Leave No Trace

Captain Fantastic gets winter boned in this endearingly desperate familial survival tale. Story structure that’s as off the grid as its characters generates a refreshingly breathy stray from the civilized cinematic path. Foster parent provides a rivetingly tortured performance that serves as perfectly cracked foundation for Thom’s Thom’s independent dependence.

Eighth Grade

Burnham matures magnificently, skirting hammy wordplay schtick, instead igniting the screen with this brilliantly raw and incredibly empathetic slice of life for a deeply unique every-girl. Fisher catches eyes and hearts with her perfectly uncomfortable heroin. Serves as a perfect time capsule into the future for children of previous generations.

The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part

Though Lord Miller supplied the building blocks, in the hands of less expert craftsman, the result feels piecemeal at best. Painfully disjointed opening vignettes could’ve used a bit of cohesive glue, and a few clever self-referential gags and reversals of cinematic expectation in third act don’t compensate for schizophrenic storytelling.

They Shall Not Grow Old

Colorful three-dimensional updates to archive footage stand in stark contrast to otherwise mundane treatment of World War One. Jackson simultaneously personalizes and distances soldiers by focusing solely on them without ever emphasizing any particular one in voice or image. Feels more like a tour through a museum than a movie.

The Strangers: Prey at Night

Strangers gets stranger title and fascinating musical and editorial decisions to match. Expansion of scope results in plot holes large enough to drive a truck through, but otherwise the franchise maintains its intense and devastating tone. Nuanced character development and clever horror innovations fall prey to cliché on final drive.