[5.25/10] Office Uprising (2018)

Office Uprising (2018)

Quick Review: From its ridiculous premise to its very goofy execution, "Office Uprising" could be taken as plain brainless horror comedy that, much like its 'zombiefied' characters, is so out of control it has no idea what to do with itself, with the end result being a silly and chaotic flick that takes place in a single office building, but on the other hand it can be also considered brainless fun, as it has a few amusing scenes, and some cool gore splatter that will please the genre buffs.

[6.00/10] Unfriended: Dark Web (2018)

Unfriended: Dark Web (2018)

Quick Review: Worth-watching for the effective twist in the very last scene, which explains the shocking turn of events during the violent and intense final act, "Unfriended: Dark Web" is darker and even further disturbing then its predecessor, but also just as unbelievably absurd. Despite that, and the mostly one- dimensional characters you hardly care about, this entertaining sequel benefits from its original concept to deliver some cyber chills.

[5.75/10] Superfly (2018)

Superfly (2018)

Quick Review: An example of  'all style, zero substance', this remake features all the familiar 'black mob' tropes such as drug wars, gang clashes, and crazy violence, hence it will be hardly remembered for its hackneyed plot, but on the other hand "SuperFly" shines with glossy, and flashy music video-like looks, and hyper-stylized, often inventive fight scenes that make it a pleasure to watch, also thanks to Jackson's charm and his dedication to a role that suits him quite well.

[6.50/10] Mandy (2018)

Mandy (2018)

Quick Review: Way overlong, and fairly pretentious, especially in its artsy and moody first half, but very rewarding in its second, this horror thriller is a definition of cinematic lunacy - psychotic, sadistic, insanely violent, and let let by Cage's batshit crazy main performance, "Mandy" is a disturbing descent into madness that may be too much to handle for most viewers, because of the overly excessive gore and symbolic visuals it uses as a driving force to shock, mesmerize and provoke.

[5.50/10] The First Purge (2018)

The First Purge (2018)

Quick Review: Yet again 'more of the same', this prequel fails to take advantage of its gimmicky premise, being about 'the first' purge, and dig a bit deeper into the roots of this horrific event, as instead it rushes through that part too fast in order to get into the violence, which in itself is just as savage as that from the previous films. The freaky Skeletor is the best and most disturbing thing about "The First Purge", and luckily, the central characters are all likable enough to connect with.

[6.25/10] Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum (2018)

Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum (2018)

Quick Review: The entire set-up feels very familiar, as it's been done before, and it takes about half of the running time for the film to warm up and start to deliver the scares, but at the end "Gonjiam" ends up being creepy and effective enough to be considered a solid 'found footage' flick, as it manage to fully utilize its eerie abandoned hospital location, and become pretty frightening in its final act, when the characters enter the twisted 'Room 402'.

[4.50/10] Taxi 5 (2018)

Taxi 5 (2018)

Quick Review: Neither funny, nor entertaining, nor packed with many exciting car chases as it needs to be, "Taxi 5" is a highly contrived and largely unnecessary late sequel that has no significant reason to exist, especially considering the ten-year gap between it and its predecessor, and, unfortunately, the absence of  Samy Naceri who made the series so successful. Some pretty locations aside, this one barely ables to hold th viewer's attention or bring at least one memorable laugh.

[6.75/10] The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (2018)

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (2018)

Quick Review: A fascinatingly old- fashioned, if predictable and by-the-numbers period drama, crafted with elevated level of sophistication, and written with delicate sense of humor, this British film is a smooth mixture of history, romance, war drama, and comedy, filled with lots of feel-good, emotional and smile-giving moments that make it a pure delight to watch, in addition to the wonderful acting by the well-picked cast.

[5.25/10] The Predator [3D] (2018)

The Predator [3D] (2018)

Quick Review: Occasionally fun and at times even funny, but also chaotic and very contrived, this one offers some wild action scenes and over-the-top gore-filled violence, but for such a brainless sequel with an uninspired, almost nonexistent plot, "The Predator" features characters that are way too smart and capable, not to mention the new ridiculously CGI-y super-Predator it introduces is a 'kick in the face' to the original, and the cheesy open ending further makes it look like a joke.

[6.50/10] The Nun (2018)

The Nun (2018)

Quick Review: After a chilling start, this sinister spin-off attempts a slow- burn approach, but falls victim to its inconsistency, as it alternates slow pacing with swift overload of 'jump' scares, plus, it never uses the Valak demon effectively enough, however, the darkly Gothic tone, eerie setting, foggy effects, morbid use of lighting, and some fearful set pieces towards the end compensate for "The Nun"'s lack of brains, logic, and true frights, and make the visuals a major asset, alongside the solid cast.

[5.50/10] Trench 11 (2018)

Trench 11 (2018)

Quick Review: Although it offers a new and refreshing take on the 'Nazi zombies' subgenre, and considering its pretty low budget, it boasts with solid production values and pretty great practical effects that deserve a special mention, along with the sinister tone capably and tastefully generated by its director, "Trench 11" works in terms of atmosphere, but its attempts to build suspense and provide subtle scares never succeed, as it delivers nothing more than a few nasty scenes.

[5.75/10] Down a Dark Hall (2018)

Down a Dark Hall (2018)

Quick Review: The gifted Spanish director Rodrigo Cortés a beautifully haunting tone in this old-fashioned ghost story, which is all about the obscure atmosphere and exquisitely eerie mansion it is set in, but even though it does generate spookiness through it polished visuals, "Down a Dark Hall" never becomes genuinely creepy, let alone frightening, not to mention certain parts of the story not make any sense. The casting is spot-on though, with Uma Thurman stealing all the attention.

[6.75/10] Mara (2018)

Mara (2018)

Quick Review: Surprisingly creepy, often scary and well-crafted, despite the tight budget and big production delay, "Mara" is a finely put together crime horror dealing with the morbid mythology behind sleep paralysis, and does it effectively enough to give you plenty of big chills as the gripping story develops. Kurylenko leads the film convincingly enough with her emotive turn, and Botet is yet again horrifying to look at in his utterly frightening transformation as the vicious sleep demon.

[6.50/10] The Unity of Heroes (2018)

The Unity of Heroes (2018)

Quick Review: The unsuitable title aside, "The Unity of Heroes" is a fairly well-crafted kung fu flick that mostly successfully blends historical facts, old-school martial arts, and some fantasy elements, and though the two subplots clash thematically in places, which makes the pacing rather uneven and the general story a bit hard to follow, Vincent Zhao's charismatic screen presence, and the well-choreographed and wire-fu enhanced fight sequences elevate its entertainemnt value.

[6.75/10] Beast (2018)

Beast (2018)

Quick Review: Slowly unveiling its grim nature as the grimly passionate romance between the two troubled characters develops, "Beast" quietly lives up to its title, being a dark ride into the human soul due to its edgy love story, unpredictable plot, lurid visuals, and a conclusion that will leave you shocked. Flynn's Pascal may be the obvious 'beast' here, but it's Moll, played brilliantly by Buckley that will send some soft chills down your spine with her polarizing, nutty, eerie, moody personality.

[5.50/10] Gringo (2018)

Gringo (2018)

Quick Review: You can't help but root for David Oyelowo's likable, yet unfortunate character, who has to deal with so much abuse, betrayal, and confusion, and who's persona is in contrast with the cruel nature of Elaine and Richard, played solidly by Theron and Edgerton, but sadly, for an action comedy "Gringo" is neither amusing, nor very thrilling, because it can't decide what it wants to be, plus, it is further let down by an overly muddled plot. At least the visuals are kinda sleek.