[4.75/10] Infinite (2021)

Infinite (2021)

Quick Review: After a spectacular opening chase set piece, despite its ambitions in putting a fresh spin on the theme of reincarnation, "Infinite" quickly falls into derivativeness and turns into an overly serious, bloated mess that tries too hard to be wise and profound, bit it ends up being rather absurd and way too tangled instead, and though the film flaunts flashy action and slick visuals, those can't compensate for the dry writing, hollow characters, and bland acting from the miscast leads.

[7.25/10] Cliff Walkers (2021)

Cliff Walkers (2021)

Quick Review: Slickly-crafted, yet often incoherent, "Cliff Walkers" is a bit hard to get invested into, due to its intricate plotting and big amount of characters involved, but Yimou's melodramatic and emotional, albeit violent and action-charged vintage espionage thriller strikes with some stylishly exquisite imagery of wintery 1930s Manchukuo, with the muted, somber color palette and the 'cold' beauty of the ceaselessly snowing scenery adding a chilling vibe to the twisty cat-n-mouse affair. 

[6.75/10] Luca (2021)

Luca (2021)

Quick Review: Though vibrant, the graphics are hardly as elaborate as we've used to see from Pixar, and the story is simple and lightweight, but none of that makes "Luca" any less enjoyable as a coming-of-age fantasy adventure set underwater and in rural Italy that takes us on a brisk, racy and fun 'discover a new world' journey of curiosity, dreams, and the power of pure friendships, which fascinates with its endearing 'misfit' characters and touches with its truly poignant finale.

[5.50/10] In the Heights (2021)

In the Heights (2021)

Quick Review: A lofty celebration of Latino community and legacy, "In the Heights" tells an emotional story about family, friends, love, dreams, and aspirations in a lively, feel-good and cheery fashion, led by a bunch of alluring characters, and flaunting elaborate musical numbers, but the whole thing feels a bit too stagey, plus, singing or rapping pretty much every line quickly loses its charms, and goes from pleasurable to loud and irritating, and even exhausting towards the sugary end.

[4.75/10] Things Heard & Seen (2021)

Things Heard and Seen (2021)

Quick Review: Seyfried is solid as the anxious Catherine dealing with her toxic husband and uncovering dark secrets about their new home's past, but "THS" is too obvious, often predictable, and hackneyed mystery thriller that leans on the same old 'haunted house' tropes, instead of further exploring all the interesting elements its story has to offer, and the final result is a dull, draggy, and muddled effort, let down by messy script and a weak twist.

[6.25/10] The Water Man (2021)

The Water Man (2021)

Quick Review: A poignant, sad, and inspiring family drama with a touch of adventure about a bright and imaginative boy, who, inspired by an urban legend and driven by faith and hope, takes on an unsafe journey into the woods to save his dying sick mother, "The Water Man" certainly has heart, as it deals with courage, bravery, belief, family love, and building new friendships, but its dreamy approach might be deceitful for those anticipating some proper fantasy elements here.

[6.50/10] Four Good Days (2021)

Four Good Days (2021)

Quick Review: Exposing a totally new, different side of Mila Kunis who demonstrates acting diversity in an unusual role, paired with the always brilliant Glenn Close, "Four Good Days" depicts the struggles of drug addiction in familiar, yet engaging and moving way, but it works even better as a 're-connection' domestic drama about forgiveness, help, and support, following the tough journey of rehab, which is as agonizing for the heroine junkies themselves as is for their beloved ones.

[7.50/10] The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)

The Conjuring 3 (2021)

Quick Review: Taking a new, less demonic, if just as sinister direction you won't see coming, "Conjuring 3" creates a dread-filled tone through the low-key lighting and murky color palette, and delivers a few effective frights, notably during the exorcism opening and the twisted finale, but the true horror here comes from the chilling mystery around the Warrens dark descent into the unknown, and the vulnerability of Ed and Lorraine, despite their powerful personal and professional relationship.

[7.00/10] Profile (2021)

Profile (2021)

Quick Review: Just as captivating and believable, as it's suspenseful and deeply unsettling, "Profile" has much more depth than your regular 'desktop' affair, as on one hand it's a true eye-opener in exposing ISIS' manipulative recruitment tactics and radicalization through social media, while it also explores catfishing on another level, and the final result is an uneasy, intense, and horrifying voyeuristic thriller-turned-disturbing cyber romance that gets under your skin with chilling effect.

[4.50/10] Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021)

Spiral (2021)

Quick Review: The stylized use of lighting and color makes it flashier looking than most of the previous entries, but despite the sort-of-new direction it takes, the lack of fresh ideas, imagination, and most of all Jigsaw, turn "Spiral" into a gimmicky, contrived and badly miscast reboot with a predictably generic twist that offers more of the same without any impact, and although the few nasty traps a grisly and well-executed, the real torture is the film's tendency to over-explain everything.