Sinister

Sinister

Directed by Scott Derrickson

A flwed but wholly creepy, interesting horror movie with a strong central performance by Ethan Hawke and plenty of scares.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Directed by John Madden

With an excellent cast and great dialogue, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is not the kind of movie I would expect to electrify audiences, but is nonetheless very easy to find yourself enjoying immensely, despite the over-long running time.

John Carter

John Carter

Directed by Andrew Stanton

Lifeless, generic, and uninteresting: the three words I would use to describe John Carter. Was this really the same guy who directed 'Finding Nemo'?

The Hunter

The Hunter

Directed by Daniel Nettheim

With strong visuals, performances, and an intriguing story, poor writing and lack of payoff makes The Hunter nothing more than a wasted opportunity.

Frankenweenie

Frankenweenie

Directed by Tim Burton

With wonderful animation, surprising emotional resonance, fun characters, and packed with clever references, Frankenweenie is one of the most entertaining, fulfilling movies I've had the pleasure of watching for some time.

Bernie

Bernie

Directed by Richard Linklater

With adequate casting, snappy dialogue, and very unique presentation, Bernie is one of the best films Richard Linklater has made for some time.

Oslo, August 31st

Oslo, August 31st

Directed by Joachim Trier

At this point in the year, though it may not be my "favorite", Oslo, August 31st still stands as the most powerful, incredible piece of film-making I have seen in 2012.

Looper

Looper

Directed by Rian Johnson

Though it may not make much sense, and the casting is a bit strange, Looper manages to impress with fantastic action sequences, strong performances, and genuine originality.

Salmon Fishing In The Yemen

Salmon Fishing In The Yemen

Directed by Lasse Hallstrom

With charming lead performances, a fun script, and good pacing, Salmon Fishing In The Yemen is a steadily enjoyable, heart-warming, lighthearted film with very little to offer apart from solid entertainment.

Magic Mike

Magic Mike

Directed by Steven Soderbergh

With several strong performances and a premise bound to attract a largely female audience, Magic Mike is yet another standard, but well-done drama from veteran director Steven Soderbergh.

Cosmopolis

Cosmopolis

Directed by David Cronenberg

Though it doesn't achieve the likes of previous Cronenberg works, Cosmopolis is still a strong feature from the Canadian director, and not one to be overlooked.