NYAD

• Director: Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin
• Writer: Julia Cox
• Starring: Annette Bening, Jodie Foster, Rhys Ifans

Grade: C-

The phrase “Oscar Bait” gets thrown around a lot around this time of year, sometimes as a derogative and sometimes as a backhanded compliment. There’s no specific formula for what constitutes good or bad Oscar bait, but it essentially boils down to whether the film itself is good or not. Biopics of real, famous people overcoming adversity are like catnip to the Academy, so why not play into their hands and make a by-the-numbers drama that overlooks many of that character’s major struggles?

The Holdovers

• Director: Alexander Payne
• Writers: David Hemingson
• Starring: Paul Giamatti, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Dominic Sessa

Grade: B+

Comedy equals tragedy plus time. It’s a well-worn adage in the world of comedy, and comedic writing, the notion that the best comedy comes from a place of pain, not joy. It’s an adage that Alexander Payne has honed throughout his career as a writer and director, and it applies to his latest film The Holdovers.

Pain Hustlers

• Director: David Yates
• Writers: Wells Tower
• Starring: Emily Blunt, Chris Evans, Andy Garcia, Catherine O’Hara, Brian d’Arcy James, Jay Duplass

Grade: D+

The Placebo effect: when a concentrated, harmless pill produces the same intended effects as the real thing because of the psychological belief that it is the real thing. You can’t get sick from a placebo, and you can’t take too much of them but it won’t make you any better (here’s my disclaimer that I am not a licensed physician – I just play one on TV). Why mention placebos in a review of Pain Hustlers, the new film directed by David Yates, beyond the film’s medical subject matter? Because, much like a placebo, the Netflix film functions as a concentrated, harmless piece of content that produces the same intended effects as a real film with something – anything – interesting to say.

Flora and Son

• Director: John Carney
• Writers: John Carney
• Starring: Eve Hewson, Oren Kinlan, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jack Reynor

Grade: B

John Carney knows his lane, and he sticks to it. Just as Guillermo del Toro has mastered films with fanciful horror, and Miyazaki has cornered the market on wistful animated fantasy for all ages, Carney has breathed new life into independent musicals, with lovely films like Once, Sing Street, and Begin Again. None of the above-mentioned films necessarily break the mold in terms of characterizations or drama, but there’s a lived-in tenderness, along with a number of catchy songs, to each of them that breaks through. His latest, Flora and Son, coming to select theaters on Friday, is no exception.

El Conde

• Director: Pablo Larraín
• Writers: Pablo Larraín, Guillermo Calderón
• Starring: Jaime Vadell, Gloria Munchmeyer, Alfredo Castro, Paula Luchsinger, Catalina Guerra

Grade: C

In his still young career, Pablo Larraín has already made a name for himself by re-contextualizing the lives of famous figures throughout history. Though he’s certainly made other notable films, his best known work – Jackie and Spencer – examined specific periods in the lives of people like Jacqueline Kennedy and Princess Diana, while adding in elements of additional genres to make a less straightforward biopic. His latest, El Conde, which translates to “The Count” and hits Netflix on Friday, attempts the same formula but mashes in one too many genres, ultimately failing to measure up to his already high standard.

Gran Turismo

• Director: Neil Blomkamp
• Writers: Jason Hall, Zach Baylin
• Starring: Archie Madekwe, David Harbour, Orlando Bloom, Geri Horner, Djimon Hounsou, Josha Stradowski, Maeve Courtier-Lilley, Darren Barnet

Grade: C+

Before we can get started with the film proper of Gran Turismo, we’re treated to a miniature commercial on the history of the PlayStation game that the film is based on. Its creator, Kazunori Yamauchi, went to painstaking detail to recreate the feeling of driving a race car, to give players the most realistic experience possible. But why include this bit into a film at all? After all, we as viewers are experiencing an extra degree of separation from reality – we’re watching someone play a simulation of a real race. Because, first and foremost, Gran Turismo feels like a glorified commercial for intellectual property, and a true-life story second.

Strays

• Director: Joseph Greenbaum
• Writer: Dan Perrault
• Starring: Will Ferrell, Jamie Foxx, Will Forte, Isla Fisher, Randall Park, Bret Gelman

Grade: C

Hey kids, remember the Homeward Bound films from the mid 90’s? Those movies were all about real cute and cuddly animals as they faced the perils of nature to get back to their owners who definitely loved them, but not enough to keep track of them. Well guess what, kids – those animals are all dead now. And those films left out a lot of the likely harsh realities that they faced on those journeys, and ignored the inherently bizarre behavior that animals naturally exhibit. Want something more realistic, for the real world of 2023? Take your kids to see Strays.