For everything Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk has going for it, including an impressive feature debut for star Alwyn, the movie just doesn’t connect on the gut level like it should. It’s an important work because of how far it goes to try and understand and show PTSD, but there’s just something missing from it that prevents it from doing the great work it’s setting out to do. It’s good, and worthwhile, just not everything it should be and that makes it kind of disappointing. 

A Street Cat Named Bob is unabashedly heartwarming (told you it’d be back) and equally honest. It doesn’t sugarcoat the bad times in James’ life, nor does it let him take the good times for granted. The film earns its good moments, letting them evolve from the difficulties instead of forcing them on the story for the sake of making people feel good. If you do feel good at the end (and you should), it’s because Bowen’s life is inspirational and his love for Bob is genuine. A Street Cat Named Bob is the rare true-life story that doesn’t have the machinations of typicality bending the film to its will and that is refreshing above all. 

The Edge of Seventeen works on so many other levels that the problems are easily overlooked. It’s a solid film with some great performances and an excellent script. It’s fun, touching and never too sweet or unrealistic, yet it still retains a fantastic sense of humor and is really funny throughout. 

Arrival is a heady, thought-provoking film that does not do much of the work for the audience. It gives you the information you need in dribs and drabs and lets you figure it out with Louise, never giving enough for you to guess the ending (and the ending is mind-boggling). All of this sets up a deliberately paced (some may call it slow), yet exciting and thrilling film. The thrills aren’t from an alien attack or some large-scale action sequence, but in discovery and learning. It is a magnificent film and truly one of the best of the year.

Despite that major problem, Doctor Strange still entertains thoroughly and sets up the MCU for even bigger things to come. Doctor Strange is scheduled to be in Avengers: Infinity War and will also be seen in Thor: Ragnarok in 2017 (the mid-credit scene was taken from that upcoming film). Cumberbatch does a great job with this little-known (outside of die-hard fans) character and makes the film fun and engaging, situating the film in the solid middle of the MCU.

Trolls just fails to be as enchanting as it thinks it is. Its many components never quite connect into one coherent film, episodically moving along tired story threads with characters that are barely more defined than one or two characteristics. Nothing works together, which is ironic considering the Troll’s mantra of cooperation and community. Hopefully this misfire will make Dreamworks think twice about stepping into the musical arena again and stick to their strengths.  

Jack Reacher: Never Go Back never quite gels like the first one did. It’s not a carbon copy of the previous film, which is to its credit, but it also never quite makes it to the level of being its own movie. Zwick’s uneven direction, intensifying the action while dragging the story scenes behind it like Jack Torrence’s leg at the end of The Shining, makes the picture somewhat trying. Add to this a purposefully obfuscated detective story with a magic reveal that used to only happen in Agatha Christie and Raymond Chandler novels (an ending that no one could have predicted because the necessary information is never revealed to the reader/viewer) makes this a slow-going and belabored event. Do yourself a favor and watch Jack Reacher twice and wait for a better sequel to come along. If that doesn’t happen, at least there’s still the first one.

It’s surprising that a little throw-away film like this one got released so late in the year. This is usually the fare that is saved for January or February to cash in on the people who don’t want to see the awards contenders that are held over from the end of the year. Keeping up with the Joneses ends up just being filler in the weeks leading up to the late-year Oscar push, something to go to because there’s not much else and you’re already at the theater, so you might as well see this as anything.

Some of the negative backlash the film may suffer could be caused by a lack of understanding of what autism is and how people on the spectrum behave. Permanently imbedded in the culture (thanks to Dustin Hoffman’s great performance) is the idea that people with autism (not autistic, autism is something they have, not who they are) can’t function in society.  The key to liking this film beyond it being a solid action flick is unlearning what you have learned about autism spectrum disorder. Once it is embraced that people on the spectrum don’t spend their days rocking back and forth counting toothpicks, The Accountant can be seen as a good action movie with a nuanced and knowing lead performance from Affleck and a more realistic depiction of what people with autism can accomplish, again not necessarily the brutal murder of people but as functional members of society that are just a little different.

The Girl on the Train was one of the most anticipated films of the year thanks to the praise of the novel. The movie unfortunately does not warrant such anticipation. Even when it’s getting something right, it still fumbles. It’s boring and confusing and even though that last act is good, it doesn’t make up for the rest of the film (and may in fact not be all that good, just better than the movie to that point). In trying to be edgy and unconventional in its narrative approach, it shoots itself in the foot and should have been sent home, but instead decides to keep fighting, slowly making its way to an end and releasing us from what, in better hands, could have been an immensely entertaining thriller. 

Parker’s past is certainly an issue, but it has nothing to do with the film he produced. The Birth of a Nation is a stirring and powerful piece of work that tells a story many may not know because slavery is so often breezed over in school so teachers don’t have to tell little kids how horrible it all was. Parker has delivered a powerhouse of a film that has some problems, but is largely stunning, well-crafted and performed with gusto. It is the work of a filmmaker to watch and is one of the best films of the year so far.  

Masterminds isn’t the comedy of the year or even probably the fall season, but it does offer some good laughs. Hess is proving himself to be a less melancholy Wes Anderson, though without the fastidious attention to detail and story that Anderson has. The picture is good enough while you’re watching it, but it doesn’t linger and probably won’t stand up to repeat viewings. 

Deepwater Horizon offers very little in the way of explaining how such a thing like this could happen outside of corporate greed, which was a foregone conclusion. If all you’re looking for is some harrowing and terrifying scenes of catastrophe and misplaced hero worship, this film is for you. If you’re looking for something more meaningful and something that gets to the heart of this disaster, keep looking. 

Even with all its troubles, The Magnificent Seven never fails to entertain. The story is so stalwart that it seems like any iteration is bound to be at least fun. Fuqua may never touch the heights of the 1960 film or get anywhere close to splendor of The Seven Samurai, but as far as pointless remakes go, it’s pretty good. 

The writer/director team also leaves the door open for more Blair Witch films, though I can hardly believe we need any more (unless Heather and James’ parents have a penchant for waiting an incredibly long time between kids and there’s an even younger brother that can investigate James’ disappearance later). Despite all this, the picture does offer up some good scares and some genuine suspense and terror and isn’t a total waste of time. Blair Witch doesn’t hold up against the original, but it’s an okay entry in the now incredibly tired ‘found footage’ subgenre. 

Bridget Jones’s Baby isn’t a revolutionary comedy or date movie (I abhor the term ‘chick flick’. It’s so blasted reductive), but it is entertaining. The audience was laughing throughout and for good reason. It never strikes a false note and plays its emotions true. Zellweger is finally lovable again and Firth has excellent comic timing that he so rarely gets to show off. Everything clicks and all the right notes are hit, making it a pleasant distraction from the end-of-summer blockbusters and the early fall awards contenders. 

Looking at a trailer for Sully, you may think it’s Robert Zemeckis’ Flight without Denzel Washington and cocaine, but that’s not what this is at all. The central drama of the hearings is meant to illustrate not only that what Sully did was amazing, but that human elements are so often overlooked when determining blame or awarding praise. Hank’s performance is top notch, Eastwood’s direction is more assured than it has been in years and the script is tight and evocative. Everything comes together to create a film that is thrilling, emotional, funny and above all entertaining and that makes Sully one of the best films of the year so far.

Hands of Stone is trying so hard to be like other boxing movies that it forgot to be its own movie, which is admittedly difficult for boxing movies. After so many years of great ones, it’s easy to lose the way to something independent of the legacy. Creed managed it expertly, but so many others have failed in the wake of Raging Bull 36 years ago because that film is so perfect you almost feel like we didn’t need any more boxing pictures after it. Expect Hands of Stone to crop back up during awards time, though. It was produced by the Weinsteins, and never forget that they were somehow able to secure a Best Picture nomination for the terrible Chocolate. The trouble is that when it’s brought back up, likely for acting nominations, you won’t remember it, because it just isn’t memorable. 

Kubo and the Two Strings expertly blends light and dark tones, helping kids understand the gravity of the scenarios without being too scary. Its visuals delight and astound and its story is compelling and alive. Kubo and the Two Strings works on every level and is the best animated film of the year so far.