Michael Sragow

Handmade tales: the Czech wizard of stop-motion animation gets his due with the first complete U.S. retrospective

Reeling us in: an animated Chinese film spins traditional tales with wonder and excitement

L.A. noir: Aaron Katz’s female-driven mystery mistakes enigma for character depth

Shock corridors: Claire Foy’s spiky performance as an unwitting prisoner of a mental hospital is a light in the darkness

Game over: the reboot of this video game franchise struggles to make something more than pretty pixels

Interstellar kids: the over-hyped adaptation of Madeleine L’Engle’s sci-fi YA novel rings hollow

Kiss me deadly: Jennifer Lawrence captivates as a secret agent manipulating both sides, but the filmmaking can’t keep up

To the lighthouse: Alex Garland’s eye-popping sci-fi fable twists and turns but ultimately retains its exquisite shape

Pop goes the zeitgeist: Ryan Coogler’s star-studded adaptation of the long-running Marvel series is pure delight

Heroes at home and abroad: Eastwood’s dramatization of a foiled terrorist attack confuses the actions (and people) involved

No more tests: the final installment of the YA trilogy offers a wild ride for all ages

Gallantly goofing around: Paul King’s second film about everyone’s favorite Peruvian bear bears fruit

Not so unusual: Lauren Wolkstein and Christopher Radcliff's disjointed tale of a traumatized boy on the road hides behind ambiguity

The price of freedom: Ridley Scott’s sharply drawn thriller chronicles the infamous kidnapping of a Getty oil scion with clear eyes

Aiming true: Rian Johnson’s spunky entry in the franchise has a forceful vision

Three steps: Samuel Maoz composes a beautiful and sometimes surreal vision of an Israeli serviceman’s death

Paper moon: borrowing from the great mid-century American dramatists, Woody Allen’s latest fails to be compelling

Crisis management: Gary Oldman shines in Joe Wright’s portrait of Winston Churchill assuming power at a crucial moment in WWII

Thread of human dignity: Denzel Washington and Colin Farrell shine in a tale that explores the limits of idealism

(Taika Waititi, USA, Walt Disney, Opening November 3)