9.1 BEST NEW MOVIE RSVP yes for The Invite By: Tim Stevens Olivia Wilde returns to the director’s chair in a knockout of a chamber piece.
7.5 Reviews Moving The Last Picture Shows spotlights independent film houses By: Lisa Laman An assortment of Western independent movie theaters just scraping by in 2020s get a poignant showcasing.
6.7 Reviews Evil Dead Burn doesn’t burn bright or nasty enough By: Lisa Laman Competent craftsmanship abounds, but the newest Evil Dead never quite cooks trying to fuse gory chaos with weightier impulses.
9.3 BEST NEW SHOW Silo Season 3 digs in, nearly hauls By: Tim Stevens The contemplative post-apocalyptic AppleTV series takes us back to beginning while pushing forward.
7.5 Reviews Cash in Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass By: Tim Stevens David Wain and his troupe, plus newcomers, return in another sweet, shaggy, and strange comedy.
7.1 Reviews Minions & Monsters delivers some giggles & guffaws By: Lisa Laman The latest installment won't change doubters' minds, but fans of the overall-enthusiasts will laugh plenty.
7.6 Reviews Sharp horror filmmaking draws on horrifying reality in Leviticus By: Lisa Laman The Australian horror film smartly uses real-world queer terrors to inform a chilling piece of filmmaking.
7.0 Reviews Girls Like Girls worth liking, not loving By: Lisa Laman Sometimes visually and narratively frustrating, this rare movie based on a song still features some commendable artistic feats.
8.5 BEST NEW MOVIE Maddie’s Secret? Earnestness, hilarity make for a delicious debut By: Sarah Gorr John Early’s directorial debut is a love letter to Lifetime movies, LA, and sincerity.
7.4 Reviews Toy Story 5 fun playtime with familiar plastic faces By: Lisa Laman The latest Toy Story, while nowhere near as essential as the first three, still provides jaunty fun and effective bursts of pathos.
5.9 Reviews The Death of Robin Hood needed more specificity and life By: Lisa Laman Director Michael Sarnoski hits some decent targets with The Death of Robin Hood, but too much of the film is a generic and moody slog.
8.8 BEST NEW SHOW Sugar Season 2 keeps it sweet By: Tim Stevens The sun-soaked modern noir returns to AppleTV, as compelling as ever, even with its big secret out of the bag.
7.8 Reviews Carolina Caroline is bittersweet and sublime as the October tide By: Lisa Laman Director Adam Carter Rehmeier's newest does classic melancholy country proud with combo of absorbing romance and tragic crime.
8.3 BEST NEW MOVIE Disclosure Day comes clean with honest, deeply earnest sci-fi thrills By: Sarah Gorr Spielberg’s latest marries Close Encounters of the Third Kind with the raw honesty of The Fabelmans, making it one of his most personal films yet.
8.7 BEST NEW MOVIE Power Ballad knows the chords, plays them well By: Tim Stevens John Carney’s latest is another bittersweet ode to creativity, love, and the quest for meaning.
7.1 Reviews Time and Water’s most important message arrives too late By: Sarah Gorr Documentarian Sara Dosa teams up with an Icelandic poet to explore memory and climate change to somewhat muddled results.
6.6 Reviews Disjointed Masters of the Universe short-circuits Power of Grayskull By: Lisa Laman He-Man's latest theatrical adventure looks and sounds nifty, but self-conscious snark constantly undercuts its charms.
7.2 Reviews Visiting Cape Fear isn’t like it used to be By: Tim Stevens The third adaptation of John D. MacDonald’s novel, and the first for TV, is simply too loud to be ignored.
7.6 Reviews Tour the creepy and visually precise Backrooms By: Lisa Laman Like Obsession, Kane Parsons' debut suggests a bright future for horror cinema rooted in YouTubers and precise imagery.
8.8 BEST NEW MOVIE Tuner plays all the right notes By: Tim Stevens Now opening wide, the old school crime thriller with creative verve deserves a look (and listen).
8.5 BEST NEW SHOW Spider-Noir rejects black-and-white replication By: Tim Stevens The animated character turns live action as Nicolas Cage with undeniably enjoyable results.