Critic’s Pick
A grandchild of ‘The Godfather.’
‘Paper Tiger’
The latest from the director James Gray centers on two brothers (Adam Driver and Miles Teller) who get caught up in gangland violence.
From our review:
Gray has the preoccupations and the kind of intense, unapologetic seriousness — intellectual, philosophical, cinematic — that can make him an anomalous figure in the trivializing climate of mainstream moviemaking. Gray doesn’t always satisfyingly integrate all the parts in “Paper Tiger,” but each is more memorable in and of itself than many movies are in their entirety.
In theaters. Read the full review.
Critic’s Pick
Axing gender roles.
‘Victorian Psycho’
Maika Monroe stars as a governess with more than a few screws loose in this horror movie directed by Zachary Wigon.
From our review:
On one level, “Victorian Psycho” doesn’t have a moral, which is part of what makes it so fun: It’s just unhinged for the sheer joy of it. But there is a kind of a social fable sewn into its seams, about the place of women in Victorian society.
In theaters. Read the full review.
Racking up cash (and views).
‘How to Rob a Bank’
A gang of thieves gain notoriety by filming and posting their exploits online in this crime thriller directed by David Leitch.
From our review:
The bank robbers’ videos are lightly amusing, but their visual pop, nasty charm and narrative coherence only underscore the rest of the movie’s shortcomings. Leitch is best known for action movies like “Deadpool 2,” and he’s most comfortable here when the gang is larking about, running and gunning, flipping bodies and squealing wheels, which they don’t do enough. As the movie shifts into a more somber register, though, the energy starts leaking from it like a deflating tire.
In theaters. Read the full review.
Ghosts of Johnny Depp’s past.
‘Ebenezer’
Johnny Depp takes on the role of Ebenezer Scrooge in this adaptation of “A Christmas Carol” directed by Ti West.
From our review:
This is a “Christmas Carol” iteration that is bland in imagination and supremely straightforward in interpretation. … Fundamentally this is a ploy to put Depp in a get-up again, and specifically one whose general figure and humbug coziness we all have stored in the recesses of our childhood minds. It’s an attempt to, as much as one can in one role, play the hits.
In theaters. Read the full review.
The price of writing from life.
‘Bitter Christmas’
This meta drama from Pedro Almodóvar follows Raúl (Leonardo Sbaraglia), a filmmaker, as he writes a story about another filmmaker, Elsa (Bárbara Lennie).
From our review:
“Bitter Christmas” is about the process of writing from life, its pleasure and its price. That cost proves high for Raúl, and also for Almodóvar. Because the movie belongs to Raúl and not Elsa, it leaves the viewer feeling shortchanged.
In theaters. Read the full review.
Burdened by good intentions, but still good.
‘Being Heumann’
A group of activists led by Judy Heumann (Ruth Madeley) occupy a federal building to protest for the rights of disabled people in this docudrama directed by Sian Heder.
From our review:
There’s a deep sincerity in Heder’s work (her 2021 film, “CODA,” about a hearing child of deaf parents, was an unlikely best picture Oscar-winner) that can sometimes muffle the drama. … Though burdened by good intentions and extremely on-the-nose musical choices, “Being Heumann” is most effective — and affecting — when listening to its characters testify at a congressional hearing.
Watch on Apple TV. Read the full review.
An ensemble that sings.
‘Heartland’
In this thriller directed by Shana Feste, Jessica Chastain plays Misty Jones, a country music singer with a gun and a temper.
From our review:
For her role as Nashville’s onetime “Queen of Mean,” Chastain brings a honed mix of smarts and sinew that has become a trademark. … An ensemble that includes John Hawkes and Jennifer Nettles, a Grammy Award winner, means that Chastain is not alone in making the movie throb.
Watch on Netflix. Read the full review.
Real estate worth fighting for.
‘Ghost Soldier’
When a ruthless corporation stars razing houses in a rural Wyoming town, a former Special Forces officer, Fitz (Jim Caviezel), steps up to take them down.
From our review:
“I only need three hours,” to dispense with them, Fitz tells the sheriff. It’s not a spoiler to say he’s as good as his word. This kind of satisfaction that you get watching Fitz knock them down, briskly, is the movie’s raison d’être.
In theaters. Read the full review.
Compiled by Kellina Moore.
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