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Abominable (2019) by Jill Culton

Hopping on the “child befriending a dangerous creature” trope for a second time after Hiccup and Toothless, Dreamworks fails to bring anything new to the table with a very faint story and bleak characters. What could’ve been a wonderful adventure turned out to be more of a boring car trip.

Rating: 2.5/5

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Ad Astra (2019) by James Gray

I guess Ad Astra looks and sounds good, but it’s not good enough to balance the total lack of direction in the story and the very unfocused message. My favorite part of the film was when Brad Pitt finds his dad surfing on Saturn’s rings, which isn’t a real scene in the movie but one I imagined because I was bored.

Rating: 2.5/5

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Vivre à cent milles à l’heure (2019) by Louis Bélanger

This french-canadian film is the perfect coming-of-age film, telling us the story of four kids in the 70s up until they’re adult in the 90s. This nearly anecdotal film is a wild ride, as characters come and go we assist to their lives unfold through crime and drugs, for better or worse.

Rating: 4/5

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The Art of Self-Defense (2019) by Riley Stearns

The Art of Self-Defense takes jabs at toxic masculinity and lands every single punch. This off-beat parody of men taking manliness too seriously isn’t only hilarious, but enlightening, as a mundane karate dojo becomes a shrine for a cult of virility.

Rating: 4/5

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The Perfection (2019) by Richard Shepard

The Perfection is b-movie weird but Netflix Original unoriginal, it’s either not absurd enough or too absurd, and if you look only at the good gore and crazy twists, you’ll probably enjoy it. However, the other side of this film is mediocrity from editing to acting, and that failed opportunity to make something creatively insane is probably the scariest part of the film.

Rating: 2.5/5

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Joker (2019) by Todd Phillips

Some will claim Joker is a beautiful masterpiece about s o c i e t y, and I will admit it borrows a lot from classics, but despite Joker being smarter and more creative than other superhero films, the director doesn’t seem to master the techniques he borrows, and it doesn’t take much time to realize that Joker’s style is resembling other, better movies, which is good homage, but not so good for a whole film. Full disclosure: Joker is a good film that any superhero fans should see, great performances, good cinematography, great soundtrack, but a weak third act and the director should trying doing his own thing instead.

Rating: 3.5/5

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Daddy Issues (2019) by Amara Cash

Kinky, queer, fresh and colorful, the films’ only issue is trying to awkwardly fit its atypical story into a very standard format. While the odd dynamic between its three main characters is unique, the execution of its ideas isn’t the most convincing, or interesting, making it less exciting than it seems.

Rating: 2.5/5

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Downton Abbey (2019) by Michael Engler

I have no doubt that a fan of the franchise will be delighted with the return of beloved characters and stories from the past, but I haven’t seen the show and have absolutely no idea who any of these people are. Is this what my mom felt like watching Endgame? Only difference, Endgame is a part of a movie franchise; you shouldn’t have to watch an entire TV show to understand a film, even if it follows said TV show.

Rating: 2.5/5

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Mad Dog Labine (2019) by Jonathan Beaulieu Cyr and Renaud Lessard

Mad Dog Labine is a French-Canadian drama that blurs the line between documentary and fiction, not only capturing the essence of a fragment of rural Quebec, but also telling an engaging story of two young girls left on their own.

Rating: 4/5

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Matthias & Maxime (2019) by Xavier Dolan

As he repeats the usual themes of mother issues and homosexuality, Dolan goes over it without being tiresome for fans of the director, quite contrary, his new film takes a too real shot at bromance and family, and while not his most emotional film, the cast makes it worth your time.

Rating: 4/5

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Ask Dr. Ruth (2019) by Ryan White

Ask Dr. Ruth creatively tells the story of the infamous TV and radio host Dr. Ruth, but the only thing that really shines is Ruth’s charming character: the very surface overview of Ruth’s career might be good to meet her, but doesn’t offer much to anyone who already knew her.

Rating: 3/5

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Hustlers (2019) by Lorene Scafaria

Hustlers successfully paces itself through comedy and drama, painting the picture of a family of women that bands together to survive. The characters are dynamic, the story is exciting, and before you know it this film about sex workers becomes a touching film about motherhood.

Rating: 4/5

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The Goldfinch (2019) by John Crowley

While it isn’t boring, the Goldfinch is so awkwardly put together that it’s hard for anyone to follow the emotions the film tries to convey: whether you read the book or not, the confusing characters and weak pacing is unlikely to move you in any way.

Rating: 2.5/5

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Penguins (2019) by Alastair Fothergill and Jeff Wilson

Penguins is a fun documentary about penguins, and this time the Disney brings us a coming of age story about a penguin named Steve: unfortunately, despite the incredible work that was put into the film, it doesn’t get quite as fun or interesting as other Disneynature features.

Rating: 2.5/5

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Il pleuvait des oiseaux (2019) by Louise Archambault (OT of And the Birds Rained Down)

The beauty depicted in this intelligent drama will stick with you beyond its moving ending, and while it isn’t exactly thought-provoking, the incredible cast gives a touch of magic to this adaptation of an already enchanting book.

Rating: 3.5/5

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It: Chapter Two (2019) by Andrés Muschietti

Originally, the idea of the remake was to separate the kids’ story from the adults’ story unlike the book and original film, but the filmmakers obviously noticed that the best part of the first film were the kids, and they felt obliged to keep them, which shows in this chapter’s lack of direction and missing substance.

Rating: 3/5

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Ready or Not (2019) by  Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett

It never is as funny, absurd or terrifying as it wants to be, but Ready or Not has a little bit of everything to please most viewers, although its vague direction makes it a trivial watch.

Rating: 3/5