Quick Review: Cleverly connected to the original '80s movies in way that it generates nostalgia, but also revitalizes the franchise, "Afterlife" is a sweet, entertaining, amusing, and poignant reboot with action, humor, heart, and some memories-inducing surprises which, in addition to its sweet family-driven story, adorable junior new additions and familiar old faces, offers plenty of cartoon-like visual effects and crazy-fun 'busting' to appeal to every age.
Quick Review: A by-the-numbers, if riveting and smoothly-paced 'rags to riches' biopic with an appealing 1990s feel and look, focused on the man behind the success of tennis prodigies Venus and Serena, "King Richard" gives an insightful, moving, and above all inspiring look at the Williams' breakthrough, in a rather dramatic fashion, but what makes it really work is Will Smith's dedicated lead turn as the determined father of five, whose ambitious plans more than pay off in the end.
Quick Review: A bizarrely surreal and oddly moving modern fable, set against the atmospheric backdrop of misty Icelandic mountain scenery, "Lamb" utilizes visual narrative over dialogue to portray its grief-driven family story with a touch of daylight horror, and a chilling twist inspired by Nordic mythology, and the result is a puzzling, if quietly mesmerizing folktale with three strong lead which that alternates between sweet and appalling from the peculiar opening to the shocking ending.
Titane (2021)
Quick Review: Thought-provoking, stylistically bold, thrillingly disturbing and delightfully ambiguous, if a tad too bizarre and senseless for mass tastes, this is another unique film by Ducournau, which never apologizes for its odd vagueness, and goes full throttle with its wacky concept, but underneath its shell, "Titane" is so much more then a 'killer dancer'/'car sex' pregnancy horror, as it explores mental damage, gender swap, and abnormal relations in a relevant and surprisingly moving way.
Quick Review: An inventive, sleek, and atmospheric take on 'haunted house' formula that also works as a social commentary, as it deals with the struggles of young immigrants, particularly the fragile Ambar, which Rodlo's alluring turn makes easy to connect to and sympathize for, this effective blend of personal drama, ghost story, captive thriller, occult horror and creature feature is equal parts emotional, creepy, grisly, gory, violent, and frightening.
Quick Review: An intriguing, often stylish, well-shot, and unpredictable 'female assassin' revenge affair with some nifty tricks up its sleeve, "The Protégé" has the brains, the punch and the looks, and so does Maggie Q, who is as delicate and alluring, as she's kick-ass smart in her quest for justice with a naughty sprinkle of 'sleeping with the bad guy' sort-of romance, but its the hardcore fights and shootouts where she shines the most, while Michael Keaton delivers in the acting department.
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.
Cruella (2021)
Quick Review: A tastefully-crafted, glamorously dashing, and gloriously fashionable take on an iconic villain, with a chic 60s retro vibe and ultra- stylish costumes, "Cruella" uncovers the origin of its delightfully wicked, shape-shifting anti-hero, who Stone is having a blast playing, but it is the other Emma as the self-absorbed, snobbish and possessive Baroness, who oozes cruelty throughout their hilariously twisted ego/talent rivalry, filled with tricks, secrets, and darkly dramatic turn of events.
Quick Review: Spicy, outrageous, and ultraviolent, if sweet, poignant, and darkly comical, "RoJ" blends a personal 'anger issues' story, family drama, black 'buddy' comedy, and revenge thriller about a bunch of guys connected due to unfortunate circumstances, and the final result is a tonally balanced Danish hybrid of cinematic quirkiness, led by the captivating turn from Mikkelsen, who the rest of the cast complement so brilliantly, they work like a well-oiled machine for vengeance.
Quick Review: Straightforward, but in a refreshingly old school fashion, this is a taut mix of legal drama and post-9/11 terrorist thriller that tells it inhumanely humane, very harrowing true story in a factual, yet never too revealing manner, which one hand makes you shocked by all the terror and injustice involved, while on the other keeps you questioning Slahi's 'guiltiness', also giving you time to softly fall for his true likability, which Rahim portrays so frankly, he even outshines Foster here.
Quick Review: Delicate, sweet and moving, but above all inspiring, this Irish drama benefits from McCann's heartfelt turn as the selfless, loving and diligent single mom struggling to provide for her kids, if determined to build a house, "Herself" is a much about home abuse, trauma, PTSD recovery, moving forward, and not giving up, as it's about help, support and humanity, which turns it into an emotional roller coaster of a family story told that peaks in a dramatic, yet truly uplifting last act.
Quick Review: Displaying more of Diana than WW herself – exposing her human, fragile, vulnerable side, "WW84" ranges from goofy and fun to sappy and serious, which further muddles the tone of its busy 'dream stone' story, and it fails to convey its 'greed for power' message strongly, but it makes up for that with Gadot's radiant allure, some cool retro looks bursting in glaring colors, and a few thrilling action scenes, the highlights being the opening set piece and the ferocious Cheetah fight.
Quick Review: Driven by the most likable and profoundly earnest teen character in recent memory, who is always positive, kind, cheerful, and helpful, despite her woeful fate and the struggles she is going through, "All Together Now" takes the most uplifting aspects of its sad, yet feel- good story built on 'power of mutual care', and moves so very deeply, it's hard not to get affected, even teary at times, owing its emotional depth to the candid script and Cravalho's alluring and sincere turn.
