Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), Shuri (Letitia Wright), M’Baku (Winston Duke), Okoye (Danai Gurira) and the Dora Milaje (including Florence Kasumba), fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s death. As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with the help of War Dog Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) and Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) and forge a new path for the kingdom of Wakanda.

RATED PG-13 FOR SEQUENCES OF STRONG VIOLENCE, ACTION, AND SOME LANGUAGE.

“Chadwick Boseman does not appear in this movie, but he’s felt in every single scene. It feels like a way to say goodbye. And, in that, it very much succeeds… while also being a rip-roaring Black Panther movie. Again, this movie is a miracle.” – Mike Ryan, Uproxx

“Every aspect — acting, writing, special effects, score — is a notch above its superhero peers. In the best possible sense, you forget you’re watching just another Marvel movie.” – Johnny Oleksinski, New York Post

“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever manages the delicate balancing act of working beautifully as a sequel to the 2018 movie, a touching tribute to Chadwick Boseman’s character and a complex, thrilling MCU adventure.” – Sean Keane, CNET

---

Spoiler Alert

Based on Michael Ausiello’s best-selling memoir Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies, the film is a heartwarming, funny and life-affirming story of how Michael (Jim Parsons) and Kit’s (Ben Aldridge) relationship is transformed and deepened when one of them falls ill.

RATED PG-13 FOR SEXUAL CONTENT, DRUG USE, AND THEMATIC ELEMENTS.

“Anchored by the ridiculously charming Aldridge’s chemistry with Parsons (distant but effective in comparison), Spoiler Alert defies expectations throughout, refusing to adhere to one genre or storytelling convention.” – Patrick Gomez, Entertainment Weekly

“Just in time for the holidays, director Michael Showalter has gifted viewers with a good old-fashioned tearjerker, one that earns its tears without resorting to a brute force assault on your heartstrings. Spoiler Alert operates with a lot of humor and more than a little grace.” – Odie Henderson, Boston Globe

“Ultimately, the movie tells a story about two lives: complicated, filled with both love and pain, but well and fully lived.” – Kristen Page-Kirby, Washington Post

---

Rogue Agent

The chilling true story of conman, Robert Freegard, who posed as an undercover MI5 agent kidnapping countless victims amidst a high-stakes manhunt until the woman who fell for him brought him to justice.

NOT RATED. CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE, SEXUAL CONTENT, BRIEF NUDITY, AND SMOKING.

“The high-thrills onscreen version, which adheres relatively closely to reality, is taut, exciting and will send viewers to frantically search Wikipedia for the rest of the story.” – Emily Zemler, Observer

“With neat, concise storytelling, and a skilled cast, Rogue Agent is a compelling film that will appeal to thriller and true crime lovers alike.” – Maggie Lovitt, Collider

“The film is ultimately a thoughtful study of how anyone, no matter how vulnerable or self-assured, can be fooled by someone who projects confidence and expertise.” – Noel Murray, Los Angeles Times

---

Strange World

Strange World journeys deep into an uncharted and treacherous land where fantastical creatures await the legendary Clades, a family of explorers whose differences threaten to topple their latest—and by far— most crucial mission.

RATED PG FOR ACTION / PERIL AND SOME THEMATIC ELEMENTS.

“This breathtaking, funny, and heartwarming tale is creativity and sincere storytelling at its finest.” – Patrice Witherspoon, Screen Rant

“Fast, fun, and full of freaky creatures, Strange World shows that Disney can do all-out action-adventure just as well as fairytale fare – while, hopefully, nudging the studio further towards the future.” – Ben Travis, Empire

“One of Strange World’s triumphs is the vibrant, weird, visually stunning subterranean world that the film’s heroes stumble upon during their quest to save their way of life. From its lush palette to its cute and deadly flora and fauna, this strange, mysterious world is very much deserving of its status as the film’s title character.” – Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times

---

The Fabelmans

Growing up in post-World War II era Arizona, young Sammy Fabelman aspires to become a filmmaker as he reaches adolescence, but soon discovers a shattering family secret and explores how the power of films can help him see the truth.

RATED PG-13 FOR SOME STRONG LANGUAGE, THEMATIC ELEMENTS, BRIEF VIOLENCE, AND DRUG USE.

“Using his childhood memories to talk about family, passion, and art means it leaves us with plenty to think about, but as usual with his movies the thing we walk away remembering the most is just how good it is.” – Sean Farrell, AFPL Journal

“While some might have preferred this story with its edges unsmoothed, The Fabelmans is better viewed as the tale of how Spielberg’s personal values inform his every artistic decision, and how he became who he is: The Greatest Showman On Earth.” – Jamie Graham, Total Film

“I hope Spielberg makes 20 more movies. But if this is the last one he ever directed, it would be the perfect career capper: An origin story, a thesis statement, a love letter, and a cautionary tale. Like life, it is hilarious at times, and pitifully sad at others. From the first scene to the last, it had me leaning forward in my seat like Sammy Fabelman at The Greatest Show on Earth.” – Matt Singer, Screen Crush

---

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry

Bookstore owner A.J. Fikry’s (Kunal Nayyar) life is not turning out as he expected as he struggles both emotionally and financially. After his wife’s tragic death, he feels lost and left behind in the rapidly evolving world of today. As he tries to keep his store afloat, he begins to drink his sorrows away ultimately hitting rock bottom when his most prized possession, a series of Edgar Allen Poe poems, are stolen. But when a mysterious package appears at the bookstore, the unexpected arrival gives Fikry a new lease on life, and love, that are greater than he ever imagined. Based on the New York Times best-selling novel.

RATED PG-13 FOR BRIEF STRONG LANGUAGE, SOME SUGGESTIVE MATERIAL, AND THEMATIC ELEMENTS.

“A charming drama that promotes compassion.” – Monique Jones, Common Sense Media

“For the more casual viewer who is craving a traditional tear-jerker, this drama more than fits the bill.” – Sumner Forbes, Film Threat

“[An] imperfect, but clever and genuinely moving comedy-drama… an unsurprisingly novel-like and suitably literary film… Canosa and Zevin have crafted an unusually crafty tale, and their talented cast breathes life into it.” – James Verniere, Boston Herald

---

Christmas with the Campbells

When Jesse (Brittany Snow) gets dumped right before the holidays by her boyfriend Shawn (Alex Moffat), his parents convince her to still spend Christmas with them, and Shawn’s handsome cousin (Justin Long), while Shawn is away.

NOT RATED. CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE THROUGHOUT, RUDE HUMOR, AND DRUG USE.

“This is the hilarious hidden gem of the holidays, and it’s better than any of the other new releases trying to hit that Christmas sweet spot this season.” – Ethan Anderton, /Film

“Christmas With the Campbells is like a weirdly creative holiday drink; you wouldn’t expect those ingredients to work together, but somehow, they do.” – Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times

“It’s a surprisingly thoughtful blend of earnest and silly, and Niederpruem’s confident, Hallmark-tinged direction only adds to that sense of familiar surroundings ready to be subverted.” – Matthew Jackson, AV Club

---

The Inspection

In Elegance Bratton’s deeply moving film inspired by his own story, a young, gay Black man, rejected by his mother and with few options for his future, decides to join the Marines, doing whatever it takes to succeed in a system that would cast him aside. But even as he battles deep-seated prejudice and the grueling routines of basic training, he finds unexpected camaraderie, strength, and support in this new community, giving him a hard-earned sense of belonging that will shape his identity and forever change his life.

RATED R FOR LANGUAGE THROUGHOUT, SEXUAL CONTENT, SOME NUDITY, AND VIOLENCE.

“The Inspection isn’t a perfect movie, but there are times when it feels like it’s tantalizingly close.” – Phil Pirrello, AV Club

“The metamorphosis that Bratton explores, and that Pope embodies — the way Ellis both changes and remains ever faithful to himself — is subtle, bittersweet and beautiful.” – A.O. Scott, New York Times

“This is a human story, as messy and complex and maddening as any ever told, and while Bratton makes it his own (how could he not?), the generosity with which he shares it with us makes it special indeed.” – Kate Erbland, IndieWire

---

Bandit

After escaping a Michigan prison, a charming career criminal assumes a new identity in Canada and goes on to rob a record 59 banks and jewelery stores while being hunted by a police task force. Based on the story of The Flying Bandit.

RATED R FOR LANGUAGE THROUGHOUT AND SOME SEXUAL MATERIAL / NUDITY.

“The movie’s tone is entirely pleasant and agreeable… A very relaxed and often hilarious look at life as a bank robber.” – Peter Martin, ScreenAnarchy

“Duhamel is perfect as Galvan, pouring on the charm and smooth talk as needed, whether it’s talking his way into a homeless shelter after hours or convincing the crime boss to take a chance on him. It’s the sort of role the actor seems born to play.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

“Famed bank robbers are a genre onto themselves, but Allan Ungar’s latest is a breezy good time with enough clever turns, an engaged supporting cast and a charming, easygoing performance by Josh Duhamel.” – Erik Childress, Movie Madness Podcast

---

Cryptozoo

Cryptids are creatures whose existence is disputed or unsubstantiated. When Amber and Matt get lost in the woods during a sex date, they stumble upon a high-security fence. On the other side, they find a cryptid—a unicorn—that would change their lives. Military brat Lauren spent her childhood nights in a nightmarish state, until a mythical baku came to eat her dreams, releasing her from nocturnal torment. Lauren decides to dedicate her life to rescuing and sheltering cryptids from those who seek to exploit them, so she becomes a cryptozookeeper. But when Lauren’s and Amber’s paths cross, Lauren begins to wonder if displaying these rare beasts in confinement is better than enabling these mythical creatures to remain hidden and unknown.

NOT RATED. CONTAINS STRONG SEXUAL CONTENT, NUDITY, STRONG LANGUAGE, VIOLENCE, THEMATIC MATERIAL, DRUG USE, AND SMOKING.

“When you turn on Cryptozoo, you’re in for something that’s unlike anything else you’ve seen before. It is the most interesting and singular animated movie I’ve seen in years.” – Lorry Kikta, Film Threat

“To watch Cryptozoo is to open a Disneyland-size kingdom of ideas that never cease to astound.” – Carlos Aguilar, The Playlist

“Page by page, frame by frame, it seeks to cultivate your wonder and awaken your outrage, to spin a work of unbridled fantasy into a depressingly relevant critique of human callousness and greed in any era.” – Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times

---

Nocebo

A fashion designer (Eva Green) suffers from a mysterious illness that confounds her doctors and frustrates her husband (Mark Strong) – until help arrives in the form of a Filipino nanny (Chai Fonacier) who uses traditional folk healing to reveal a horrifying truth.

NOT RATED. CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE, DISTURBING IMAGES, THEMATIC MATERIAL, AND PERIL.

“Green and Fonacier are both fantastic within this evolving dynamic, their inevitable end a mutually brutal sacrifice meant to close a broken loop rather than continue some damaging cycle. Their characters are so complex that their best moments are those subtle shimmers revealing true natures beneath old façades.” – Jared Mobarak, The Film Stage

“It’s rare for a film to so boldly depict shamanic experience as Nocebo does here, where ritual and sacrifice open up relations with enigmatic and powerful forces in unseen realms.” – Ned Booth, The Playlist

“Nocebo combines traditional Filipino folklore with modern concerns about cultural exploitation, and while it is prone to moments of melodramatic excess is still another intriguing work from one of Ireland’s most interesting talents.” – Nikki Baughan, Screen Daily

---

Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody

The joyous, emotional and heart-breaking celebration of the life and music of Whitney Houston, the greatest female R&B pop vocalist of all time. Tracking her journey from obscurity to musical super stardom.

RATED PG-13 FOR STRONG DRUG CONTENT, SOME STRONG LANGUAGE, SMOKING, AND SUGGESTIVE REFERENCES.

“I Wanna Dance with Somebody is the kind of lavishly impassioned all-stops-out biopic you either give into or you don’t — and if you do, you may find yourself getting so emotional, baby.” – Owen Gleiberman, Variety

“These movies are about reminding us how these songs made us feel when they were new, and how bowled over we were by the people who performed them. Ackie, Lemmons & Co. do that, and rescue Houston from her ‘tragedy’ to remind us why the world fell in love with her and once-in-a-generation voice.” – Roger Moore, Movie Nation

“The movie isn’t a melodramatic tell-all, or a total downer. But it manages, even while being unapologetically entertaining, to feel like an honest reckoning with all the things we didn’t want to know about Houston at her fame’s height. It’s a film that takes our failings into consideration, rather than simply fixating on hers, a summation of all the things she tried to tell us and couldn’t.” – Stephanie Zacharek, Time

---

Devotion

Devotion, an aerial war epic based on the bestselling book of the same name, tells the harrowing true story of two elite US Navy fighter pilots during the Korean War. Their heroic sacrifices would ultimately make them the Navy’s most celebrated wingmen.

RATED PG-13 FOR STRONG LANGUAGE, SOME WAR ACTION / VIOLENCE, AND SMOKING.

“Devotion’s a respectful introduction to heroes the world should know and celebrate. Between J.D. Dillard’s thoughtful direction, the shocking clarity of Erik Messerschmidt’s cinematography, a rousing soundscape, and the tight editing, it’s a riveting drama ready to give even the best aerial war story a run for its money.” – Ro Moore, IGN

“The film comes to life when Majors and Powell are in the air. Dillard and cinematographer Erik Messerschmidt make the sky feel vast and alive, threatening to swallow up Jesse and Tom at any moment. Along with the film’s thrilling flight scenes, Majors is the biggest draw of Devotion, showcasing his distinctly masculine vulnerability to portray a man as strong as he is silent.” – Jourdain Searles, The Playlist

“With plenty of heart and soul, Devotion is an emotional spectacle, packed with soaring highs and gut-wrenching potency. It’s another compelling performance for Jonathan Majors’ increasingly impressive resume.” – Kelechi Ehenulo, Empire

---

God’s Country

Sandra (Thandiwe Newton) is very tired. It’s been years of trying (and failing) to please her recently deceased mother, while also navigating the challenging politics and power dynamics at the college where she teaches. And then there is the racism, sexism, and toxic masculinity she encounters wherever she goes. But it’s a confrontation with two hunters trespassing on her property that ultimately tests Sandra’s self-restraint, pushing her grief and mounting anger to their limits.

RATED R FOR LANGUAGE.

“At every turn magnifying the dramatic power of this story is Newton, an actress of exceptional grit and grace who’s capable of communicating more emotion in a single, simmering look than many pages of dialogue could exposit.” – Isaac Feldberg, RogerEbert.com

“A lyrical character study inside a quasi-Western thriller, God’s Country features a never-better Thandiwe Newton embodying that ethical struggle to haunting, unsettling effect.” – Jack Smart, AV Club

“Julian Higgins’ first feature can be taken as a drama with thriller elements or a low-key thriller with atypical dramatic nuance, working either way as a quietly effective balance between genre, social issue and character study elements.” – Dennis Harvey, Variety

---

Here Are the Young Men

Here Are the Young Men, based on the acclaimed novel by Rob Doyle, catalogs the last hurrah of three high school graduates intent on celebrating their newfound freedom with an epic, debaucherous bender. However, when a horrible accident sends them spiraling, the trio must grapple with the most daunting challenge of their lives: facing their own inner demons.

NOT RATED. CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE THROUGHOUT, SEXUAL CONTENT, DRUG USE, BLOODY IMAGES, AND THEMATIC MATERIAL.

“Even though the screenplay does not explore every character’s backstory enough to work fully, the film is still an engaging coming-of-age story with an utterly brilliant ending.” – Bobby LePire, Film Threat

“Sharply observant and bolstered by stellar performances from its young male trio, the result is an intensely concentrated and appropriately in-your-face exploration of toxic masculinity.” – Emily Maskell, WeLoveCinema

“A plausible, troubling portrait of what can occur when adolescents are given no hope and no help, but instead left to figure out everything on their own. Sadly, there’s nothing about this aspect of the film that feels dated.” – Abbie Bernstein, Assignment X

---

Peace by Chocolate

After the bombing of his father’s chocolate factory, a charming young Syrian refugee struggles to settle into his new Canadian small-town life, caught between following his dream to become a doctor and preserving his family’s chocolate-making legacy.

NOT RATED. CONTAINS LANGUAGE.

“Peace By Chocolate is a bona fide crowd pleaser, and a true story to boot.” – Chris Knight, National Post

“A true story brought to dramatic life with a combination of genuine humor and deep pathos, Peace by Chocolate tackles the weighty issues of our present with a healthy dose of whimsy.” – Christopher Llewellyn Reed, Film Festival Today

“Peace by Chocolate explores the triumphs and tribulations of the Hadhad family. The cast gives solid performances, and the story is thoroughly crafted. Not one to miss.” – Grady Bolding, Cultured Vultures

---

Artifishal

A film about people, rivers, and the fight for the future of wild fish and the environment that supports them. It explores wild salmon’s slide toward extinction.

NOT RATED.

“Exposes the devastating reality of fish farming on the wild salmon population and wider ecosystem.” – Ed Gibbs, Little White Lies

“In the end there is still hope. And this film leaves us with that.” – Carey-Ann Pawsey, Orca Sound

---

The Super 8 Years

The French writer and 2022 Nobel Prize awardee Annie Ernaux, whose novels and memoirs have gained her a devoted following (and whose autobiographical L’Événement was adapted just last year into the critically acclaimed film Happening), opens a treasure trove with this delicate journey into her family’s memory. Compiled from gorgeously textured home movie images from 1972 to 1981 – when her first books were published, her sons became teenagers, and her husband Philippe brought an 8mm film camera everywhere they went – this portrait of a time, place, and moment of personal and political significance takes us from holidays and family rituals in suburban bourgeois France to trips abroad in Albania and Egypt, Spain and the USSR. Supplying her own introspective voiceover, Ernaux and her co-filmmaker, her son David, guide the viewer through fragments of a decade, diffuse and vivid in equal measure. The Super 8 Years is a remarkable visual extension of Ernaux’s ongoing literary project to make sense of the mysterious past and the unknowable future.

NOT RATED.

“Ernaux’s precise and thoughtful commentary connects the images to memories, discovering yet another harvest from the well-cultivated field of her autobiography.” – Liam Lacey, Original Cin

“Memory is also, I think, one reason we watch movies like this, which with its lapidary narration and melancholic images — with its laughing children, its difficult smiles and its ghosts — movingly pairs you with Ernaux and with the world that she has so brilliantly made.” – Manohla Dargis, New York Times

“This moving, probing, beautifully written film doesn’t completely eschew nostalgia, but like Ernaux’s books, it treats the past as a prism, casting varying light depending on how, when and where it’s held.” – Noel Murray, Los Angeles Times

---

Stray

Stray explores what it means to live as a being without status or security, following three strays as they embark on inconspicuous journeys through Turkish society. Zeytin, fiercely independent, embarks on adventures through the city at night; Nazar, nurturing and protective, easily befriends the humans around her; while Kartal, a shy puppy living on the outskirts of a construction site, finds companions in the security guards who care for her. The strays’ disparate lives intersect when they each form intimate bonds with a group of young Syrians with whom they share the streets.

NOT RATED. CONTAINS LANGUAGE, MILD VIOLENCE, AND DRUG USE.

“By handing the spotlight, and even the camera, over to the bold and beautiful Zeytin without guiding the viewer too aggressively, Lo has created something worth seeking out for anyone who wants to expand their world view – and perhaps also lower it a few feet.” – Sophy Romvar, The Globe and Mail

“Throughout the mostly wordless Stray, we wonder with compassion and considerable self-critique whom the society uplifts and supports vs. whom it chooses to disregard and deem invisible.” – Tomris Laffly, Variety

“Through a finely calibrated ebb and flow of insight and emotion, Lo offers a fresh perspective on life in the shadows — the freedom as well as the neglect — building toward an end-credits coda, a song from the heart, that’s not to be missed.” – Sheri Linden, Hollywood Reporter

---

Ask Me To Dance

On a starry night, Jack and Jill separately meet a fortune teller who predicts they will meet the love of their life before the end of the year, which happens to be only five days away.

RATED PG-13 FOR CRUDE SEXUAL MATERIAL AND LANGUAGE.

“All in all, Ask Me to Dance is all fun and pleasant, especially regarding the wedding and those involved. Look for Joyce DeWitt in a brief role as Nana for a blast from the past, as well as a bizarre cameo from wrestling gold medalist and superstar Kurt Angle.” – Sabina Dana Plasse, Film Threat

“One of the most heartwarming, delightful and funny romantic comedies since Love, Actually. A perfect date movie.” – Avi Offer, NYC Movie Guru

“There aren’t many twists and turns to it, or even many new steps. But everyone here is clearly having a good time, and hoping you will too. In the end, Ask Me to Dance is an invitation you won’t regret accepting.” – Stephen Whitty, Film Racket

---

Carmen

In a small Mediterranean village, Carmen (Natascha McElhone) has looked after her brother, the local priest, for her entire life. When the Church abandons Carmen, she is mistaken for the new priest. Carmen begins to see the world, and herself, in a new light.

NOT RATED.

“Writer and director Valerie Buhagiar makes the wise decision to orient her film toward what’s pleasurable rather than what’s logical. The Maltese countryside sparkles in the sunlight, and McElhone delights with a charming and slightly loopy performance as the irreverent spiritual leader.” – Teo Bugbee, New York Times

“Natascha McElhone is a wonder in writer-director Valerie Buhagiar’s charming dramedy Carmen, a film about a long-overlooked woman who finally comes out of her shell and puts a lifetime of silent observations to use.” – Noel Murray, Los Angeles Times

“[A] jubilant movie about a middle-aged woman who has spent her life serving the church and finds a new more fulfilling way forward.” – Frederic & Mary Ann Brussat, Sprituality & Practice

---

Shark: The Beginning

Cha Woo Sol, a victim of school violence who was imprisoned in a boys’ prison due to an unexpected incident, meets mixed martial arts champion Jeong Do Hyeon and breaks his limits one by one in order to seek revenge and make his bully pay.

NOT RATED. CONTAINS STRONG, BLOODY VIOLENCE.

“While Shark: The Beginning is principally an emotional journey, with surprising weight given to simple montage sequences, it also functions admirably well as a standard prison action film. The movie climaxes with three big fight scenes that are as much about Woo-sol taking punches as giving them out. Woo-sol was bullied because he was scared of being hurt. He can only break free of that fear by accepting pain as a part of life and choosing his battles.” – William Schwartz, Han Cinema

---

Dawning

Haejin Park, a trauma therapist, is forced to face her family’s darkest past when she returns to her childhood countryside-farm to console her heartbroken younger sister.

NOT RATED. CONTAINS VIOLENCE, DISTURBING IMAGES, AND THEMATIC MATERIAL.

“At times, it channels Kim Jee-woon in how deftly it balances poignant trauma and bonafide, supernatural scares… In its more restrained moments, however, it’s a deeply affecting and often unnerving horror exercise.” – Chad Collins, Dread Central

---

---

NOTE: The library does not receive any compensation for links TO OTHER SITES.