[5.75/10] The Upside (2019)

The Upside (2019)

Quick Review: Uplifting to a certain extend, and not as manipulative as you may think, if terribly hackneyed and too goofy to be a well-balanced dramedy, "The Upside" does benefit from Cranston's charm and sense of wit, but suffers big time from Hart's irritating presence, as he plays yet another caricature of a character, but somehow the chemistry between the two seem to work, and make this been-there-done-that affair a tiny bit more pleasurable to watch and even mildly amusing at times.

[5.25/10] Miss Bala (2019)

Miss Bala (2019)

Quick Review: Gina Rodriguez has all the likability and allure to carry a film, and she does her best, plus, the relationship between Gloria and her abductor is somewhat plausible and even oddly affecting at times, also thanks to Córdova's masculine presence, but "Miss Bala" struggles to smoothly balance out its barely gripping plot, gunfight-driven action, and unconventional romance, with the end result being an uninspired remake that is never tiresome, and yet far from remarkable.

[9.50/10] Avengers: Endgame [3D] (2019)

Avengers: Endgame [3D] (2019)

Quick Review: Driven by emotions rather than action, full of curveballs, and with a gloomy tone balanced by light humor, the delightfully crowded "Endgame" plays it like a nostalgic time-travel throwback at the entire MCU through its patchy and busy, if methodical and increasingly exciting plot that culminates in a staggering third act, featuring a colossally epic grand battle that dazzles the eyes, followed by a dramatically affecting finale that hits the heart.

[4.75/10] What Men Want (2019)

What Men Want (2019)

Quick Review: Even if she doesn't play a particularly likable character, Taraji P. Henson charges the screen with her energetic presence, but this sort-of remake with a twist fails to deliver big laughs with the 'gender switch' spin it puts on, along with the witless script built on crude humor and over-crowded with characters, half of which are pretty useless, as is useless hearing all those shallow male thoughts, which come across as annoying rather than funny, or at least remotely amusing.

[6.00/10] The Highwaymen (2019)

The Highwaymen (2019)

Quick Review: Purely on technical level, this Netflix film is one of their finest work, with the authenticity of the period art direction matching the beauty of the retro cinematography, but despite its visual qualities, and the intriguing premise of its Bonnie and Clyde-based story, the sluggish pacing, largely uneventful plotting, and forgettable dialogues turn this one into an average bounty hunter type of cop drama that not even the talented Costner and Harrelson can make more engrossing.

[5.25/10] The Curse of La Llorona (2019)

The Curse of La Llorona (2019)

Quick Review: The low-key lighting and fuzzy cinematography give the visuals an eerie effect and generate some sense of dread, but instead of converting the latter into a genuine suspense-filled fright-fest and utilize the potential of its ominous Mexican folktale premise, this one turns out being yet another derivative horror with generic story, soggy script, and wasted cast that relies on series of boo scares, and effects that are too cheesy to be fearsome.

[5.50/10] The Prodigy (2019)

The Prodigy (2019)

Quick Review: Hardly as intriguing as its ambitious title implies, this one is your usual 'creepy kid' flick with a bit of a twist that doesn't break any new grounds with its 'reincarnation' concept and mildly effective story, plus, despite its uneasy feel, it lacks the genuine suspense and frights that would have elevated its sense of terror, but at least "The Prodigy" is well-made attempt at horror with an okay acting, and a direction that seems solid, but falls apart towards the un-happy conclusion.

[5.75/10] Little (2019)

Little (2019)

Quick Review: Super fresh-looking and vivid, with a pop of bright color in nearly every scene, this movie is pretty eye-pleasing for a genre flick to say the least, plus, its lead trio are all equally as alluring in their own way, with Issa Rae winning the 'likability' award, and even though the whole thing feels overly familiar, despite the spin it tries to put on its story, "Little" is a far-from-hilarious, but enjoyable enough comedy with a few solid laughs, good intentions, and a 'little' bit of heart.

[5.25/10] The Perfect Date (2019)

The Perfect Date (2019)

Quick Review: Despite its sweet, if corny title, it's far from the perfect rom-com as it fails to fully avoid the genre tropes and predictability as well, but at least "The Perfect Date" has a bit of a fresh spin on its story, and also concerns such themes as self-discovery and single father-son re-connection, plus, the young and attractive lead duo have a special on-screen bond, but then again, this teen sort-of-dramedy is too forced and forgettable to be a real winner or a total crowd-pleaser.

[6.25/10] Arctic (2019)

Arctic (2019)

Quick Review: Some may find it a tiresome experience, as it contains hardly any talking, let alone action, but "Arctic" succeeds as a one-man- show survival drama mainly due to its big heart and Mikkelsen's nearly mute, but emotional performance as the weary, yet determined survivor and life-saver, who fights for his life in very harsh conditions, with the icy setting and chilling blizzards caught beautifully on camera, giving the film a proper freezing feel to it that will make you uncomfortable.

[5.00/10] The Head Hunter (2019)

The Head Hunter (2019)

Quick Review: With its gorgeous shooting locations, glorious scenery, and atmospheric photography, this mythological horror looks twice as expensive as it actually is, but what brings "The Head Hunter" down is the rather nonexistent plot, almost total lack of dialogue, let alone an engaging one, and the amateurish use of solid practical effects, which sadly all combined make this super- short movie feel long, monotonous, and un-thrilling, despite its attempts at sheer monster terror.

[5.25/10] The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot (2019)

The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot (2019)

Quick Review: The intriguing title hints an unconventional story with a touch of quirk, but unfortunately this otherwise conceptually original film fails to deliver on it premise, despite Sam Elliott's charismatic lead turn as the living legend Calvin, with first 'Hitler' half being told mostly in semi- interesting flashbacks from the Nazi era, and the second 'Bigfoot' one -- looking and feeling rather ridiculous, and devoid of any thrills.

[6.50/10] Destroyer (2018)

Destroyer (2018)

Quick Review: Grim in tone, gritty in nature, and exceedingly moody in its approach, this character-driven cop drama showcases its gifted star Nicole Kidman in a totally new light in a role she fully owns and gives the protagonist both big depth and believability, and though "Destroyer" is demanding and a bit depressing in feel and look, it's the flawed but fierce Erin Bell that draws you in into the otherwise disjointed plot, which revolves around her tough job, sad faith, and ruined family.

[7.25/10] The Purity of Vengeance (2018)

Journal 64 (2018)

Quick Review: Telling two parallel stories, so it can dig even deeper into its profoundly disturbing subject of women sterilization, the film is at once an uneasy period drama that reveals the dark past of Denmark's scary medical history, and a riveting murder mystery filled with intriguing clues, gruesome facts, and a few unexpected twists, but "Journal 64" works even better as a whole than as the sum of its parts, thanks to the capable direction, and the chemistry between the strong cast.

[5.50/10] Hellboy (2019)

Hellboy (2019)

Quick Review: The vile Baba Yaga scene is indeed a work of grotesque brilliance, but that aside, along with the helluva make-up, and Harbour's spot-on turn as Big Red, "Hellboy" is a lifeless and tonally messy reboot with too many subplots, lame villain, flat humor, unsatisfying action, and sloppy CGIs, which takes its 'horror' approach too far with all the over- the-top gore and ultra violence, plus its 'more is more' style, busy story, and inflated direction make it more grueling rather than fun.

[6.00/10] Pet Sematary (2019)

Pet Sematary (2019)

Quick Review: With a subplot that is much creepier than the main one, but also underdeveloped, a by-the-numbers script that adds barely any new elements to put its own spin on the story, and very few good scares, this rather uninspired remake is way too respectful to the original to be able to stand out, but the excellent cast give it their best, and purely on technical level, "Pet Sematary" is a skillfully-shot and edited horror flick with haunting feel, spooky tone, and proper visual eerieness.

[4.75/10] The Silence (2019)

The Silence (2019)

Quick Review: An ill-mixed fusion between "A Quiet Place", "Bird Box", and "The Mist", minus the thrills and atmospherics, Netflix's new creature feature rip-off not only shamelessly borrows ideas from the above films to tell its un-intriguing and uneven copycat of apocalyptic story with no emotional weight and close to zero tension and frights, but also entirely wastes its solid cast, and takes no advantage of its well-crafted if badly CGI-ed eery flying monsters to bring some bloody fun at least. 

[7.75/10] Shazam! [IMAX 3D]

Shazam! [IMAX 3D]

  

Quick Review: A varied superhero blast that deals with everything from ancient wizards, demonic monsters, and magical powers to family bonds, foster parenting, and the coming-of- age troubles of its appealing young protagonist, "Shazam!" is a true fun- fest with goofy humor, flashy action, vibrant energy, and cool effects that wears its big heart in its sleeve, and totally embraces its juvenile nature and sweet goofiness of Levi's turn, which contrasts with the viciousness of its intimidating villain.