All Movies
鈥楾he Batman鈥�: Gritty storytelling propels latest Gotham caperBatman鈥檚 many incarnations range from campy caped crusader to dark knight. Does the latest, brooding version offer something new?聽
Oscar hopeful 鈥楲unana鈥�: A yak, a classroom, and a transformative journeyIn the Oscar-nominated international film 鈥淟unana,鈥� from Bhutan, a teacher鈥檚 unexpected assignment offers him life-changing vistas.
鈥楾he Automat鈥� is a valentine to pie and nickel coffeeThe documentary 鈥淭he Automat,鈥� about the Horn & Hardart chain, is an ode to a bygone restaurant and the community (and pie) it offered.
First LookOscar nominees for 2021 show staying power of streaming servicesNetflix鈥檚 鈥淭he Power of the Dog鈥� has the most Academy Award nominations with 12 nods, including best picture, best director, and recognition for all of its top actors. Director聽Jane Campion is the first woman to be nominated twice for best director.
Oscar contender 鈥楢 Hero鈥� explores the complexities of doing the right thingShould people be praised for simply doing the right thing? This year鈥檚 Oscar contender from Iran, 鈥淎 Hero,鈥� asks viewers to consider societal labels.
鈥楾he sky doesn鈥檛 collapse.鈥� A filmmaker explores gay life in Kenya.A documentary about a gay couple in Kenya explores universal themes of love and commitment in a repressive society.聽
Hollywood is taking steps to diversify behind the camera. How is it going?For the TV and film industries, one area of progress is an increase in initiatives that help underrepresented groups train and network.
From 鈥楰ing Richard鈥� to 鈥楪unda鈥�: The 10 best films of 2021Monitor film critic Peter Rainer鈥檚 list of 2021鈥檚 best movies includes those that graced both big and small screens 鈥� and features some up-and-comers.
鈥楴ational Champions鈥� asks: Should college athletes be paid?How far would you go to stand up for a principle? The film 鈥淣ational Champions,鈥� about whether to pay college athletes, weighs the trade-offs of taking a firm stance.
Spielberg鈥檚 鈥榃est Side Story鈥�: A remake that鈥檚 a rethink, tooDirector Steven Spielberg mostly succeeds in his update of 鈥淲est Side Story,鈥� giving it new energy and authenticity, says the Monitor鈥檚 film critic.聽
鈥楨ncanto鈥�: A tale of family and fitting in, set to musicAs the Monitor鈥檚 review notes, Disney鈥檚 cheery 鈥淓ncanto,鈥� about comparing oneself to others, seems tailored for today鈥檚 social media-minded teens.
Venus, Serena, and their father: 鈥楰ing Richard鈥� biopic is an aceA top-notch performance by Will Smith and an inspirational story combine for sheer pleasure in the biopic 鈥淜ing Richard,鈥� says the Monitor鈥檚 film critic.
A foodie delight, 鈥楯ulia鈥� shows how one chef influenced AmericaFew people on the planet were more interested in food than Julia Child, says the Monitor鈥檚 film critic. Judging from the documentary 鈥淛ulia,鈥� he adds, few people are as interesting.
What more is there to say about Princess Diana? 鈥楽pencer鈥� offers a fable.Kristen Stewart delivers a fierce performance in 鈥淪pencer,鈥澛燼 film that intends to impart a more profound view of Princess Diana than a biopic could.
鈥楴omadland鈥� director brings her vision to Marvel鈥檚 鈥楨ternals鈥�Chlo茅 Zhao pivots from her indie roots to make a big-budget Marvel film, 鈥淓ternals.鈥� Can she make these heroes soar?聽
First LookDetails emerge showing safety negligence in 'Rust' shootingHow could an accidental, fatal shooting occur on a movie set with a budget of $7 million? Experts are speaking out about 鈥淩ust鈥� and the crew鈥檚 negligence of weapons management, raising questions about the film industry鈥檚 pursuit of profit at the cost of safety.
Identity and adoption: 鈥楩ound鈥� follows American teens as they return to ChinaThe Netflix documentary 鈥淔ound鈥� puts a human face on China鈥檚 one-child policy as three American teens return to their roots.聽
First LookIn wake of Baldwin's misfire, should CGI replace guns on set?After Alec Baldwin fatally shot a cinematographer on a film set by accident with a prop gun, a petition was launched over the weekend calling on Hollywood to replace聽live weapons聽with computer-generated imagery when filming.聽
Sci-fi classic 鈥楧une鈥� returns to the big screen. Does it succeed?The novel from the 1960s influenced subsequent sci-fi epics like the 鈥淪tar Wars鈥� franchise. But 鈥淒une,鈥� by Frank Herbert, looks for its own movie magic.
鈥楳ass鈥� filmmaker explores forgiveness and reconciliation after tragedyIn an effort to understand the reasons for and effect of mass shootings, Fran Kranz wrote and directed the new movie 鈥淢ass,鈥� which offers lessons for a divided world.