Author:   Justin Souther

The Story: A recently dumped ex ends up at a table of misfits and weirdos at a wedding. The Lowdown: A potentially interesting set-up soon dips into the world of cinematic clichés and flat, uninspired comedy.

The Story: After a heist goes wrong, a young man must thwart various baddies and save the love of his life. The Lowdown: Inconsequential, sure, but a surprisingly fun and engaging action film with a cast that knows how to have fun with this kind of schlock.

The Story: A boy raised on Mars escapes to Earth to track down his father. The Lowdown: A cornball teen romance mired in hokey, sentimental hogwash.

The Story: A teenager comes across a new species of animal — one that drinks oil and can hide inside the body of a truck and power it — and the duo sets off to stop an evil oil company. The Lowdown: A fun, likable little movie in spite of (or maybe because of) its ridiculous premise.

The Story: A college student accidentally awakens a forgotten evil, one that wants to play tricks with its victims' minds. The Lowdown: A boring, unoriginal horror concept that can't overcome its amateurish cast, lack of budget or total lack of verve.

The Story: A philosophy teacher suddenly finds herself amidst a slew of life changes. The Lowdown: Though propped up by a strong Isabelle Huppert performance, the film doesn't offer more than character study.

The Story: Two dreamers with goals of making it in LA become entangled, struggling to make their dreams come true on their own terms. The Lowdown: With engaging leads, the film mostly works, faltering when its main selling point (the musical numbers) are a bit of a letdown.

The Story: An unorthodox exorcist (or evictor) who enters the minds of the afflicted is called in to remove a demon from the body of a child. The Lowdown: A curious concept isn't enough to make up for the general goofiness and low budget horrors on display.

The Story: A cocky boxer ends up paralyzed in a car crash and is determined to enter the ring once more. The Lowdown: A generic, based-on-a-true-story tale of overcoming odds (and such) that works reasonably well but is nothing to get excited about.

The Story: A widowed patriarch welcomes his out-sized, specifically dysfunctional family for the holidays. The Lowdown: Generic, flat and bloated with characters and plot, here's a holiday movie that only goes as far as its likable cast takes it.

The Story: A child psychologist must find a way to rescue a young boy while isolated in her New England home by a deadly ice storm. The Lowdown: A flat, unoriginal thriller, with a good performance from Naomi Watts, that relies too much on its goofy twist ending.

The Story: When a group of grotesque giants threatens their way of life, a group of colorful trolls must muster the courage to stand up to them. The Lowdown: An aggressively cute animated musical, steeped in bright colors and hokey humor, that has little else to offer.

The Story: A suburban married couple, bored with their marriage, discover their new neighbors are spies. The Lowdown: A flat, rote little comedy that, while mostly harmless, has nothing to recommend.

The Story: Comedian Kevin Hart's latest stand-up film, shot in front of 50,000 people. The Lowdown: A perfectly fine, mostly needless comedy feature that's really for fans only.

The Story: A young gay man struggles with accepting his sexuality in the face of past trauma and an unwelcome family life. The Lowdown: A occasionally fascinating piece of filmmaking that's both flawed in its general execution and lacking a firm emotional center — two things that stunt its impact.

The Story: The based-on-actual-events story of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, one of the worst ecological disasters in history. The Lowdown: A commendable film in many respects, especially in its intentions and approach, but one that can't rise above its flimsy characters and disaster-flick DNA.

The Story: The tale of author JT Leroy, the creation and pseudonym of writer Laura Albert, from his creation to his rise to the ranks of celebrity. The Lowdown: An often unfocused and wandering doc that details an interesting story but, because of its one-sided nature, doesn't feel like it truly gets down to the truth.

The Story: Based on Daniel Defoe's classic Robinson Crusoe, a cartographer is stranded on a deserted island with a motley troupe of animals as his only companions. The Lowdown: A inert, dull and cheap animated film with bad visuals, uninspired voice acting and a mess of a drawn-out plot.

The Story: In order to save the life of a woman, a retired hit man is drawn back into duty by a shifty arms dealer. The Lowdown: A flat, brain-dead action flick with a few moments of energy and creativity buried beneath too much senseless plotting.

The Story: After the death of their estranged father, three sisters invite their young (and previously unknown) half sister to live with them. The Lowdown: A charming, quiet movie that's beautifully shot and wonderfully acted, about family history and coming to terms with the past.

The Story: A young boy sets off on an epic adventure to retrieve a mystical set of armor and stop an evil force. The Lowdown: A visually accomplished animated flick that's a bit too straitlaced and lacking in fun.