In French filmmaker Claire Denis’ new feature Both Sides of the Blade (previously known in English as Fire), two of France’s biggest stars, Juliette Binoche (a repeat collaborator who also featured in Denis’ last film, High Life), and Vincent Lindon (who daddied up a storm in Titane) play a married couple facing complications when an old friend re-enters their lives. No French marriage is ever simple. Ashlea sees it as “the carnage of a woman trying to liberate herself from the clutches of love,” while Ian celebrates “the first great movie about how the Covid pandemic turned everybody into a volatile, horny maniac.” (Now in theaters.)

Hopping straight into third place in our highest-rated of 2022 so far, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On is surely the best thing to ever happen to anyone who has stayed in an Airbnb. Co-creator and director Dean Fleischer-Camp puts himself in the picture as the recently single tenant who becomes the human link between the tiny shell and his long-lost family. Voiced by co-creator Jenny Slate, this feature-length Marcel adventure seems to be the therapy everyone needs right now, going by the many “cried the whole time” reviews. “My heart feels simultaneously shattered and renewed from this film,” writes Maia. “Just about the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen. And I once saw a duck riding a Roomba,” says Erik. (Now in theaters.)

Martin Scorsese lends his name as executive producer to Croatian drama Murina, which won the Caméra d’Or (best first feature) at Cannes last year. Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović’s film chronicles the relationship between a teenage girl (Gracija Filipović) and her controlling father (Leon Lučev). Cliff Curtis also shows up, which is always a good sign. Aomame enjoyed how the film “peels back layer by layer, moving into darker territory the longer it goes on”. “A tense and unpredictable family drama with an outstanding performance from Filipović,” writes Leesah. “Avoiding the usual coming-of-age clichés, this is a darker and more thought-provoking film.” (Now in theaters.)

With the Marvel Cinematic Universe going through something of a transitional phase, the presence of a new film centered around OG MCU character Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is reassuring on a certain level. His previous solo outing, Thor: Ragnarok, blew open the doors of what we thought could be done with a superhero film, and with the return of that film’s director and co-writer, Taika Waititi, audiences are ready for something more unhinged, messier, more absurd, and with more screaming goats than the more divisive recent MCU outings. If anyone can do it, it’s Taika, Chris, Tessa, Natalie, Christian, Russell, et al. (Now in theaters.)

Normal People made Hollywood sit up and take notice of English actor Daisy Edgar-Jones, and following well-received turns in the Utah-set Under the Banner of Heaven, and the black comedy Fresh, she takes on her first proper big-screen lead with Southern gothic drama Where the Crawdads Sing, adapted from Delia Owens’ best-selling novel about a marsh-dwelling loner who is accused of murder. Period David Strathairn alert! (In theaters July 15.)

With recent reports suggesting that Netflix is seeking to rein in its profligate spending on expensive movies starring even more expensive actors, we may be seeing fewer films like The Gray Man, a spy action-thriller which pits Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans against each other, presumably in a battle to determine the most handsome white man on the planet. Where it fits into the wildly erratic Netflix Original movie canon remains to be seen, but we’re onboard for Evans’ mustache alone. (In theaters July 15, on Netflix July 22.)

International treasure Lesley Manville, an Oscar nominee for her role in Phantom Thread—and deliverer of scene-stealing turns in movies like Another Year and the overlooked Let Him Go—plays the title role in Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris. Based on a novel by Paul Gallico (who also wrote the book that The Poseidon Adventure was based on) and previously adapted into a TV movie in 1992 starring Angela Lansbury and Omar Sharif, it follows a cleaning lady in 1950s London whose desire to own a Christian Dior dress results in an adventure across the channel. The fits are fabulous. (In theaters July 15.)

Although he has only two movies under his belt as a director, Jordan Peele has quickly built up one of the strongest populist directorial brands since M. Night Shyamalan, a feat in a blockbuster era where characters are more important to audiences than filmmakers. The cheekily enigmatic Nope sees Peele re-team with the star of his first movie, Oscar-winner Daniel Kaluuya, for a film about the residents of a lonely gulch who are terrorized by an evil cloud. Any movie that takes place in a gulch is good with us. Keke Palmer, Steven Yeun and perhaps most excitingly, the great Michael Wincott (forever Kent in Talk Radio, more on that soon), co-star. (In theaters July 22.)

Still probably best known as a writer and performer on TV show The Office, BJ Novak remains a peculiarly specific talent who is increasingly overdue for some sort of breakout success as a producer, or a performer, or both. Perhaps his new film Vengeance, which he wrote, directed and stars in, will show the world what he can do. A sharp thriller-satire of the true-crime podcast trend, Novak plays a journalist investigating the small-town death of a woman he knew. Ashton Kutcher, Issa Rae and Dove Cameron co-star. Benji found it to be “a really compelling examination of American contemporary culture,” while Darthsquidius says it’s “a laugh-out-loud gut-wrenching self-aggrandizing self-loathing selfish and selfless ride through a coastal elites’ journey of self-actualization through Texas.” (In theaters July 29.)

Another filmmaker/actor who will always be associated with a TV success is Lena Dunham, whose new film Sharp Stick premiered at Sundance this year. Dunham writes, directs and takes a supporting role in the Los Angeles-set dramedy co-starring Jon Bernthal as her husband and Kristine Froseth as Sarah Jo, the oddly naïve twenty-something nanny with whom he has an affair. Jennifer Jason Leigh and Taylour Paige also star, as does Scott Speedman as a porn star full of warm compliments for his viewers. The tone is hard to nail down, but that’s okay with Sundae Smile: “It has an uncomfortable awkwardness to it, but the cast is so damn good that I trusted them to go along for the ride, and I’m glad I did.” Dunham detractors are out in force with the one-star ratings, but Dawn has some advice: “Don’t believe the haters. Great performances, a captivating story, and I think I must have audibly said, ‘What the f—k?’ a dozen times. Just like on any given episode of Girls.” (In theaters July 29.)

Like phone calls that end without anyone saying “goodbye” and unreasonably nice kitchens, the gay bestie has long been a rom-com cinematic staple. On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of peak gay bestie movie My Best Friend’s Wedding, Emily Maskell writes about the history of the problematic trope, and whether there is a future for gay best friends. (We’re optimistic the trope can evolve, in light of the news that queer actors are playing the straight best friends to Billy Eichner’s lovelorn Bobby Leiber in his upcoming rom-com, Bros.)

Speaking of rom-coms, these days we never seem to stop hearing about how it’s a dead genre, or at least that most modern examples are pants. Mica Cardoso presents a counter argument with her list of modern rom-coms (2011-present) that are actually good or decent.

The Heat reunion may have gotten most of the press, but there were plenty of new movies at this year’s Tribeca Festival, too. Letterboxd’s Festiville crew—Flynn Slicker, Jack Moulton, Isaac Feldberg and Mitchell Beaupre—took in the cinematic offerings and checked on your rankings to curate our ten picks of the festival, featuring everything from naked New Zealanders to philosophical LA liquor-store owners.

Moon would like us to acknowledge a new genre that has emerged in the wake of the films of a certain Japanese filmmaker. If Blockbuster still existed, we hope they would most certainly have a section titled: Draws a poetic picture of the beauty, intimacy and cruelty of teen romances or non teen in a dreamy style critics described as “Post-Iwai Shunji”.

English comedy trio Jim Archer (director), David Earl (co-star, co-writer) and Chris Hayward (co-star, co-writer) chatted to Jack Moulton about all the influences that informed their charming new robot buddy-comedy Brian and Charles. The conversation celebrates some of cinema’s greatest unconventional duos, such as those found in the superlative American Movie, Monsters and, of course, Withnail & I.

Noah Dixon and Ori Segev, the pair behind Columbus, Ohio-based indie production house Loose Films, also claim to be early Letterboxd adopters, which means they are legit cool in our eyes. Naturally, we asked them to tell us some of their favorite films on the occasion of their debut feature Poser, a Talented Mr. Ripley-meets-Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist drama-thriller that takes place in the Columbus music scene—and makes a strong case for never trusting podcasters, except for ours, so why not also check out our Minions: The Rise of Gru episode of Weekend Watchlist.

Science fiction is great. But it can be even greater when it doesn’t try so hard.

Pixar’s Andrew MacLane, who directed the new Lightyear movie, met up with our resident animation expert Kambole Campbell at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival for a chat about the expectation-defying movie and how it was influenced by such classics as 2001: A Space Odyssey and Aliens. MacLane also details a movie-obsessed childhood that saw him discover some of the best films of the 1980s in real time. (At the same festival, Kambole also got an advance look at Guillermo del Toro’s stop-motion Pinocchio.)

Since debuting at Sundance in January, Good Luck to You, Leo Grande has charmed the pants off pretty much everybody who’s seen it. Ella Kemp spoke to Sophie Hyde (the director) and Katy Brand (the writer) about their approach to the Emma Thompson-Daryl McCormack sex comedy.

Hope you’re having a nice summer!

It’s time for Dom’s Pick! Each month, Call Sheet editor Dominic Corry finishes off with a recommendation for your watchlists. This month: Talk Radio. If you took notice of Eric Bogosian’s stellar supporting turn in Uncut Gems, be sure to check out his bravura lead performance in this criminally underappreciated Oliver Stone film from 1988.

A more intimate effort from Stone’s most fertile period, this was sandwiched between Wall Street and Born on the Fourth of July and arguably possesses more contemporary relevance than both of those films as an early indictment of the culture wars. Bogosian absolutely kills it as a hilariously/tragically acidic radio host, with great support from the always-versatile Ellen Greene and (natch, it being ’80s Stone), a never-better John C. McGinley. That said, Michael Wincott, playing an inspired early example of what would eventually become a tired stereotype, pretty much walks away with the movie as a glorious waster named Kent.