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In a summer (or should that be year or decade) of vapid sequels, remakes, and overblown superhero catastrophes, who would have expected an entertaining, intelligent, well-crafted, suspenseful, character- driven, modern-day western with a brain. Riding on Taylor Sheridan's razor-sharp script and David Mackenzie's nuanced direction, Jeff Bridges, Chris Pine, and (especially) Ben Foster (along with everyone else who appears on the screen) inhabit this film as wryly humorous, heartfelt, vicious, painfully tragic, and realistic members of a society reaping the fruits it has tragically sown. Best film so far this year.

Shane Black's The Nice Guys is a thoroughly entertaining, retro 1970s buddy-action-crime romp that brings to mind a cross between his previous works (such as Lethal Weapon and Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang) and the blackest absurd humor of the Coen brothers (The Big Lebowski). The buddies here are an absurdly bumbling private eye, his far-more- intelligent (though also somewhat bumbling) 13-year-old daughter, and a gruff, disgruntled enforcer (who sends physical messages to people doing things they shouldn't be doing). They are grudgingly drawn together to solve a far- flung conspiracy involving mysterious deaths, porno films, Detroit automakers, the Justice Department, and The Waltons. The chemistry of the trio — played to perfection by Ryan Gosling, Angourie Rice, and Russell Crowe — is a delight to behold. Sincerely hope this is the start of a franchise.

Nightcrawler is an excellently eerie psychological thriller/black comedy featuring lush, at times dazzling visuals; crisp, tension- heightening editing; a thought-provoking under-plot; and excellent performances. This mesmerizing film about a video news stringer prowling the LA nights in search of crime and mayhem footage is like a hybrid of Taxi Driver and Network. Everyone in the cast delivers sharply honed performances (especially Rene Russo). However, Jake Gyllenhaal tears up the screen and drives the film with his astounding turn as a deeply disturbing sociopath who spouts Tony Robbins platitudes while sinking deeper and deeper into the cesspool of "if it bleeds, it leads" journalism.