There might have been time for some plot-holes to be fixed, characters to be developed deeper, or some such, but Undergods manages to mesmerize and captivate every minute of the way with a bewitching visual palette and an appropriately fitting electronic score

The Paper Tigers presents a fresh take on an old genre.

Rather unexpectedly, the result is gripping and immersive, bolstered by a committed cast and some remarkable visuals.

Leaving a traditional narrative structure in the dust, Beshir uses breathtaking cinematography to bring you into the Horn of Africa. The movie is moving poetry about the struggles in khat fields and Ethiopia itself.

The Resort takes a while to get to the good stuff, and the rhythm is interrupted every now and then. But the scares are effective, the cast does what they can with the material, and the cinematography is great. The island and the resort are captured well, and the strong reliance on setting does help smooth over some of the bumpier spots.

Best Summer Ever wants to do so much at once that it never slows down to allow the more dramatic moments to sink in properly. But, as a showcase for the cast and crew, it works rather well. Most of the songs are good, the dancing is energetic and well-choreographed, and it has charm to spare.

The entire production is odd, and it never gives off the intended thriller vibe. Rather, the whole affair comes off as depressing and sad. Unfortunately, sparse dialogue and subpar acting do not help The Inheritance in what it lacks in story and mystery. It’s too cold and simple, leaving viewers unfulfilled.

Gregory Bayne’s Making Sense puts the spotlight on a fantastic cast with disabilities and tells a story about disabilities that could only be told as science fiction.

Framed may not be the thriller you want, but it’s a fine drama and morality play.

The movie gushes about films in a way only cinema buffs could and tells the unknown story of a Hollywood giant in a way only his daughter could.

Even though the screenplay does not explore every character’s backstory enough to work fully, the film is still an engaging coming-of-age story with an utterly brilliant ending.

Painkiller hammers its message home, which might frustrate some viewers. But, the direction is good, the action exciting, the story interesting, and the score is beyond stellar.

Ultimately, Vanquish falls into the cliché of typical action films, where the focus is on the action, and the story is a way to string the action together

Though the film is about a missing person, unfortunately, it felt like something was actually missing from the plot.

I’m Not In Love is competently made. Despite the screenwriting-as-therapy formula, it’s entertaining and engaging to watch.

Still Life in Lodz is at its best when the rich history of Lodz takes center stage. There are some downright beautiful establishing shots that get bogged down by aggressively overbearing music choices and repetitive information. The amount of archive footage and animation does nothing but pad out the already minimal runtime. This type of story doesn’t need these gimmicks and grandiose moments since they clash horribly with the previously set up atmosphere.

Perhaps one day, gender will cease to be an object of discrimination, but that day is still far off. In the meantime, we need warriors like these brilliant composers to wage war against a stacked patriarchal system.

Mortal Kombat is a pretty good representation of the video game. It’s all action and not much else, and normally, I do want more from my movies. But here, that is precisely the point, and I’m okay with that!

A film called My Wonderful Wanda needed more exploration of the title character.

The only reason to see this film is if you’re a fan of any of the actors. Everyone is good, but ultimately, the story will let you down.

Monday succeeds in large part to Sebastian Stan and Denise Gough’s performances.

If you were to rewrite the first five minutes of Bloodthirsty and left everything else the exact same, you’d have a perfect movie. As it stands, thanks to atmospheric directing, mostly good writing, and a brilliant cast, you have a very good one that is high on the creep factor populated with likeable, engaging characters.

As far as horror goes, Anything For Jackson turns up the tension as well as the best of them.

A far as coming-of-age stories go, Once Upon a River is a very sweet story. There’s not a lot of fluff, but there is a lot of heart in a story based on a novel and feels in a way like a novel.

Perhaps the worst thing about the writer/director/star’s feature is that it basks in the excess it purports to condemn, confident that pounding the viewer into submission is the way to go, in addition to ending on a hypocritical note that defies everything that’s occurred up to that point.

While admirable in its ambition, the end result just doesn’t quite gel. Cool poster, though.

Director Sabrina Van Tassel does an excellent job of drawing in the audience to the labyrinthian case of Melissa Lucio.

There’s much to like about Hope, but it’s the honesty I liked best.