Architecton is a very slow-burning, breathtaking and visually poetic, but tedious documentary about the construction of architecture made out of stone and concrete. Director Victor Kossakovsky eschews voice-over narration and just lets the images and sounds speak for themselves. Some of the footage, i.e. of cements pouring or rocks crumbling, feel hypnotic almost like Koyaanisqatsi or Samsara. The bombardment of images related to architecture gets tiresome and repetitive after a while, though. It also doesn't help that the film seems formless without a sense of when it might end or what will be the next set of images. That unpredictability is a double edged sword because it keeps the audience guessing while also frustrating them amidst all of the chaos. The most insightful part comes during the last 15 minutes when architect Michele de Lucchi briefly criticizes modern architecture's use of inorganic "dead" material like concrete, but it's too little, too late. More interviews with him would've been insightful. A lot get left unsaid and unexplained in this documentary which is a shame because it has a lot on its mind. At 1 hour and 38 minutes, Architecton opens at Quad Cinema via A24.

 

      In The Bad Guys 2, Mr. Wolf (voice of Sam Rockwell) and the other members of his Bad Guys gang, Mr. Snake (voice of Marc Maron), Webs (voice of Awkwafina), Mr. Shark (voice of Craig Robinson), and Mr. Piranha (voice of Anthony Ramos), team up with a new gang in town, the Bad Girls, Kitty Kat (voice of Danielle Brooks), Pigtail (voice of Maria Bakalova) and Doom (voice of Natasha Lyonne), to help them steal a rocket, but it gets them into trouble. Director Pierre Perifel  and co-writers Yoni Brenner and Etan Cohen have made a mildly engaging animated action comedy that isn't quite as funny, exciting or witty as its predecessor. The animation looks great and there are some intermittent thrills, i.e the scenes at a wedding and in space. However, the plot feels overstuffed and by-the-numbers with too many subplots and characters which ultimately makes it less fun while giving the lively characters less of a chance to stand out. That said, at least it's not dull like Dog Man from earlier this year. At a running 1 hour and 44 minutes, The Bad Guys 2 opens nationwide via Universal Pictures.

Number of times I checked my watch: 3




 

        Kerouac's Road: The Beat of a Nation is a well-shot, but dull, dry, meandering and unfocused documentary about how Jack Kerouac's novel On the Road has influenced people today. Director Ebs Burnough retraces the path that Kerouac took across the continental U.S. in his iconic novel. There are interesting anecdotes about how some travelers who love Kerouac have been inspired to live a free-spirited life on the road in an RV. Clearly, his novel remains relevant throughout the years. If you're an avid fan of his and familiar with the novel, this would be a mildly engaging documentary that doesn't cut deep enough in terms of insight or emotional depth. Audiences unfamiliar with him or the novel will find it too dry, thematically all over the place, and underwhelming without being inspired to read it or to learn more about Kerouac. A truly great documentary should entertain the audience, provoke them intellectually and engage them emotionally simultaneously. Kerouac's Road: The Beat of a Nation ultimately fails to accomplish that feat while leaving the audience cold. At 1 hour and 29 minutes, Kerouac's Road: The Beat of a Nation opens at Quad Cinema.

Number of times I checked my watch: 4




 

       Frank Drebin Jr. (Liam Neeson) and his partner, Ed Hocken Jr. (Paul Walter Hauser), investigate the deadly car crash of a man whose sister, Beth (Pamela Anderson), believes was murdered in The Naked Gun. Richard (Danny Huston), a billionaire, might have something to do with the man's death. Writer/director Akiva Schaffer and his co-writers, Dan Gregor and Doug Mand, have made a witty, delightfully zany and hilarious action comedy that will leave you in stitches. The plot itself isn't that important compared to many, many attempts to generate laughter from start to finish. There's tongue-in-cheek humor, gross-out humor, one-liners, quips, innuendos, and plenty of sight gags. Most of the humor lands, but the highlight is a scene involving infrared vision that's as hysterically funny as the tent shadow scene in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. Don't be surprised if some of the lines will be quoted for years to come. Everyone in the wonderful ensemble cast gets the chance to shine, even the supporting characters. They all seem to be having a great time on screen. Moreover, Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson have palpable chemistry together. To be fair, the laughs aren't as big during the third act, but that's forgivable because those scenes are nonetheless amusing. The pace moves briskly and the film doesn't overstay its welcome at a brief running time of 1 hour and 25 minutes. The Naked Gun, opens nationwide via Paramount Pictures. See it if you love to laugh.

Number of times I checked my watch: 1




 

      Kim Dok-ja (Ahn Hyo-seop), the only reader of a web novel about an apocalyptic world when the real world suddenly turns into an apocalypse that mimics the novel, so he uses the skills he learned from reading it to survive the apocalypse. Omniscient Reader: The Prophecy. Writer/director Kim Byung-woo and co-writer Lee Jeong-min have made a visually dazzling, but over-produced, exhausting and tedious sci-fi action adventure. The shallow characters are as instantly forgettable as the plot which quickly gets repetitive while offering no surprises and very little levity. There are some palpable thrills, but they come with diminishing returns. Moreover, the ending can be seen from a mile away. Omniscient Reader: The Prophecy would probably work better as a video game rather than as a movie. At 1 hour and 57 minutes, it opens in select theaters nationwide via Capelight Pictures.

Number of times I checked my watch: 4




 

      Nathan (Taron Egerton), fresh out of prison, goes on the run from the law and ruthless gangsters while taking his 8-year-old daughter, Polly (Ana Sophia Heger), along with him in She Rides Shotgun. He seeks refuge at the home of his ex-girlfriend, Charlotte (Odessa A'zion). Director Nick Rowland and his co-writers Ben Collins and Luke Piotrowski have made a gritty and well-acted, but tonally uneven and clunky crime thriller that also tries to be a poignant drama about a father bonding with his daughter. Based on the novel by Jordan Harper, the screenplay blends action, suspense and drama with mixed results. The more interesting part is the relationship between Nathan and his daughter and how he tries to fix it. He's far from a good role model, though, especially because he fails to protect her from harm by taking her with him in the first place. That makes it hard to like him. However, Taron Egerton manages to display Nathan's vulnerable side convincingly during the heartfelt scenes between him and his daughter. Those moments are fleeting, though, and when juxtaposed with all of the action and grit, they're contrived, clunky and somewhat schmaltzy. There's enough conflict and tension within Nathan's dysfunctional family and love life along with his innate emotional battles, so why does the film even need to become a B-movie with its action and Nick's fight with the gangsters as the main focus. The ending feels sweet and tender, but it feels unearned and tacked-on. At 2 hours, She Rides Shotgun opens in select theaters nationwide via Lionsgate.

Number of times I checked my watch: 2




 

       In Souleymane's Story  Souleymane (Abou Sangaré), an immigrant from Guinea who works as a food deliveryman in Paris, seeks asylum in France. He prepares for his immigration asylum interview which will take place in two days. Writer/director Boris Lojkine and co-writer Delphine Agut have made a gripping, unflinching and genuinely heartfelt drama with shades of the Dardennes brothers and Ken Loach. The screenplay eschews over-explaining or heavy exposition. There are no flashbacks nor any unnecessary padding. When the audience first meets Souleymane, he has already made it to Paris where he's struggling to make ends meet delivering food on his bicycle. Kudos to the filmmakers for  seeing and treating Souleymane as a complex human being, and for allowing the audience to have empathy toward him without judging him. He's a decent person with a good conscience and even somewhat introspective, but he gets caught up with bad role models like someone who coaches him on how to lie about his past during the asylum interview. Will he get caught in his lie? Will keep the details of his made-up story straight at the interview? What will happen if he gets caught? The answers to those questions won't be spoiled here, so you'll have to see the film yourself to find out, but it's worth mentioning that you'll be emotionally invested in wanting to know the answers. Abou Sangaré gives an honest and raw breakthrough performance that anchors the film in even more humanism, a truly special effect. At a running time of only 1 hour and 33 minutes, Souleymane's Story opens at IFC Center via Kino Lorber.

Number of times I checked my watch: 1




 

       Karen (Maren Eggert) and her husband, Markus (Andreas Döhler), live in an idyllic countryside home with their children in The Sparrow in the Chimney. Tensions and past traumas gradually rise to the surface when her sister, Jule (Britta Hammelstein), and other family members arrive. Writer/director Ramon Zürcher has made a slow-burning and well-acted, but lethargic and undercooked portrait of a dysfunctional family. It takes too long for the screenplay to get to the meat of the story and to reveal what's really going on between Karen and Jule. Also, the use of symbolism feels repetitive and heavy handed. Although the film is grounded in Truth, it takes a sensitive screenplay to find the Spectacle within it. In other words, a skilled filmmaker, like Casavettes for instance, or Ingmar Bergman, can take something mundane and ordinary and turn it into something profound and extraordinary. That doesn't quite happen here, although there are some scenes toward the end that are compelling, but those moments are ephemeral. The journey there is a chore to sit through with a pace that ranges from slow to sluggish. At 1 hour and 57 minutes, which feels more like 3 hours, The Sparrow in the Chimney opens at BAM via Film Movement.

Number of times I checked my watch: 4




 

      In To Kill a Wolf, a woodsman (Ivan Martin) finds Dani (Maddison Brown), a teenager, unconscious in the middle of the woods, saves her life and takes care of her at his cabin while teaching her how to kill wolves. Little do they know that they both harbor dark secrets. Writer/director Kelsey Taylor has made a gritty, atmospheric and engrossing reimagining of the classic Little Red Riding Hood fairy tale. Taylor should be commended for the way she incorporates exposition without heavy-handedness and knows exactly how much information to withhold from the audience without confusing them. This version isn't for the faint of heart and has a few surprises, so the less you know about the plot beforehand, the better. While it's quite grim, it doesn't go bonkers or try to shock or to emotionally devastate the audience. Kudos to Taylor for keeping the film understated and for choosing actors who give natural and nuanced performances. She also makes the most out of the creepy setting of the cabin isolated deep in the woods. The only element missing, though, is some form of levity because the grimness does become monotonous after a while. Fortunately, that's a forgivable issue that's not systemic, especially given that the film doesn't overstay its welcome like too many films do nowadays. At a running time of just 1 hour and 32 minutes,To Kill a Wolf opens at Regal Union Square.

Number of times I checked my watch: 2




 

        At 1 hour and 33 minutes, Trouble Man, directed by Michael Jai Whiteand and written by Michael Stradford, is a mildly entertaining action comedy with sporadic thrills, but it's often bland and ultimately forgettable. It opens in select theaters nationwide via Samuel Goldwyn Films.

Number of times I checked my watch: 3




 

      In The Wildman of Shaggy Creek, Scott (Hudson Hensley), a young boy, moves into a new home in a small town with his mother, Charlotte (Allee Sutton Hethcoat), and father, Charlie (Josh Futcher).  He decides to camp out in the woods behind his home where, according to legend, Bigfoot might be lurking.  Writer/director Jesse Edwards and his co-writers, Scott Baird and Rob York, have made a captivating, fun and exhilarating sci-fi adventure for the whole family. Based on the novel by R.H. Grimly, the screenplay doesn't pander to younger audiences nor does it scare them either, although there are some mildly creepy scenes. The filmmaers know when and how to trust the audience's imagination. The dialogue feels real without being cloying, clunky or stilted. There are even some refreshing moments of wit and comic relief. Above all, the film has a warm, beating heart beneath its surface and an inspiring message about the importance of facing and conquering one's fears. Everything from the cinematography to the lighting and setting in the woods adds some atmosphere and visual style that also becomes part of the film's substance while making it more cinematic. Bravo to the filmmakers for avoiding tonal unevenness and for finding just the right balance of Spectacle and Truth. At a running 1 hour and 16 minutes, The Wildman of Shaggy Creek, opens in select theaters nationwide via Family Movie Events and BMG-Global. It would be the superior A-movie in a double feature with the cringe-inducing, tonally uneven sci-fi adventure film The Legend of Ochi.

Number of times I checked my watch: 1