From a moral point of view, “Eighth Grade” (A24), a low-key, moving blend of comedy and drama, is a bit of a paradox.
Movie: ‘Eighth Grade’
Movie: ‘The Happytime Murders’
Occasionally, as in “The Happytime Murders” (STX), filmmakers become enamored of the idea of foul-mouthed, sexualized puppets, as if no one had considered this idea before and there were some fresh, original way of going at this.
Movie: ‘Mile 22’
The sloppy, toxic mix of gunfire, explosions and cursing that is “Mile 22” (STX) makes it difficult to endure and impossible to recommend.
Movie: ‘Alpha’
The oft-repeated tale of a boy and his dog is as old as time — or at least the last Ice Age, the intriguing setting for “Alpha” (Columbia).
Movie: ‘Crazy Rich Asians’
The award for the most accurate film title of the year goes to “Crazy Rich Asians” (Warner Bros), a romantic comedy about, well, members of a certain ethnic group who are insanely wealthy.
Movie: ‘Slender Man’
The plot of “Slender Man” (Screen Gems) is concisely summed up when Wren (Joey King), one of the creature’s victims, screams, “He gets in your head like a computer virus!”
Movie: ‘The Meg’
Forty-three summers ago (incredibly), Steven Spielberg’s “Jaws” made moviegoers afraid to go in the ocean, for fear of getting bitten (or worse) by a great white shark.
Movie: ‘Dog Days’
Written by Elissa Matsueda and Erica Oyama and directed by Ken Marino, the new comedy “Dog Days” (LD Entertainment) is comprised of a number of vignettes, following a variety of Los Angeles residents as they navigate life through a summer of challenges.