Derek Smith

The film does at least freshen up the series formula, slyly using the kid-favorite Minions to smuggle in a celebratory message about the theater-going experience and the enduring power of cinema.

If the last film suggested that Knoxville and company were more than ready to pass the torch to a younger generation, Jackass: Best and Last represents a course correction of sorts, as it proceeds as a celebration of the gonzo accomplishments of the original core group.

The film often strikes the right balance between loony satire and heartfelt commentary.

This endlessly playful, humorous, and mirthfully gory film is pure Jane Schoenbrun.

The film turns the realities of a tragic, deeply complicated life into a sanitized popcorn film.

Aneil Karia’s Hamlet, which is nearly defined by its handheld camerawork and the medium close-ups on Riz Ahmed’s face, is one of the more intimate adaptations of Shakespeare’s play to date.

Vanessa Caswill’s film feels reverse engineered to maximize emotional impact.

Ghost Elephants shows that Werner Herzog is fiercely determined to explore new frontiers while they still exist and capture the poetic phenomena of nature and the unshakeable dreams it continues to instill in mankind.

Hope and fear are inextricably bound in Akinola Davies Jr.’s semi-autobiographical film.

The documentary ultimately reveals itself as a paean to female strength and resistance.