Justin Chang

With robust physicality and delicate emotion, he shows us a man in wretched yet defiant thrall to his wants, for sex, for love, for a moment of out-of-body transcendence. It's a singular performance, but also, in its expression of pure desire, a deeply human one.

During this time of year, people want a kind of prototypical holiday movie, something that will make them feel good. And I'm always sorry to disappoint people every year, but my favorites are probably best described as downers. These are not upbeat movies. No elf? Santa! Oh, my God! Santa here? I know him. Oh, I love Elf.

During this time of year, people want a kind of prototypical holiday movie, something that will make them feel good. And I'm always sorry to disappoint people every year, but my favorites are probably best described as downers. These are not upbeat movies. No elf? Santa! Oh, my God! Santa here? I know him. Oh, I love Elf.

During this time of year, people want a kind of prototypical holiday movie, something that will make them feel good. And I'm always sorry to disappoint people every year, but my favorites are probably best described as downers. These are not upbeat movies. No elf? Santa! Oh, my God! Santa here? I know him. Oh, I love Elf.

It's a staple. I am taking my eight-year-old to Moana, too, so I am hopeful about that one.

It's a staple. I am taking my eight-year-old to Moana, too, so I am hopeful about that one.

It's a staple. I am taking my eight-year-old to Moana, too, so I am hopeful about that one.

make us happy. Yeah, it's funny. I return to the words of Roger Ebert, who once said, no good movie is depressing. All bad movies are depressing. And so, These are not happy movies, but they are among the most thrilling that I've seen this year, and I recommend them in a theater wholeheartedly.

make us happy. Yeah, it's funny. I return to the words of Roger Ebert, who once said, no good movie is depressing. All bad movies are depressing. And so, These are not happy movies, but they are among the most thrilling that I've seen this year, and I recommend them in a theater wholeheartedly.

make us happy. Yeah, it's funny. I return to the words of Roger Ebert, who once said, no good movie is depressing. All bad movies are depressing. And so, These are not happy movies, but they are among the most thrilling that I've seen this year, and I recommend them in a theater wholeheartedly.

The first movie is Nickel Boys, which is an adaptation of the 2019 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Colson Whitehead. This is the story of two young Black men, played by Ethan Harisi and Brandon Wilson. in 1960s Florida, who are sent to a reform school, which is putting it very charitably.

The first movie is Nickel Boys, which is an adaptation of the 2019 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Colson Whitehead. This is the story of two young Black men, played by Ethan Harisi and Brandon Wilson. in 1960s Florida, who are sent to a reform school, which is putting it very charitably.

The first movie is Nickel Boys, which is an adaptation of the 2019 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Colson Whitehead. This is the story of two young Black men, played by Ethan Harisi and Brandon Wilson. in 1960s Florida, who are sent to a reform school, which is putting it very charitably.

And I can't say this better, of course, than Colson Whitehead himself, who has this to say about the place and its real-life inspiration.

And I can't say this better, of course, than Colson Whitehead himself, who has this to say about the place and its real-life inspiration.

And I can't say this better, of course, than Colson Whitehead himself, who has this to say about the place and its real-life inspiration.

Immediately, you know, three years into its being opened, there were kids as young as six being shackled, put in solitary confinement. Every 15 years, there'd be an expose and talk of reform, and nothing happened until it finally closed in 2011. And I was shocked when it hit the national media. They found unmarked graves. They dug up the bodies and found kids with

Immediately, you know, three years into its being opened, there were kids as young as six being shackled, put in solitary confinement. Every 15 years, there'd be an expose and talk of reform, and nothing happened until it finally closed in 2011. And I was shocked when it hit the national media. They found unmarked graves. They dug up the bodies and found kids with

Immediately, you know, three years into its being opened, there were kids as young as six being shackled, put in solitary confinement. Every 15 years, there'd be an expose and talk of reform, and nothing happened until it finally closed in 2011. And I was shocked when it hit the national media. They found unmarked graves. They dug up the bodies and found kids with

shotgun pellets in their skeletons, blunt force trauma to their skulls. I felt that if there's one place like this, how many other stories are we not hearing about?