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Moments of thrills and moments of calm. The film just doesn't fulfill its possibilities of being a more nuanced or lively version to get more viewers to watch it.

Director Sam Mendes does a diligent and heartfelt job with this love letter to the movies, but he also crams in a lot of other themes with it.

'Bruiser' is not the film of the season for me. But it is good, and it lays the foundation for a promising future with the director and the actors.

Because this film wants the audience to be absorbed in every word, and in every subtext of those words, "The Son" has no flashy cinematography or dynamic editing. It's a film about the words.

The ideas and themes of Infinity Pool have been shown before in other films, like The Ruling Class (1972), Vatel (2000), or Dirty Pretty Things (2002). But the way these ideas and themes are shown made this film disturbingly unique and alluring.

This week, host Casey Allen takes a look at the Oscar nominees.

"The Whale" is a tragic, intimate story of one man's grief and shame and how he fights against those emotions by making a grasp at redemption far out of his reach.

"M3GAN" presents as a mischievous satire on the growing ravenous world of consumerism, and the constant need for new toys, new advances and new ways to be entertained.

Director and writer Scott Cooper ("Hostiles", 2017) creates a sustained melancholy in this 19th century gothic mystery based on the 2006 novel of the same name.

It's PG-13 and visual fun for the whole family, but this sequel is far too much for any science-fiction lover, or movie lover, to take seriously.

In a year when so many American films have famously failed to reach box office glory, filmmakers (and film lovers) need only look to South Korea for new ideas and new methods of cinematic storytelling.

"The Fabelmans" is rich in cinematography showing clear beams of light cutting through darkness at every angle. Yet it works too hard to remain optimistic and sweet.

Viewers will have a good time watching this film. Especially viewers who love movies. Babylon is not the movie of the year for 2022, but it's one of the good ones.

"Tár" avoids taking sides about cancel culture or its characters — that's for the viewer to determine — and that's what makes it such an intellectual cinema experience.

The film focuses on Emmett Till's mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, and how she endured criticism to expose the racism behind her son's murder and bring the killers to justice.

"Barbarian" spends lots of time on characters' backstories, but they're too boring or heinous to connect the audience to the characters.

This film's bite could have used a lot more teeth. So instead of enjoying this new English language version of Goodnight Mommy, I kept thinking to myself, "The original version is better."

Blonde has zero comic relief and no moments of levity. But its consistent solemnity helped me understand this film is not a biopic, not a tribute to Marilyn Monroe's life, or not even a cautionary tale on the dangers of Hollywood. In fact, Blonde is a horror film that gives an unflinching, plaintive look at the terrors of the male gaze and the traditions of objectifying women.

Even though some twists are predictable in Don't Worry Darling, some are not, because the story takes its time watching the leading lady anxiously piece together her reality and her memories.

The Woman King is a painfully familiar hero's journey about unity, ferocity and courage. Throughout this film, I had difficulty getting swept away deep into the story because it kept reminding me of other films.

A more accurate title for this film would be "108 Minutes of Mild Introspection."

The film recounts the rescue of 12 boys and their soccer coach, who became trapped in a cave in northern Thailand when it flooded from unexpected monsoons.

Don't ask me why this film's title is "Vengeance," because there's nothing hostile or rancorous about it. A more indicative title would probably be "Self-Righteous Analysis of Society Through Podcast or Invisible Humor."

I Love My Dad is a comedy that delights in the uncomfortable, but it also honestly portrays the emotional power of social media by showing how weeks of texting and online conversations can grow into a relationship....or at least what feels like a relationship.

Although UFOs are the focal point for much of Nope, the film is really a salty and forceful display about peoples' constant addiction to new content, new stories and new outlets to entertain.