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Did you hear? Amy Schumer is about to be "Kinda Pregnant." That's how Netflix's Tudum chose to introduce the comedian's new film, and while such a headline might seem so confusing that nobody ever watched the movie, quite the opposite has transpired over on the king of the streaming platforms.

According to the site, the film is "about a woman who fakes a pregnancy — and maybe falls in love," which I can't help but think is all that was said in the pitch meeting before this one got the greenlight. Why? Because "Kinda Pregnant" has a 22% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes and perhaps even more damning, a 23% audience score. Which is another way of saying that we have yet another middling streaming film on our hands.

Perhaps it's unfair to be so dismissive. After all, the great Will Forte is in "Kinda Pregnant," and it's produced by Adam Sandler's Happy Madison company.

The Kinda Pregnant reviews are in and they’re kinda bad — Rotten Tomatoes has a 22 percent critics’ rating for Amy Schumer’s new Netflix comedy. The comedian is taking the pans personally. “It gets more clicks to trash someone, especially me,” she said in a recent Instagram post.

Schumer gave a shoutout to critic Owen Glieberman for “the bravery to say you like something” after his mostly positive review in Variety. That separates Glieberman from those who “don’t like physical comedy or you are a single guy who prefers sci-fi or sometimes the assignment is to trash something.”

Cracked must not be interested in clicks, based on our positive review of Schumer’s new comedy. But I’m not sure how to break this to the comic — there’s no internet fortune to be made in saying a movie is so-so. When Natalia Winkelman at the New York Times...

Among a top 10 list mostly populated by holiday films, this year's Cuckoo has claimed the fourth position on Hulu's most-viewed feature list. The horror landed on the streamer on December 17. The underrated flick, starring Hunter Schafer (Euphoria) and Dan Stevens (Legion), follows 17-year-old Gretchen (Schafer) who moves to the German Alps to live with her estranged father, Luis (Marton Csokas), and his young wife and their child. Once there, Gretchen realizes nothing is as it appears and soon finds herself ensnared in a dangerous game — one that often seems like a mind-bending nightmare — orchestrated by her father's boss, Mr. König (Stevens).

Cuckoo is a blend of psychological horror, family drama, and body horror, exploring themes of family, identity, and autonomy. Directed by German filmmaker Tilman Singer (Luz), the Neon film failed to impress at the box office, grossing only $6.7 million against a $7 million budget, but fared fairly well with critics.

“Wicked” is proving popular with film critics.

Directed by Jon M. Chu, the long-awaited film adaptation of the beloved Broadway stage musical stars Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba Thropp, aka the Wicked Witch of the West, and Ariana Grande as Galinda Upland, aka Glinda the Good Witch. Other cast members include Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero Tigelaar, Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, Jeff Goldblum as the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Ethan Slater as Boq Woodsman, Marissa Bode as Nessarose Thropp, and Peter Dinklage as the voice of Doctor Dillamond.

The embargo for “Wicked” reviews officially ended on Nov. 19, so let’s take a look at what some notable movie critics are saying. The film opens in theaters on Friday, Nov. 22.

“The razzle-dazzle that’s Jon M. Chu’s bread and butter is on glorious display in ‘Wicked,’ the big-screen version of the beloved Broadway musical,” writes Christy Lemire (RogerEbert.com). “Chu is...

‘Venom: The Last Dance’ is set for its worldwide release this Friday. This third installment will be the final film in the franchise, and Tom Hardy has confirmed that he is stepping away from the role.

The movie is anticipated to tease some important plot elements, particularly the character Knull. While Knull won’t be the main villain and is expected to appear in just a few scenes, the director has hinted at a larger role for him down the line.

Recently, we shared the first social media reactions to the movie. The early previews left critics with mixed feelings. While the film is described as fun, it appears to have the same issues as the first two installments.

Since then, the review embargo has been lifted, and based on 68 reviews, Venom: The Last Dance currently has a “Rotten” status on Rotten Tomatoes. It has a 38% approval rating, which is quite poor.

‘Venom: The Last Dance’ is getting ready for its worldwide release this Friday. This third movie will be the last in the franchise, and Tom Hardy has confirmed he is finished with the role.

The film is expected to hint at some key plot points, especially the character Knull. Although Knull isn’t the main villain in this movie and will likely only appear in a few scenes, the director has suggested that there could be a bigger role for him in the future.

Recently, we covered the first social media reactions to the movie. The early pre-views left the critics with a somewhat mixed impression. According to the early reactions the movie is fun, but suffers from the same problems that the first two installments suffered from.

The review embargo has been lifted since then and based on 68 reviews, ‘Venom: The Last Dance’ currently stands at “Rotten.” The movie...

Fans of actor Bill Paxton — and we are legion — likely know that he made his directorial debut in 1980, helming the music video for Barnes & Barnes' immortal classic "Fish Heads." The video, made on a very, very low budget, featured Paxton as a buyer and enthusiast of the titular ichthyoid crania, shown throwing them a birthday party and generally enjoying their company. The video also featured a cameo from Dr. Demento, the famed Los Angeles DJ responsible for proliferating hundreds of well-known novelty hits, and for bringing "Weird Al" Yankovic to the world's attention. Paxton was a weird, wonderful man who ran on the fringes. The fact that he became a well-known mainstream star is kind of wild.

Paxton, of course, began appearing in feature films in the late 1970s and early 1980s, starring in notable genre films like "Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker" and "Mortuary." Many likely first noticed him in...

In Geoffrey Sax's 2005 thriller "White Noise," Michael Keaton plays an architect named Jonathan Rivers (not to be confused with rocker Johnny Rivers) who is living in connubial bliss with his second wife Anna (Chandra West). One night, Anna doesn't come home. She remains missing for five months. Jonathan is devastated, but holds out hope that she may still be alive. One day, he is contacted by a man named Raymond (Ian McNeice) who claims to have a clue as to Anna's whereabouts. Raymond has been watching static-tuned TVs and listening to garbled radio signals, and claims he can hear voices emerging through the hissing. Raymond is convinced that the voices are the voices of ghosts, able to communicate with the land of the living through electrical signals. 

Jonathan doesn't believe Raymond at first, but soon falls under the spell of white noise monitoring. He finds that his monitoring is...

Who doesn’t love a good debate about who wore the cape and cowl best? The Dark Knight has been embodied by so many actors at this point that it feels like everyone and their grandmother has a list ranking their favorite interpretations. Fast forward to 2022, and we witness Robert Pattinson stepping into the shadowy shoes of Bruce Wayne in The Batman, arguably one of the best live-action DC Comics movies in recent years!

Jeffrey Wright and Robert Pattinson in The Batman | Credits: Warner Bros. Pictures

Despite the initial skeptical murmurs, Pattinson mesmerized us with his Gotham debut, making the film a commercial success. But let’s cut to the chase: Did his portrayal of the Caped Crusader break the cursed sparkle of his vampire past?

Indeed, his compelling yet brooding version certainly set the internet flaming, igniting fiery social media debates pitting him against Christian Bale’s iconic Batman.

Five years ago, Todd Phillips’ surprise hit movie Joker, which startled both reviewers and audiences, became a smash at the box office. Joaquin Phoenix’s portrayal of the grim version of DC Comics’s classic villain (Arthur Fleck / Joker) even brought him an Oscar. The long wait for a sequel will finally pay off later this year when Joker 2 opens in theaters on October 4, 2024. Will this be a traditional follow-up?

Rumors quickly spread that the follow-up might see a musical pivot after Lady Gaga joined the cast as Harley Quinn. Although not much is known about Joker: Folie à Deux, Lawrence Sher, the film’s cinematographer, has recently declared that it is “not a musical”.

Joaquin Phoenix as Joker

It appears that this decision was made to correct a major error before the film’s release in order to avoid the problems that have previously afflicted The Marvels.

Poor Things, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and starring Emma Stone, is receiving critical acclaim with a 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The film, based on Alasdair Gray's novel, explores the fantastical story of Bella Baxter, brought back to life by an unorthodox scientist. While critics praise the performances of Stone and the supporting cast, the film's unconventional nature may not appeal to mainstream audiences.

Poor Things, the latest collaboration between director Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone, is faring well with critics. The film premiered at the 80th Venice Film Festival in September and landed in US theaters on Friday, December 8. As reviews pour in, the film boasts an impressive 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Praise for the film and its talented cast, which includes Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe, Ramy Youssef, Christopher Abbott, and Jerrod Carmichael, comes as no surprise; the film won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival...

Barbenheimer — the same-day release of two polar opposite movies, Christopher Nolan‘s bleak “Oppenheimer” and Greta Gerwig‘s dazzling “Barbie” — will go down in history. Both movies have been very well received and the phenomenon that is Barbenheimer has led to packed theatres the likes of which these days are usually seen for superhero movies. Whether you prefer “Oppenheimer” or “Barbie,” cinema is the winner here.

But one of the biggest takeaways from both movies is two wildly different performances from supporting actors that threaten to steal their entire, respective movies: Robert Downey Jr. as Lewis Strauss in “Oppenheimer” and Ryan Gosling as Ken in “Barbie.” Downey Jr produces another layered performance as the political player Strauss, who at first appears to be an ally of Cillian Murphy‘s Oppenheimer but is later revealed to be playing a game the whole time with the intention of bringing down the father of the atomic bomb.

“I shall be your Ken, for his story must be told.” That’s the text that Ryan Gosling said he sent to Greta Gerwig after he found a Ken doll face down in the mud by a smushed lemon and decided to play Ken in Gerwig’s “Barbie.” Thank the cinematic Gods for that doll and that lemon, because Gosling has just turned in one of the most joyful, unique, and technically perfect performances of the year.

Gosling is no stranger to the golden glow of the Oscars having landed two Best Actor bids in 2007 and 2017 for “Half Nelson” and “La La Land,” respectively. But it turns out that pink suits Gosling just as much as gold, as multiple critics have noted.

Jocelyn Noveck (AP News) observed: “A very blond Ryan Gosling gleefully chews the scenery — or, inhales it — and is never better than when conveying Ken’s forced enthusiasm...

Barbie hits theaters on July 21, and the movie has already received rave reviews and earned a huge Rotten Tomatoes score. The long-anticipated movie is based on the iconic doll of the same name, but Warner Bros. has taken a much more creative approach to the movie compared to other IP-driven films. Barbie is directed by Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Greta Gerwig, stars Academy Award-nominated actor Margot Robbie, and co-written by Academy Award-nominated scribe Noah Baumbach. Needless to say, the fantasy comedy movie has some serious talent and prestige behind it.

Barbie needs $300 million to break even, and even though it's being released on the same day as the hotly-anticipated new Christopher Nolan movie, Oppenheimer, box office projections indicate there's no doubt Barbie will achieve this goal. Not only has Warner Bros. cleverly marketed the movie to appeal to everyone, regardless of age, gender, or Barbie doll opinions, but the film has now also achieved glowing reviews.

The reviews are in for Warner Bros.' much-ballyhooed Barbie movie. Based on the Mattel fashion dolls, the film teams director and co-writer Greta Gerwig with stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling for an adventure that finds Barbie and Ken leaving Barbie Land in search of self-discovery in the real world. Since filming began in 2022, Barbie has been one of the most discussed movies in recent memory, with viral set photos and trailers generating an insane amount of hype online.

Now, ahead of the Barbie movie's release date in a few days, critics have begun sharing their reviews. They are overwhelmingly positive and praising the movie as a fun and entertaining romp, though they also point out how surprisingly profound it is. Check out a few excerpts from the reviews below:

Tatiana Hullender, Screen Rant

Everything about Barbie is crafted with both mass appeal and personal insight, much like the doll,...

It’s always fascinating to see the general consensus on something in movies shift so drastically over time. Take end-credit bloopers, for example. For a long time, they were considered an ominous sign for a comedy movie. People often bristled at their presence and the conventional opinion was that they were strained attempts to inject an otherwise flat comedy film with some last-minute gags. Matt Singer's ScreenCrush review for the dismal 2015 comedy Hot Pursuit outlines this phenomenon quite nicely, while Christy Lemire's RogerEbert.com review for The House in 2017 also observes the movie's end-credit bloopers as an indication of the feature's overall dismal quality. The examples of end credit bloopers being perceived as a defect are endless.

While “Avatar: The Way of Water” solidifies itself as the Best Visual Effects frontrunner at this year’s Academy Awards, we can at least pretend until “Dune: Part Two” opens in roughly 10 months that the 2024 race is still any film’s to lose. If the VFX branch’s past admiration for photorealistic animals is any sign, Elizabeth Banks’ “Cocaine Bear” stands a good chance of taking part in next year’s conversation. Universal just released the horror comedy to a $22 million opening weekend and generally positive reviews.

Garnering particular praise is the CGI/mo-cap wonder Banks and her crew came to endearingly call “Cokey the Bear.” Christy Lemire (RogerEbert.com) writes that a great deal of the film’s draw is “the look of the creature itself, which is surprisingly high-tech for a cheesy, silly movie.” Dan Bayer (AwardsWatch) similarly highlights the movie’s visual veracity, saying, “It’s clear...

You’d be forgiven for mistaking Andrew Dominik’s Blonde for a kind of religious ritual—“the Passion of the Marilyn,” as Leslie Felperin aptly describes it over at The Guardian. Based on Joyce Carol Oates’s 2000 novel of the same name, Dominik’s take on Monroe’s life puts its subject’s suffering front and center. An elliptical chronicle of the actress’s rise to planetary stardom and tragic fall, the film captures Monroe’s life as an endless slideshow of humiliations and traumas. Played by Ana de Armas, Dominik’s Marilyn saunters into Blonde as a sort of martyr, first wrestling with a schizophrenic mother and a miserable childhood, and then with a cannibalistic industry and throngs of brutalizing men who paved the way to her death by overdose at the age of 36. Rated Nc-17 for its graphic scenes of sexualized violence—featuring rapes, forced abortions, and degrading oral sex—the film,...

Entertainment journalists and industry professionals lamented the disappearing art-house film scene in Los Angeles following Landmark Theaters’ announcement that it will shutter its Pico Boulevard location at the end of May.

In a statement to media Wednesday, Landmark Theaters president Kevin Holloway said that the location has tried to extend its tenancy to no avail.

“We send our deepest appreciation to the Pico staff, guests, and the filmmaking community for their support over the years. We’re exploring opportunities to expand our Los Angeles footprint, which we hope to be able to share more on soon,” he added.

Many decried The Landmark Pico’s closing as yet another sign of small movie theaters losing out to corporate purchasing power on part of national chains like AMC. Additionally, people drew comparisons to another significant blow to L.A.’s local indie fukn scene, that of Arclight Cinemas — as well as its sister chain,...

When Vice President Elect Kamala Harris addressed the nation on November 7, she opened her speech with a quote from the late Georgia congressman and civil rights activist John Lewis: “Democracy is not a state, it is an act.” In a New York Times opinion piece, published less than two weeks after his death of pancreatic cancer at the age of 80 on July 17, Lewis wrote: “Each generation must do its part to help build what we called the beloved Community, a national and a world society at peace with itself.”

Magnolia Pictures’ new documentary “John Lewis: Good Trouble” vividly illustrates how he helped build that beloved Community and worked in the Congress to make life better not only for black Americans but for all of the country’s citizens. Directed by Dawn Porter, “John Lewis: Good Trouble” opened at the digital Tribeca Film Festival in April, was released nationally on July...

Frontrunners are already forming for the Oscar Best Actress race, according to early predictions at Gold Derby. While most films in contention have not yet been released, enough teaser trailers are out there, ranging from “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” and “The Irishman” to “Harriet” and “Ford v Ferrari,” to provide some sense of what at least feels like a worthy contender. We’ve confirmed category placements with studios or campaigners, but — as awards season veterans know — such labels can change later. And once the fall film fests commence, the standings will likely rapidly shift.

Here are the current top 10 lead actress picks on the Gold Derby site, in order, as of Aug. 15:

1. Saoirse Ronan — Filmmaker Greta Gerwig is one smart cookie, reuniting her “Lady Bird” leading lady Ronan as spunky March sister Jo as she pursues her literary ambitions, with the scrumptious Timothee Chalamet as Laurie, who...

Hey, movie fans. Yes indeedy, the new "Spider-Man: Far From Home" movie is officially out in theaters nationwide. It was released by Columbia Pictures aka Sony this past Tuesday,July 2, 2019, and all the critic reviews have been turned in. They look mostly positive. It scored a 69 out of a possible 100 across 53 critics over on metacritic.com. It stars: Tom Holland, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Keaton, J.B. Smoove, Zendaya Coleman, Marisa Tomei, Numan Acar, Samuel L. Jackson, Cobie Smulders, Remi Hii and Jacob Batalon. We're going to go over some of the statements from a few of the critics in this article. Alonso Duralde from The Wrap gave it an 85 grade. He stated, "If anything, and this is a compliment, the film frequently feels like a charming teen road-trip comedy that occasionally turns into a superhero movie." Justin Chang over at the Los Angeles Times gave it an 80 score. He compared it...

The jury is still out on how Western parody “The Ridiculous 6” will rank, but click through to see the worst reviewed comedies Adam Sandler took the lead in.

“Sandy Wexler”

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 33 percent

“There’s no way to recommend it, yet I wouldn’t ask for my two hours back (though I do wish that they could have been sped up somewhat)” New Yorker critic Richard Brody wrote.

“Little Nicky”

Critic Approval Rating: 22 percent

“Like spending 84 minutes in Hell,” critic Christy Lemire wrote when it hit theaters in 2000.

“That’s My Boy”

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 20 percent

“Vulgar, trite, sexist, misogynist, hacky, tacky, gross, sentimental and stupid, with occasional flourishes of racism and veiled homophobia thrown in to boot,” TheWrap’s Alonso Duralde wrote in his 2012 review.

“Just Go With It”

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 19 percent

“An early contender for worst movie of the year. If they were showing this on an airplane,...

“Rocketman” opened in theaters on May 31. It’s directed by Dexter Fletcher, the filmmaker who finished “Bohemian Rhapsody” after Bryan Singer was fired from that production, and both films tell the true stories of the trials and tribulations of queer rock stars — Freddie Mercury in “Rhapsody” and now Elton John in “Rocketman.” But while many critics rejected the earlier film, now they’re rallying around the new one.

As of this writing “Rocketman” has a MetaCritic score of 73 based on 43 reviews: 33 positive, 10 mixed, and none outright negative. And it has a Rotten Tomatoes freshness rating of 89%. That’s a marked improvement from “Bohemian Rhapsody,” whose critical consensus was 24 points lower on MetaCritic and 28% lower on Rotten Tomatoes.

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But despite its mixed reviews, “Rhapsody” was a resounding success, grossing almost $1 billion worldwide and winning four Oscars out of its five nominations:...

“Captain Marvel” opened on March 8 with pressure on its shoulders disproportionate to the fact that it’s the 21st movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That’s because it’s the prelude to a much bigger adventure — “Avengers: Endgame,” which opens in less than two months — and of course also because it’s the first McU movie to centrally focus on a female hero. Like “Wonder Woman” before it, all eyes are on critical notices and box office receipts, as if one film (or even two) could or should be used to measure the validity of making superhero movies about women.

And in that special way that mostly tends to befall movies that uplift women, “Captain Marvel” already had fanboys with their knives out in a campaign to tank the film’s Rotten Tomatoes audience rating — before anyone had seen it. The review aggregator decided to shut down pre-release ratings...

The first “Lego Movie” was a surprise critical darling when it was released in 2014. What seemed like it would merely be a tie-in product for kids’ toys turned out to be uniquely creative, clever, and even moving. So how does the sequel follow up that surprise now that we’re all more familiar with the Lego-Verse?

“The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part” opened on February 8, and it has also won the approval of most critics. It has a solid MetaCritic score of 65 based on 41 reviews as of this writing, of which 30 are positive, 9 are mixed and only 2 are negative. Meanwhile, the pass-fail Rotten Tomatoes freshness rating is currently at 84% based on 144 reviews: 121 classified as positive, 23 as negative.

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The disparity between the two scores suggests that the sequel is admired by the vast majority of critics, but not with quite...

Following the Golden Globe nominations last week, the 2018-19 awards season continues today in a big way with the announcement of the 2018 Los Angeles Film Critics Association winners. Lafca, as the group is known, is set to honor the year in film by awarding prizes to the best performances and features of 2018.

Lafca’s east coast counterpart, the New York Film Critics Circle (Nyfcc), announced its winners on November 29, with Alfonso Cuarón’s “Roma” winning three prizes: Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Cinematography. The drama is expected to have another strong showing with Lafca, although the group is known to make surprising choices every now and then.

Recent Lafca winners for Best Film include “Call Me By Your Name,” “Moonlight,” “Spotlight,” “Boyhood,” and “Her.” All of these films went on to earn Oscar nominations for Best Picture, with “Moonlight” and “Spotlight” winning the top honor. Last year’s Lafca...

Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday.

This week’s question: In honor of “First Man,” which is now playing in theaters, what is the greatest biopic of all time?

Matt Zoller Seitz (@mattzollerseitz), RogerEbert.com

The best biographical movie I’ve ever seen was “32 Short Films About Glenn Gould,” because it gets the furthest away from traditional biographical movie structures and has a constant sense of surprise.

Sarah Marrs (@Cinesnark), LaineyGossip.com, Freelance

I’m giving this one to “Amadeus”. It’s not 100% accurate — no biopic is — but where “Amadeus” fudges details it does so in service of its theme. This movie has more to say about competition and rivalry than most sports movies, and it’s one of the only Great Man biopics to observe its subject from the outside. By centering on Salieri, a master in his own right,...

Welcome to the latest episode of Movie Review Talk with Scott Mantz! On this episode, Scott, Dan Murrell, and Christy Lemire discuss four new releases – BlacKkKlansman, The Meg, Dog Days, and Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot. The critics also give their thoughts on the Avengers: Infinity War Blu-ray that comes out next Tuesday. BlacKkKlansman is directed by Spike Lee and stars John David Washington, Topher Grace, Adam Driver, Laura Harrier, and Alec Baldwin. The provocative film is based on Ron Stallworth’s real life as Colorado Springs’s first African-American police officer who …...

Critics are shooting out reviews for “Ocean’s 8” like dollar bills out of a jackpotted Atm machine, and the all-female spinoff caper seems to have pulled off yet another successful Ocean heist, with the film currently sitting at a comfy 78% on Rotten Tomatoes.

“Ocean’s 8” is the first film in franchise not directed by Steven Soderbergh, and is instead helmed by “The Hunger Games'” Gary Ross. As per usual, it features a star-studded cast including Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, Rihanna, Mindy Kaling, and even James Corden makes an appearance.

Variety’s own Owen Gleiberman praised the gender-flipping aspect of the film, pointing out that there’s nothing inherently sneaky about men that wouldn’t have warranted an all-female cast before “Ocean’s 8.” Of Bullock’s performance as the story’s lead character, Debbie Ocean, Gleiberman wrote, “Sandra Bullock strides through this movie with the...

An entertainment industry screening of Universal’s “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” was halted Tuesday after an unidentified man suffered a medical emergency.

Attendees began yelling that the man needed medical attention during the latter part of the screening of the 128-minute movie at the AMC Century City 15 multiplex.

A rep for Universal told Variety that a studio executive who was in attendance at the screening, which began at 2 p.m., immediately left the theater and called emergency services. One attendee said the film played for about five more minutes before the lights came up and paramedics arrived. The Universal rep also indicated that the unidentified man survived the episode but had no further detail.

An AMC spokesman said, “The safety of our guests is AMC’s top priority. Immediately upon being notified of a medical situation during a screening, the theatre’s General Manager investigated, and radioed for the show...

“Thoroughbreds” opened March 9 to strong reviews (76 on MetaCritic, 86% freshness on Rotten Tomatoes). The black comedy is especially noteworthy for the lead performances by Anya Taylor-Joy as Lily, a teenage girl full of resentment, and Olivia Cooke as Amanda, her friend who doesn’t feel anything. Together they plot to kill Lily’s domineering stepfather Mark (Paul Sparks). Could these youthful offenders be a modern-day “Thelma and Louise” at the Oscars?

Cooke’s star has been on the rise in recent years, starting with a breakthrough role on “Bates Motel” (2013-2017) as Emma, a friend of a young Norman Bates (Freddie Highmore) who suffers from cystic fibrosis. Then she co-starred as the title dying girl in “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” (2015). So playing sociopathic Amanda is a significant departure, and it’s a deceptively challenging role. Expressing a lack of emotions is the opposite of what actors are typically asked to do,...

Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best film in theaters right now?”, can be found at the end of this post.)

This week’s question: “Coco” arrives in theaters on November 22nd. With that in mind, we asked our panel of critics to name their favorite Pixar movie. In a testament to the studio’s work, all seven of the critics who participated in this survey highlighted different films.

Read More:‘Coco’ Review: Pixar’s Latest Proves That the Studio Still Has Some Life in its Bones Christy Lemire, @christylemire, RogerEbert.com/What the Flick?!

For a long time I would have said “Wall-e,” just because it’s so audacious: It’s about a lonely garbage collector in space, and the first 15 minutes of it are wordless. The fact that...

Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best film in theaters right now?”, can be found at the end of this post.)

This week’s question: In honor of “The Killing of a Sacred Deer,” what is Nicole Kidman’s greatest performance?

Vadim Rizov (@VRizov), Filmmaker Magazine

I don’t know about “best” — I haven’t seen an embarrassing chunk of what are considered her most significant roles, and I’m weak on understanding acting — but the performance that sticks most in my mind (quite possibly because I saw it at impressionable high school age) is “Dogville.” Kidman is spookily withdrawn, like an observer alien in a human body dropped into a moral wasteland which she attempts to navigate with understanding and decorum until finally it’s just too much. As in “Birth,...

Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best film in theaters right now?”, can be found at the end of this post.)

Last weekend saw the release of the latest Tom Cruise vehicle, “American Made,” and critics are raving that it’s better than “The Mummy!” In honor of this great achievement, we ask: What is Tom Cruise’s greatest performance?

Read More:‘American Made’ Review: Tom Cruise Finally Lands a Role Worthy of His Talents E. Oliver Whitney (@cinemabite), ScreenCrush.com

The greatest Tom Cruise performance of all time happened on Oprah’s couch in 2005. But in the movies? “Magnolia.” It’s the best, but it’s also the “most” Cruise performance. His batshit insanity just barely holds together the fragile insecurity of the man beneath the horndog motivation speaker.

Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best film in theaters right now?”, can be found at the end of this post.)

This week’s question: What is the best performance in an otherwise bad movie?

Joshua Rothkopf (@joshrothkopf), Time Out New York

There’s a Cult of Val (Kilmer, obviously) that I proudly belong to. Mainly it revolves around movies like “Real Genius,” “Top Secret!” and “Heat,” all excellent movies that don’t fit the parameters of this question. But you really don’t know Val until you’ve made your peace with Oliver Stone’s beyond-awful “The Doors.” The apocryphal anecdotes around Kilmer’s deep dive into Jim Morrison are insane: insisting that no one look him in the eye on set, wearing the same leather pants for months,...

Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best film in theaters right now?”, can be found at the end of this post.)

A recent article (based on a very unscientific poll) argued that millennials don’t really care about old movies. Maybe that’s true, and maybe it isn’t, but the fact remains that many people disregard classic cinema on principle. These people are missing out, but it only takes one film — the right film — to change their minds and forever alter their viewing habits.

This week’s question: What is one classic film you would recommend to someone who doesn’t watch them?

Candice Frederick (@ReelTalker), Hello Beautiful, /Film, Thrillist, etc

“Rebel Without a Cause.” I’ll out myself by saying that I’ve only recently seen this film...

Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film and TV critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday.

This week’s question: “The Book of Henry” has been assailed by critics. But let’s look beyond this particular reviled new release. What’s the worst movie you’ve ever reviewed?

Alissa Wilkinson (@alissamarie), Vox

It’s unfortunately not even a contest: “God’s Not Dead 2,” which I reviewed for Flavorwire and then wrote about it further for Thrillist. (The first movie is actually far worse, but I didn’t review it.) They’re actually not the worst-made movies I’ve seen, but as a Christian and a film critic, I find them so actively offensive and cynical that it’s somehow even more depressing. I didn’t derive any joy from the process, but it felt important that I write about it.

Kristy Puchko (@KristyPuchko), Pajiba/Cbr.com...

Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film and TV critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best film in theaters right now?”, can be found at the end of this post.)

This week’s question: Inspired by Baby Groot’s “Mr. Blue Sky” dance sequence at the beginning of “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” what movie has the best opening credits sequence?

April Wolfe (@awolfeful), La Weekly

Hands down, it’s R.W. Fassbinder’s “The Marriage of Maria Braun.” I watch the opening sequence at least three times a year and show it to every filmmaker I can. I love any film that begins with a bang, and this one does quite literally: We open up on an explosion that rips out a hunk of brick wall, exposing a German couple in the middle of a rushed marriage ceremony.

The jury is still out on how Western parody “The Ridiculous 6” will rank, but click through to see the worst reviewed comedies Adam Sandler took the lead in. “Sandy Wexler” Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 33 percent “There’s no way to recommend it, yet I wouldn’t ask for my two hours back (though I do wish that they could have been sped up somewhat)” New Yorker critic Richard Brody wrote. “Little Nicky” Critic Approval Rating: 22 percent “Like spending 84 minutes in Hell,” critic Christy Lemire wrote when it hit theaters in 2000. “That’s My Boy” Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 20 percent “Vulgar, trite,...

Paramount Pictures released their new action/thriller film, "Terminator Genisys," into theaters this past Wednesday, July 1st, and all the major,top movie critics served up their reviews. It turns out that the movie didn't quite resonate well with them, getting just an overall 39 score out of a possible 100 across 40 reviews at the Metacritic.com site. The film stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Byung-hun Lee, Courtney B. Vance, Dayo Okeniyi, Emilia Clarke, J.K. Simmons, Jai Courtney, Jason Clarke and Matt Smith. We've posted blurbs from a few of the critics,below. Peter Travers from Rolling Stone, gave it a 75 grade, stating: "Terminator Genisys fires on all action cylinders when director Alan Taylor (Thor: The Dark World) follows the model James Cameron set in the first two films, still the glory of the series." Michael O'Sullivan from the Washington Post, gave it a 63 grade. He stated: "Genisys goes back to what made the...

It could be possible that “Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2” really is a “massive waste of time and money” and “worse than the worst movie you’ve ever seen,” as critic Christy Lemire of RogerEbert.com said in her review. Despite that slam and similar barbs from Lemire’s colleagues, the family film is on course to be a moneymaker for Sony Pictures. It debuted at No. 2 with $24 million behind “Furious 7” this weekend — about $7 million higher than analysts and the studio had projected. All 38 reviews posted at aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes came down on the “rotten” side for the comedy sequel,...

Warner Bros. Pictures released their new action/drama film, "Focus," into theaters this weekend, and all the reviews are now in from the top,major critics. It turns out that we got a mixed bag of opinions with this one as it got an overall 56 score out of a possible 100 across 40 reviews at the Metacritic.com site. The movie stars: Will Smith, Rodrigo Santoro, Gerald McRaney and Margot Robbie. We've supplied some blurbs from a couple of the critics,below. Richard Roeper from the Chicago Sun-Times, gave it a great 88 score, stating: "This is just sheer, escapist entertainment from start to finish." James Rocchi over at TheWrap, gave it a great 80 score, saying: "Like a perfect cocktail mixes the sour with the sweet and the bright with the boozy, Focus combines seamless, superbly-crafted filmmaking with the fizz and fun created by its leads." Christy Lemire from RogerEbert.com, gave it a 75 score,...

CBS Films released their new comedy film, "The Duff," into theaters this weekend, and the top,major movie critics have turned in their reviews for it. It turns out that they were pretty mixed across the board, giving it a 55 score out of a possible 100 across 26 reviews at the Metacritic.com site. The film stars: Allison Janney, Romany Malco, Mae Whitman, Ken Jeong, Bianca Santos, Robbie Amell, Bella Thorne, Skyler Samuels and Nick Eversman. We've supplied blurbs from a few of the critics, below. Inkoo Kang from TheWrap, gave it a great 90 score, stating: "There’s no doubt that The Duff is clever, funny and quotable enough to become this decade’s “Mean Girls.” Watch your back, Regina George — there’s a new queen bee in town." Christy Lemire over at RogerEbert.com, gave it a 75 score, saying: "Quickly and convincingly, it becomes its own funny and fast-paced phenomenon with its own modern-day charm.

Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies released their new animated comedy film, "SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water," into theaters this weekend, and all the reviews have been submitted by the top,major movie critics. It turns out that it resonated pretty well with most of them, getting an overall 62 score out of a possible 100 across 22 reviews at the Metacritic.com site. The film stars: Antonio Banderas, Tom Kenny, Clancy Brown, Rodger Bumpass, Bill Fagerbakke, Carolyn Lawrence, and Douglas Lawrence. We've provided blurbs from a few of the critics, below. Alonso Duralde over at TheWrap, gave it a very nice 88 score, stating: "The jokes are consistently hilarious, with enough variety to tickle the funny bones of old salts and young fishies alike." Elizabeth Weitzman at the New York Daily News, gave it an 80 score, stating: " The spirit of the series remains true: cheerfully random jokes, blink-and-you’ll-miss-them references and, above all,...

SpongeBob SquarePants lives in a pineapple under the sea—and he's a hit. But will audiences still love this porous yellow dude and his quirky BFFs when they leave Bikini Bottom behind and enter into our world?! It seems the answer is yes, because that's exactly what happens in TheSpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water, and the critics are (for the most part) liking it even more than SpongeBob likes his Krabby Patties! RogerEbert.com's Christy Lemire admits she was "looking at this [the film] form the perspective of a grown woman who's reviewed films for a living for the past 16 years," but writes that kids "won't be nearly so analytical/uptight/whatever you want to call...

George Lucas. attempt at cornering the kid.s animated musical fairy tale market in Strange Magic was, unfortunately, a box-office tragedy for the legendary mind who gave us Star Wars. Its paltry performance financially was only compounded by the shellacking the film would receive from critics, generally dismissing the film as a bizarre, clunky mess of an affair. However, during a discussion of the film, one critic in particular, Ben Mankiewicz would evoke a comparison to "incest porn." Wha?...Huh? You have to give this a listen: So, just exactly How the idea of "incest porn" got juxtaposed to the children.s film Strange Magic you may wonder? Well, sitting down for a 3-person video review during web series, What The Flick?!, host Christy Lemire, along with Matt Atchity of Rotten Tomatoes, were also joined by the aforementioned Turner Classic Movie host and product of Hollywood royalty, Ben Mankiewicz. At...

Universal Pictures released their new drama/thriller flick, "The Boy Next Door" into theaters today, and the top,major movie critics have delivered their reviews. It turns out that most of them just didn't take to it too well, giving it an overall 31 score out of a possible 100 across 27 reviews at the Metacritic.com site. The movie stars: Kristin Chenoweth, John Corbett, Jennifer Lopez and Ryan Guzman. We've added blurbs from a couple of the critics, below. Claudia Puig at USA Today, gave it a 63 score, stating: "Predictable and foolishly unsuspecting characters react in ways that make you want to shake them. But there's an undeniable sense of silly fun in this erotic thriller." Leah Greenblatt from Entertainment Weekly, gave it a 58 grade. He said: "Boy's premise reeks of stalker-movie mothballs, and it's too timid to fully dive into the high camp it hints at. Instead, this cookie just crumbles.

Screen Gems (Sony) released their new comedy flick, "The Wedding Ringer," into theaters today, and all the reviews are in from the top,major movie critics. It turns out that the majority of them didn't like it too much, giving it an overall 32 score out of a possible 100 across 20 reviews at the Metacritc.com site. The movie stars: Cloris Leachman, Jenifer Lewis, Kevin Hart, Olivia Thirlby, Mimi Rogers, Josh Gad, Ken Howard and Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting. We've added blurbs from a couple of the critics,below. Michael Ordona at the San Francisco Chronicle, gave it a 75 score, saying: "Respect is not something viewers will find much of in The Wedding Ringer, nor propriety, nor any of those things that make for respectable family viewing. It’s just a funny, impolite, very not-for-kids romp that goes there." Alonso Duralde from TheWrap, gave it a 53 score,stating: "While The Wedding Ringer isn’t...

Sony Pictures is releasing the controversial Seth Rogen/James Franco action-comedy The Interview in Australian cinemas on February 12, as counter-programming against Fifty Shades of Grey.

The film was due to open on January 22 but was withdrawn amid the Sony hacking scandal, threats to Us cinemas and North Korea.s objections to the plot depicting an attempt to assassinate Kim Jong-un.

The crude satire was released in the Us on more than 300 indie cinemas on Christmas Day and on digital platforms, generating $US31 million in online revenues and $5 million in ticket sales.

Australian exhibitors are supporting the release but some worry its B.O. prospects will be diluted because many Aussies have already downloaded the title.

.Sony are a major supplier to exhibition and I think the industry should get behind them and support the film,. Reading Cinemas CEO Wayne Smith tells If .

.Unfortunately time is running against Sony and there...