In Vanishing Point, Yan (Roy Chiu), a compulsive gambler, hides the dead body of his father (Qi Zhang), Yingying (Feng Xueya), a young woman, gets sexually assaulted while drugged, and a father, Tang (Ryan Zheng), and mother, Lin (Liu Haocun), desperately search for their son, Nuo (Gong Yihan), who has gone missing. Writer/director Wei-hao Cheng has made a spellbinding, intriguing and suspenseful crime thriller with shades of Hitchcock, De Palma and Fincher. The sensitive and intricate screenplay interweaves the three narratives all of which take place within the same apartment complex in Chongqing. Cheng has a terrific handle on exposition as he moves the plot non-linearly beginning with an opening scene when Yingying lays on the floor after being sexually assaulted. The sexual assault isn't shown, though. Then the plot shifts to the perspective of Yan who has gambling debts and wants his father's monthly pension. His father suddenly dies while drunk in his chair, so the audience already knows that he's not responsible for his death. He is responsible, though, for hiding his father's corpse in his apartment. Does he have something to do with Nuo's disappearance? Or perhaps it's Yingying's co-worker, Jun (Bi Wenjun), who's caught on the surveillance camera outside of the apartment complex? Or could it be someone else? What are the red flags and red herrings? Could Yingying's milk and honey drink that she had before bed have been spiked with something? Or is that a red herring?

       Expect to be at the edge of your seat from start to finish as the twists and turns arrive while the police continue to investigate. Even though Vanishing Point relies on its compelling plot and revelations to keep the audience engaged, it also remains character-driven and grounded in tender moments that explore the complex relationships between the characters, e.g. Yingying and her brother (Tang Yi Nuo), who's a doctor.  There are even a few scenes that veer into horror territory thanks to the stylish use of lighting, camera work, and sound design. Cheng should be commended for avoiding tonal unevenness, for not relying heavily on gore to shock the audience, and for not being afraid to confuse the audience at times. What's wrong with being confused as long as everything makes sense in hindsight by the time the end credits roll. You'll probably want to watch Vanishing Point again afterward. It's one of the best crime thrillers in years. At running time of just 2 hours and 20 minutes, Vanishing Point opens on May 22nd, 2026 at AMC Empire 25, Regal Essex Crossing and Regal Tangram via Niu Vision Media  

 

      Arnold (voice of Asier Hormaza), believes that the world that he lives in with his wife, Maria (voice of Aintzane Gamiz) is just a set, but she doesn't believe him in  Decorado.  Director Alberto Vázquez and co-writer F. Xavier Manuel Ruiz have made a witty, funny and provocative animated film for adults that blends satire, psychological thrills, comedy and drama. Comparisons to The Truman Show are inevitable, but this story isn't afraid to get quite dark and even sad at times much like Watership Down. It even veers toward the kind of darkly comedic satire found in the cult classic They Live. What happens when Arnold begins to question his surroundings? The answer won't be spoiled here because there are some surprises through his journey to discover the truth with the help of his friends, Romiro (voice of Ander Vildósola), Mushroom (voice of Ramón Zalakain), and Crazy Chicken (of Raúl Dans).  

      Fortunately, Vázquez and Ruiz know not only where to take their ideas from, but where to take their ideas to. They do a great job of incorporating just the right amount of exposition and world-building without revealing too much information so that the audience knows just as much as Arnold and can connect with him emotionally. If they were a step or two behind or ahead of him, that emotional connection wouldn't be as effective. The ending feels bold, haunting and refreshingly un-Hollywood. On top of that, the wonderful 2D hand-drawn animation provides the film with some warmth that can't be as easily found in CGI animated films.  At a running time of 1 hour and 25 minutes, Decorado is now playing at IFC Center via GKIDS. It's one of the best animated films of the year along with Hoppers. Kudos to GKIDS for releasing it in its original language, Spanish, with subtitles instead of dubbing it into English like NEON did with Arco.

Number of times I checked my watch: 1 




 

       A flock of sheep use their detective skills to investigate the murder of their shepherd, George (Hugh Jackman) in The Sheep Detectives, based on the novel Three Bags Fulls by Leonie Swann. The flock includes Lily (voice of Julia Louis-Dreyfus), Wool-Eyes (voice of Rhys Darby), Sebastian (voice of Bryan Cranston), Sir Richfield voice of (Sir Patrick Stewart), Zora (voice of Bella Ramsey), Mopple (voice of Chris O’Dowd), and Ronnie (voice of Brett Goldstein). The suspects include a farmer (Tosin Cole), a butcher (Conleth Hill), a priest (Kobna Holdbrook-Smith), an innkeeper, Beth (Hong Chau), an innkeeper, a cop, Tim (Nicholas Braun), George’s lawyer, Lydia (Emma Thompson), George's estranged daughter Rebecca (Molly Gordon), and a reporter, Elliot Matthew (Nicholas Galitzine). Director Kyle Balda and screenwriter Craig Mazin have made a funny, witty, sweet and delightful film for the whole family that deftly blends comedy, mystery, suspense and intrigue. The plot isn't afraid to be zany and silly at times without taking itself too seriously while other times it has some surprisingly moving and wise scenes. It also has a few twists and turns as the sheep discover important clues that won't be spoiled here. Zora, a lamb, initially believes that sheep turn into clouds when they die, but her mother teaches her the truth.  Kudos to the filmmakers for approaching the topic of death in a gentle way for younger audiences much like Bambi does.

      The entire ensemble cast is terrific and well-chosen including the voice actors. Moreover, the blend of CGI animation and live action looks seamless. Like the equally entertaining Hoppers, The Sheep Detectives knows how to find just the right balance between entertaining older and younger audiences without pandering to children or resorting to fart jokes to entertain them like Ne Zha 2 and Animal Farm do.  At a running time of 1 hour and 49 minutes, The Sheep Detectives is now playing nationwide via Amazon MGM Studios. 

Number of times I checked my watch: 1 




 

      In I Swear, John Davidson (Scott Ellis Watson) gets diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome at the age of 15 while living in Scotland with his mother, Heather (Shirley Henderson), who doesn't understand his disorder. His frustrated father, David (Steven Cree), left him and his mother when he was 12 and started showing signs of Tourette's. At the age of 25, John (now played by Robert Aramayo) still struggles to fit into society. He meets a former classmate, Murray (Francesco Piacentini-Smith), whose mother, Dotty (Maxine Peake), a mental health nurse, agrees to take care of him. She helps him to find a job at a community center working for Tommy (Peter Mullan), the caretaker. Writer/director Kirk Jones has made a sweet, tender, and funny emotional journey that's based on a true story. The screenplay hooks the audience from the very first scene, where an older version of John curses at Queen Elizabeth as she's about to honor him with an MBE. The film then flashes back to John at the age of 12. His life does have its fair share of tragic moments, including a suicide attempt and all of the bullying that he had experienced from others who put him down for his disorder. He's lucky to have met Murray and his mother, Dotty, who's kind, compassionate, and patient, even when he snaps at her. His mother isn't portrayed as a good parent, but she's not a villain either; she's just someone who lacks skills, awareness,and patience to deal with John's disorder. Dotty becomes his surrogate mother, while Tommy becomes a surrogate father.

       Writer/director Kirk Jones grasps the concept that comedy is often rooted in tragedy. He balances the heartbreaking moments with just the right amount of comic relief. You'll laugh one minute and cry the next. He also doesn't judge John nor does he ask the audience to; he just wants the audience to experience him and, above all, to empathize with him. John is a character who's complex and flawed, but also likeable and relatable.

       Robert Aramayo gives a breakthrough performance that opens the window into John's heart, mind and soul. It's an emotionally generous performance that captures John's vulnerability along with his courage, compassion and determination. Prepare to be inspired as you watch John gradually embrace the wisdom behind Pablo Neruda's poem: "They can cut all of the flowers, but they can't stop the spring from coming." I Swear is ultimately a crowd-pleasing delight that earns its uplift. It's a triumph that manages to be warm, wise and wonderful. At a running time of 2 hours, I Swear is one of the best British films in years. It's now playing in select theaters via Sony Pictures Classics.  

Number of times I checked my watch: 1

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