[5.75/10] What the Waters Left Behind (2018)

What the Waters Left Behind (2018)

Quick Review: Primarily benefiting from its highly original setting that is creepy alone in itself, and also from the fact that it doesn't give away the direction it will go, this Argentinian horror flick grows from the typical 'curious teens film a documentary in a weird place' to a gruesome torture porn freak show in its final act, but sadly, morbid location aside, it's just not particularly intriguing until it gets there, plus, all the characters are a bunch of flat stereotypes.

[3.50/10] Slender Man (2018)

Slender Man (2018)

Quick Review: Cliched, randomly-plotted, badly-executed, and devoid of any proper frights, "Slender Man" not just wastes, but completely ruins a potentially cult horror figure with huge creep factor, and turns it into a cheesy-looking creature that fails to recreate the eerie look of the 'real' Slender Man. Add to that White's poor direction, derivative approach, and the uneven pacing, and you get a generic and instantly forgettable horror flick with okay performances and nothing else to offer.

[6.00/10] The Devil's Doorway (2018)

The Devil's Doorway (2018)

Quick Review: Despite its brief run time, this religious chiller still feels a bit long due to its sluggish pacing, however "The Devil's Doorway" has a bit more depth than your average 'found footage' horror flick, plus, the visual authenticity of the time period it is set in enhances the obscure tone, and first-time director Aislinn Clarke manages to pull off some pretty effective scares towards the end, while uncovering the Church's behind-doors depravity.

[5.25/10] The Darkest Minds (2018)

The Darkest Minds (2018)

Quick Review: The constantly neat pacing, and Stenberg's charms and alluring on-screen presence make it watchable, and even occasionally enjoyable at times, but "The Darkest Minds" seems a bit too juvenile and kinda harmless for a fantasy movie with such a title, being everything but dark, besides, the entire thing is a we've-seen-it-all-before dystopian affair with little originality and even less thrills, full of cheesy moments, corny romance and a few eye-rolling twists with slight impact.

[7.00/10] Halloween (2018)

Halloween (2018)

Quick Review: A solid successor to Carpenter's timeless original that is both nostalgic in feel and modern in its approach, this sequel has a contrived and fabricated plot, which develops in a foreseeable manner till the very finale, but "Halloween" is still a very effective and suspenseful slasher flick with as much tension as grisly death scenes, driven by both the sense of terror generated by the inhumanly cruel Michael Myers, and Jamie Lee Curtis' paranoid, if fierce comeback performance.

[6.25/10] American Animals (2018)

American Animals (2018)

Quick Review: It's 15 minutes too long which explains its pacing issues here and there, and being based on an actual story makes the outcome predictable, but that barely ruins the film, as it's the actual set-up of the bold robbery that turns out to be "American Animals"'s main strength, with the others being the strongly portrayed characters and Layton's ability to make out the best of the source material and deliver a crime thriller that is both engrossing and techically well-executed.

[6.00/10] Terrified (2018)

Terrified (2018)

Quick Review: In terms of scares and creepines, this Argentinian little chiller definitely lives up to its title, thanks to its refreshing approach and fearsome imagery, the latter of which will definitely make you feel pretty terrified, but sadly "Terrified"'s confusing story, uneven pacing, and lack of important explanations turn it into a messy effort that has a lot to show, but not much to say, plus the far-too-many charaters are too flat and lacking in screen time to create a bond with the viewers.

[6.50/10] Hotel Artemis (2018)

Hotel Artemis (2018)

Quick Review: Alhough it entirely takes place in the title location, this well-made action thriller never feels limited in setting, thanks to the great use of lighting, grimly futuristic tone, and sense of grit. The dynamic plot filled with ferocious action and ultra violence, along with the taut pacing compensate for the film's occasional predictability, but "Hotel Artemis"'s main strength remains the perfectly-picked cast who all shine in contrast with the dark looks, adding value to this stylishly trashy flick.

[9.25/10] The Night Comes for Us (2018)

The Night Comes for Us (2018)

Quick Review: Almost too intense, relentless, and graphic to bear, this Indonesian bloothbath of an action flick absolutely takes no prisoners in its sheer brutality -- outrageous and hyperviolent from beginning to end, and daringly manifesting one of the most fierce, gory, ruthless and deftly -executed fights ever put on screen, without compromising on its rousing plot and audacious characters, "The Night Comes for Us" is a masterwork of heart-pounding thrills.

[6.75/10] Bad Times at the El Royale (2018)

Bad Times at the El Royale (2018)

Quick Review: Narrating its baffing if never perplexing plot through the deep character's own perspective and personal backstory, "Bad Times at the El Royale" is a Tarantino-ish nori mystery thriller which alternates subdued suspense with moments of utter shock, complemented by some unpredictable twists. Moreover, from its inventive setting and earthy color palette to its stylish use of filters and cool retro tone, this one shines not only with brilliant acting.

[5.25/10] Like Father (2018)

Like Father (2018)

Quick Review: It's mildly amusing, mostly thanks to the comedic talent of its two leads, who's dysfunctional relationship causes several laughs here and there, plus, there's a tiny bit of heart lying at its center, which makes it occasionally emotional too, but "Like Father" is too hackneyed, predictable and pretty stereotypical to work as a successful and well- balanced enough dramedy. At least the huge cruise ship is a refreshing setting and some of the shots of the exotic scenery are pretty.

[7.25/10] Apostle (2018)

Apostle (2018)

Quick Review: There is just one genuinely frightening scene that will give you shivers, but "The Raid"'s director Gareth Evans makes up for the lack of scares with quiet tension, visual creativity, blood galore, and constantly freaky atmosphere, which makes "Apostle" one imaginative, tastefully-crafted, tone-driven occult horror movie with a touch of peculiar fantasy, led by Dan Steven's uneasy performance, that is as gripping as it's uncomfortable to watch, due to it's highly eerie imagery.

[4.50/10] Sleep No More (2018)

Sleep No More (2018)

Quick Review: Neither fullfilling the potential of its decent premise that seems very promising on paper, nor capturing the '80s era convincingly enough, "Sleep No More" resembles "Flatliners" in concept-wise, but it's even worse than the latter in terms of execution -- the sleep deprivation study gets more and more ludicrous as the story progresses, the acting is mediocre at its very best, the use of special effects beyond poor, and the scares so cheap and ineffective, they will put you to sleep.

[6.25/10] First Man (2018)

First Man (2018)

Quick Review: Very significant and revealing, but also as uneven as the moon's surface and demanding in terms of pacing, when in the space, "First Man" is often hyper intense, fascinating to look at and authentic in terms of tone and feel, but when on earth, it loses all of its out-of-this world thrills and becomes a tedious domestic drama, focused more on Armstrong's loss and grief, instead on the major achievement, it should be all about. Gosling reaches new acting heights, though.

[5.50/10] He's Out There (2018)

He's Out There (2018)

Quick Review: For a low-budget flick, this indie home invasion thriller is fairly well-shot, benefitting from its ominous cabin-in-the-woods setting and chilly tone, particularly during nigt scenes, but even though "He's Out There" starts well and unfolds with some increasing tension, the second half goes out of control, and turns the film into a mess with easy-to-figure killer with no motives, loads of annoying screaming, and typical genre tropes. Strahovski is a really captivating lead, though.

[8.00/10] A Star Is Born (2018)

A Star Is Born (2018)

Quick Review: Honest and moving, yet inevitably melodramatic at times, and charged with star power by both Gaga and Cooper, who effortlessly demonstrate both their singing and acting gift, and manifest a genuinely credible on-screen bond, "A Star is Born" works greatly as both a rocky love story of vulnerability, passion, and commitment, as well as a catchy musical all about real music, vocals, and talent, taking us on an emotive roller coaster journey of one star's rise and another's doom.

[4.75/10] The Amityville Murders (2018)

The Amityville Murders (2018)

Quick Review: A lot more about the dysfunctional relations between the DeFoes and less about the eery hauntings, "The Amityville Murders" is a gimmicky prequel with recycled story that pretends it's never been told, but it has little (scares) to offer, plus, the familiar outcome makes it predictable, and the paranormal bits feel too out of place. Still, Robinson gives a disturbing turn as the Butch, and Ben-Victor is really intimidating as the hearthless father.

[5.75/10] Venom [3D] (2018)

Venom [3D] (2018)

Quick Review: Sluggish in its first half and pretty rushed in its second, therefore jumbled, inconsistent, and tonally all over the place, this Marvel film may be a cool-looking romp with flashy 'shapeshifting' CGIs, suitably inky imagery, and skillfully-executed action, notably the frantic motorbike chase, but despite Tom Hardy's true commitment to the titular character, "Venom" ends up being a semi-fun, quasi-satisfactory, and demi-badass flick with not bite or zest that suffers from major identity crisis.

[6.50/10] Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)

Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)

Quick Review: A slight step above "The Last Jedi", but weaker than "Rogue One", this second Star Wars prequel features a lot of superbly-executed set pieces and difficult-to-fault special effects that make it a visual spectacle, but sadly there is almost nothing refreshing about its flawed and recycled story-line that struggles to maintain its consistency throught the exhausting over 2-hour long running time, hence, it's only occasionally entertaining.

[7.00/10] Bleach (2018)

Bleach (2018)

Quick Review: Quite possible one of the very best anime-to-live action movie adaptations in history of JP cinema, "Bleach" skips a few crucial elements from its imaginative story, but other than that it does justice to the source material with its plausibly portrayed characters and top-notch execution, and the final result is a joyful, energetic, and action-packed martial arts fantasy extravaganza, further enhanced by some brilliant samurai-like gravity-free swordplay, and cool special effects.