Director Alejandro González Iñárritu teams up with a prosthetics-swaddled Cruise for a bleak comedy about a Texan oil driller who triggers the end of the world.

Everyone's a creep in Lance Oppenheim's nightmarish take on NBC's pedophile-hunting 'To Catch a Predator.' The film’s a mess but you can't look away.

Stories about actors risking life and limb to succeed became the thematic rallying call at this year's TIFF. Some of them may be rewarded during awards season.

Podcast Episode · Unspooled · September 17 · 1h 20m

Fewer big Hollywood movies seem to have been invited to the film festival this year, but there are still interesting and ambitious indies worth toasting.

Journalist-turned-filmmaker Walter Thompson-Hernandez won Sundance with a short that transplanted Greek mythology to Watts. Now it's a lyrical feature.

'Star Wars' fans will find much to love, including costumes, props--and inspiration--at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art.

Former mumblecore auteur Joe Swanberg makes a welcome return in a shaggy, realistic rom-com about jealousy and poor judgment starring Dakota Fanning.

A likable Jacob Elordi, Margaret Qualley, Josh Brolin and Guy Pearce star in Ridley Scott's lax adaptation of Peter Heller's poetic pandemic thriller.

Dave Green's tone-perfect Looney Tunes resurrection combines classic cartoon stars with humans Will Forte and John Cena as combative lawyers in a case against Amazon — er, Acme.

Jason Statham's charm is lost at sea in this rote and lazy action-thriller from the director of Gerard Butler's 'Plane' about a bodyguard on a cargo ship.

It's been a standout summer for young directors and fresh ensembles. Make way for Alexander Ullom’s otherworldly debut about the longest roadtrip ever.

The slacker comedy stars Kristen Stewart and Alia Shawkat as baked roommates in trouble. Directed by Dylan Meyer, it doesn't blaze new trails — but who cares?

Indie auteur David Robert Mitchell of "It Follows" drops his own signature for an ’80s-style family adventure, zapping dinosaurs into a idyllic suburb.

Horror becomes a doorway to sexual liberation in Jane Schoenbrun's meta-thriller starring Hannah Einbinder and an emboldened Gillian Anderson.

Matt Johnson's funny, biting biopic of the future star chef is stuffed with the teen wastrel's blood and vomit. It still goes down like a smooth treat.

Critical swords are clashing, but there's a way to cut through the debate and really talk about how we review art.

A return to features after 12 years, Gregg Araki's ticklish comedy about a bad boss spanking her employee stars Olivia Wilde and Cooper Hoffman.

Marvel is showing its age, but Tom Holland highlights the humanity of a lovelorn, workaholic Spider-Man whose arachnid hormones are surging.

Podcast Episode · Unspooled · July 25 · 1h 4m

'Drive' director Nicolas Winding Refn's first feature in a decade finds him still fixated on sizzling neon and chilly characters. He's got his kinks.

Generously sized and steered toward realism, the director's take on Odysseus is epically satisfying, even if it skimps on the character's ego and lust.

Generously sized and steered toward realism, the director's take on Odysseus is epically satisfying, even if it skimps on the character's ego and lust.

Never enchanting or magical, this wan redo from 'Hamilton' director Thomas Kail of the beloved 2016 Disney animated movie is totally lost at sea.

The deliriously zany ensemble comedy stars Zoey Deutch as a small-town sweetheart who flies to Los Angeles hoping to sleep with Jon Hamm.

From classic dramas like 'The Grapes of Wrath' and 'Nashville' to a John Carpenter sci-fi nightmare, these movies articulate a shifting national mood.

A 'Minions' prequel, clever and funny, rewinds to the silent era to showcase the classic Hollywood movies that inspired its manic yellow horde.

After four gross-out features that occasionally reached cinematic greatness, Johnny Knoxville and the gang gather for a hasty and underwhelming final hurrah.

Craig Gillespie directs the louche party girl, played by Milly Alcock, in a spinoff sequel that thrives on chaos but settles for convention.

Promising director Michael Sarnoski misses the bulls-eye with this violent, dreary take on the 13th century renegade. Even Hugh Jackman can't save it.

The fifth entry finds the series pulling the same old heartstrings as Jessie, Buzz and Woody once again feel irrelevant. So does the franchise.

Ignore the rote kidnapped child plot and gape at the creative fight choreography in this Asian action spectacular, which could kick off a revolution.

Emily Blunt and Josh O'Connor race around the Midwest trying to expose UFOs in a hectic adventure that lacks intelligent life.

The sixth installment of the spoof series is actually the best one yet (not a huge compliment), with daffy turns by stars Anna Faris and Regina Hall.

Powered by copious sarcasm, 'Bumblebee' director Travis Knight and star Nicholas Galitzine modernize the ’80s macho man as sensitive and self-aware.

Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas have great creative chemistry in 'Once' director John Carney's latest musical. Pity this punishingly cruel comedy keeps them apart.