Contributor: Paul Asay

Paul Asay has been part of the Plugged In staff since 2007, watching and reviewing roughly 15 quintillion movies and television shows. He’s written for a number of other publications, too, including Time, The Washington Post and Christianity Today. The author of several books, Paul loves to find spirituality in unexpected places, including popular entertainment, and he loves all things superhero. His vices include James Bond films, Mountain Dew and terrible B-grade movies. He’s married, has two children and a neurotic dog, runs marathons on occasion and hopes to someday own his own tuxedo. Feel free to follow him on Twitter @AsayPaul.

Waitress

Waitress is a tale about love, motherhood and baking desserts. Are the themes sweet and filling, or just plain flaky?

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The Legend of Hercules

Call him the Muscles from Mycenae. This stout, classical demigod has a kingdom to win, a woman to woo … and some biblical allegories to explore?

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The Wolfman

Load up on silver bullets and get the flea bath ready: The Wolfman is back. And his bite is far worse than his bark.

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The Host

The latest from Twilight scribe Stephenie Meyer fuses a familiar sci-fi premise with an equally familiar romantic one … with decidedly mixed results.

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Atonement

Sex, lies, war wounds and one exceptionally crude word serve as highlights in this acclaimed but curiously soulless Keira Knightley film.

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August: Osage County

This deep Meryl Streep-Julia Roberts drama has been called a comedy by some. It’s actually pure Old Testament tragedy.

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Justin Bieber’s Believe

Can we believe in Justin Bieber? In his new concert film that showcases a world-class talent with some, shall we say, unfortunate blemishes? Not really. But that’s not the end of the story with this surprisingly mature movie.

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Grudge Match

Grudge Match isn’t about making art as much as it is about providing another payday for its two stars—not unlike, come to think of it, the fictional grudge match it boasts.

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27 Dresses

See Jane. See Jane go to a wedding. And another. And another. See Kevin. See Kevin make fun of Jane. See Kevin and Jane fall in love.

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Her

Those are vastly important lessons for all of us as we nudge our way ever deeper into more and more “relationships” with things. But of course none of that is enough to make Siri a fan of Her.

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The Haunting in Connecticut

This supposedly true story about restless spirits is based on a cable-channel docudrama which was based on a book which the author isn’t even sure about.

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Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance

The Ghost Rider’s back, still, er, burning rubber and firing on all cylinders. Will this franchise ever go up in flames?

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Saving Mr. Banks

Saving Mr. Banks has scattered content concerns. But it does fly. It has the power to touch both the Travers and Disney sides of all of us.

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You Kill Me

Frank drinks too much. And he needs to sober up so he doesn’t lose his job. The catch? Frank’s job is killing people.

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The Last House on the Left

A disturbingly realistic remake of Wes Craven’s 1972 exploration of murder, torture … and worse.

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