4 STARS
“Get Out” – Jordan Peele combines “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” and “Stepford Wives”
“Mudbound” – Dee Rees directs a powerful look at post-WWII racism in rural Mississippi
“Lady Bird” –听Saoirse Ronan聽stars as teen in Greta Gerwig’s poignant coming-of-age story
“The Post” – Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks publish the Pentagon Papers in Spielberg drama
– Pakistani comedian deals with culture clashes in funniest rom-com of year
3 1/2 STARS
– Hugh Jackman dazzles at P.T. Barnum w/ Pasek & Paul songs
– “Hell or High Water” scribe directs western murder mystery starring Renner
“I, Tonya” – Margot Robbie becomes Tonya Harding; Allison Janney is hilarious as mom
– Christopher Nolan’s true WWII flick is intensely directed, but emotionally chilly
“Darkest Hour” – Gary Oldman becomes Winston Churchill in the early days of World War II
– Gal Gadot rocks in origin story, artful action by director Patty Jenkins
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” – Frances McDormand wickedly funny in grief
– Edgar Wright crafts stylized action as getaway driver jams out to earbuds
“Coco” – Pixar’s latest animated gem keeps us guessing all the way to an emotional finale
“Jim & Andy” – Documentary chronicles time Jim Carrey was possessed by Andy Kaufman
“The Disaster Artist” – James Franco becomes Tommy聽Wiseau in making of “The Room”
“The Shape of Water” – Sally Hawkins shines in Guillermo del Toro’s version of “Splash”
– Kathryn Bigelow shifts to domestic warzone for horrific event in 1967 race riots
– James Mangold directs Hugh Jackman’s touching swan song as Wolverine
“The Florida Project” – Sean Baker follows kids in the slum shadows of Disney World
“Molly’s Game” – Jessica Chastain runs gambling ring in Aaron Sorkin’s directorial debut
“Call Me By Your Name” – Armie Hammer &聽Timoth茅e Chalamet portray gay lovers in Italy
“The Lost City of Z” – Percy Fawcett disappears searching for a mysterious city in Amazon
– Andy Serkis dazzles in motion-capture prequel trilogy
– Jake Gyllenhaal loses legs as Boston Marathon bomb survivor Jeff Bauman
3 STARS
– Emma Stone & Steve Carell recreate Billie Jean King vs. Bobby Riggs
– Tiffany Hadish, Queen Latifah, Regina Hall and Jada Pinkett Smith crack us up
“Last Flag Flying” – Linklater straddles comedy/drama with trio of Cranston, Carell & Fishburne
“Thank You For Your Service” – Miles Teller plays Iraq War veteran battling PTSD at home
“American Made” – Tom Cruise is charming as pilot caught up in CIA’s Iran-Contra scandal
“Blade Runner 2049” – Sci-fi sequel is a visually impressive “replicant” of 1982 classic
“The Beguiled” – Sofia Coppola directs slow-burn suspense with Nicole Kidman, Colin Farrell
“Hostiles” – Rosamund Pike grieves across Christian Bale in Scott Cooper’s violent western
– Child chemistry keeps Stephen King adaptation afloat amid exponential jump scares
“Wonder” – Julia Roberts & Owen Wilso raise boy with disfigured face (Jacob Tremblay)
“Goodbye Christopher Robin” – Winnie the Pooh version of Mary Poppins’ “Saving Mr. Banks”
– Gripping documentary about a cyclist unveiling Russian state-sponsored doping
– Daughters discover dad (John Turturro) is cheating on their mom (Edie Falco)
“Marshall” – Chadwick Boseman plays Thurgood Marshall in legend’s early civil rights case
– Harry Dean Stanton gives his final role in John Carroll Lynch’s directorial debut
– Space thriller replicates “Alien” with big surprises for Jake Gyllenhaal, Ryan Reynolds
– Fun look at Peter Parker’s high school days with a super twist
– From podcast to Sundance, true-crime story explores criminal injustice
– Disney live-action remake does justice to 1991 animated聽musical
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi” – Luke Skywalker returns in overlong but fun ninth installment
“Thor: Ragnarok” – Entertaining sequel takes God of Thunder into new comedic direction
– Boyle-McGregor relapse for sequel that should please fans of original
– Chris Pratt & friends are consistently hilarious start to finish
2 1/2 STARS
“Phantom Thread” – Paul Thomas Anderson’s script unravels in Daniel Day-Lewis’ final role
“The Meyerowitz Stories” – Adam Sandler and Ben Stiller turn serious for Noah Baumbach
“Murder on the Orient Express” – Kenneth Branagh does charming remake of 1974 whodunit
– Jessica Chastain chronicles Schindler-style savior at Warsaw Zoo
– Michael Keaton’s Ray Kroc builds empire, but at what price McDonald’s?
– Aronofsky’s shocker is clever Biblical allegory, but A-story is repulsive to audience
– Liam Neeson plays Deep Throat in the FBI side of “All the President’s Men”
– Tupac biopic may feel superficial to non-fans, satisfying enough for fans
– Brie Larson is raised by Woody Harelson’s eccentric, yet abusive dad
– Chris Evans raises a math prodigy in “Good Will Hunting” + “Kramer vs. Kramer”
– M. Night Shyamalan pens killer premise, but tone suffers from multiple personalities
– Soderbergh returns with a hillbilly heist flick that plays like “Ocean’s 7/11”
“Justice League” – Batman recruits Aquaman, Flash, Cyborg & Wonder Woman to help him
“Year By the Sea” – Karen Allen carries indie flick about empty-nester’s rediscovery of self
– 3D/IMAX is a giant, skull-crushing monster movie — no more, no less
– Ep. 8聽shifts between ridiculously awesome, just plain ridiculous
2 STARS
– Ridley Scott prequel is an uneven step backward from “Prometheus”
– Matt Damon goes Bad Lizard Hunting along the Great Wall of China
– Sci-fi flick explores social media suspicions, but can’t decide on message
– Great cast (Alicia Vikander), beautiful production design, lackluster script
– Judi Dench recounts Queen Victoria’s late-life companion from India
– The Rock & Zac Efron are hilarious, but film bogs down in serious drug plot
– Goldie Hawn/Amy Schumer kidnapped in mother-daughter comedy adventure
– Funny banter from Reynolds & Jackson, but the plot gets silly
聽– Anastasia & Christian return in sequel that’s more Cupid than stupid
– Boy saves abused neighbor, intriguing premise, far-fetched execution
– Depp plays Jack Sparrow too drunk in ho-hum fifth chapter
1 1/2 STARS
– Heigl shows her creepy side in forgettable thriller filled聽with genre cliches
“The Snowman” – Michael Fassbender’s dreary, chilly thriller melts into abominable mess
– Idris Elba, Matthew McConaughey can’t save this Stephen King botch
– Tom Cruise can’t save a stupid script that needs more Indy archaeology
1 STAR
– Samara kills early and often in fourth chapter of “The Ring” horror franchise
– Star-studded snoozer in Terrence Malick’s lyrical, pretentious phase
Reviews from Past Years:
