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Did you know that the owners of Panchayat house created a big issue for makers? - Exclusive

Raveena Tandon and daughter Rasha seek blessings from Mahakal: A spiritual journey

Hrithik Roshan, Sussanne Khan attend son Hrehaan's graduation ceremony - WATCH video

Kajol stuns in funky party outfit: The ultimate trendsetter

Aryan Khan's RARE laughter at Kolkata Knight Riders match wins hearts, Gauri Khan's reaction goes viral

Shah Rukh Khan’s wife Gauri Khan ensuring he wears the mask at IPL 2024 is winning the internet

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Barah x Barah

Marriage.com

Boonie Bears: Mumma Ki...

The Sabarmati Report

Desh Ke Gaddar

Visual stories.

Janhvi Kapoor transforms into a stunning Punjabi kudi in pink and yellow patiala suit

Kajal Aggarwal looks dazzling in her blue ethnic suit

Recap! Best dressed celebs at Anant Ambani and Radhika merchant first pre wedding celebration

​Shweta Tiwari's casual style diaries inspire everyday elegance​

Malavika Mohanan’s stunning pictures

Discovering the Charm of Preethi Asrani

Shruti Haasan's saree looks that will brighten your day

Sonalee Kulkarni's Best Ethnic Looks

Stunning pictures from Kani Kusruti’s Cannes journey

Filmfare Awards

National Awards

Oscar Awards

Zee Cine Awards

Golden Globe Awards

Srikanth box office: Rajkummar Rao starrer earns Rs 5.6 crore in its third weekend

Bhaiyya Ji Box Office: Manoj Bajpayee starrer earns Rs 5 crore over first weekend

Bhaiyya Ji box office collection day 2: Manoj Bajpayee starrer records a rise, earns Rs 2 crore

Srikanth box office collection: Rajkummar Rao starrer earns Rs 1.20 crore

Bhaiyya Ji box office collection day 1: Manoj Bajpayee starrer earns Rs 1.3 crore

Srikanth box office: Rajkummar Rao starrer earns over Rs 31 crore in two weeks

Animal Preview: Ranbir Kapoor and Sandeep Reddy Vanga are set to shake up the box office hierarchy

Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar

‘Kuttey’

'General Hospital' star Johnny Wactor killed in LA shooting

Shah Rukh Khan celebrates KKR's third IPL title win: Videos & pictures of SRK kissing Gauri, Gautam Gambhir, and greeting fans with signature pose take internet by storm

Naga Chaitanya's reaction to fans' celebrations during Samantha Ruth Prabhu & his wedding scene in 'Manam' is priceless

Pakistani actress Mahira Khan shares BTS dance video with Adnan Sami's son Azaan Sami Khan; trolls call her 'Besharam'

Malaika Arora reacts to Shah Rukh Khan's health crisis; fitness diva shares hydration tips

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan marks mother's birthday with Aaradhya, internet questions Abhishek Bachchan's absence

Kartam Bhugtam

Pyar Ke Do Naam

WOMB: Women Of My Billi...

Main Ladega

Luv You Shankar

Pagalariyaan

Konjam Pesinaal Yenna

Padikkadha Pakkangal

Inga Naan Thaan Kingu

Uyir Thamizhukku

Aa Okkati Adakku

Prasanna Vadanam

Paarijatha Parvam

Inti Number 13

Family Star

Tillu Square

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Sureshanteyum Sumalatha...

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Hide And Seek

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Shri Swapankumarer Bada...

Shinda Shinda No Papa

Sarabha: Cry For Freedo...

Zindagi Zindabaad

Maujaan Hi Maujaan

Chidiyan Da Chamba

White Punjab

Any How Mitti Pao

Gaddi Jaandi Ae Chalaan...

Buhe Bariyan

Swargandharva Sudhir Ph...

Naach Ga Ghuma

Juna Furniture

Alibaba Aani Chalishita...

Aata Vel Zaali

Shivrayancha Chhava

Devra Pe Manva Dole

Dil Ta Pagal Hola

Ittaa Kittaa

Jaishree Krishh

Bushirt T-shirt

Shubh Yatra

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English Movie Reviews

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The Beach Boys

Janelle Monae , Brian Wilson , Lindsey Buckingham , Ryan Tedder

24 May 2024 | 1 hr 53 mins

Yuki Yamada , Shotaro Mamiya , Amane Okayama

2 hrs 2 mins

Jennifer Lopez , Simu Liu , Sterling K. Brown , Abraham Popoola , Mark Strong , Lana Parrilla

24 May 2024 | 2 hrs 0 mins

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

Anya Taylor Joy , Chris Hemsworth , Tom Burke , Nathan Jones , Angus Sampson , Daniel Webber

24 May 2024 | 2 hrs 2 mins

Thelma The Unicorn

Brittany Howard , Will Forte , Jemaine Clement , Jon Heder , Fred Armisen , Zach Galifianakis

17 May 2024 | 1 hr 38 mins

The Three Musketeers - Part II: Milady

Francois Civil , Vincent Cassel , Romain Duris , Pio Marmai , Eva Green , Louis Garrel

17 May 2024 | 1 hr 54 mins

Featured in english.

Actors who got carried away while shooting intimate scenes

Selena receives 12 min standing ovation at Cannes

Did Travis give Taylor a love bite?- WATCH

Ryan's IF has a $55 mn global box office debut

Movie Review: IF - 3.5/5

Trailers music.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice - Official Trailer

Savi - Official Trailer

Chandu Champion - Official Trailer

Mr. & Mrs. Mahi - Official Trailer

Double Ismart - Official Telugu Teaser

A Quiet Place: Day One - Official Trailer

Savi: A Bloody Housewife - Official Teaser

Despicable Me 4 - Official Trailer

Coolie - Official Tamil Teaser

Deadpool & Wolverine - Official Trailer

Kalki 2898 - AD - Official Teaser

Transformers One - Official Trailer

Ulajh - Official Teaser

Main Ladega - Official Trailer

Srikanth - Official Trailer

Joker: Folie a Deux - Official Teaser

Lucky Baskhar - Official Telugu Teaser

Pushpa 2: The Rule - Official Teaser

Do Aur Do Pyaar - Official Trailer

Ruslaan - Official Trailer

Crew | Song - Khwabida

Munjya | Song - Taras

Ishq Vishk Rebound | Song - Soni Soni

Blackout | Song - Chitralekha

Pushpa 2: The Rule | Song - Angaaron (The Couple Song) (Anno...

Raat Abhi By Keshav Anand

Ishq Vishk Rebound | Song - Ishq Vishk Pyaar Vyaar

Devara Part - 1 | Song - Fear

Mr. & Mrs. Mahi | Song - Agar Ho Tum

Sabar By Zellix

Doriye By Varun Jain And Nikhita Gandhi

Roki Na By Goldie Sohel

2 Band Radio | Song - Man Kunto Maula

Mr. & Mrs. Mahi | Song - Dekhha Tenu

Ae Dil By Aryan BLive

Maidaan | Song - Jaane Do

Mann Nahi Jeene Ka By 100RBH

Mujhe Ishq Hai Tumse By Sagar Lalwani

Savi: A Bloody Housewife | Song - Humdum

Heeramandi | Song - Saiyaan Hatto Jaao

The Garfield Movie

Hannah Waddingham , Chris Pratt , Nicholas Hoult , Samuel L. Jackson , Brett Goldstein , Ving Rhames

17 May 2024 | 1 hr 41 mins

Ryan Reynolds , John Krasinski , Cailey Fleming , Steve Carell , Phoebe Waller Bridge , Louis Gossett Jr.

17 May 2024 | 1 hr 44 mins

The Boy And The Heron

Masaki Suda , Ko Shibasaki

2 hrs 4 mins

Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes

Owen Teague , Freya Allan , Kevin Durand , William H. Macy

10 May 2024 | 2 hrs 2 mins

Boonie Bears: Guardian Code

Bingjun Zhang , Wei Zhang , Xiao Tan

The Deep Dark

Samuel Le Bihan , Amir el Kacem , Thomas Soliveres

10 May 2024 | 1 hr 45 mins

Jerry Seinfeld , Melissa McCarthy , Jim Gaffigan , Hugh Grant , Amy Schumer , Max Greenfield , Christian Slater , James Marsden , Jack McBrayer , Thomas Lennon , Bobby Moynihan , Adrian Martinez

03 May 2024 | 1 hr 36 mins

Olwen Fouere , Avantika , Harriet Slater , Adain Bradley , Wolfgang Novogratz , Jacob Batalon

03 May 2024 | 1 hr 32 mins

Choi Min-sik , Kim Ga-eun , Lee Do-Hyun , Yoo Hai Jin

03 May 2024 | 2 hrs 16 mins

The Idea of You

Anne Hathaway , Nicholas Galitzine , Annie Mumolo , Ella Rubin , Reid Scott

02 May 2024 | 1 hr 55 mins

The Fall Guy

Ryan Gosling , Emily Blunt , Teresa Palmer , Aaron Taylor Johnson , Hannah Waddingham , Stephanie Hsu

03 May 2024 | 2 hrs 6 mins

Late Night With The Devil

David Dastmalchian , Laura Gordon , Ian Bliss , Fayssal Baazi , Ingrid Torelli

26 Apr 2024 | 1 hr 34 mins

Challengers

Zendaya , Mike Faist , Josh O Connor , Bryan Doo

26 Apr 2024 | 2 hrs 11 mins

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

Paul Rudd , Carrie Coon , Finn Wolfhard , Mckenna Grace , Kumail Nanjiani , Patton Oswalt , Celeste O'Connor , Dan Aykroyd , Annie Potts

26 Apr 2024 | 1 hr 55 mins

Alisha Weir , Melissa Barrera , Dan Stevens , William Catlett , Kathryn Newton , Kevin Durand , Angus Cloud , Giancarlo Esposito , Matthew Goode

26 Apr 2024 | 1 hr 50 mins

The Book Of Clarence

Lakeith Stanfield , David Oyelowo , Benedict Cumberbatch , James McAvoy , Babs Olusanmokun , Alfre Woodard , Anna Diop , Omar Sy , Micheal Ward , Marianne Jean-Baptiste , Caleb McLaughlin , RJ Cyler , Nicholas Pinnock , Tom Vaughan , Eric Kofi-Abrefa

2 hrs 9 mins

Kirsten Dunst , Wagner Moura , Cailee Spaeny , Stephen Henderson , Sonoya Mizuno , Jefferson White , Karl Glusman , Juani Feliz , Evan Lai

19 Apr 2024 | 1 hr 50 mins

City Hunter The Movie: Angel Dust

Akira Kamiya , Kazue Ikura , Mami Koyama , Tesshô Genda , Yôko Asagami

05 Apr 2024 | 1 hr 34 mins

Gillian Anderson , Billie Piper , Rufus Sewell , Keeley Hawes , Romola Garai , Amanda Redman , Connor Swindells

05 Apr 2024 | 1 hr 42 mins

The First Omen

Nell Tiger Free , Sonia Braga , Ralph Ineson , Bill Nighy , Maria Caballero , Charles Dance , Andrea Arcangeli , Tawfeek Barhom

05 Apr 2024 | 2 hrs 0 mins

Anthony Hopkins , Lena Olin , Johnny Flynn , Alex Sharp

05 Apr 2024 | 1 hr 49 mins

Love Lies Bleeding

Kristen Stewart , Katy O'Brian , Jena Malone , Anna Baryshnikov , Dave Franco

05 Apr 2024 | 1 hr 45 mins

Knox Goes Away

Michael Keaton , Al Pacino , James Marsden , Marcia Gay Harden , Ray McKinnon , Joanna Kulig

29 Mar 2024 | 1 hr 57 mins

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire

Rebecca Hall , Brian Tyree Henry , Dan Stevens , Alex Ferns

12 Apr 2024 | 2 hrs 2 mins

Adam Driver , Penelope Cruz , Shailene Woodley , Alessandro Cremona , Gabriel Leone

08 Mar 2024 | 2 hrs 10 mins

Chabak: Night Of Murder And Romance

Danny Ahn , Min-Chae Kim , Hong Kyoung-in

Arthur The King

Mark Wahlberg , Simu Liu , Juliet Rylance , Nathalie Emmanuel , Ali Suliman

15 Mar 2024 | 1 hr 30 mins

DeWanda Wise , Tom Payne , Betty Buckley , Taegen Burns , Pyper Braun , Veronica Falcón

22 Mar 2024 | 1 hr 44 mins

Jake Gyllenhaal , Daniela Melchior , Conor_McGregor , Billy Magnussen , B.K. Cannon , Joaquim de Almeida

21 Mar 2024 | 2 hrs 1 mins

Lindsay Lohan , Ed Speleers , Alexander Vlahos , Ayesha Curry , Jane Seymour

15 Mar 2024 | 1 hr 33 mins

Kung Fu Panda 4

Jack Black , Awkwafina , Viola Davis , Dustin Hoffman , Bryan Cranston , James Hong , Ian McShane , Ke Huy Quan , Lori Tan Chinn

To Kill A Tiger

10 mar 2024 | 2 hrs 7 mins.

Millie Bobby Brown , Ray Winstone , Robin Wright , Angela Bassett , Nick Robinson , Shohreh Aghdashloo

08 Mar 2024 | 1 hr 49 mins

All Of Us Strangers

Andrew Scott , Paul Mescal , Jamie Bell , Claire Foy

08 Mar 2024 | 1 hr 45 mins

The Color Purple

Taraji P. Henson , Danielle Brooks , Colman Domingo , Corey Hawkins , Fantasia Barrino

08 Mar 2024 | 2 hrs 23 mins

Ricky Stanicky

Zac Efron , Jermaine Fowler , john cena , William H. Macy , Andrew Santino

07 Mar 2024 | 1 hr 58 mins

Adam Sandler , Carey Mulligan , Paul Dano , Kunal Nayyar , Lena Olin , Isabella Rossellini

01 Mar 2024 | 1 hr 48 mins

May December

Natalie Portman , Charles Melton , Julianne Moore , Andrea Frankle

01 Mar 2024 | 1 hr 57 mins

Dune: Part Two

Florence Pugh , Austin Butler , Timothee Chalamet , Stellan Skarsgard , Zendaya , Rebecca Ferguson , Lea Seydoux , Josh Brolin , Javier Bardem , Dave Bautista , Christopher Walken , Charlotte Rampling , Stephen Henderson

01 Mar 2024 | 2 hrs 46 mins

American Fiction

Jeffrey Wright , Tracee Ellis Ross , Issa Rae , Sterling K. Brown

27 Feb 2024 | 1 hr 58 mins

Mukul Chadda , Rasika Dugal , Nikhil Desai , Asmit Pathare

1 hr 30 mins

Poor Things

Emma Stone , Mark Ruffalo , Ramy Youssef , Willem Dafoe , Christopher Abbott , Jerrod Carmichael , Margaret Qualley

27 Feb 2024 | 2 hrs 21 mins

The Zone Of Interest

Sandra Hüller , Christian Friedel , Ralph Herforth

01 Mar 2024 | 1 hr 47 mins

Kelly Rowland , Trevante Rhodes , Kerry O Malley , RonReaco Lee , Sean Sagar , Shannon Thornton , Nick Sagar

23 Feb 2024 | 2 hrs 0 mins

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IMDb Charts

Top rated english movies.

1. The Shawshank Redemption

2. The Godfather

3. The Dark Knight

4. The Godfather Part II

5. 12 Angry Men

6. Schindler's List

7. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

8. Pulp Fiction

9. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

10. Forrest Gump

11. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

12. Fight Club

13. Inception

14. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back

15. The Matrix

16. Goodfellas

17. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

18. Interstellar

19. It's a Wonderful Life

21. The Silence of the Lambs

22. Saving Private Ryan

23. Dune: Part Two

24. The Green Mile

25. Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope

26. Terminator 2: Judgment Day

27. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

28. Back to the Future

29. The Pianist

31. Gladiator

32. The Lion King

33. Léon: The Professional

34. The Departed

35. American History X

36. The Prestige

37. Whiplash

38. Casablanca

39. The Usual Suspects

40. Modern Times

41. Rear Window

43. Django Unchained

44. Apocalypse Now

45. Memento

47. Raiders of the Lost Ark

48. Witness for the Prosecution

49. Sunset Boulevard

50. Paths of Glory

51. Avengers: Infinity War

52. The Great Dictator

53. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

54. The Shining

56. The Dark Knight Rises

57. Inglourious Basterds

59. Avengers: Endgame

60. Amadeus

61. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

63. Braveheart

64. American Beauty

65. Toy Story

66. Good Will Hunting

67. Once Upon a Time in America

68. Singin' in the Rain

69. Requiem for a Dream

70. Oppenheimer

71. Hamilton

72. Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi

73. Toy Story 3

74. The Apartment

75. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

76. 2001: A Space Odyssey

77. Double Indemnity

78. Lawrence of Arabia

79. Reservoir Dogs

80. North by Northwest

81. Citizen Kane

82. Scarface

83. Vertigo

84. To Kill a Mockingbird

86. The Sting

87. Judgment at Nuremberg

88. Full Metal Jacket

89. A Clockwork Orange

91. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

92. Die Hard

94. The Kid

96. L.A. Confidential

97. All About Eve

98. Taxi Driver

99. Some Like It Hot

100. The Father

101. The Wolf of Wall Street

102. Batman Begins

103. Green Book

104. Top Gun: Maverick

105. Shutter Island

106. The Truman Show

107. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre

108. There Will Be Blood

109. Casino

110. Jurassic Park

111. The Sixth Sense

112. Unforgiven

113. A Beautiful Mind

114. The Thing

115. The Great Escape

116. No Country for Old Men

117. Kill Bill: Vol. 1

118. Monty Python and the Holy Grail

119. Gone with the Wind

120. Dial M for Murder

121. The Elephant Man

122. Finding Nemo

123. Prisoners

125. Chinatown

126. V for Vendetta

127. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels

128. The Bridge on the River Kwai

129. Spider-Man: No Way Home

130. Raging Bull

131. Inside Out

132. Warrior

133. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

134. Trainspotting

135. Barry Lyndon

136. To Be or Not to Be

137. Catch Me If You Can

138. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

140. Ben-Hur

141. Gran Torino

142. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

143. The Best Years of Our Lives

144. Before Sunrise

145. In the Name of the Father

146. Million Dollar Baby

147. On the Waterfront

148. Hacksaw Ridge

149. Blade Runner

150. 12 Years a Slave

151. Mary and Max

152. The Grand Budapest Hotel

153. Dead Poets Society

154. The Third Man

155. Gone Girl

156. The Deer Hunter

157. Mad Max: Fury Road

158. How to Train Your Dragon

159. Monsters, Inc.

160. Ford v Ferrari

162. Ratatouille

163. The Grapes of Wrath

164. The Red Shoes

165. All Quiet on the Western Front

168. The Big Lebowski

169. Hotel Rwanda

171. Paper Moon

172. Hachi: A Dog's Tale

173. Network

174. Before Sunset

175. Spotlight

176. Platoon

177. The Sound of Music

178. It Happened One Night

179. The Terminator

181. Rebecca

182. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

183. The Exorcist

184. The Wizard of Oz

185. Stand by Me

186. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

187. Paris, Texas

188. Cool Hand Luke

189. Into the Wild

190. The Iron Giant

191. Inherit the Wind

192. The Incredibles

193. Ace in the Hole

194. White Heat

195. The Help

196. Groundhog Day

197. Scent of a Woman

198. Dances with Wolves

199. Gandhi

200. Beauty and the Beast

201. Aladdin

202. Life of Brian

203. Guardians of the Galaxy

204. Roman Holiday

205. Kill Bill: Vol. 2

206. Dog Day Afternoon

209. A Woman Under the Influence

210. Song of the Sea

211. The Princess Bride

213. Rosemary's Baby

214. Anatomy of a Murder

215. Donnie Darko

216. Slumdog Millionaire

217. Brief Encounter

218. The Shop Around the Corner

219. La La Land

221. The Imitation Game

222. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

223. Casino Royale

224. The Avengers

225. What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?

226. The Bourne Ultimatum

227. Magnolia

228. Black Swan

229. The Message

230. Rain Man

231. The Martian

232. The King's Speech

233. The Pursuit of Happyness

234. The Legend of 1900

235. Sin City

236. Dogville

237. Secrets & Lies

238. Kind Hearts and Coronets

239. Zootopia

240. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

241. Blade Runner 2049

242. Planet of the Apes

243. The Straight Story

244. The Graduate

245. Sweet Smell of Success

246. The Night of the Hunter

247. Papillon

248. 12 Monkeys

249. Blood Diamond

250. Sling Blade

More to explore, top box office (us), most popular movies, imdb top 250 movies, most popular tv shows, top 250 tv shows, lowest rated movies, most popular celebs.

• by Rebecca Rubin
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Top Rated Movies by Genre

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Best Movies of 2021

Even when a film wasn’t great, filmgoing was. But there were some truly wonderful releases, ranging from music docs and musicals to westerns and the just plain weird.

• Share full article

By A.O. Scott and Manohla Dargis

A.O. Scott | Manohla Dargis

The 10 best arguments for the importance of movies.

This year, it felt to me as if every good movie was also an argument for why movies matter. There is a lot of anxiety, pandemic-related and otherwise, about what the future of the art form might look like. Will everything be streaming except a handful of I.P.-driven spectacles? Will streaming platforms (and their subscribers) be receptive to daring, difficult, obnoxious or esoteric work? Anyone who claims to know the answers is a fool. What I can tell you for sure is that these 10 movies, and the 11 that almost made the list, do what they can to resist the dishonesty, complacency and meanness currently rampant around the world. They reward your attention, engage your feelings and respect your intelligence. Every little bit helps.

1. ‘ Summer of Soul ’ (Questlove)

This documentary about a series of open-air concerts in Harlem in 1969, interweaving stunning performance footage with interviews with musicians and audience members, is a shot of pure joy. The lineup is a pantheon of Black genius, including Stevie Wonder, Sly Stone, the Staple Singers, Mahalia Jackson and many more. But the film is more than a time capsule: It’s a history lesson and an argument for why art matters — and what it can do — in times of conflict and anxiety. ( Streaming on Hulu . )

2. ‘ Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn ’ (Radu Jude)

From its hard-core opening to its riotous conclusion, this category-defying Romanian film captures the desperate, angry, exhausted mood of the present almost too well. A Bucharest schoolteacher (the brilliant, fearless Katia Pascariu) finds her job endangered after a sex tape she made with her husband goes semiviral. Meanwhile, the Covid pandemic and simmering culture-war hostilities turn everyday life into a theater of grievance and anxiety. Holding everything together — barely — is the abrasive intellectualism of Jude’s direction and the earnest rage that fuels his mockery. (In theaters.)

3. ‘ The Power of the Dog ’ (Jane Campion)

There are a lot of talented, competent, interesting filmmakers working today. Then there is Jane Campion, who practices cinema on a whole different level. The craft in evidence in this grand, big-sky western — the images, the music, the counterpointed performances of Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons and Kodi Smit-McPhee — evoke the best traditions of old-style Hollywood storytelling. But there is nothing staid or conventional in the way Campion tackles Thomas Savage’s novel of jealousy, power and sexual intrigue. (Streaming on Netflix .)

4. ‘Petite Maman’ (Céline Sciamma)

The death of a grandmother, the grief of a parent, the acquisition of a new friend — these ordinary experiences, occurring over a few weeks in the life of an 8-year-old girl, provide the basic narrative structure of this spare, perfect film. Whether it’s best described as a modern-dress fairy tale, a psychological ghost story or a low-tech time travel fantasy is up to you. What’s certain is that the performances of Joséphine and Gabrielle Sanz, real-life twins playing possibly imaginary friends, have a clarity and purity that Sciamma (“Portrait of a Lady on Fire”) deploys for maximum emotional impact. (Coming to theaters.)

5. ‘ Bring Your Own Brigade ’ (Lucy Walker)

This harrowing documentary about California wildfires is also, almost by accident, an exploration of the country’s polarized, chaotic, self-defeating response to the Covid pandemic. The picture Walker paints is complicated, partly because that’s the way people are: stupid, generous, reckless and brave. The movie is hardly optimistic, but its open-mindedness, compassion and intellectual rigor provide a buffer against despair. ( Paramount+ )

6. ‘ Bergman Island ’ (Mia Hansen-Love)

In a year when rumors of the death of moviegoing spread along with all the other bad news, it was delightful to encounter this warm, wry, emotionally savvy exploration of movie love, moviemaking and movie-centered tourism. Two filmmakers travel to Faro, a Swedish island where Ingmar Bergman lived and worked, and discover either that movies are life, or that there’s more to life than movies. (For rent on most major platforms .)

7. ‘ Drive My Car ’ (Ryusuke Hamaguchi)

A theater artist (Hidetoshi Nishijima), recently widowed, travels to Hiroshima to direct an experimental version of Chekhov’s “Uncle Vanya.” A young woman (Toko Miura), also stricken by loss, is hired as his driver. Out of this scenario — and out of Haruki Murakami’s novella — Hamaguchi builds an understated, multilayered meditation on the complexities of human connection. The spirit of Chekhov hovers in the background and is honored by the film’s unsentimental, compassionate regard for its characters. (In theaters.)

8. ‘Memoria’ (Apichatpong Weerasethakul)

Weerasethakul’s movies defy summary or easy categorization. To describe them as dreamlike is incomplete, since you never know who is doing the dreaming. In this case, it might be Jessica (Tilda Swinton), a Scottish expatriate living in Colombia. Or it might be alien visitors, the filmmaker, the Earth or time itself. What is certain is that this film sharpens the senses and activates emotions that are no less powerful for being impossible to name. (Coming to theaters.)

9. ‘ West Side Story ’ (Steven Spielberg)

Somehow, Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner — and an energetic young cast of Jets and Sharks — pulled off a surprising cinematic coup. Respecting the artistry and good intentions of the original stage musical, they turned it into something urgent, modern and exciting. There’s a lot to unpack in the movie’s gestures of reverence and revisionism, but mostly there are big emotions, memorable songs and an unabashed faith that sincerity will always be stronger than cynicism. (Coming to theaters.)

10. ‘ The Velvet Underground ’ (Todd Haynes)

Like “Summer of Soul,” this documentary revisits the music of the 1960s in a spirit that is more historical than nostalgic. Rather than assemble present-day musicians to pay tribute to their forebears, Haynes concentrates on the Velvets in their moment and on the artistic scene that spawned them. In particular, he focuses on their connections to the experimental cinema that flourished in New York, work that inspires his own visceral, cerebral, visually dense style of storytelling. (Streaming on Apple TV+ .)

“Annette” (Leos Carax), “The Disciple” (Chaitanya Tamhane), “Flee” (Jonas Poher Rasmussen), “The Green Knight” (David Lowery), “The Hand of God” (Paolo Sorrentino), “King Richard” (Reinaldo Marcus Green), “Mogul Mowgli” (Bassam Tariq), “Parallel Mothers” (Pedro Almodóvar), “Passing” (Rebecca Hall), “El Planeta” (Amalia Ulman), “The Souvenir Part II” (Joanna Hogg), “Spencer” (Pablo Larraín), “The Tragedy of Macbeth” (Joel Coen).

MANOHLA DARGIS

The Best Film Was One in a Theater

In July, I watched one of the most mediocre movies that I’ve seen this year — and it was glorious. After more than 16 months of streaming at home, I went to a theater to watch Matt Damon sing the white-guy blues in “Stillwater.” The movie was poky and trite and irritating, and I reviewed it accordingly. And while I regretted it wasn’t better, I was still grateful because it sent me back to theaters, big screens and other moviegoers.

Those other people admittedly did give me pause. They were masked, well, most were, kind of, but could I be safe and feel at ease with these people for two or so hours? I was vaxed and masked but also still navigating being back in the world. But the room was great, the screen huge, and I decided that I could — though first I had to tell a guy near me that, yes, he did need to wear the mask he’d parked on his chin. He put it on. I settled in, back in the place that makes me supremely happy: I was at the movies.

Since then, I have watched many more new releases in person, including at two festivals where I gorged like a famished person (so many thanks to both the Toronto International Film Festival and the New York Film Festival). I had spent the first part of the year on book leave, and while I’d streamed plenty of new and old films then (hello, Marie Dressler!), I missed going out ( anywhere ). I missed really, really big bright images and I missed the rituals, including the quick search for the most perfect seat and the anticipatory wait for the movie to begin, for someone to hit the lights and start the show.

Movie critics tend to write about movies as discrete entities. Even when writing about franchise copies of franchise copies, we often stick to the object. Although we sometimes share how a movie makes us feel (happy, sad), we rarely write about the true depth of our experiences as we watched these movies — how it felt as the images flowed off the screen and into our bodies and memories — and how this too affected us. There are a lot of reasons for this, including reviewing conventions, which tend to measure movies by certain, traditionally prescribed, often literary and commercial values: Was it a good story, did it say something, is it worth leaving the house for, worth spending money on?

It’s a given that money is always part of the equation, as much of the discussion around the future of moviegoing underscores. Most of the chatter about moviegoing these days often devolves into journalists and industry types parroting the logic of capitalism, i.e., whatever industry power dictates. Netflix and other big streamers have had a huge impact, no question, and we can chat about what it all means in a few years. But whatever the rationalization, the reasons there’s so much intense focus on Netflix and Disney is their monopolistic grip not simply on the entertainment industry but also on the hive mind of the mainstream media. But there are other considerations, as well.

So, yes, more people will likely watch “The Power of the Dog,” the latest from Jane Campion, than any other film in her decades-long career because it’s on Netflix. But what matters is the movie. And you should watch it whether at home or, if you can, in a theater. It looks beautiful no matter the size of the screen. But I’m grateful that I’ve seen it several times projected in theaters. For starters, I could focus on it rather than the distractions of my home, but mostly I could more fully experience the monumentality of its images, could feel on a profound, visceral level both the claustrophobia of its shadowy interiors and the liberating, heart-clutching boundlessness of its open landscapes.

Like all the movies I love, “The Power of the Dog” got under my skin. I watched it, fell into it, felt it. And like all the movies I care most about, it is far more than the sum of its finely shaped story parts. I admire its narrative ebb and flow, but the movie’s meaning extends beyond its chapter breaks and dialogue. In Campion’s aerial shots of an arid, lonely land and in the anguished close-ups — in backlighted bristles of horsehair and in the rhythmic rocking of a strand of braided leather on a man’s body — she sets loose a cascade of associations. You see Benedict Cumberbatch , who plays its tormented villain, and in his strut you also see John Wayne, Gary Cooper, Clint Eastwood. You see the sweep of the western genre, the men and women you know, the world you live in.

1. ‘ Drive My Car ’ (Ryusuke Hamaguchi)

A masterpiece about life and death and art from one of the most exhilarating directors to hit the international film scene in a long while, “Drive My Car” draws from theater and literature — a splash of “Waiting for Godot” but mostly “Uncle Vanya” and the Murakami short story that gives the movie its title — to create a work of pure cinema. (In theaters.)

2. ‘ The Power of the Dog ’ (Jane Campion)

Much has rightly been made of Benedict Cumberbatch’s powerful performance as a malignant force named Phil in Campion’s latest. Much more should be said about how delicately and beautifully Kirsten Dunst , as Rose, holds the movie’s moral center with a gutting performance that shows you how brutally optimism can both die and be reborn. (Streaming on Netflix .)

3. ‘ The Velvet Underground ’ (Todd Haynes)

Everything comes together in Todd Haynes’s superb testament to a lost world that helped make our own: the music and art, the drugs and ideas, Lou Reed and John Cale, Andy Warhol and Jonas Mekas, the beauty and ugliness, the affordable New York housing and the artistic freedom that cheap rents allowed, the droning and strobing and darkening shadows that swallowed people whole. It’s all here. Watch it — play it — loud . (Streaming on Apple TV+ .)

4. ‘ Summer of Soul ’ (Questlove)

There’s much to love in Questlove’s documentary about a New York concert that took place in the summer of 1969, most obviously the music that takes you higher. But consider too the formal design and rigor, and how the movie contracts and expands in time with the onstage call and response, how Questlove narrows in on a moment of beauty — a soaring note, a sliding foot, a beaming face — only to gracefully expand your horizons as he dialogues with the past, the present and the possible future. (Streaming on Hulu .)

5. ‘ Passing ’ (Rebecca Hall)

Set in the 1920s, Hall’s exquisite heart-wrencher centers on two African American women, friends from childhood, who can and do present as white. One (Tessa Thompson’s Irene) will pass for convenience, as when she enters a racially restricted hotel, while the other (Ruth Negga’s Clare) lives as white. Separately and together, with yearning and dueling looks, they negotiate the color line, which W.E.B. Du Bois called “the problem of the 20th century” and that still stubbornly defines and divides this country. (Streaming on Netflix .)

6. ‘ Azor ’ (Andreas Fontana)

With chilled detachment and meticulous control, this shocking drama tracks a Swiss banker and his wife on a seemingly routine business trip through Argentina in 1980. As they travel about, the juxtaposition between the bourgeois homes they visit and the ever-present military creates an increasingly unnerving tension, culminating in a shattering finale. Here, every polite smile and bland pleasantry is in service to a world of evil. (Streaming on Mubi .)

7. ‘ The Card Counter ’ (Paul Schrader)

For decades, Schrader has been telling his favorite story — that of a man alone in a room, alone in his head — to greater and lesser if always interesting effect. Now, with Oscar Isaac, Tiffany Haddish and Willem Dafoe, Schrader tells that tale again, getting into your head with feeling, some scattershot politics, horrific violence and auteurist confidence. (Available on most major platforms )

8. ‘ The Disciple ’ (Chaitanya Tamhane)

Every so often, the title character, a Hindustani classical singer (Aditya Modak), rides through the dark night, the voice of a musical guru filling the air and stirring your soul. Our young singer yearns for greatness, but as the years pass and practice never quite makes perfect, the divide between aspiration and reality grows impossibly wider. In a year of wonderful soundtracks, this is the one that soars highest. (Streaming on Netflix .)

9. ‘ Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy ’ (Ryusuke Hamaguchi)

This movie, the other of Hamaguchi’s to receive an American release this year, is split into three intricate stories that turn on chance and were, he has said, inspired by Eric Rohmer. Not all of the parts work equally well, but all have moments of beauty and grace along with amazing, complex rivers of words. By the time a character rests a hand on her heart in a rush of feeling, you may find yourself doing the same. (In theaters)

10. ‘ Spencer ’ (Pablo Larraín)

Larraín’s atmospherically perfect (and creepy) drama is at once a blistering takedown of the British monarchy, a blazing psychological portrait and a queasily funny Gothic horror freak-out. If you’re still chuckling and sometimes weeping over that soap opera called “The Crown,” this may wipe off your smile — or just make you roar with laughter. (Available on most major platforms .)

“ Bring Your Own Brigade ” (a smart, cleareyed, solution-oriented documentary about the climate crisis that won’t leave you curled up in a ball sobbing); “ Dune ” (yeah, I know, but I dug this immersive big-screen spectacle, the sort Hollywood rarely produces today); “ The Electrical Life of Louis Wain ” (part of this year’s Benedict Cumberbatch wave and a must-see for animal lovers or, really, anyone with a beating heart); “ Faya Dayi” (a gorgeous dream to slip into); “ The First Wave ” (a moving, intelligent, deeply human documentary on the pandemic); “ In the Same Breath ” (a tough, compassionate look at the pandemic via China); “ Licorice Pizza ” (especially the truck sequence — I could watch two hours of that amazingly directed, staged and choreographed camera-and-wheel work); “ Prayers for the Stolen ” (stirring and upsetting); “ Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time ” (a gorgeous labyrinth); “ Stillwater ” (eh, it isn’t good but it brought me back into theaters); “ The Truffle Hunters ” (a touching lament for rapidly disappearing communities and traditions); “ The Woman Who Ran” (elegant, wry, touching cinematic serialism).

An earlier version of this article misstated the name of an act. They are the Staple Singers, not the Staples Singers. 

How we handle corrections

A.O. Scott is a co-chief film critic. He joined The Times in 2000 and has written for the Book Review and The New York Times Magazine. He is also the author of “Better Living Through Criticism.” More about A.O. Scott

Manohla Dargis has been the co-chief film critic since 2004. She started writing about movies professionally in 1987 while earning her M.A. in cinema studies at New York University, and her work has been anthologized in several books. More about Manohla Dargis

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Best Movies of 2024: Best New Movies to Watch Now

Welcome to our guide of the Best Movies of 2024, featuring every Certified Fresh movie as they come in week by week!

May  additions so far: Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes . Upgraded . The Last Stop in Yuma County . The Fall Guy . The Three Musketeers: Part II – Milady . The Idea of You . Hit Man . 

Horror had an unexpectedly strong month in April , with Universal monster movie Abigail , Nic Cage action-hybrid Arcadian , The First Omen reviving the dormant franchise, and indies I Saw the TV Glow ,  Blackout , and  Infested . A24 had their first #1 box office-debuting film with the heated Civil War . Zendaya continued her Certified Fresh streak with Challengers , and Dev Patel made a major directorial debut with Monkey Man ,  which had its own long journey to go from being dumped on Netflix to theatrical major studio distribution.  Nowhere Special   becomes the highest-rated movie of the year.

In March : Love Lies Bleeding and Problemista , both from A24 . One Life , starring Anthony Hopkins. Ordinary Angels , starring Hilary Swank. In horror, we got You’ll Never Find Me and  Late Night with the Devil , the latter which also tops our best horror of 2024 list . Dialogue-free animation Robot Dreams and Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World jockeying for the top spot here.

And what about February ? Dune pretty good, thanks for asking. Part Two went Certified Fresh within an hour after the reviews embargo lifted on February 21st. With it outclassing the first Dune , we took a look at 20 sequels that got better Tomatometer scores than their originals . Otherwise, things got freaky with horror film Stopmotion and the comic zaniness of Hundreds of Beavers taking the crown for the best-reviewed of the year.

We didn’t have a blockbuster January like we did in 2023 ‘s, when genre surprises M3GAN and Plane went Certified Fresh. But Daisy Ridley got her post-Skywalker win with Sometimes I Think About Dying . Mads Mikkelsen re-teamed with his A Royal Affair director Nikolaj Arcel to find The Promised Land. With The Crime Is Mine , Francois Ozon is getting career-best reviews, and his 10th Certified Fresh film over the past decade-and-change. And Netflix scored with The Kitchen , Orion and the Dark , and Good Grief .

Nowhere Special (2020) 100%

LaRoy, Texas (2023) 100%

Robot Dreams (2023) 99%

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Hit Man (2023) 98%

Hundreds of Beavers (2022) 96%

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We Grown Now (2023) 93%

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Stopmotion (2023) 90%

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The Kitchen (2023) 89%

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I Saw the TV Glow (2024) 84%

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English (Reviews)

Never Mind the Bollocks Plot of ‘The English.’ This Show Is All About the Acting

By Alan Sepinwall

Alan Sepinwall

In the final days of 2014, my wife and I both came down with a nasty case of the flu. Unable to do much but alternately shiver and sweat in bed together, we attempted to distract ourselves with a miniseries I had heard good things about earlier in the year: The Honourable Woman . Written and directed by Hugo Blick, the thriller starred Maggie Gyllenhaal as an Anglo-Jewish businesswoman caught up in a web of intrigue that involved, among other things, a kidnapping, Israeli intelligence officers, and, I think, fiber optic cables? To be honest, while we loved Gyllenhaal’s performance, along with the sense of mounting tension and the visual style, we had a lot of trouble following the plot, frequently pausing episodes to ask each other exactly what was happening. We just couldn’t tell if this was a side effect of our temporary delirium, or a flaw in Blick’s storytelling.

The experience of watching The English while healthy, though, proved roughly the same as bingeing The Honourable Woman from a sick bed. Blunt is fantastic, as are many of her co-stars. The whole thing looks gorgeous, and it has some thoughtful variations on Blick’s pet theme about what happens when people from one culture get mixed up in the affairs of another. But despite a seemingly straightforward revenge plot, its storytelling frequently turns too complicated for its own good.

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As the menacing Mr. Watts (Ciaran Hinds) — the first of many threats standing between Cornelia and her final target — puts it, she is “Not quite the woman I expected.”

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But this turns out to be a Trojan Horse situation where the horse winds up being more useful than the soldiers hiding inside it. Blunt and Spencer are just so charismatic, both together and in the stretches of the season when they are separated, that the show’s loftier ambitions begin to feel besides the point. Blick and cinematographer Arnau Valls Colomer also place their two leads into a series of gorgeous compositions. (Sometimes, it’s literally painterly, like making Cornelia appear to be in a watercolor as she arrives at Watts’ place, or turning Cornelia and Eli’s discussion of constellations into something very much meant to evoke Van Gogh’s Starry Night .) The whole thing is great to look at.

It is also, though, a great headache to follow much of the time. While many of the supporting players are colorfully drawn and well played by the likes of Guerrero or (as a frightening bandit queen with a very specific grudge against indigenous people) Nichola McAuliffe, it becomes challenging in a hurry to keep track of everyone’s true motivations — or, at times, even how Cornelia or Eli get from one point of the story to the next. While many streaming shows suffer from not having enough story to fill the allotted episodes, The English often plays as if Blick wrote 12 episodes, then had to squeeze everything into half that, not always gracefully.

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Blick remains a fascinating filmmaker. I would just like to see him try to make something that doesn’t require a Carrie Mathison conspiracy board to fully comprehend.

All six episodes of The English premiere Nov. 11 on Amazon Prime Video. I’ve seen the entire season.

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Film review: english vinglish.

Indian screen legend Sridevi triumphs in a gentle, but affecting, story of a woman’s awakening self-respect.

By Lisa Tsering

Lisa Tsering

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English Vinglish Still - H 2012

Fans of Indian cinema need no introduction to Sridevi , the star of more than 200 movies: admired for her sparkling comic timing, dancing prowess and acting chops, “Sri” ruled the marquee from the mid-‘70s to the early ‘90s before settling down to raise two daughters with her husband, producer Boney Kapoor .

It took a very special project indeed to lure this very special talent back to the big screen, and English Vinglish is it.

The Bottom Line Indian screen legend Sridevi triumphs in a gentle, but affecting, story of a woman’s awakening self-respect.

Directed and written by Gauri Shinde , the film depicts the transformation of Shashi, a meek, put-upon Indian housewife who speaks only Hindi, into a confident citizen of the world, over the length of a four-week crash course in English.

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The Eros release, which enjoyed acclaim (and according to reports, a standing ovation) at the Toronto International Film Festival, is up against strong competition from the satire Oh My God and India’s foreign language Oscar submission, Barfi! , but its universal message — conveyed with wit and heart — is persuasive enough to draw a sizable audience nevertheless. Indeed, a recent San Francisco Bay Area screening found the audience packed with families and young children, a heartening prospect given the film’s positive message encouraging diversity and tolerance.

STORY: India Chooses ‘Barfi!’ for Oscars Foreign-Language Entry

Shashi is a dedicated mother and gifted cook, the wife of a busy executive in the western Indian city of Pune. Her laddoos (a golden, sweet snack ball) earn raves and she even runs a small catering business, but her family treats her like a servant. Her teenaged daughter treats her with contempt, while the casually masked cruelty of her husband’s words ( Adil Hussain ) cut her to the core: “My wife was born to make laddoos!” he gloats.

When Shashi is called upon to fly to New York City — solo — to help her sister arrange a niece’s wedding, she is terrified (look for Amitabh Bachchan in a short, but memorable, scene onboard her flight). Once in New York, the Hindi-speaking Shashi is faced with ever-mounting humiliations, in a series of beautifully mounted, yet squirm-inducing scenes.

It is at this point that Shashi realizes that her lack of English skills is holding her back, and so when she spies an ad for an English class on a passing city bus, she decides to sneak out of her relatives’ house and navigate New York City’s subways and buses to get there.

Her fellow international students include a Pakistani cab driver, a South Indian engineer, a Mexican nanny and a smitten French man ( Mehdi Nabbou ), also a cook, who tastes her laddoos and tells her, “You are an artist.” Shashi retorts, “When a man cooks, it’s an art. When a woman cooks, it’s just her duty.”

It’s no surprise that by the end of the film, Shashi will conquer her fears, but the route Shinde takes to get her there is distinctively Shashi’s. The image of the newly confident Shashi striding down a Manhattan street, a takeout coffee in hand and a trench coat belted over her sari, will make you smile days after you leave the theater.

There is a growing body of work that shows Indian female characters flexing their muscles: Gurinder Chadha ’s Bend It Like Beckham ; Deepa Mehta ’s Water ; the late Jagmohan Mundhra ’s Provoked: A True Story , starring Aishwarya Rai ; and Amol Palekar ’s Anaahat/Eternity , starring Sonali Bendre , spring to mind. And the work of Indian female filmmakers like Chadha, Mehta, Mira Nair and most recently Zoya Akhtar ( Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara ) is always worth a look.

With English Vinglish , female director Shinde — known for her documentaries and commercials — brings her own lifetime of experience into the picture. “It is my way of saying ‘Sorry’ and ‘Thank you’ to my mother, and a tribute to women,” Shinde writes in the film’s press notes.

Ultimately, what make English Vinglish memorable are the small, step-by-step choices Shashi makes to transforms herself. Yes, there’s grit there, but it’s tempered with compassion and dignity. The way the character has been crafted by Shinde, and interpreted by Sridevi, is gloriously feminine, and uniquely Indian.

Cast: Sridevi, Adil Hussain, Mehdi Nabbou, Priya Anand, Neelu Sodhi, Cory Hibbs, Sulabha Deshpande

Director: Gauri Shinde

Screenwriter: Gauri Shinde

Producers: R. Balki, Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, R.K. Mani, Anil Lulla

Director of photography: Laxman Utekar

Costume designer: Vera Chow

Production designer: Mustafa Stationwala

Sound designer: Resul Pookutty

Editor: Hemanti Sarkar

Music: Amit Trivedi

Lyrics: Swanand Kirkire

Not rated, 129 minutes 

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Stream It Or Skip It: ‘The English’ On Prime Video, Where Emily Blunt Plays A Woman In The Wild West Looking For Revenge

Where to stream:.

• The English
• Emily Blunt

New Movies on Streaming: 'Civil War,' 'The Fall Guy,' + More

Dwayne johnson is unrecognizable as mma fighter mark kerr in a24 biopic 'the smashing machine', stream it or skip it: ‘the fall guy’ on digital, a spirited and funny ryan gosling/emily blunt actionstravaganza, 'the fall guy' comes to digital, but when will 'the fall guy' be streaming on peacock.

Has a Western  ever been told from the perspective of someone visiting it from aristocratic Europe? Probably, but not often enough to remember. Which is why the conceit behind  The English , created by Hugo Blick, is so intriguing. It helps that the star is the ever-appealing Emily Blunt.

THE ENGLISH : STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

Opening Shot: As a woman looks at the sunrise, she says in voice over, “Without you, I’d have been killed right from the start. That’s how we met. That’s why we met.”

The Gist: After scenes that show pictures of an aristocratic Englishwoman posing with a Pawnee native, among other views, we flash back to 1890, “Thirteen Years Before.”

As we see some soldiers shot a Pawnee native as a way to get revenge for one of their own being killed years earlier, Eli Whipp (Chaske Spencer), a cavalry scout who happens to be Pawnee, comes on the scene and cools down tensions. While the natives there think he’s a traitor for being in the army, it seems that the other soldiers revere him. He tells one of them that, now that he’s retiring from the army, he’s going to use the Homestead Act to find himself a plot of land.

A few days later, Lady Cornelia Locke (Emily Blunt), a British aristocrat, stops at a ramshackle hotel in the middle of nowhere on the Western frontier. The proprietor, Richard M. Watts (Ciarán Hinds), greets her and explains to her that the native that’s been roped up near the livestock got there because he politely came into the hotel for a drink. Eli is that native, and it doesn’t matter if he was a soldier or not; without his uniform on, he’s now one of “them”.

She offers Watts money to cut Eli down, clean him up and send him on his way. He does send him out with stagecoach driver Sebold Cusk (Toby Jones), and Eli’s abilities come in handy when the coach is intercepted by three men intent on robbing it, but Cusk ends up getting shot, leading Eli to take the horses and ride them back to the hotel in order to get some payback.

Cornelia is in this backwater because she wants to track down and kill the man who she feels is responsible for the death of her son. She finds out pretty quickly that Watts has been contracted by that man to kill her. Of course, that doesn’t mean that Watts isn’t going to draw things out and enjoy himself first. Eli intervenes, though, and gets that payback he wanted, and also gets the bag with the medicine he needs for him and his family.

That night, after dispatching Watts’ henchmen, Cornelia literally begs Eli to help her get to the county where she can get revenge on the man she’s looking for. He finally agrees, but promises her that the journey is going to be a bloody one, and she needs to be ready for it.

What Shows Will It Remind You Of? The English reminds us of the  Yellowstone prequel  1883 , as well as  Walker: Independence , just told from a different perspective.

Our Take: The perspective we talk about above is twofold. The main perspective is Cornelia’s; coming from aristocratic England to the American West in those frontier days must be a shock to the system for her. And Hugo Blick, who wrote and directed The English , certainly has a British point of view himself. The way he is looking at that era is from the perspective of someone who can’t believe the lawlessness that pervades the region, and the idea that you’ll have to kill people in order to survive.

It’s definitely an interesting viewpoint, albeit one that plays out very slowly in the first episode. There’s a reason why Cornelia, who believes that the fact that she and Eli met and survived the dire situation they were in was magic or at the very least fate, wants him as her guide. He’s seen things, as he explains: “I’ve seen villages razed and razed them myself: Men, women and children, shot, stick, cut, hung. I’ve seen Hell and I’ve made Hell.” He knows that there will be a reckoning for it, but the willingness to be both hero and villain is the only way he was able to survive.

That’s the other perspective at play in  The English , and perhaps the one that’s more fascinating. Eli is a native who joined the army, the very entity that has been killing and displacing his tribe and others over most of his life. He says a Baptist gave him the white name “Eli Whipp” because he was good with a rope. He’s seen what white settlers have done to decimate tribes all over the west. But he also has the rare loyalty of his fellow soldiers. It’s a viewpoint that’s quite unique, and one we hope Blick explores more in depth as the season goes on.

As we mentioned, Blick’s direction definitely lets dialogue and scenery breathe; there are long pauses between statements, and he even languishes on the act of Watts eating and serving Cornelia “prairie oysters”, which are most assuredly testicles. It allows the viewer to get great looks at the dusty landscape of the American West, but we do hope the story moves along at a bit of a faster pace as the season progresses.

Sex and Skin: None in the first episode.

Parting Shot: We see the silhouettes of Eli and Cornelia on their horses as they set out north at sunrise.

Sleeper Star: Ciarán Hinds and Toby Jones make a big impact in the first episode, even though they’re just guest stars. They show what both Cornelia and Eli are up against as they make their journey.

Most Pilot-y Line: When the bandits show up at the stagecoach, Sebold gives Eli his shotgun. When Eli asks him how many rounds it has, Sebold replies, “Ten, I spent two on a jack rabbit.” “Then you missed,” Eli replied.

Will you stream or skip the unique western #TheEnglish on @PrimeVideo ? #SIOSI — Decider (@decider) November 13, 2022

Our Call: STREAM IT. Despite the languid pace of the first episode, the unique perspectives at play in  The English make it different enough from your standard Western to make it interesting.

Joel Keller ( @joelkeller ) writes about food, entertainment, parenting and tech, but he doesn’t kid himself: he’s a TV junkie. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, Slate, Salon, RollingStone.com , VanityFair.com , Fast Company and elsewhere.

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How to Write a Movie Review

Last Updated: May 13, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Marissa Levis . Marissa Levis is an English Teacher in the Morris County Vocational School District. She previously worked as an English director at a tutoring center that caters to students in elementary and middle school. She is an expert in creating a curriculum that helps students advance their skills in secondary-level English, focusing on MLA formatting, reading comprehension, writing skills, editing and proofreading, literary analysis, standardized test preparation, and journalism topics. Marissa received her Master of Arts in Teaching from Fairleigh Dickinson University. There are 14 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 5,615,460 times.

Whether a movie is a rotten tomato or a brilliant work of art, if people are watching it, it's worth critiquing. A decent movie review should entertain, persuade and inform, providing an original opinion without giving away too much of the plot. A great movie review can be a work of art in its own right. Read on to learn how to analyze a movie like a professional film critic, come up with an interesting thesis, and write a review as entertaining as your source material.

Sample Movie Reviews

Writing an Intro for a Movie Review

• Comparison to Relevant Event or Movie: "Every day, our leaders, politicians, and pundits call for "revenge"– against terrorist groups, against international rivals, against other political parties. But few of them understand the cold, destructive, and ultimately hollow thrill of revenge as well as the characters of Blue Ruin. "
• Review in a nutshell: "Despite a compelling lead performance by Tom Hanks and a great soundtrack, Forrest Gump never gets out of the shadow of its weak plot and questionable premise."
• Context or Background Information: " Boyhood might be the first movie made where knowing how it was produced–slowly, over 12 years, with the same actors–is just as crucial as the movie itself."

• Using stars, a score out of 10 or 100, or the simple thumbs-up and thumbs-down is a quick way to give your thoughts. You then write about why you chose that rating.
• Great Movie: ABC is the rare movie that succeeds on almost every level, where each character, scene, costume, and joke firing on all cylinders to make a film worth repeated viewings."
• Bad Movie: "It doesn't matter how much you enjoy kung-fu and karate films: with 47 Ronin, you're better off saving your money, your popcorn, and time."
• Okay Movie: "I loved the wildly uneven Interstellar far more than I should have, but that doesn't mean it is perfect. Ultimately, the utter awe and spectacle of space swept me through the admittedly heavy-handed plotting and dialogue."

• Great: "Michael B. Jordan and Octavia Spencer's chemistry would carry Fruitvale Station even if the script wasn't as good. The mid-movie prison scene in particular, where the camera never leaves their faces, shows how much they can convey with nothing but their eyelids, the flashing tension of neck muscles, and a barely cracking voice."
• Bad: " Jurassic World's biggest flaw, a complete lack of relatable female characters, is only further underscored by a laughably unrealistic shot of our heroine running away from a dinosaur – in heels."
• Okay: "At the end of the day, Snowpiercer can't decide what kind of movie it wants to be. The attention to detail in fight scenes, where every weapon, lightbulb, and slick patch of ground is accounted for, doesn't translate to an ending that seems powerful but ultimately says little of substance."

• Does the film reflect on a current event or contemporary issue? It could be the director's way of engaging in a bigger conversation. Look for ways to relate the content of the film to the "real" world.
• Does the film seem to have a message, or does it attempt to elicit a specific response or emotion from the audience? You could discuss whether or not it achieves its own goals.
• Does the film connect with you on a personal level? You could write a review stemming from your own feelings and weave in some personal stories to make it interesting for your readers.

Composing Your Review

• When you name characters in your plot summary, list the actors' names directly afterward in parenthesis.
• Find a place to mention the director's name and the full movie title.
• If you feel you must discuss information that might "spoil" things for readers, warn them first.

• Cinematography: " Her is a world drenched in color, using bright, soft reds and oranges alongside calming whites and grays that both build, and slowly strip away, the feelings of love between the protagonists. Every frame feels like a painting worth sitting in."
• Tone: "Despite the insane loneliness and high stakes of being stuck alone on Mars, The Martian's witty script keeps humor and excitement alive in every scene. Space may be dangerous and scary, but the joy of scientific discovery is intoxicating."
• Music and Sound: " No Country For Old Men's bold decision to skip music entirely pays off in spades. The eerie silence of the desert, punctuated by the brief spells of violent, up-close-and-personal sound effects of hunter and hunted, keeps you constantly on the edge of your seat."
• Acting: "While he's fantastic whenever he's on the move, using his cool stoicism to counteract the rampaging bus, Keanu Reeves can't quite match his costar in the quiet moments of Speed, which falter under his expressionless gaze."

• Keep your writing clear and easy to understand. Don't use too much technical filmmaking jargon, and make your language crisp and accessible.
• Present both the facts and your opinion. For example, you might state something such as, "The Baroque background music was a jarring contrast to the 20th century setting." This is a lot more informative then simply saying, "The music was a strange choice for the movie."

• Great: "In the end, even the characters of Blue Ruin know how pointless their feud is. But revenge, much like every taut minute of this thriller, is far too addictive to give up until the bitter end.""
• Bad: "Much like the oft-mentioned "box of chocolates", Forest Gump has a couple of good little morsels. But most of the scenes, too sweet by half, should have been in the trash long before this movie was put out."
• Okay: "Without the novel, even revolutionary concept, Boyhood may not be a great movie. It might not even be "good.” But the power the film finds in the beauty of passing time and little, inconsequential moments – moments that could only be captured over 12 years of shooting – make Linklater's latest an essential film for anyone interested in the art of film."

Polishing Your Piece

• Ask yourself whether your review stayed true to your thesis. Did your conclusion tie back in with the initial ideas you proposed?
• Decide whether your review contains enough details about the movie. You may need to go back and add more description here and there to give readers a better sense of what the movie's about.
• Decide whether your review is interesting enough as a stand-alone piece of writing. Did you contribute something original to this discussion? What will readers gain from reading your review that they couldn't from simply watching the movie?

Studying Your Source Material

• The title of the film, and the year it came out.
• The director's name.
• The names of the lead actors.

• Make a note every time something sticks out to you, whether it's good or bad. This could be costuming, makeup, set design, music, etc. Think about how this detail relates to the rest of the movie and what it means in the context of your review.
• Take note of patterns you begin to notice as the movie unfolds.
• Use the pause button frequently so you make sure not to miss anything, and rewind as necessary.

• Direction: Consider the director and how he or she choose to portray/explain the events in the story. If the movie was slow, or didn't include things you thought were necessary, you can attribute this to the director. If you've seen other movies directed by the same person, compare them and determine which you like the most.
• Cinematography: What techniques were used to film the movie? What setting and background elements helped to create a certain tone?
• Writing: Evaluate the script, including dialogue and characterization. Did you feel like the plot was inventive and unpredictable or boring and weak? Did the characters' words seem credible to you?
• Editing: Was the movie choppy or did it flow smoothly from scene to scene? Did they incorporate a montage to help build the story? And was this obstructive to the narrative or did it help it? Did they use long cuts to help accentuate an actor's acting ability or many reaction shots to show a group's reaction to an event or dialogue? If visual effects were used were the plates well-chosen and were the composited effects part of a seamless experience? (Whether the effects looked realistic or not is not the jurisdiction of an editor, however, they do choose the footage to be sent off to the compositors, so this could still affect the film.)
• Costume design: Did the clothing choices fit the style of the movie? Did they contribute to the overall tone, rather than digressing from it?
• Set design: Consider how the setting of the film influenced its other elements. Did it add or subtract from the experience for you? If the movie was filmed in a real place, was this location well-chosen?
• Score or soundtrack: Did it work with the scenes? Was it over/under-used? Was it suspenseful? Amusing? Irritating? A soundtrack can make or break a movie, especially if the songs have a particular message or meaning to them.

Expert Q&A

• If you don't like the movie, don't be abusive and mean. If possible, avoid watching the movies that you would surely hate. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Understand that just because the movie isn't to your taste, that doesn't mean you should give it a bad review. A good reviewer helps people find movie's they will like. Since you don't have the same taste in movies as everyone else, you need to be able to tell people if they will enjoy the movie, even if you didn't. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Structure is very important; try categorizing the different parts of the film and commenting on each of those individually. Deciding how good each thing is will help you come to a more accurate conclusion. For example, things like acting, special effects, cinematography, think about how good each of those are. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

Expert Interview

Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about writing, check out our in-depth interview with Marissa Levis .

• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/subject_specific_writing/writing_in_literature/writing_about_film/terminology_and_starting_prompts.html
• ↑ https://www.spiritofbaraka.com/how-write-a-movie-review
• ↑ https://www.nyfa.edu/student-resources/9-tips-for-writing-a-film-review/
• ↑ https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/writing-help/top-tips-for-writing-a-review
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/summary-using-it-wisely/
• ↑ https://twp.duke.edu/sites/twp.duke.edu/files/file-attachments/film-review-1.original.pdf
• ↑ https://www.dailywritingtips.com/7-tips-for-writing-a-film-review/
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/subject_specific_writing/writing_in_literature/writing_about_film/film_writing_sample_analysis.html
• ↑ https://learning.hccs.edu/faculty/onnyx.bei/dual-credit/movie-review-writing-guide
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/conclusions/
• ↑ https://www.grammarly.com/blog/how-to-write-a-movie-review/
• ↑ https://gustavus.edu/writingcenter/handoutdocs/editing_proofreading.php
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/editing-and-proofreading/
• ↑ https://edusson.com/blog/how-to-write-movie-review

About This Article

To write a movie review, start with a compelling fact or opinion to hook your readers, like "Despite a great performance by Tom Hanks, Forrest Gump never overcomes its weak plot." Then, elaborate on your opinion of the movie right off the bat so readers know where you stand. Once your opinion is clear, provide examples from the movie that prove your point, like specific scenes, dialogue, songs, or camera shots. To learn how to study a film closely before you write a review, scroll down! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Movie Reviews

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Like a great iron Sphinx on the ocean floor, the Titanic faces still toward the West, interrupted forever on its only voyage. We see it in the opening shots of “Titanic,” encrusted with the silt of 85 years; a remote-controlled TV camera snakes its way inside, down corridors and through doorways, showing us staterooms built for millionaires and inherited by crustaceans.

These shots strike precisely the right note; the ship calls from its grave for its story to be told, and if the story is made of showbiz and hype, smoke and mirrors--well, so was the Titanic. She was “the largest moving work of man in all history,” a character boasts, neatly dismissing the Pyramids and the Great Wall. There is a shot of her, early in the film, sweeping majestically beneath the camera from bow to stern, nearly 900 feet long and “unsinkable,” it was claimed, until an iceberg made an irrefutable reply.

James Cameron's 194-minute, $200 million film of the tragic voyage is in the tradition of the great Hollywood epics. It is flawlessly crafted, intelligently constructed, strongly acted and spellbinding. If its story stays well within the traditional formulas for such pictures, well, you don't choose the most expensive film ever made as your opportunity to reinvent the wheel.

We know before the movie begins that certain things must happen. We must see the Titanic sail and sink, and be convinced we are looking at a real ship. There must be a human story--probably a romance--involving a few of the passengers. There must be vignettes involving some of the rest and a subplot involving the arrogance and pride of the ship's builders--and perhaps also their courage and dignity. And there must be a reenactment of the ship's terrible death throes; it took two and a half hours to sink, so that everyone aboard had time to know what was happening, and to consider their actions.

All of those elements are present in Cameron's “Titanic,” weighted and balanced like ballast, so that the film always seems in proportion. The ship was made out of models (large and small), visual effects and computer animation. You know intellectually that you're not looking at a real ocean liner--but the illusion is convincing and seamless. The special effects don't call inappropriate attention to themselves but get the job done.

The human story involves an 17-year-old woman named Rose DeWitt Bukater ( Kate Winslet ) who is sailing to what she sees as her own personal doom: She has been forced by her penniless mother to become engaged to marry a rich, supercilious snob named Cal Hockley ( Billy Zane ), and so bitterly does she hate this prospect that she tries to kill herself by jumping from the ship. She is saved by Jack Dawson ( Leonardo DiCaprio ), a brash kid from steerage, and of course they will fall in love during the brief time left to them.

The screenplay tells their story in a way that unobtrusively shows off the ship. Jack is invited to join Rose's party at dinner in the first class dining room, and later, fleeing from Cal's manservant, Lovejoy ( David Warner ), they find themselves first in the awesome engine room, with pistons as tall as churches, and then at a rousing Irish dance in the crowded steerage. (At one point Rose gives Lovejoy the finger; did young ladies do that in 1912?) Their exploration is intercut with scenes from the command deck, where the captain ( Bernard Hill ) consults with Andrews ( Victor Garber ), the ship's designer and Ismay ( Jonathan Hyde ), the White Star Line's managing director.

Ismay wants the ship to break the trans-Atlantic speed record. He is warned that icebergs may have floated into the hazardous northern crossing but is scornful of danger. The Titanic can easily break the speed record but is too massive to turn quickly at high speed; there is an agonizing sequence that almost seems to play in slow motion, as the ship strains and shudders to turn away from an iceberg in its path--and fails.

We understand exactly what is happening at that moment because of an ingenious story technique by Cameron, who frames and explains the entire voyage in a modern story. The opening shots of the real Titanic, we are told, are obtained during an expedition led by Brock Lovett ( Bill Paxton ), an undersea explorer. He seeks precious jewels but finds a nude drawing of a young girl. Meanwhile, an ancient woman sees the drawing on TV and recognizes herself. This is Rose (Gloria Stuart), still alive at 101. She visits Paxton and shares her memories (“I can still smell the fresh paint”). And he shows her video scenes from his explorations, including a computer simulation of the Titanic's last hours--which doubles as a briefing for the audience. By the time the ship sinks, we already know what is happening and why, and the story can focus on the characters while we effortlessly follow the stages of the Titanic's sinking.

Movies like this are not merely difficult to make at all, but almost impossible to make well. The technical difficulties are so daunting that it's a wonder when the filmmakers are also able to bring the drama and history into proportion. I found myself convinced by both the story and the saga. The setup of the love story is fairly routine, but the payoff--how everyone behaves as the ship is sinking--is wonderfully written, as passengers are forced to make impossible choices. Even the villain, played by Zane, reveals a human element at a crucial moment (despite everything, damn it all, he does love the girl).

The image from the Titanic that has haunted me, ever since I first read the story of the great ship, involves the moments right after it sank. The night sea was quiet enough so that cries for help carried easily across the water to the lifeboats, which drew prudently away. Still dressed up in the latest fashions, hundreds froze and drowned. What an extraordinary position to find yourself in after spending all that money for a ticket on an unsinkable ship.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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Film credits.

Titanic (1997)

Rated PG-13 For Shipwreck Scenes, Mild Language and Sexuality

194 minutes

Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack Dawson

Kate Winslet as Rose Dewitt Bukater

Bill Paxton as Brock Lovett

Kathy Bates as Molly Brown

Billy Zane as Cal Hockley

Written and Directed by

• James Cameron

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