Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

Director: James Mangold

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1462764

Review: A few brief moments of fun action swimming in a sea of repetitive stakes, meaningless sentiment and distracting face-replacement.

Watch it if: You really need to clear off the list.

And if you liked: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Joint Security Area

Director: Park Chan-wook

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0260991

Review: Takes a little while to get going but crafts a tense story well with some real flair in its film-making.

Watch it if: You want something that can create intrigue and tension in a simple and clean way.

And if you liked: Rashomon, Reservoir Dogs

The Little Mermaid (2023)

Director: DIRECTOR

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5971474

Review: Works reasonably well in its middle section but consistently held down by the limits of supposed visual realism.

Watch it if: You're curious about these live action remakes.

And if you liked: The Little Mermaid

Check this out: The Little Mermaid

Asteroid City

Director: Wes Anderson

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14230388

Review: A real return to form with a charm and throughline of emotion that supports lush visuals and a high level of wit.

Watch it if: You like Wes Anderson movies.

And if you liked: The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, The Royal Tenenbaums, Mars Attacks!

The Boogeyman

Director: Rob Savage

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3427252

Review: Somewhat let down as its creature becomes more and more visible but manages to hold an effective tone and theme throughout.

Watch it if: You want something that's halfway decent even if it's not necessarily changing the world.

And if you liked: The Babadook, The Black Phone, Evil Dead Rise, A Quiet Place

Check this out: The Boogeyman

Trio

Director: Park Chan-wook

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0471369

Review: A little drawn out but plenty of interest and fun to be had with decent character driven stakes.

Watch it if: You want something that swings between heavy and light fairly effortlessly.

And if you liked: From Dusk till Dawn, Raising Arizona

The Moon Is... The Sun's Dream

Director: Park Chan-wook

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0471268

Review: Doesn't fully hold together but flashes of brilliance and creativity.

Watch it if: You're interested in seeing an interesting film-maker's start.

And if you liked: Nikita, Reservoir Dogs, Oldboy

Spite Marriage

Director: Edward Sedgwick and Buster Keaton

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0020442

Review: A few fun moments mostly surrounded by fairly well trodden territory.

Watch it if: You're going through the films of Buster Keaton.

And if you liked: The Navigator, Steamboat Bill, Jr.

Fast X

Director: Louis Leterrier

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5433140

Review: Bangs the hammer enough that by the end you're numb to the stakes, but still drops a ton of fun on the screen with a rip-roaring villain performance.

Watch it if: You're into the Fast and Furious movies.

And if you liked: Fast and Furious 6, F9: The Fast Saga

The Cameraman

Director: Edward Sedgwick and Buster Keaton

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0018742

Review: An excellent culmination of many different elements into a streamlined and emotional work.

Watch it if: You want to see how much pathos can be squeezed out of seemingly simple gestures.

And if you liked: Sherlock, Jr., The General

Steamboat Bill, Jr.

Director: Charles Reisner and Buster Keaton

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0019421

Review: Unfocused in the middle but full of charm and a climactic sequence that boggles the mind.

Watch it if: You want to be baffled by a level of achievement.

And if you liked: Sherlock Jr., The General

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Director: Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers and Justin K. Thompson

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9362722

Review: A little uneven in its pacing but an otherwise monstrous achievement in visual craft and filmmaking.

Watch it if: You like Spider-Man.

And if you liked: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness