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Themes of confession and forgiveness blossom late in a film that creates a powerful sense of time and place. That’s more than enough to navigate a few bumps in the storytelling.

Though not a sequel to one of the studio's earlier hits, Pixar's Coco feels like a retread. Colorful and musically buoyant at times, the film nevertheless has a too-familiar story arc—not to mention a rather creepy premise. 2 out of 5.

A one-dimensional take on the dark underbelly of suburban culture, this story, written by the Coen Brothers and directed by George Clooney, is never dull, but leaves you wondering what the point is, and why we're supposed to care. 2.5 out of 5.

Lighthearted on the surface, Ferdinand tells a familiar story of triumph while navigating some darker elements. Although this animated kids flick doesn't break new ground, it should prove diverting for younger viewers. 3.5 out of 5.

Must all franchise finales be divided into two parts? The Divergent Series: Allegiant—Part 1 halts the downward slide in quality of these drawn out concluding entries. It's not great, but it's a small step up from the dreary Hunger Games finale.

If you believe the "show don’t tell" dictum about how art should work, prepare yourself: God's Not Dead 2 is an endless stream of "telling" that shows how far Christian filmmakers have to go in creating stories that reach beyond their core...

The characters keep talking and talking through Ron Howard's latest adaptation of Dan Brown's Robert Langdon novels. Plot twists and a sense of mystery are slow to develop in a story that's constantly explaining what's happening and why.

This is a tale that's more than merely strange, including astral projection and other practices that are troubling from a Christian perspective. At the same time, Doctor Strange is much more philosophically fascinating and briskly entertaining...

While not groundbreaking in its narrative, Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk builds as it goes, leading to an effective, emotional payoff, thanks to a stellar cast. But this is more of an antiwar film exploring the perceptions—true and false—of the...

What starts as a light comedy about the relationship between an aspiring actress and her driver never generates many laughs. Old Hollywood is the star of Rules Don't Apply, but it's really just a vanity project gone wrong for star/director Warren...

The elements are all here for a successful period gangster drama - including Ben Affleck directing - but while the film never shoots blanks, Live By Night isn't ultimately satisfying. It’s exciting around the edges but less interesting at the...

One of the stronger entries in the Alien franchise, Ridley Scott's Alien: Covenant spends an hour building characters and suspense before unleashing its jump-scares and against-all-odds battle between humans and aliens. But the philosophical...

A look at Nat Turner’s 1831 slave rebellion, fueled by Turner’s interpretation of Scripture, should be memorably provocative. Instead, it builds to a finale that feels more like a revenge thriller with arguable Scriptural justification.

The Zookeeper's Wife extols the actions of a husband-and-wife zookeeping team who use their zoo as a way station for Jews during World War II. But as admirable as these characters are, the film assumes familiarity with the stakes of the drama...

Some furniture is sturdy, built to last. Cheap furniture is designed for the short term until something more substantial comes along. The paper-thin Table 19 is that second kind of barely-qualified placeholder in the movie calendar, with only...

This film never comes across as a lecture as it tells the story of three African-American women employed as 'human computers' by NASA during the 1960s overcoming sexism and racial prejudice. It’s instead an example of formulaic filmmaking done...

Another Liam Neeson thriller involving threatened family members, The Commuter could have been tired and shopworn. Instead, it feels, if not fresh, sometimes surprising, and it's vigorous enough to satisfy most action and mystery fans. 3.5 out of...

You've never seen Denzel Washington like this. Washington stakes his claim as a major Best Actor Oscar contender for his performance as quietly crusading lawyer Roman J. Israel. It's a pleasure to watch the unkempt, sometimes off-putting Israel...

A religious drama with elements of romantic comedy, this light-on-its-feet tale of spiritual struggle is rarely anguished, even as the story focuses on a priest's crisis of faith. That shouldn't be a problem for viewers caught up in this well...

Visually spectacular but dramatically incoherent, Valerian commits one of the worst cinematic sins: a story so convoluted that the film, filled with striking imagery, grows boring for long stretches of time. When you're not staring at the...