[7.25/10] Crawl (2019)

Crawl (2019)

Quick Review: A hybrid between a disaster flick, creature feature, and family drama, Aja's plainly-plotted, if expertly-crafted "Crawl" combines a dire hurricane, nasty alligators, and rain flood to deliver one horrifying, intense, and gory thrill-ride with as much bite as heart that favors from Scodelario's tough, yet stirring turn, the grisly gator attacks, and the fact that it's set in a narrow, waterlogged crawl space underneath an outworn old swamp house, which also makes it claustrophobic as hell.

[6.75/10] Haunt (2019)

Haunt (2019)

Quick Review: "Saw" meets "The Funhouse" in this slick, Halloween- vibed horror slasher which contrary to its title fully avoids ghosts and evil spirits, and chooses to creep out its audience with no less sinister clown-masked killers instead, but "Haunt" has more to offer then just repellent imagery, building real strong tension throughout, delivering steady chills, frights and thrills, and enough grisly and gore-soaked death scenes to gross you out and make you ignore its straightforwardness.

[6.25/10] Ad Astra (2019)

Ad Astra (2019)

Quick Review: Slow, melancholic in mood, sterile in tone, and with just a single thrilling scene, yet flaunting a sumptuous cinematography, cosmic authenticity, and mesmerizing score, Gray's interstellar drama is hardly a stimulating trip to the stars, despite Pitt's baffling, minimalist, engagingly laidback turn, besides, "Ad Astra"'s attempt to leave an impact through its supposed-to-be-poignant 'father- son relationship' fails to evoke any sentiment at all, letting its emotional core to lose all its gravity.

[8.50/10] Midsommar [Director's Cut] (2019)

Midsommar [DC] (2019)

Quick Review: Glaring in looks, yet dark in essence, Aster's hypnotically bizarre and truly fucked-up Swedish folk-inspired horror allegory thrives as both an offbeat slow-burner with surreal dread and high shock value, as well as a mental journey of grief and desertion, and though it's more unsettling than scary, "Midsommar" gets under your skin with its visceral grimness, while ravishing your eyes with its visual vividness -- a contrast that mesmerizes, disturbs, confuses, and startles all at once.

[7.50/10] Hustlers (2019)

Hustlers (2019)

Quick Review: With a glossy visual style that dazzlingly matches its juicy nature, a smart and thrilling 'stripper thieves' plot that never loses steam and an outstanding career-best turn by J Lo, the glitzy-looking "Hustlers" is a feminist, if seductively feminine caper of a heist dramedy that fluidly mixes suspense and humor, but also demonstrates heart by portraying its characters as real women with real issues, letting their special bond to be the core of its inspiring and fun, yet often poignant story.

[6.75/10] Blinded by the Light (2019)

Blinded by the Light (2019)

Quick Review: Heavily inspired by Bruce Springsteen, but crafted in a typically British fashion with a Paki flavor, this set in the 1980s Luton musical is a nostalgic throwback at rock music obsession told through the eyes of a struggling teen and gifted writer Javed, that is as heart-warming as it's joyful and uplifting, but it also hits all the right notes as a coming-of-age drama about family issues, clashes of generations, and cultural heritage aspects.

[4.75/10] I Trapped the Devil (2019)

I Trapped the Devil (2019)

Quick Review: Refusing to provide a needed backstory or an effective ending, which would've added depth to the overly simplistic plot, set in a single house, and having just three characters none of whom is riveting, "I Trapped the Devil" is very limited in story, presence, and setting, and though it does a fine job at keeping you guessing whether the whole thing is real or just a paranoia, and displays some atmospherically eerie basement imagery, this indie horror fails to fulfill its potential.

[6.00/10] Child's Play (2019)

Child's Play (2019)

Quick Review: Replacing all of the supernatural stuff with more up-to- date gimmicks from the digital era, this modernized remake reboots the series with refreshing approach that adds to its individuality, and though the rushed and goofy "Child's Play" lacks the grisly essence of the '88s classic, and the animatronic Chucky looks oddly repellent, this version of the cult killer doll is still a darkly fun, gore-filled and ghastly slasher romp with just enough humor, blood, and terror to satisfy the fans.

[3.00/10] The Fanatic (2019)

The Fanatic (2019)

Quick Review: A horribly-directed, poorly-written and badly-acted story of obsession that ranges between goofy, campy, absurd and wannabe disturbing, and focusing on the mad fan Moose, played by John Travolta, who's trying so hard, he becomes unintentionally funny, "The Fanatic" not only defines its star's career- rock-bottom performance, but fails to portray fanaticism convincingly, or to provide any thrills, depicting one caricature of a protagonist, and his foolishly violent actions. 

[6.50/10] The Most Beautiful Girl in the World (2019)

The Most Beautiful Girl in the World (2019)

Quick Review: What happens if you throw in a crazy high school trip, German hip-hop and a sweet romance between a new-in-class rebel girl and a not-too-handsome, yet charming, good-hearted, and talented guy? Well, the answer is an amusing, wild, and fun, but also touchingly heartfelt teen rom-com musical with raunchy humor, some laughs, tears, and a love message that achieves its main purpose to pull your souls strings.

[5.75/10] The Dead Don't Die (2019)

The Dead Don't Die (2019)

Quick Review: Neither funny, nor creepy enough to be successful, yet delightfully off-beat and oddly goofy, this wacky zombie comedy stands out with a few bright ideas such as the undead craving more for coffee and wine, than for human flesh, and featuring a weirdo Scottish woman with a samurai sword to cut some zombie heads off, but that, a terrific ensemble cast, and decent dose of wit aside, "The Dead Don't Die" is a pretty lazy film with no purpose, bite, or ending for that matter.

[6.75/10] Late Night (2019)

Late Night (2019)

Quick Review: Elevated by Emma Thompson dominating performance and accompanied by Mindy Kaling's delightfully contrasting turn as the sweet and candid Molly, "Late Night" is a clever, witty and moving comedy with as much heart as laughs that not only reveals the off-air process of a creating a talks show, but also works on a dramatic and emotional level, concerning such subjects as slut-shaming and workplace sexism, yet conveying passion, dedication, remorse, and sympathy.

[7.25/10] IT Chapter Two (2019)

IT Chapter Two (2019)

Quick Review: Overlong, full of far too many flashbacks and peaking in an anti-climatic, yet faithful third act, "Chapter Two" is inferior to the first technically and scares-wise, offering jump frights and dodgy CGI freaks, but the scenes displaying the fearful Pennywise will give you the chills, as Skarsgård is at his creepiest here, plus the amount of heart it possess, the spot-on sense of humor and wit, and the perfect casting of the older 'Losers', especially Hader, make this one a worthy conclusion.

[4.50/10] Share (2019)

Share (2019)

Quick Review: Sluggishly-paced, uneventful, and not as disturbing as it thinks it is, this grim high-school drama has some stylish grittiness about its looks, but other than that it's simply a dull and lifeless teen affair without any emotional impact and focus, whose young female star seems very miscast and unsuitable for the role of the indecent Mandy, despite her fine acting, but the film's biggest problems remain the lack of any proper intrigue or tension, and "Share"'s off-putting feel.

[5.75/10] Falling Inn Love (2019)

Falling Inn Love (2019)

Quick Review: Set against the real pretty backdrop of rural NZ, whose unique nature and easy-breezy feel enchants the eye, this lighthearted rom-com is visually-captivating, and featuring a charming cast who add more sense of delightful warmness, plus, the whole renovation process with its ups and downs is kinda fun, but the corny, often forced romance combined with Milian's over-the-top acting, bring "Falling Inn Love" down to an instantly forgettable escapism of feel-good mediocrity.

[7.00/10] Angel of Mine (2019)

Angel of Mine (2019)

Quick Review: Thought-provoking, highly intense, vastly unsettling, and full of psychological thrills, "Angel of Mine" finely hazes the line between paranoia and possibility, taking you on one troubled and grieving mom's journey of obsession, determination and despair, driven by the brilliantly devoted turn form the wildly talented Rapace, whose anxious character's baffling blind-belief-turned-likelihood story plays with your mind as well as your nerves, right until the shocking, deeply emotional climax.

[6.00/10] Itsy Bitsy (2019)

Itsy Bitsy (2019)

Quick Review: Less backstory and more gore would've worked in favor, but the rather un-cheesy "Itsy Bitsy" blends real-life struggles, terror, and horror fiction finely enough to make you simultaneously care about the insecure single mom Kara and her well-portrayed kids, but also creep you out with its mythological giant spider of a creature, ably executed with old school practical effects for more realism, and the final result is a tad too serious, yet fairly fun little creeper with some heart.

[5.50/10] Angel Has Fallen (2019)

Angel Has Fallen (2019)

Quick Review: With its trite 'they set me up' setup that degrades the plot to a TV show level of banality, "Angel Has Fallen" is a 'we've seen it all before' political thriller actioner with foreseeable twists, murky tone, loads of violence, and little sense, but this mediocre third entry in the series still has some entertainment value about itself, thanks to Butler's charisma, Nolte's show-stopper turn, and some well-executed action with grand explosions, notably the flashy 'drone attack' set piece.