The Imperial Japanese Army's Unit 731 conducts experiments on Chinese prisoners and civilians, including men, women and children, during WWII in 731. Writer/director Zhao Linshan has made an exhilarating, thrilling and suspenseful war thriller. Since it's based on a true story, that makes it all the more horrifying knowing to watch Unit 731 conduct experiments like Joseph Mengele did to prisoners during the Holocaust. Wu Jiang stars as one of the many prisoners who desperately tries to escape. His bond with a child at the prison adds some emotional depth to the film. The production design along with the breathtaking cinematography and visual effects are superb while providing some visual spectacle and even some poetry. Be prepared to bring plenty of tissues because the third act packs quite an emotional punch, especially if you're not familiar with the horrors of Unit 731. At 2 hours and 5 minutes, 731 opens in select theaters nationwide via Well Go USA.

      Ain't No Back to a Merry-Go-Round is an illuminating, well-edited and engrossing documentary about the black students from Howard University who led a protest at Glen Echo Amusement Park which was segregated in 1960. Director Ilana Trachtman interviews some of the protesters who include not only the black students, but also some local Jewish residents who joined them in their peaceful sit-in protest. They bravely remained on the carousel and picketed. Five of the students were subsequently arrested. Archival photographs along with the testimony of the protestors provide a vivid account of an integral part of the Civil Rights movement in America that should be better known. Trachtman should be commended for finding the right balance between entertaining the audience and provoking them emotionally and intellectually. At 1 hour and 30 minutes, Ain't No Back to a Merry-Go-Round opens at IFC Center.

Number of times I checked my watch: 1




 

       After briefly meeting Sarah (Margot Robbie) at a wedding, David (Colin Farrell) drives a rental car that takes him on a magical journey with her in A Big Bold Beautiful Journey. Director Kogonada and writer Seth Reiss have made a slow-burning, cheesy, maudlin and lethargic romantic dramedy. It's one of the films that has an interesting concept, but with poor execution.  Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell are both solid actors with charisma, but they lack chemistry here. The film often seems episodic as Sarah and David travel to key moments in their past including their childhood. Reiss keeps exposition at too much of a minimum because there's not enough information about the car rental company that, for some reason, takes its customers on a journey. What's in it for the car rental company? What have Sarah and David learned about love and life? What epiphanies have they had? There are a few moments where the film goes into darker territory as Sarah confides to David very private, heavy and traumatic topics, but they're ephemeral. The only aspect of A Big Bold Beautiful Journey that stands out is its poetic and often breathtaking cinematography that adds a dreamlike atmosphere occasionally. Very little about the film feels deep, bold or organic. There are much better films like Everything Everywhere All at Once and Big that took their intriguing concept to deeper, bolder and more organic places. At 1 hour and 49 minutes, A Big Bold Beautiful Journey opens in theaters nationwide via Columbia Pictures.

Number of times I checked my watch: 4




 

       Elaine (Nathalia Lares), a teenager, grows up with her mother, Carmen (Karina Ortiz), in Brownsville, Brooklyn while living and dealing with the absence of her father Manny (Javier Muñoz) in Brownsville Bred. Writer/director Elaine Del Valle has made a warm, tender and inspirational coming-of-age movie. Occasionally it veers toward schmaltz and feels maudlin, but it's nonetheless a big-hearted, family-friendly and empowering story set in the 1980s about a young girl who learns how to conquer her adversities and to deal with tough emotions as she reconnects with her father. Her epiphanies will make your heart soar and bring tears to your eyes. At 1 hour and 34 minutes, Brownsville Bred opens at AMC Empire via Viva Pictures.

Number of times I checked my watch: 1

      Chain Reactions is an insightful, focused and well-edited documentary about how The Texas Chainsaw Massacre influenced five artists, namely, Patton Oswalt, Takashi Miike, Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, Stephen King, and Karyn Kusama. Director Alexandre O. Philippe interviews his five subjects who analyze some scenes from the film and talk about what it means to them. It's a pretty straightforward documentary with a conventional structure, but it offers a lot of illuminating observations from the very bright, talented and articulate artists. Some of them, like Karyn Kusama, explain how she sees certain shots as poetic. You'll also learn about how Tobe Hooper made the film with a low budget. Of course, all of the interview subjects love the film, so if you're not a fan of it or of horror films in general, this probably won't be a documentary meant for you. Everyone else, though, will find a lot of fascinating food for thought and will be tempted to rewatch the iconic horror classic while seeing it in a whole new light. It would probably be a great DVD extra if it were ever re-released and remastered for physical media. At 1 hour and 24 minutes, Chain Reactions opens in select theaters nationwide.

Number of times I checked my watch: 1




 

      In Dirty Boy, Isaac (Stan Steinbichler) desperately wants to escape a cult led by Walter (Graham McTavish) and Verity  (Susie Porter) who won't let him leave. The screenplay by writer/director Doug Rao blends horror, psychological thriller and dark comedy with very mixed results. If it were more fun and campy, perhaps it would've worked better, the beats rarely land as Isaac inevitably tries to escape and seek revenge against his captors. Dirty Boy is yet another B-movie that doesn't go far enough with its premise and only goes briefly bonkers during the last ten minutes, but by then it's too little, too late. It's not as cringe-inducing as The Home, though, but the plot leaves too many questions unanswered without enough exposition or imagination for that matter. The production design and cinematography create some atmospheric visuals, but this isn't the kind of film where the style compensates for its lack of substance. The surprises and palpable scares or thrills remain low which makes for an often dull and unsatisfying experience that doesn't amount to anything that would elevate the film above mediocrity. At 1 hours and 38 minutes, Dirty Boy is a total knockout. It opens at Cinema Village via Raven Banner & Firebook Entertainment.

Number of times I checked my watch: 2




 

       Maya (Lilly Singh), a 30-year-old computer engineer, accepts a job as a substitute teacher teaching sex ed to high school students despite being a virgin in Doin' It. The screenplay by writer/director Sara Zandieh and her co-writers, Neel Patel and Lilly Singh, is just as witless, juvenile and unfunny as its title. It's also tonally uneven, shallow and contrived. Not a single scene rings true from start to finish which would've been fine if the raunchy humor actually landed.  Lilly Singh lacks the comedic chops to make the character of Maya funny. Moreover, Maya comes across as often annoying and unpleasant, so it's hard to root for her when she's at risk of losing her job. Just like Haley Joel Osment's similarly cringe-inducing Sex Education doesn't work as a sex comedy nor as a drama nor as character study. At 1 hour and 32 minutes, it opens at AMC Empire and Village East by Angelika via Aura Entertainment.

Number of times I checked my watch: 3




 

      Before going off the college, Tâm (Đoàn Thế Vinh) joins a music dance group with his friends and prepares to compete in a dance competition against the wish of his father Ông Phước (Long Đẹp Trai) in Face Off 8: Embrace of Light. Sometimes it's funny and witty, sometimes it's exhilarating, and at other time's moving which makes it a roller coaster ride of emotions. There are even some twists, especially in the third act that's full of surprises. Fortunately, writer/director Lý Hải keeps the film grounded in humanity and treats its characters as complex human beings. There no villains here, just very flawed people which makes them more relatable. Face Off 8: Embrace of Light has made a captivating, wise and genuinely heartfelt emotional journey with just the right balance of happy and sad moments. It'll make you stand up and cheer, but also make you cry. At 2 hours and 16 minutes, it opens in select theaters via 3388 Films.

Number of times I checked my watch: 1

      Isaiah (Marlon Wayans) rigorously trains Cam (Tyriq Withers), a football player who suffered a serious head injury that derailed his career in Him. Writer/director Justin Tipping and his co-writers, Skip Bronkie and Zack Akers, have made a shallow, tedious, tonally uneven and heavy-handed psychological horror thriller. It's gory and intense without being scary, provocative, imaginative or suspenseful enough. The filmmakers don't trust the audience's emotions or intelligence because everything spoon-feed to them, even the very unsubtle use of symbolism. Marlon Wayans is miscast and gives a performance that almost veers toward parody, but not quite. None of the beats land, and the ending leaves a very bad aftertaste. Perhaps this wouldn't have worked better as a short, but as a feature length film, it stretches its premise too thinly and overstays its welcome. At 1 hour and 36 minutes, which feels more like 3 hours, Him opens nationwide via Universal Pictures.

Number of times I checked my watch: 1

      In Whose Name? is a candid, unflinching and warts-and-all documentary about the downfall of Kanye West which resembles the fall of Icarus. Director Nico Ballesteros has unprecedented access to Kanye, a.k.a. Ye, from 2018 to 2024 and opts for a mostly fly-on-the-wall approach without trying to judge or to analyze him. This isn't a thorough documentary biopic that delves into its subjects childhood, family life or rise to fame; it's merely a snapshot of how his career crumbled as he suffered from mental issues. He comes across as arrogant, naive and emotionally immature while throwing temper tantrums like a toddler at times. He's blunt, unfiltered and doesn't seem to fully grasp the consequences of his actions. Did he not expect consequences when he made antisemitic remarks? Does he not comprehend the pain that he caused others?

      While watching him sabotage his own career, it becomes increasingly clear that he needs help and that his fame only magnifies and worsens his issues. He needs psychological help, not more public attention. Yes, his ego is huge and is his financial worth before his downfall, but what about his self worth? If only self worth were more valuable in our society than financial worth or ego because it actually has intrinsic value. How introspective is Kayne? How much empathy does he have for others and for himself? It's not very clear because Ballesteros doesn't try to understand him or explain him for that matter, so don't expect any conclusions and insights about fame, mental health issues and personality disorders. Although Ballesteros doesn't ask the audience to judge Kanye, it's still possible and fair to discern a lot about him based on observing his behavior on camera, even if it means that you feel like a voyeur. At 1 hour and 46 minutes, In Whose Name? opens in theaters nationwide via AMSI Entertainment.

Number of times I checked my watch: 1




 

       At 1 hour and 54 minutes, London Calling, Written and directed by Allan Ungar and co-written by Levin Menekse and Quinn Wolfe, opens at AMC Empire 25 via Quiver Distribution.

Number of times I checked my watch: 3




 

       Megadoc is an amusing and mildly engaging glimpse of the production of Megalopolis behind-the-scenes. Director Mike Figgis has unprecedented access to the set from the first day that the cast and crew met for rehearsals until the end of the production.  One of them describes how he gets angry and lashes out at her verbally--it's too bad that those kinds of moments weren't captured on camera, though. When Jon Voight accidentally sits in Coppola's Director Chair, Coppola doesn't yell at him, but jokes that the tradition when something like that happens is for the person to buy coffee for everyone. Eleanor Coppola briefly visits the set at one point, and there are some minor production nightmares like when a prop necklace breaks, so the costume designer has to fix it quickly.  Does Megadoc reveal anything new or surprising about Coppola or Megalopolis? Will it make you appreciate, understand and/or like Megalopolis more? No, but it does provide you with some interesting anecdotes and what it was like for some of the cast and crew to work with Francis Ford Coppola. At 1 hour and 47  minutes, Megadoc opens in select theaters nationwide via Utopia.

Number of times I checked my watch: 2

      Arakawa (Sosuke Ikematsu), a figure skating coach, teaches a young girl Sakura (Kiera Nakanishi), and boy, Takuya (Keitatsu Koshiyama), who become friends as they're paired as ice dancing partners in My Sunshine. Writer/director Hiroshi Okuyama has made a slow-burning and gently moving, but often dull and undercooked drama. The plot has very little inertia or narrative momentum which would've been fine if there were something else, like compelling, well-developed characters, or warmth for the audience to hook onto. Even the very slow-paced and underwritten Eephus has at least some palpable warmth to avoid becoming very lethargic. Unfortunately, Sakura, Takuya and Arakawa remain underdeveloped characters with not enough backstory while the screenplay fails to bring them to life. Is comic relief too much to ask for as well? My Sunshine also suffers from a screenplay that's sugar-coated without being unflinching or offering any insights about friendships, sports or coming-of-age. That said, the cinematography occasionally looks breathtaking and adds some visual poetry, although it's not nearly enough to compsensate for the lack of substance within the screenplay. At 1 hour and 40 minutes, My Sunshine opens at Quad Cinema via Film Movement.

Number of times I checked my watch: 3

      Matthais (Albrecht Schuch) lives with his girlfriend, Sophia (Julia Franz Richter), and works for a company where people hire him to act any role that they want him to play in Peacock. Gradually, he loses his own identity and it affects his relationship with Sophia so negatively that she leaves him. Writer/director Bernhard Wenger has made a provocative, funny and profoundly moving satire. The screenplay deftly blends drama, romance, comedy, thriller and satire without being afraid to go a little over-the-top at times. The plot becomes increasingly complex, especially as Sophia complains to Matthais that he isn't the same person anymore. She's unhappy and he doesn't understand why. One of his clients, Vera (Maria Hofstätter), an elderly woman, hires him because she can't stand for herself around her domineering husband. He suggests playing the role of her husband to let her practice assertiveness, That doesn't quite go as planned when she leaves her husband and he finds out that she hired Matthais. Soon enough, he stalks and terrorizes Matthais in retaliation. A lot more happens that won't be spoiled because Peacock is the rare kind of film that's refreshingly unpredictable and surprising. It's similar in tone to the films of Ruben Östlund , and it's a smart, biting and outrageously funny study of human nature just like Östlund's films as well. So, if you're a fan of Force Majeure, The Square and Triangle of Sadness, you'll also love Peacock. At 1 hour and 42 minutes, it opens at The Metrograph via Oscilloscope Laboratories.

Number of times I checked my watch: 1




 

      In Plainclothes, Lucas (Tom Blyth), an undercover police officer tasked with entrapping gay men who cruise at a mall bathroom, falls in love with one of the men, Andrew (Russell Tovey), that he entraps. The screenplay by writer/director Carmen Emmi, set during the 1990s, effectively blends the genres of psychological thriller and romantic drama. It's gripping, unflinching and tender without being heavy-handed, maudlin or dull. There's a general sense of melancholy throughout the film, and the third act goes in a direction that's un-Hollywood with an ending that's quite powerful and haunting. Tom Blyth and Russell Tovey both give heartfelt and nuanced performances that breathe life into their roles. At 1 hour and 37 minutes, Plainclothes opens at IFC Center via IFC Films.

Number of times I checked my watch: 1




 

       Predators is a provocative and stylishly edited documentary about the TV reality series To Catch a Predator. Director David Osit interviews the show's host, Chris Hansen, as well as the actors and actresses used to bait the predators to get a sense of what made the show so compelling and also get a sense of what made it so controversial. The controversy began when one of the predators caught, Bill Conradt, a U.S. district attorney, commited suicide during the show. Did the show go too far? Was it exploiting a systemic issue merely for entertainment without being part of the solution? How responsible is Hansen in fixing the issue? Was he making it worse, though, especially since Bill Conradt commited suicide? Does he have any regret or introspection about that? In many of the segments, the predators talk to Hansen as though he were their therapist with one of them even asking him if he's a therapist. Hansen does at least claim that he understands the criticisms of the show, but then he goes on to say that strangers have thanked him for the show which raised awareness about online sexual predators. Osit doesn't judge Hansen, though, and asks him interesting questions. During the interview, Osit bravely admits to Hansen that he was sexually abused as a child. The numerous clips from the show make the documentary unfold like a thriller at times, especially the clips bookending the film, so this is the kind of documentary that feels cinematic and, therefore, transcends above mediocrity. At 1 hour and 36 minutes, Predators opens at Film Forum via MTV Documentary Films.

Number of times I checked my watch: 1




 

      Vanessa Del Rio (Vivian Lamolli), a sex worker, struggles to make ends meet while trying to become an adult film star in Queen of Manhattan. Set in 1980s NYC and based on a true story, the screenplay by writer/director Thomas Mignone is an often engrossing and character-driven biopic. It's not an unflinching look at what it takes to become an adult film star or to survive as a sex worker in 1980s NYC, but at least it does serv as an engaging snapshot of Vanessa Del Rio's life before she gained fame in the adult film world. Queen of Manhattan doesn't shy away from showing flashbacks of her traumatic childhood and relationship with her father which affects her emotionally and psychologically. The most effective scenes are the ones with Vanessa; the subplots involving Carley (Jesse Metcalf), a police officer who visits his AIDS-stricken boyfriend at the hospital, or her relationship with her boss, Dominique (Drea de Matteo), are undeveloped and less engaging. Sure, it's not as bold or wildly entertaining as Boogie Nights, but that's fine because what it makes up for that with a true story that's grounded in humanity while treating its protagonist as a complex human being, warts-and-all. At 1 hour and 42 minutes, Queen of Manhattan opens at AMC Empire 25 via Level 33 Entertainment.

Number of times I checked my watch: 2




 

       59-year-old Mike Flynt (Michael Chiklis), a former college football player who was expelled, gets a second chance to play football for his alma mater when he enrolls to finish his senior year in The Senior. Director Rod Lurie and writer Robert Eisele have made a conventional and by-the-numbers, but big-hearted and uplifting underdog sports drama. The screenplay, based on a true story, suffers from on-the-nose dialogue and gets a little cheesy at times. . Mary Stuart Masterson gets to shine as Mike's wife, Eileen, and Rob Corddry gives a solid performance as his coach, Sam. The major reason to see The Senior, though, is the emotionally convincing and tender performance of Michael Chiklis---the best performance of his career. He anchors the film with his warmth and charisma from start to finish. At 1 hour and 39 minutes, The Senior opens in theaters nationwide via Angel Studios.

Number of times I checked my watch: 1

      Speak. is a mildly engaging, pedestrian and somewhat moving documentary about five high school students who compete in the 2024 National Speech and Debate Tournament in Des Moines, Iowa. Co-directors Jennifer Tiexiera and Guy Mossman opt for a rather conventional approach as they follow each of the five students as they prepare for the tournament. They make speeches about provocative topics related to anti-LGBTQ legilation, politics, gun control and, the most divisive and controversial one, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Unfortunately, Speak. doesn't even come close to matching the balance of suspense and poignancy found in Spellbound nor does it transcend as a documentary either, so it's mediocre without being exceptional, powerful, illuminating or memorable. At 1 hour and 44 minutes, Speak. opens at DCTV's Firehouse Cinema.

Number of times I checked my watch: 2

      Renee (Lulu Wilson), a young teenage girl, meets and befriends an alien that crashed into the desert in Xeno. She tries to protect it from the government which is trying to kill it. Writer/director Matthew Loren Oates has made a mildly engaging and somewhat moving, but uninspired and unimaginative sci-fi adventure. Comparisons to E.T.: The Extraterrestrial are inevitable, but the main difference is that the alien looks more creepy and menacing rather than cute and friends. That makes it harder to care about or, more importantly, to buy the bond between the girl and the alien, especially during the third act where the action scenes kick in just as expected. Very little transpires that can't be easily predicted. That said, it's great that Xeno doesn't bombard the audience with CGI or action sequences, and the little CGI used looks impressive for a low budget, non-Hollywood film. At 1 hour and 43 minutes, Xeno opens at AMC Empire 25 via Blue Fox Entertainment.

Number of times I checked my watch: 2




 

       Bernard Judge (Jon Heder), an architect, travels to Tahiti to visit his new client, Marlon Brando (Billy Zane), who plans to build an ecologically-friendly, sustainable retreat on the island of Tetiaroa in Waltzing with Brando.  This isn't a biopic of Marlon Brando nor is it a warts-and-all character study of him or Bernard Judge. Instead, writer/director Bill Fishman focuses on Brando's dream to build his retreat between 1969 and 1974. Based on the memoir by Bernard Judge himself, Waltzing with Brando: Planning a Paradise in Tahiti, the screenplay remains light, whimsical and refreshingly witty as Bernard struggles to deal with the logistics of building the retreat with an airstrip that has to be moved to a different location. Billy Zane gives a solid performance as Marlon Brando while nailing his physical mannerisms very effectively. He's very well-cast, and his lively performance alone helps to invigorate the film without turning it into a parody during Brando's more eccentric moments---i.e. when Brando lets a bee rest on his tongue. Waltzing with Brando is just as breezy, delightful and charming as Richard Linklater's Me and Orson Welles, so if you love that film, you'll love this one, too.  At 1 hour and 44 minutes, Waltzing with Brando opens at AMC Empire 25 via Iconic Events Releasing.

Number of times I checked my watch: 1