Take Two

Fashion designer Tom Ford's second effort as a filmmaker is "Nocturnal Animals." Susan and Russ examine this difficult film, which is rated "R" even though it might have deserved an "NC-17" rating. A very dark and violent tale of revenge, "Nocturnal Animals" stars Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Shannon, Isla Fisher and Aaron Taylor-Johnson.

Manchester by the Sea is an American drama film directed and written by Kenneth Lonergan and starring Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams, Kyle Chandler, Gretchen Mol and Lucas Hedges. The plot follows an uncle who has to look after his teenage nephew after the boy's father dies.

Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard star in a "Casablanca" wannabe called "Allied." This romantic WWII drama features Pitt as a Canadian intelligence officer who falls in love with a French Resistance fighter (Cotillard) who may -or may not- be a Nazi spy. While Susan and Russ found some things to admire, they agreed about the movies weaknesses as well.

Susan and Russ celebrate the arrival of an intelligent, thought-provoking sci-fi movie. "Arrival" stars Amy Adams as a linguist who is recruited by the US military to help them communicate with aliens who have come to Earth in a dozen gigantic space pods. What is their intent? This movie from French Canadian filmmaker Denis Villeneuve may not be for those who hate ambiguity.

Oscar-winner Mel Gibson returns to the director's chair for "Hacksaw Ridge," the true story of Desmond Doss, a conscientious objector during WWII who wound up winning the Congressional Medal of Honor for saving 75 men on a battlefield in Okinawa. Andrew Garfield ("The Amazing Spider-Man") plays Doss and Vince Vaughn is his drill sergeant. Susan and Russ agree that the grisly battle scenes are among the most authentic captured on screen.

Susan and Russ agree that the subtle charms of the austere drama "Certain Women" won't appeal to everyone. Laura Dern, Michelle Williams, Kristen Stewart and Lily Gladstone star in this slice-of-life film that features three intertwining stories about small town Montana life. The low key film comes from writer/director Kelly Reichardt ("Meek's Cutoff"), based on short stories by Maile Meloy.

An important British legal case is at the heart of "Denial," a true story that pits an American historian against a British Holocaust denier. Deborah Lipstadt (Oscar-winner Rachel Weisz) is sued by writer David Irving for libel when she calls him a liar for his antisemitic claims. Susan and Russ have very different takes on this drama written by David Hare ("The Hours") and directed by Mick Jackson ("Live from Baghdad").

The realistic Shia LaBeouf drama "American Honey" was largely shot in the Kansas City area. It won the Jury Prize at this year's Cannes Film Festival. Susan and Russ give their reactions to this story about a wandering band of bohemian teenagers who travel around the midwest selling magazines. It's from acclaimed British filmmaker Andrea Arnold.

The story of Nat Turner's slave revolt of 1831 hasn't been dramatized on film...until now. Susan and Russ discuss the merits and flaws of this intriguing historical drama. Nate Parker wrote, directed, produced and takes the lead role in this opus that shines a spotlight on the horrors of American slavery.

Susan and Russ check out a Hitchcock wannabe, a thriller based on the bestselling novel by Paula Hopkins. The terrific cast includes Emily Blunt, Haley Bennett, Rebecca Ferguson, Justin Theroux, Luke Evans, Allison Janney, Edgar Ramirez, Lisa Kudrow and Laura Prepon. This suspense flick was directed by Tate Taylor, best known for "The Help."