Justin Chang
Stories
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This new movie about Russia's independent journalists is harrowing, but not hopeless
My Undesirable Friends: Part I — Last Air in Moscow follows Russian journalists who report on the country's abuses. Reviewer Justin Chang calls it one of the most engrossing films he's seen all year.
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Shakespeare's unhappy marriage takes center stage in 'Hamnet'
A new film, adapted from Maggie O'Farrell's 2020 novel, posits that the death of Shakespeare's 11-year-old son may have inspired one of the greatest fictional tragedies ever written.
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'Sentimental Value' is a family drama that lets everyone off the hook too easily
Joachim Trier's drama centers on the complicated relationship between a filmmaker and his grown daughters. But for every perceptive moment in the film, there's another that feels coy, even complacent.
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'Bugonia' is a psychological thriller that keeps you guessing from scene to scene
In this wickedly funny dark comedy, Emma Stone stars as a high-powered CEO who gets kidnapped by a low-ranking employee, played by Jesse Plemons, who believes she's an alien from outer space.
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In case 2025 wasn't scary enough, it was a great year for horror, too
From the supernatural to the slightly-too-realistic, it's been a banner year for scary movies, many of which are available to stream from home this Halloween.
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'It Was Just an Accident' is a blast of pure anti-authoritarian rage
Iranian director Jafar Panahi has been arrested repeatedly in his home country. His shockingly funny new revenge thriller was informed by the stories of people he met in prison.
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This #MeToo melodrama isn't great, but Julia Roberts' performance is
Roberts plays a Yale professor whose life unravels after one of her colleagues is accused of sexually assaulting a student. After the Hunt is an academic potboiler that muddles its central issue.
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Prescient and political, 'One Battle After Another' is one of the year's best films
Paul Thomas Anderson's action thriller starring Leonardo DiCaprio is a loose adaptation of Thomas Pynchon's Vineland. It weaves zany dark comedy, sociopolitical satire and controlled narrative chaos.
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'A Big Bold Beautiful Journey' opens a magical door ... to nowhere
Kogonada's film about lonely strangers traveling together in a car with a magical GPS wants to engage in heady conceits. But not even Colin Farrell and Margot Robbie can save a script this hopeless.
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After 6 seasons and 3 movies, 'Downton Abbey' bids farewell (or does it?)
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale takes place in 1930 and is much better than the last Downton movie. Creator Julian Fellowes cuts back on the convoluted plotting and zeroes in on emotional dynamics.
