U.S. Release Date: 2021-11-19
MPAA Rating: "PG-13" (Violence, Supernatural Elements)
Genre: Comedy/Horror
Director: Jason Reitman
Cast: Finn Wolfhard, Ernie Hudson, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Celeste O’Connor, Logan Kim, Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, McKenna Grace, Harold Ramis
Nostalgia remains the main selling point and viewers attending for that reason won’t be disappointed.
U.S. Release Date: 2021-11-19
MPAA Rating: "PG-13" (Profanity, Sexual Content)
Genre: Musical/Drama
Director: Lin-Manuel Miranda
Cast: Andrew Garfield, Alexandra Shipp, Robin de Jesus, Vanessa Hudgens, Joshua Henry, Jonathan Marc Sherman, Judith Light, Bradley Whitford
The surprisingly intimate result is enjoyable in the moment but the mental footprint fades rather quickly.
U.S. Release Date: 2021-11-19
MPAA Rating: "PG-13" (Profanity, Violence)
Genre: Drama
Director: Reinaldo Marcus Green
Cast: Will Smith, Aunjanue Ellis, Jon Bernthal, Saniyya Sidney, Demi Singleton, Tony Goldwyn, Mikayla Lashae Bartholomew, Daniele Lawson, Layla Crawford
Regardless of how much how much has been softened to suit the movie’s perspective, the end result is compelling drama with top-notch performances and a feel-good denouement.
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.