[3.75/10] Seriously Single (2020)

Seriously Single (2020) 

Quick Review: More like seriously hackneyed and even more seriously desperate, this by-the-numbers rom -com features every genre cliche, and doesn't even hide it, but when you add same lame dialogues, over- the-top acting, dumbass humor, and obnoxious, if occasionally charming characters, the result is a sparkly, yet tasteless romance full of shallow social media gimmicks, with the only good thing about it being the cool Cape Town setting, since "Seriously Single" is South African.

[5.25/10] #Alive (2020)

#Alive (2020)

Quick Review: It features a likable protagonist you can't help rooting for in his fight for survival, but that and some gory zombie mayhem in the end, this Korean 'virus' horror is not only extremely limited in setting, taking place mostly in an apartment building, but sadly it's largely lacking in originality, action, and execution, adding little to nothing to the genre, with all the practical effects on the undead looking as cheap and tacky as it gets, which makes them more amusing than horrifying.

[6.50/10] Black Water: Abyss (2020)

Black Water: Abyss (2020)

Quick Review: All the relationship drama between the mostly dull and irritating characters is as pointless as it is distracting, and the daylight- set third act takes away from the strain, but the dark, tight and soggy water cave location is aquaphobic and claustrophobic enough to make you feel uneasy, the creature itself is authentic and menacing, and the sudden croc attacks are gruesome and nasty, plus, "BW:A" creates firm suspense during the finely-shot in- the-muddy-water scenes.

[5.00/10] Greyhound (2020)

Greyhound (2020)

Quick Review: Visually grim, grey, and soggy, and entirely taking place on a crowded warship in open sea, "Greyhound" honors U.S. Navy and their valor, courage, and struggles by recreating an inspiring true story, and it displays very well technically executed action scenes, but frankly, it is a surprisingly trite and tedious effort, consisting mostly of shooting and shouting, that's more loud and chaotic than thrilling, and even the always great Hanks gets swallowed by all the busy mayhem.

[6.00/10] Palm Springs (2020)

Palm Springs (2020)

Quick Review: Essentially, a loopy nonsense of a sci-fi rom-com, yet on the other hand - a playful time travel romance with goofy nature, "Palm Springs" feels fairly familiar, as it is basically a mash-up of various well-known films, but then again, it's an oddly refreshing take on the genre that has too much fun with its wacky concept, building up a zany, cliche-free love story about two oddball strangers with fiery chemistry stuck in a time wrap, even though it tries a little bit too hard doing it.

[6.25/10] Host (2020)

Host (2020)

Quick Review: Extremely gimmicky, yet relevant to the current situation in the world, this quarantine-inspired 'desktop' horror done completely via computer screen windows does take time to warm up, appearing a bit too simplistic and familiar at first, but for its just hour-long runtime, not only "Host" delivers enough creepiness, supernatural mystery, and effective jump scares, but also hints on the uncertainty of our future, plus, you'll never look at Zoom online meetings the same way ever again.

[5.25/10] The Rental (2020)

The Rental (2020)

Quick Review: The cast acting and fancy location make this weekend- getaway-gone-wrong thriller decent, but strangely enough "The Rental" decides to play it as a relationship drama filled with human conflicts, on its way of building up to all the terror in the third act, appearing unsure on what it wants to be, not to say the mystery around the slayer and his background is unexplained and too baffling, but at least the deaths are grisly and gory enough to make up for the low suspense.

[5.75/10] The Beach House (2020)

The Beach House (2020)

Quick Review: The easy-breezy feel and coastal setting contrast with the sinister events that occur later on, but despite being mesmerizing in its cosmic peculiarity, "The Beach House" is a slow-moving, perplexing, and thoroughly eccentric exercise in horror that declines to provide any logical explanation to all the weird stuff happening, which takes away from the effectiveness of its original take on 'there is something in the water' concept, offering nothing but some gruesome imagery.

[7.00/10] Breaking Surface (2020)

Breaking Surface (2020)

Quick Review: Deftly capturing the glacial beauty of the Norwegian icy scenery, but also flaunting glorious, if uncomfortable and claustrophobic abyssal shots, "Breaking Surface" is a dexterously-crafted, solidly-acted, unexpectedly convincing, and highly intense stuck-into-the-deep survival thriller, mainly driven by the powerful chemistry, shared by the two sibling protagonists, which submerges you into fear and leaves you gasping for air, delivering underwater thrills that are often hard to endure.

[6.25/10] Impetigore (2020)

Impetigore (2020)

Quick Review: More sinister rather then genuinely frightening and also taking full advantage of its secluded setting that impresses with its lush setting, this Indonesian horror drags a bit during the first hour, at least allowing us to bond with the main characters and get involved into the mystery around 'back to the roots' story with a grisly twist, and though it takes a while the latter to reveal, "Impetigore" has enough chills and ghastly images to hold your interest and give you the shivers.

[4.75/10] Deep Blue Sea 3 (2020)

Deep Blue Sea 3 (2020)

Quick Review: It's technically well- made, with some decent CGI effects and solid underwater camera work, and the floating village setting has an exotic 'grit' about it, but from its inane 'brain-advanced super-smart bull sharks' premise and implausible scientific explanations, to the over- the-top kill scenes and questionable acting, "Deep Blue Sea 3" ends up as a mediocre, unnecessary sequel that provides too much drama and action above the surface, and only some mild thrills below it.

[3.75/10] Fatal Affair (2020)

Fatal Affair (2020)

Quick Review: A rip-off of many other stalker thrillers, hence, fatally hackneyed, largely predictable, and devoid of any suspense whatsoever, "Fatal Affair" has a decent cast who all try their hardest with the flawed script and stereotypical characters they have to work with, but the plot is so derivative and straightforward, albeit awfully implausible in parts, that the film generates zero tension throughout becoming unintentionally comical towards the end, not to say Epps is entirely miscast.

[5.25/10] Feel the Beat (2020)

Feel the Beat (2020)

Quick Review: It's sweet, adorable, enjoyable and feel-good, all the kids are cute as a button, and it's nice to see Sofia Carson's protagonist April growing from extremely obnoxious in the beginning to real likable towards the end, but then again, "Feel the Beat" is your typical by-the-numbers dramedy with been-there-done-that concept, thin script, very predictable story, stereotypical characters, and cheesily sentimental ending that has some fun bits and one or two fun-to- watch dancing routines.

[6.00/10] Relic (2020)

Relic (2020)

Quick Review: A bit sluggish even for a slow-burner, this family drama- turned-body horror relies on mood, atmosphere, and sense of dread to sustain your interest until the mostly uneventful first hour, and although the rewarding final act is gross-out creepy, grisly, and fairly frightening, "Relic" refuses to tie up the loose ends around all the 'transformation' mystery, leaving too many question unanswered, and instead decides to play it as a bizarrely sad allegory on the horror of getting old.

[6.25/10] The Old Guard (2020)

The Old Guard (2020)

Quick Review: A ludicrous, prosaic and tonally drab, if violently fun take on superheroes and immortal life, "Old Guard" benefits from Theron's physically tough, but fragile heroine, the strong connection between the characters, the versatile locations, and the outlandishly kick-ass, albeit overly choreographed action, which blends contemporary shootouts and period swordplay, but there is too much melodrama in its lazy plot, the medieval scenes look tacky, and the score is horribly ill-fitting.

[4.75/10] Desperados (2020)

Desperados (2020)

Quick Review: Pedrad is vibrant, engagingly charming, and at times amusing to watch, but her presence and the summer-y Mexican setting aside, "Desperados" is a desperate, predictable and corny rom-com that feels horribly outdated in premise, yet very 2020 in style, and not in a good way, as it uses crude sexual humor and cringe-worthy jokes in its attempt to deliver laughs, but ends up so embarrassing and awkward to experience, it makes its protagonist disappointingy unlikable.

[4.50/10] Mujeres Arriba (2020)

Mujeres Arriba (2020)

Quick Review: All the three female characters are charming and even funny to watch at times, delivering some amusing verbal and slapstick humor, and the film's look is fresh and vibrant, even if "Mujeres Arriba" has the feel and tone of a modern Latino soap opera, but this Chilean rom-com about lust, sexuality, and relationship problems is as cheesy and corny as a chick flick can get, and it has no clue how to properly celebrate feminism, choosing to be goofily raunchy instead.

[7.25/10] The King of Staten Island (2020)

The King of Staten Island (2020)

Quick Review: Honest, endearing and candid, but above all enjoyable, funny as hell, and utterly hilarious, and featuring one of the sweetest, good-natured, most likable losers in history, played very wholeheartedly by Pete Davidson, whose character grows naturally and becomes more likable with each scene, "The King of Staten Island" is urban dramedy with equal amounts of raunchiness, wit, laughter, and heart that touches as much as it entertains.