Ending with a whimper, not a scare.
‘The Conjuring: Last Rites’
Directed by Michael Chaves, the latest in this horror franchise is ostensibly the last outing for Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) as they investigate a haunted house.
From our review:
It’s amusing to exist in the “Conjuring” universe, especially because its zany nostalgia — its creaky antique toys and retro costumes, like Ed’s comically large sideburns — are matched by goofy giggle-inducing ghouls. There’s an underplayed dimension to “Last Rites” concerning domestic violence — the flip side of the Warren’s happy group — that could’ve added darkness to the story. But as it stands, the film is a disappointing send-off; more an eccentric family drama than a real chiller.
In theaters. Read the full review.
Critic’s Pick
Heartbreaking romance, stellar leads.
‘Preparation for the Next Life’
This naturalistic drama directed by Bing Liu follows a blooming romance between Aishe (Sebiye Behtiyar), an undocumented immigrant, and Skinner (Fred Hechinger), a troubled U.S. soldier.
From our review:
A movie this intent on realism would likely flounder with less talented leads. The multilingual Behtiyar — in an astonishing feature debut — never allows Aishe’s resilience to harden into callousness, while Hechinger gives Skinner the heartbreaking bewilderment of a veteran struggling with moods and memories that resist medication.
In theaters. Read the full review.
Illogical but strangely poignant.
‘Twinless’
Directed by and starring James Sweeney, this drama centers on two men (Sweeney and Dylan O’Brien) who meet at a support group for people who have lost a twin.
From our review:
If “Twinless” is a bit uneven, it at least gets this right: The drive to be known can turn us all into the protagonists of our own weird, obsessive, funny, painful little tragedies, and there’s no guarantee of a happy ending.
In theaters. Read the full review.
A winter romance leaves us cold.
‘The Baltimorons’
On Christmas Eve, Cliff (Michael Strassner) has a dental emergency that leads him to an unlikely connection with Didi (Liz Larsen), the dentist who helps him.
From our review:
Demanding plausibility from a madcap setup has always been a fool’s game, but in “The Baltimorons” — the title comes from a sketch that Cliff used to perform — the director, Jay Duplass, and Strassner, his collaborator on the screenplay, didn’t script the scenario in a way that would persuasively sustain the characters’ interactions beyond Didi’s office.
In theaters. Read the full review.
A gut-punch of a boxing drama.
‘The Cut’
Orlando Bloom stars as an unhinged boxer guided by a vicious trainer (John Turturro) in this unsparing sports drama directed by Sean Ellis.
From our review:
Bloom plays his role with a feral commitment, and while Turturro has portrayed several villains in his career, here his refusal to ingratiate even slightly yields a genuinely frightening characterization.
In theaters. Read the full review.
This schmaltzy drama really sings.
‘Tinā’
Mareta, a Samoan music teacher in New Zealand, starts a new job at a predominantly white school while still mourning the death of her daughter in this drama directed by Miki Magasiva.
From our review:
Magasiva made “Tinā” after seeing a video of white and Asian high schoolers singing a traditional Samoan love song at a choir competition. He recreates that concert at the end of his movie, and, with it, scores a hard tug on the heartstrings. Once that happens, the undercooked plots fade from memory.
In theaters. Read the full review.
Compiled by Kellina Moore.
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