The 2022 Sundance Film Festival is finally winding down and we only have a couple of movies left to review. Yesterday brought us our final horror film of the festival Piggy and a portrayal of female friendship in Am I Ok? Check out my thoughts below on each and come back tomorrow for more reviews. PIGGY Sara (Laura Galán) is an overweight teenager who is constantly being bullied by a group of mean girls in her neighborhood. They've nicknamed her Piggy and are determined to make her life a living hell every chance they get. One day, their tormenting goes too far and they nearly drown her. A strange man witnesses the event and decides to take swift and violent action against the clique and spares Sara. Sara is then left with the choice of speaking up to save the girls or protecting the man who saved her from their anguish. Piggy is a no-frills, brutal horror that works really well...until its ending which totally undercuts the rest of the film. It's a great look at the horrors of bullying because Sara was more endangered by them than the murderous psycho. You truly feel Sara's fear and anger which makes the ending feels too conventional and unearned after what transpired before. To go into specifics would ruin the film, but had the ending gone a different way it could have reached Midsommar cult status, but instead will probably be forgotten with how safe it plays it. RATING: 6/10 AM I OK? Am I Ok? centers on the friendship of Lucy and Jane, two women who think they know everything there is to know about one another. However, everything changes when Jane gets offered a promotion overseas in London, meanwhile Lucy finally earns the courage to tell her a secret she's been keeping: she's unsure of her sexuality and thinks she might not be straight. Am I Ok? benefits from two really great performances by Dakota Johnson and Sonoya Mizuno, as well as a refreshing tone that keeps the proceedings feeling light, yet also real and relatable. It never gets bogged down and explores Lucy's late coming of age in a way that feels honest and authentic. At its heart, it's a celebration of friendship and self-discovery and for the most part, it really works. The only part that doesn't feel genuine is the conflict that eventually arises between the two women that just feels manufactured for the sake of needing some sort of drama before the finale. But honestly, movies like this feel like a rarity these days and even if sometimes Am I Ok? leans too much into predictability, it still was pretty delightful on the whole. RATING: 7/10

Though there are a couple of days left of the Sundance 2022 Film Festival to screen all the award winners, I most likely won't be seeing anything new for the rest of the fest. It's been a really great year, but before I do my wrap-up of the festival as a whole, I still have one more review to cover! Yesterday I got to see the latest from Aubrey Plaza that literally had my name on it. EMILY THE CRIMINAL Aubrey Plaza is no stranger to Sundance having appeared in many films to debut at the festival over the last several years. But it is here where she gives a career-best performance in Emily the Criminal, a taut crime thriller that keeps your eyes constantly glued to the screen. Right from the first scene, Plaza's eyes draw us into her world and the hopelessness of her situation. Emily is saddled with thousands of dollars of student debt, as well as a felony on her record. It is impossible for her to get a job due to background checks and thus freedom from debt is seemingly unobtainable. One day she happens upon an opportunity that promises to make her a lot of money--the only catch? Breaking the law. Emily quickly gets pulled into this underworld as she sees the potential to make big money very fast. But it's a dangerous world and the stakes are high. Emily the Criminal doesn't feel like a revelation by any means but seeing this side of credit card fraud is totally fascinating and you can't help but feel caught up with Emily in all the action. Director John Patton Ford never eases the tension and feels comfortably in control of the film the whole time. As such, he imbues the film with endless anxiety for a character that on paper maybe we shouldn't care about, but that Plaza easily makes us worry about. RATING: 7/10

Sundance 2022 is officially a wrap and I have to say, this was a pretty solid year. I pretty much got to see everything I was wanting to see, though I heard great things about Good Luck To You, Leo Grand as well as Living. Both were picked up for distribution, so I look forward to seeing them both when they hit theaters and/or streaming. But, in case you were wondering what my absolute favorites were that I saw this year, I compiled my top ten right here of this year's fest. 10. PALM TREES AND POWER LINES Okay so, this was probably the hardest film of the whole festival to watch, and I'll be totally honest...it was not an enjoyable experience by any stretch of the imagination. This film about an underage girl and her much older suitor who grooms her is not the type of movie anyone will find to be an entertaining breezy experience. I felt sick to my stomach the entire time I was watching, and even afterward I couldn't shake the queasiness. But after viewing the film, it stayed with me and haunted me. It is so heavy, yet powerful. Palm Trees and Power Lines might not be a pleasant film, but it is a necessary one that acts as a really good cautionary tale of how one might be manipulated with the promise of love and security. You can find my full recap of my thoughts on Palm Trees and Power Lines HERE 9. AM I OK? Dakota Johnson had such a strong showing this year at Sundance in two of the most acclaimed films of the festival. Here, she plays Lucy a woman in her 30's who is finally coming to terms with her sexuality just as her best friend Jane is moving overseas to London. I felt her struggles seemed completely real and she played her character with honesty and depth. While not everything in the friendship felt believable (particularly their conflicts with one another), I still appreciated what ultimately this film was going for and its celebration of female friendship. Also, while many films at the festival this year were pretty serious in tone, I really enjoyed how lighthearted this was. You can find my full recap of Am I Ok? HERE 8. DUAL Dual definitely wasn't for everyone as it was a bit of an acquired taste, but I loved the deadpan dark humor surrounding this completely absurd scenario. This will likely be a love or hate it film once it reaches a wider audience, but I totally dug all of it from its wacky premise to its wry dialogue. Karen Gillan carries the film on her shoulders with her pitch-perfect delivery, though I must admit I definitely would have loved more Aaron Paul as well who plays her fight coach. More thoughts on Dual in my full recap HERE 7. HATCHING Horror comes in many different varieties, and the type that Hatching is happens to be one of my very favorites: schlocky entertaining body horror. But it also helps that Hatching has a great personal conflict at its core--young pre-teen Tinja constantly failing to achieve her mother's impossible standards of perfection. Hatching features great use of practical effects and a really creepy creature design. The tension is all here and the pacing never once detracts from it. Hatching is a perfect coming-of-age horror allegory. Full recap for Hatching can be found HERE. 6. EMILY THE CRIMINAL The Aubrey Plaza led crime thriller Emily the Criminal was the perfect film to close the festival out on a high. While it doesn't break the mold, it is solidly entertaining from start to finish. Plaza is so good in this role and gives her character depth that in the hands of a lesser actress might not have had nearly the same impact. I'll be interested in the reaction to this one when a wider audience gets to see it, as I think this tale focusing on the other side of credit card fraud was certainly one of the more accessible films of the festival. Full recap of Emily the Criminal HERE 5. RESURRECTION Rebecca Hall gives us yet another amazing, unforgettable performance that left me stunned in Resurrection. Like Dual, this portrayal of one woman's trauma from a past relationship is not going to be for everyone. But it was definitely for me! For a festival that had endless WTF moments, the ones here left me in awe the most. Resurrection straddles the line between drama, thriller, and horror so well that when it's over you're honestly not sure what it is you just watched. All you're sure of is that it is all kinds of messed up. Full recap of Resurrection HERE 4. AFTER YANG Though it has a futuristic, sci-fi plot After Yang is so grounded in the simplicities and beauty of everyday life. It's quiet and contemplative, and it's not trying to blow your mind with anything outrageous or out of this world, but rather the small things that make up our lives that we often take for granted. It reminded me a lot of one of my favorites from the 2020 festival, Nine Days. After Yang is an absolutely lovely film and the most uplifting film I saw at this year's fest. I also would love to be able to listen to its gorgeous piano score, like yesterday. Read my full recap on After Yang HERE 3. EMERGENCY Emergency is a film that successfully and impressively seems to have its cake and eats it too. For a film that deals with such a very serious situation, director Carey Williams is able to pull off a comedic element completely effortlessly. RJ Cyler and Donald Elise Watkins sell this friendship the film is built around and their rapport really invests you in their fate. But, as entertaining as Emergency was throughout, it wouldn't really work or come together the way it does without its very powerful ending. As a viewer, you are able to see their experience and understand the level of privilege they are denied when it comes to being given the benefit of the doubt. Living the characters' worst nightmares with them is truly impactful. Full recap of Emergency HERE 2. FRESH The more I've thought about Fresh through the course of the festival, the more I totally love it. The setup is absolutely perfect as is the chemistry between Sebastian Stan and Daisy Edgar-Jones. Both are completely committed here and the movie is all the better for it. While I still wish it had a bit stronger of a finale, I still totally respect how daring and unflinching it is all throughout. I did not see any of it coming and movies that surprise me always do well in my book. Full recap of Fresh HERE 1. CHA CHA REAL SMOOTH Cha Cha Real Smooth eked it out to be my favorite movie of 2022's Sundance Film Festival, and really it's no shock here. Cooper Raiff's sophomore feature about a recent college graduate trying to find his place in the world was like a (500) Days of Summer lite only with less whimsy and more reality. Both protagonists in each respective film are believers in true love and soulmates, and they have been ever since they were children. Right from the beginning, I knew what a treat as young Andrew's quest for love is shown as the first of many disappointments. Cooper Raiff plays Andrew with wide-eyed optimism, even if he's not where he wants to be right now with his life. Sparks fly for him when he meets Domino (Dakota Johnson), a young single mother with an autistic teenager. Cha Cha Real Smooth was so endearing, heartfelt, and poignant. It's the type of movie that made me fall in love with Sundance in the first place and the type of movie I can see myself telling people about all year long. Full recap of Cha Cha Real Smooth HERE Honestly, this was a really solid year as many of the other films I saw could have easily taken a spot on this list. But with this, my Sundance coverage of the 2022 season is officially over! But believe it or not, that's not all I have to write about Sundance. Come back later this week to see my ten-year retrospective of my favorite movies I've ever seen during my now decade of attendance.

Out in theaters now is Uncharted, the movie adaptation of the popular video game series that revolves around the swashbuckling adventurer Nathan Drake. For years fans have pictured a rugged Nathan Fillion in the role, only to have to settle for the plucky Tom Holland, who is out to prove that he can play more than just Peter Parker. Whether or not he proves that here though is debatable and your mileage may vary on the results. Uncharted acts as an origin story to how Nathan Drake came to be who he will eventually become. Orphaned at a young age, his only solace in life is his artifact-loving brother Sam, who, after trying to steal one too many priceless items and not getting away with his theft, decides to make a run for it and leave his younger brother behind. Fifteen years later, he's approached by a man named Sully (Mark Wahlberg), who claims to have been friends with Sam. He tells Nathan that Sam has ghosted him, but if Nathan helps him with this treasure hunt that Sam was trying to solve, maybe he can find a way to be reunited with his brother again. Nathan accepts the call to adventure but soon learns that they aren't the only ones looking for the treasure, and they've got some very dangerous competition. To enjoy the ride of Uncharted, one must completely shut off their brain because this definitely one of the stupidest blockbusters in a while (I realize I'm typing this as Uncharted is coming off the heels of Moonfall...but nevertheless!) Still, as preposterous as it all is, I have to admit that I had fun with it. Honestly, archaeology adventure movies are such fun and a breath of fresh air sometimes that I am known to go easy on them. Tom Holland is playing another variation of Peter Parker again here (and by variation....there is no variation...it's the same character), just as Mark Wahlberg is being Mark Wahlberg. As such, I'm sure this film is bound to disappoint hardcore fans of the source material...though I myself found it harmless. Yes, the whole thing will come apart at the seams as you examine it and pull every thread. There are countless stupid moments every step of the way here...you can basically question every single decision of both the characters and filmmakers alike. Still, while I can't endorse this as a good movie by any means, I can still admit it's dumb fun...just not at its finest. Plus its ludicrous final action sequence is really one for the ages. RATING: A generous 6/10

Death on the Nile, Kenneth Branagh's much-delayed follow-up to the 2017 adaptation of Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express is finally out in theaters. Branagh once again returns to star as world-famous French detective Hercule Poirot during his holiday on a luxury cruise to Egypt. Poirot can't help but observe those around him and takes interest in one specific couple who seriously needs to get a room; Jacqueline de Bellefort and Simon Dolye (Emma Mackey and Armie Hammer.) Moments later, Poirot witnesses Jacqueline introduce Simon to her old friend Linnet (Gal Gadot), and immediately a new spark comes to life. Six weeks later, Poirot learns that Simon switched his affections completely to Linnet and the two are now married, leaving a jilted Jacqueline in their wake. The two plan a cruise on the Nile for their honeymoon but insist that Poirot comes along for protection. Being that this is a murder mystery, it's no spoiler to say someone winds up murdered and it's up to Poirot to analyze the clues and find the killer at hand. Agatha Christie's work was revolutionary, and her murder mystery novels are the blueprint for the genre today. Being a blueprint though, and having so many other movies imitate its style and storytelling...make for the original thing to feel a bit...predictable. There's not much surprise--I guessed the mystery about 20-30 minutes in, but it still makes for a pleasant enough ride. Poirot's meticulousness is fun and seeing him go through every possible angle of the case does have its entertainment, even if I didn't feel like it was much of a whodunnit. I can still appreciate the elegance of a good old-fashioned (literally) murder mystery. I appreciated the cast, even if half of them have been canceled in real life by Twitter for varying reasons of severity (admittedly, it was off-putting seeing Armie Hammer again, and this wasn't his strongest performance either). Some performances worked better for me than others Annette Bening in particular felt jarring, while an unrecognizable Russell Brand totally worked. Branagh really has fun with the role, and it makes the movie better for it. Emma Mackey is probably the standout of the cast and plays the jilted lover role well. You just don't know what she's capable of and having one loose cannon for this type of movie is necessary. Death on the Nile is nothing revolutionary, but honestly, it's an easy enough watch to mildly recommend. Still, there were some choices I really didn't love, such as the opening black and white sequence that essentially acts as an origin story for why Poirot has his famous mustache (seriously? we're spending time on this??), as well as the hinted side romance for Poirot with one of the passengers who is a blues singer that just feels tacked on. Also, can I just say, wow this movie is horny...and awkwardly so. While this is a perfect "recommend to your parent" movie, maybe just don't watch it with them. Again, it's even more awkward when one of the participants always happens to be Armie Hammer. Yikes. In the end, it's hard to be mad that Death on the Nile is full of tropes when it's based on the material that invented them. Even if you know exactly where it's going you'll have a fine time. Just don't expect it to be something that stays with you long-term, because it won't. RATING: 6/10

Hoping to cash in on the horror legacy sequel trend comes Texas Chainsaw Massacre, a direct sequel to the original 1974 classic horror film The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. The film proudly walks in the footsteps of Halloween (2018) and Scream (2022) to the point where you almost question if it's a parody. Like those films, Texas Chainsaw Massacre takes its iconic villain, in this case--Leatherface, and brings him into a modern-day setting, making the story revolve around a new youthful cast, but also doesn't forget to add its final girl as a "legacy character" so the audience can see one more showdown between the two. Sounds like an easy enough formula not to screw up, right? One would think so, but it's actually quite surprising to see how dedicated director David Blue Garcia seems to be in making this film fail on every level. Problems rear their heads early on with a cast of characters too obnoxious even for horror movie standards. A group of idealistic young influencers purchases the deed to a remote town in Texas with the vision of creating a modern social media utopia. If that sounds convoluted, it's because it is. In one of the buildings they thought to be abandoned, they find an older woman in poor health squatting on the premises. They call the cops to kick her out of the building and take control of their purchased real estate, but the woman continues to argue that the place is hers. Out of a shadow lurks the figure of a giant, hulking man. A man whose mother has been wronged and who will have his revenge. Of course, what the kids don't know, is that this is Leatherface and soon they will all be fighting for their lives. I've seen a lot of people defend this film already with comments like "It's a horror film! What do you expect??" essentially putting the blame on people who wanted a better movie. Takes like that are a disservice to the genre in acting like all horror is subpar mediocrity. You need look no further than to the original film in this franchise to see how good horror can be. There is a true eeriness to the original right from the get-go when the kids pick up the hitchhiker. It's not just Leatherface we're afraid of, it's his whole family and the potential of stumbling onto that kind of crazy somewhere in the rural united states. Instead, filmmakers drop the backwoods family entirely and were more interested in turning Leatherface into a Jason Voorhees type. Suddenly he has almost supernatural abilities in how invulnerable he is. When in reality Leatherface here has gotta be in his 70s with a bad knee at this point. As previously mentioned, Texas Chainsaw Massacre tries to do the whole legacy sequel character thing that Halloween 2018 revolves around, by building up the inevitable return of the final girl Sally from the original (here played by Olwen Fouéré). The handling of which could not be done more poorly. Almost as poorly as revealing our current lead character was the victim of a school shooting, for no other reason than as a shortcut in the name of character development. The film could probably overcome all of that though if it weren't for the biggest issue that plagues the film. Texas Chainsaw Massacre's biggest problem is that it is completely and utterly devoid of any dread or tension. Each and every sequence that is orchestrated feel so dull and so expected to end up at their eventual outcome. There's nothing it can do to surprise you...that is until the very last shot. And then...well, it's just downright comical. RATING: 2/10

Streaming today on HBO Max is Kimi, Steven Soderbergh's latest thriller starring Zoë Kravitz. Kravitz plays Angela, an agoraphobic who is having a major setback thanks in part to the pandemic. She works remotely at home for the huge corporation that created the online artificial intelligent virtual assistant named Kimi (think Siri or Alexa). It's Angela's job to provide a human element to the program by reviewing any recordings that Kimi herself can't quite decipher. One day she reviews a recording in which she suspects foul play might be involved, but no one at her job seems to take it seriously and soon she begins to question if there's a bigger conspiracy at hand. Kimi is a little slow to start, but once it gets going it's a taut little thriller that packs a lot of tension. It is very much a film of its time and setting it during the pandemic, as well as making the lead suffer from agoraphobia, really makes you as a viewer feel the danger Angela feels when she finally has to leave her comfortable bubble. Kravitz turns in solid work and essentially has to carry the whole film on her shoulders. It's kind of a one-woman show here and the film wouldn't work with a lesser performance. Still, it's not as strong as it could be, and the script is the culprit. As I mentioned before, Kimi takes a little bit to get going. If it got started sooner and then spent some more time unraveling the mystery the intrigue would be built on a much firmer foundation. Conversely, the ending feels way more abrupt. We are led to an admittedly great punchline of dialogue and then quickly shooed into a clumsy, out-of-place type epilogue scene. It doesn't quite feel like the payoff we've earned with the tension we've endured. If you want answers to plot threads, don't plan on getting them. Still, for what it is--a modern-day Rear Window type tale about Siri & the pandemic--Kimi is a good time RATING: 7/10

It's that time again! I still haven't gotten around to seeing everything from 2021 I was hoping to before compiling my list, but I knew I couldn't wait any longer to make it. Besides, when I actually got down to ranking the films, I realized I had a hard time seeing that anything else might topple what was already a really strong list. In fact, a lot of movies I really loved just barely missed it (so don't forget to check the honorable mentions). So without further ado (seriously, sorry that it took so long!) here are my top ten favorite films of 2021. 10. THE GREEN KNIGHT The Green Knight is such a visceral experience, it is easily one of the most memorable films of 2021. Though I was unfamiliar with the Arthurian legend which it depicts, I absolutely loved how authentically medieval, yet fantastical it all felt. Visually, The Green Knight is stunning and it's really easy to be swept up in its tale, even if not every moment of the journey completely worked for me. I loved how this was told almost like a poem, broken up into segments that essentially form their own verse. All of these short vignettes come together as stepping stones in the ultimate quest for Gawain (Dev Patel) to prove himself a noble and worthy knight as he faces his destiny--to live with cowardice and shame, or to die with dignity. Dev Patel is as wonderful as ever here and really gives this role his all. Truly, fantastic work by everyone involved. 9. BELFAST Belfast is such a beautiful, yet simple film. Belfast tells the story of childhood memories amid the backdrop of a civil war between Protestants and Catholics in Belfast in the 1960's. Since it's mostly told through the eyes of a child, it never goes into quite the depth you're maybe expecting or wanting...but honestly, its simplicity was so surprisingly effective. I tend to hate when I feel like films are unnecessarily in black and white, but the cinematography was so stunning, and the times when color was incorporated felt so effective. Many themes in Belfast really resonated with me on a personal level, and I was very touched by the film, even shedding a tear or two. The performances all around the board here are wonderful and the moments of love and kindness make Belfast the lovely and timely movie that it is. 8. SAINT MAUD You know I'm a sucker for horror and Saint Maud was the perfect movie to scratch that itch in 2021. Saint Maud follows the devoutly religious titular Maud, a nurse who becomes obsessed with saving her dying patient. Saint Maud is so unnervingly creepy, it is bound to get under your skin and haunt you for days. Morfyyd Clark is sensational as Maud and imbues her with so much horrific self-righteousness it makes anyone viewing it feel uncomfortable. Saint Maud is the definition of a slow burn horror, and the ending's terrifying imagery is everything. 7. NINE DAYS Released during the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, Nine Days was finally released in 2021. The premise is uniquely interesting--a man who seems to live a monotonously normal life, is actually charged with the supremely important task of determining which souls should get a chance at a life on earth. Nine Days was one of my favorite films of the festival in 2020 because it was such a beautiful celebration of life and how lucky we are to experience it. Winston Duke gives such an understated performance in the lead role here and does a lot of the heavy lifting in the emotional scenes. Nine Days left me moved and in awe. 6. LAST NIGHT IN SOHO Last Night in Soho follows Eloise, a first-year fashion student hoping to make a splash. After a clash with her roommate, she opts to find a place of her own in the city. She rents an attic room from a nice elderly woman and soon discovers it has a secret--every night when she falls asleep she wakes in the eyes of a former tenant, living her seemingly best life in the 1960's. As I said in my horror list, Last Night in Soho to many is a love it or hate it type of film and how one receives it all seems to come down to how they feel about that final act. While I definitely had some moments in the middle wondering if Edgar Wright was gonna pull it off, I truly felt like the ending is where the film completely came together and made me love it. Thomasin McKenzie and Anya-Taylor Joy are both wonderful here and the editing between their two perspectives is just magical. 5. MALIGNANT I don't think I had more fun with a movie all year than I did with Malignant. After Madison blacks out to find her husband dead after an apparent break-in, she soon finds herself connected to the murderer's next steps as she discovers she's able to look into the world he sees when she sleeps. Malignant is preposterous and magnificent all at once. It's one heck of a ride and one I'd gladly take again. I was so worried the trailers had given away too much, but luckily all of the best was yet to come. James Wan is incredibly purposeful with every decision he makes and somehow, no matter how outlandish it is, it just works. I was so blown away with its campiness and how far it was willing to go in its ode to schlocky giallo horror. We haven't seen a horror movie be this unapolagetically audacious since Drag Me To Hell and I just can't help but admire it. 4. THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD The Worst Person in the World is truly a remarkable film. While it ended up at #4 on my list, I seriously contemplated and shuffled it around all of the top 4 spots at one point before letting it settle here. The film is told in chapters, much in the way our lives all have chapters. Here, we're following Julie, a woman who never seems to feel satisfied--whether it's with what she's pursuing as a career or who she's dating. She never knows quite how to find herself, which sometimes leaves a lot of wreckage in her path. The Worst Person in the World was beautifully whimsical, yet totally authentic to life. The struggles of Julie feel real and completely make sense. Whenever I felt like I would have a handle on where the story would go, it would always shift and surprise me (again...much like life.) The ending, in particular, which had some serious echoes to La La Land, really got me. Relationship dramas--particularly ones told in a fantastical way--are my absolute favorite and The Worst Person in the World was all that and more. 3. MASS Mass was probably one of the most difficult films to watch of the year because its subject matter is undeniably heavy. Mass is essentially one long conversation between two sets of parents with a lot to discuss. The son of one of the sets of parents was responsible for shooting the son of the other, during a mass shooting at the high school the two boys attended together years ago. The meeting we as an audience witness, is the first time they've come face to face to discuss the events that changed all of their lives. The performances here are among some of the best of the year, and the fact that they aren't getting any awards attention is a complete travesty. Mass puts you through the ringer of emotions as you see all stages of grief on display and you're filled with compassion for all the players involved. Mass is truly a masterpiece (see what I did there?). 2. CODA CODA the film which opened last year's Sundance Film Festival was just a warm hug of a movie and it stayed with me all year long. CODA stands for "child of deaf adults" and follows Ruby, the only member of her family who can hear. She's torn between her duty to her family in helping them succeed in their fishing business and following her dreams to pursue a college education, and her passion to sing. Her family doesn't understand her interests and can't always relate to Ruby, so she constantly feels torn on how to live her life. I'm a total sucker for coming-of-age indie dramas, and this one had all the heart and the charm to become a personal favorite. Newcomer Emilia Jones impresses in a role that required so much from her, yet she makes look entirely effortless. 1. DUNE Honestly, all of my top four here are almost interchangeable and I had a really tough time trying to shuffle which movie would go where. Dune grabbed the top spot and edged out the other contenders because of how utterly cinematic it is in every way. Movies like this don't come around every day, but I thank my lucky stars when they do. Dune brings the sci-fi literary epic to life with style that only Denis Villeneuve can bring. Every element of the film from the score, sound design, cinematography, production design--you name it--is bringing its A-game to this movie. Everything came together so incredibly perfectly, it just blew me away. While it is very much a movie in need of a sequel so we can see where it goes (darn those cliffhanger endings!), I still very much loved Dune and the ride that it was. HONORABLE MENTIONS: Bo Burnham: Inside (which I adored with all my heart, but couldn't bring myself to include it in a list of movies since it was a comedy special), The Last Duel, Zack Snyder's Justice League, Spencer, Cyrano, Nightmare Alley, Power of the Dog, Spider-man: No Way Home (purely for the Andrew Garfield of it all if I'm being honest), and Tick Tick...Boom!

Over the last few years, creating "Worst" lists has become something of a no-no among film elites. Everyone always just wants to be positive and not add more negativity and hatred into the world. While I get that sentiment...I think opinions--positive and negative--should be discussed...and quite frankly there were a lot of movies this year that just begged me to create this list. Please don't take it personally, it's just one gal's opinion. So with that... let's get to the list! 10. ETERNALS It's no secret that I'm not the biggest Marvel fan, though in the last few years I've enjoyed more of their films than usual. But Eternals was such a snore and managed to be my least favorite Marvel film...well, ever. None of the characters were in any way memorable, and two months later, the only character I would be able to name off the top of my head is Sersi, and purely for the irony that her character was involved with two actors from Game of Thrones. Eternals is incredibly ambitious, yet exceedingly dull. With such an ensemble cast and lofty visions of the scope of the story they wanted to tell, it would have worked far better as a series on Disney+. Instead, it will become the most forgettable Marvel installment to grace the big screen, and I can't imagine it leaving much of an impact. 9. LAMB I will be the first one to admit that Lamb likely earns a spot on this list for being a victim of high expectations. Its bizarre trailer had me hooked, but unfortunately, the final film just wasn't quite the oddball horror I was hoping for. What was it exactly instead? An intriguing premise that, while it could have made a decent short film was stretched way beyond what was actually interesting. There were so many effective moments, that if leaned into could have been really interesting. Instead, Lamb decides to just be a weird family drama about grief that just doesn't really connect. The events are so incredibly outlandish, yet it is played completely straight. This, honestly, makes the audience lose their mind. I suppose that is intended as part of the beauty?? When you finally feel like you get a payoff after all you just endured, it just feels too little too late. 8. DEAR EVAN HANSEN After Cats, it should have been clear enough that some hits on Broadway just do not transfer well to the big screen. Dear Evan Hansen takes an outlandish plot that was able to work on stage, and turns it into one of the cringiest train wreck movies I've had the pleasure to see in some time. Somehow I felt like it could never get more awkward and horrible, yet the very next scene it would manage to top itself. I kept finding Evan's actions so incomprehensible to the extent that he had to be a sociopath because no one in their right mind would act this way. Suspension of disbelief in a film vs a stage musical are worlds apart. It's one thing if a film is able to capture the whimsy and magic that a musical needs to work--to explain the unexplainable--but this one's direction was so lifeless that each song fell flat on its face even if the music itself was good. And let's not even get STARTED with how old Ben Platt looks. What were they thinking with that hair??? 7. ANNETTE While Dear Evan Hansen had some nice songs at least, here in Annette, the second consecutive musical to make the list, the songs are like nails on a chalkboard. Of all of the films on this list, this may have been one of the most actively tedious to sit through. I felt like Elaine Benes in her hatred of The English Patient when Adam and Marion sang "We Love Each Other So Much" monotonely over and over. Honestly, it was so absurd I almost found myself loving it when certain punchlines happened with Baby Annette, but I had endured too much by that point to feel anything of fondness for the film. Points for creativity and being unlike anything I've seen, but unfortunately just because something is so off the wall, it doesn't make it good...or enjoyable. I understand the love people have for it, on one hand, because I found myself weirdly respecting it, but it was also just too off-putting. 6. ZOLA From its opening line, Zola promises an insane story of betrayal with twists and turns that you can't believe...and instead doesn't deliver on anything it teases. While Riley Keough gives a fantastic performance, it's the only thing Zola has going for it. Zola isn't as juicy or as jawdropping as it pretends to be. It's honestly just unpleasant and made me worry I had somehow contracted an STD just by watching it. Seriously, some of the most disgusting montages I can remember in recent memory. 5. CHAOS WALKING I am not exaggerating when I tell you that it took me DAYS to get through this movie. The plot is silly sci-fi at its worst. The premise here is that the thoughts of all the men on the planet are audible (and in some cases, visible) to everyone else. This makes for a lot of embarrassing and awkward moments for Tom Holland's plucky character, Todd, who is almost instantly smitten with Daisy Ridley's Viola when she crash lands on his planet and becomes the first woman he's ever seen. I'm pretty ambivalent in regards to Ridley as an actress, feeling like while she was generally pretty endearing in The Force Awakens, she was pretty bland in the other two Star Wars sequel trilogy films. Here in Chaos Walking she is pretty atrocious. She and Holland have zero chemistry, which maybe is what they were going for since she constantly rebuffs him and acts continually confused by his bizarre behavior. There's a scene about an hour in where she and Holland are supposed to have a nice moment that is so unintentionally hilarious in its stupidity that it instantly earned its spot on the list. 4. BINGO HELL I honest to goodness have NO idea who this film was made for. A gore-filled horror fest starring senior citizens playing BINGO? Why did I watch this film? I do not have an answer for that, I really don't. Do I regret it with my whole soul? Yes. 3. SPACE JAM: A NEW LEGACY Is there a more spiritually bankrupt film than Space Jam: A New Legacy? If there is, I don't want to know about it. I'm pretty sure my whole soul left my body at some point while watching this film. It must have vacated the premises because it's hard to truly recollect all of the awfulness that occurred during its runtime. But what I do remember? A shameless constant tour through Warner Brothers' intellectual properties, as well as Don Cheadle playing an evil algorithm personified, is more than enough to place it so high on the list. 2. HOME SWEET HOME ALONE I will tell you that it was a real nailbiter picking the #1 spot and Home Sweet Home Alone just missed it by the teeniest amount. Home Sweet Home Alone is without a doubt, one of the worst legacy sequels/requels (reboot sequels) of any franchise ever. The ingredients of a Home Alone film are not hard to understand, but here it's like the filmmakers mixed up the salt with the sugar. While, yes, the home invasion traps are a necessary ingredient to any Home Alone film, no one wants to see the protagonists of these films tortured! The humor only comes from seeing people who deserve it get pummeled. Here, the incomprehensible decision is made to twist the formula so the story focuses on the pair who inevitably find themselves in the burglar role rather than showing it through the eyes of the kid in the Kevin role. Only this time, the "burglars" are completely innocent and only trying to get something back that was rightfully theirs to begin with. So naturally, they deserve to go through excruciating pain?? This was just a miss in every possible way and an embarrassment for all involved. 1. CINDERELLA It was really tough to choose between Home Sweet Home Alone and Cinderella in the top spot, but I think I was ultimately more entertained by how bad Home Sweet Home Alone was, whereas this was more just obnoxiously eye-rollingly bad. I get wanting to tell a modern retelling of a fairy tale (see A Cinderella Story), or to update your fairy tale to perhaps add some modern elements and make your heroine stronger (Cinderella 2015), but if you're telling a fairy tale story....please just keep it as a fairy tale instead of turning it into a girl boss story. Since this Cinderella is so concerned with the optics of updating the story to be progressive, it forgets that Cinderella is also a love story. Subsequently, it gives us a half-hearted attempt at romance that certainly makes that "happily ever after" incredibly underwhelming. But aside from all of that, the music is bad and the whole thing just comes off as completely uninspired. For a story that's been told so many times, with so many other wonderful versions that exist...I think this version of Cinderella was better left on the shelf.

In theaters now is The 355, a spy-thriller directed by Simon Kinberg featuring an incredibly strong cast (Jessica Chastain, Lupita N'yongo, Diane Kruger, Penelope Cruz, and Sebastian Stan). The trailer portrayed a fun, entertaining action-driven team-up film starring some of the best actresses working today. What we actually got...was something far more boring, and pedestrian. I'm sad to say it but, if you're looking for the blandest, most uninspired female-centric spy thriller, The 355 is just the movie for you. After a job goes wrong, CIA agent Mace (Jessica Chastain), goes rogue in order to seek the truth of what really happened. But she'll need some help from other international agents in order to succeed...and maybe they'll even take down the patriarchy while they're at it. It's not worth getting into the details any more than that, because the plot you witness in The 355 you've seen a hundred times before in other, better thrillers. I'm convinced that anyone who watches this film, in a week's time will have no memory of anything that happened here. On paper, this film had the potential to be good. In reality, it is a staggering misfire that is a waste of its fine cast's time and talents. It takes some real buffoonery to squander so much talent, but here we are as I sit here trying desperately to find more ways to describe how dull this movie was. Unfortunately, there's not much more to say than that because this film only inspires apathy, not passionate thought-provoking hatred. There is no more to discuss because there's simply nothing more to the film than its nothingness. RATING: 2/10