2 Best Movies to Watch by Kyle Gallner

Far more self-aware than one might think, Dear White People isn't just a progressive comedy that puts its politics front and center—it's also heavily critical of its own so-called "woke" characters and their hypocrisy, but never in a cruel way that betrays its own beliefs. It's a show all about the contradictions of existing as Black in America, especially within a prestigious institution that claims to take pride in its diversity while asking its students to compromise on parts of their identity. And all of this is done with impeccable style, a rapid pace that actually enhances the comedy, and a large cast of well-written characters who intersect in fascinating ways.

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Actor: Antoinette Robertson, Ashley Blaine Featherson, Brandon P. Bell, DeRon Horton, Giancarlo Esposito, John Patrick Amedori, Kyle Gallner, Logan Browning, Marque Richardson, Tessa Thompson, Teyonah Parris, Tyler James Williams

Director: Justin Simien

Rating: R, TV-MA

More psychological drama than bloody horror, The Passenger focuses on its two leads, Randy (Johnny Berchtold) and Benson (Kyle Gallner), and the odd bond they form while on the run. Randy is held hostage by the violent Benson, but Benson only asks that Randy confront his trauma and realize his potential. They’re not quite friends, but as two broken people taking part in a broken society, they share a fondness for each other that complicates the typical captor-captive narrative. It’s not as raw or gritty or even as dark as you’d expect, and there are moments when the film meanders only to end up at a dead end. But it has profound things to say about trauma, healing, and second chances, and those turns, while unexpected, are also wholly welcome in this unassumingly powerful film.

Genre: Thriller

Actor: Billy Slaughter, Johnny Berchtold, Kyle Gallner, Liza Weil, Sue Rock

Director: Carter Smith

2 Best Movies to Watch by Kyle Gallner

1. Dear White People, 2021

2. The Passenger (2023)