Knives Out (2019)
[8] I think one of the hardest stories to tell is a good murder mystery story. That's why we see so few of them turned into movies. Rian Johnson's (The Last Jedi, Looper) Knives Out is a beguiling blend of classic and…
Ford v Ferrari (2019)
[8] I am not a fan of car racing. I couldn't care less about it, really. But like so many other great sports movies, Ford v Ferrari isn't really about the sport itself. It's about the people engaged in the sport. And…
Jojo Rabbit (2019)
[6] A young boy in Hitler's youth army (Roman Griffin Davis) finds himself in a moral dilemma after discovering a Jewish girl (Thomasin McKenzie) hiding in a secret space behind his bedroom wall. This film written for the screen and directed by…
Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
[7] It's best to go into The Rise of Skywalker knowing that this third Star Wars trilogy has never had a strong guiding hand. It's not the result of a carefully premeditated creative effort. Creator George Lucas was not there watching over…
Doctor Sleep (2019)
[8] Ewan McGregor stars as the grown-up version of Danny Torrance from The Shining. Doctor Sleep is a sequel to that horror classic, both films based on books by the premiere horror writer of our time -- Stephen King. Danny is known…
Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)
[7] The impending apocalypse of Terminator and Terminator 2 Judgment Day was averted, but you can't stop technological 'progress'. Enter Terminator: Dark Fate, a direct sequel to the second film (ignoring two or three films in-between) that sets up a new cataclysmic…
The Lighthouse (2019)
[8] Movies like The Lighthouse sure don't hit the multiplex very often. Hot off his astounding debut feature, The Witch, writer/director Robert Eggers' sophomore effort is a horrifically surreal pitch-black comedy about two men going mad in a remote lighthouse in the…
The Current War (2019)
[7] Benedict Cumberbatch and Michael Shannon star as Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse in this fascinating and fast-paced telling of the historic race to see whose electrical system would be the one showcased at the 1893 World's Fair -- and then implemented…
Joker (2019)
[8] On its surface, Joker is an origin story about Batman's arch-nemesis. So at first glance, you might mistake it for 'just another superhero' movie. But writer/director Todd Phillips and actor Joaquin Phoenix have actually made a film that transcends the comic…
Judy (2019)
[8] Renée Zellweger gives an Oscar-worthy performance as Hollywood legend Judy Garland in this film about the decline of her life and career, based on the stage play "End of the Rainbow". Despite inherent potential for doom and gloom in a story…