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ACCEPTED--Dan Chen's documentary about Louisiana's T.M. Landry college prep school--and the scandal that toppled it after a New York Times expose detailed how the school falsified transcripts and emotionally and physically abused students--is both infuriating and tragic. Founded by the husband and wife team of Mike and Tracey Landry with the stated goal of giving disenfranchised youth, particularly African-Americans, an upper leg while navigating the increasingly fraught college admissions process, T.M. Landry on paper was a raging success. The majority of its students not only went on to higher education, but many of them won the academic lottery: acceptance at schools like Harvard, Stanford and Yale. Whether the Landrys were con artists from the start, or just lost their way in a single-minded pursuit of academic excellence at all costs, ultimately proves moot. The biggest takeaway is that minority youth are once again collateral damage in a meat-grinding system they ultimately have little control over. (B PLUS.)

THE BAD GUYS--Based on Aaron Blabey's best-selling graphic novel series, the latest DreamWorks animated film is one of their better outings in recent years. A crew of miscreants led by pickpocket Mr. Wolf (Sam Rockwell) decides it's better to go straight than do jail time after their latest job gets them busted. Agreeing to serve as mentor is British-accented guinea pig Professor Marmalade (Richard Ayoade) who discovers that Wolf and his criminal cohorts--safecracker Mr. Snake (Marc Maron); master of disguise Mr. Shark (Craig Robinson); hired muscle Mr. Piranha (Anthony Ramos); and hacker Ms. Tarantula (Awkwafina)--might actually make pretty decent good guys (and one good gal) after all. Or maybe the whole thing is just another elaborate scam concocted by Wolfy. The vocal casting is aces, and there's just enough invention and wit in the screenplay to keep any accompanying grown-ups from nodding off. Which is more than you can say about most kidflicks. (B.)

THE BLACK PHONE--Ethan Hawke is effectively creepy as a child killer whose latest prey, 13-year-old Finney (impressive newcomer Mason Thames), is somehow able to make contact with his abductor's previous victims via the titular rotary phone in the basement where he's being held captive. Will they help him escape, or is he doomed to join them in the afterlife? In adapting Joe Hill's short story, director Scott ("Doctor Sleep") Derrickson is possibly too enamored with a "Stranger Things" nostalgic/period vibe--it's set in 1978 Colorado with all of the era's cultural talismans dutifully checked off a master list--but he skillfully ratchets up the suspense, particularly in an extremely tense third act. Anyone expecting a "Silence of the Lambs"-style serial killer procedural is bound to be disappointed, though. It's actually closer to "Room" with Brie Larson substituted with the ghosts of dead kids. (B MINUS.)

THE BOB'S BURGERS MOVIE--In the first big-screen spin-off of the long-running, Emmy-winning FOX animated series, Bob and Linda Belcher need an extension on their bank loan to keep the family's Jersey Shore burger joint afloat. Complicating matters is the sinkhole in front of their restaurant caused by a ruptured water main--with a skeleton inside! Could the corpse be Cotton Candy Dan who mysteriously disappeared years ago? To help solve the mystery, the Belcher kids become junior sleuths to (hopefully) crack the case. Lots of veteran guest stars (Kevin Kline, Zach Galifianakis, Paul Rudd, Sarah Silverman, etc.) turn up, and the whole thing has a cozy, affectionate vibe that's less aggressively hyper than other Sunday night FOX 'toons (e.g., "Family Guy"). I'm not sure whether this is intended more for kids or grown-ups, but it's a pleasant enough divertissement that should have no trouble satisfying longtime fans. And it could even make some new ones in the process. (B MINUS.)

CHARLOTTE--The tragically abbreviated life of German-Jewish artist Charlotte Salomon is the subject of Tamir Rana and Eric Warin's compelling animated film. After fleeing Berlin in 1938, Charlotte (voiced by Keira Knightley) spent several years living in the south of France with American philanthropist Ottile Moore. But when Moore returned to the states, Salomon was forced not only to be the sole caregiver of her ailing grandparents (Jim Broadbent and Brenda Blethyn), but elude capture by Nazis after Germany's occupation of France. Salomon's story is so fascinating and touching that I wish the movie itself had been stronger. The animation, while "pretty" enough, isn't particularly impressive, especially for a film whose subject is a remarkable primitive artist. It's hard not to wish that Salomon's story had been told in a live action movie instead. Although she died at Auschwitz at age 26, Salomon managed to leave behind 769 autobiographical paintings (collectively titled "Life? Or Theater?") that are posthumously regarded as the template for future graphic novels. The Kino Lorber DVD includes deleted scenes and a behind-the-scenes featurette. (B.)

CLARA SOLA--The publicist for Nathalie Alvarez Mesen's feature debut isn't doing her film any favors by comparing it with Brian DePalma's horror classic "Carrie." Besides rather disingenuously setting audiences up for a genre flick--which this most definitely isn't--the comparison sells this hypnotic Costa Rican religious allegory short. It actually has more in common with the work of transgressive Mexican auteur Carlos ("Japon," "Silent Light") Reygadas instead. Clara (Wendy Chinchilla Araya), the titular protagonist is a mildly autistic 40-year-old woman with a curved spine who lives with her over-protective mother (Flor Maria Vargas Chavez) and 15-year-old niece Maria (Ana Julia Porras Espinoza). Because Clara is believed to have been endowed with healing powers by the Virgin Mary, Clara's mother routinely offers her daughter's services to anyone seeking a quick-fix "miracle" cure in their rural village. Clara's placid, almost childlike existence is disturbed by the arrival of Santiago (Daniel Castaneda Rincon), a strapping young horse trainer she develops an unrequited crush on. Also causing emotional stress for Clara is the discovery that her mother plans to sell her beloved white stallion to help pay for Maria's upcoming quinceanera. Everything comes to a head the night of the party, permanently rupturing the already tense relationship between mother and daughter. Alvarez Mesen does a supremely tactile job of capturing the natural beauty of her Costa Rican locations, and Chinchilla Araya's deeply empathetic performance solidly anchors the movie. Anyone willing to climb aboard its rarefied wavelength will be rewarded with a memorable, albeit profoundly unsettling experience. (B PLUS.)

DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS--Thanks to Sam ("Spider-Man," "The Evil Dead") Raimi climbing aboard as this MCU sequel's director, "Multiverse of Madness" is a marked improvement over Scott Derrickson's somewhat lackluster 2016 franchise kickstarter. It's also more of a horror flick than a super hero movie. Strange (an amusingly plummy Benedict Cumberbatch) unleashes the Multiverse where he's confronted with multiple versions of himself (hence the titular "madness"), and not even loyal sidekick Wong (Benedict Wong)--newly graduated to Prime Sorcerer Wong--is much help in correcting the wonky space/time continuum. (Yes, things do get a tad convoluted and even borderline-incoherent at times.) Strange's chief antagonist this time is Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) who unleashes her wicked Scarlet Witch alter ego to harness the powers of a runaway teenage girl (Yachitl Gomez's America). Reprising their roles from the first film, Rachel McAdams, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Michael Stuhlbarg are once again good company, and the whole thing wraps up at just under two hours which is a nice change from recent super-sized Marvel movies which seem to drag on forever. (B.)

DOWNTON ABBEY: A NEW ERA--It's summer 1928 and practically the entire "Downton" clan has descended upon a villa in the South of France that Dowager Countess Violet (the sublime Maggie Smith) inherited from an old flame. Tres scandale! The fact that Downton is simultaneously being leased by Hollywood producer/director Jack Barber (Hugh Dancy) as the set for his latest movie insures a near endless supply of amusing Grantham family drama. Everyone--including beloved Violet frenemy Isabel (Penelope Wilton)--is itching to know more about the affair behind Violet's inheritance, and Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) lets her hair down long enough to (almost!) entertain Barber's romantic overtures. As a longtime fan of the long-running tube series--and its equally yummy 2019 big-screen follow-up--I'm hardly the most objective viewer. But I savored every delicious minute of this Simon ("Woman in Gold," "Goodbye, Christopher Robin") Curtis-helmed sequel. And if you're a fellow "Downton Head," so will you. (A MINUS.)

ELVIS--"Moulin Rouge" visionary Baz Luhrmann's long-delayed cradle-to-the-grave Elvis Presley biopic is an eye-popping lollapalooza that's so giddily, unrepentantly over the top that it feels just about right. Since the iconic rock-and-roll demigod was never someone who believed in moderation while living his oversized life, why should a movie about him be a model of restraint? Austin Butler, last seen playing TexWatson in Quentin Tarantino's "Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood," acquits himself nicely in the title role. I might even call it a "star is born" type of performance if the true headliner of any Baz Luhrmann flick wasn't Luhrmann himself. Along with Wes Anderson and Terrence Malick, he has such a recognizable, trademark-worthy visual signature that you'd have to be wearing a paper bag over your head not to be able to ID it as quintessential Baz. Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks sporting lots of prosthetics and a flowery Dutch accent), Elvis' infamous Svengali-like puppet master, narrates the movie from his deathbed, and the whole thing has a "cautionary tale" quality as Luhrmann dutifully--albeit impressionistically--checks off all the key chapters of Presley's life: overnight stardom; a two-year stint in the Army; Priscilla (the lovely Olivia DeJunge); lots of silly bubblegum movies; weight gain/prescription drug abuse; the 1968 TV "comeback" special; ad nauseam. It's a lot of biographical material to cover, and Luhrmann squeezes as much as he can into the film's 159 minutes. (There's apparently a four-hour cut that will no doubt wind up on HBO MAX before year's end). If you're as much of a Baz-o-phile as an Elvis-o-mane, you'll probably think you died and went to heaven. Anyone else should probably just stay home. (A MINUS.)

EVERYTHING, EVERYWHERE, ALL AT ONCE--Michelle ("Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," "Crazy Rich Asians") Yeoh plays Evelyn, a Simi Valley immigrant who discovers that the multiverse really exists. A visit to an unctuous IRS auditor (Jamie Lee Curtis) because her family's laundromat is behind on their taxes unleashes Evelyn's inner kung-fu mama. Soon she's battling the dastardly Jabu Tupaki (Stephanie Hsu who does double duty as Evelyn's rebellious lesbian daughter) in an alternative dimension. Directing duo Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (2016's uncategorizable whatzit "Swiss Army Man") pay homage to everything from "The Matrix," "Being John Malkovich," "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and even Pixar's "Ratatouille" in a very frenetic, vastly entertaining 138 minutes. Surprisingly most of it works, in large measure due to Yeoh who gives a career performance here. Even when it doesn't make complete narrative sense--which, truth be told, is most of the time--it has a built-in emotional logic that keeps you happily jazzed and ultimately, seemingly against all odds, moved. (A MINUS.)

THE FORGIVEN--Ralph Fiennes and Jessica Chastain play David and Jo, a not-so-happily married couple who travel to Morocco for a weekend bacchanal at the desert villa of their London friend (Matt Smith) and his simpering younger lover (Caleb Landry Jones). En route, their rental car hits and kills an Arab teenager. When the boy's father (Ismael Kanater) shows up demanding justice, David is coerced into accompanying him back to the family's rural village, ostensibly to attend the funeral as a sign of respect. Meanwhile, Jo parties heartily while David is away, even bedding another guest (Christopher Abbott). Writer/director John Michael McDonagh, best known for his wonderful Brendan Gleeson two-fer ("Calvary" and "The Guard"), has essentially made a Michel ("New Order," "Sundown") Franco film this time out, albeit one that's slightly less nihilistic and ultimately rather humanist in spirit. The performances are terrific, of course, and McDonagh's wily script keeps you giddily off-balance from start to finish. The ending, however, is as preordained as it is devastating. (B PLUS.)

HELLO, BOOKSTORE--The Bookstore and Get Lit Wine Bar, a beloved Lenox, Massachusetts institution, is the subject of A.B. Zax's affectionate, albeit uneven documentary. Zax justly lionizes the store's owner Matt Tannenbaum, a Brooklyn-born ex-hippie who got into the bookselling business for the simple reason that he loved literature and people. (Tannenbaum's post-Navy stint working at Manhattan's legendary Gotham Book Mart triggered his love for books and the stores that sell them.) Interactions with customers--many of them longtime Tannenbaum friends--are the highlight of the movie, particularly in the segments shot during the Covid pandemic when the store was closed to the public and business had to conducted from behind a glass door (lots of sign language and shouting is involved). I wish the editing had been more linear and cohesive, though. Zax alternates between pre-Covid (late 2019) and Covid (spring and summer 2020) timeframes, and it's a bit of a muddle. But the film will definitely make you reconsider your next online book purchase. Support your local independent booksellers: if there are any left in your town, that is. (B.)

HOT SEAT--Director James Cullen Bressack's 21st film in 11 years (!)--most of which were straight-to-video fodder--is actually one of his better, or at least more watchable efforts to date. Yeah, it's trashy and dumb like all the rest, but at least this one has a propulsive rhythm and some decent performances to help circumvent the idiotic script. Kevin Dillon (egregiously miscast) plays IT whiz Orlando whose day at the office turns deadly when the disembodied voice of a computer hacker informs him there's a bomb attached to his desk chair. Unless he steals millions in digital funds, the bomb will go off and, oh yeah, his wife and daughter will be hunted down and killed, too. A peremptory explosive set off in the office building's elevator alerts the cops, and bomb squad honcho Mel Gibson arrives to rescue Orlando and save the day. The whole thing is utterly preposterous and illogical--including the identity of the criminal mastermind--but the darn thing moves, and there are nice turns by Gibson and, I kid you not, "Beverly Hills 902010" alum Shannen Doherty, as the non-nonsense police chief sweating out the hostage crisis. I didn't believe a minute of it, but unlike Bressack's previous movies I wasn't bored either. (C PLUS.)

JURASSIC WORLD DOMINION--Clocking in at a derriere-numbing and bladder-busting 146 minutes, this is the longest "Jurassic" iteration to date. Ionically, but perhaps inevitably it's also the most creatively bankrupt. More dinosaurs, even more realistic-looking dinosaurs, can't compensate for a hackneyed storyline and actors who are clearly going through the motions. In director Colin Trevorrow's third "World" outing, the dinos have abandoned their enclosure and are now living amongst humans in the "real" world. And because they apparently have nothing better to do, Owen (the increasingly irritating Chris Pratt) and Claire (a terminally annoying Dallas Bryce Howard) enlist to help wrangle those pesky prehistoric critters. The onscreen reunion of 1993 "Jurassic Park" stars Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum and Sam Neill seems less like a sentimental tip of the hat than a cynical marketing decision. After six "Jurassic" movies--none of which have remotely approximated the wonder, awe and sheer enjoyment of the Spielberg original--it's time to retire these beasties once and for all. (D PLUS.)

LIGHTYEAR--A prequel of sorts to Pixar's beloved "Toy Story" franchise that serves up Buzz Lightyear's origin story before he became an action figure in Andy's childhood bedroom. (Chris Evans replaces Tim Allen as the voice of the preening young Space Ranger.) The overly busy plot involves Buzz's typically vainglorious attempt to save a colony of settlers on a distant planet from an impending robot apocalypse (James Brolin is the megalomaniacal robot emperor). Although not lacking in Pixar's patented visual razzle dazzle, it isn't likely to go down as one of their finest hours either. For the record, this is the Mouse House subsidiary's 27th feature to date. (B MINUS.)

MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU--Ever wonder what "Despicable Me" arch-villain Gru was like as an 11-year-old when he was a super villain wannabe? Yeah, me neither. But the latest Illumination CGI 'toon--the fifth in the "DM" series, including 2015's standalone Minions origin story--serves up despicable Gru's backstory in a fitfully amusing, if somewhat protracted (even at 87 minutes it feels 30 minutes too long) throwaway. Along with the aid of his new Minion pals, Gru attempts to join the Vicious 6 criminal gang after the sacking of one of their members reduces their ranks to a Vicious 5. The animation is Illumination-generic, but the vocal cast is gratifyingly and amusingly diverse. Besides Steve Carell's dependably spot-on Gru, there's Taraji P. Henson, Julie Andrews, Jean Claude Van Damme, Alan Arkin and Danny Trejo. Although it won't be shortlisted for Oscar's Best Animated Feature, this is decent enough to be one of the season's top-grossing films. (B MINUS.)

MR. MALCOLM'S LIST--Borrowing the multi-cultural casting that made Netflix's similar British period rom-com "Bridgerton" an international sensation, director Emma Holly Jones' charming adaptation of Suzanne Allain's best-selling, self-published 2009 novel is an unexpected treat. Sope Dirisu plays the titular role, London's most eligible bachelor and a bit of a prig who's compiled a list of requirements for any future mate. Any deviation results in immediate banishment. Spoiled heiress Julia (Zawe Ashten), the latest casualty, decides to get even for her humiliating rejection. She enlists the help of childhood friend Selina (Frieida Pinto of "Slumdog Millionaire" fame) to enact revenge. Julia instructs Selina on how to seduce Malcolm, then jilt him just when he's ready to pop the matrimonial question. Of course, true love always follows its own course, and there's both heartbreak and copious laughs along the way to a happily-ever-after conclusion. Allain modeled her tome on Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice," and Jones' film plays a lot like Austen Lite. While hardly original, it's pretty hard to resist for anyone willing to go along with the untraditional casting choices. (B.)

PINK FLAMINGOS--In the original Variety review, a critic described John Waters' career-launching provocation as "one of the most vile, stupid and repulsive films ever made." Establishment critical response never really improved over time either. While writing about "Pink Flamingos" at the time of its 25th anniversary, Grand Poobah Roger Ebert considered the movie so utterly loathsome that he didn't even bother awarding a star rating. Alrighty then. So I guess it's only fitting that the tony Criterion Collection would ultimately choose to release it on a splendiferous 50th (!?) anniversary collector's edition Blu-Ray. Not having seen "Flamingos" since January 1977--on a double bill with Waters' 1975 follow-up, "Female Trouble," at New York City's Cinema Village--I worried that it couldn't possibly live up to my initial "OMG, I can't believe what I'm watching!" and "This is so cool!" enthusiasm. Surely a half century of distance would render Waters' $12,000 mondo transgression, well, quaint. But like very few works from that era once deemed "shocking" or "taboo, "Flamingos" officially joins "The Devils," "Salo," "The Damned" and "Last Tango in Paris" as a rare cause celebre which remains every bit as nerve-rattling as it did back in the day. Future Waters drag queen superstar Divine (aka Glenn Milstead, Waters' high school buddy) had her signature role as Babs Jordan, the "Filthiest Person Alive." Living in a seedy Baltimore trailer park with her cretinous son (Danny Mills), an idolatrous floozy (Mary Vivien Pierce) and her clearly demented, gap-toothed mother (the incomparable Edith "Edie the Egg Lady" Massey), Babs is currently embroiled in a heated battle to defend her filthy crown from suburban weirdos Connie and Raymond Marble (Mink Stole and David Lochary). Although they ultimately foil the dastardly Marbles (revenge is a dish best served with tar, chicken feathers and a gun), Babs & Co. are ultimately forced to relocate to Boise, Idaho, culminating in one of the most notorious final scenes in underground cinema history. (Yes, dog poo is involved.) Included among the copious, Criterion-outdoes-themselves-once-again extras are "Divine Trash," Steve Yeagers' rollicking 1998 feature documentary about the making of the film ; two audio commentaries, both featuring Waters, taken from the 1997 Criterion laserdisc and a 2001 DVD; a chatty new conversation between Waters and fellow indie auteur Jim Jarmusch; Waters' guided tour of the movie's now-infamous Baltimore locations; deleted scenes/alternate takes; a collectible "Pink Phelgm-Ingo" barf bag; an essay by critic Howard Hampton which makes the case that "poor taste can be timeless" while referencing everyone from R.W. Fassbinder, Jean-Luc Godard, Douglas Sirk, Dusan Makavejev and the Marx Brothers; and a fond remembrance about the making of the film by Waters comrade in arms Cookie Mueller excerpted from Mueller's 1990 book, "Walking Through Clear Water on a Pool Painted Black." With such an embarrassment of goodies, how could I not give it anything but an (A PLUS)?

TOP GUN: MAVERICK--Tom Cruise's Navy test pilot extraordinaire Pete "Maverick" Mitchell is back to train a cadre of recent Top Gun graduates for another hush-hush overseas mission in this 37-years-later sequel to Cruise and director Tony Scott's iconic Reagan-era blockbuster. The only question is: what took them so long? The directorial baton has been passed to Joseph ("Oblivion," "Tron Legacy") Kosinski, and I knew I was in good hands when Kenny Loggins' "Danger Zone" is reprised for the opening credits sequence. The principal conflict this time around is between Pete and Lt. Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw (Miles Teller), son of Maverick's late flying partner, Goose (memorably played by Anthony Edwards before donning surgical gear for "E.R."). What's most gratifying about this belated follow-up is that it actually seems to understand what made the original work and doesn't mess with their Old Coke formula. Accordingly, Rooster has a rivalry with fellow pilot Hangman (Glen Powell) that echoes Maverick's earlier friction with Iceman (Val Kilmer who turns up in a touching cameo); Maverick once again takes time to romance an independent-minded lady (Jennifer Connelly as saloon proprietress Penny); and an oceanside touch football game wittily nods to the original's volleyball sequence and is nearly as blatantly, comically homoerotic. Playing the Navy brass who predictably disapprove of Maverick's methods but can't quit him are the always welcome Ed Harris and Jon Hamm. The soundtrack isn't as layered with the ear worms ("Take My Breath Away," "Playing With the Boys," etc.) that made the first movie's soundtrack a chart-topper, but Lady Gaga's new ballad is pretty swell and deserves to be remembered at Oscar time. The state of the art flying sequences actually surpass the ones from its predecessor (it's 2022 CGI after all), and they're unlike anything you're likely to experience outside of an actual cockpit. If "Top Gun: Maverick" isn't a summertime box-office bonanza, there's really no hope for multiplexes in our post-Covid era. (A MINUS.)

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AMBULANCE--In the hopes of raising cash for his wife's experimental cancer surgery, Afghan vet Will ("Candyman" star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) reluctantly turns to his criminally-inclined adoptive brother Danny (Jake Gyllenhaal) for help. Naturally the $32-million bank heist Danny masterminds ends disastrously, and soon they're hijacking an ambulance (hence the title) to make their getaway. Along for the ride are an EMT worker (Eiza Gonzalez) and the cop (Jackson Sharp) wounded in their bungled robbery. Soon the entire LAPD is in hot pursuit, both on land and air. For anyone jonesing for a big, dumb, loud Michael Bay-style action flick, Bay himself obliges with this heaping slab of ADD-fueled testosterone. It's not boring, but there's certainly no reason for a glorified B-movie to run 138 minutes. (C PLUS.)

THE BATMAN--Matt ("War for the Planet of the Apes," Dawn of the Planet of the Apes") Reeves' strikingly stylized new iteration of the DCEU crime fighter franchise is also the longest (clocking in at just under three hours) "Bat" flick to date. It's also one of the finest. In fact, I'd rank it alongside Tim Burton's "Batman Returns" (1992) and Chris Nolan's "The Dark Knight Rises" (2011) in terms of overall quality and emotional resonance Former "Twilight" heartthrob Robert Pattinson, who's been busily reinventing himself as a serious actor in prestigious auteur fare (e.g., Claire Denis' "High Life" and the Safdie Brothes' "Good Time"), dons the cape this time and he's positively brilliant. He just might be my favorite Batman/ Bruce Wayne since Michael Keaton. As much film noir as comic book caper ("Se7en"-era David Fincher was clearly a major inspiration), it's that rare super hero film that I would gladly welcome a sequel--or sequels--to. Reeves' terrific cast (including Zoe Kravitz as Selina Kyle/Catwoman, an unrecognizable Colin Farrell as the Penguin and a truly terrifying Paul Dano as the Riddler) offer well-nigh definitive portrayals of their iconic roles. (A.)

BLACKLIGHT--Liam Neeson and his "Honest Thief" director Mark Williams reteam for another generic action flick strictly for undemanding audiences. Neeson plays a government operative fighting to dismantle Operation Unity, a shadow outfit targeting ordinary civilians. As the muckraking reporter who assists in his investigation, Emmy Raver-Lampan at least displays more spunk than a depressed-looking Aidan Quinn as Neeson's former FBI handler. The whole thing has such a perfunctory, straight-to-video feel that it's surprising anyone thought this merited a theatrical release. (C MINUS.)

CHA CHA REAL SMOOTH--Growing up is hard, and it's especially tough for recent Tulane graduate Andrew (Cooper Raiff). With no job prospects on the immediate horizon, he's forced to move back in with his mother (Leslie Mann), adoring kid brother (Evan Assante) and mom's annoying boyfriend (Brad Garrett). Through a serendipitous series of events emanating from a bat mitzvah party where he was the star attraction, Andrew somehow finagles a job as "party starter" in his New Jersey suburb. It's at one of his gigs that he meets single mom Domino (a luminous Dakota Johnson) and her autistic tween daughter Lola (Vanessa Burghardt). Because Lola takes such a shine to Andrew, Domino invites Andrew into their lives and their relationship soon evolves into more than friendship. Writer/director Raiff's sensational follow-up to 2020's "S***house" was the toast of Sundance this year where Apple--riding high on the success of 2021 Oscar-winning Best Picture "CODA"--picked up streaming/distribution rights for the princely sum of $15-million. It was money well spent since "Cha Cha" is that increasingly rare "feel-great" movie that's impossible not to fall in love with. And it marks Raiff as much more than simply a one-hit wonder. (A.) STREAMING FREE TO SUBSCRIBERS ON APPLE+.

CRIMES OF THE FUTURE--If the name "David Cronenberg" doesn't ring a bell, you're probably not the target audience for this movie. Aficionados of Cronenberg masterworks like "Videodrome," "The Fly," "Dead Ringers" and "Crash," however, will consider this outré freakout something akin to an early Christmas present. Viggo Mortensen--who starred in Cronenberg's "A History of Violence," "A Dangerous Method" and "Eastern Promises"--plays avant-garde performance artist Saul whose body synthetically produces new organs which he incorporates into his act with kindred kinkmeister Caprice (Lea Seydoux from "No Time to Die"). As an eager-beaver investigator from the National Organ Registry Bureau who becomes obsessed with Saul's, er, unique talent, Kristen Stewart is never funnier (or scarier) than when she blurts out, "Surgery is the new sex." Shockingly, this is Cronenberg's first horror flick since 1999's "eXistenZ," but it was well worth the wait. The feint of heart might consider sitting this one out, though. (A.)

THE CURSED--Sean Ellis' stylish Gothic horror flick is what a 1960's Hammer movie would look like if they were still being made today. Set in late 19th century France, the film concerns a gypsy curse placed on land baron Seamus Laurent (Alister Petrie) after he had a Romani family executed for squatting on his property. Boyd Holbrook is the pathologist brought in when Laurent's teenage son (Max Mackintosh)mysteriously vanishes, and (naturally) he's the first to utter the deathly word, "lycanthrope." Juicily atmospheric and aptly gruesome, the only downside is the actual werewolf who looks more like an extraterrestrial. (Paging Rick Baker.) Kelly Reilly, so good as Beth on Taylor Sheridan's "Yellowstone," has a relatively thankless role as Petrie's wife. (B.)

CYRANO--Not being the world's biggest Peter Dinklage fan, I was a tad skeptical about the "Game of Thrones" imp playing the title character in director Joe ("Atonement," "The Darkest Hour") Wright's revisionist musical spin on Edmond Rostand's 1897 theatrical chestnut. But Dinklage rises to the challenge of wife Erica Schmidt's adroit screenplay which honors Rostand while attempting something completely different. Aaron and Bryce Dessner's score will never be confused with Stephen Sondheim, but the songs are melodic enough and certainly easy on the ear. Also helping the film's cause are its Roxanne and Christian (Haley Bennett and Kelvin Harrison Jr., both of whom are supremely photogenic and immensely winning performers). Director of photography Seamus McGarvey does extraordinary work as well. This is easily the best-looking "Cyrano" I've ever seen: every gorgeous frame could be hung in an art gallery. While Steve Martin's modern-dress Cyrano adaptation (1987's sublime "Roxanne") remains my all-time favorite big-screen Rostand, this is definitely a close second. (A MINUS.)

DEATH ON THE NILE--While vacationing on a posh ocean liner, eccentric Belgian detective Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) is tasked with solving the murder of a fellow passenger, newlywed heiress Linnet Ridgeway ("Wonder Woman" Gal Gadot in civilian clothes). Since this is an Agatha Christie mystery, it's only natural that virtually the entire passenger list will become Poirot suspects. Five years after his narcoleptic "Murder on the Orient Express" reboot, Branagh returns with another star-studded Christie adaptation that was delayed nearly two years by Covid. Unlike "Orient Express" which failed to match Sidney Lumet's nonpareil 1974 Christie adaptation, this time Branagh actually improves on the previous cinematic "Nile" (John Guillerman's middling 1978 version). While the cast--which includes the wonderful Annete Bening, perennially annoying Russell Brand and newly defamed Armie Hammer--may lack the mega-watt luster of the '78 "Nile"which featured Bette Davis, David Niven, Peter Ustinov and Maggie Smith, this is actually a more enjoyable iteration. I'm still not sure why Disney didn't just put it on Hulu or Disney+, though. (B MINUS.)

DOG--Channing Tatum co-directed (with Reid Carolin) and stars in this road trip buddy comedy about former Army Ranger Briggs (Tatum) and his devoted Belgian Malinois pup Lulu. Their destination is the funeral of Briggs' fellow Ranger, and because the movie is pitched largely at young audiences, the scrapes and skirmishes they get into along the way are all pretty mild (albeit mildly amusing). It's nothing special, but pleasant enough, especially if you're a dog lover or a Tatum fan. (B MINUS.)

FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE SECRETS OF DUMBLEDORE--The third of a threatened five adaptations of J.K. Rowling's kid-lit series is a slight improvement over the first two, but still largely impenetrable unless you're a super-fan. Like the previous installments, this was helmed by Rowling house director David Yates, and what he lacks in visual panache and wit he makes up for in sheer endurance. It can't be easy to show up for work on one of these lumbering tentpoles every morning for months/years on end. Magizoologist Newt (the perennially irritating Eddie Redmayne) is largely sidelined this time, thank heavens, as the focus shifts to a rivalry between good wizard Dumbeldore (Jude Law) and evil wizard Grindelwald (Mads Makkelsen subbing for Johnny Depp who's apparently still in movie jail). To help gain control of Wizard-World, Grindelwald steals a Qilin--those pure of heart beasties have the ability to see into the future--and it's up to Newt and a squad of witches, wizards and one Muggle (Dan Fogler, still among the franchise's few bright spots) to save the day. The most interesting aspect of the movie is its backdrop of rising Fascism in 1930's Europe, and the snazzy Art Deco production design insures there's always something fun to look at, even if--like me--you can't make heads or tails out of the plot. (C.)

FATHER STU--The first half of this inspirational drama is seemingly (and weirdly) pitched at broad comedy which makes the proselytizing second part even more baffling. Mark Wahlberg plays Stuart Long, a dissolute former boxer turned supermarket clerk who decides to become a Catholic priest after a near-fatal motorcycle accident. A Sunday School teacher --the appealing Teresa Ruiz--provides the spark for his surprising new vocation. Co-producer Wahlberg seems to take all this folderol seriously, and responds with a fiercely committed performance. (He even gained 30 pounds for the role.) Mel Gibson and Jackie Weaver also do nice work as Stuart's estranged parents who have a hard time accepting their formerly agnostic son's conversion. But despite being "inspired by a true story"--yes, there's a real Father Stu--I didn't believe a minute of it. The faithful might have a different response. (C MINUS.)

FIRESTARTER--A better than expected remake of the largely meh 1984 Stephen King adaptation stars Zac Efron as Andy, father of an 11-year-old daughter (Ryan Kiera Armstrong's Charlie) with the uncanny psychic ability to start fires, usually spurred by anger or emotional pain. Although he's been able to control her fiery tendencies until now, encroaching adolescence brings a scary new dimension to Charlie's "talent." When the government sics a top-secret agency to harness her skills for the purpose of manufacturing an unstoppable WOM, dad is forced to take his family (Sydney Lemmon plays Andy's wife/Charlie's mom) on the lam. The first "Firestarter" had a more pedigreed cast--including the post-"E.T." Drew Barrymore and Oscar winners Louise Fletcher and Art Carney--but director Keith (2020's Hasidic art-horror film "The Vigil") Thomas' iteration has more visceral impact--and much better FX. (B MINUS.)

THE GIRL CAN'T HELP IT--Frank Tashlin's rollicking 1957 showcase for the pulchritudinous charms of iconic pin-up model/actress Jayne Mansfield gets the Criterion Collection treatment, and it's a blast from start to finish. Tashlin, who began his career as an in-house animator at Warner Brothers directing Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies shorts, brought his cartoony visual sensibility--lots of elaborate sight gags, natch--to his live action films, and "The Girl" was one of the crown jewels of his oeuvre In her first starring role, Mansfield plays Jerri Jordan, va-va-voom girlfriend of infamous Long Island gangster "Fats" Murdock (Edmond O'Brien). Because Jerri's sugar daddy thinks she's got star potential, he hires Tom Miller (Tom Ewell), a down-on-his-luck talent agent to transform his future bride into an overnight singing sensation. (The fact that Jerri has no discernible talent is immaterial to Murdock's grand design.) Studded with 17 (count 'em) rock-and-roll numbers by such luminaries as Eddie Cochran, the Platters, Little Richard and Fats Domino, it's a lollapalooza of riches, both aural (that music!) and visual (Tashlin's DeLuxe Color Cinemascope lensing brought real snap, crackle and pop to the film's multi-hued, candy-colored production design). Tashlin and Mansfield would reteam a year later for the even better Madison Avenue spoof, "Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?" Fingers crossed that Criterion get around to releasing that cult classic some day. The extras are as delightful as the film itself. Scholar Toby Miller does the audio commentary track, and critic David Cairns provides an effusive video essay. There are new interviews with director/Mansfield fanboy John ("Hairspray") Waters and Eve Golden, author of "Jayne Mansfield: The Girl Couldn't Help It;" a conversation between WFMU DJs Dave Abramson and Gaylord about the movie's sublime r&r performances; on-set footage; archival interviews with Mansfield and Little Richard; a Mansfield-focused episode of Karina Longworth's "You Must Remember This" podcast; "The Fame Game," an essay about the film by New Yorker staff writer Rachel Syme; and excerpts from Tashlin's 1952 book, "How to Create Cartooons," with a new introduction by Ethan de Seife, author of "Tashlinesque: The Hollywood Comedies of Frank Tashlin." (A.)

A HARD DAY'S NIGHT--The "Citizen Kane" of rock and roll movies finally receives the Criterion Blu-Ray Treatment, and the timing couldn't be more auspicious. Peter Jackson's monumental "Get Back" recently debuted on Disney+ and documented what was, for all intents and purposes, the end of the Beatles during the recording sessions for "Let it Be" which would be their final album. Richard Lester's 1964 lagniappe catches the Beatles in full bloom at the beginning of their worldwide fame. As hard as it is to believe, less than five years had passed between the March '64 "Hard Day's" shoot and January '69 when "Get Back" takes place. It's a pithy metaphor for the turbulent societal changes that occurred throughout the globe in those few brief years. Lester's masterpiece, one of the most ebullient and flat-out joyful movies ever made, truly captures lightning in a bottle. For me, the biggest takeaway was how great it must have been to be a Beatle at that pivotal moment in their lives/careers. Shot in b&w because United Artists was looking to save a few pennies (they were so uncertain that Beatlemania would last that Lester was rushed into post-production in order to make a July '64 release date), the film--essentially recording a day in the lives of the Fab Four with the lads playing "themselves"--is pure, undiluted pleasure from beginning to end. And the soundtrack ("I Should Have Known Better," "If I Fell," "She Loves You," "Can't Buy Me Love," et al) is an embarrassment of solid gold riches. Befitting Criterion, the extras on the two-disc box set are suitably magnanimous. There's "You Can't Do That," a 1994 making-of doc which includes Beattles outtake performances; "In Their Own Voices," a 1964 featurette including interviews with the Beatles, behind the scenes footage and production photos; 2002 doc "Things They Said Today" with Lester, cinematographer Gil Taylor, (whose eclectic future credits would include everything from Polanski's "Repulsion" to "Star Wars") music producer George Martin and screenwriter Alun Owen; Lester's Oscar-nominated, pre-"Hard Days" short, "The Running Jumping & Standing Still Film;" "Picturewise," an in-depth look at Lester's early work; a 2014 discussion of Lester's filmmaking modus operandi; a 2014 interview with Beatles biographer Mark Lewisohn; excerpts from a 1970 Lester interview; and an essay ("The Whole World is Watching") by critic Howard Hampton. (A PLUS.)

JACKASS FOREVER--Johnny Knoxville's sadomasochistic MTV franchise returns after an 12-year hiatus with what's being billed as their last hurrah. If so, at least the series is going out with a semi-bang. Apparently not even the ravages of time can keep Knoxville and Co. (including Steve-O, Jason "We Man" Acuna and series MVP Chris Pontius) from continuing to put themselves in harm's way for a cheap laugh. Whether you find the "Jackass" boys--and they'll remain boys forever, even in their impending dotage--amusing or appalling will probably determine whether you'll be buying a ticket, or staying home to catch up on your reading. (C PLUS.)

THE LAST WALTZ--When Martin Scorsese's magisterial concert documentary opened at New York's Ziegfield Theater in the spring of 1978, I went to see it every week during its lengthy run. Not only did I love the movie with every fiber of my body, but I also knew that I'd never be able to duplicate the experience of seeing the film on the Ziegfield's giant screen, or hearing it in their state of the art Dolby surround sound. Accordingly, it was with some trepidation that I approached the Criterion Collection's new Blu-Ray. Even though its digital restoration was personally supervised and approved by Scorsese, it seemed sadly inevitable that the film I worshipped during my halcyon college days would somehow feel "lesser" 40+ years later when viewed at home on a flatscreen TV. I shouldn't have worried. If anything, the images are even crisper and sharper than I remembered, and the preservation of the original 2.0 surround mix insure that it faithfully duplicates the "Ziegfield Sound" I fetishized in my youth. Envisioned by Scorsese as a recording of the Band's farewell performance at San Francisco's Winterland Ballroom on Thanksgiving weekend 1976, "Waltz" gradually evolved through both the pre and post-production stages into something approaching rock-and-roll--and cinematic--nirvana. Unlike most previous concert docs that simply preserved live shows to serve as a kind of visual/aural correlative, Scorsese painstakingly storyboarded the performances in advance. Assisted by seven camera operators, including masters of the cinematographic art like Vilmos Zsigmond and Laszlo Kovacs, he was able to give "Waltz" the epic flow and rich visual texture of an actual "Movie." And the musical performances--from, among others, Van Morrison, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell and Neil Young--are expectedly sublime. While history is littered with great rock docs (including Jonathan Demme's "Stop Making Sense," Michael Wadleigh's "Woodstock" and D.A. Pennebaker's "Monterey Pop"), Scorsese's euphoric and elegiac commemoration of one of the seminal moments in rock-and-roll history truly has no equals. Extras include two audio commentaries with Scorsese, members of the Band, the production crew and several concert performers, including MavisStaples, Dr. John and Ronnie Hawkins; David Fear's new interview with Scorsese; a 2002 making-of-the-film documentary; a 1978 interview with Robbie Robertson and Scorsese; and an appreciative essay by New Yorker staff writer Amanda Petrusich. (A PLUS.)

LICORICE PIZZA--Maybe turning 50 mellowed him, but this is the friendliest, most accessible film to date by the great Paul Thomas Anderson, director of such contemporary cinema benchmarks as "There Will be Blood" and "Boogie Nights." Set against the groovy backdrop of 1973 Hollywood, the film tells the too-good-to-be-true-except-it-mostly-was story of teen actor/budding entrepreneur Gary Valentine (Cooper Hoffman, son of the late Philip Seymour Hoffman in a sensational screen debut) and the "older woman" he crushes on. As Alana Kane, Gary's 25-year-old dream lover, rock star Alana Haim delivers another stand-out thesping debut. Among the colorful cast of characters who cross their paths are hairdresser-to-the-stars Jon Peters (a howlingly funny Bradley Cooper), Sean Penn's boozy "Jack" Holden and a foul-mouthed Lucille Ball doppelgänger (Christine Ebersole). Inspired by the adolescence of future Hollywood producer--and Tom Hanks' Playtone Films partner--Gary Goetzman, it's as funny, sweet-natured and charming as Anderson's previous movies were (mostly) dark and brooding. This is "Art" of the highest caliber, too; it's just a lot sunnier, maybe because Gary Valentine is more pleasant company than Daniel Plainview. (A.)

THE LOST CITY--Sandra Bullock plays Loretta Sage, a widowed romance novelist who's kidnapped by an overzealous fan (Daniel Radcliffe, a long way from Hogwarts) during her latest book tour. Hot on Loretta's trail are her himbo cover model (Channing Tatum in full "21 Jump Street" klutzy-stud mode) and a reconstituted Navy SEAL (Brad Pitt, clearly having a ball in his glorified cameo). They're all good company, and Da'Vine Joy Randolph provides added sass and seasoning as the scribe's long-suffering publicist.This eagerly-awaited follow-up to brother filmmaking duo Adam and Aaron Nee's delightful 2015 "Band of Robbers" (a Wes Anderson-inflected modernization of Huckleberry Finn) is the kind of "Romancing the Stone"-y screwball-lite romp nobody makes anymore. If you forgot that movies were actually supposed to be, y'know, fun consider this a much-needed tonic. (B.)

MARRY ME--Just before her wedding that's being telecast around the globe, pop superstar Kat Valdez (Jennifer Lopez) learns that her fiancee (wildly charismatic Colombian singer-songwriter Maluma) has been two-timing her. Impulsively, she picks divorced high school math teacher Charlie (Owen Wilson) out of the audience and marries him instead. The hard part, understandably, is getting this marriage to work since husband and wife are veritable strangers, and their lives couldn't be any more different. Guessing the outcome of director Kat Cairo's bubbly rom-com doesn't take a rocket scientist: the fun is in getting to the "happily ever after" part. And it is fun. Kat and Charlie are as charming as they're hopelessly mismatched (on the surface anyway), and it's hard not to root for such likable protagonists. Whether Cairo's movie single-handedly revives the romantic comedy genre is debatable. But as a 2022 date flick, it'll do just fine. (B.)

MEMORY--Liam Neeson plays yet another hired assassin in director Martin ("Casino Royale," Antonio Banderas' "Zorro" movies) Campbell's pro forma "Liam Neeson Action Flick." When Neeson's Alex Lewis develops a crisis of conscience and refuses to go through with his latest job, he's forced to hunt down and kill his employers before they--and a twitchy FBI agent played by a clearly bored Guy Pearce--catch up with him. The fact that Alex has begun to lose his memory (or maybe just his marbles; it's sometimes hard to tell) complicates things. A still-ravishing Monica ("Irreversible") Bellucci turns up briefly as a Eurotrash dragon lady to provide a much-needed shot of estrogen. Neeson's latest shoulda-been-straight-to-video programmer cobbles together elements of 2011's "Unknown" (e.g., the whole amnesia/memory loss gambit) and, well, pretty much any/every post-"Taken" Neeson actioner. A career slickster like Campbell insures that the whole thing is "watchable" enough, but he never remotely convinced me that his film was actually worth sitting through. At least not in a theater. (C MINUS.)

MEN--In the hopes of recovering from the trauma of her late husband's suicide, Harper ("The Lost Daughter" Oscar nominee Jesse Buckley) takes a two-week sabbatical in the English countryside where she encounters an endless procession of awful--and in some cases, downright sinister--men. The fact that they're all played by the same actor (Rory Kinnear in a bravura performance) insures that the audience remains as psychologically unhinged as Harper herself. Cult writer/director Alex ("Ex Machina," "Annihilation") Garland's terrifying and insanely provocative new film plays like a feminist response to David Cronenberg's legendary "body horror" movies (The Fly," "They Came from Within," et al), and the teasingly ambiguous ending will either blow your mind or make you want to throw something at the screen. As cinematic freak-outs go, it's very much in distributer A24's wheelhouse of cerebral chillers like "Hereditary," "Midsummar" and "The Witch." I dug it. (A MINUS.)

MOONFALL--If Roland Emmerich is truly his generation's Irwin Allen, and "Independence Day" was its era's "Poseidon Adventure," then Emmerich's latest disaster flick can rightly be considered his "Swarm:" a dopey, cheesy-looking dud with more (inappropriate) laughs than thrills. Halle Berry plays a NASA hot shot and former astronaut who recruits another former space jockey (Patrick Wilson) to help stop the moon from hurtling to earth and causing global destruction. As the crackpot/conspiracy nut assisting them, "Games of Thrones" alumnus John Bradley is more annoying than amusing. The only remotely interesting thing about this idiotic movie is how closely it resembles Adam McKay's recent doomsday satire "Don't Look Up." Except this time the humor is wholly unintentional. (D MINUS.)

MORBIUS--Sony's latest attempt to mine C-list Marvel characters (Disney owns the top-tier Marvel superheroes) for "Venom"-ish box office gold stars Jared Leto as biochemist Michael Morbius whose rare blood disorder inspires drastic measures to save his life. While Morbius' radical medical procedure is a success, it also turns him into a vampire. But like Wesley Snipes' similarly comics-derived Blade, Leto's Morbius is actually a sorta/kinda good-guy bloodsucker. If only Daniel ("Safe House") Espinosa's movie was as stylish, entertaining and "R"-rated gnarly as the old Blade flicks. Method Madman Leto is a tad more restrained than usual, but the acting laurels belong to guest star Michael Keaton who once again proves he's as groovy a Big Bad as he was playing Batman. (C MINUS.)

MR. KLEIN--In Vichy France, antique/art dealer Robert Klein (Alain Delon) makes a financial killing buying and selling artwork previously owned by Jews who are fleeing the country en masse. An opportunist with zero scruples and seemingly no moral compass, Klein's life of Aryan privilege is threatened when he's mistaken for another "Robert Klein," a Jew who's also a member of the French Resistance. The cat and mouse game that ensues as Klein stalks Klein in an attempt to clear his name is curiously removed from traditional movie "suspense." Instead, director Joseph ("The Go Between," "Accident") Losey chooses to play the Hitchcockian premise as an Antonioni-esque exercise in spatial dislocation and spiritual alienation. Interestingly enough, "Z"/"Missing" director Costa-Gavras was originally pegged to helm Franco ("The Battle of Algiers") Solinas' script. Losey, meanwhile, was otherwise engaged on a Marcel Proust adaptation that got stalled in pre-production hell. While I have no doubt that Gavras would have made a fine film directing his "State of Siege" scenarist's screenplay, Losey's more distanced, elliptical approach brings unexpected depth and layers of meaning to the cloak-and-dagger intrigue. Reuniting with Delon four years after 1972's "The Assassination of Trotsky" (another great Losey film crying out for a Blu-Ray release), Losey won the Best Director Cesar award--France's equivalent to the Oscars---and the film itself captured the Best Picture prize. Extras on the new Criterion Collection Blu-Ray include 1976 interviews with Losey and Delon; "Story of a Day," a 1986 documentary about the real-life rounding up and deportation of French Jews that figures prominently in the movie's climax; interviews with critic Michel Ciment and Henri Lanoe, one of the film's three editors; and an essay by British professor/critic Ginette Vincendeau that helps contextualize "Mr. Klein" within both Losey and Delon's oeuvres. (A.)

THE NORTHMAN--The word "visionary" is tossed around pretty loosely these days in marketing circles, but director Robert ("The Witch," "The Lighthouse") Eggers is one of the few who genuinely earns that lofty approbation. Eggers' latest--which also happens to be his most accessible film to date--is a 9th century Viking saga as proudly, stubbornly idiosyncratic as his previous work, but on a (much) grander scale. His distinct and distinctive worldview hasn't been diminished a whit by what I'm assuming was a vastly larger budget than he was previously accustomed to. Alexander Skarsgard plays the strapping Prince Amleth who has spent much of his life plotting bloody revenge against the uncle (Claes Bang) who slayed his father (Ethan Hawke) in a bid for his mother (Nicole Kidman, dependably strong). Yes, the Shakespearean allusions (hey there, Prince of Denmark) are all pretty much on the nose, down to Willem Dafoe's manic court jester who's an inspired mash-up of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. "Queens Gambit" breakout Anya Taylor-Joy is "Olga of the Birch Forest," Amleth's love interest and co-conspirator; turns out she's got vengeance on her mind, too. It's the kind of gleefully bonkers movie where Icelandic songbird Bjork shows up as a--what else?--blind seer. Although Eggers gilds the lily a bit with an overly generous 136-minute run time (the first half admittedly drags), this is precisely the kind of auteurist-filmmaking-on-an-epic-scale (think Francis Ford Coppola's "Apocalypse Now") that's mostly gone out of fashion in these days of cookie-cutter franchise tentpoles. I salute it. (A MINUS.)

THE OUTFIT--Academy Award-winning screenwriter Graham ("The Imitation Game") Moore makes his directing debut with this crackling mob thriller that has as many twists and reversals as the third act of "Reservoir Dogs." Although it feels a bit like a stage play--the entire film takes place in a single location (a Chicago tailor shop in 1956) and was shot on a London soundstage--Moore, virtuoso cinematographer Dick ("Mr. Turner") Pope and a first- rate cast insure that it never feels remotely static or stagey. Mark ("Bridge of Spies") Rylance plays transplanted Saville Road "cutter" Leonard whose Windy City emporium is used by local gangsters as their preferred drop spot. Things come to a head when the Boyle crime family discovers that someone has been secretly working with the FBI to bug the shop. CouldLeonard be the rat, or is it someone else? Perhaps it's Mable (Zoey Deutch), Leonard's comely receptionist and surrogate daughter. Or maybe the turncoat is two-timing Boyle enforcer Francis (Johnny Flynn). If you're a Tarantino fan or just dig classic film noir, this should be right up your (very dark) alley. Listen carefully to Rylance and tell me that he isn't vocally channelling the late, great Boris Karloff. He's a hoot. (B PLUS.)

SCREAM--The latest attempt to resuscitate a long dormant franchise that expired when Bill Clinton was president mostly hits it out of the park thanks to the inspired choice of "Ready or Not" helmers Matt Bettinelli-Orpin and Tyler Gillett to direct. Set 25 years after the original "Ghostface Killer" slayings--it's actually been 26 years since the original "Scream" premiered, but who's counting?--the film reassembles the core players (including Neve Campbell's Sidney Prescott, Courtney Cox's Gale Riley and David Arquette's Deputy Dewey) while intjecting some fresh blood (Jack Quaid and Dylan Minnette among others) into the mix. The meta humor doesn't seem nearly as novel or groundbreaking as it did in 1996, but Bettinelli-Orpin and Gillett actually manage to make it way more fun than any third (or is it fourth?) generation "re-quel" has any right to be. (B.)

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2--This sequel to the 2020 Sega videogame-derived kidflick whose theatrical release was cut short by Covid-19 theater closings basically repeats the formula that worked (sort of) the first time. Sonic (voiced again by Ben Schwartz) is happily ensconced in the Montana 'burbs with Tom (James Marsden) and Maddie (Tina Sumpter). But when they leave town to attend a family wedding in Hawaii, Sonic's old nemesis, Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey doing his best "Ace Ventura"-era Carrey), resurfaces, wreaking all sorts of cartoonish havoc. Aided by his echidna cohort Knuckles (Idris Elba; yes, Idris Elba), Robotnik seeks the Master Emerald that will allow him to--what else?--control the world. It's up to Sonic and fox pal Tails (Colleen O'Shaughnessey) to save humankind, but first they have to get into a lot of silly, rapid-fire comic shenanigans. Reprising his duties from "Sonic 1," director Jeff Fowler seems to have a lot more affection for the titular blue hedgehog than I do, hence the movie's overly generous two-hour-plus run time. But small kids, even those with no first-hand experience of the original game, are sure to love it. And probably a few of their vidgame-loving parents as well. (C PLUS.)

STUDIO 666--The Foo Fighters move into a California mansion with a gruesome past to record their 10th album. Before they can even plug in their instruments, a demonic presence begins threatening their lives (not to mention the completion of their latest lp). This silly FF vanity production is pretty much what you'd expect when its director's best-known prior credit is the 2013 slasher flick, "Hatcher 3." Strictly for Dave Grohl fans. (D PLUS.)

THE UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF MASSIVE TALENT--Nicolas Cage plays himself in director Tom Gormican's waggishly amusing meta action-comedy that's maybe a little too clever for its own good, but still good fun. A cash-strapped Cage is coerced by his slickster Tinseltown agent (Neil Patrick Harris, predictably unctuous) into accepting a million dollar payday to attend a lavish birthday party in Mallorca hosted by superfan Javi Gutierrez (Pedro Pascal from Disney's "The Mandalorian"). Cage and Javi wind up bonding over their shared love for movies--not just Nic Cage movies either; even "Paddington 2" gets a shout-out--and quickly become BFFs. But when two CIA agents (Tiffany Haddish and Ike Barinholtz) show up and inform Nic that Javi is really the ruthless head of an international arms cartel, the "Leaving Las Vegas" Oscar winner is conflicted. Should he help bring down his new buddy, or save his butt instead? Loaded with goofy references to past Cage flicks ("The Rock" and "Con Air" are apparently sacrosanct in the Cage-Verse), the film is buoyed by Cage's "massive talent" and his off-the-charts chemistry with a wildly charismatic Pascal who's the most likable--dare I say, "lovable?--bad guy in recent memory. (B.)

UNCHARTED--Tom Holland's follow-up to "Spider-Man: No Way Home" isn't likely to reach the box office stratosphere of his recent blockbuster. But for a videogame adaptation, "Zombieland" director Ruben Fleischer's larkish adventure is a tolerable enough Saturday night (or matinee) entertainment. Holland plays Nate Drake, a bartender/pickpocket who's recruited by daredevil adventurer Victor "Sully" Sullivan (Mark Wahlberg) to help locate the 500-year-old fortune of legendary explorer Ferdinand Magellan. Their goal is to claim the $5-billion prize before Big Bad Moncanda (Antonio Banderas) and his accomplice (Tati Gabriella) get their grubby hands on it. While Fleischer shamelessly borrows from (among others) the Indiana Jones, "National Treasure" and "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies--and it's as depressingly CGI-dependent as most 21st century franchise wannabes--the whole thing is so breathlessly paced that it's rarely boring. Holland essentially plays Peter Parker's semi-dissolute kid brother here and he develops precious little chemistry with Wahlberg who seems mildly piqued that he's been recruited to play second fiddle to a Marvel super-hero. Despite closing credits Easter eggs that promise (threaten?) a sequel, I'm not expecting an "Unchartered 2" anytime soon. (C PLUS.)

WATCHER--In a striking feature debut, director Chloe Okun pays homage to Roman Polanski's fabled "apartment trilogy" ("Repulsion," "Rosemary's Baby" and "The Tenant") and Sofia Coppola's "Lost in Translation" while giving them an au courant #TimesUp spin. Maika Monroe plays Julia, an American newlywed who moves to Bucharest with her yuppie husband Francis (Karl Glusman) when he gets transferred to his company's Romanian headquarters. Because Francis has to work long hours, Julia winds up spending most of her time alone in their barely furnished apartment. Could the creepy neighbor (Burn Gorman) spying on her be the serial killer who's murdering women throughout the city? Or are Julia's overactive imagination and increasing paranoia simply getting the best of her? Okun--who contributed the only worthwhile segment to the 2021 horror omnibus "V/H/S/94"--confidently ratchets up the suspense, building to an almost unbearably tense finale. Strong performances by Monroe, Gorman, Glusman and Madalina Anea as Julia's sole Romanian friend all give strong performances, and the pacey 91-minute run time barely gives you time to catch your breath. (B PLUS.)

WRITTEN ON THE WIND--Douglas ("Magnificent Obsession," "All That Heaven Allows") Sirk's spectacularly florid, gloriously unhinged 1956 melodrama kind of set the template for primetime soaps ("Dallas," "Dynasty," et al) that would dominate the airwaves in the 1980's. The Texas oil family that takes center stage in Sirk's masterpiece isn't named Ewing, but their financial chicanery, adultery, alcoholism and various other bad behavior will be immediately recognizable to fans of J.R.'s debauched clan. As Lucy, the working-class secretary who makes the mistake of marrying into the Hadley family when she ties the knot with head case scion Kyle (Robert Stack), Lauren Bacall serves as the film's de facto moral fulcrum. It's one of her finest screen permutationsWhile the newly issued Criterion Collection Blu-Ray looks tremendous thanks to its digital restoration, the extras are somewhat less bountiful than the CC norm. Included are a wonderful 2008 documentary, "Acting for Douglas Sirk," which includes archival interviews with Hudson, Stack, Malone, producer Albert Zugsmith and Sirk himself; an interview with scholar Patricia White about the movie; and an essay by New York-based critic Blair McClendomn contextualizing the film within Sirk's oeuvre and its roots in Greek tragedy. (A.)

---Milan Paurich

Movies with Milan