All Movies
Five-star 鈥楩low鈥� and chatty 鈥楳oana 2鈥� offer eye-widening animated delightsTwo new animated films 鈥� both centered on water 鈥� touch on the power of connection. One is our movie critic鈥檚 favorite of the year.
Good is 鈥榯he strongest gravity,鈥� says 鈥榃icked鈥� author MaguireFairy tales often present characters as either good or bad. 鈥淲icked鈥� author Gregory Maguire asks readers to let go of binary thinking as they consider morality.听
In top-notch Indian film, three Mumbai women encounter what makes a life worth livingWith 鈥淎ll We Imagine as Light,鈥� an Indian filmmaker draws our attention to personal stories 鈥� and the many ways a life can have meaning.听
鈥楨milia P茅rez鈥� breaks genres and bursts into song in a one-of-a-kind movie鈥淓milia P茅rez鈥� is a feminist musical crime thriller about a transgender cartel boss. Part operetta, part telenovela, it shimmies between the archetypal and the intensely personal, writes Monitor film critic Peter Rainer.
In 鈥楢 Real Pain,鈥� a road trip whose emotional power sneaks up on you鈥淎 Real Pain,鈥� written by, directed by, and co-starring Jesse Eisenberg, is the kind of movie that creeps up on you, says film critic Peter Rainer. It has a way of seeing that, in its own modest way, owes something to the Yiddish sensibility that informed storytellers聽like Isaac Bashevis Singer.
鈥楻oad Diary鈥� documentary offers a front-row seat to stellar Bruce SpringsteenAfter a six-year hiatus from live concerts, what would Bruce Springsteen鈥檚 return offer? The rocker is 鈥渆ntirely captivating鈥� in the latest documentary capturing his craft, says the Monitor鈥檚 film critic.
鈥楢nora鈥� thinks she鈥檚 found her Prince Charming. This 5-star movie is no fairy tale.People who live on society鈥檚 margins aren鈥檛 always treated with compassion and sympathy. But the director of 鈥淎nora鈥� offers both. 鈥淚鈥檝e rarely encountered a scene that moved me as completely and complicatedly as this film鈥檚 final moments,鈥� says the Monitor鈥檚 critic.
This artist turned a forgiveness journey into a film 鈥� with the help of Steven SpielbergAs his new movie debuts, artist Titus Kaphar reflects on what it takes to arrive at forgiveness 鈥� and to share it with the world.
鈥楾he Last of the Sea Women鈥�: How one director is documenting a South Korean traditionWomen free divers in South Korea don鈥檛 view age as a limitation. The director of a new documentary discusses their determination, and how it helps them persevere in the centuries-old tradition they uphold.听
Live, from New York, it鈥檚 the 鈥楽NL鈥� origin story 鈥楽aturday Night鈥�鈥淪aturday Night Live,鈥� which is celebrating its 50th season, launched the careers of scores of comedians. A diverting new film about the show鈥檚 premiere features frenetic creativity 鈥� and its toll.
After $1 billion and 2 Oscars, 鈥楯oker鈥� is back (with songs). Our team weighs in.鈥淛oker鈥� broke box-office records in 2019 and raised questions about violence in storytelling. Five years later, with the debut of 鈥淛oker: Folie 脿 Deux,鈥� the Monitor鈥檚 film critic and chief culture writer consider, Will it succeed?
In 鈥楾he Wild Robot,鈥� a 5-star fable for our AI age鈥淭he Wild Robot鈥� is a love story about community and intimacy. It is the quintessential fable. The wilderness might be harsh, but we don鈥檛 have to be.
First LookMaggie Smith, grande dame of British actors, remembered for her wit and intellectMaggie Smith, who died on Sept. 27, was world-renowned for bringing to life characters in 鈥淒ownton Abbey鈥� and the Harry Potter films. With a shelf full of awards, she was a monolith of British acting in a generation that includes Vanessa Redgrave and Judi Dench.
Francis Ford Coppola spent $125 million on 鈥楳egalopolis.鈥� How is it?鈥淕odfather鈥� director Francis Ford Coppola waited 40 years to make his passion project. After seeing it, the Monitor鈥檚 film critic wonders, 鈥淲hat in tarnation has he wrought?鈥�
One week, 20 movies, and Springsteen: Our critic鈥檚 picks from TorontoAt the Toronto International Film Festival, our critic detected an overarching mood that coming together is better than breaking apart. 鈥淚f I鈥檓 right in believing that filmmakers these days are looking more to unite audiences than divide them,鈥� he writes, 鈥渨ho is a greater uniter than The Boss?鈥�
How James Earl Jones鈥� iconic voice became our voice of conscienceJames Earl Jones鈥� legacy as a voice of reason is a reminder of what we might overcome when we face our trauma and find our purpose. His voice was a well of dignity, a reservoir of resonance that echoes not only from his career, but in all of us who heard him.
Commentary鈥�1992鈥� says something important about race in America 鈥� and Tyrese GibsonThe new film 鈥�1992鈥� is a reminder of America鈥檚 cycles of racism and rebellion. Actor Tyrese Gibson stands out as a portrait of hope.
Burton and Keaton resurrect the fun in 鈥楤eetlejuice Beetlejuice鈥�Tim Burton and Michael Keaton are clearly having a good time in this sequel to the 1980s cult classic 鈥� and fans of the original will, too. Just watch out for those plot holes.
First LookNo need to stream classics. Old movies are dominating at the box office.Theaters have cracked the code on getting visitors back into their reclining seats: re-released movies. In the past two weeks, the cherished stop-motion Laika Studios film 鈥淐oraline鈥� first released in 2009 has grossed more than $25 million.听
Indigenous children were abused in Canada. A film seeks answers.鈥淪ugarcane鈥� casts a woeful, compassionate eye on the sordid history of compulsory education of Indigenous Canadian children, the Monitor鈥檚 film critic writes.听In this powerful documentary, the survivors of atrocities want to move beyond their rage.
