Toy Story 4: Nostalgia bias be damned, no recent movie I can recall has made me laugh, made me feel, even scared me like this movie. What a fun extra treat on top of a special trilogy of movie-making. ****3/4
Us: Not just a movie, but an experience I couldn’t stop thinking about weeks after. There’s so much care put into this film that’s totally creepy but also occasionally funnier than most comedies. Lupita Nyong’o’s dual performance is one for the ages too. *****
Dumbo: Danny DeVito is perfectly cast, otherwise this is another entry in what I imagine will be a series of lifeless live-action Disney movies that have the occasional bit of wonder but ultimately make you question the point of the entire thing. Plus all the way-too-emotionally-adept kids they cast and script are annoying. Burton’s magic might be gone too. A movie that was so FINE, but just that. **3/4
Shazam!: Probably the best post-Nolan DC superhero flick yet, but really only because of Zachary Levi being just adorable as a kid trapped in a superhero’s body. Otherwise there’s way too much build-up to get to Levi, and the story they end up telling reads more silly than sweet. **3/4
The Beach Bum: Harmony Korine makes fascinating movies and here’s one with Matthew McConaughey leaning all in to the McConaughey gimmick. What results is magic. Like Us, an experience more than a movie, but one I enjoyed in the moment and don’t need to think much about after – like a slow rollercoaster where you had the cool drops and whatnot but also just got to dig the ride while it lasted. Also, Zac Efron shows up with some all-timer facial hair. ****1/4
