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Latest by Alex Welch

The Ghostbusters firehouse covered in ice in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’s ending, explained

Here's everything you need to know about Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire's icy ending.
Jake Gyllenhaal stands in a parking lot in Road House.

Road House review: an unhinged, stupid, and fun remake of an ’80s action classic

Jake Gyllenhaal shines in a Road House remake that is a sloppy but fun time. The Doug Liman-directed film premieres Thursday, March 21 on Amazon Prime Video.
A robot pours a drink in Love, Death, and Robots.

5 underrated Netflix animated shows you should watch in 2024

In the mood for an animated adventure? Here are five underrated Netflix animated TV shows you should watch this year.
A blood-splattered Kristen Stewart sits against a door in Love Lies Bleeding.

Love Lies Bleeding review: The gnarliest crime story of the year

Love Lies Bleeding is a crime thriller that wants you to believe in the full, horrifying power of love. The Kristen Stewart-led film is now playing in theaters.
Millie Bobby Brown holds a small lantern in Damsel.

Damsel review: Netflix’s latest fantasy adventure is a trip worth taking

Netflix's Damsel is an entertaining and endearing fantasy adventure. The Millie Bobby Brown-led film is streaming now on Netflix.
Adam Sandler wears a spacesuit in Spaceman.

Spaceman review: a moody sci-fi drama that comes up short

Netflix's Spaceman is a ponderous sci-fi film that doesn't give Adam Sandler or Carey Mulligan enough to do.
Soldiers ride on horseback over fallen bodies in Ran.

Like the hit Hulu series Shōgun? Then watch these 5 great movies right now

Here are five great movies that you should check out if you like FX's epic new miniseries, Shōgun.
Hiroyuki Sanada wears samurai armor in a promotional image for Shōgun.

Shōgun review: 2024’s first great show is an epic, Game of Thrones-style drama

FX's Shōgun is a densely plotted, frequently astonishing historical drama. Its first two episodes are streaming now on Hulu.
Aang stands in front of a masked Zuko in Avatar: The Last Airbender.

What Netflix’s live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender gets right about the animated series

Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender isn't a perfect adaptation, but it does understand a lot about what made the original animated series so special.
Jiro and Caproni stand above the clouds in The Wind Rises.

10 years ago, Hayao Miyazaki made a perfect companion film to Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer

In honor of its 10-year anniversary, let's look back at Hayao Miyazaki's 2014 masterpiece The Wind Rises, as well as its similarities to 2023's Oppenheimer.
Aang stands with Sokka and Katara in Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Avatar: The Last Airbender review: a serviceable adaptation

Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender is an imperfect, inoffensive live-action adaptation of one of this century's most beloved animated shows.
Evangeline Navarro and Liz Danvers stand back-to-back in True Detective Night Country.

True Detective: Night Country’s ending, explained

Here's everything you need to know about the ending of HBO's True Detective: Night Country.
Daniel Day Lewis looks up a mineshaft in There Will Be Blood.

All of Paul Thomas Anderson’s movies, ranked

Here are all nine of Paul Thomas Anderson's movies, ranked from worst to best.
Kathryn Newton stands behind Cole Sprouse in Lisa Frankenstein.

Like the horror-comedy Lisa Frankenstein? Then watch these three great movies right now

From a Tim Burton classic to an underrated Meryl Streep/Bruce Willis comedy, here are three movies like Lisa Frankenstein that you should check out right now.
Jeffrey Wright holds a gun on the poster for Hold the Dark.

5 winter crime thrillers like True Detective: Night Country you should watch now

Here are five winter crime thrillers like HBO's True Detective: Night Country that you should check out this month.
Kali Reis kneels in the snow in True Detective: Night Country episode 3.

True Detective: Night Country brings back the show’s best element: cosmic horror

HBO's True Detective is finally scary again. Here's how Night Country takes the show even further into the horror genre than its first season.
Mads Mikkelsen stands near a burning field in The Promised Land.

The Promised Land review: an immersive historical epic

The Promised Land is a visually stunning, thoughtfully made historical epic. The Mads Mikkelsen-led film is now playing in theaters.
Bryce Dallas Howard stands behind a gun-wielding Sam Rockwell in Argylle.

Argylle review: a lackluster, cartoonish spy comedy

Argylle is a spectacular swing and a miss for director Matthew Vaughn. The film is now playing in theaters.
Donald Glover and Maya Erskine drag a man with a bag over his head together in Mr. & Mrs. Smith.

Mr. & Mrs. Smith review: an entertaining blend of spies, action, and romance

Mr. & Mrs. Smith is an entertaining, unlikely success. The Maya Erskine and Donald Glover-led series is streaming now on Amazon Prime Video.
Callum Turner and Austin Butler stand near a plane in Masters of the Air.

Has Apple TV+ become the new home of Prestige TV?

The recent premiere of Apple TV+'s Masters of the Air reveals a lot about the current state of Prestige TV. Is Apple TV+ the king of television?
Austin Butler stands near a WWII plane in Masters of the Air.

Masters of the Air review: a sturdy and thrilling WWII drama

Masters of the Air is a well-crafted, rousing war epic. Its first two episodes are streaming now on Apple TV+.
Margaret stands on a Hong Kong street at night in Expats.

Expats review: a melodramatic, laborious misfire

As a follow-up to The Farewell, Lulu Wang's Expats is a colossal disappointment — and an undeniable misfire for everyone involved.
Izi sits on his motorcycle in front of Benji in The Kitchen.

The Kitchen review: an earnest dystopian sci-fi drama

The Kitchen is a moving dystopian sci-fi drama and an exciting debut from first-time director Daniel Kaluuya. It's streaming now on Netflix.
Kali Reis and Jodie Foster hold flashlights in True Detective: Night Country.

True Detective: Night Country review: a gripping crime thriller

True Detective: Night Country is an immersive, surprisingly scary continuation of the HBO crime anthology series. It premieres Sunday, January 14 on HBO.
Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Kevin Hart walk together in Lift.

Lift review: An unpolished Netflix heist thriller

Lift has seemingly everything it needs to work, but it just doesn't. The new, Kevin Hart-led heist thriller is streaming now on Netflix.
Maya Lopez sits in the back of a truck in Echo.

Echo review: An imperfect success

Marvel's Echo isn't the franchise-saving vehicle that the MCU needs right now, but it also isn't an unwatchable disaster.
Amélie Hoeferle swims in a pool in Night Swim.

Night Swim review: a forgettable dip in the shallow end

Night Swim is an occasionally scary, but ultimately unremarkable horror exercise. It's now playing in theaters.
Andrew Scott stands half-turned in All of Us Strangers.

7 best movie performances of 2023

It's been a year full of great movie performances. Here are the seven best we saw in 2023.
A woman lies on an operating table in Poor Things.

10 best sci-fi movies of 2023, ranked

From indies like Infinity Pool and Poor Things to blockbusters like Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, here are the 10 best sci-fi movies of 2023.
Ayo Edebiri and Rachel Sennott stand near a set of gym bleachers in Bottoms.

7 best comedies of 2023, ranked

From Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves to The Holdovers, these movies are the best comedies of 2023.
Orm and Arthur stand near rubble in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.

Aquaman 2’s ending, explained

Here's everything that happens at the end of Warner Bros. and director James Wan's new DCEU blockbuster, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
Jason Momoa wears his Aquaman armor in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom review: a sequel that flounders and soars

James Wan's Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is a gaudy, trashy slice of pure comic book spectacle. It is now playing in theaters.
The Von Erich brothers sit on a fence together in The Iron Claw.

The Iron Claw review: A restrained, sobering sports drama

A24's The Iron Claw is a deeply felt, heartrending sports drama.
Annabeth, Grover, and Percy stand together in Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians review: an ambitious, charming YA fantasy series

Disney+'s Percy Jackson and the Olympians is the Rick Riordan adaptation that fans have been waiting for.