On a frigid winter morning in 1937, an old man walking near the Fox Tower of Peking’s crumbling city wall discovered the body of Pamela Werner, a 19-year-old English student. She had been bludgeoned and repeatedly stabbed, her …
Reviews
The Raven: Edgar Allen Poe Solves a Serial-Killer Mystery
In this fitfully diverting thriller, the haunted author racks down a crafty psychopath whose crimes mimic Poe’s most gruesome stories
Sound of My Voice: You’ll Want to Listen to This Cult Leader
Forget, just for a moment, the hubbub over HBO’s Girls and Lena Dunham to consider Brit Marling, another talented 20-something who writes her own strong female leads
The Pirates! Band of Misfits: Yo-Ho-OK
The new stop-motion comedy from the Aardman Studios is better than most animated films — except for most other Aardman films
The Five-Year Engagement Feels That Long
Jason Segel puts a ring on Emily Blunt in the new rom-com, but it’s not funny how far away the altar is
The Dandy Warhols’ This Machine: The Indie Rockers Go Goth
After eighteen years, eight studio albums and a major labor falling out, Portland’s bohemian hipsters return with a hypnotic, haunting collection
Bernie: (Jack) Black Comedy About Real-Life Murder
The actor reteams with his School of Rock director Richard Linklater for a playful tale about a murderous East Texas undertaker
Marvel’s The Avengers: A Superhero Roundup That’s Almost Super
Joss Whedon convenes a half-dozen comic-book all-stars to gang up on poor evil Loki. It’s a fun party too bustling to worry about greatness.
Lesbian Vampires in The Moth Diaries: Fangs for the Mammaries
Mary Harron’s new scarefest offers Sapphic longing but not enough sex and blood
Think Like a Man: Men and Women Behaving Bedly
A fine cast lends charm to this romantic comedy with a schematic plot but an easy attitude
The Lucky One: Zac Efron Grows Up
A photograph found in the rubble of a street in Iraq leads a soldier to true love. Welcome to the annual Nicholas Sparks mush-fest.
Lawrence Kasdan’s Darling Companion: The Big Chill for the AARP Set
A search for a missing dog — rather than a suicide — provides the drama in this treacly tale where no love is lost for the aging humans.
Chimpanzee: Yet Another Disney Orphan to Melt Hearts
Too cute? Maybe. Disneynature’s latest documentary is visually astonishing but can’t transcend the trappings of relatable wildlife story.