Michael B. Jordan marks his confident and kinetic directorial debut with Creed III. Carving a propulsive parallel to Adonis Creed’s journey to cement his legacy, Jordan sheds the Rocky franchise DNA by charting his own path of blistering performances, formal verve, and anime-inspired showdowns. An electrifying tempest of fists and sweat, Creed III fully transcends what could have been a journeyman effort. Jonathan Majors is astonishing. Minor spoilers ahead…

Thor: Love and Thunder — for better or worse — is Ragnarok redux, down to its goofy lark humor and its undercooked A-list star as villain. But even with its superhero comedy dialed up to eleven and struggle with tone, its fleet adventure feels like a tonic, free from multiverses, cameos, and the seemingly requisite MCU buildup to the next “thing.” It’s one of the stronger Phase Four entries. Minor spoilers ahead…