Currently streaming on Netflix is writer/director Riley Stearns' psychological drama/dark comedy Faults. The film premiered at SXSW back in 2014 and hit limited theaters in March of this year courtesy of Screen Media Films. Our own Allison Keene reviewed the pic around its theatrical release, giving it an "A-" and calling it a "charismatic work" from Stearns in his feature debut. Blame it on my public education, but in my experience an "A-" is fantastic if not teetering on the brink of overachieving.

Starring Leland Orser and Mary Elizabeth Winstead, both of which give stellar performances, Faults' setup is simple: Ansel (Orser) is a cult expert who is approached by parents trying to save their daughter Claire (Winstead) from a mysterious sect called Faults. In desperate need of cash and self-validation, Ansel agrees to help "deprogram" Claire with the hopes that she'll choose to leave the cult and return home. What ensues is an offbeat, sometimes funny, and often profound look at complex ideas pertaining to identity, control, and faith. Depending on your sensibilities, the third act may go a little off the rails for your liking but Faults is absolutely worth watching and debating. I can't wait to see what Stearns does next.

Recommendation in hand, let's get to this week's Top 5:

Mission: Impossible 5 Coverage

As someone who loved Christopher McQuarrie and Tom Cruise's Jack Reacher, I can't say I'm all that surprised by the praise that the two are receiving for their work on the fifth Mission: Impossible film, Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation. The action looks insane, Simon Pegg's levity is almost always on point, and the emergence of Rebecca Ferguson as a bona fide star doesn't hurt either. All told, I'm very much looking forward to checking out the film as soon as time allows.

If you've already watch Rogue Nation, you might be interested in the spoiler video review above. Otherwise, you should probably stick to some of our other coverage such as Matt's review; Perri's video interviews with Pegg & Ferguson, Christopher McQuarrie, and these red carpet snippets; this video look at the top ten gadgets from the franchise; and, finally, definitely take a few minutes to peruse Matt's Mission: Impossible Retrospective articles.

Harry Potter Movies Ranked from Worst to Best

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This week we celebrated the 35th birthday of a fictional character by ranking his movies from worst to best. You might think that's a bit of a stretch, but when the fictional character in question is Harry Potter all bets are off.

As Adam mentions in his breakdown, the Potter franchise truly is in rarefied air in terms of global reach and appreciation. It should come as no surprise, then, that a post ranking each of his movies would crack this week's list.

First The Night Before Red-Band Trailer

Columbia released the first red-band trailer for Jonathan Levine's Christmas comedy The Night Before this past week and it looks incredibly funny. The last time Levine, Rogen, and Gordon-Levitt teamed-up we got 50/50 which ended up being one of my favorite films of 2011. The Night Before may or may not pack the emotional punch of that pic, but I have full faith that I'll enjoy the hell out of it regardless.

Vacation Coverage

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I watched John Francis Daley and Jonathan M. Goldstein's Vacation earlier this week and while it's not particularly memorable, I'd be lying if I said I didn't laugh consistently throughout. The pair clearly have strong comedic voices and I'm interested in seeing how their script for Marvel's upcoming Spider-Man reboot translates to the screen in the hands of director Jon Watts.

Now that I've blown my chance to go an entire week without mentioning Marvel, I'll direct you to some of our Vacation coverage including Matt's review, Christina's interview with Daley & Goldstein, and these 18 things to know about the film.

 

TIFF 2015 Lineup Announced

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Every year I look forward to following the early reviews that come out of the Toronto International Film Festival and I expect this September to be no different. This past week, TIFF announced its first wave of programming which includes the world premiere of Ridley Scott's The Martian among many others.

Click here to check out the complete initial list. Some of my most anticipated include: Black Mass starring Johnny Depp, Demolition starring Jake Gyllenhaal, LEGEND starring Tom Hardy in a double role, and Adam Salky's I Smile Back starring Sarah Silverman.