Ryan Coogler pulls it out of the fire with the overstuffed, gorgeously wrenching Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. A powerful tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman combined with Marvel myth-making at its most thoughtful, the film admirably attempts to fill an irreparable void left by its star’s untimely passing. Wakanda Forever strikes sometimes delicate, sometimes clumsy balance between an all-caps comic book movie and an intimate tour through the stages of grief. Letitia Wright, Angela Bassett, and Tenoch Huerta are the most formidable trifecta Marvel has seen in years. Minor spoilers ahead…

Spinning off from the adventures of Loki and the TVA, Marvel Studios’ What If…? explores the fractured branches of Phase Four’s next big thing: the Multiverse. Animated, self-contained episodes that ask the titular question, the series opens a cabinet full of possibilities, even if it feels a little inconsequential. With its journeys into entertaining parallel realities, What If…? is playful enough with its creativity and dazzling animation, but these half-hour jaunts feel more like curiosities than essential text. Three episodes watched for review, minor spoilers ahead…

We're only half way through 2018, and we've already seen our fair share of great films. From sweeping blockbusters to quiet indies, this year has produced a diverse pool of cinematic gems, and it isn't even awards season yet. Consider this the first installment of our semi-annual best of list. Our favorite films of 2018 so far are...

The home stretch of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Phase Three is finally here, and the Russo brothers deliver an epic, brutal, and oftentimes scattered showdown with the Mad Titan Thanos. Buckling, even if never caving, under the weight of the preceding 18(!) films, Avengers: Infinity War can't quite live up to the high-water mark year the MCU has had, but it damn well tries and it's a minor miracle that the film works as well as it does. Mild spoilers ahead...

An uplifting celebration of blackness, Black Panther represents a momentous turning point in black cinema. Ryan Coogler has crafted one of the most poignant explorations of African culture and what it means to be black. The main character just happens to kick ass and wear a cat costume. Mild spoilers ahead...