Movie recommendations from critics Justin Chang (J.C.) and Kenneth Turan (K.T.). In general release unless otherwise noted.
The Art of Self-Defense
Riley Stearns wrote and directed this unnerving, exacting dark comedy about masculinity and violence, starring Jesse Eisenberg as a socially awkward young man who gets much more than he bargained for when he starts learning karate. (J.C.) R
Avengers: Endgame
After 11 years and 21 previous films, this opening chapter of the Marvel Cinematic Universe comes to a mighty finish with a thrilling, exhausting and inevitably moving adventure featuring Iron Man, Captain America and all the others we’ve met along the way. (J.C.) PG-13
The Farewell
Lulu Wang’sfunny and melancholy dramedy about an elaborate family deception is personal filmmaking at its most incisive, with superb performances from a cast that includes Awkwafina, Zhao Shuzhen, Tzi Ma and Diana Lin. (J.C.) PG
The Last Black Man in San Francisco
Jimmie Fails plays a fictionalized version of himself in director Joe Talbot’s gorgeous Sundance prizewinning debut feature, which tells a deeply personal story of friendship, community and the yearning for home. (J.C.) R. Limited
Late Night
A swell romantic comedy of a very particular sort, a film that details the delightful attachment two women played by Emma Thompson and Mindy Kaling in tip-top form have not to any man (or even each other) but to the profession they’re completely devoted to. (K.T.) R
Maiden
A potent documentary about the first all-female crew to compete in yachting’s grueling Whitbread Round the World Race in 1989, it tells a mighty tale about the majesty of the human spirit and the power of women. (K.T.) PG
Midsommar
Starring a terrific Florence Pugh as a young woman on an ill-advised Scandinavian holiday, Ari Aster’s latest grief-soaked horror film isn’t quite as terrifying as his earlier “Hereditary” but may be even more audacious in the way it pushes its moody story beyond the conventional grammar of horror cinema. (J.C.) R
Toy Story 4
It will blow you away in ways you won’t be expecting. As directed by Josh Cooley and written by Stephany Folsom and the veteran Andrew Stanton, the film surprises with the genuine emotion it generates with its focus on love, loyalty and what matters most in life. (K.T.) G