[6.75/10] Eternals (2021)

Eternals (2021)

Quick Review: Tossing all at once - an elaborate, yet slow and uneven plot, a bunch of all-new characters with little depth, and busy, if always swanky action, "Eternals" is a lot to take in, little of which is thrilling, but it stands out with an untypically dim tone, racial and sexual diversity and all the serious topics it touches, as well as with Zhao's flair and skill to visualize grand cosmic imagery and flashy superpowers with the help of first-class CGIs, even if her direction feels kinda passion-less.

[6.75/10] Pleasure (2021)

Pleasure (2021)

Quick Review: Beneath its 'filthy' exterior of explicit sex scenes and outrageous physical and emotional exploitation in modern porn industry, "Pleasure" has a very 'human' core that portrays adult stars with all their feelings, emotions, and fears in a revealing, yet personal story about ambition and rivalry that follows the rough journey of a young Swedish rookie Bella, played so convincingly by Kappel, who takes in a role that requires bravery and courage - and "she's a natural", indeed.

[6.75/10] Red Rocket (2021)

Red Rocket (2021)

Quick Review: As outrageous and naughty, as it's clever and fun, and and led by the eccentric Mikey who has a personality as vibrant as a pink frosted doughnut with colorful sprinkles, "Red Rocket" is a satirical depiction of lunacy, obsession, and 'wrongness' that's refreshingly non-judgemental towards its protagonist -- a broke, beaten and reckless, yet charismatic and ex porn star back to his hometown for a fresh start, who the perfectly-cast Simon Rex plays with fascinating appeal.

[6.75/10] The Matrix Resurrections (2021)

The Matrix Resurrections (2021)

Quick Review: Epilogue-y, built on déjà-vus and ultra-meta, "M4" offers a fresh take on 'what is real', inserts cool new bots, and cleverly reunites Neo and Trinity to deepen their love story and throw a debatable twist at the end, but it neither has the flair, style, looks, brains, nor the startling action of the first, despite the use of flashy motion tricks, ending up as a less cerebral and visually imposing, yet daring sequel that mocks itself, society and film industry.

[6.75/10] A Writer's Odyssey (2021)

A Writer's Odyssey (2021)

Quick Review: A dual tale about a novel that affects reality, "A Writer's Odyssey" blends a personal drama with political undertones and a world of mythological fantasy in inventive way, and although the dad-daughter story is not as moving as it aims to, the film succeeds in its fantasy bits, thanks to the adventurous nature of the plot, superb CGI work with vivid use of color, and thrilling action, with Redmane's grandiose final fight and the bloody 'village massacre' being the most epic set pieces.

[6.75/10] 8-Bit Christmas (2021)

8-Bit Christmas (2021)

Quick Review: A sweet, charming, and nostalgic holiday caper about the Nintendo craze in the '80s that also feels relevant to nowadays big obsession with technology, but also has an emotional side about itself, being a dad-son relationship story at its core, "8-Bit Christmas" is on one hand a lively, passionate, crazy fun 'retro vibe' kids comedy full of action and laughs, and on the other -- a poignant story about grief and loss, balanced out with some heart-melting family memories.

[6.75/10] The Last Duel (2021)

The Last Duel (2021)

Quick Review: An unusual chivalry tale of conflict, sacrifice, cruelty, but above all a battle of egos, told from various perspectives in a repetitive, but skillful plot structure, "The Last Duel" may be a bit draggy, cold, and at times hard to keep track of, but its medieval imagery is imposing in its grittiness and somber tone, the action scenes -- savage and deftly-staged, notably the ultraviolent final duel, and the acting rather brilliant, with Comer dominating the screen, and Affleck standing out.

[6.75/10] The Medium a.k.a. Rang Song (2021)

The Medium (2021)

Quick Review: Shot in a mock-doc style, even if the crew barely gets involved in the whole supernatural scenario, "The Medium" is blends a cultural study that explores Asian shamanism in an eye-opening way, a dysfunctional family drama of loss and alienation, and a possession horror with malevolent Thai spirits, that slowly builds tension and dread up until the particularly sinister night vision scenes, followed by a ghastly third act, filled with gore, true frights and disturbing imagery.

[6.75/10] Army of Thieves (2021)

Army of Thieves (2021)

Quick Review: Executed with flair, shot with tasteful sense of style, and led by a quirky, nerdy, and alluring protagonist played by Schweighöfer himself, who displays as much talent in front of the camera, as he does behind it, the zombieless prequel to Snyder's "Army of the Dead" hardly breaks any new grounds into the 'heist' movie genre, but the actual robberies are intense, exciting, and loads of fun, and the subtle touch of romance adds warmth and charm to the whole stealing affair.

[6.75/10] The Manor (2021)

The Manor (2021)

Quick Review: Led by an alluring turn from Hershey, this horror puts a clever twist or two on the 'haunted house' genre, and offers a riveting point of view through the eyes of an old lady, who experiences ghastly events, but the scariest aspect of "The Manor" is not the supernatural side of the story, it's the questioning of elder's sanity, lack of trust, and loneliness that hit the hardest -- the rest is all about 'spooky fun', even the devilish reveal and the wickedly satisfactory conclusion.

[6.75/10] Raging Fire (2021)

Raging Fire (2021) 

Quick Review: Despite its pacing issues, Benny Chan's uneven, but truly engrossing last movie is a pure love letter to '90s HK action flicks -- from its classic 'cop vs. former cop turned criminal' plot and profound protagonists with history, who Yen and Tse portray equally as strong, to the frenetic fights, crazy chases, big explosions, relentless shootouts and deft stunts -- everything about "Raging Fire" is executed, directed and acted to a pretty high standard of Chinese film-making.

[6.75/10] Birds of Paradise (2021)

Birds of Paradise (2021)

Quick Review: Rivalry, loyalty, and friendship go hand in hand in this sexy, sensual, and dreamy story of self-discovery, obsession, and over-ambition, and though familiar, "Birds of Paradise" is a mesmerizing trip to the world of ballet and, similarly to the latter, the film is pretty to look at, thanks to the graceful camerawork, elegant style, and exquisite French exteriors, but it's Silvers & Froseth's gorgeous faces that hook us to their contrasting, yet bonded characters, chasing the big prize win.

[6.75/10] The Night House (2021)

The Night House (2021)

Quick Review: Enigmatic, morbid, and atmospheric, yet tad too vague, "Night House" allows us to unravel the unsettling mystery behind Beth's death husband alongside her, and dig out one dark clue after another in a ghost story with diabolical twist, and even though it all leads to an ambiguously anti-climatic finale, the highly inventive use of setting, some effective scares, and Hall's brilliantly nuanced portrayal of loss, love, and disclosure make this one a devilish journey into the beyond.

[6.75/10] Free Guy (2021)

Free Guy (2021)

Quick Review: Packed with goofy humor, fantastically digitized visuals, ridiculous action sequences, tons of film and pop culture references, and surprise cameos, "Free Guy" is a delightfully nerdy trip into the world of video gaming and the obsession of playing, brought to life by flashy CGIs, and a bunch of playful, often cheesy acting -- Reynolds levels up his foolish side as the likable NPC-gone-viral, Waititi's overacting is so-bad-it's-fun, and Comer is a badass as Guy's romantic crush.

[6.75/10] Stillwater (2021)

Stillwater (2021)

Quick Review: Though it loses its momentum as it goes, turning from a self-investigation family drama to a middle-aged romance, "Stillwater" is a gripping, at times sweet, and often moving true story about hope, trust, love, drive, forgiveness, and discovering the truth that may be uneven and not as impactful as it should be, but thanks to Damon's brilliantly understated turn as the flawed father, Cottin's charisma, and Siauvaud's charm, the film remains engrossing throughout.

[6.75/10] Fear Street Part Three: 1666 (2021)

Fear Street Part Three: 1666 (2021)  

Quick Review: The most revealing and unpredictable of all three, the final installment goes medieval and takes us to XVII century to disclose the origin of Sarah Fier then, before transporting us to the '90s again, it throws an unexpected curveball that puts a diabolical spin on the whole story and ties all loose ends, but it's the second half of "1666" that offers the most thrills, gore and suspense, providing a satisfying conclusion to the slickly-crafted trilogy.

[6.75/10] Fear Street Part Two: 1978 (2021)

Fear Street Part Two: 1978 (2021)

Quick Review: Paying homage to '70s/'80s slashers in classic fashion, yet putting its own supernatural twist to shake up the eerie mystery even further, "1978" is creepier, bloodier, and more entertaining than Part 1, and is led by a quirky, yet endearing misfit of protagonist and driven by a fragile-to-strong siblings bond that unfolds alongside the grisly events at the camp, with the underground scenes filled frightful imagery being the scariest bit in Part 2.

[6.75/10] Here Today (2021)

Here Today (2021)

Quick Review: Boldly pairing two seemingly unmatchable actors, who generate strong chemistry, as their contrary characters form an unlikely yet warm and charming friendship, "Here Today"' may concern loss and the struggles of suffering dementia, but instead of being a manipulative tear-jerker about illness, it chooses to be an uplifting, funny, sweet, and often bright dramedy about comedy writing, singing passion, family re- connection, and the heart-warming beauty of true fellowship.

[6.75/10] Blood Red Sky (2021)

Blood Red Sky (2021)

Quick Review: An effective hybrid between a nail-biting plane hijacking thriller, nasty vampire horror action, and poignant bond-driven mom-son drama, "Blood Red Sky" may be tad overlong, absurd and full of tropes, but it has sharp teeth and works as an intense and thrilling airborne ride with slick gore and creature effects, though the most impressive bit here is Baumeister's transformation from an anxious, overprotective mom with dark and creepy secret to a savage and blood-thirsty beast.

[6.75/10] The Tomorrow War (2021)

The Tomorrow War (2021)

Quick Review: Neither clever, nor inventive, and devoid of any logic, if well-crafted, highly entertaining, and led confidently by the lovable Pratt, "TTW" effectively blends time travel and alien invasion tropes to deliver one helluva fun sci-fi adventure with sense of humor that balances out touching family dynamics with flashy action sequences of monster havoc, elevated by high-end CGIs and slick creature design, with the electrifying Female Whitespike battles bringing spectacle and big thrills.