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The savagely abrupt ending leaves much to be desired, and it may not add up to much, but Zola rises on the strength of its cast, especially Riley Keough, Taylor Paige, and Nicholas "Gregg the Egg" Braun. At times hilarious, only to take hard turns into some rather dark territory. Zola is fun, a bit dirty, a bit depressing, but thankfully never exploitative or smutty despite its content. Definitely worth a watch at home on a hot summer's day with lots of weed.

The Green Knight both deconstructs and compiliments its source material, making it feel at once modern and a classic in the making. Filled with scene after scene of overwhelmingly gorgeous visuals and sensual overload. The costumes, cinematography, set/art direction, original score, visuals, atmosphere, pacing, and a handful of Oscar worthy performances (Patel, Vikander, and Ineson especially) make for an intoxicating and hypnotic fever dream that wont be for everyone looking for a more fast paced, action packed, epic. But if you want a film experience that will wash over you and mesmerize you while never quite sure where the story is taking you, you wont be disappointed. This is definitely David Lowerey's crowning achievement, and unlike anything else on screen right now. Dav Patel though, god, such a gorgeous man.

A brutally honest and heightened diatribe against the cruelty and laziness of the mental health support in our society today. A full-throat battle cry against injustice and the cruel circumstance of fate. A blistering, punishing, character study **** but diseased mind as it quickly deteriorates. The second half of Joker is cinematic nirvana, frequently chilling, unsettling, fascinating, and harrowing. Todd Philips has finally directed something visionary and unforgettable. The best thing DC has done since The Dark Knight.

A lazy, uninspired, "throw back" that sacrifices the spirit of the original. Feels like a second-rate, knock off, dollar store version of the original. Plaza is given nothing to do in a thankless role. The kills are poorly shot and edited. There's not one bit of effective tension or scares, or anything in the way of laughs. It tries really hard to be dumb fun, but instead is just really dumb.

Oh how conflicted I am after watching Rocketman. As for the positives, it is very evident the heart and soul that went into this production. It's also refreshing that it doesn't resort to hagiography or making Elton out to be a saint. If you know his history or have seen his documentary Tantrums & Tiaras, then you know that Elton was prone to angry outbursts, not to mention his battle with drugs. The film doesn't paint him as a saint, and it's all the better for it. As for Taron Egerton, he absolutely demands year end awards notice. If Rami Malik's lip-syncing, surface level, impersonation of a performance can win him an Oscar, it is Egerton who truly deserves the praise. His voice is beautiful, and instead of just trying to mimic Elton John, he finds the perfect balance of embodying him while still making the role his own. He is absolutely phenomenal. Unfortunately, Rocketman never takes off the way I wanted it to. There are some stand out musical numbers, but more often than not they end before they are able to truly exhilarate. While placing certain songs at the wrong times in John's life. There are plenty of other fabrications or embellishments of his life (he didn't get his last name from John Lennon, for instance) that are just unnecessary. I'm a huge Elton John fan, and Rocketman is far from terrible. But unfortunately it's also a bit of a disappointment. Still, Egerton is outstanding. I just wish I loved it more.

Only for fans of the director's previous efforts, or films that full-on assault the viewer. Elisabeth Moss gives one of the greatest performances you'll ever see. It's like Gaspar Noe by way of John Cassavetes.

To appreciate Sicario 2 depends solely on how much you can separate it from the original. Sicario is a rare film that virtually flawless on every level, so it would be damn near impossible for any follow up to reach, let alone exceed, the high bar set by the original. With that said, this is a surprisingly great sequel that holds its own. It's just as nerve-wracking, complex, and shocking as the original, while also being filled with a lot more action. Fortunately, this isn't a Michael Bay action film, the characters and story still come first, so when the more explosive sequences do arrive, they are far more intense and filled with dread. Benicio Del Toro is fantastic once again, the true heart and soul of the film. And Brolin more than holds his own. The biggest surprise is Isabel Moner, though. So awful in the last Transformers, she's a revelation here. One of the best child performances I've seen. When all is said and done, this is a superior sequel that holds its own merits, serving visceral thrills and thought-provoking storytelling. I can't wait to see where this story goes.

While it doesn't quite live up to it's overwhelming acclaim, and the trailers spoil about 90% of it, stripping the film of some of the surprise and suspense it could have had. GET OUT is nonetheless a striking debut for Jordan Peele, balancing humor, weirdness, and a lot of creepy into a hugely original package. The tonal shifts gel instead of clashing. GET OUT is most of all just a lot of fun and never boring.

Thanks to a typically brilliant performance by Isabelle Huppert (and really, when is she not great), and Paul Verhoeven working at peak power. ELLE takes what could have been a typical **** thriller and transforms into something else entirely. Subverting expectations at every moment, taking the story to twisted and twisty, not to mention disturbing, areas I was not expecting. This is a compulsively compelling character study that leaves much to discuss and gets better the more one thinks about it. Layered and unforgettable.

All that studio interference is gonna get your film hurt, shame on you Warner Bros. This hurt me, really, really, bad. Thank heavens for Margot Robbie though, and for once Will Smith playing Will Smith really works. Davis also kicks ass. Otherwise, this is a hackjob; like Fant4stic, it shouldn't have been released in the version we got. And if this is truly David Ayer's preferred cut, what the hell was he thinking?

97% For about 45 minutes or so, The Wailing plays like some bizarre horror comedy. It's over-the-top and weirdly silly, to the point that I thought to myself there was no way it would end up getting under my skin or freaking me out. Then the rest of it comes and holy damn was I wrong, I'm not sure exactly where the turning point was. And that's a part of its brilliance, it sneaks up on you quietly. It gets you to let your guard down, and even chuckle, only to pull the rug from under your feet. By the end I was overwhelmed, creeped the hell out, and bewildered, left with so many questions, but absolutely satisfied. I'm still thinking about it now, and there are about a billion images from it I can't get out of my mind. Like a richly dense novel one can't help but devour, The Wailing is definitely lengthy. However, it quickly pulls you in and the nearly three hour running time flashes by. I probably could have watched it for another hour, it's ridiculously entertaining. It's also soul-shakingly disturbing, pulling one in so many emotional directions; it's as draining and exhausting as it is absolutely rewarding. Unpredictable and wholly original, there's nothing out there like it this year. It's a powerful experience that is damn near impossible to forget. The Conjuring 2 can go **** itself, THIS is genuine horror through and through, leaving so much to digest and process. Incredible filmmaking. Bat **** crazy brilliance.

First Class, indeed. It might be my favorite X. The performances are wonderful, especially the sexy Michael Fassbender. It moves fast but stays focused, brilliant visuals, and exciting-coherent-action sequences and special effects. Great stuff!

An expertly crafted and haunting family drama from the former master of J-horror. Here he proofs the harsh realities of life are scarier and more surreal than anything paranormal.