-of-work party girl who leaves New York and moves back to her hometown after getting kicked out of her apartment by her... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Anne Hathaway, Jason Sudeikis, Austin Stowell, Tim Blake Nelson

Directed By: Nacho Vigalondo

Critics Consensus: Greener Grass is far from the first comedy to skewer suburbia -- but it might be among the most bizarre and surreally distinctive.

Synopsis: Soccer moms Jill and Lisa compete for approval and acceptance in a bizarre suburbia while their kids battle it out on the playing field.

Starring: Jocelyn DeBoer, Dawn Luebbe, Beck Bennett, Neil Casey

Directed By: Jocelyn DeBoer, Dawn Luebbe

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: 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: Lemon succeeds in its aim as a tart satire, but audiences may find this foray into abrasiveness too sour to swallow.

Synopsis: After Isaac's blind girlfriend walks out on him, his life goes into free fall, and he directs an unhinged staging of Chekhov's "The Seagull," attends... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Brett Gelman, Judy Greer, Michael Cera, Nia Long

Directed By: Janicza Bravo

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: Like a favorite song you know by heart, Military Wives offers few surprises -- but its pleasures are no less formidable for their familiarity.

Synopsis: Faced with their loved ones serving in Afghanistan, women from different backgrounds come together to form the very first military wives choir, helping each other... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Kristin Scott Thomas, Sharon Horgan, Jason Flemyng, Emma Lowndes

Directed By: Peter Cattaneo

Critics Consensus: Mister America misses a number of its targets, but fans of Tim Heidecker's unique brand of comedy will find moments worth savoring in this dry political satire.

Synopsis: Despite being completely inexperienced and broke and having just defeated a murder charge, a man mounts a campaign to unseat the San Bernardino district attorney.

Starring: Tim Heidecker, Gregg Turkington, Terri Parks, Curtis Webster

Directed By: Eric Notarnicola

Critics Consensus: Well-acted and sharply written, Non-Fiction finds writer-director Olivier Assayas working in a comedic vein that channels classic forebears while remaining utterly fresh.

Synopsis: Alain is in his 40s and runs a famous publishing house which publishes novels by his friend Léonard, a bohemian writer. Alain's wife, Selena, is... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Guillaume Canet, Juliette Binoche, Vincent Macaigne, Christa Théret

Directed By: Olivier Assayas

Critics Consensus: The Oath draws on hyper-partisan modern politics for a pointedly funny satire that hits its targets hard and often enough to more than achieve its desired discomfort.

Synopsis: When Chris, a high-strung news junkie, and his more levelheaded wife learn that citizens are being asked to sign a loyalty oath to the president,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ike Barinholtz, Tiffany Haddish, Nora Dunn, Chris Ellis

Directed By: Ike Barinholtz

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

Synopsis: A seemingly innocent invitation to dinner turns into a night of seduction and temptation when two couples get together for an evening.

Starring: Adam Scott, Taylor Schilling, Jason Schwartzman, Judith Godrèche

Directed By: Patrick Brice

Critics Consensus: Practical Magic's jarring tonal shifts sink what little potential its offbeat story may have -- though Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock's chemistry makes a strong argument for future collaborations.

Synopsis: Sally and Gillian Owens, born into a magical family, have mostly avoided witchcraft themselves. But when Gillian's vicious boyfriend, Jimmy Angelov, dies unexpectedly, the Owens... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Dianne Wiest, Stockard Channing

Directed By: Griffin Dunne

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: 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: 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.

Synopsis: After hearing that her boyfriend/pimp cheated on her while she was in jail, a transgender sex worker and her best friend set out to find... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, Mya Taylor, Karren Karagulian, Mickey O'Hagan

Directed By: Sean Baker

Critics Consensus: Familiar in form but winsome in its execution, Top End Wedding takes audiences on a romantic road trip with an appealing view.

Synopsis: Lauren and Ned have 10 days to find Lauren's mother, who has gone AWOL in the remote far north of Australia, so they can reunite... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Gwilym Lee, Kerry Fox, Miranda Tapsell, Rob Collins

Directed By: Wayne Blair

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: A better-than-average sci-fi shoot-em-up with a satirical undercurrent, Demolition Man is bolstered by strong performances by Sylvester Stallone, Wesley Snipes, and Sandra Bullock.

Synopsis: With innocent victims caught in the crossfire in Los Angeles' intensifying war on crime, both cop John Spartan (Sylvester Stallone) and violent thug Simon Phoenix... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Wesley Snipes, Sandra Bullock, Nigel Hawthorne

Directed By: Marco Brambilla

Critics Consensus: A grounded superhero story with more on its mind than punching bad guys, Fast Color leaps over uneven execution with a singular Gugu Mbatha-Raw performance.

Synopsis: Hunted by mysterious forces, a young woman who has supernatural abilities must go on the run when her powers are discovered. With nowhere else to... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Lorraine Toussaint, Saniyya Sidney, David Strathairn

Directed By: Julia Hart

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: The Villainess offers enough pure kinetic thrills to satisfy genre enthusiasts -- and carve out a bloody niche for itself in modern Korean action cinema.

Synopsis: Honed from childhood to be an elite assassin, Sook-hee embarks on a rampage of violence and revenge to finally earn her freedom and escape her... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Kim Ok-bin, Shin Ha-kyun, Sung-joon, Kim Seo-hyung

Directed By: Jeong Byeong-gil

Critics Consensus: Led by a powerhouse performance from Julia Garner, The Assistant offers a withering critique of workplace harassment and systemic oppression.

Synopsis: Jane, a recent college graduate and aspiring film producer, just landed her dream job as a junior assistant to a powerful entertainment mogul. Her day... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Julia Garner, Matthew Macfadyen, Makenzie Leigh, Juliana Canfield

Directed By: Kitty Green

Critics Consensus: A Taxi Driver brings a ground-level perspective and a refreshingly light touch to a fact-based story with sobering implications.

Synopsis: In 1980, a foreign journalist hires a down-on-his-luck taxi driver to take him to Gwangju, South Korea. They soon arrive to find a city under... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Song Kang-ho, Thomas Kretschmann, Ryu Jun-yeol, Yoo Hae-jin

Directed By: Jang Hoon

Critics Consensus: Empathetic and powerfully acted, Beach Rats takes a clear-eyed yet dreamlike look at a young man's adolescent turmoil.

Synopsis: An aimless teenager on the outer edges of Brooklyn is having a miserable summer. With his father on his deathbed and his mother wanting him... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Harris Dickinson, Madeline Weinstein, Kate Hodge, Nicole Flyus

Directed By: Eliza Hittman

Critics Consensus: Moving without resorting to melodrama, BPM offers an engrossing look at a pivotal period in history that lingers long after the closing credits roll.

Synopsis: Nathan is a young man who joins an AIDS activist group in 1990s Paris. As he attends the weekly meetings, he learns that some members... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Nahuel Pérez Biscayart, Arnaud Valois, Adèle Haenel, Antoine Reinartz

Directed By: Robin Campillo

Critics Consensus: Rising on the strength of Rebecca Hall's gripping performance, Christine offers an empathetic look at its subject's public career and painful private life.

Synopsis: In Sarasota, Fla., circa 1974, an ambitious, 29-year-old reporter is relentlessly motivated to succeed. She knows she has talent, but being a driven career woman... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Rebecca Hall, Michael C. Hall, Tracy Letts, Maria Dizzia

Directed By: Antonio Campos

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: Detroit delivers a gut-wrenching -- and essential -- dramatization of a tragic chapter from America's past that draws distressing parallels to the present.

Synopsis: In the summer of 1967, rioting and civil unrest starts to tear apart the city of Detroit. Two days later, a report of gunshots prompts... View Full Synopsis

Starring: John Boyega, Will Poulter, Algee Smith, Jacob Latimore

Directed By: Kathryn Bigelow

Critics Consensus: A small-scale drama rich with meaning, Diane offers audiences an uncommonly empathetic and wise look at life -- and stellar work from Mary Kay Place in the title role.

Synopsis: For Diane, everyone else comes first. Generous but with little patience for self-pity, she spends her days checking in on sick friends, volunteering at her... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Mary Kay Place, Jake Lacy, Estelle Parsons, Andrea Martin

Directed By: Kent Jones

Critics Consensus: Gleefully uncomfortable, Force Majeure is a relationship drama that's hard to watch -- and just as difficult to ignore.

Synopsis: A man's selfish reaction to the danger posed by an avalanche causes cracks in his marriage and relationships with his children.

Starring: Johannes Kuhnke, Lisa Loven Kongsli, Clara Wettergren, Vincent Wettergren

Directed By: Ruben Östlund

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: 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: Violent, darkly comic, and full of strong performances, Killer Joe proves William Friedkin hasn't lost his touch, even if the plot may be too lurid for some.

Synopsis: A cop (Matthew McConaughey) who moonlights as a hit man agrees to kill the hated mother of a desperate drug dealer (Emile Hirsch) in exchange... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Emile Hirsch, Juno Temple, Gina Gershon

Directed By: William Friedkin

Critics Consensus: Loro uses the larger-than-life exploits of an infamous public figure to present a messily compelling snapshot of how power attracts -- and corrupts.

Synopsis: A wheeler-dealer weasels his way into the inner circle of Silvio Berlusconi, a wealthy and controversial Italian politician.

Starring: Toni Servillo, Elena Sofia Ricci, Riccardo Scamarcio, Kasia Smutniak

Directed By: Paolo Sorrentino

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

Synopsis: In the late 1960s, the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson stops touring, produces "Pet Sounds" and begins to lose his grip on reality. By the 1980s,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: John Cusack, Paul Dano, Elizabeth Banks, Paul Giamatti

Directed By: Bill Pohlad

Critics Consensus: Luce brings a stellar ensemble to bear on a satisfyingly complex story that addresses its timely themes in thought-provoking fashion.

Synopsis: A liberal-minded couple are forced to reconsider their image of their adopted son after he writes a disturbing essay for a class assignment.

Starring: Naomi Watts, Octavia Spencer, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Tim Roth

Directed By: Julius Onah

Critics Consensus: Smart, tightly wound, and solidly acted, Margin Call turns the convoluted financial meltdown of '08 into gripping, thought-provoking drama.

Synopsis: When an analyst uncovers information that could ruin them all, the key players (Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany) at an investment firm take extreme measures to... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Zachary Quinto

Directed By: J.C. Chandor

Critics Consensus: Moving at a contemplative speed unseen in most westerns, Meek's Cutoff is an effective, intense journey of terror and survival in the untamed frontier.

Synopsis: During the 1840s, six settlers and their guide are caught in a dangerous situation: They are lost, food and water are running out, and the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Michelle Williams, Bruce Greenwood, Will Patton, Zoe Kazan

Directed By: Kelly Reichardt

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: As fleshy as it is funny, Bong Joon-Ho's Mother straddles family drama, horror and comedy with a deft grasp of tone and plenty of eerie visuals.

Synopsis: A widow (Kim Hye-ja) resides with her mentally challenged son (Won-bin) in a small South Korean town, where she scrapes out a living selling medicinal... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Kim Hye-ja, Won-bin, Jin Goo, Yoon Je-moon

Directed By: Bong Joon Ho

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Two closeted Muslim teens living in Brooklyn struggle to come clean about their sexuality.

Starring: Curtiss Cook Jr., Kerwin Johnson Jr., Annie Grier, Ashleigh Awusie

Directed By: Jay Dockendorf

Critics Consensus: The Nightingale definitely isn't for all tastes, but writer-director Jennifer Kent taps into a rich vein of palpable rage to tell a war story that leaves a bruising impact.

Synopsis: Clare, a young Irish convict, chases a British officer through the rugged Tasmanian wilderness and is bent on revenge for a terrible act of violence... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Aisling Franciosi, Sam Claflin, Baykali Ganambarr, Damon Herriman

Directed By: Jennifer Kent

Critics Consensus: Anchored by a sensitive performance from Tobey Maguire, Pawn Sacrifice adds another solidly gripping drama to the list of films inspired by chess wiz Bobby Fischer.

Synopsis: American chess legend Bobby Fischer (Tobey Maguire) and Soviet Grandmaster Boris Spassky (Liev Schreiber) enthrall the world with their intense battle of wills and strategy... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Tobey Maguire, Peter Sarsgaard, Liev Schreiber, Michael Stuhlbarg

Directed By: Edward Zwick

Critics Consensus: Premature transcends its familiar trappings with sharp dialogue and a strong sense of setting that further establish Rashaad Ernesto Green as a gifted filmmaker.

Synopsis: On a summer night in Harlem during her last months at home before starting college, 17-year-old poet Ayanna begins a summer romance with Isaiah, a... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Zora Howard, Joshua Boone, Michelle Wilson, Alexis Marie Wint

Directed By: Rashaad Ernesto Green

Critics Consensus: Professor Marston & The Wonder Women winds a lasso of cinematic truth around a fascinating fact-based tale with strong performances from its three stars.

Synopsis: If behind every great man is a great woman, then Harvard psychologist and inventor Dr. William Moulton Marston has the good fortune of having two... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Luke Evans, Rebecca Hall, Bella Heathcote, Connie Britton

Directed By: Angela Robinson

Critics Consensus: Elevated by outstanding work from Elisabeth Moss, Shirley pays tribute to its subject's pioneering legacy with a biopic that ignores the commonly accepted boundaries of the form.

Synopsis: A famous horror writer finds inspiration for her next book after she and her husband take in a young couple.

Starring: Elisabeth Moss, Michael Stuhlbarg, Odessa Young, Logan Lerman

Directed By: Josephine Decker

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: The Sound of Silence occasionally struggles to control its tone and convey its message, but it benefits from compelling performances and intriguing ideas.

Synopsis: There are a symphony of almost undetectable sounds that make up a moment of silence, and Peter Lucian (Peter Sarsgaard) is determined to catalogue them... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Peter Sarsgaard, Rashida Jones, Tony Revolori, Austin Pendleton

Directed By: Michael Tyburski

Critics Consensus: Tom of Finland honors its subject with an empathetic, even-handed, and above all entertaining look at the pioneering art he produced from private turmoil.

Synopsis: Finnish artist Touko Laaksonen becomes famous for his homoerotic works.

Starring: Pekka Strang, Lauri Tilkanen, Jessica Grabowsky, Werner Daehn

Directed By: Dome Karukoski

Critics Consensus: Intriguing albeit flawed, Vox Lux probes the allures and pitfalls of modern celebrity with intelligence, visual style, and an assured Natalie Portman performance.

Synopsis: Celeste is a 13-year-old music prodigy who survives a horrific school shooting in Staten Island, N.Y., in 1999. Her talent shines through during the memorial... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Natalie Portman, Raffey Cassidy, Jude Law, Stacy Martin

Directed By: Brady Corbet

Critics Consensus: There's no shortage of star-is-born stories, but Wild Rose proves they can still be thoroughly entertaining -- and marks its own transcendent moment for lead Jessie Buckley.

Synopsis: Fresh out of prison, a Scottish woman juggles her job and two children while pursuing her dream of becoming a country music star. She soon... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jessie Buckley, Julie Walters, Sophie Okonedo, James Harkness

Directed By: Tom Harper

Critics Consensus: Brilliantly capturing a remarkable performer near the peak of her prodigious power, Amazing Grace is a thrilling must-watch documentary for Aretha Franklin fans.

Synopsis: Singer Aretha Franklin performs gospel songs at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles in 1972.

Starring: Aretha Franklin, The Rev. James Cleveland, Alexander Hamilton

Directed By: Alan Elliott

Critics Consensus: Uplifting, educational, and entertaining, The Biggest Little Farm is an environmental advocacy documentary with a satisfying side dish of hope for the future.

Synopsis: A couple are followed through their successes and failures as they work to develop a sustainable farm on 200 acres outside of Los Angeles.

Starring: John Chester, Molly Chester, Matthew Pilachowski, Lydia Marie Hicks

Directed By: John Chester

Critics Consensus: A hard-hitting documentary with imagery as powerful as its message, The Cave poses heartbreakingly urgent questions -- and leaves them for the viewer to answer.

Synopsis: As Syria is brutally ravaged by war, a fearless 30-year-old aspiring pediatrician and her team work tirelessly to save lives in a secret makeshift hospital... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Amani Ballour, Salim Namour, Alaa

Directed By: Feras Fayyad

Critics Consensus: As an investigation into a real-life tragedy, Cold Case Hammarskjöld might struggle with discipline -- but it remains an intriguing, entertaining jumble of ideas.

Synopsis: Danish director Mads Brügger and Swedish private investigator Göran Bjorkdahl are trying to solve the mysterious death of Dag Hammarskjöld. As their investigation closes in,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Mads Brügger

Directed By: Mads Brügger

Critics Consensus: Dina presents a clear-eyed and uncommonly detailed view of one couple's relationship, offering insights as broadly illuminating as they are compassionate.

Synopsis: Dina is an eccentric and outspoken woman who invites her fiance, Scott, to move in with her. The couple face many challenges as Dina copes... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Dina Buno, Scott Levin, Frank Costanzo, Jeannie Levin

Directed By: Antonio Santini, Dan Sickles

Critics Consensus: Jawline uses one man's bid for online stardom to offer a compassionate, clear-eyed view of the risks and seductive allure of social media.

Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Austyn Tester, a rising star in the world of digital celebrities, builds his following on wide-eyed optimism and teen girl adoration as he tries... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Austyn Tester, Michael Weist

Directed By: Liza Mandelup

Critics Consensus: Life, Animated offers a heartwarming look at one family's journey, and a fascinating message that's more than enough to outweigh its unanswered questions.

Synopsis: "The Little Mermaid," "The Lion King" and other animated Disney movies help a young autistic man to develop reading, writing and communication skills.

Starring: Owen Suskind, Ron Suskind, Jonathan Freeman, Gilbert Gottfried

Directed By: Roger Ross Williams

Critics Consensus: Meeting Gorbachev plays to filmmaker Werner Herzog's endlessly inquisitive strengths -- and reveals the fascinating story of a pivotal political figure.

Synopsis: Mikhail Gorbachev, former president of the Soviet Union, sits down with filmmaker Werner Herzog to discuss his many achievements. Topics include the talks to reduce... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Mikhail Gorbachev, Werner Herzog

Directed By: Werner Herzog, André Singer

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: As sharp, funny, and scathingly irreverent as its subject, Raise Hell: The Life & Times of Molly Ivins pays entertaining tribute to a brilliant writer.

Synopsis: The life and work of Molly Ivins, a political journalist from Texas, best-selling author, and Bill of Rights warrior.

Starring: Rachel Maddow, Dan Rather, Anne Lamott, Cecile Richards

Directed By: Janice Engel

Critics Consensus: An environmental advocacy documentary with the suspense of a thriller, Sea of Shadows exposes lawlessness on the high seas -- and promotes efforts to thwart it.

Synopsis: The world's smallest whales near extinction as Mexican cartels and the Chinese mafia destroy their habitat.

Starring: Andrea Crosta, Carlos Loret, Cynthia Smith

Directed By: Richard Ladkani, Sean Bogle, Matthew Podolsky

Critics Consensus: Spaceship Earth achieves liftoff as an engaging behind-the-scenes record of an audacious experiment -- and settles into orbit as poignant proof of the power of a shared dream.

Synopsis: In 1991 eight visionaries embark on a two-year experiment to quarantine themselves inside Biosphere 2 -- a self-engineered replica of Earth's ecosystem.

Starring: John Allen, Larry Winokur, Tony Burgess, Mark Nelson

Directed By: Matt Wolf

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: Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am honors its acclaimed subject with a comprehensive, illuminating, and fittingly profound overview of her life and work.

Synopsis: Author Toni Morrison leads an assembly of her peers, critics and colleagues on an exploration of race, history, America and the human condition.

Starring: Toni Morrison, Oprah Winfrey, Russell Banks, Walter Mosley

Directed By: Timothy Greenfield-Sanders

Critics Consensus: Whose Streets? takes a close-up look at the civil unrest that erupted after a shocking act of violence in Ferguson, Missouri - and the decades of simmering tension leading up to it.

Synopsis: An account of the Ferguson uprising as told by the people who lived it. The filmmakers look at how the killing of 18-year-old Michael Brown... View Full Synopsis

Directed By: Sabaah Folayan

Critics Consensus: Wrinkles the Clown is an unsettling yet entertaining look at a bizarre modern myth that offers a uniquely thought-provoking, albeit slightly uneven, experience.

Synopsis: Mysterious videos appear on the internet of a clown who likes to scare misbehaving children in Florida.

Starring: D.B. Lambert

Directed By: Michael Beach Nichols, Christopher K. Walker

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: Wringing a seemingly impossible amount of gripping drama out of its claustrophobic premise, Buried is a nerve-wracking showcase for Ryan Reynolds' talent.

Synopsis: A civilian truck driver in Iraq, Paul Conroy (Ryan Reynolds) falls victim to a band of insurgents. An unknown length of time later, Paul awakes... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Robert Paterson, José Luis García-Pérez, Stephen Tobolowsky

Directed By: Rodrigo Cortés

Critics Consensus: The Clovehitch Killer patiently dials up the tension with a story that makes up for a lack of surprises with strong performances and a chilling wit.

Synopsis: After Tyler finds a cache of disturbing images in his father's possession, he begins to suspect that the man he trusts most in the world... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Dylan McDermott, Charlie Plummer, Samantha Mathis, Madisen Beaty

Directed By: Duncan Skiles

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: Smartly constructed and powerfully acted, Hounds of Love satisfies as a psychological thriller with a few nasty surprises -- and marks writer-director Ben Young as a promising talent.

Synopsis: In 1987, murderous couple John and Evelyn roam the streets of Perth, Australia, searching for their latest victim. Fate leads them to Vicki Maloney, a... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Emma Booth, Ashleigh Cummings, Stephen Curry, Susie Porter

Directed By: Ben Young

Critics Consensus: Knives and Skin's daunting ambitions occasionally elude its grasp, but this remains a powerfully written and uniquely timely coming-of-age thriller.

Synopsis: In the wake of a high school student's mysterious disappearance, a collective awakening seems to overcome the town's teenage girls -- gathering in force until... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Marika Engelhardt, Grace Smith, Ireon Roach, Kayla Carter

Directed By: Jennifer Reeder

Critics Consensus: The Limehouse Golem offers old-school Hammer-style horror anchored by rich period detail and strong work from a solid cast.

Synopsis: Victorian London is gripped with fear as a serial killer is on the loose and leaving cryptic messages written in the blood of his victims.... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Bill Nighy, Olivia Cooke, Douglas Booth, Daniel Mays

Directed By: Juan Carlos Medina

Critics Consensus: Little Joe's unorthodox approach may baffle horror fans lured in by its premise -- but like its title character, the end result exerts a creepy thrall.

Synopsis: A plant created via genetic engineering appears to produce curious changes in the people and animals it comes into contact with.

Starring: Emily Beecham, Ben Whishaw, Kit Connor, Kerry Fox

Directed By: Jessica Hausner

Critics Consensus: Led by typically outstanding work from Lupita Nyong'o, Little Monsters is a horror/rom-com hybrid that proves the zombie genre still has fresh brains to savor.

Starring: Lupita Nyong'o, Josh Gad, Stephen Peacocke, Kat Stewart

Directed By: Abe Forsythe

Critics Consensus: Led by an impressive Riley Keough performance, The Lodge should prove a suitably unsettling destination for fans of darkly atmospheric horror.

Synopsis: During a family retreat to a remote winter cabin over the holidays, the father is forced to abruptly depart for work, leaving his two children... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Riley Keough, Jaeden Martell, Lia McHugh, Richard Armitage

Directed By: Veronika Franz, Severin Fiala

Critics Consensus: Lords of Chaos presents a grimly compelling dramatization of a real-life music scene whose aggressively nihilistic aesthetic spilled over into fatal acts of violence.

Synopsis: In 1987 Oslo, 17-year-old Euronymous becomes fixated on creating "true Norwegian black metal" with his band Mayhem. He mounts shocking publicity stunts to put the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Rory Culkin, Emory Cohen, Sky Ferreira, Jack Kilmer

Directed By: Jonas Akerlund

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: Pyewacket builds its atmospheric, patiently encroaching chills on a well-told story concerned more with emotional trauma than supernatural threats.

Synopsis: A frustrated, angst-ridden teenage girl awakens something in the woods when she naively performs an occult ritual to evoke a witch to kill her mother.

Starring: Nicole Muñoz, Laurie Holden, Chloe Rose, Eric Osborne

Directed By: Adam MacDonald

Critics Consensus: Southbound doesn't entirely avoid the jarring shifts common to anthology films, but thanks to some thrilling twists and turns, this horror road movie is a surprisingly smooth ride.

Synopsis: Interlocking tales of highway terror revolve around malevolent spirits at a truck stop, a mysterious traveler, a car accident and a home invasion.

Starring: Chad Villella, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Kristina Pesic, Fabianne Therese

Directed By: Roxanne Benjamin, David Bruckner, Patrick Horvath, Radio Silence

Critics Consensus: Kevin Bacon's acting is so genuine that it's creepy and director David Keopp knows how to create true suspense.

Synopsis: Blue-collar family man Tom Witzky (Kevin Bacon) scoffs at supernatural phenomena -- until he lets his wife's sister, Lisa (Illeana Douglas), put him into a... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Kevin Bacon, Kathryn Erbe, Illeana Douglas, Liza Weil

Directed By: David Koepp

Critics Consensus: Thelma plays with genre tropes in unexpected ways, delivering a thoughtfully twisty supernatural thriller with a lingering impact.

Synopsis: A college student starts to experience extreme seizures while studying at a university in Oslo, Norway. She soon learns that the violent episodes are a... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Eili Harboe, Kaya Wilkins, Henrik Rafaelsen, Ellen Dorrit Petersen

Directed By: Joachim Trier

Critics Consensus: Tragedy Girls injects familiar teen tropes with just enough up-to-the-minute commentary -- and pitch-black humor -- to work as an irreverently entertaining diversion.

Synopsis: Teenage crime reporters Sadie and McKayla are hot on the trail of a crazed serial killer. After capturing the maniac and holding him hostage, they... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Alexandra Shipp, Brianna Hildebrand, Josh Hutcherson, Craig Robinson

Directed By: Tyler MacIntyre

Critics Consensus: Led by a quartet of strong performances, Villains offers genre fans a delightfully dark thriller with a sharp comic streak.

Synopsis: Amateur criminals stumble upon a dark secret in a sadistic couple's home.

Starring: Bill Skarsgård, Maika Monroe, Jeffrey Donovan, Kyra Sedgwick

Directed By: Dan Berk, Robert Olsen

Critics Consensus: We Are What We Are is elevated horror that combines family drama and social politics, with plenty of gore on top.

Synopsis: When his father dies unexpectedly, Alfredo (Francisco Barreiro) must step up and become the man of the house, providing for his mother and siblings by... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Francisco Barreiro, Alán Chávez, Paulina Gaitán, Carmen Beato

Directed By: Jorge Michel Grau

Critics Consensus: Working with admittedly familiar ingredients, Abominable offers audiences a beautifully animated and overall engaging adventure that the whole family can enjoy.

Synopsis: After discovering a Yeti on the roof of her apartment building, teenage Yi and her two friends embark on an epic quest to reunite the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Chloe Bennet, Albert Tsai, Tenzing Norgay Trainor, Joseph Izzo

Directed By: Jill Culton

Critics Consensus: Chicken Run has all the charm of Nick Park's Wallace & Gromit, and something for everybody. The voice acting is fabulous, the slapstick is brilliant, and the action sequences are spectacular.

Synopsis: This engaging stop-motion, claymation adventure tells the story of an American rooster who falls in love with a gorgeous hen on a British farm. The... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Mel Gibson, Julia Sawalha, Miranda Richardson, Jane Horrocks

Directed By: Peter Lord, Nick Park

Critics Consensus: Curious George is a bright, sweet, faithful adaptation of the beloved children's books.

Synopsis: In this animated film, explorer Ted journeys to Africa hoping to recover an important artifact for his friend Bloomsberry, a museum director. Instead, however, he... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Will Ferrell, Drew Barrymore, David Cross, Eugene Levy

Directed By: Matthew O'Callaghan

Critics Consensus: Led by a winning performance from Isabela Moner, Dora and the Lost City of Gold is a family-friendly adventure that retains its source material's youthful spirit.

Synopsis: Having spent most of her life exploring the jungle, nothing could prepare Dora for her most dangerous adventure yet -- high school. Accompanied by a... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Isabela Merced, Eugenio Derbez, Michael Peña, Eva Longoria

Directed By: James Bobin

Critics Consensus: It misses perhaps as often as it hits, but Jim Carrey's manic bombast, Cameron Diaz' blowsy appeal, and the film's overall cartoony bombast keep The Mask afloat.

Synopsis: When timid bank clerk Stanley Ipkiss (Jim Carrey) discovers a magical mask containing the spirit of the Norse god Loki, his entire life changes. While... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jim Carrey, Cameron Diaz, Peter Riegert, Peter Greene

Directed By: Chuck Russell

Critics Consensus: The Prince of Egypt's stunning visuals and first-rate voice cast more than compensate for the fact that it's better crafted than it is emotionally involving.

Synopsis: In this animated retelling of the Book of Exodus, Egyptian Prince Moses (Val Kilmer), upon discovering his roots as a Jewish slave, embarks on a... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Val Kilmer, Ralph Fiennes, Michelle Pfeiffer, Sandra Bullock

Directed By: Brenda Chapman, Steve Hickner, Simon Wells

Critics Consensus: Rango is a smart, giddily creative burst of beautifully animated entertainment, and Johnny Depp gives a colorful vocal performance as a household pet in an unfamiliar world.

Synopsis: A chameleon who has lived as a sheltered family pet finds himself in the grip of an identity crisis. Rango wonders how to stand out... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin, Ned Beatty

Directed By: Gore Verbinski

Critics Consensus: A visually stunning film that may be too predictable and politically correct for adults, but should serve children well.

Synopsis: Follows the adventures of a wild and rambunctious mustang stallion as he journeys through the untamed American frontier. Encountering man for the first time, Spirit... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Matt Damon, James Cromwell, Daniel Studi, Chopper Bernet

Directed By: Kelly Asbury, Lorna Cook