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‘Alpha’ appears to be the beginning of a new stage for Julia Ducournau’s career, seemingly abandoning the sordid for a more “serious” approach. And this is precisely what reveals itself as the Achilles' heel of her failed third feature film: a drama about clinging to saving someone who doesn't want to be saved, wrapped in pretentious packaging and delivered with an insecurity that soon infects the entire film. An erratic, exhausting, and ultimately dead-on-arrival movie that relies on obvious metaphors and repetitions that lead nowhere. Such a shame for the actors, who deliver fine and sometimes raw performances. You can hate ‘Titane’ or even ‘Raw,’ but at least those have an unserious touch that makes them enjoyable or interesting. This is just excruciating; your patience will be tested early on.

The new 'Masters of the Universe' movie basically functions as the Marvel version of He-Man. It's undeniably entertaining at times, but its long runtime, reliance on jokes, generic story, and excessive CGI are reminiscent of the worst of Marvel. Ironically, Jared Leto's Skeletor becomes the funniest element. While Nicholas Galitzine seems committed to his role, this second adaptation ultimately feels like a parody.

'Disclosure Day' isn't Spielberg's best, but it's not a complete failure either. Emily Blunt is phenomenal, projecting a wide range of emotions from beginning to end. Furthermore, the questions it raises about religion, empathy, and the possibility of extraterrestrial life provide food for thought. However, the rest of the characters are quite forgettable, and the "catch me, you escape, catch me" structure is exhausting. David Koepp's screenplay leaves much to be desired.

"México 86" intenta desesperadamente ser "El Lobo de Wall Street", pero no le sale. El antihéroe al que da vida Diego Luna tiene buenos momentos, pero está lejos de ser memorable. Además, la ficción creada alrededor de la obtención de la sede se resuelve muy fácil. Y Karla Souza no tiene nada que hacer. Entretenida e ilustrativa históricamente en cierto sentido, aunque destinada a quedar rápidamente en el olvido

The new 'Scary Movie' boasts of being offensive to everyone, but its humor feels so dated and basic that it only elicits pity. The Wayans brothers repeat themselves with poop, weed, and **** jokes. The parody boils down to a collection of sketches that barely land; only a couple, like the one about 'The Substance,' manage to pull it off. The film is so engrossed in mocking minorities that it forgets to make sense of its attempted plot. Conservatives will love it, of course.

John Travolta took his children's novel about a long plane trip and turned it into an... audiobook? In this film, we hear him narrating nonstop for an hour, describing what the characters are doing and thinking. Adding insult to injury, the story couldn't be more corny, repetitive, and boring. It's practically just about a kid flying to Los Angeles with his mom. Exasperating and saccharine from beginning to end.

'Peter Hujar's Day' is a movie that relies heavily on its staging and Ben Whishaw's powerful performance as photographer Peter Hujar. Ira Sachs's film precisely captures the zeitgeist through words alone. It's also a profound exploration of an artist's frustration. Boredom occasionally creeps in, but the immersive experience it offers is captivating at times.

Visually, 'Backrooms' is a great adaptation of the YouTube series. Kane Parsons successfully translates the anxiety and unsettling atmosphere of his project to the big screen. Narratively, despite some good ideas related to distorted reality, the film falls into the trauma cliché, so overused in elevated horror. The protagonists are defined by this, leaving them without the necessary nuances to be more compelling. It's not a bad film, but the script falls short.

During this year's Berlinale, legendary director Wim Wenders made headlines with his decidedly unexpected statements. "Cinema must be apolitical," he declared in a geopolitical moment in which there shouldn’t be room for this kind of stance. Fortunately, auteurs like Kleber Mendonça Filho and Park Chan-wook later set things straight, making it clear that art is inextricably linked to politics. All of this frames the release of ‘Anniversary,’ the new film by Jan Komasa, responsible for the politically provocative ‘Corpus Christi,’ which recounts the curious adventure of a criminal who undergoes a spiritual transformation by impersonating a priest in a small town. With this in mind, it’s hard to believe that Komasa’s new effort reveals itself as a supposedly political commentary that, nevertheless, completely avoids taking a stance, thus emptying its discourse of any relevance, just like ‘Civil War’ and ‘Eddington’ recently did.

“If you die for Nigeria, you die for nothing,” says a man in ‘My Father’s Shadow,’ Akinola Davies’ feature debut. The British director of Nigerian descent pours his childhood memories into an exercise in autofiction that simultaneously offers a panorama of contemporary Nigeria, a country troubled by religious extremism and military dictatorship since the last century. It’s also a tribute to the paternal figure, as imperfect as it is loving. Alongside his brother Wale—who co-wrote the film—, Davies reopens his own wounds and those of his homeland, drawing inspiration from a profound loss, both of a loved one and of democracy itself. Like other great directors in recent years, he constructs a parallel between his own experiences and those of a convulsed nation: shared laments and grief.

Disney keeps on making TV content for the movie theater. 'The Mandalorian and Grogu' is just an irrelevant collection of 4 lame episodes of the TV series. No one will remember this in a couple of weeks. Such a weird thing to have this as the Star Wars return to cinemas after seven years.

We weren't prepared for Inde Navarrette's demented performance in Curry Barker's brilliant debut; we're witnessing the rise of a new horror star. ´Obsession,' then, is a film that nimbly moves between comedy and horror to deliver a shrewd commentary on coercion and on how a man can deprive a woman of her free will out of pure selfishness and malice. A very clever portrayal of toxic masculinity. The last 20 minutes are brutal and cruel, but they don't feel gratuitous at all. Barker dazzles with visual and narrative flair, while simultaneously sparking conversation about concerns relevant to both his generation and older ones. More content creators like him in film will always be welcome.

The concert part is fine, but the quick cuts and the endless shots of people recording are annoying. The 3D barely contributes; watching iPhones, confetti, cables, or random fans popping out of the screen is not exciting. And the documentary aspect is very lame. James Cameron asks Billie the most basic questions; the personal exploration doesn’t go deep. Instead of showing how this amazing show came to be, we got cute shots of Billie playing with puppies? At least the chemistry she has with the camera saves this project from being a total misfire.

There's something undeniably unsettling about ‘Undertone’. Of course, contextualizing children's songs in horror films is nothing new, nor is exploring how eerie they can sound when played in reverse; however, director and screenwriter Ian Tuason found a way to revalue the concept, at least to some extent, with his debut feature. Focusing entirely on sound and off-screen space, his work offers a dose of analog horror whose tools are its greatest appeal. Unfortunately, despite an interesting commentary on Catholic upbringing and the guilt that stems from it, the film ultimately delivers a cliched story that culminates in a sequence that could easily have been pulled from the ‘Paranormal Activity’ franchise.

'Mortal Kombat II' finds in Karl Urban/Johnny Cage a protagonist more in tune with the franchise's spirit. However, the film insists on exploring this universe with a solemnity that ultimately becomes irritating and boring. Shao Kahn is a one-dimensional villain, while Kitana falls into cliché. As for the violence, the fatalities are uninspired and lack impact due to the heavy reliance on CGI. A sequel hampered by a lazy script and characters who are merely existing.

La intersexualidad es un tema poco retratado en el cine. Curiosamente, en plena era franquista, una película llamada “Mi Querida Señorita” irrumpió en un panorama de represión y mojigatería con una historia acerca de una mujer madura que descubre que también tiene gónadas masculinas tras una visita al médico. Esta superó la censura e incluso fue nominada al Óscar. Muchísimos años después, el concepto vuelve de la mano de Netflix, Los Javis —creadores de la aclamada serie “La Mesías”— y la escritora Alana Portero para modernizar el relato y brindar visibilidad a una temática de la que la mayoría de la sociedad todavía permanece ignorante. El remake es un noble intento que, sin embargo, carece de la potencia de la original; el didactismo resulta el culpable. Aun así, gracias a algunos bellos momentos y a la relevancia social de la que está impregnada la trama, la cinta ofrece un aliciente en tiempos de odio e intolerancia.

"El Yerno" es la peor película de Luis Estrada que no dirigió Luis Estrada. Un ejercicio completamente derivativo que pretende impactar con sus temáticas acerca del contubernio entre política y crimen organizado. El montaje errático la vuelve confusa en partes, mientras que las mediocres actuaciones impiden tomarla en serio. Una sátira anticuada condenada por un guion lleno de escenas aleatorias y personajes irrelevantes. Un despropósito muy molesto.

Damian McCarthy returns with another horror film that unsuccessfully attempts to blend “elevated terror” with the typical jump-scare-heavy formula. Channeling his inner Stephen King, the director presents a detestable writer as the protagonist, grappling with a haunted hotel and its secrets. The plot twists and the traumas revealed are predictable. 'Hokum' has some genuinely terrifying moments, but neither these nor the initial conflict lead to anything truly surprising.

A politically incorrect tragicomedy that is both hilarious and heartbreaking. Simón Mesa Soto criticizes cultural systems and the expectations Europeans place on Latin American representation in art. But this is about a man who has spoken as a father, husband and poet, and who simply wants to be a good person. Our protagonist is pathetic, but noble at the end of the day; a kind of unforgettable antihero who becomes a symbol of resistance.

Just another sequel without a soul that lives on from the grace of the previous one. Again, Meryl Streep steals the spotlight with her performance, but Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt have a lot to do with what they do. Worst of all, it is false that criticism of excessive capitalism and unfair corporate practices is felt. A superficial and boring film whose cynicism is not graceful. Could've easily been released on Disney+.

There's a moment in ‘Exit 8’ in which, before the title of the next act appears on screen, the first letters legible read "hell." In the 21st century, hell is no longer that vision of burning plateaus and caverns with people being eternally incinerated. Now, it's everyday life: the long, tedious commute home that we repeat time and again. Based on the popular indie video game of the same name, the film fully translates its premise to confront the viewer with an extreme and sadly familiar experience. In a style of horror and mystery, Genki Kawamura uses liminal spaces—there's something of the infamous "backrooms" in the production design—so distinctive of the game, and creates a kind of purgatory where his protagonist must learn to decide whether to move forward or not, and not necessarily physically. Although the nature of the game works somewhat against it, the existential reflection it offers is more than relevant.

Lucrecia Martel's first documentary portrays more than the judgment derived from the murder of Javier Chocobar; This is an audiovisual testament to the Chuschagasta struggle and how colonialism is driven by the system to perpetuate abuse, spoils, and violence against, in this case, original communities. The emblematic Argentine director proposes to study the root of this problem by listening to the members of the community, displaying the twisted ideas of the white settlers and using a powerful audiovisual language (conformed by a variety of drone shots) to understand how “God” is against indigenous people. Fundamental work of civil resistance.

This is my ‘Stranger Things’ and ‘Dark’ at the same time. One of those movies that aged like wine.

If Terry Gilliam directed ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’ and ‘Terminator’ at the same time, with some ‘Black Mirror’ shorts included.

It could be said that Jim Jarmusch entered the late stage of his career with ‘Paterson,’ a contemplative film about trivialities and poetry as a way of reinventing yourself. After making something different for a change and having some fun in another genre with the parodic ‘The Dead Don’t Die,’ the iconic auteur returns with ‘Father Mother Sister Brother,’ another anthology that, on this occasion, examines family relationships from the most uncomfortable aspects of everyday life. This triptych, although seemingly a minor work compared to his turn-of-the-century films, finds in repetition, the inexpressiveness, and the unspoken or the undone a way of showing the impossibility of truly communicating with those we love or think we love. The first two segments rely on deadpan comedy to make their point, while the last one walks into a more emotional and serious territory. Not the most engaging Jarmusch film, but still a solid effort from a filmmaker always committed to showing the complexities of human connection.

This is what happens when you’re stuck in the ‘Evil Dead’ universe and decide to remake ‘The Exorcist’ with an Egyptian demon as the villain.

Blandest and ugliest music biopic of all time. Reading Michael Jackson's Wikipedia entry is more exciting than this.

Jonah Hill pretending to be a victim of “cancel culture” and making a deeply unfunny movie about it’s a new low for him. So sad that the guy responsible for ‘Mid90s’ ended up like this.

'The Drama' is an anti-rom-com about empathy. Kristoffer Borgli continues his exploration of social prison with a story that morally challenges what we believe we know about what we believe, in this case, of our peers. Zendaya and Robert Pattinson move nimbly between black comedy and psychological drama. And although the treatment does not work at times with everything burgle he wants to say, the tension and the acidic humor are enough to keep you engaged.

Rebuilding the ruins we inhabit, both physically and spiritually. This film recaptures the more contemplative side of the western genre to explore the deepest of the U.S. and its inhabitants: ordinary people with few opportunities, struggling to survive day to day. With this intimate and modest work, director and screenwriter Max Walker-Silverman enlists the already popular Josh O’Connor to create a brief but moving character study based on resilience and a sense of community. While several clichés linger in the plot longer than one might wish, the honest and minimalist approach is enough to convince you to accompany a rancher on his descent into despair and his climb back to the surface.

'Kokuho' offers a glimpse into the elitist, social, and artistic implications of kabuki through a story about the pursuit of greatness at any cost. The rivalry and bond between two actors and friends becomes the heart of a film that questions sacrifice and legacy. With stunning makeup, costumes, and production design, the film immerses us in the world of kabuki through the frustration and pain of its conflicted protagonists.

A collection of references, nonsense, and mediocre gags that lead to nothing more than fleeting gratification. Its creators clearly thought a story wasn't necessary with several of the world's most beloved characters jumping and running around. With titles like 'The Wild Robot,' 'Hoppers,' and 'Puss in Boots: The Last Wish' already out there, why couldn't this one treat its young audience in a way that isn't condescending?

Paolo Sorrentino has always been an introspective filmmaker, but this characteristic is often overshadowed by too much style that, at times, doesn't quite serve his ideas. ‘Parthenope,’ for example, is an uneven ode to his native Naples whose scattered execution leaves it as a remarkably superficial exercise. Now, with ‘La Grazia’ the Italian director, once again interested in the political figures of his country—as he first showed in ‘Il Divo’—and drawing once more on his great muse, the actor Toni Servillo, achieves a relatively healthy balance between substance and style to deliver a character study that offers a reflection on loneliness, the search for truth, and the unexpected peace that doubt brings.Perhaps his most restrained work in a very long time, though not devoid of his sometimes excessive desire to be noticed, Sorrentino rediscovers a sensitivity that is at times deeply moving with the story of a president immersed in a moral dilemma: to pass or not to pass a controversial law on euthanasia. The film relies on some obvious symbolisms, but it shines when it focuses on the unexpected liberating weight of uncertainty. What looked at first like a political thriller turns out to be an existential drama with a little touch of comedy.

'They Will Kill You' is a copy of a copy. This action-horror comedy succumbs to a lack of originality. Everything it presents comes from films like 'Kill Bill,' 'John Wick,' 'Oldboy,' 'Evil Dead,' and 'Ready or Not.' More than an homage, it's a soulless pastiche that tries to hide its lack of creativity with flashy action sequences. Zazie Beetz demonstrates physical commitment, but the script doesn't give her the tools to make the protagonist less derivative.

A continuation that diminishes the effectiveness of the series finale. Cillian Murphy, as always, delivers a fine performance, but the script insists on leading him down a familiar path. The rest of the talent is wasted on irrelevant or over-the-top characters. The story of the Shelbys fighting N*zis sounded promising, but the conflict is resolved too quickly and easily. The soundtrack doesn't disappoint (especially for Fontaines D.C. fans), although it seems many scenes are designed to complement it rather than the other way around. The Shelbys kicking N*zi **** deserved a full season, not a Netflix original that borders on self-parody.

Expected more from Hosoda. The story feels messy, and the visuals look off at times. The iconic director took a big risk with this Hamlet-inspired anime, but the reward never came.

'The Moment' is a mockumentary that offers a glimpse into the frustrations of the popular singer as an artist. Although the film doesn't fully utilize the genre's resources, even falling into several clichés, it satirically explores the pressure musical artists face to prolong their moment at all costs. Charli delivers a surprising performance, and while Alexander Skarsgård has his hilarious moments, he can't quite avoid becoming a caricature.

Never thought a movie in which Ryan Gosling talks to a rock would make me cry.

From the creators of “What if toys had feelings?” and “What if emotions had feelings?”, it's time to know “What if beavers and politicians had feelings?”

‘If I Had Legs, I'd Kick You’ offers an immersive and visceral experience of what it means to be a lonely mother with no support at all, feeling like being **** into a giant hole in the ceiling. Mary Bronstein elicits Rose Byrne's best performance yet, perfectly projecting the frustration and anxiety caused by the condescension and false empathy she encounters. An oppressive film that uses comedy and horror to create a unique experience. Another installment in the Bronstein’s Anxiety Cinematic Universe.

The Testament of Ann Lee’ is a biopic that shapes itself as a musical to delve into the Shaker community and the defense of their faith. Amanda Seyfried delivers a committed performance that shines during the musical numbers. While the exploration of Lee's personality is vague, the story about the search for purpose offers an interesting angle. Brady Corbet and Mona Fastvold don't reach the level of depth they showed in ‘The Brutalist,’ but they once again boast formidable technical skills. Reminded me in some way of ‘Godland.’

'Nuremberg' is the typical Oscar-bait. The greatest strength of this portrayal of the famous trials of high-ranking **** officials is Russell Crowe, who prevents the depiction of Hermann Göring from descending into caricature. Rami Malek, on the other hand, succumbs to melodrama. A historical legal drama that embraces every cliché of its subgenre to deliver an outdated history lesson instead of a deeper exploration of the origins of evil within the individual.

'The Bride!' is an iconoclastic adaptation of Mary Shelley's classic that gets lost in its own chaos. Despite two committed lead performances, Maggie Gyllenhaal opts for a story that seems to replicate the cringe aspects and concepts of 'Joker: Folie à Deux.' Characters who appear and disappear out of nowhere and a plot that constantly feels aimless severely damage it. The director deserves applause for this almost kamikaze exercise; one only wishes it had yielded more.

'All You Need Is Kill' takes some liberties in adapting the popular Japanese sci-fi novel. Most of them work, like Rita being the main protagonist now, and the emotional approach given to her frustrating struggle. Keiji may not be a compelling character at all, but its presence helps Rita grow in more ways. This adaptation focuses more on the human bond than on the war with the aliens, giving new life to the original story. Yes, there are random characters and a not-so-deep exploration of Rita’s tragic past. Still, the unique animation style and the risks taken here prove that it’s possible to make something new with a material that has been adapted multiple times.

When I unexpectedly hear someone like Wim Wenders declare that “cinema should be apolitical,” I immediately think of ‘Leviathan’ and the oppression that the State and the Church exert on the individual in countries like Russia; of ‘It Was Just an Accident’ and the persecution of Jafar Panahi by the Iranian regime; and of this astounding film, which doesn't even need to refer to the government to make its point clear. This is one of the rare instances in which a director becomes the absolute protagonist of his work, but without a trace of egocentrism. ‘The Secret Agent’ is the work of a true cinema passionate and someone who understands the importance of historical memory.

Michel Franco is back at it again. After the warm and humanistic 'Memory,' the ever-controversial Mexican director returns with another of his provocative films whose sole aim is shock. What begins as an observational exercise on the tense relations between Mexicans and Americans ends up becoming a murky and implausible situation with certain Hanekian aspirations that simply don't materialize. Franco in all his sensationalist splendor.

Bradley Cooper kind of steps back from the spotlight (he still invented a role for himself and worked as a camera operator?) to direct a more intimate film that doesn't feel like blatant Oscar bait. ‘Is This Thing On?’ examines the complexities of marriage and the challenges of navigating a midlife crisis through a remarriage movie, which first half focuses on stand-up comedy (a mediocre one, by the way) as therapy. Of course, the chemistry between Will Arnett and Laura Dern is the best part of it; the flawed couple they portray feels genuine. However, an unjustified length, excessive redundancy in the last act, and an uneven tone prevent it from truly transcending into something like ‘A Marriage Story.’

Osgood Perkins ran out of ideas. 'Keeper' is an amalgamation of clichés and nonsense that forcibly attempts to comment on cycles of misogynistic abuse through a clumsy story about a couple whose vacation in a secluded cabin turns into a predictable nightmare. The exploration of this relationship is nonexistent; instead, the film throws gruesome images at the viewer repeatedly in an attempt to shock. The result is a pathetic attempt at “elevated horror”.

A touching animated wonder that uses a toddler's perspective to explore what it means to understand the world around you and forge an identity. With its impressionistic animation style, where vibrant colors seem to bring every object to life, the movie draws on the life experiences of an innocent Belgian girl living in post-war Japan to develop a profound story about language, self-awareness, and the capacity to understand pain. If you love ‘Flow’ and Studio Ghibli films, you’ll be obsessed with this little yet philosophically ambitious French title. In a perfect world, it would win the Oscar.

‘Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair’ combines the two volumes, removes the censorship, and adds a handful of scenes, specially in the anime sequence. The Bride's odyssey of revenge becomes a monumental pastiche that cements Tarantino's status as a master filmmaker, despite his regrettable views and opinions today. Tremendous use of music, practical effects, sound, and editing. An unique +4 hours cinematic experience.