U.S. Release Date: 2021-12-01
MPAA Rating: "R" (Sexual Content, Disturbing Images, Nudity)
Genre: Western/Drama
Director: Jane Campion
Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, Kodi Smit-McPhee
Perhaps not as powerful or wrenching as Campion intended for it to be but "The Power of the Dog" remains an unsettling piece of cinema.
U.S. Release Date: 2021-12-03
MPAA Rating: "R" (Sexual Content, Disturbing Images, Nudity)
Genre: Thriller
Director: Paul Verhoeven
Cast: Virginie Efira, Charlotte Rampling, Daphne Patakia, Lambert Wilson, Olivier Rabourdin, Louise Chevillotte
Fascinating, garish, and compelling, "Benedetta" dabbles in some of Verhoeven’s career-long weaknesses while highlighting a great many of his strengths.
U.S. Release Date: 2021-12-10
MPAA Rating: "R" (Profanity)
Genre: Drama
Director: Aaron Sorkin
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem, Nina Arianda, J.K. Simmons, Alia Shawkat, Jake Lacy, Tony Hale
It’s fascinating to watch the minutia of how the TV show was produced. Many of the details are surprising; unfortunately, the movie’s dramatic elements aren’t as compelling.
U.S. Release Date: 2021-12-15
MPAA Rating: "R" (Sexual Content, Nudity, Profanity, Drugs)
Genre: Drama
Director: Paolo Sorrentino
Cast: Filippo Scotti, Toni Servillo, Teresa Saponangelo, Marlon Joubert, Luisa Ranieri, Renato Carpentieri, Massimiliano Gallo, Betty Pedrazzi
On the whole, this is a charming and at times moving reminder of what it meant to be young in the 1980s.
U.S. Release Date: 2021-12-17
MPAA Rating: "PG-13" (Violence, Profanity)
Genre: Action/Adventure
Director: Jon Watts
Cast: Tom Holland, Andrew Garfield, J.K. Simmons, Benedict Wong, Marisa Tomei, Jon Favreau, Rhys Ifans, Thomas Haden Church, Alfred Molina, Jamie Foxx, Willem Dafoe, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jacob Batalon, Zendaya, Tobey Maguire
The supercharged CGI effects are fine and the battles are eye-popping, but the character interactions make "No Way Home" work.
U.S. Release Date: 2021-12-31
MPAA Rating: "R" (Profanity, Sexual Content, Nudity)
Genre: Drama
Director: Maggie Gyllenhaal
Cast: Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, Dakota Johnson, Ed Harris, Peter Sarsgaard, Dagmara Dominczyk, Paul Mescal, Jack Farthing
Uses tone, location, and a string of expert performances to leave an impression, even if the story itself is unremarkable.
U.S. Release Date: 2021-12-25
MPAA Rating: "R" (Violence)
Genre: Drama/Thriller
Director: Joel Coen
Cast: Denzel Washington, Frances McDormand, Bertie Carvel, Brendan Gleeson, Corey Hawkins, Harry Melling, Kathryn Hunter
A well-made, artistically effective motion picture but its appeal is limited to those who appreciate movies that are driven as much by the aesthetics as the narrative.
U.S. Release Date: 2021-12-24
MPAA Rating: "R" (Sexual Content)
Genre: Drama
Director: Pedro Almodovar
Cast: Penelope Cruz, Milena Smit, Rossy De Palma, Aitana Sánchez-Gijón, Israel Elejalde
Thoroughly conventional by the director’s standards, the central narrative is accessible and offers a wrenching emotional experience.
U.S. Release Date: 2021-08-24
MPAA Rating: "NR" (Profanity, Sexual Content)
Genre: Comedy/Romance
Director: Joshua M. Lester
Cast: Joshua M. Lester, Skye LaFontaine, Greg Hirshland, Amanda Westlake, Colette Freedman, Julia Fae, Ed Regine
Joshua M. Lester’s central character is affable and the movie breezes by, never threatening to overstay its welcome.
U.S. Release Date: 2022-02-18
MPAA Rating: "R" (Violence, Gore, Nudity)
Genre: Horror
Director: Sean Ellis
Cast: Boyd Holbrook, Kelly Reilly, Alistair Petrie, Roxane Duran, Amelia Crouch
Relies on a deeper, more primal form of terror built on a foundation of slow-burn tension and a surfeit of atmosphere.