At 1 hour and 57 minutes, The Alabama Solution, co-directed by Charlotte Kaufman and Andrew Jarecki, opens at Cinema Village via HBO Documentary Films.

      Ray (Daniel Day-Lewis), who's been living in an isolated cabin in the middle of the woods, gets a visit from his estranged brother, Jem (Sean Bean), who just left his wife, Nessa (Samantha Morton) and stepson, Brian (Samuel Bottomley), in Anemone. Tensions arise between the two brothers as they deal with long-buried trauma. Writer/director Ronan Day-Lewis and co-writer Daniel Day-Lewis have made a poetic and slow-burning, but undercooked and meandering drama with breathtaking cinematography and heartfelt performances, especially by Daniel Day-Lewis. However, the screenplay suffers from clunky and lazy exposition, and it takes too long to get to the meat of the story: Ray and Jem's emotional pain. Once it arrives at that point, there's a very lengthy monologue that feels stilted. Just having two characters sit around and talk could be interesting, but after a while it gets tiresome. Then there are the scenes with Nessa and Jem's stepson, Brian, which aren't quite as engaging as the ones with the two brothers. The plot gets bizarre, though, with a few surpries including interesting uses of symbolism like a very destructive hailstorm and the titular anemone flowers. Ronan Day-Lewis should be commended for understanding the power of silence, particularly during the first 10 minutes which are wordless. If only the screenplay were as strong as the performances and cinematography, Anemone would've been a much more powerful and engrossing experience. At 2 hours and 1 minute, Anemone opens nationwide via Focus Features.

Number of times I checked my watch: 3

      Are We Good? is a mildly engaging and unfocused, but intimate and candid documentary about how Marc Maron has coped with the death of his wife, Lynn Shelton, through stand-up comedy. Director Steven Feinartz interviews Maron and some of his colleagues, and combines that with footage of his stand-up comedy. Audiences looking for a more thorough biographical documentary on Maron will be disappointed, though. Feinartz is lucky that Maron comes across as emotionally generous and mature because that's what adds depth to the film. It's as though you're sitting with a friend who's sharing his deep thoughts and feelings. That said, the audience does feel like a voyeur at times as if they were prying into Maron's private life as he struggles with grief and gradually heals from it. At 1 hour and 35 minutes, Are We Good? opens at Regal Union Square via Utopia.

Number of times I checked my watch: 2

      Sage (Maddie Hasson) and her boyfriend, Diego (Marco Pigossi), get more than they bargained for when they show up to an Airbnb for a romantic getaway at a mansion near Bone Lake when they get double booked with another couple, Cin (Andra Nechita) and Will (Alex Roe) in Bone Lake. Director Mercedes Bryce Morgan and screenwriter Joshua Friedlander have made a campy, gory and twisted erotic horror thriller that will chill you to the bone. The prologue where a man and a woman run naked through the woods while someone with a bow and arrow chases them and kills them provides a small taste of what's to come. After that scene, the filmmakers dial down the intensity and then gradually increase the intensity through psychological horror once Sage and Diego agree to share the Airbnb with Cin and Will despite knowing nothing about them. They seem very trustworthy, but little do they know that they're being gaslit. The suspense is Hitchockian because it comes in the form of anticipation that all hell will break loose at any moment.

      To be fair, the third act that pulls the rug from under the audience suffers from over-explanation with characters just standing around explaining their past and their motives. That's a very lazy form of exposition. However, it's one of the most disturbing twists since Oldboy. Kudos to Morgan and Friedlander for trying to humanize Sage and Diego by delving into their dysfunctional relationship from the moment the audience first meets them in the car as they drive toward the Airbnb. Moreover, Maddie Hasson looks very much like Florence Pugh and has just as much charisma to make you care about Sage and want her to survive. At 1 hours and 34 minutes, Bone Lake opens nationwide via Bleecker Street. It would be an interesting double feature with Don't Worry Darling and Gaslight.

Number of times I checked my watch: 1




 

      Counted Out is a well-edited, illuminating and empowering documentary about the importance and power of math as a fundamental tool that's connected to political, scientific, engineering technological and social issues.  Director Vicki Abeles sheds light on a topic of math that many people take for granted. She highlights how it's such an integral part of the world around us that it affects our understanding of every issue ranging from global warming to gerrymandering, economics and more. Counted Out persuasively argues that everyone would be better off if they had access to math education and learned how to apply that knowledge to better understand those issues. Not everyone has access to math education, though, and there's a very high dropout rate among those studying science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Knowledge of math and having equal access to math for everyone is also an integral part of democracy and for critical thinking.  Benito Mussolini once stated, "How fortunate it is for governments that the people they administer don't think."  At 1 hour and 29 minutes, Counted Out opens at Cinema Village via Reel Link Films.

Number of times I checked my watch: 2

      Scott (Justin Long), his wife, Liv (Kate Bosworth), and their teenage daughter, Chloe (Mila Harris), get trapped inside their home when a pack coyotes terrorize them while wildfires spread in their Hollywood Hills neighborhood in Coyotes. Director Colin Minihan and his co-writers, Tad Daggerhart and Nick Simon, have made a thrilling and wickedly funny B-movie that's lean, mean and mindlessly entertaining. There's nothing complicated about the plot nor does there need to be. The screenplay doesn't waste any time with unnecessary padding or subplots; it dives right into the meat of the story after a prologue that provides the audience with a taste of what's to come with the deadly coyotes. Minihan doesn't hold back on the violence or gore---there are some pretty gruesome kills to please the horror fans. That said, Coyotes could've been even more wildly entertaining if it weren't afraid to go bonkers. You'll have a lot of fun, though, as long as you don't mind checking your brain at the door. At just 1 hour and 32 minutes, Coyotes opens nationwide via Aura Entertainment.

Number of times I checked my watch: 1




 

      Todd (Shane Jensen) moves into a new home with his dog, Indy, that notices paranormal activity in Good Boy. The screenplay by writer/director Ben Leonberg and co-writers Alex Cannon has an interesting premise for a horror thriller, but stretches it too thinly while remaining too low on scares, thrills and imagination. There's not nearly enough exposition about whatever supernatural entity haunts the house. The dog steals the show, though, and keeps the audience engaged by his reactions. If only the film didn't run out of ideas and lose steam so early on. Good Boy would've probably worked better as a short, but as a feature length film, it overstays its welcome. At 1 hour and 13 minutes, Good Boy opens nationwide via IFC Films.

Number of times I checked my watch: 2




 

      15-year-old Jeanne (Clara Pacini) runs away from home and stumbles upon film studio that's shooting an adaptation of "The Snow Queen" in The Ice Tower. She becomes transfixed on the star, Cristina (Marion Cotillard), who's playing The Snow Queen. Writer/director Lucile Hadžihalilović and co-writer Geoff Cox have made a visually stunning and atmospheric, but emotionally hollow, tedious and exhausting film. The parallels between Jeanne's relationship with Cristina and the story of The Snow Queen are somewhat intriguing albeit obvious and not handled with any nuance or depth. Visual poetry can be fine in moderation; here, the audience gets bombarded with stylish cinematography, production design and costumes which feel overwhelming. Most importantly, though, the excessive style doesn't compensate for the lack of substance. At an overlong 1 hour and 57 minutes, The Ice Tower opens at IFC Center via Yellow Veil Pictures.

Number of times I checked my watch: 3

      At 1 hour and 48 minutes, Killing Faith, written and directed by Ned Crowley, opens in select theaters via Shout! Studios.

Number of times I checked my watch: 3

      The Librarians is a timely and provocative protest for democracy and against censorship. Director Kim A. Snyder centers on brave librarians who speak out against the banning of books related to LGBTQ+ and race topics. They risk their careers and livelihood for the sake of a greater cause much like in the film Storm Center starring Bette Davis. The Librarians doesn't offer any new, revealing or surprising information nor does it delve enough into the individual struggles of the librarians which could've made the film more emotionally engrossing. It also could've been more enraging given the fact that democracy remains at stake. Nonetheless, it's a frightening reminder that democracy has been waning in the US and that White Christian Nationalism, a supporter of the book-banning, poses a major threat to democracy. At 1 hour and 32 minutes, The Librarians opens in select theaters via Shout! Studios.

Number of times I checked my watch: 2

      In One Big Happy Family, Rachel (Lisa Brenner) has a lot on her plate. She's turning 40, her daughter, Sammie (Lumi Pollack) is having her Bat Mitzvah and she just learned through a DNA test that her father isn't her biological dad as well as the fact that she's only half-Jewish. Will her biological dad, Marcus (Dante Basco), meet her? Will they get along? How will that affect her relationship with her mother, Lenore (Linda Lavin)? Director Matt Sohn and screenwriter Lisa Brenner have made a dramedy that's overstuffed and undercooked with on-the-nose dialogue and not enough wit or emotional depth. Much of One Big Happy Family feels like a long pilot for a sitcom that barely scratches the surface of any of its themes and doesn't provide enough of a window into Rachel's heart, mind and soul. However, Linda Lavin, in her final performance, grounds the film with her genuine warmth whenever she's on screen. She's One Big Happy Family's MVP and rises well above the shallow screenplay. At 1 hour and 22 minutes, One Big Happy Family opens in select theaters via Electric Entertainment.

Number of times I checked my watch: 2

      Orwell: 2 + 2 = 5 is an often provocative, but dull, overlong and unfocused documentary about the relevance of George Orwell's theories in modern times. Director Raoul Peck bites off more than he could chew while covering too much ground. Tighter editing and more focus would've helped to make this documentary intellectually stimulating and entertaining simultaneously. Moreover, the narration by Damian Lewis sounds too dry, cold and wooden as though he were bored by what he's saying. At just under 2 hours, Orwell: 2 + 2 = 5 opens at IFC Center via NEON. The documentary Orwell Rolls in His Grave is much more engaging.

Number of times I checked my watch: 4

      The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue is a spellbinding and heartfelt documentary about how Noam Tibon, a former Israeli General, and his wife, Gali, rescued their son, Amir, his wife, Miri, and their two daughters who were were trapped in their safe room inside their Kibbutz Nahal Oz home during the October 7th attacks. Director Barry Avrich combines harrowing footage from October 7th along with interviews with Noam, Gali, Amir and Miri who vividly describe what they experienced. The Road Between Us often feels cinematic in through its editing combined with the gripping footage. It's a straightforward and focused documentary that puts a human face on the Israelis who suffered during October 7th and who displayed acts of heroism. Avrich doesn't delve into the psychological effects of their ordeal and how they manage to cope with it. What's their healing process like? Will they ever fully heal? Emotional scars are far more complex and hard to treat than physical scars. Nor does he explore the larger, provocative and complex political issues connected to October 7th., Nonetheless, the fact that they're able to sit in front of the camera to candly talk about their painful memories shows that they're emotionally mature enough to look at their traumatic experience head-on. Perhaps the Tibon family and anyone else who's suffered tragedies would benefit from this poem by Pablo Neruda: "They can cut all of the flowers, but they can't stop the spring from coming." At 1 hour and 35 minutes, The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue opens in select theaters via Cineplex Pictures. It would be an interesting double feature with Soul on Fire which also opens in theaters this weekend.

Number of times I checked my watch: 1

      Roads of Fire is a well-edited heartfelt and illuminating mosaic of the migration crisis. Director Nathaniel Lezra interweaves footage of a human smuggler who guides refugees through Darién Gap, a woman who struggles to seek asylum in New York City, and volunteers working as humanitarians on the frontlines of the crisis. Fortunately, Roads of Fire doesn't feel overstuffed, undercooked or unfocused like too many documentaries do that cover a lot of ground with interconnected stories. That's thanks to the smooth editing and how engrossing and timely each of the three stories feel. Kudos to director Nathaniel Lezra for shedding light on an important human rights issue. At just under 2 hours, Roads of Fire opens at IFC Center.

Number of times I checked my watch: 1

      In The Smashing Machine, UFC fighter Mark Kerr (Dwayne Johnson) struggles to balance his relationship with his girlfriend, Dawn (Emily Blunt), his burgeoning career and his battles with alcoholism. Writer/director Benny Safdie has made a shallow, conventional and paint-by-numbers biopic with a career-best performance by Dwayne Johnson. Unfortunately, he's undermined by a screenplay that ultimately fails to get inside the heart, mind and soul of Mark Kerr or to be unflinching enough. The lively soundtrack selected by the always-reliable music supervisor Linda Cohen helps to enliven the film, and the makeup design that transforms Dwayne Johnson into Mark Kerr looks impressive. There's not nearly enough comic relief, though, and Dawn remains a very undeveloped character leaving Emily Blunt with not much to do with her forgettable role. Christy and Queen of the Ring are superior biopics about real-life athletes. At 2 hours and 3 minutes, The Smashing Machine opens nationwide via A24.

Number of times I checked my watch: 2

      Soul of a Nation is a timely, unflinching and thorough documentary about the sociopolitical divisions in Israel and how it has become a dysfunctional democracy. Director Jonathan Jakubowicz interviews former Prime Ministers of Israel, namely Naftali Bennett and Ehud Olmert, among other current and former members of the Israeli government. You'll learn about how Benjamin Netanyahu has used the government for his own benefit and made it less democratic while behaving like a tyrant. He's cut from the same cloth as Donald Trump. Unsurprisingly, he doesn't agree with people referring to as Hitler. As one of the interview subjects astutely observes, what Israel needs is a leader who's brutal, but with benign intentions. Benign according to who, though? And how realistic would it be to find a Prime Minister whose intentions are completely benign? There will always be someone with opposing views who'd disagree that the intentions are benign. What about finding a Prime Minister who actually acknowledges the Tantura Massacre back in 1948? Yes, it's a dark part of Israeli history that doesn't make Israel look great, but it shouldn't be ignored or suppressed. Netanyahu caused even more division after the October 7th attacks, and Soul of a Nation doesn't shy away from shedding light on the horrors of that day and the aftermath. It's clean that democracy is at stake, and that the divisiveness escalates the tensions within Israel which makes it counterproductive. At 1 hour and 44 minutes, Soul of a Nation is a provocative, eye-opening, alarming and powerful wake-up call. It opens at Quad Cinema via Greenwich Entertainment.

Number of times I checked my watch: 1

      Trains is an experimental documentary about trains of the 20th Century. Director Maciej J. Drygas only shows archival footage of trains, passengers on trains, trains being built and more. All of it is in black-and-white without any narration, texts or exposition. Drygas trusts the audience's patience as well as their intelligence. It's initially mesmerizing, but gets tedious after about 30 minutes. To compare it to other wordless documentaries like Koyaanisqatsi wouldn't be fair because it's not nearly as transfixing, powerful, haunting or provocative. Architecton would be a more fair comparison or the far more exhilarating and illuminating silent documentary Turksib from 1929 which actually has intertitles on screen. Perhaps Trains would've been more engaging as a short rather than as a feature length documentary. At 1 hour and 20 minutes, Trains opens at DCTV's Firehouse Cinema.

Number of times I checked my watch: 4