| Title |
Year |
Rating |
Rank |
Review |
| The Novice | 2021 | 95 | 1 | (full review) - With an amazing script, an outstanding lead performance, and a laser-focused director, The Novice ends up being one of the absolute best films of 2021. |
| Aporia | 2023 | 90 | 2 | (full review) - Moshe refuses to get lost in the complex mechanics of the story, instead leaning into the characters and the roller coaster of emotions they ride through the film. |
| Beast Beast | 2021 | 90 | 2 | (full review) - Madden seamlessly captures the carefree joy of youth, while also acknowledging the fear, loneliness and confusion |
| Catch the Fair One | 2022 | 90 | 2 | (full review) - Reis’s vulnerability mixed with sheer intensity never allows for that kind of surface scrutiny to take place. |
| Monolith | 2023 | 90 | 2 | (full review) - Monolith is the best kind of slow burn: one that trusts the audience to come along for a satisfying ride, but also delivers enough twists and unsettling scares that even the tiniest amount of boredom never sets in. |
| Night Raiders | 2021 | 90 | 2 | (full review) - Night Raiders is an exciting and fresh bit of sci-fi that succeeds largely by telling a well-traveled story through a compelling point-of-view. |
| The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain | 2020 | 90 | 2 | (full review) - Through deft use of the setting and a handful of outstanding performances, The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain materializes as one of the more powerful dramas of the year. |
| Back to the Wharf | 2020 | 85 | 8 | (full review) - While straddling the line between typical neo-noir and quiet character drama, Back to the Wharf manages to satisfy fans of both genres. |
| Bad Hombres | 2023 | 85 | 8 | (full review) - Bad Hombres is a lean and mean bit of modern day neo-noir that manages to deliver well past its budget and defy expectations all at the same time. |
| Balloon Animal | 2022 | 85 | 8 | (full review) - Writer-director Em Johnson delivers an honest – but never quite brutal – drama that always feels real to its characters. |
| Brighton 4th | 2022 | 85 | 8 | (full review) - Brighton 4th does offer a sweet, uplifting tale of a family doing what they can with what they have to help each other. |
| Earlybird | 2023 | 85 | 8 | (full review) - The cleverness of the script and the scrappiness of the overall production helps to keep the film on its toes. |
| Everyone Will Burn | 2023 | 85 | 8 | (full review) - Visually, emotionally, and viscerally, this is a film that will stand tall and proud alongside the other excellent horror films of 2023. |
| Fair Play | 2023 | 85 | 8 | (full review) - Despite a less than thrilling conclusion, the majority of Fair Play is a taut drama that puts character before plot. |
| I Love My Dad | 2022 | 85 | 8 | (full review) - I Love My Dad explores some dark and taboo territory but still manages to wring out a lot of laughs along the way. |
| Kill Your Lover | 2023 | 85 | 8 | (full review) - By leaning heavily into character and the sometimes claustrophobic nature of spiraling relationships, Kill Your Lover offers an exciting and emotional bit of genre filmmaking. |
| Project Wolf Hunting | 2022 | 85 | 8 | (full review) - A movie this wet and goopy hasn’t been seen in a while – and boy, does it make an impression. |
| Queen of the Deuce | 2023 | 85 | 8 | (full review) - Queen of the Deuce does an admirable job of touching on the history of New York City of the time, but even better is how the film showcases the love and respect a family can share throughout the ages. |
| RUB | 2023 | 85 | 8 | (full review) - Rub is the kind of character-centric genre outing that evokes the electric and gratifying cinema of the 1970s. |
| Smoke and Mirrors: The Story of Tom Savini | 2015 | 85 | 8 | (full review) - The importance of his contributions to cinema is never forgotten, but the value of the man over the work takes center stage. |
| The Animal Kingdom | 2023 | 85 | 8 | (full review) - Audiences looking for more emotional genre fare will be quite pleased with The Animal Kingdom and its emphasis on character. |
| Too Late | 2021 | 85 | 8 | (full review) - It’s not a gut buster, but you’ll have a smile on your face the entire time. |
| Truth to Power: Barbara Lee Speaks for Me | | 85 | 8 | (full review) - The real meat and potatoes of the film comes from Lee herself. |
| Wildcat | 2022 | 85 | 8 | (full review) - Seeing this vulnerable wildcat rely on an equally vulnerable human being is a beautiful juxtaposition that forms the core of the film. |
| Bandit | 2022 | 80 | 25 | (full review) - Bandit is a light-hearted heist flick that doesn’t get bogged down in bloody violence or moral grandstanding. You know, the kind you can show mom. |
| Brightwood | 2022 | 80 | 25 | (full review) - Instead of getting lost in the mechanics of paradoxes and and alternate timelines, the film wisely keeps its eye on the two characters experiencing this horrifying event. |
| Cerebrum | 2021 | 80 | 25 | (full review) - Instead of a watered-down wannabe action-palooza, Cerebrum has more in common with a classic murder mystery. |
| ClearMind | | 80 | 25 | (full review) - Despite somewhat pulling punches with its genre elements, Clear Mind is still a well written jab at pseudo-science and the people in its orbit. |
| Drunk Bus | 2021 | 80 | 25 | (full review) - The strength of the film is its dedication to character and letting those relationships feel real and lived in. |
| High Ground | 2020 | 80 | 25 | (full review) - The action sequences aren’t about excitement. They all come with consequences. |
| Howling Village | 2020 | 80 | 25 | (full review) - super creepy visuals and situations make up for the shortcomings |
| Port Authority | 2019 | 80 | 25 | (full review) - Port Authority is a film that means well and mostly does well with its characters and cast. |
| Reefa | | 80 | 25 | (full review) - Reefa explores a short period in the life of street artist Israel “Reefa†Hernandez. |
| See for Me | 2022 | 80 | 25 | (full review) - Through a clever hook and a great lead performance, See For Me becomes one of 2022’s first stand-out thrillers. |
| The Dose | 2020 | 80 | 25 | (full review) - La Dosis tantalizes with interesting character beats and odd tonal shifts, but in the end, doesn’t quite reach a satisfying conclusion. |
| The Hidden Life of Trees | 2020 | 80 | 25 | (full review) - The Hidden Life of Trees uses stunning time-lapse footage of the German forests to get into the “meat and potatoes†of how trees work. |
| The Long Night | 2022 | 80 | 25 | (full review) - The Long Night isn’t likely to end up on any “Best Of†lists at the end of the year. It is, however, a fun way to spend a Friday night. |
| Unsilenced | 2021 | 80 | 25 | (full review) - Even if the final product isn’t a home run, it’s impressive to see a filmmaker tackle an issue over and over with the same fiery passion. |
| Demigod | 2021 | 65 | 39 | (full review) - What it lacks in story twists and turns, it more than makes up for with exciting, bloody carnage. |
| Gone in the Night | 2022 | 65 | 39 | (full review) - Gone in the Night is a thriller that tries to offer up something new in a tried and true genre. Unfortunately, new doesn’t always mean good. |
| Eternals | 2021 | 45 | 41 | (full review) - The action sequences here feel emotionless and lack even an ounce of excitement. |
| Padre Pio | 2023 | 45 | 41 | (full review) - LaBeouf’s distracting American accent drags any discerning viewer out of the film immediately. |
| Panama | 2022 | 45 | 41 | (full review) - Gibson’s latest in this subgenre, is particularly sleep-inducing. |
| Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman | 2021 | 40 | 44 | (full review) - Writer/Director Daniel Farrands (Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers) doesn’t seem to have anything on his mind other than exploitation when it comes to American Boogeyman. |
| Herd | 2023 | 35 | 45 | (full review) - With a half-baked script that relies too heavily on decades-old ideas, Herd is another recent zombie movie that’s D.O.A. |
| Behemoth | 2021 | 25 | 46 | (full review) - However, the weak script and subpar acting never allow the film to live up to its aspirations. |
