Love is Strange
A poignant story of a two aging, long-time partners in New York City who happen to be gay
Movies
Unbroken
Angelina Jolie’s impressive second directorial effort
The Gunman
Penn deserves better movies than this talky Euro-thriller
The Finest Hours
Getting to the outcome is a hell of a ride
Cooties
This zombie movie about undead school kids is a one-joke misfire
Carol
This romantic spellbinder is sophisticated yet accessible
Cathedrals of Culture
Six directors profile six iconic buildings that anthropomorphically narrate
Sherlock: The Abominable Bride
A highly atmospheric, imaginatively filmed iteration
5 Flights Up
Terrific chemistry between Freeman and Keaton
The Walk
Avant-garde caper flick on Philippe Petit
99 Homes
Very good, heartbreakingly relevant character study
Foodies: The Culinary Jet Set
Repetitive sequences of gastro-hobbyists eating alone
Joe
This is “Southern rough” at its grittiest
Pink and Gray
A jewel of the current Japanese film scene
Black Mass
A solid gangster procedural
American Ultra
A low-grade, forgettable buzz that’s sporadically entertaining
The Physician
Ben Kingsley brings this up to watchable level—but only just
Paddington
Well-done kid flick that respects your children and entertains parents
In the Heart of the Sea
Curiously little tension or suspense
Suite Française
A charmingly mildewed blend of romance and suspense
Closer to God
Recreates the moodiness of ’70s horror with admirable economy
Monsters: The Dark Continent
Miss this if you’re looking for good monster-battling
It Follows
This intensely haunting film is a righteous freak-out
Crimson Peak
Not so much a ghost story as a story with ghosts in it
Bridge of Spies
Thoroughly satisfying spy saga by Spielberg and the Coen Brothers
The Case Against 8
A thoroughly engaging doc on California’s legal battle over same-sex marriage
Pop Etc. Plays it Back
Chris Chu packs up some souvenirs on new album
Heaven Knows What
Well-made, daring, and without a false moment
Life
A biodrama well worth a look
Creed
This one’s a knockout
In No Great Hurry: 13 Lessons in Life with Saul Leiter
The film is as slow and amicable as its subject
Pawn Sacrifice
Absorbing, intelligent, and suspenseful
Her Father, My Lover
This soap opera-like yarn addresses a serious corner of Japanese romance
Straight Outta Compton
Vigorously entertaining, educational, and more provocative than most
Two Night Stand
Predictable, stubbornly generic rom-com
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
The legacy flick restores the fun to the franchise