VoxCritic

Knives Out is Johnson's masterpiece, revolutionizing the bland, rinse-repeat nature of the murder mystery genre with witty humor and character development.

Unfortunately, Johnson cannot follow up the sequel of his revolutionary murder mystery with the same amount of quality, rather falling flat in both characters and plot.

The Russos conclude the most important film of the giant Marvel cinematic universe in the laziest way possible that takes so much charm out of what could have been.

Titanic definitely isn't a masterpiece, but it is an emotional adventure Cameron offers nevertheless.

Chazelle tells the story of Neil Armstrong in such a different light that First Man becomes more intriguing than what it was based on. The conclusion justifies this adventure better than any flag could have with Hurwitz's theremin echoing in the background.

Guy and Madeline showcases the incredible potential in Chazelle's stories but doesn't quite reach up to its later cousin La La Land's storytelling and stellar cast. Listen carefully, as Hurwitz implements many musical aspects of this film's score in his later works.

Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons are a perfect choice for casting as their raw performance blends in with Chazelle's masterful storytelling like blood and water. Iconic performances throughout, needless to say another amazing score reflecting Simonec and Hurwitz's work.

Sam Esmail's Leave the World Behind succeeds at building subtle tension and using the cast's telents to its fullest. Sadly, that does not reflect the polarizing nature of the film's underwhelming conclusion.

Romance doesn't get much better than the realistic and whimsical portrayal that comes with Chazelle's La La Land and Hurwitz's score that elevates the film's magic.

Babylon is often misunderstood due to its unapologetic portrayal of excess in old Hollywood. Chazelle tells a rise and fall story like no other with incredible performances left and right. He shows no remorse when treating his characters' stories, which successfully delivers the 'fall' aspect of the film. The only aspect stopping this from being a masterpiece is the lingering runtime towards maybe a dozen minutes in the third act. Props to Justin Hurwitz for telling the story in score.

First Reformed is a film that uses its runtime to its fullest potential, completely transforming a character's morals and beliefs in a human and believable way. Paul Schrader is not pulling any punches to tell this story, building subtle tension that amounts to an incredible masterclass of a conclusion.