After encouraging everyone to skip the lame studio comedy THE SPY WHO DUMPED ME, we steer you toward two stellar indies: the deliciously scandalous doc SCOTTY AND THE SECRET HISTORY OF HOLLYWOOD, and the Brazilian lesbian werewolf fairy tale musical GOOD MANNERS.

We praise the delightful achievement of Bo Burnham’s directorial debut EIGHTH GRADE, drop some hard truths about Meryl Streep and Cher’s screen time in MAMMA MIA! HERE WE GO AGAIN, and dig into the latest entry into the Oakland renaissance, BLINDSPOTTING.

We review three new movies about battling different forms of oppression: height (SKYSCRAPER), dogma (AVA), and patriarchy (THE MISANDRISTS).

After celebrating two stunning new documentaries, the stranger-than-fiction blast of THREE IDENTICAL STRANGERS and Kevin Macdonald’s appropriately devastating WHITNEY, we welcome Bay Area filmmaker Alexa Fraser-Herron for our review of Boots Riley’s surreal anti-capitalist Oakland comedy SORRY TO BOTHER YOU.

By popular demand, we review the year’s biggest horror sensation HEREDITARY and evaluate its scare factor, then praise the hilariously eccentric joys of the feminist western DAMSEL and lambast BOUNDARIES for its uninspired, derivative take on the dysfunctional-family road trip flock.

In which we assess how close DEADPOOL 2 comes to matching the original, lament the degradation experienced by the four iconic leads of BOOK CLUB, and celebrate Annette Bening’s delectable turn in the otherwise unremarkable THE SEAGULL.

*Originally recorded May 17*

We welcome a real-life mom to guest-review the hard-hitting mama drama of TULLY, then go from the youthful foolishness of the lesbian sex comedy DUCK BUTTER to the wisdom and maturity of RBG.

*Originally recorded May 2*

After lending a much-needed critical assist to a hidden gem called AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR, we weigh the pros and cons of bloated blockbusters GRACE JONES: BLOODLIGHT AND BAMI and British horror anthology GHOST STORIES.

If you’re looking for levity, we’ve got nothing for you this week! Check out our reviews of the crushing Joaquin Phoenix hitman thriller YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE, the crushing coming-of-age drama LEAN ON PETE, and the crushing Michelle Pfeiffer character study WHERE IS KYRA?

We praise A QUIET PLACE for its masterful filmmaking while questioning its characters’ choices; celebrate BLOCKERS as a rare studio comedy that’s as hilarious as it is progressive; and lambast the nothingburger conclusion that undoes the stylish suspense of GEMINI.