Star power and the best street-level action this side of The Winter Soldier do a lot of the heavy lifting for the long-awaited, long-overdue Black Widow. Scarlett Johansson and Florence Pugh shine in Natasha Romanoff’s solo outing, but in the wake of Avengers: Endgame, it all feels a little inconsequential and oddly timed; what should be a moving swan song and a passing of the baton instead feels like a fleeting adventure straight out of the MCU’s early days. Nevertheless, Black Widow will delight fans of the character while simultaneously paving a bright future for the mantle. Minor spoilers ahead…

The Favourite, Yorgos Lanthimos’ uproarious and acerbic followup to The Lobster and The Killing of a Sacred Deer, is a biting portrait of palace intrigue and feminine wile. Anchored by a trio of powerhouse performances by Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz, and Olivia Colman, The Favourite is a welcome departure from Lanthimos’ past absurdist filmography, but also a fine continuation of the director’s will to challenge and entertain. Minor spoilers ahead…