The Invite
“I figured The Invite would be good because of the stacked cast alone (Olivia Wilde! Penélope Cruz! Seth Rogen! Edward Norton!), but it exceeded my expectations. Based on the Spanish film The People Upstairs, it’s an ensemble-driven dark comedy that keeps escalating in ways I never saw coming. The less you know going in, the better. A must-watch for everyone, but especially for married couples.”—Claire Stern Milch, senior digital director
Project Hail Mary
“The alien-encounter film that most filled me with a sense of Spielbergian wonder this year was, in an upset, not the one directed by the man himself. Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, creators of genius animated projects like The Mitchells vs. the Machines and the Spider-Verse franchise, bring their wildly creative visual sense and elite musical taste to the story of science teacher Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) and Rocky, the alien he teams up with to save both their planets. This movie is about as edgy as Grace’s wardrobe of novelty T-shirts, but its optimistic embrace of science and friendship will win over the coldest heart. Two thumbs down (IYKYK).”—Sara Austin, executive editor
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I Love Boosters
“Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie, Taylor Paige, and Poppy Liu are a dream team of shoplifters-turned-revolutionaries in Boots Riley’s latest. In the director’s classic style, the film is so wacky it works, with bold monochrome set pieces, kooky outfits (with over 100 wigs), a teleportation device, and one literal demon. But at the heart of it all is a relatable story about looking out for your community and the power of collective action. The ending message might feel earnest, but I’d rather watch a creative risk (like that miniature car chase!) than another bland remake or sequel.”—Erica Gonzales, deputy editor, digital content
The Drama
“For all the pre-release controversy surrounding The Drama’s central twist, the movie takes its heavy subject matter very seriously—so much so that many of the characters’ arguments and actions in the subsequent fallout left me incredibly frustrated in the theater. But maybe that’s the point, especially with Zendaya’s sincere performance at the film’s heart. As Emma, she’s the empathetic throughline keeping us grounded, even as everything else around her falls apart.”—Daniel Taroy, director, social media and video
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Disclosure Day
“Few directors alive today understand the power of the movie theater better than Steven Spielberg. His faith in that communal experience flies in the face of modern moviegoing, which demands that a movie be individually dissected and nitpicked into a million different hot takes. Sometimes, a movie—a capital-M Movie—is a collective feeling. Spielberg returns to his sci-fi roots with a heart-on-his-sleeve alien story that earnestly asks us to come together. If it took an unprecedented pandemic to stop society in its tracks, then why couldn’t one more unprecedented global event get us going again?”—DT
Tuner
“I was surprised by Tuner—and particularly by how the film could have such an impact on me that I had to return to see it again. It has a streamlined cast, including Dustin Hoffman, Havana Rose Liu, and Tovah Feldshuh, and the kind of clever but not too complicated plot that you see less often these days. Leo Woodall is a wonder playing Niki, a piano prodigy who had to stop playing when a hearing disorder made it unbearable. Now he works as a piano tuner, going into ostentatious homes to repair pianos that are rarely used. The plot amps up when Niki is recruited to use his disorder to help pull off a sophisticated heist, but Tuner itself stays authentic and compelling.”—Adrienne Gaffney, features editor
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28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
“It may have landed in theaters only six months after 2025’s excellent 28 Years Later, but this fourquel is an impressive monster on its own, miles weirder and more gruesome than anything in the three previous entries of this zombie franchise. Nia DaCosta takes the reins from director Danny Boyle, imbuing this universe with texture and humanity in an elegiac follow-up that—like most modern horror—doubles as a rumination on faith and loss. Anchored by two balls-to-the-wall performances (complimentary) from Ralph Fiennes and Jack O’Connell—and one singularly batshit musical moment—The Bone Temple makes the rare compelling case for a legacy sequel by pushing into truly moving and unexpected territory. Now bring on part five!”—DT
The Devil Wears Prada 2
“The Devil Wears Prada 2 could’ve been bad. As Hollywood is often all too eager to demonstrate, this follow-up could’ve been a retread: a ‘that’s all’-filled meme-slop cash grab masquerading as a legacy sequel to one of the most quoted films of the mid-aughts. Instead, it arrived at the start of summer blockbuster season with a timely new take on the magazine and fashion industries, not to mention something real to say about humanity and artistry in an era that often shows contempt for both. Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci shine brightest against the big clothes, bigger budget, and even bigger cameos—so much so that I left the theater quietly hoping for a DWP3 greenlight.”—DT
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Toy Story 5
“It may not live up to the fantastic first three films in the Toy Story franchise, but Toy Story 5 still tugs on the heart. Focused on the invasion of tech in children’s homes, the movie begs viewers to put down the devices and play. There are heartbreaking moments, laugh-out-loud funny parts, and, of course, that Taylor Swift song. Disney Pixar successfully made a case for the legitimacy of its fifth film, one that ended up feeling both nostalgic and fresh.”—Samuel Maude, content strategy manager
How to Make a Killing
“How to Make a Killing is based on the movie Kind Hearts and Coronets, which also inspired (in my opinion) the greatest musical of all time, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder. All three feature a young man from a working-class family who learns that he is a distant heir to a huge fortune. It’s unlikely that he will inherit it, unless a number of his relatives meet an untimely death. And there the murdering begins. With Glen Powell starring as Becket, who begins picking off his relatives in increasingly creative manners, the movie is both intelligent and fun.”—AG
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‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.elle.com ’
