Melissa McCarthy is at it again with this bland, boring version of a sorority movie. In odd fashion, she plays the straight-woman in a form that truly doesn’t suit her best talents. McCarthy is the female version of Eddie Murphy’s Axel Foley: A wise-cracking, mile-a-minute riot who’s as unpredictable as possible. She plays a mother…

From the man who brought us Juno and Up In The Air comes his best film in a literal decade. Tully is the story of a mother of three, and the bond she makes with a night-nurse her brother hires to help her with her newborn. Charlize Theron is absolute fire as the title character,…

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson has built a steadfast presence as one of the most marketable movie stars today. He’s saved bloated franchises, given broad comedic performances and showed dramatic chops. So it makes sense he’d take aim at the most ridiculed film sub-genre and try to make a hit. With this video game adaptation, he…

Celebrated Halifax filmmaker Michael Melski returns to the fold with this bone-chilling genre fare. The Child Remains draws inspiration from horror greats like Rosemary’s Baby — while still providing a bleak canvas of creativity on its own. Based on the Butterbox Baby scandal of East Chester, the film focuses on an expectant couple who visit…

Amy Schumer has long been a passionate, difficult and courageous presence for both female empowerment and vitriol from her detractors. No topic — and no taboo — is off limits for the comedian, and with her latest effort, she tackles body image in a grand way. The problem with the well-intentioned film — about a…

There’s no film this year more deserving of your attention than this Joaquin Phoenix comeback. The eccentric, up-and-down actor won the Best Actor prize at last year’s Cannes Film Festival, and will be a force come the Oscars. His understated, cold performance as a deeply troubled veteran who rescues kidnapped girls is reminiscent of De Niro…

This French-subtitled ecology film comes to select theatres this month, just in time for Earth Day. After strong showings in Quebec markets, the film will now seek success in other areas, and this documentary is an evocative piece of cinema. Director Iolande Cadrin-Rossignol touches on everything from climate change to human views on animals and…

Not all films are intended as escapist, popcorn entertainment. Indian Horse — a harsh examination of the life of Saul Indian Horse — is unflinching in its portrayal of both the best and worst in the First Nations man’s life. The film festival favourite shows the horrors inflicted upon young kids in the residential school…

Rarely does a thriller attack the senses like A Quiet Place. In a film where silence is king, you’ll be able to hear a pin drop in even the busiest of theatres as your heart pounds with suspense. John Krasinski — who you’ll remember as funnyman Jim from The Office — pulls triple duty as…

In its glory, Blockers could have been the next Hangover: a movie so damn funny that substance was an afterthought. But with the directing debut of Kay Cannon — writer of the Pitch Perfect trilogy — there’s an intelligence and conscience behind this teen sex comedy that leaves its mark long after the credits. Part…