It’s a week of ghosts, ghouls, corrupt cops, and terrifying in-laws. That’s right — we’ve got reviews of everything from the new A24 horrorThe Front Room to Netflix’s thriller Rebel Ridge to Tim Burton sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice to one of the best new movies of the year that’s an exploration of an old one lost to time. Whether they’re for movies in theaters or at home, these are the reviews of everything you can see, ranked by what we thought of them.
5 Hoard
Directed by Luna Carmoon
Starting things off is Hoard, a film with potential that still falls short. Starring Stranger Things’ Joseph Quinn and Saura Lightfoot, it’s a film about two hoarders in a toxic relationship that just becomes a mess of its own creation. The vibes are rancid, so best beware entering into this one if you get nauseous. In her review, Senior Editor Emma Kiely wrote that “its mishandling of mental illness and an unearned ending are too apparent to be ignored.”
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4 The Front Room
Directed by Max Eggers and Sam Eggers
Family can be scary for just about all of us. The new horror film The Front Room quadruples down on that truth by following Brandy’s troubled mother-to-be as she gets tormented by her mother-in-law, played by Kathryn Hunter. It’s an absurd ride with plenty of body fluids, but still far from one of the best movies you can watch this week. In his review, contributor Jeff Ewing wrote “it’s a solid dark comedy in the trappings of a psychological horror film.”
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3 Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Directed by Tim Burton
A fun throwback from Tim Burton starring Jenna Ortega and Michael Keaton, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is better than just about any of us were expecting, with the director having more fun than he has in quite some while. It doesn’t raise the dead, but you could watch this one right alongside the original as their seamless charm blends together. In his review, contributor Martin Tsai wrote “rife with nostalgia, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is intended for ’80s babies.”
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2 Rebel Ridge
Directed by Jeremy Saulnier
A thriller that’s part Rambo, part Reacher, and all Aaron Pierre, Jeremy Saulnier’s Rebel Ridge confidently rolls into town, kicks some ass, then gets out with only a few scratches here and there. With his character taking on corrupt cops left and right, it’s a star-making performance from Pierre, who we can’t wait to see more of. In my review, I wrote that “when you have a lead who brings such grace to every scene, any who comes in his character’s way, be they corrupt cops or silly streamers that don’t give his film a proper release, best watch out.”
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1 My First Film
Directed by Zia Anger
A daring “directorial debut” and the meta movie to end all meta movies, Zia Anger’s My First Film is this week’s best release worth seeking out. A restaging of the director’s actual first feature, it pulls back the curtain on the form itself, offering a wholly original experience with layers upon layers of emotion and meaning. In my review, I wrote “her feature is given new life as it becomes a quiet triumph when remolded and revisited all these many years later.”
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