Bernie (2011)

Bernie (2011)

[7] Jack Black stars in this quirky comedy about a beloved Texan mortician who begins a relationship with one of the town's wealthiest widows and becomes prime suspect in her murder. Writer/director Richard Linklater (Boyhood, Dazed and Confused) adapts from…
Michael Clayton (2007)

Michael Clayton (2007)

[7] George Clooney stars in this thriller about a lawyer who gets called in by a major corporation to "fix" a potential whistle-blower who is losing his mind the longer he keeps his secret. I never thought I would enjoy…
Crimson Peak (2015)

Crimson Peak (2015)

[8] Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth, Pacific Rim) serves up an old-fashioned gothic romance the likes of which we haven't seen on the big screen since Roger Corman last dabbled with tales from Edgar Allen Poe. Heavily inspired by the…
The Martian (2015)

The Martian (2015)

[8] Matt Damon carries this Ridley Scott (Blade Runner, Gladiator) film based on the book by Andy Weir. Half the film is practically a one-man show, with Damon playing a NASA astronaut feared dead and accidentally abandoned on Mars for…
The D Train (2015)

The D Train (2015)

[6] On one hand, The D Train is a conventional buddy comedy of sorts, about a loser who tries to redeem himself by convincing a popular former classmate to come to their twenty-year high school reunion. On the other hand,…
Kiss the Girls (1997)

Kiss the Girls (1997)

[6] Morgan Freeman and Ashley Judd mostly succeed in saving this somewhat pedestrian thriller from Lifetime Movie territory. Freeman plays a policeman in search of a possible serial killer and Judd plays the one woman who was able to escape…
The Master (2012)

The Master (2012)

[5] Gosh. I guess I just don't get this movie. I mean, it's beautiful and all, and the performances are certainly something special. But what the hell do I take from the story? It's so open-ended (thematically), it's practically a…
Black Snake Moan (2006)

Black Snake Moan (2006)

[6] Samuel L. Jackson and Christina Ricci star in this southern tale of an abused nymphomaniac who falls under the tough-loving care of a recently divorced bluesman who wants to set her back on God's path. If you can get…
Magic Mike XXL (2015)

Magic Mike XXL (2015)

[8] Steven Soderbergh turns the directing reigns over to Gregory Jacobs for this sequel to Magic Mike, but stays involved as director of photography and editor (under pseudonyms). The sequel turns out to be superior because its infinitely more fun…
The Good Shepherd (2006)

The Good Shepherd (2006)

[8] Robert DeNiro directs from a script by Eric Roth this taught, engaging, mysterious, and surprisingly emotional story about the birth of the CIA. Matt Damon stars, serving as our window into a world full of secrets and deception. Damon's…