Title |
Year |
Rating |
Rank |
Review |
The Novice | 2021 | 95 | 1 | (full review) - With an amazing script, an outstanding lead performance, and a laser-focused director, The Novice ends up being one of the absolute best films of 2021. |
Aporia | 2023 | 90 | 2 | (full review) - Moshe refuses to get lost in the complex mechanics of the story, instead leaning into the characters and the roller coaster of emotions they ride through the film. |
Beast Beast | 2021 | 90 | 2 | (full review) - Madden seamlessly captures the carefree joy of youth, while also acknowledging the fear, loneliness and confusion |
Catch the Fair One | 2022 | 90 | 2 | (full review) - Reis’s vulnerability mixed with sheer intensity never allows for that kind of surface scrutiny to take place. |
Monolith | 2023 | 90 | 2 | (full review) - Monolith is the best kind of slow burn: one that trusts the audience to come along for a satisfying ride, but also delivers enough twists and unsettling scares that even the tiniest amount of boredom never sets in. |
Night Raiders | 2021 | 90 | 2 | (full review) - Night Raiders is an exciting and fresh bit of sci-fi that succeeds largely by telling a well-traveled story through a compelling point-of-view. |
The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain | 2020 | 90 | 2 | (full review) - Through deft use of the setting and a handful of outstanding performances, The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain materializes as one of the more powerful dramas of the year. |
Back to the Wharf | 2020 | 85 | 8 | (full review) - While straddling the line between typical neo-noir and quiet character drama, Back to the Wharf manages to satisfy fans of both genres. |
Bad Hombres | 2023 | 85 | 8 | (full review) - Bad Hombres is a lean and mean bit of modern day neo-noir that manages to deliver well past its budget and defy expectations all at the same time. |
Balloon Animal | 2022 | 85 | 8 | (full review) - Writer-director Em Johnson delivers an honest – but never quite brutal – drama that always feels real to its characters. |
Brighton 4th | 2022 | 85 | 8 | (full review) - Brighton 4th does offer a sweet, uplifting tale of a family doing what they can with what they have to help each other. |
Earlybird | 2023 | 85 | 8 | (full review) - The cleverness of the script and the scrappiness of the overall production helps to keep the film on its toes. |
Everyone Will Burn | 2023 | 85 | 8 | (full review) - Visually, emotionally, and viscerally, this is a film that will stand tall and proud alongside the other excellent horror films of 2023. |
Fair Play | 2023 | 85 | 8 | (full review) - Despite a less than thrilling conclusion, the majority of Fair Play is a taut drama that puts character before plot. |
I Love My Dad | 2022 | 85 | 8 | (full review) - I Love My Dad explores some dark and taboo territory but still manages to wring out a lot of laughs along the way. |
Project Wolf Hunting | 2022 | 85 | 8 | (full review) - A movie this wet and goopy hasn’t been seen in a while – and boy, does it make an impression. |
RUB | 2023 | 85 | 8 | (full review) - Rub is the kind of character-centric genre outing that evokes the electric and gratifying cinema of the 1970s. |
Smoke and Mirrors: The Story of Tom Savini | 2015 | 85 | 8 | (full review) - The importance of his contributions to cinema is never forgotten, but the value of the man over the work takes center stage. |
The Animal Kingdom | 2023 | 85 | 8 | (full review) - Audiences looking for more emotional genre fare will be quite pleased with The Animal Kingdom and its emphasis on character. |
Too Late | 2021 | 85 | 8 | (full review) - It’s not a gut buster, but you’ll have a smile on your face the entire time. |
Truth to Power: Barbara Lee Speaks for Me | | 85 | 8 | (full review) - The real meat and potatoes of the film comes from Lee herself. |
Wildcat | 2022 | 85 | 8 | (full review) - Seeing this vulnerable wildcat rely on an equally vulnerable human being is a beautiful juxtaposition that forms the core of the film. |
Bandit | 2022 | 80 | 23 | (full review) - Bandit is a light-hearted heist flick that doesn’t get bogged down in bloody violence or moral grandstanding. You know, the kind you can show mom. |
Brightwood | 2022 | 80 | 23 | (full review) - Instead of getting lost in the mechanics of paradoxes and and alternate timelines, the film wisely keeps its eye on the two characters experiencing this horrifying event. |
Cerebrum | 2021 | 80 | 23 | (full review) - Instead of a watered-down wannabe action-palooza, Cerebrum has more in common with a classic murder mystery. |
ClearMind | | 80 | 23 | (full review) - Despite somewhat pulling punches with its genre elements, Clear Mind is still a well written jab at pseudo-science and the people in its orbit. |
Drunk Bus | 2021 | 80 | 23 | (full review) - The strength of the film is its dedication to character and letting those relationships feel real and lived in. |
High Ground | 2020 | 80 | 23 | (full review) - The action sequences aren’t about excitement. They all come with consequences. |
Howling Village | 2020 | 80 | 23 | (full review) - super creepy visuals and situations make up for the shortcomings |
Port Authority | 2019 | 80 | 23 | (full review) - Port Authority is a film that means well and mostly does well with its characters and cast. |
Reefa | | 80 | 23 | (full review) - Reefa explores a short period in the life of street artist Israel “Reefa†Hernandez. |
See for Me | 2022 | 80 | 23 | (full review) - Through a clever hook and a great lead performance, See For Me becomes one of 2022’s first stand-out thrillers. |
The Dose | 2020 | 80 | 23 | (full review) - La Dosis tantalizes with interesting character beats and odd tonal shifts, but in the end, doesn’t quite reach a satisfying conclusion. |
The Hidden Life of Trees | 2020 | 80 | 23 | (full review) - The Hidden Life of Trees uses stunning time-lapse footage of the German forests to get into the “meat and potatoes†of how trees work. |
The Long Night | 2022 | 80 | 23 | (full review) - The Long Night isn’t likely to end up on any “Best Of†lists at the end of the year. It is, however, a fun way to spend a Friday night. |
Unsilenced | 2021 | 80 | 23 | (full review) - Even if the final product isn’t a home run, it’s impressive to see a filmmaker tackle an issue over and over with the same fiery passion. |
Demigod | 2021 | 65 | 37 | (full review) - What it lacks in story twists and turns, it more than makes up for with exciting, bloody carnage. |
Gone in the Night | 2022 | 65 | 37 | (full review) - Gone in the Night is a thriller that tries to offer up something new in a tried and true genre. Unfortunately, new doesn’t always mean good. |
Eternals | 2021 | 45 | 39 | (full review) - The action sequences here feel emotionless and lack even an ounce of excitement. |
Padre Pio | 2023 | 45 | 39 | (full review) - LaBeouf’s distracting American accent drags any discerning viewer out of the film immediately. |
Panama | 2022 | 45 | 39 | (full review) - Gibson’s latest in this subgenre, is particularly sleep-inducing. |
Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman | 2021 | 40 | 42 | (full review) - Writer/Director Daniel Farrands (Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers) doesn’t seem to have anything on his mind other than exploitation when it comes to American Boogeyman. |
Herd | 2023 | 35 | 43 | (full review) - With a half-baked script that relies too heavily on decades-old ideas, Herd is another recent zombie movie that’s D.O.A. |
Behemoth | 2021 | 25 | 44 | (full review) - However, the weak script and subpar acting never allow the film to live up to its aspirations. |