U.S. Release Date: 2021-02-12
MPAA Rating: "PG-13" (Adult Themes, Profanity)
Genre: Drama
Director: Lee Isaac Chung
Cast: Steven Yeun, Yeri Han, Alan Kim, Noel Kate Cho, Will Patton, Yuh-jung Youn
Although the characters are “foreign,” they seem familiar.
U.S. Release Date: 2021-02-05
MPAA Rating: "R" (Profanity, Sexual Content)
Genre: Drama
Director: Sam Levinson
Cast: John David Washington, Zendaya
Well worth a look both as an exploration of love’s bitter aftermath and an example of how art can bloom even in the most challenging circumstances.
U.S. Release Date: 2021-01-29
MPAA Rating: "R" (Violence, Profanity, Corpse Nudity)
Genre: Thriller
Director: John Lee Hancock
Cast: Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, Jared Leto, Chris Bauer, Michael Hyatt, Terry Kinney, Natalie Morales, Isabel Arraiza
Works when viewed through the narrow lens of one character’s personal redemption rather than through a wider portal.
U.S. Release Date: 2021-01-07
MPAA Rating: "NR"
Genre: Documentary
Director: Bryan Fogel
Cast: Jamal Khashoggi, Mohammed Bin Salman, Hatice Cengiz, Omar Abdulaziz
Although there is a fair amount of regurgitation of the news story, "The Dissident" offers sufficient new material to justify its existence.
U.S. Release Date: 2020-12-25
MPAA Rating: "R" (Profanity)
Genre: Drama
Director: Regina King
Cast: Kingsley Ben-Adir, Eli Goree, Aldis Hodge, Leslie Odom Jr.
Although inconsistently paced, there’s enough compelling material here to make for a challenging and thought-provoking fly-on-the-wall’s perspective.
U.S. Release Date: 2020-12-25
MPAA Rating: "R" (Sexual Content, Violence, Profanity, Drugs)
Genre: Thriller/Comedy
Director: Emerald Fennell
Cast: Carey Mulligan, Clancy Brown, Jennifer Coolidge, Bo Burnham, Alison Brie, Connie Britton, Alfred Molina
Although there are times when some of the tonal shifts can be jarring, the production as a whole feels rambunctious – a perfect concoction for the #meToo era.
U.S. Release Date: 2020-12-25
MPAA Rating: "PG-13" (Violence, Profanity)
Genre: Western
Director: Paul Greengrass
Cast: Tom Hanks, Helena Zengel
The action-flavored Western elements are handled adeptly but the movie’s strongest suit is the relationship between the veteran and his young traveling companion.
U.S. Release Date: 2020-12-11
MPAA Rating: "R" (Profanity)
Genre: Drama
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Cast: Meryl Streep, Dianne Wiest, Candice Bergen, Lucas Hedges, Gemma Chan, Dan Algrant
As with almost everything directed by Steven Soderbergh, there’s a compulsive watchability to the proceedings.
U.S. Release Date: 2020-12-04
MPAA Rating: "R" (Profanity)
Genre: Drama
Director: Darius Marder
Cast: Riz Ahmed, Olivia Cooke, Paul Raci, Mathieu Amalric
Featuring a forceful central performance by Riz Ahmed, it achieves its life-affirming aim in such a way that it never feels cloying or preachy.
U.S. Release Date: 2020-12-04
MPAA Rating: "R" (Nudity)
Genre: Drama
Director: Chloe Zhao
Cast: Frances McDormand, David Strathairn, Linda May, Bob Wells, Swankie
Moody, introspective, and meditative, "Nomadland" makes up for its meandering pace with its insights about human nature and its incisive portrait of indomitability.