When the survivors of an underwater drilling crew must evacuate their site, they must fight unknown cephalopod-like organisms to reach the surface before time runs out. A strong ensemble cast led by Kristen Stewart and potent thrills provide oxygen to the otherwise predictable Underwater. While it will most likely draw comparisons to similarly plotted disaster/sci-fi/horror flicks like Leviathan or—the granddaddy of all claustrophobic creature features—Alien, Underwater contains enough genuine scares, humor, and narrative drive to propel it toward its explosive conclusion. What the film lacks in originality, it makes up for with likable characters and grit.

A prayer—stronger than injustice; louder than despair; quieter than ego; surer than circumstantial evidence; homier then a barred cell; more challenging than simple solutions; than more comforting than empty promises; more reassuring than doubt; more accepting than racism; more merciful than hate; more understanding than bigotry; more consoling than a testimony; as freeing as a wind through the pines; as deep as conviction; as fierce as unerring love; as irrevocable as hope; as definite as unequivocal truth; as reaffirming as an embrace, a word, a bond; as loving as family—answered is a sweet song for a life deferred.

Dolemite is an original Blaxploitation 1975 film. Starring  Rudy Ray Moore, it is a fun romp hitting all the usual tropes of this genre. The acting is fun but creaky, the dialogue is fun but creaky, and the martial arts are astoundingly creaky, and fun. Production shines as 1970s cars with extremely loooong hoods are a character themselves. Two-thirds into the movie there is a spoken word performance, “The Signifying Monkey”, by Moore which is stunning. Be aware, there is plenty nudity, sexual content, and the MF word is spoken so frequently it would astound Samuel L. Jackson.

The risk of any Little Women adaptation is to turn this multiple coming of age story into a treacly homily. Greta Gerwig sidesteps the potential for syrup, and while her adaptation is full of real warmth and conviviality, it gives equal narrative weight to conflicts and family triangulations. The decision to tell the story non-linearly might prove baffling to those unfamiliar with the book, but there’s an easy cheat sheet: the “past” is shot with an orange filter; while the “present” is a cool lonely blue. For me, the structure worked to give texture to the cyclicality and parallel struggles of women trying to exist in full color against the very limited palette of 1860s American mores. It’s a beautiful, heartfelt film, and the meta-textual twist at the very end gives us something to continue thinking about.

Knives Out is as funny as it is socially conscious. While you weave through the cast of characters trying to guess who dun it, director Rian Johnson, is very cleverly commenting on rich, white America—with the longest running joke being that no one knows which South American country the nurse actually emigrated from. If you’re a self-proclaimed sleuth, you will be able to find some clues throughout the film to help lead you to the culprit. But what makes this film so brilliant, is that even the most experienced mystery viewers won’t see the twist of the knife coming.

In Almodovar’s latest film, the director self-examines a takes a look at his past: His childhood, a lost love, reconciling with an actor, and mounting health issues are at the forefront of this film. The colorful imagery and set designs that Almodovar is known for are still there, but they take a more nuanced approach in the story. Antonio Banderas’ performance is a career best and is full of sentimentality and a sort of lonely nostalgia. The flashbacks of his childhood are edited very well and flow seamlessly with the present, commenting on how the past seeps into the present.

Baumbach’s greatest film as well as Driver’s and Johansson’s greatest performances to date. This film is heartbreakingly humanistic, and an extremely cathartic presentation of a marriage unwinding. The story follows the journey of two artists, a theater director and an actress, going through a divorce and fighting for the custody of their son. Driver’s character lives in New York and Johansson’s character is originally from Los Angeles and ends up moving back to the city with their son. This sparks the main conflict in the film – where is their son going to live? A strong contender for best original screenplay.

Greener Grass is a wholly original and surrealistic/absurdist view of suburban life. The story follows two families as they traverse the doldrums of middle-class banality. Pool parties, neighborhood barbeques are given an absurdist twist. Two wives accidentally kiss their neighbors’ husbands, perhaps suggesting the homogeneity of male appearance in a middle-class suburban setting. During a party, a young boy falls into the pool and emerges as a Golden Retriever, perhaps commenting on how parents would like their ideal child to be like. This film does a great job in addressing these ideologies and breaks them down in a humorous manner.

Mike Flanagan attempts to marry Stephen King’s and Stanley Kubrick’s versions of The Shining in this uneven sequel. The story masterfully explores family trauma and having responsibility for others as an adult Danny Torrance battles with alcoholism and protects a teen named Abra. Rebecca Ferguson is particularly chilling as Rosie the Hat, the leader of a group that feeds on children’s “shine.” However, Doctor Sleep can’t decide whether to be a thriller or horror film. Although the atmosphere and scares are palpable, the original book ending is dropped for a climax in the Overlook Hotel that is overwrought with homage.