“The Night House” is a spooky drama with few real scares, but a slow burn of a thriller to see if ghosts exist in the main character’s mind — or in real life. Due to her husband’s recent suicide, a woman deals with supernatural troubles in her house, where things tend to go bump (or worse) in the night. Rather than do the normal thing, and LEAVE, she sticks around to unfold the mystery.
Opens in theaters on August 5
Also available for streaming on HBO/Max
“The Suicide Squad” is the full-barreled, R-rated, no-holds-barred Love Child resulting from the combination of Writer/Director James Gunn and D.C. Comics. The D.C. Extended Universe of comic-based movies just got a kick-start with a cattle prod to the nether regions. But rather than resulting in a painful experience, this ‘Squad’ takes off at sixty-miles-an-hour into a Gunn-designed world of magnificent mayhem. The gore and violence comes with equal measures of hilarity and movie magic.
“Annette” is perhaps the first ‘art-house/art-pop operatic musical’ type movie. But this might be the final one ever made, too. The idea to make this unusual style of film was a creative leap of faith. However, this leap might be going into the ‘abyss’. The story is portrayed as combination of normal dialog along with singing vocal dialog. Much like in the tradition of many operas, it tells a story of a tragic cycle of fame and failure. The talent to make this movie is quite abundant. The results are sparse. Read more
Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins” is based on the HCU (Hasbro Cinematic Universe – if there is such a thing) and is vaguely connected to the other G.I. Joe movies. But this movie is all about the ‘origins’ of the one named “Snake Eyes”. He is an expert in martial arts and now you get to learn his background. They say “Never bring a knife to a gun fight”. This movie goes further — “Never bring an Uzi to a Katana showdown”. Read more
“Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain” is a documentary movie about — well, Anthony Bourdain. In case you don’t know, he was famous chef, who became an author, who then turned into globe-trotting celebrity TV personality. He was a man who took no halfway measures. He was on board and full-speed ahead for any obsessive adventure. That is until he ended his own story, and his own life, in unclear circumstances. Read more
“The Tomorrow War” is an action-packed ride into a battle of humanity against alien creatures. But it does not happen now, instead it is in the future, as in “Tomorrow’. But for all familiar ideas that pop up, they are scrubbed and polished with a great group of actors who can take some retread plot lines and make everything seem fresh and new. The action is almost non-stop, and it is presented in an exciting manner. The stakes are raised high, and the cast delivers on the goods. Read more
“Zola” is based on the “Grand Literature” of these Modern Times. In other words, the movie is based on a Tweet. More like a Tweet avalanche of story beats posted over an epic weekend. It told of a “girl’s trip for fun and sun” to Tampa. Except that the fun and sun turned into debasement and debauchery. It went from Pole Dancing to Prostitution. This is based on true events, as they say. But then again — so was the Coen brother’s movie “Fargo”…
“The Hitmans’s Wife’s Bodyguard” goes back to the starting point, which is the previous movie called “The Hitmans’s Bodyguard”. So there was a Hitman, who once made a Hit on the Bodyguard’s client. This ruined the Bodyguard’s career and reputation. Then the Bodyguard was called on to protect that same Hitman. Also the Wife of the Hitman was involved and the story went absolutely bonkers. It was quite an R-Rated Romp with a Ruckus Resulting from these Ridiculous Rascals.
Opens in theaters May 28
“A Quiet Place Part II” is both a short prequel and immediate follow-up to the 2018 hit movie “A Quiet Place”. Since it centers on the same family as in the first movie, the best thing is to see that movie first. In that way, you can see how seamlessly they have made the transition to “Part II”. When the Earth is invaded by alien creatures that hunt based on sound and not by sight – you will want to silently cheer for the Abbott family.
Opens in theaters May 21 (German language with English sub-titles)
“Final Account” is a painfully somber experience. The documentary goes back into the German past and digs up many ghosts of the Nazi era. This is in the form of normal elderly adults who, from childhood, grew up in the Third Reich. They were persuaded into thinking that the Fatherland would be the shining beacon for the world. They lived through the rise and fall of Hitler, only to now nominally reject the beliefs they once held dear.
