In Brief: Arguably Agatha Christie’s most well-known character, Hercule Poirot is something of a known quantity in most corners. However, those primarily familiar with David Suchet’s 24-year run playing the Belgian detective, or Albert Finney’s portrayal (possibly the best Poirot ever) in Sidney Lumet’s 1974 Murder on the Orient Express, will find plenty to enjoy…

The Story: A comprehensive retrospective of director Brian De Palma’s 50-year career in film, as recounted by De Palma himself. The Lowdown: More love letter than bio-doc, De Palma is required viewing for both devoted fans of the filmmaker’s work and anyone interested in the last half-century of film history.

The Story: The premise from the first two installments of the Purge franchise — that all crime is permitted for a 12-hour period each year — remains unchanged, only the context is different. This time … it’s political! The Lowdown: Yet another disposable horror film courtesy of Blumhouse. If you enjoyed the first two films,…

The Story: A man stranded on a desert island has lost the desire to live until a corpse washes ashore and provides him with the tools he needs to survive and, most importantly, the will to do so. The Lowdown: One of the damnedest things I’ve ever seen, Swiss Army Man is a surprisingly warm-hearted and…

The Story: Dory, the chronically forgetful comic relief from Finding Nemo, takes center stage in a search for her lost parents. The Lowdown: Exactly what you’d expect, Finding Dory is a slick, expensively produced, four-quadrant Pixar people-pleaser.

The Story: Fleeing a dying homeworld, an army of Orcs led by a corrupt mage invade the peaceful realm of Azeroth and seek to conquer its human (and Elf, and Dwarf) inhabitants. The Lowdown: More an instruction manual than a film, Warcraft is likely to disappoint and frustrate both long-time fans of the games and…

The Story: The Turtles return to stop Shredder and his extradimensional ally Krang from taking over the Earth, or something to that effect — the script isn’t particularly clear on the details. The Lowdown: Yet another nostalgia-driven waste of time and money from Michael Bay’s cronies.

The Story: The X-Men return to confront the world’s oldest mutant super-villain. The Lowdown: While the Biblical apocalypse was about the end of times, this Apocalypse feels as eternal (and interminable) as its title character.

The Story: Young parents, recently plagued by the ingress of a hard-playing frat into their idyllic suburban lives, now see their house sale threatened by a sorority intent on sticking it to The Man (and men in general) when they take over the neighboring domicile. The Lowdown: If you liked the first film, you’ll probably like…

The Story: An in-depth look at the background actors who performed in the original Star Wars trilogy and how their connection with one of the most successful properties in film history continues to affect their lives. The Lowdown: While probably only essential viewing for the Star Wars completist, Elstree 1976 is an engaging look at the…

The Story: Several tenuously connected groups of people examine maternal relationships in the days leading up to the titular holiday. The Lowdown: Garry Marshall has done it again! And, by “it,” I mean waste the movie-going public’s time and money with an ill-conceived and poorly executed cash-grab.

The Story: Some sort of alien cat creature and his defective robot sidekick fight an evil oligarch intent on remaking the galaxy in his image. The Lowdown: A 90-minute commercial for the reboot of a 15-year-old video game, Ratchet & Clank is a real clunker.

The Story: A young reporter befriends Ernest Hemingway and spends time with him in Cuba shortly before the author’s suicide. The Lowdown: Unadulterated veneration of Hemingway during a stage in his life when he probably didn’t deserve it, Papa contributes nothing novel to the author’s posthumous mythos.