The Bikeriders (2023)Director: Jeff NicholsScreenwriter: Jeff NicholsStarring: Jodie Comer, Tom Hardy, Austin Butler, Michael Shannon, Mike Faist Jeff Nichols has always followed his own instincts as a filmmaker, moving fluidly between intimate independent dramas and more ambitious, concept-driven work. His body of films ranges from quiet family conflicts to existential explorations of character under pressure. … Read more

Haunted Mansion (2023)Director: Justin SimienScreenwriter: Katie DippoldStarring: LaKeith Stanfield, Rosario Dawson, Chase Dillon, Owen Wilson, Tiffany Haddish, Danny DeVito, Jared Leto Haunted Mansion (2023) opens with LaKeith Stanfield’s Ben, a grieving and bitter former astrophysicist who now runs half-hearted ghost tours in memory of his late wife. Ben’s life is a study in unresolved pain: … Read more

The Exorcist: Believer (2023)Director: David Gordon GreenScreenwriters: Peter Satler, David Gordon GreenStarring: Leslie Odom Jr, Ann Dowd, Jennifer Nettles, Norbert Leo Butz, Lidya Jewett, Olivia Marcum, Ellen Burstyn “If the child gives the effect another turn of the screw, what do you say to two children?” The line above comes from Henry James’ gothic novella … Read more

Horror franchises are often dismissed by mainstream critics, and the Saw series has faced even harsher criticism, frequently labeled as “torture porn.” Despite that, the franchise created by Leigh Whannell and James Wan in 2004 became a highly lucrative annual Halloween release for nearly a decade and remains one of the most profitable horror franchises … Read more

Haunted Mansion (2023)Director: Justin SimienScreenwriter: Katie DippoldStarring: LaKeith Stanfield, Rosario Dawson, Chase Dillon, Owen Wilson, Tiffany Haddish, Danny DeVito, Jared Leto Ben (LaKeith Stanfield) is a man consumed by loss. Once an astrophysicist, he now runs uninspired ghost tours in memory of his deceased wife. Jaded, solitary and bitter, Ben is the film’s reluctant protagonist, … Read more

The Old Oak (2023)Director: Ken LoachScreenwriter: Paul LavertyStarring: Dave Turner, Ebla Mari, Claire Rodgerson, Trevor Fox, Chris McGlade, Col Tait, Jordan Louis, Chrissie Robinson, Chris Gotts, Jen Patterson, Arthur Oxley, Joe Armstrong, Andy Dawson, Maxie Peters “There’s no shame in love.” It is a simple line that the film asks us to take seriously, and … Read more

Horror franchises are often dismissed by mainstream critics, and the Saw series is frequently derided as “torture porn.” Yet since its 2004 debut from Leigh Whannell and James Wan, the franchise has proved highly profitable, becoming one of the top horror series at the American box office. Built around a reliably lucrative Halloween release pattern, … Read more

The Creator (2023)Director: Gareth EdwardsScreenwriters: Gareth Edwards, Chris WeitzStarring: John David Washington, Madeleine Yuna Voyles, Gemma Chan, Allison Janney, Ken Watanabe, Ralph Ineson The most rigorous critics insist that a film should be judged on its own terms: does it tell a coherent story, do the characters feel alive, is the filmmaking confident and purposeful? … Read more

The Old Oak (2023)Director: Ken LoachScreenwriter: Paul LavertyStarring: Dave Turner, Ebla Mari, Claire Rodgerson, Trevor Fox, Chris McGlade, Col Tait, Jordan Louis, Chrissie Robinson, Chris Gotts, Jen Patterson, Arthur Oxley, Joe Armstrong, Andy Dawson, Maxie Peters “There’s no shame in love.” That simple line resonates throughout The Old Oak, a film that returns Ken Loach … Read more

Saw X (2023)Director: Kevin GreutertScreenwriters: Peter Goldfinger, Josh StolbergStarring: Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, Synnøve Macody Lund, Steven Brand, Renata Vaca, Michael Beach, Joshua Okamoto, Octavio Hinojosa, Paulette Hernandez, Jorge Briseño Nineteen years after James Wan and Leigh Whannell launched the franchise with the original Saw, John Kramer—the Jigsaw Killer—remains one of modern horror’s most recognizable … Read more