Justin Chang

The protagonists of “Tony” and “Late Fame” find themselves struggling with their writerly destinies.

In Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s historical drama, “The Samurai and the Prisoner,” a series of puzzling crimes at a besieged fortress yields even more confounding questions about faith, war, and leadership.

In “I Want Your Sex,” a B.D.S.M. workplace relationship opens up a cross-generational debate about carnal mores.

In a starry, stirring adaptation of Homer’s epic, the director’s signature realism grounds, without dispelling, the drama’s emotional and mythological power.

In rich, melancholy new films from the directors Carla Simón and Mark Jenkin, the restorative power of cinema turns out to be a shore thing.

In Olivia Wilde’s bickersome couples comedy, an evening of refreshments and recriminations leads to an intriguing proposition.

In the latest chapter of “Toy Story,” Jessie, Woody, and Buzz Lightyear confront a looming threat—screen time—that’s changing the play habits of children everywhere.

His new alien thriller has shades of “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “Minority Report,” even “The Post”—but the retreads yield diminishing returns.

“Backrooms” and “Obsession,” both directed by precocious YouTube-trained talents, breathe shivery cinematic life into urban legends and cautionary tales.

There were 22 films in competition for this year’s Palme d’Or. Here’s how they stack up.