STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER - Reviewing a new Star Wars film is tricky, because on top of appraising the film itself, you also have to look at how it fits into the greater story. The Last Jedi worked well as a standalone film, but treated its place in the saga as the penultimate installment pretty carelessly. This is where my only issues with The Rise of Skywalker stem from: The Last Jedi severed many of the plot threads set up in The Force Awakens without introducing new ones. As a result, The Rise of Skywalker had a lot of work to do to establish a new threat and stakes for the characters to grapple with. The filmmakers also had to find ways to work around Carrie Fisher’s untimely death. Despite all of these obstacles in its way, I enjoyed the hell out of it. It took the story in a direction that made sense, delivered an exciting space adventure, and provided satisfying closure to the sequel trilogy. If you’re a Star Wars fan, this one should be a no-brainer.

UNCUT GEMS - Uncut Gems was easily the most stressful movie-going experience I’ve had in years, and I mean that in the best way possible. The film follows a New York City jeweler with a severe gambling addiction, who keeps making increasingly bad decisions that land him in more and more trouble. A character like this could have easily been presented as unlikeable, but both the clever script and Adam Sandler’s star-reaffirming performance make you really care about what happens to him. If you’ve been craving a true edge-of-your-seat thriller, seek this one out asap. It’s a ride.

THE IRISHMAN - In a recent interview with Empire magazine, Martin Scorsese insisted that Marvel movies are not cinema. This angered many of Marvel’s legions of fans, who took to Twitter to scorn the legendary director. Personally, I think that if anyone has earned the right to decide what is and isn’t cinema, it’s Scorsese. Few filmmakers in history have even come close to releasing as many undisputed masterpieces throughout their careers. And with films like The Wolf of Wall Street, Silence, and now The Irishman, he proves that even well into his 70’s, he can still deliver the goods. The Irishman is an absolute epic, spanning 4 decades, and chronicling the mafia’s involvement in American politics throughout the latter half of the 20th century. It may be 3 ½ hours long, but it’s never less than engaging. With fully committed performances from fellow legends Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci, it’s a masterclass in storytelling.

KNIVES OUT - I feel like a lot of recent movies have attempted to make political statements in a very clumsy and disingenuous way. Not because the filmmakers sincerely wanted to, but because it’s “in” right now. My belief is that if you want to get political, you should not do it to pander or provoke, but rather, to make your audience think or see things from a perspective they aren’t used to. (Isn’t that sort of the point of storytelling?) You should also bake your commentary into the story, not sprinkle it on top like an afterthought. Knives Out does an incredible job of this. It’s a clever critique of the political climate in modern day America disguised as a “whodunit” murder mystery. It’s also very entertaining, with razor-sharp writing and a stellar cast.

DOCTOR SLEEP - Doctor Sleep accomplishes what all sequels should strive for, and that is not to outdo, but rather, to expand upon the original work. Less of a horror film than The Shining, and more of a dark fantasy, it follows a grown-up Danny Torrance as he struggles to find his place in the world, and make use of his miraculous gifts. It may not have too many outright scares, but it maintains a palpable feeling of dread throughout, punctuated by a few deeply disturbing scenes. Like Terminator 2 and Blade Runner 2049 before it, Doctor Sleep not only stands on its own, but also provides new insight into the characters and themes introduced in its iconic predecessor.

JOJO RABBIT - The director of The Hangover recently said in an interview that he thinks you can no longer effectively do comedy in today’s “woke culture”. Jojo Rabbit is the perfect antithesis to that statement. It’s an anti-hate satire about a young boy living in Nazi Germany who’s been indoctrinated into the Hitler Youth and his journey to discovering that everything he has been taught is a lie. It’s consistently hilarious, devastatingly emotional, and manages to balance these two tones brilliantly. It also features what is easily my favorite Scarlett Johansson performance to date and the best take on Hitler since The Great Dictator.

PARASITE -

THE LIGHTHOUSE -

DOLEMITE IS MY NAME -

HUSTLERS -

ONCE UPON A TIME… IN HOLLYWOOD - I recently heard someone complain that Once Upon A Time in Hollywood doesn’t have much of a plot. I wouldn’t necessarily argue with that assertion, but I also don’t see it as a bad thing. Some of the greatest filmmakers of all time have built their careers on films without strong plots (Robert Altman, Terrence Malick, and Richard Linklater to name a few). Their films typically focus more on capturing feelings or examining characters. Though Once Upon A Time in Hollywood has more of a traditional plot than some of their work, I do think that where its strength truly lies is in faithfully recreating an era: the shift from the Golden Age to New Hollywood, and the final days of the hippie movement. As much as I enjoyed spending time with the fascinating and often hilarious characters that inhabited it, when I left the theater, all I could think about was how I wished I could spend more time in that world.

MIDSOMMAR -

ROCKETMAN - Elton John is one of my favorite artists in any medium, and so I may be biased, but I did think Rocketman was a beautifully made film and probably the most unique biopic I’ve seen to date. It plays loose with the facts and presents his life as a fairy tale, which makes sense given that it’s bookended by Elton recounting his story while in rehab. The movie makes creative use of its career-spanning soundtrack, with some songs used merely as background music, while others have entire musical numbers built around them (“Saturday Night’s Alright” being the standout). The lyrics also make strange sense within the context of the narrative. Sometimes it almost feels as if they were written with a movie in mind.

BOOKSMART - High school is a fascinating time. You’re on the cusp of adulthood, your hormones and emotions are out of control, you (usually) have very little experience with how the world works, and yet you have to start making decisions that may impact you for the rest of your life. Olivia Wilde captures all of these complex feelings beautifully in her directorial debut. Her two leads (Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever) are instantly likable and their worries are treated with respect. They play well off of each other and the supporting cast, many of whom are at first presented as high school stereotypes, but throughout the course of the film, turn out to be more than they seem.

AVENGERS: ENDGAME - I’m going to be honest and admit that if it weren’t for the 10 years of films that came before it, I would not have enjoyed Endgame nearly as much. The fact that it is so successful at tying up plot threads from all of those years of storytelling is also what I find most impressive about it. Marvel’s focus has always been on its characters, first and foremost. Many of their releases actually feel like character studies disguised as superhero blockbusters. I strongly feel it’s what has made them so successful and kept audiences coming back for more. Though this isn’t the last we’ll be seeing of many of these characters, it feels like a satisfying and well-earned climax. It deserves the hype.

MISSING LINK - As a child, I was deeply fascinated by cryptozoology. I loved the idea that there are still mysteries in our world we can’t explain. So, being about an explorer in pursuit of those mysteries, this film grabbed my attention from the start. It then held on to it with its great characters, heartfelt story, and gorgeous production design. There’s a frontier town near the beginning that is one of the prettiest locations I’ve seen on screen in years, and the fact that at least most of it was made by hand adds a lot to its charm. I’m also a sucker for pulpy adventures set in the early 20th century, and this absolutely is that.

US - Anyone who knows me will tell you I’m a huge fan of 80’s horror films. I think they remain unmatched in their ability to mix low-budget creativity and campy fun. Even though only the opening of Us is set in the 80’s, the rest of the film manages to capture that same spirit. This is exemplified well with the performances given by its two leads; Lupita Nyong’o is brilliant in her dual roles and Winston Duke is extremely likable, keeping the story grounded. Us’ messages may not be as obvious as Get Out’s, but with repeat viewings, I think you’ll find that it too has a lot on its mind. Jordan Peele has established himself as one of the most exciting filmmakers working today, and I can’t wait to see what he does next.