The Wayback Machine - http://web.archive.org/web/20240515050133/https://apnews.com/hub/film-reviews

Film Reviews

This image released by Focus Features shows Marisa Abela as Amy Winehouse in a scene from "Back to Black." (Focus Features via AP)

Movie Review: Amy Winehouse story flattened in frustrating biopic ‘Back to Black’

Marisa Abela plays the late Amy Winehouse in Sam Taylor-Johnson’s “Back to Black,” a jukebox musical dramatization of her life.
 
This image released by Netflix shows Brooke Shields and Benjamin Bratt in a scene from "Mother of the Bride." (Sasidis Sasisakulporn/Netflix via AP)

Movie Review: Brooke Shields and Benjamin Bratt deserve more than Netflix’s ‘Mother of the Bride’

In “Mother of the Bride,” Brooke Shields and Benjamin Bratt play a pair of college exes who accidentally reunite at a resort in Thailand two decades later.
 
This image released by MUBI shows a scene from "Gasoline Rainbow." (MUBI via AP)

Movie Review: A radiant teenage road trip in ‘Gasoline Rainbow’

In sibling directors Bill and Turner Ross’ latest, “Gasoline Rainbow,” five Oregon teens just out of high school make their meandering way some 500 miles to reach the coast for what’s been billed as the “End of the World” party.
 
This image released by 20th Century Studios shows Noa, played by Owen Teague, in a scene from "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes." (20th Century Studios via AP)

Movie Review: ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ finds a new hero and will blow your mind

Fans of the “Planet of the Apes” franchise may still be mourning the 2017 death of Caesar, the charismatic ape leader.
 
This image released by A24 shows Justice Smith, left, and Brigette Lundy-Paine in a scene from "I Saw the TV Glow." (A24 via AP)

Movie Review: Bold, audacious ‘I Saw the TV Glow’ explores fandom, identity and the way we remember

The school gym. The football field bleachers. The fast food drive-thru. Something about the detail and clarity with which Jane Schoenbrun evokes ’90s suburbia in “I Saw the TV Glow” makes you remember growing up there – even if you didn’t.
 
This image released by Sideshow and Janus Films shows Ryo Nishikawa in a scene from "Evil Does Not Exist." (Sideshow and Janus Films via AP)

Review: Nature and human nature mingle in the beguiling ‘Evil Does Not Exist’

The films of Ryusuke Hamaguchi unspool with elegant everyday ease and yet anything can happen. Lives take sudden detours. Seemingly minor characters become primary ones.
 
This image released by Prime shows Nicholas Galitzine, left, and Anne Hathaway in a scene from "The Idea of You." (Prime via AP)

Movie Review: In ‘The Idea of You,’ a boy band is center stage but Anne Hathaway steals the show

In the warmly charming rom-com “The Idea of You,” Anne Hathaway plays a 40-year-old divorcee who becomes romantically involved with a 24-year-old heartthrob in a boy band called August Moon.
 
This image released by Universal Pictures shows Ryan Gosling in a scene from "The Fall Guy." (Eric Laciste/Universal Pictures via AP)

Movie Review: Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt are great fun in ‘The Fall Guy’

Emily Blunt and Ryan Gosling lead the new action-comedy-romance “The Fall Guy,” a love letter to stunt performers and the movies.
 
This image released by Magnolia Pictures shows Joanna Arnow, left, and Scott Cohen in a scene from "The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed." (Magnolia Pictures via AP)

Review: ‘The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed’ announces an exciting new voice

Much is just out of reach in Joanna Arnow’s shrewdly perceptive and very funny new film, “The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed.”
 
This image released by Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures shows Mike Faist, from left, Zendaya and Josh O'Connor in a scene from "Challengers." (Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures via AP)

Movie Review: Prepare to get hot and bothered with stylish, synthy tennis drama ‘Challengers’

Zendaya, Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor are tennis players in and out of love in “Challengers.” Directed by Luca Guadagnino and told in present day and flashback, it’s about friendships, love, competition and sport set to a synthy score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.
 
This image released by Universal Pictures shows Alisha Weir in a scene from the film "Abigail." (Bernard Walsh/Universal Pictures via AP)

Movie Review: A heist movie that gleefully collides with a monster movie in ‘Abigail’

If you always thought your garden-variety heist movies could do with a bit more blood-sucking vampire, have we got a flick for you.
 
This image released by Lionsgate shows Alex Pettyfer, Alan Ritchson, Henry Cavill, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, and Henry Golding in a scene from the film "The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare." (Daniel Smith/Lionsgate via AP)

Movie Review: ‘Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare’ amps up a true-tale WWII heist

The latest Guy Ritchie flick “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” has a spine of true story to it, even if it does all it can to amplify a long-declassified WWII tale with enough dead Nazis to make “Inglourious Basterds” blush.
 
This image released by Participant/Sony Pictures Classics shows Blake Cameron James in a scene from the film "We Grown Now." (Participant/Sony Pictures Classics via AP)

Movie Review: A lyrical portrait of childhood in Cabrini-Green with ‘We Grown Now’

Two 11-year-old boys navigate school, friendship, family and change in Minhal Baig’s lyrical drama “We Grown Now.”
 
This image released by Magnolia Pictures shows a scene from the documentary "Food, Inc. 2." (River Road/Participant/Magnolia Pictures via AP)

Movie Review: ‘Food, Inc. 2’ revisits food system, sees reason for frustration and (a little) hope

The makers of the Oscar-nominated 2008 documentary “Food, Inc.” never planned to make a sequel. They figured they’d said it all in their harrowing look at what they called a broken, unsustainable food system, controlled by a few all-powerful corporations.
 
This image released by Bleecker Street shows Jesse Eisenberg in a scene from the film "Sasquatch Sunset." (Bleecker Street via AP)

Movie Review: Should you watch ‘Sasquatch Sunset’ about a family of Bigfoots? Not yeti

One of the wildest movies of the year — or the century, for that matter — suggests that Bigfoots mourn, cuddle, bury their dead, enjoy throwing rocks in rivers, make art and wonder if they’re alone in the world.
 
This image released by A24 shows Kirsten Dunst in a scene from "Civil War." (A24 via AP)

Movie Review: In Alex Garland’s potent ‘Civil War,’ journalists are America’s last hope

The United States is crumbling in Alex Garland’s sharp new film “Civil War,” an A24 release in theaters Friday.
 
This image released by Zeitgeist Films shows a scene from "The Old Oak." (Zeitgeist Films via AP)

Movie Review: Ken Loach, longtime chronicler of social ills, seeks a hopeful note in ‘The Old Oak’

After nearly 30 films over six decades, British director Ken Loach, at 87, has said he’s calling it a day with “The Old Oak.”
 
This image released by Universal Pictures shows a scene from the film "Monkey Man." (Universal Pictures via AP)

Movie Review: Dev Patel’s ‘Monkey Man’ is a political allegory bathed in blood

Like “Slumdog Millionaire,” Dev Patel’s “Monkey Man” is set in Mumbai and has a touch of fable to it. But in tone and texture, it could hardly be more different.
 
This image released by Apple TV+ shows a scene from "Girls State." (Apple TV+ via AP)

Movie Review: In ‘Girls State,’ Missouri teens start a mock government

What would an all-female government look like in the U.S.? Or even a majority female government? It’s something that remains a fantasy.
 
This image released by Focus Features shows Dzada Selim, left, and Anamaria Marinca in a scene from "Housekeeping for Beginners." (Focus Features via AP)

Movie Review: Love wins in the triumphant ‘Housekeeping for Beginners’

“Housekeeping for Beginners” begins with a shot of a painting on a wall hanging just a little askew.
 
This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Godzilla, left, and Kong in a scene from "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire." (Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)

Movie Review: ‘Godzilla x Kong’ has scales and scale but not much else

As the old saying goes, there are two kinds of people on this Earth: Those who like their movies with a giant evil ape swinging a vertebrae like a lasso while riding a kaiju controlled by a crystal, and those who don’t.
 
This image released by Neon shows Josh O'Connor, center, in a scene from "La Chimera." (Neon via AP)

Movie Review: Alice Rohrwacher’s tombaroli tale ‘La Chimera’ is pure magic

When we talk about “movie magic,” the first thing that comes to mind is often something like the bikes achieving liftoff in “E.T.”
 
This image released by Apple TV+ shows Steve Martin in a scene from the documentary "Steve! (Martin) a Documentary in 2 Pieces." (Apple TV+ via AP)

Movie Review: ‘STEVE! (martin)’ looks at past, present in a lovely, intimate 2-part documentary

The first official documentary about Steve Martin, from Oscar-winner Morgan Neville, is a freewheeling story told in two parts, one part focused on “Then” and one part focused on “Now” with both parts debuting on Apple TV+ on Friday.
 
This image released by Netflix shows Micheal Ward, foreground left, and Bill Nighy in a scene from "The Beautiful Game." (Alfredo Falvo/Netflix via AP)

Movie Review: Bill Nighy, Michael Ward shine in Netflix’s Homeless World Cup crowd-pleaser

“The Beautiful Game,” a new movie starring Bill Nighy and Michael Ward coming to Netflix on Friday, is about a real international soccer tournament called the Homeless World Cup.
 
This image released by Columbia Pictures shows, from left, Celeste O'Connor, Kumail Nanjiani, Finn Wolfhard and James Acaster in a scene from "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire." (Jaap Buitendijk/Columbia Pictures/Sony via AP)

Movie Review: ‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’ clears a low bar

Forty years after “Ghostbusters” and following a string of sequels that never measured up to the original it’s fair to wonder, well, who else ought we to call?
 
This image released by Neon shows Sydney Sweeney in a scene from the film "Immaculate." (Neon via AP)

Movie Review: Things get scary for Sydney Sweeney in a creepy Italian convent in ‘Immaculate’

Sydney Sweeney plays a nun abroad in the new horror movie “Immaculate.” Her character is recruited to join an Italian convent that also provides a home for dying nuns, but the picturesque setting soon curdles into nightmare territory in this film written by Andrew Lobel and directed by Michael Mohan
 
This image released by Prime Video shows Conor McGregor, left, and Jake Gyllenhaal in a scene from "Road House." (Laura Radford/Prime Video via AP)

Movie Review: A remake of ‘Road House’ with Jake Gyllenhaal turns into a muscular, Florida romp

Jake Gyllenhaal steps into a role previously made famous by Patrick Swayze when he becomes a bouncer in the new remake of “Road House.”
 
This image released by Lionsgate shows a scene from "Arthur The King." (Carlos Rodriguez/Lionsgate via AP)

Movie Review: Man and dog and adventure racing in ‘Arthur the King’

Mark Wahlberg plays an adventure racer who befriends a dog on a 435 mile trek through the jungle in “Arthur the King.”
 
This image released by Bleecker Street shows Anthony Hopkins in a scene from "One Life." (Bleecker Street via AP)

Movie Review: Anthony Hopkins, Johnny Flynn find poignant synergy in real-life war tale ‘One Life’

It’s a perfect role for Anthony Hopkins: a modest, elderly man who disdains fuss, keeping his secrets to himself.
 
This image released by Amazon Prime shows John Cena, right, in a scene from "Ricky Stanicky." (Ben King/Amazon via AP)

Movie Review: John Cena gets the laughs in middling comedy ‘Ricky Stanicky’

Peter Farrelly returns to his broad comedy roots with “Ricky Stanicky,” about three childhood friends and their imaginary fall guy.
 
Load More

More entertainment

FILE - The YouTube app is displayed on an iPad in Baltimore. YouTube has blocked access to videos of a protest song in Hong Kong, days after court approved an injunction banning the song in the city. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

YouTube blocks Hong Kong protest anthem after court injunction bans song in the city

 

  1. Brazilian dance craze created by young people in Rio’s favelas is declared cultural heritage

  2. Sheriff faces questions from Arkansas lawmakers over Netflix series filmed at county jail

  3. ESPN announces Jason Kelce’s hiring. He will be part of the ‘Monday Night Football’ pregame show

  4. Miniature poodle named Sage wins Westminster Kennel Club dog show