In The 4 Rascals, Qyunh Anh (Tran Tieu Vy) suspects that her boyfriend, Quoc Anh (Tran Quoc Anh), is cheating on her with Jessica (Le Duong Bao Lam), so the titular 4 rascals, Di Bon (Le Giang), a psychic, and Kieu (Huynh Uyen An), Karen (Ky Duyen Cao Nguyen) and Cau Muoi Mot (Trấn Thành) intervene. Writer/director Trấn Thành and his co-writers, Luong Nghiem Huy, Phan Minh and Thao Nguyen, have made a smart, refreshing, funny and empowering romantic comedy. There's a hilarious scene where Qyunh Anh tells the 4 rascals that she witnessed Quoc Anh cheating on her only to confess soon after that she saw that in a very vivid dream. In another funny scene, Di Bon argues with the staff of a restaurant about the definition of "take out" food when he doesn't allow her to take food home and treats her as though she were stealing. Just when you think the plot will go in an obvious direction, it goes in another while offering the audience some clever twists and surprises which won't be spoiled here. The entire ensemble cast is superb and breathes life into their roles, especially Le Giang whom you might recognize from another wonderful romcom, The Trophy Bride. Beneath the film's surface, it has a warm, beating heart and a powerful message about fate, will and self respect. At a running time of 2 hours and 12 minutes, it opens in select theaters nationwide via 3388 Films. 

 

      Paul (André Holland), an actor, gets stranded in a small Ohio town while suffering amnesia and desperately wants to return home to New York in The Actor. He finds a job at a local factory, borrows money from a coworker (Toby Jones), and rents a room from Mrs. Malloy (Tracey Ullman). After meeting Edna (Gemma Chan), he starts dating her before embarking alone on his voyage back to New York. Set during the 1950s, the screenplay by writer/director Duke Johnson and co-writer Stephen Cooney, based on the novel Memory by Donald E. Westlake, is an intriguing blend of surrealism, suspense, romance and mystery. There are even some moments with comic relief and satire, so The Actor is hard to categorize in just one genre. Exposition is kept to a minimum as the audience only knows as much as Paul does about his life before he was struck in the head and got amnesia. Edna feels hurt when he tells her the truth---she thinks that he might have a wife back in NYC. What happens when he returns to NYC won't be spoiled here, but it's worth mentioning that The Actor, like The Wizard of Oz, turns into a parable and isn't afraid to be bizarre or to confuse the audience at times. What's real and what's not? That's the question on the audience's mind as well as Paul's mind, so it's easy to relate to him in that sense. Unlike Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, he doesn't have a dog, a lion, a scarecrow and a tin man to accompany him on his journey toward self-discovery.

      The stylish cinematography makes the scenes in small town Ohio look dreamlike which enhances the surrealism. André Holland gives a warm and moving performance that grounds the film in humanity. Everyone in the ensemble cast gets a chance to shine, though, and many of them play multiple characters. Patient audiences who appreciate cerebral mysteries will appreciate The Actor the most. At a running time of 1 hour and 38 minutes, The Actor opens in select theaters via NEON. 

Number of times I checked my watch: 1




 

       In Black Bag, George (Michael Fassbender) and his wife, Kathryn (Cate Blanchett), work for the same intelligence agency led by Arthur (Pierce Brosnan). He's given the task to find out who's the mole among five suspects: Kathryn, Freddie (Tom Burke), Clarissa (Marisa Abela), James (Regé-Jean Page) and Zoe (Naomie Harris), the agency's therapist. Screenwriter David Koepp and director Steven Soderbergh have made a beguiling, smart and stylish spy thriller with palpable suspense. The less you know about the plot, the better because of all of the clever twists and turns along the way. It could've easily been convoluted and too confusing with a less sensitive screenplay, but instead it's complex, intricate and just confusing enough to keep you engaged because you're always questioning whether you can trust the characters or not. Koepp does an effective job of incorporating exposition without losing any dramatic momentum. There's some comic relief every now and then, so this isn't a dry spy thriller like Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. Moreover, the ensemble cast is terrific from top to bottom, especially Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett who radiate plenty of charisma. The exquisite set design, cinematography and lighting design add both style and substance. At an efficient and ideal running time of 1 hour and 34 minutes, Black Bag opens nationwide via Focus Features. 

Number of times I checked my watch: 1




 

      Goodbye Horses: The Many Lives of Q Lazzarus is a gripping, heartfelt and warts-and-all documentary biopic on Diane Luckey, a.k.a. Q Lazzarus, an American singer best known for her song "Goodbye Horses" featured in Jonathan Demme's films, Something Wild, Married to the Mob and The Silence of the Lambs. Director Eva Aridjis Fuentes does a wonderful job of introducing Q Lazzarus to the audience and shedding light on why she suddenly disappeared for over 3 decades. She had worked as a cab driver in NYC while working on her music in the mid 80s. That's when Jonathan Demme was a passenger in her taxi cab and noticed her sing while she drove. He admired her singing so much that he gave her his card, so she sent him her demo tape and he used the song "Goodbye Horses" for his film Something Wild. She mysteriously disappeared. In a surprising turn of events, Fuentes managed to find her in 2019 when she took a cab ride and, lo and behold, she noticed her cab driver's resemblance to Q Lazzarus which was actually her after all. Fortunately, she agreed to be interviewed for this documentary.

        The documentary goes into dark, emotionally devastating territory throughout the unflinching interviews with Q Lazzarus where she displays emotional maturity and introspection while looking back on her struggles and trauma. There are some surprising moments of levity, though, like a quick cut to the reactions of two cats during a funny moment during an interview with Q Lazzarus and her husband, Robert Lange. As socio-psychologist Erving Goffman once observed, everyone has a life backstage and a life front stage. Goodbye Horses: The Many Lives of Q Lazzarus generously provides the audience with Q Lazzarus' life backstage, behind the curtain, so-to-speak, without judging her. It's a roller coaster ride of emotions for the audience, but it's never dull, shallow or hagiographic.  At a running time of 1 hour and 30 minutes, it opens at Village East by Angelika via Dark Night Pictures. It would be a great double feature with Searching for Sugar Man and The World According to Allee Willis. 

Number of times I checked my watch: 1




 

      The Last Supper tells the story of Jesus (Jamie Ward) during his final days before he was crucified while frictionss among the 12 Disciples lead to them fighting one another. The screenplay by Mauro Borrelli and co-writer John Collins is bland, by-the-numbers and shallow. The cinematography adds some visual panache and the action scenes are well-choreographed and gritty, but it's too bad that the film lack emotional grit. It just seems to be going through the motions, so perhaps it bites off more than it could chew before the inevitable ending. Unfortunately, Jamie Ward lacks the charisma carry the role of Jesus and doesn't manage to invigorate the film or to rise above the vapid screenplay with his mediocre performance. With a more strong and sensitive screenplay, The Last Supper could've been an exhilarating, moving and powerful experience rather than one that leaves the audience cold and underwhelmed. At a running time of 1 hour and 54 minutes, it opens nationwide via Pinnacle Peak Pictures. 

Number of times I checked my watch: 3




 

      Meanwhile is an unconventional, lyrical and thought-provoking documentary. Director Catherine Gund combines snapshots from everyday life and quotes from poets like Toni Morrison to create a mosaic about art, resilience, white supremacy, community and race. Unlike Gund's recent Paint Me a Road Out of Here, this one is more experimental and asks the audience to make their own sense out of all of the snippets which provide some food for thought. It's not a talking-heads doc nor does it delve deeply into any of its themes, but what it does offer the audience are several starting points for conversations with others and with themselves that could open one's heart, mind and soul to the world around them. Poetry, after all, is often a form of protest for or against something. So, what is Meanwhile a protest for or against? That's up to you to decide. At a running time of 1 hour and 29 minutes, Meanwhile opens at DCTV's Firehouse Cinema via Aubin Pictures. 

Number of times I checked my watch: 2

      When bank robbers, Simon (Ray Nicholson), Andre (Conrad Kemp), and Ben (Evan Hengst), kidnap his love interest, Sherry (Amber Midthunder), Nathan (Jack Quaid), a bank executive chases after them to rescue her in Novocaine. The catch? He can't feel pain because of a rare genetic disorder. The screenplay by Lars Jacobson takes its time to get to the meat of the story as it first introduces Nathan to the audience and how his genetic disorder, congenital insensitivity to pain, affects his lifestyle and romantic life. He's afraid to eat pie because there's a chance that he'll bite his tongue off while eating. While out on a date with Sherry, his co-worker, he bumps into two former middle school classmates who somehow recognize him and remind him how they used to call him "Novocaine." They make fun of him yet again, so clearly they haven't changed. All of that happens within a lengthy, expositional third act until the narrative kicks into full gear during the bank heist. What ensues is a darkly comedic action thriller. Nathan gets burned, shot and punched yet somehow still survives. It's as though he were immortal, not just unable to feel pain. Audience members with a weak stomach should be warned that the violence is unflinchingly gruesome at times.

      To be fair, the plot becomes increasingly inane and implausible as it progresses while also somewhat running out of steam around the hour mark as it begins to feel repetitive and run out of fresh ideas. The villains are underwritten and cartoonish. Most of the jokes land, but others, like a joke about Home Alone, are lazy and unfunny. That said, there's a twist toward the end that won't be spoiled here. Jack Quaid is superb in the leading role and gives a charismatic performance. The supporting cast members are also pretty good including Jacob Batalon as Nathan's gaming friend, Betty Gabriel as Mincy, a police officer, and Matt Walsh as her partner, Coltraine, who provides some comic relief with his zingers. At a running time of 1 hour and 50 minutes, Novocaine, co-directed by Dan Berk and Robert Olsen, is wickedly funny, audacious and wildly entertaining. It opens nationwide via Paramount Pictures and would be a great double feature with Companion which also stars Jack Quaid.

Number of times I checked my watch: 2




 

      October 8 is a documentary about the rise of anti-semitism following the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7th, 2023. Director Wendy Sachs includes video footage as well as texts that show the horrors of Oct 7th. It's not easy to watch, but it's essential. She interviews one of the witnesses from Kibbutz Nir Oz who sheds light on her account of that tragic day. The aftermath will make you indignant, sad and horrified when you learn about the people who celebrated the attacks, the anti-Zioenist/pro-Palestine group Students for Justice in Palestine, the anti-Semitism, and the lack of Hollywood celebrity's response to Oct 7th. There should've been more outrage and protests to release the hostages. Hollywood celebrities protested against racism during the Black Lives Matter movement, so why not protest against anti-Semitism? Are they afraid to get cancelled? Actor Michael Rapaport and actress Debra Messing bravely speak out against Oct. 7th and anti-Semitism while providing insights in their candid interviews. At a running time of 1 hour and 40 minutes, October 8 is a powerful, provocative and eye-opening wake-up call. It opens nationwide via Briarcliff Entertainment. Oh, and will a distributor please finally step up to the plate and buy the timely documentary No Man's Land? It's about time, especially after it won the Academy Award for Best Documentary.

Number of times I checked my watch: 1

      Ariel (Ayo Edebiri), an entertainment journalist, gets invited to the compound of Alfred Morretti (John Malkovich), a pop star who's been reclusive for three decades, in Opus. Her boss, Stan (Murray Bartlett), wants her to take notes for his article on Moretti. Little does she know that Moretti has other plans for her, Stan and other journalists like Clara (Juliette Lewis), Bill (Mark Sivertsen) and Bianca (Melissa Chambers). The screenplay by writer/director Mark Anthony Green is an uninspired, tonally uneven and undercooked horror thriller. There's some campiness and satire, mostly in every scene with John Malkovich. However, the satirical elements get repetitive quickly and leave very little else to provoke or to surprise the audience, especially when everything is telegraphed within the first half hour. It's obvious that Alfred can't be trusted as soon as Ariel meets him at dinner. By the time that she notices that something's wrong, the audience has already figured that out long before. It's too bad that she's not a very good journalist because when she has the chance to interview Moretti, she doesn't ask very thoughtful questions. Moretti seems more witty and smart than she does, i.e. when she asks him what group of people who do nothing are called and he quips, "Congress!" Very little makes sense when it comes to the cult that Moretti operates which both Ariel. The audience doesn't know much about it except that it's been around for a while and that its followers believe that everyone can be a God.

      Opus has some compelling ideas, but Green doesn't know where to take those ideas to and doesn't include enough exposition. Also, what's up with the scene where Moretti requires his guest's privates to be shaven? Why doesn't anyone object to it? Don't they realize that it's suspicious and abusive? Ariel initially realizes, but then caves in reluctantly. That's the second that she and others should've started plotting to escape the compound rather than wait until the shit hits the fan. The third act feels very rushed and preposterous while leaving too many important questions unanswered. At a running time of 1 hour and 44 minutes, Opus opens nationwide via A24.

Number of times I checked my watch: 2

      Michael (Michael Doshier), a lonely, struggling musician, enters a polyamorous relationship with a married couple, Connor (Tommy Heleringer) and Georgie (Stanton Plummer-Cambridge) in Throuple. Meanwhile, he seeks advice from his good friend, Tristan (Tristan Carter-Jones), and her girlfriend, Abby (Jess Gabor). The screenplay by Michael Doshier is tender and well-shot, but meandering and undercooked. Doshier has a concept for a romantic drama that sounds provocative and compelling. However, he doesn't take the concept anywhere interesting, surprising or profound. Of course, the inclusion of Michael in Connor and Georgie's relationship causes Connor and Georgie to have marital troubles. Did they even think the throuple through? It's obvious that it wouldn't work without open communication and honesty between each of them. They all seem emotionally immature, especially Michael. What does he see in Connor and Georgie to begin with? If only the screenplay were to allow the audience to get to know him, Connor and Georgie more and learn about their backstories and childhood, perhaps Throuple would've been more emotionally engrossing. It's as though the film were afraid to get darker and more unflinching. Moreover, the third act drags while the ending feels like somewhat of a cheesy and contrived cop-out. At a running time of 1 hour and 32 minutes, Throuple, directed by Greyson Horst, opens at Quad Cinema via The Film Collaborative.

Number of times I checked my watch: 2




 

      Director Xiaorui (Mao Xiaorui) and his film crew gather in 2020 to finish shooting an unfinished film from a decade earlier, but the pandemic makes it difficult to complete it in An Unfinished Film. The screenplay by writer/director Lou Yu and co-writer Yingli Ma intertwines documentary and fiction elements while blurring the line between both. What's the point? There was no point to it in the docu-fiction hybrid This Woman and there's not much of a point to it here either. What ensues is just one scene of frustrated filmmakers after another as they deal with the pandemic's affect on their production. It's neither funny, insightful, satirical nor amusing. Instead, it's a tedious, dull and overlong experiment. At a running time of 1 hour and 46 minutes, which feels more like 3 hours, An Unfinished Film opens at Film Forum via Film Movement. 

Number of times I checked my watch: 3




 

      In Who By Fire, 17-year old Jeff (Noah Parker) visits the isolated mansion of Blake (Arieh Worthalter), a film director, Albert (Paul Ahmarani), whom had collaborated as a filmmaker with Blake years ago. Blake has a son, Max (Antoine Marchand Gagnon) who's friendship with Jeff gets put to the test when Jeff develops a crush on his older sister, Aliocha (Aurelia Arandi-Longpré). Meanwhile, conflicts between escalate between Blake and Albert. Writer/director Philippe Lesage has made an underwhelming psychological thriller that suffers from a meandering plot, lethargy and not nearly enough palpable dramatic tension. The scenery, performances and cinematography are fine, but they don't add much to engage the audience. The most memorable scene, though, is a lengthy dinner scene that reveals a lot about Blake and Albert's relationship, so it's too bad that that the rest of the film isn't remotely as compelling. At a running time of 2 hours and 35 minutes, which feels more like 3 hours because of the very slow pacing, Who By Fire opens at Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center via KimStim. 

Number of times I checked my watch: 5




 

      During the Holocaust, Solomon Wiener (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) and Michael Podchlebnik (Jeremy Neumark Jones) and other prisoners at Chełmno extermination camp plot a daring escape in The World Will Tremble. They're the first eyewitness accounts of the horrors of the Holocaust. Writer/director Lior Geller has made an intense and gripping thriller that's somewhat pedestrian, dry and not emotionally potent enough. Based on a true story, the plot doesn't allow the characters of Solomon and Michael to breathe enough, so-to-speak, so there's an emotional distance between them and the audience because they don't have much backstory or personalities that breathe life into them. The World Will Tremble seems more concerned with moving the plot forward in a procedural way. You can feel the wheels of the screenplay turning almost every step of the way. That said, the cinematography is superb and the performances by Oliver Jackson-Cohen and Jeremy Neumark Jones are quite solid. So, the film's poignant moments, which are ephemeral, derive from the performances rather than from the screenplay. At a running time of 1 hour and 49 minutes, The World Will Tremble opens at The Kent Theater in Brooklyn via Vertical. 

Number of times I checked my watch: 2




 

      In Young Hearts, 14-year-old Elias (Lou Goossen) lives in the idyllic Belgian countryside with his mother (Emilie De Roo), father (Geert Van Rampelberg), and older brother (Jul Goossens). He falls in love with another teenager, Alexander (Marius De Saeger), who has just moved into town. Writer/director Anthony Schatteman and co-writer Lukas Dhont have woven a tender, heartwarming and refreshing coming-of-age story with shades of Eric Rohmer. The plot doesn't break new ground nor does it offer any big surprises. However, it has a few small surprises when it comes to how great Elias' parents are and how they react when he comes out to them in one of the most moving scenes in the film. Young Hearts tugs at the heartstrings without feeling maudlin, cloying, heavy-handed or schmaltzy. There are no villains or unnecessary subplots nor does anyone get cancer all of a sudden. Its simplicity makes for a pure, unadulterated experience that feels refreshing and true-to-life without any contrived scenes. Lou Goossens and Marius De Saeger both give breakthrough, nuanced performances that open the window into Elias and Alexander's heart, mind and soul widely for the audience to peer through. Young Hearts would be an interesting double feature with Monster and Show Me Love. At a running time of 1 hour and 37 minutes, it opens at IFC Center via Strand Releasing. 

Number of times I checked my watch: 1