Want to go to the movies but don't know what to see? Our critics, Robbie Collin and Tim Robie, watch every film released, from mainstream to arthouse, and have been doing so for years. Here are their favorite films currently playing in theaters, and a few that took their breath away.
This article is updated weekly.
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Our best options
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Movies to Avoid
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Enzo ★★★★☆;
Some sensitive British teenagers read Camus; some sensitive French ones seem to live by his works. The young hero of the late Laurent Cantet's latest film, a coming-of-age story set in the sun-drenched French south, has a bit of Meursault in« Outsider », but at the same time touching on exciting existential themes.
Sixteen-year-old Enzo, delicately played by newcomer Eloy Pohu, is uncomfortable with his privileged position. The son of a charismatic (and apparently successful) teacher, he works shifts for a local construction contractor, though on the construction site he's less interested in the work itself than Vlad, Maksym Slivinsky's sturdy and self-assured Ukrainian colleague, with whom he develops an unflattering relationship.
Are these the first signs of sexual awareness or part of a broader struggle by a young man for self-determination against the frivolity of his bourgeois upbringing? As the relationship develops, Enzo draws no definitive conclusions, wisely making the very uncertainty that defines the work's meaning the subject of his exploration.
Utility rooms ★★★★★;
The film "Behind the Scenes"« , simultaneously strange and terrifying, may not revolutionize the horror genre, but it is a remarkably creepy reimagining of the genre. This eerily hypnotic hit from A24, set in the inexplicable nooks and crannies of a thrift store, leads us into a sickly yellow labyrinth that doesn't belong there. Littered with discarded objects—welded-together chairs, life-size figures, upturned street signs—it serves no purpose. That's what makes it strange, and that's what makes it terrifying—even before giant apparitions scurry around the corners, intent on carnage.
Power Ballad ★★★★☆;
In the film «"Power Ballad"» , a memorable and popular film by Irish screenwriter and director John Carney ( «Once» , «Sing Street» , «Begin Again »"), the fight over the rights to the song takes a nasty turn. Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas spend only about 20 minutes together at the beginning and end of the film, but that's the point: as two musicians who have recently met, they find themselves at opposite ends of the fame spectrum, separated by an industrial machine that is essentially designed to accommodate them.
Tuner ★★★☆☆;
Anyone hoping to get a tempting role in «"Tuner Piano" will briefly thrill to the opening credits—he's all over the place, chatting animatedly. Alas, that accounts for about half of his screen time, where he plays a piano tuner obsessed with (brace yourself!) tuna. This entertaining New York-set blend of romance and crime drama instead focuses on Hoffman's apprentice, Nicky, played by Leo Woodall. Before and after he's drawn into safecracking, he brings a vulnerable, puppy-like innocence to the role, quite unlike the lecherous prankster he brilliantly played in «White Lotus» .
What Woodall can't do is turn Nicky's hearing problem—he suffers from hyperacusis, or heightened hearing sensitivity—into more than just a plot device. It's given him perfect pitch, but even the best piano tuner can only make so much; when his mentor (Hoffman) becomes gravely ill, huge medical bills ensue. So Nicky takes a job with a shady security firm run by Uri (Lior Raz), who forces him to take up a lucrative side hustle: by listening for the click of a lock, he can open a safe in a fraction of the time it would take these guys to drill a hole. Daniel Roher's film is often dynamic and upbeat, with a detailed soundtrack, plenty of jazz standards, and energetically edited shots: in places, it might remind you of «"Obsession"» (2014) by Damien Chazelle. Perhaps also worth mentioning is John McTiernan's film «"The Thomas Crown Case"» (1999), especially when this excellent film features the melodic piano part of Nina Simone's song "« Sinnerman» , which was used as the soundtrack for the robbery. Now that's a real daylight robbery.
Finding Emily ★★★★☆;
«Finding Emily» — is Working Title's vibrant and genuinely funny take on the British romantic comedy that dominated the genre a generation ago, thanks primarily to Richard Curtis and Hugh Grant. Forget about «Four Weddings and a Funeral» и «Notting Hill» — and does Generation Z even know how? love Romance? This is the conundrum the film poses, turning an unhappy musician's search for the girl of his dreams into a viral object of humiliation and violent protests on the University of Manchester campus.
Obsession ★★★★☆;
«"Be careful what you wish for" is a time-tested staple of the horror genre, and this incredibly dark American indie film from 26-year-old YouTuber Curry Barker takes it to the extreme. It's essentially a reworking of "The Monkey's Paw," a classic tale of wish fulfillment at a terrible price.
A record store clerk named Bear (Michael Johnston) is hopelessly in love with his childhood friend Nikki (Inde Navarrette), but he's afraid to make the first move. At a mysterious store, he buys something called the "One-Wish Willow," expecting nothing from it. In a moment of desperation, he follows the instructions, breaks the device, and wishes for Nikki to love him with all her heart.
Unfortunately, there's no madness stronger than unconditional love. Nikki turns from the cool girl he liked into a psychotically jealous maniac, far worse than Glenn Close in «Fatal Attraction» . The dark humor builds; the awkwardness is as brutal as the gore; both leads are superb. As an unusual date movie, it's sure to be a conversation starter, with a twist in the vein of «Romeo and Juliet» , which is simultaneously wildly dark and strangely romantic.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 ★★★★☆;
Meryl Streep's Miranda Priestly is back, still at the helm of the magazine Runway and sporting a pursed lip that could crush an intern at 30 paces. David Frankel's sleek and sophisticated follow-up to the 2006 office comedy, which also reunites Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci, may seem like millennial nostalgia. But with such a masterfully written script and perfectly cast performances, it's irresistible.
Sheep Detectives ★★★☆☆;
Perhaps this was always the logical conclusion to the fascination with cozy crime novels: a rural detective story in which the main characters themselves are 50 percent wool. This deliberately innocuous, family-friendly comedy thriller, based on a 2005 German novel, follows a flock of sheep whose loving shepherd, George (Hugh Jackman), is found dead in the pasture one morning, and they set out for a neighboring village to find out who killed him.
Movies to Avoid
Masters of the Universe ★☆☆☆☆;
The new He-Man movie, «Masters of the Universe» , may be terrible, but in its defense, at least the creators know it. The creators of this mind-numbing reboot of the 1980s fantasy cartoon about a sword-wielding hero came up with an ingenious way to deflect any accusations of datedness or banality: all the characters constantly comment on how dated and banal the film is.
Scary Movie ☆☆☆☆☆;
If the goal of any long-running franchise is to raise the bar set by the first film, then the Wayans brothers have succeeded in doing so: they made «Scary Movie» , which is even more empty, twice as heartbreakingly lazy and twice as cruel to humanity as the original 2000 film.
We didn't need this horror parody at all, because the genre had already been blown to smithereens in Wes Craven's film. «"Scream"» (1996). «Scary Movie» and its four sequels—now five—contain virtually no discernible jokes: they all simply recycle scenes from recent horror hits, typically focusing on white girls portrayed as shallow drifters deserving of impending knife attacks.
The new film, besides being a complete nightmare, is already a dated failure that imitates films like «"Smile » (2022) and «Scream VI» (2023), with a few vague references to later films "« Sinners", «"Weapon"» и «Final Destination: Bloodlines» .
The series' main stars, Marlon and Shawn Wayans, returned to the franchise after 24 years. We haven't missed a thing: they're both absolutely terrible here. Marlon's Shorty is a lecherous, stoned dude with a goofy giggle; Shawn's Ray is a gay cowboy who turns everyone off by giving blow jobs and generally acting gay. They're easily overshadowed by series regulars Regina Hall (parodying Octavia Spencer's character, Ma ) and the always-ready-for-action Anna Faris.
What Wayans' team successfully created, with all its over-the-top anti-gay and anti-women sentiments, is one of the worst movies I've ever seen.
Savage House ★★☆☆☆;
Richard E. Grant and Claire Foy star in in the film "Wild House"« , playing sordid 18th-century aristocrats preparing their estate for a dinner party for high-ranking guests. The stars could hardly have performed better – especially Grant, in a rare leading role, portraying a powdered, poisonous careerist on a precipitous downward spiral. Unfortunately, the whole conceit is rotten, and the film is a suffocating ordeal.
My Mom's Wedding ★★☆☆☆;
Few aspiring directors can boast such an impressive cast, led by Scarlett Johansson. But few can boast such an industry stalwart as Kristin Scott Thomas, who co-wrote this semi-autobiographical comedy-drama with her new husband, Bloomberg News editor-in-chief John Micklethwait. They never found a winning formula. The film premiered in Toronto nearly three years ago, and since then it has languished, awaiting a less-than-enthusiastic box office: the lack of excitement, unfortunately, is easily explained long before the end credits roll.
The plot is a lighter version of Chekhov: three bickering sisters (Johansson, Sienna Miller, Emily Beecham) attend the wedding of their mother (Scott Thomas), who raised them alone after both her previous husbands, Royal Navy pilots, were killed in action. Over the weekend, some minor family secrets come to light, and Beecham's new husband (Joshua McGuire) is exposed as an unfaithful cheater. The film drags on too long, relying on a star-studded cast and dull shots of the English countryside.
Johansson's attempt at an aristocratic British accent as a lesbian naval commander isn't the only thing that falls flat: her attempts at creating comic tension are met with gritted teeth. Scott Thomas, in his role as the matriarch, seems the only one exuding steely confidence in front of the camera, but the same can't be said for her efforts behind the scenes.
The Mandalorian and Grogu ★★☆☆☆;
Disney has been trying to turn Star Wars into another Marvel-like franchise for some time now, and in that regard, «"The Mandalorian" and Grogu — is a resounding success, as it feels like a new episode of a soap opera you've long since lost interest in. Which is a shame—especially because this feature-length adventure featuring Pedro Pascal's masked bounty hunter and his little sidekick, often referred to as Baby Yoda, is largely successful.
Christophers ★★☆☆☆;
Steven Soderbergh's new film "« Christophers »", set in the London art world, feels more like half a film; the details just don't add up. The Oscar-winning director «Erin Brockovich» и «Ocean's Eleven» , here uses his talent—and that of a potentially terrific cast led by Ian McKellen and Michaela Coel—to a disappointingly weak script (by Ed Solomon) that never gets to the point of any moment.
Mortal Kombat II ★☆☆☆☆;
Preparing for viewing «Mortal Kombat II» , I looked up the original film to see what happened, and I discovered I'd reviewed it when it came out five years ago. That's how dark and bloody video game adaptations are: in 2031, on the eve of its release. «Mortal Kombat III »", I'm sure that if I google this film, I'll feel a little surprised when I read these words.
Michael ★★☆☆☆;
A film by Antoine Fuqua «"Michael"» , starring the singer's nephew, Jaafar Jackson, only tells half the story. The music is magnificent, of course; the acting is stunning. But it's simply implausible for a film to claim to be about Michael Jackson without at least indirectly addressing the accusations, controversies, and grief that haunted him in his final years. «"Michael"» — this is the first part that pretends that the second part does not exist, and this is unforgivable.
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