[5.75/10] The Upside (2019)

The Upside (2019)

Quick Review: Uplifting to a certain extend, and not as manipulative as you may think, if terribly hackneyed and too goofy to be a well-balanced dramedy, "The Upside" does benefit from Cranston's charm and sense of wit, but suffers big time from Hart's irritating presence, as he plays yet another caricature of a character, but somehow the chemistry between the two seem to work, and make this been-there-done-that affair a tiny bit more pleasurable to watch and even mildly amusing at times.

[5.25/10] Miss Bala (2019)

Miss Bala (2019)

Quick Review: Gina Rodriguez has all the likability and allure to carry a film, and she does her best, plus, the relationship between Gloria and her abductor is somewhat plausible and even oddly affecting at times, also thanks to Córdova's masculine presence, but "Miss Bala" struggles to smoothly balance out its barely gripping plot, gunfight-driven action, and unconventional romance, with the end result being an uninspired remake that is never tiresome, and yet far from remarkable.

[9.50/10] Avengers: Endgame [3D] (2019)

Avengers: Endgame [3D] (2019)

Quick Review: Driven by emotions rather than action, full of curveballs, and with a gloomy tone balanced by light humor, the delightfully crowded "Endgame" plays it like a nostalgic time-travel throwback at the entire MCU through its patchy and busy, if methodical and increasingly exciting plot that culminates in a staggering third act, featuring a colossally epic grand battle that dazzles the eyes, followed by a dramatically affecting finale that hits the heart.

[4.75/10] What Men Want (2019)

What Men Want (2019)

Quick Review: Even if she doesn't play a particularly likable character, Taraji P. Henson charges the screen with her energetic presence, but this sort-of remake with a twist fails to deliver big laughs with the 'gender switch' spin it puts on, along with the witless script built on crude humor and over-crowded with characters, half of which are pretty useless, as is useless hearing all those shallow male thoughts, which come across as annoying rather than funny, or at least remotely amusing.

[6.00/10] The Highwaymen (2019)

The Highwaymen (2019)

Quick Review: Purely on technical level, this Netflix film is one of their finest work, with the authenticity of the period art direction matching the beauty of the retro cinematography, but despite its visual qualities, and the intriguing premise of its Bonnie and Clyde-based story, the sluggish pacing, largely uneventful plotting, and forgettable dialogues turn this one into an average bounty hunter type of cop drama that not even the talented Costner and Harrelson can make more engrossing.

[5.25/10] The Curse of La Llorona (2019)

The Curse of La Llorona (2019)

Quick Review: The low-key lighting and fuzzy cinematography give the visuals an eerie effect and generate some sense of dread, but instead of converting the latter into a genuine suspense-filled fright-fest and utilize the potential of its ominous Mexican folktale premise, this one turns out being yet another derivative horror with generic story, soggy script, and wasted cast that relies on series of boo scares, and effects that are too cheesy to be fearsome.

[5.50/10] The Prodigy (2019)

The Prodigy (2019)

Quick Review: Hardly as intriguing as its ambitious title implies, this one is your usual 'creepy kid' flick with a bit of a twist that doesn't break any new grounds with its 'reincarnation' concept and mildly effective story, plus, despite its uneasy feel, it lacks the genuine suspense and frights that would have elevated its sense of terror, but at least "The Prodigy" is well-made attempt at horror with an okay acting, and a direction that seems solid, but falls apart towards the un-happy conclusion.

[5.75/10] Little (2019)

Little (2019)

Quick Review: Super fresh-looking and vivid, with a pop of bright color in nearly every scene, this movie is pretty eye-pleasing for a genre flick to say the least, plus, its lead trio are all equally as alluring in their own way, with Issa Rae winning the 'likability' award, and even though the whole thing feels overly familiar, despite the spin it tries to put on its story, "Little" is a far-from-hilarious, but enjoyable enough comedy with a few solid laughs, good intentions, and a 'little' bit of heart.

[5.25/10] The Perfect Date (2019)

The Perfect Date (2019)

Quick Review: Despite its sweet, if corny title, it's far from the perfect rom-com as it fails to fully avoid the genre tropes and predictability as well, but at least "The Perfect Date" has a bit of a fresh spin on its story, and also concerns such themes as self-discovery and single father-son re-connection, plus, the young and attractive lead duo have a special on-screen bond, but then again, this teen sort-of-dramedy is too forced and forgettable to be a real winner or a total crowd-pleaser.

[6.25/10] Arctic (2019)

Arctic (2019)

Quick Review: Some may find it a tiresome experience, as it contains hardly any talking, let alone action, but "Arctic" succeeds as a one-man- show survival drama mainly due to its big heart and Mikkelsen's nearly mute, but emotional performance as the weary, yet determined survivor and life-saver, who fights for his life in very harsh conditions, with the icy setting and chilling blizzards caught beautifully on camera, giving the film a proper freezing feel to it that will make you uncomfortable.

[5.00/10] The Head Hunter (2019)

The Head Hunter (2019)

Quick Review: With its gorgeous shooting locations, glorious scenery, and atmospheric photography, this mythological horror looks twice as expensive as it actually is, but what brings "The Head Hunter" down is the rather nonexistent plot, almost total lack of dialogue, let alone an engaging one, and the amateurish use of solid practical effects, which sadly all combined make this super- short movie feel long, monotonous, and un-thrilling, despite its attempts at sheer monster terror.

[5.25/10] The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot (2019)

The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot (2019)

Quick Review: The intriguing title hints an unconventional story with a touch of quirk, but unfortunately this otherwise conceptually original film fails to deliver on it premise, despite Sam Elliott's charismatic lead turn as the living legend Calvin, with first 'Hitler' half being told mostly in semi- interesting flashbacks from the Nazi era, and the second 'Bigfoot' one -- looking and feeling rather ridiculous, and devoid of any thrills.

[6.50/10] Destroyer (2018)

Destroyer (2018)

Quick Review: Grim in tone, gritty in nature, and exceedingly moody in its approach, this character-driven cop drama showcases its gifted star Nicole Kidman in a totally new light in a role she fully owns and gives the protagonist both big depth and believability, and though "Destroyer" is demanding and a bit depressing in feel and look, it's the flawed but fierce Erin Bell that draws you in into the otherwise disjointed plot, which revolves around her tough job, sad faith, and ruined family.

[7.25/10] The Purity of Vengeance (2018)

Journal 64 (2018)

Quick Review: Telling two parallel stories, so it can dig even deeper into its profoundly disturbing subject of women sterilization, the film is at once an uneasy period drama that reveals the dark past of Denmark's scary medical history, and a riveting murder mystery filled with intriguing clues, gruesome facts, and a few unexpected twists, but "Journal 64" works even better as a whole than as the sum of its parts, thanks to the capable direction, and the chemistry between the strong cast.

[5.50/10] Hellboy (2019)

Hellboy (2019)

Quick Review: The vile Baba Yaga scene is indeed a work of grotesque brilliance, but that aside, along with the helluva make-up, and Harbour's spot-on turn as Big Red, "Hellboy" is a lifeless and tonally messy reboot with too many subplots, lame villain, flat humor, unsatisfying action, and sloppy CGIs, which takes its 'horror' approach too far with all the over- the-top gore and ultra violence, plus its 'more is more' style, busy story, and inflated direction make it more grueling rather than fun.

[6.00/10] Pet Sematary (2019)

Pet Sematary (2019)

Quick Review: With a subplot that is much creepier than the main one, but also underdeveloped, a by-the-numbers script that adds barely any new elements to put its own spin on the story, and very few good scares, this rather uninspired remake is way too respectful to the original to be able to stand out, but the excellent cast give it their best, and purely on technical level, "Pet Sematary" is a skillfully-shot and edited horror flick with haunting feel, spooky tone, and proper visual eerieness.

[4.75/10] The Silence (2019)

The Silence (2019)

Quick Review: An ill-mixed fusion between "A Quiet Place", "Bird Box", and "The Mist", minus the thrills and atmospherics, Netflix's new creature feature rip-off not only shamelessly borrows ideas from the above films to tell its un-intriguing and uneven copycat of apocalyptic story with no emotional weight and close to zero tension and frights, but also entirely wastes its solid cast, and takes no advantage of its well-crafted if badly CGI-ed eery flying monsters to bring some bloody fun at least. 

[7.75/10] Shazam! [IMAX 3D]

Shazam! [IMAX 3D]

  

Quick Review: A varied superhero blast that deals with everything from ancient wizards, demonic monsters, and magical powers to family bonds, foster parenting, and the coming-of- age troubles of its appealing young protagonist, "Shazam!" is a true fun- fest with goofy humor, flashy action, vibrant energy, and cool effects that wears its big heart in its sleeve, and totally embraces its juvenile nature and sweet goofiness of Levi's turn, which contrasts with the viciousness of its intimidating villain.

[7.25/10] Dragged Across Concrete (2019)

Dragged Across Concrete (2019)

Quick Review: A slow-burning and rather overlong, yet steadily-paced and meticulously-plotted cop drama that pays just enough attention to its secondary characters as it does to its main ones, which results in a rich narrative with riveting effect, "DAC" is every bit as harsh, gritty, and truly uncompromising as its title suggest, offering twists, big thrills, disturbing imagery of graphic gore and brutal violence and a great lead duo who's chemistry drives the film.

[6.50/10] On the Basis of Sex (2018)

On the Basis of Sex (2018)

Quick Story: By-the-numbers, very formulaic, and too easy to predict, if undoubtedly inspirational and often uplifting, "On the Basis of Sex" tells the thematically-specific, fact-based story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and her tough battle for sex equality and women's rights, and even though it's reasonably gripping, the whole thing is not nearly as impactful as Felicity Jones' on-fire central performance, who's without a doubt this otherwise beautifully-shot film with lovely retro feel's true driving force.

[5.25/10] You Shall Not Sleep (2018)

You Shall Not Sleep (2018)

Quick Review: Dealing with the disturbing subject matter of forced insomnia, but also revolving around the art of acting, this supernatural drama is a bit incohesive, and that combined with the complicated plot structure makes it more convoluted rather than intriguingly twisty, hence despite the competent cast and the utterly haunting atmosphere it does generate through its eerie visuals, "No Dormiras" never reaches the level of scariness it aims to, leaving quite a lot to be desired.

[6.00/10] The Kid Who Would Be King (2019)

The Kid Who Would Be King (2019)

Quick Review: A modern take on the classic 'sword in the stone' story with a coming-of-age twist, "The Kid Who Would Be King" doesn't blend contemporary reality with medieval elements very smoothly, due to the cheesy CGI effects and some insipid direction decisions, but this juvenile and rather corny fantasy flick has a charming young cast and a strong sense of adventure, besides, it goes pretty wild and fun in its energetic, over-the-top closing act.

[4.50/10] The Final Wish (2019)

The Final Wish (2019)

Quick Review: For a low-cost film this one looks actually good, thanks to the creative use of color and light as well as the sleek photography, which combined generate a vividly eerie tone, plus, Lin Shaye is a nice addition with her nutty, over-the-top turn, but those benefits can't cover the fact that "The Final Wish" is a lazily-directed, often dull horror flick relying on a generic plot with a been -there-done-that premise and half- baked execution that fails to provide the frights, cheap or not.

[5.75/10] Welcome to Marwen (2018)

Welcome to Marwen (2018)

Quick Review: Unique in premise and quirky in essence, "Welcome to Marwen" has all the potential to be something really special, along with the help of some exceptional special effects that give it a proper dreamy feel, but sadly, the bumbling script, offbeat narrative, joyless execution, and lack of an emotional resonance bring this Zemeckis movie to a level of truly disappointing average-ness, despite the engaging cast's attempt to elevate it above that.