Contributor: Adam R. Holz

For 98% of this movie, Ben Affleck’s character is a heartless, selfish monster. The fact that he’s slightly less monstrous than his enemies doesn’t make him any less culpable … or any more likable.

The xx’s latest might very well stir up deep feelings, but it doesn’t offer much guidance for what to do with them.

This huge, mostly Spanish hit just became the most-streamed track ever. But you might be surprised how racy its lyrics are when they’re translated.

A boy’s journey through grief uncovers some surprising truths by the time the credits roll.

“I have seen so much killing, so much war. I cannot bear more.” So says the heroine Selene near the end of Underworld: Blood Wars. And you know what? I feel exactly the same way about this franchise.

Ed Sheeran’s latest hit reflects and reinforces our culture’s confusion about how lasting intimacy and commitment are formed.

Sing is exactly what you would expect if you’ve seen the trailer: a lighthearted and inspiring American Idol-style singing competition between animated, anthropomorphized animals.

Rogue One is theoretically a different kind of Star Wars movie. Except that it’s not.

Taylor Swift and ex-One Directioner Zayn Malik join forces in a breakup duet that lends Swift’s brand equity to the problematic Fifty Shades franchise.

Director Damien Chazelle unleashes an old-school, tour de force musical, proving that original, Oscar-worthy moviemaking—without R-rated gratuity—is actually still possible in Tinseltown.

Rapper J. Cole’s fourth effort tells the profanity-riddled tale of a man desperately trying to break the cycle of crime and poverty he’s entrapped in.

YouTube star Kane Brown has learned well from the country mentors he’s imitated. Which is both a good and a not-so-good thing.

Kelly Clarkson’s remixed version of this song from the Hamilton soundtrack dives deep into how a married couple walks through unimaginable tragedy.

We’re living in a time of intense cultural and political polarization. Miss Sloane determinedly pitches its compelling (though at times racy and profane) story to one side of that divide.

Allied is several things all at once: a racy, violent spy romance. A war movie. And an ethical brain twister.