‘The Little Sister’
This coming-of-age drama directed by Hafsia Herzi centers on Fatima, a French Algerian teenager grappling with her faith and sexuality.
From our review:
Many a similar film depends on external conflict for its drama, with the protagonist’s religious community or family wreaking havoc on their lives. “The Little Sister” is not that sort of movie. Instead, it takes the trickier dramatic route of portraying Fatima’s conflict as an inner struggle.
In theaters. Read the full review.
‘Carolina Caroline’
Samara Weaving and Kyle Gallner star as lovers on the run from the law.
From our review:
Directed by Adam Carter Rehmeier, the film wears its callbacks on its sleeve, from “Bonnie and Clyde” to “True Romance,” but it’s not aiming to reinvent the wheel. Nestled into its classic blueprint like a pair of old, reliable jeans, it banks on the quality of its ingredients — its magnetic stars and soulful sincerity — to revitalize its timeworn premise.
In theaters. Read the full review.
The scariest part is the jokes.
‘Scary Movie’
The parody movie franchise returns with its original players: Anna Farris, Regina Hall and Shawn and Marlon Wayans.
From our review:
Even by parody movie standards, it falls prey to our age of meta humor, cramming in too many movie references where the reference itself is often the punchline. And especially while balancing a too-large cast, it often feels like watching a stream of bottom-of-the-barrel short form content.
In theaters. Read the full review.
These toys are all grown up (kinda).
‘Masters of the Universe’
Directed by Travis Knight, this live-action adaptation follows Adam, a.k.a. He-Man (Nicholas Galitzine) as he returns to his home planet to save it from the evil Skeletor.
From our review:
In the role of He-Man, Galitzine, who recently amused in “The Sheep Detectives,” wears the character’s mild goofiness loosely, the better to shake it off when the impressive action sequences start. In these raucous but bloodless scenes, he’s all business, and he delivers.
In theaters. Read the full review.
The afterlife comes to life.
‘Another World’
Set in a magical afterlife, this anime sees a spirit, Gudo, guiding a human soul, Yuri, to reincarnation.
From our review:
The story speaks loudest when it whispers. Through intricate 2-D hand-drawn animation and its overall commitment to tonal abstraction, the film manages to make Gudo’s journey sing.
In theaters. Read the full review.
Clean animation; muddled plot.
‘Jinsei’
This anime film written, directed, edited, animated and scored by Ryuya Suzuki follows a taciturn man across decades.
From our review:
Hurtling on, the plot is elaborate to the point of convoluted, eschewing causal storytelling in favor of a more protean structure. Amid the muddle, Suzuki’s captivating animation becomes our anchor. Set in two dimensions with clean lines and a dusty blue-gray hue, his aesthetic has a grace and restraint that feel refreshing alongside the tangled narrative vignettes.
In theaters. Read the full review.
An underdog who cheats the game.
‘Mexico 86’
Martín (Diego Luna), an ambitious soccer enthusiast, will do whatever it takes to secure the World Cup for Mexico in this sports dramedy directed by Gabriel Ripstein.
From our review:
Crucial to the conception of Martín is that he is, in the words of his paramour, Susana (Karla Souza), a compulsive liar. One need look no further than “Marty Supreme” to see how “Mexico 86” might have complicated the audience’s sympathies, but this straightforward crowd-pleaser doesn’t wish to see beyond Martín’s charm.
‘Office Romance’
Jennifer Lopez stars Jackie, as a confident chief executive of an airline who falls for her co-worker, Daniel (Brett Goldstein) in this rom-com directed by Ol Parker.
From our review:
The writers Goldstein and Joe Kelly (his “Ted Lasso”/”Shrinking” colleague) attempt to cram a streaming season’s worth of character zigs — Jodie Whittaker plays Daniel’s incarcerated sister, Amy Sedaris appears as a too-kind hotel housekeeper — into a two-hour film. Alas, the landing isn’t smooth.
A trans gender-swap comedy.
‘She’s the He’
This queer gender-swap comedy directed by Siobhan McCarthy centers on Alex (Nico Carney) and Ethan (Misha Osherovich), two best friends with a madcap plan that leads them to self-discovery.
From our review:
McCarthy’s direction is assured and lively, so clearly a homage to the films, like “She’s the Man,” that inspired this one. Some flaws, such as actors past their teenage years that would never pass as high school students, just feel like part of the movie’s detachment from reality. Still, its overarching sex-comedy absurdism occasionally clashes with genuine emotional scenes, like when Ethan comes out to her mom — the same mom Alex can’t stop flirting with.
In theaters. Read the full review.
Compiled by Kellina Moore.
