‘It Ends’
Four friends fresh out of college get trapped on a seemingly endless road in this existential thriller directed by Alexander Ullom.
From our review:
With the cinematographers Evan Draper and Jazleana Jones, Ullom creates a lot of visual interest out of very little — his characters are in a car on a two-way road flanked by trees and little else for the whole movie. It’s a canny, effective use of what’s obviously a small budget, in the best way, the kind of tight filmmaking that leans brilliantly into its restrictions in both plot and aesthetics. Nothing feels wasted, and everything is purposeful.
In theaters. Read the full review.
Less than the sum of its wacky parts.
‘Franz’
Idan Weiss plays an especially enigmatic Kafka in this biopic directed by Agnieszka Holland.
From our review:
Holland’s circus of a film at least lets you piece its parts together. … Still, there’s a sloppiness to the film’s patchwork, and a grating quality to its style, that makes it quite a trial.
In theaters. Read the full review.
A franchise stuck in purgatory.
‘Insidious: Out of the Further’
This entry in the horror franchise, directed by Jacob Chase, follows Gemma (Amelia Eve), who has the power to bring ghouls from a purgatory called the Further into reality.
From our review:
Not all of it is bad. Chase creates disquieting moments of real hold-your-breath tension early on, particularly in the first couple of instances when Gemma tumbles down into the Further. But once the movie actually plunges into the darkness, it loses any real fear or flair.
In theaters. Read the full review.
‘The Marching Band’
After receiving a dire diagnosis, a conductor discovers he is adopted and sets out to find his birth brother in this drama directed by Emmanuel Courcol.
From our review:
“The Marching Band” unfolds with a measured grace, thanks to that attention as well as the complementary work of its leads and charming ensemble. … The editing (by Guerric Catala) teases the beats of a feel-good movie, but consistently stops short of too easy sentimentality.
In theaters. Read the full review.
Enchanted and enchanting.
‘The Magic Faraway Tree’
A family of five discovers a magical forest full of fairies surrounding their new home in this children’s movie (that’s also fun for adults) directed by Simon Farnaby.
From our review:
The film strikes the right balance of earnestness and humor without feeling forced. It moves at a nimble, episodic pace, with each magical land, such as Land of Birthdays and Land of Goodies, functioning as its own chamber piece while the film builds toward its dreamy conclusion.
In theaters. Read the full review.
A house divided, a country in turmoil.
‘How to Divorce During the War’
Set amid the war in Ukraine, this dark comedy directed by Andrius Blazevicius centers on a couple juggling marital struggles and political unrest.
From our review:
The static, held-back camera framing reads as nonjudgmental without feeling clinical or severe, and deadpan comedy emerges. … Blazevicius tunes into a human tendency to regress to familiar routines that feels uncomfortably accurate.
In theaters. Read the full review.
A dystopian disaster in more ways than one.
‘Hot Spot’
In a postapocalyptic future, artificial intelligence rules and refugees rebel in this confounding sci-fi movie directed by Agnieszka Smoczynska.
From our review:
“Hot Spot,” with its arcane rules and stilted exposition, is closer to a video game or a lucid dream than a worthy science-fiction entry. Waking up should come as a relief.
In theaters. Read the full review.
Casualties in the war on drugs.
‘The Snare’
A teenager becomes an unwilling informant for the police as she tries to escape her dire circumstances.
From our review:
“The Snare,” written and directed by Merlin Camozzi, is a potent critique of the tactics used to fight the seemingly never-ending war on drugs. This picture powerfully demonstrates the misery that results from those practices.
In theaters. Read the full review.
Compiled by Kellina Moore.
