Previous Rankings
#171-183
#151-170
#131-150
#111-130
#91-110
SPIRITED doesn’t add much to one of the most famous Christmas stories of all time, but it’s made with so much energy and charm that you won’t care. Gorgeous animation does a lot of the lifting in MY FATHER’S DRAGON. VENGEANCE has some impressive wit and sharp commentary, but could have been more incisive with that it wanted to say. Rebecca Ferguson carries RESURRECTION. The story is strong when it’s on, but is a little streaky. You give me Dakota Johnson in a period romantic drama like PERSUASION, and I’m likely gonna be in.
HOLY SPIDER recounts real-life events, which adds natural tension and uneasiness to the story. As a movie, it’s an at-times gripping serial killer thriller. THE LOST CITY IS A BLAST. Channing Tatum and Sandra Bullock are great together, Brad Pitt steals the movie with his brief appearance, and Daniel Radcliffe shows off some serious comedic chops (remember that one for later). Florence Pugh is outstanding in THE WONDER, and the larger exploration of religious extremism make for an engaging story. I’ve barely seen anything about HONK FOR JESUS. SAVE YOUR SOUL. But Regina King and Sterling K. Brown do outstanding work in this satirical look at some of the pitfalls of religion, particularly megachurches. THE STRANGER is a little to mysterious for its own good, adding some confusion to what could have been a really effective, taut true-life thriller.
TICKET TO PARADISE (review) is Julia Roberts and George Clooney in a romantic comedy in a tropical location. What more could you ask for? DOG (review) proves Channing Tatum could have chemistry with, well, a dog. It’s a classic buddy comedy road trip setup but it still works thanks to Tatum’s effortless charm. ROSALINE is a fun twist on an all-time story, looking at Romeo & Juliet through a different character’s eyes. THE BLACK PHONE has some effective thrills and scares, highlighted by Ethan Hawke. LUCK should be great fun for the whole family.
David Harbour is a blast as a bad-ass Santa trying to protect a family from a home invasion in VIOLENT NIGHT (review). It’s got laughs, solid action, and creative kills. It may not be an elite movie, but it’s definitely an elite movie experience. JACKASS FOREVER (review) is about as good as any Jackass movie can be. It has everything you would expect, plus an unexpected amount of heart. It’s not going to turn any non-fans into fans, but it’s a special treat for fans of any level. DO REVENGE is an often whip-smart script elevated even more by Camila Mendes and Maya Hawke in the fun high school thriller revenge dark comedy. Christian Bale shines in THE PALE BLUE EYE, and is matched every step of the way by Harry Melling. But having Melling’s character be a young Edgar Allan Poe didn’t add anything to the story. It distracted at times, but was never a benefit. Nothing changes if he’s a cadet with any other name. WEDDING SEASON won’t wow you by any means. But if you’re looking for a simple, straightforward romantic comedy to kill 90 minutes, you could do a lot worse than this charming Netflix original.
