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What stands out first about Birth of the Dragon is the confidence with which George Nolfi establishes its action film identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Birth of the Dragon asks Billy Magnussen and Yu Xia to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Birth of the Dragon is established with useful clarity: Set against the backdrop of 1960s San Francisco, BIRTH OF THE DRAGON is a modern take on the classic movies that Bruce Lee was known for. That

What stands out first about Silence is the confidence with which Martin Scorsese establishes its historical drama identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Silence asks Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Silence is established with useful clarity: In the 17th century, two Portuguese Jesuit priests travel to Japan in an attempt to locate their mentor, who is rumored to have committed apostasy, and to propagate C

What stands out first about I Am Not Your Negro is the confidence with which Raoul Peck establishes its documentary identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, I Am Not Your Negro asks Samuel L. Jackson and James Baldwin to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of I Am Not Your Negro is established with useful clarity: Writer James Baldwin tells the story of race in modern America with his unfinished novel, Remember This House. That direct approach lets

What stands out first about Gold is the confidence with which Stephen Gaghan establishes its crime drama identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Gold asks Matthew McConaughey and Edgar Ramírez to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Gold is established with useful clarity: Kenny Wells, a prospector desperate for a lucky break, teams up with a similarly eager geologist and sets off on a journey to find gold in the uncharted jungle of Indonesia. T

What stands out first about Loving is the confidence with which Jeff Nichols establishes its romance identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Loving asks Ruth Negga and Joel Edgerton to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Loving is established with useful clarity: The story of Richard and Mildred Loving, a couple whose arrest for interracial marriage in 1960s Virginia began a legal battle that would end with the Supreme Court's historic 1967 dec

What stands out first about The Wild Life is the confidence with which Vincent Kesteloot establishes its animated adventure identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, The Wild Life asks Matthias Schweighöfer and Kaya Yanar to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of The Wild Life is established with useful clarity: A daring parrot recounts how Robinson Crusoe came to be stranded on a tropical island. That direct approach lets The Wild Life use its 1h 3

What stands out first about A Cure for Wellness is the confidence with which Gore Verbinski establishes its horror film identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, A Cure for Wellness asks Dane DeHaan and Jason Isaacs to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of A Cure for Wellness is established with useful clarity: An ambitious young executive is sent to retrieve his company's CEO from an idyllic but mysterious "wellness center" at a remote location in

What stands out first about The Promise is the confidence with which Terry George establishes its action film identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, The Promise asks Oscar Isaac and Charlotte Le Bon to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of The Promise is established with useful clarity: Set during the last days of the Ottoman Empire, The Promise follows a love triangle between Michael, a brilliant medical student, the beautiful and sophisticated

What stands out first about The Lost City of Z is the confidence with which James Gray establishes its biographical drama identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, The Lost City of Z asks Charlie Hunnam and Robert Pattinson to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of The Lost City of Z is established with useful clarity: A true life drama, centering on British explorer Major Percival Fawcett, who disappeared whilst searching for a mysterious city in t

What stands out first about Ratchet & Clank is the confidence with which Kevin Munroe establishes its animated adventure identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Ratchet & Clank asks James Arnold Taylor and David Kaye to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Ratchet & Clank is established with useful clarity: When the galaxy comes under the threat of a nefarious space captain, a mechanic and his newfound robot ally join an elite squad of combatant

What stands out first about Queen of Katwe is the confidence with which Mira Nair establishes its biographical drama identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Queen of Katwe asks Madina Nalwanga and David Oyelowo to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Queen of Katwe is established with useful clarity: Living in the slum of Katwe in Kampala, Uganda, is a constant struggle for 10 year old Phiona and her family. That direct approach lets Queen of Ka

What stands out first about Meet the Blacks is the confidence with which Deon Taylor establishes its horror film identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Meet the Blacks asks Mike Epps and Zulay Henao to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Meet the Blacks is established with useful clarity: As Carl Black gets the opportunity to move his family out of Chicago in hope of a better life, their arrival in Beverly Hills is timed with that city's annua