Quick Review: It would have been a lot more fun, if it had fulfilled its daring 'superhero squirrel' premise to another level, but for what it is, "Flora & Ulysses" is a sweet enough story with quirky characters, goofy slapstick humor, cartoony CGIs, and a charming young cast led by the adorable Matilda Lawler, but then again, it lacks the signature Disney magic and the big heart that would have made it something more than a cute, positive, and endearing little film made strictly for kids.
Quick Review: A well-intentioned, if insensitive and selfish project that aims more to promote its director Sia's visual album, than to movingly depict the imaginative mind of an autistic girl, portrayed so over-the- top by Ziegler, it comes across as caricature, "Music" is further ruined by colorful, but ill-fitting music video- like numbers randomly thrown in the already uneven plot, and not even Hudson's stripped down role is able to save this outrageously offensive disaster of a music film.
Quick Review: A fun, quirky, and sweet romance between a cheeky guy and a mysterious girl stuck in a time loop, this one provides a fresh take on both of the genres it blends in a playful fashion, letting its two leads to have the time of their life in a delightfully loopy, but luckily never repetitive story, which makes you instantly fall for Mark's charms, but later on grow to love Margaret too, especially after her poignant secret backstory gets revealed.
Quick Review: In a typical Paul. W. S. Anderson 'mindless fun' fashion, "Monster Hunter" utilizes its paper- thin, nonsensical, and trite 'portal to another world' plot as a big excuse to provide some over-the-top action and stylized set pieces with tons of cool slow-mo and solid special and creature effects, and the end result is a silly and gloomy, yet watchable video game adaptation led by action stars Jovovich and Jaa, who fight giant monsters in swanky battles for our pure entertainment.
Quick Review: A wild, wicked, and wonderfully witty social commentary on conservatorship, charged with a heavy dose of feminism, this brainy satirical thriller is every bit as darkly humorous and shamelessly cheeky as it's disturbingly vile and daringly eye-opening, and although it loses credibility in third act, "I Care a Lot" is a consistently engrossing caper, powered by Pike's captivating turn as the cunning and ambitious Marla, whose greedy, nasty persona you'll equally hate and admire.
Quick Review: Firth and Tucci play a longtime gay couple in this mature romantic queer drama, which follows a brief period of their relationship, during a vacation trip, with the sad part of the story being that one of them struggles with early dementia, and although the chemistry between the two leads is as believable as the affection shared by their characters, "Supernova" hardly packs a punch, in spite of some sweet and moving bits, as it feels underdeveloped and too emotionally reserved.
Quick Review: A candy-colored silly romp with easy-breezy feel and vibrant visuals, driven by Wiig and Mumolo's comedic chemistry, even if they are more fun than truly funny, this one is unlike anything you have seen before, but sadly not in a good way, as it sloppily mixes comedy and fantasy, with the jokes being too flat and goofy to evoke big laughs, and the sci-fi bits as ill-fitting as Dornan playing the embarrassing Edgar in a zany, cringe-worthy role.
Quick Review: A sincere, tender, and brilliantly-acted mature lesbian romance with bittersweet nature that shows how powerful mutual love can be even at a later age, "Two of Us" depicts affection and dedication in a same-sex relationship in a profound and genuine manner, however, the bad things happen tad too early to allow us connect with the characters on a deeper level, and the fact that the movie gets angrier as it unfolds, makes it hard to feel sympathy for them, or get truly moved.
Quick Review: Deception, intrigue, fear, paranoia and... love are at the center of this factual drama about black activism in 60s Chicago which, albeit uneven, maintains the tension throughout its historically important, yet relevant story of betrayal, but the real heart of the film remains the outstanding acting by Stanfield and Kaluuya, the latter giving an award- worthy portrayal of Black Panther's chair, who he embodies with energy, passion, and dedication.
Quick Review: A so-bad-it's-good type of love story with cheesy and sugary Cinderella-ish plot that goes more ludicrous as it unfolds, but at the same time charming, enjoyable, and often sweet, this visually slick, crisp and vibrant Polish rom-com is a true 'guilty pleasure' chick flick led by a pair of attractive actors, which offers more than glossy looks, fairy tale-ish romance, and pretty faces, as it also touches on topics such as passion for teaching, pure love for kids, and family support.
Quick Review: Deceitfully titled, as it's neither a sequel or prequel, nor a reboot of the franchise, with the only thing having in common with it being 'lost in the woods' scenario, "WT" aims to mix 'community' horror and social commentary, but the spin it puts is not particularly effective or disturbing, the characters too one-dimensional and unlikable to really care for and the scares nonexistent, since it relies only on violence, gore and gruesome terror, not to say how far-fetched the finale is.
Quick Review: Neither as clever, nor as mind-twisting as it thinks it is, this high-concept sci-fi romance has some big ideas on its mind, but fails to put them all together coherently enough to prove its point, or at least make sense, and the end result is a moody and muddled mess set in two parallel worlds, one grimly 'real' and one vividly dreamy that contrast the same way Wilson's dry and Hayek's over-the-top characters do, not to say the vague finale contradicts with everything else in "Bliss".
Quick Review: A simple and fairly predictable story built on the warm, naturally-evolving bond between a 'special' boy with a troubled mother and а good-natured ex-prisoner on his way to redemption, "Palmer" has enough heart, charm and warmness to pack an emotional punch, but it also gently refers to the significance of tolerance, while benefiting from Timberlake's most mature turn yet, as the caring father figure Palmer, who develops a real parental feeling towards the sweet Sam.
Quick Review: A semi-amusing UK black comedy with a touch of stalker horror that does little in the 'laughs' department other than mocking the police, "Get Duked!" is about four teen losers who get hunted in the Scottish highlands for no reason by two masked aristocrats, and though it sounds like a lot of fun, the film is rather uneventful till the revengeful third act, while relying on its zany characters and slapstick humor to provide mindless entertainment, but it mostly shoots blanks.
Quick Review: Set in one house, featuring two characters, and shot in monochromatic black & white -- not just for visual elegance, but also to let the dynamics be on focus -- "M&M" is a minimalistic and talkative relationship drama about a couple, who fight and make up numerous times during a long, sultry and frank conversation in which the two leads display a wide range of emotions -- Zendaya is captivating and alluring, but Washington's self-centered and yelly Malcolm is irritating.
Quick Review: A genuine, tender, and delicate gay romance about two elderly family men in a relationship, who also take part in a small queer community with purpose, "Suk Suk" benefits from the subtle, yet emotive performances by Tai-Bo and Yuen and the naturally developing bond and flourishing love between their characters, which drives the film in such a natural, believable manner, it's impossible to judge their actions, or to point out whether what they get into is right or wrong.
Quick Review: Borrowing elements from MCU and "Detective Dee", this is your typical Chinese fantasy with warriors, demons, magicians, royals and monsters, all stuffed in a busy plot that bumpily alternates intrigue, melodrama and overwhelmingly VFX heavy action, but luckily the effects are slick, the gorgeous sets add up to the visual opulence, and the fight sequences, though unsatisfying and rare, are effective enough to make up for the sluggish bits.
Quick Review: It does succeed in creating a dark and eerie tone only through the right use of lights and shadows in addition to its ominously claustrophobic setting, and it uses some clever tricks to deliver shocks, with the big reveal making enough sense to explain the earlier muddle in the puzzling plot, but this Iranian supernatural horror is basically 'all mood and gimmicks', which makes experience as surreal and illogical for us as it's for the characters, but at least it builds tension.
Quick Review: Iseman is likable in the lead, and she gives it her all as the suffering Rain, who can't differ reality from illusion due to a mental illness, but sadly, much like her, the film itself struggles to cope with its identity crisis, as it can't decide if it wants to be a heartfelt depiction of schizophrenia, coming-of-age story, teen romance or "Rear Window"-ish thriller, failing to work as a mix of all, plus, the familiar twist in the last act appears too gimmicky to leave the emotional impact it aims.
Quick Review: Marshall's weakest film yet, "Reckoning" is an uneven, tonally muddy and generic medieval pseudo-horror with uninspired 'witch accusation' plot, devoid of twists or surprises, and jumbled by loads of flashbacks and vain 'hellish' visions, and led by director's wife, Kirk, who fails to convey Grace's affliction, or breathe life into this drab, soulless, amateurishly-shot and clumsily put- together 'Dark Age' revenge drama with no visual authenticity that feels like a student's project.
Quick Review: The film's prisoner-transfer-gone-wrong scenario is too familiar, and it takes quite some time for the action to kick in, and for the curveballs to shake the story up a bit, but this Spanish escape thriller makes up for that with engrossing performances, and a setting that is as claustrophobic, as it's chilly, and though the payoff isn't necessarily satisfying, despite the heart-rending twist in the last act, there are some pretty tense scenes, particularly the chilling underwater one.
Quick Review: A jazzy, tasteful and elegant old-fashioned romance full of heart, passion, lust, and 'classic' melodrama, "Sylvie's Love" works due to the fiery chemistry between the leads, and Thompson's diverse, alluring, and consistently engaging turn, but it's the movie's stylish retro aesthetics that really elevate it, as everything from the chic costumes and mellow pastel color palette to the slick cinematography and pretty 1950s period production design is a sheer feast for the eyes.
Quick Review: This Aussie family drama tells a simple central story of guilt, frustration and recovery about a mother who struggles to return to her normal life after an incident, as well as to reconnect with her loved ones, with Watts gives yet another strong performance as the helpless Sam, but "Penguin Bloom" kind of makes up for his sluggishness and moody tone with a sweet sub-story focused on a fond Magpie bird, who provides the warmest, most uplifting moments in this movie.
Quick Review: A nostalgically fun and intentionally tacky throwback at '80s sci-fi, fantasy, and horror, "PG: Psycho Goreman" totally embraces its utter ludicrousness, never taking itself seriously, and boasts with fine practical and gore effects, even if it is very aware how rough around the edges it is, but what ruins this mildly amusing and delightfully grisly romp is Hanna's annoyingly over-the-top turn as the unlikable and constantly obnoxious little girl Mimi, who sadly eclipses PG's coolness.
Quick Review: More freakish than frightful, this moody religious horror about a lonely and disturbed nurse with extreme obsession in faith has some psychological chills and often disturbing imagery, and gains from Clark's demented turn, despite the lack of Maud's backstory, but "Saint Maud" blurs the line between real and imaginary tad too vaguely to be scarily effective, plus, the deceptive 'diabolical twist' in the last act turns out not be one, which ends the film on an anti-climatic note.
