Justin Chang
Stories
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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.
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Watching a neighbor's cat turns lethal in 'Caught Stealing'
Darren Aronofsky's film is a funny, bloody valentine to 1990s New York City. Though awfully engrossing, Caught Stealing's mix of rambunctious slapstick and bone-crunching violence doesn't always gel.
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'Weapons' exposes the dark underbelly of American suburbia
Small-town life is upended when 17 schoolchildren suddenly vanish without explanation in the middle of the night. Weapons is a spooky thriller that invites deeper interpretation.
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Glorious and messy, 'Highest 2 Lowest' is a Spike Lee joint of the first order
Denzel Washington plays a New York City music mogul whose teenage son becomes the target of a kidnapping plot. The movie is a remake of the 1963 Akira Kurosawa classic, High and Low.
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The laughs land in 'The Naked Gun' reboot, but fall flat in 'Freakier Friday'
The new Naked Gun film, starring Liam Neeson, captures its predecessors' slapstick spirit. Freakier Friday, meanwhile, proves less compelling, despite a solid performance by Lindsey Lohan.
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'Sorry, Baby' is a story about pain and healing you haven't heard before
Eva Victor wrote, directed and stars in this tender film about a woman trying to make sense of life after sexual assault. Although very much a drama, Sorry, Baby showcases Victor's comic smarts.
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This new 'Superman' takes the Man of Steel seriously — but not self-seriously
Director James Gunn brings an irreverent, borderline-slapstick vibe to the latest Superman film, in which our hero grapples with villains, strange creatures and public opinion.
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Brad Pitt plays a veteran racer who won't slow down in 'F1'
Pitt, 61, stars as a Formula One driver whose career was sidelined by a devastating crash. Though the overall arc of F1 is fairly predictable, the film is still hugely enjoyable and dazzlingly well-made.
