If we peel back all of the layers of Asteroid City we discover the paradox of the director – specifically, how one can truthfully portray the chaos of the world while still working within film, a medium that itself calls for tight control and planning at every step.

Veronica watched Singapore Sling so you don’t have to, outlining all of the worst parts of this wet and gruesome ride through Greek Tragedy and BDSM.

It’s clear Coen and Cooke missed their window to ironically straddle the past while still wholeheartedly indulging in their cinematic kinks.

Paul Negoescu's Men of Deeds (2023), is a tale of dubious morality and small town politics as filtered through a darkly comedic sensibility, reminiscent of the films of the Coen Brothers or Milos Forman.

Lydia’s obsession with legacy is in turn an obsession with control. But in this modern world of social media-driven celebrity, spaces once reserved for the self-appointed elite have shrunk significantly. So focused on her need to achieve an invulnerable standard, Lydia becomes blind to the evolving reality around her.

The Ark of Lilburn is a testament to how the American system often destroys the dreams of American citizens. It’s a real life Fitzcarraldo with southern accents and a business owner who’s permanently attached to his nicotine vape.

The biggest problem with adaptations of Lady Chatterley’s Lover is not just thinly drawn characters or poorly filmed sex scenes, it is in how they leave what makes the novel intellectually provoking on the cutting room floor.

223 Wick is a film that will be appreciated by aficionados of the experimental, underground works of the ‘60s and ‘70s where sometimes you’re only along for the ride because of the psychedelic visuals and totally out there concepts.

Elvis ended up being the best of what it could have been: a glittering frenzy of feverish reverence, replete with pink suits and matching Cadillac cars, hysterical hip-shaking highs and slurred, sweat-dripping lows.

Erzulie, a female-forward creature feature about a mythical mermaid, is a fun and unexpected indie flick that follows then subverts horror tropes in a clever, entertaining way.

Delta Space Mission truly leans into your imagination, rewarding any viewer who can get out of their heads long enough to just roll with it. It’s a relief to watch after decades of balloon-faced 3D animated tyranny.

Ironically, as Licorice Pizza’s reception started to spin out, what seemed to get lost in the crossfire was its own thematic focus on well-intentioned characters losing control of their narratives.

A Banquet is a slick and atmospheric horror movie that gets just weird enough while still being tethered to reality. If this is where director Ruth Paxton is starting, Veronica is very excited to see where she goes next.

Jenna is encouraging you to not only go see The Electrical Life of Louis Wain but also to join her in starting a new electric religion based on Louis’ own quasi-scientific ramblings and psychedelic cat drawings.

The beautiful and unflinchingly brutal I Saw The Devil invites the the audience to meditate on the idea of the purpose of revenge and justice – how either is served and where to draw the lines between righteous vigilante and depraved psycho.

Practically all of the jokes in The French Dispatch exist on a sort of intellectually tickling plane that are amusing when you think about them after the fact but not exactly hilarious to behold. It’s Wes Anderson’s at his most irreverent without ever being laugh-out-loud funny. You know, just like a New Yorker cartoon.

Don’t be blinded by the action and exploding [censored], Prisoners of the Ghostland boasts a strong morality message on how we can make things actually great for once; not ‘again’ because there is no actual ‘great again’ when we discuss the past.

As a platform for alternative voices and takes on how to process this now consecrated national tragedy, Too Soon: Comedy After 9/11 proves to be an invaluable documentary.

If the past two years of societal upheaval hasn't been enough drama for you, Kazik Radwanski's Anne at 13,000 Ft. is here to whip you right back into another panic attack. Or really, take you on a leisurely walk through one woman's frenetic downward spiral as a meditation on the concept of control.

Mickey Reece’s Agnes is a religious horror film that spends more time ruminating on trauma than it does on jump scares. Which isn’t to say it doesn’t lean hard into the horror aesthetic – expect some fright wigs and flesh tearing.