Justin Chang
Stories
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'Sorry, Baby' is a story about pain and healing you haven't heard before
Eva Victor wrote, directed and stars in this tender film about a woman trying to make sense of life after sexual assault. Although very much a drama, Sorry, Baby showcases Victor's comic smarts.
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This new 'Superman' takes the Man of Steel seriously — but not self-seriously
Director James Gunn brings an irreverent, borderline-slapstick vibe to the latest Superman film, in which our hero grapples with villains, strange creatures and public opinion.
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Brad Pitt plays a veteran racer who won't slow down in 'F1'
Pitt, 61, stars as a Formula One driver whose career was sidelined by a devastating crash. Though the overall arc of F1 is fairly predictable, the film is still hugely enjoyable and dazzlingly well-made.
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Drama or comedy? Matchmaker movie 'Materialists' is undone by its own ambition
Dakota Johnson plays a savvy New York City matchmaker caught between two men in a film that ultimately fails to reconcile the screwball vigor of a comedy with the emotional oomph of a drama.
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'The Life of Chuck' might leave you brushing away tears -- or scratching your head
Mike Flanagan's new film, a maudlin mystery about a man dying of cancer, feels hobbled by its extreme faithfulness to the Stephen King novella on which its based.
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Wes Anderson peers into the hollowness of extreme wealth in 'The Phoenician Scheme'
Benicio Del Toro plays a globe-trotting tycoon trying to convince his estranged daughter (Mia Threapleton) to be his heir. The film is darker, angrier and more violent than Anderson's usual fare.
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'Caught by the Tides' turns discarded documentary scraps into a remarkable drama
This documentary-drama hybrid is one of the best new movies our critic's seen this year. It draws on archival footage to tell a story of two lovers separating and reuniting over roughly two decades.
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'Thunderbolts*' is an unwieldy jumble, and also the best Marvel film in a while
Thunderbolts* is unapologetically formulaic. And yet, Florence Pugh is terrific; the action is coherent; and the character dynamics strike the right balance of earnest sincerity and glib humor.
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'The Shrouds' introduces a new stage of grief: Watching your loved one decompose
David Cronenberg's thriller centers on an unusual technology that allows people to watch their loved ones decompose in real time. The Shrouds is both deeply morbid and disarmingly funny.
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'Sinners' is one of the most interesting and audacious movies this year
This latest Ryan Coogler/Michael B. Jordan collaboration is set in 1930s Mississippi — it's awash in gorgeous music, turbulent romance, pan-African spiritualism and, by the end, buckets of blood.