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Cobweb  Just as Kim Ki-yeol (Song Kang-ho), a film director, finishes shooting a film, he decides to reshoot the ending despite the disapproval of the studio head, Baek (Jang Young-nam). The stars of his film, Ho-se (Oh Jung-se) and Yu-rim (Krystal Jung), have a behind-the-scenes affair. Kim has only 2 days left to film the re-shoot while dealing the censorship authorities. Writer/director Kim Jee-woon and co-writer Shin Yeon-Shick have an interesting concept that sounds like it could be an outrageously funny satire, a trippy, twisty psychological thriller or a combination of both. Unfortunately, it doesn't go far enough in either direction. What the screenplay does achieve, though, is a sense of chaos and intensity as Kim races against the clock to finish his film the way that he wants to. His setbacks, including all of the drama behind the scenes, don't prevent him from pushing forward with the re-shoots. There's a lot going on throughout Cobweb, but none of it is as engaging as the film-within-the-film. If you haven't guessed already, that film is called "Cobweb," too, except is a very dark, melodramatic soap opera shot in black-and-white. The shooting of the film isn't very exciting nor is the subplot involving Ho-se and Yu-rim's affair or the conflicts between Kim and the studio boss. It's hard to watch Cobweb throughout thinking of much bolder and brilliant satires like One Cut of the Dead or Bowfinger which have more surprises, laughs and wit. The one part that comes closest to being a surprise arrives at the very end, although, in retrospect, it's really not that surprising or clever for that matter. The performances by the ensemble cast are fine without anyone standing out, not even Song Kang-ho who tries his best to rise above the screenplay with his charisma. Cobweb does have to offer stylish, atmospheric cinematography and production design during the film-within-the-film. Beyond that, there's nothing exceptional that compensates for the dull screenplay. Moreover, it overstays its welcome and feels bloated as it stretches its thin premise past the 2 hour mark. At 2 hour and 15 minutes, Cobweb is an underwhelming, lackluster and toothless satire that's only mildly engaging and ultimately less than the sum of its parts.  Drift  Jacqueline (Cynthia Erivo), an immigrant from Liberia, seeks refuge on Santorini, a Greek island, where she befriends a tour guide, Callie (Alia Shawkat).
The screenplay by co-writers Susanne Farrell and Alexander Maksik, based on his novel A Marker to Measure Drift, is a genuinely heartfelt and tender story about friendship and conquering adversity. Drift throws the audience right at the moment when Jacqueline has already found a place to sleep inside a cave near the beach on the Greek island. She's poor, lonely and still processing her traumatic past. So, not only is she trapped on the island, but also in the emotional prison of her painful memories. Through her burgeoning friendship with Callie, she slowly escapes that metaphysical prison, but not without confronting her trauma head-on. Drift doesn't wallow in Jacqueline's emotional pain, though, which means that it's not unflinching when it comes to its darker elements. Instead, it focuses more on her emotional journey to find some hope, inner peace and happiness through the friendship that emerges with her and Callie who's both kind and compassionate. Amazingly, the screenwriters manage to open a window into Jacqueline's heart, mind and soul without relying on voice-over narration. Exposition is kept to a bare minimum with only snapshots from her past with her family back in her homeland, Liberia, a country that has been torn apart by war, and in London where she had a romance with Helen (Honor Swinton Byrne). Although Drift isn't a war film per se, it's a different kind of war film because it centers on Jacqueline's emotional battles and how she deals with her emotional scars. Jacqueline's character arc feels believable without becoming maudlin, preachy, contrived or clunky. It's especially inspiring to watch how she overcomes a lot of struggle and hardships. The poem by Pablo Neruda summarizes the life wisdom from her emotional journey: "They can cut all of the flowers, but they can't stop the spring from coming." Cynthia Erivo gives a raw, emotionally convincing performance that anchors the film in authenticity. The film's emotional depth comes from her performance rather than from the screenplay which is fine---as long as it comes from somewhere. Alia Shawkat is also well-cast and brings warmth and charisma to her role as Callie. The breathtaking scenery becomes a character in and of itself while also providing some visual poetry, i.e. through the images of water which might symbolise cleansing. Director Anthony Chen and the co-writers keep that, among other poetic moments, open to interpretation. Poetry is often a form of protest, so what is Drift a protest for or against? It's probably a protest against war, and a protest for love, compassion, peace and happiness. At a running time of 1 hour and 33 minutes, Drift is a powerful, engrossing and poignant emotional journey.
 Float 
Waverly (Andrea Bang) visits her aunt, Rachel (Michelle Krusiec), in a small Canadian town where she must figure out whether or not to begin a medical residency in Toronto that her parents helped her to get. She meets Blake (Robbie Amell), a lifeguard who saves her from drowning, and falls in love with him while working as a bartender.
Based on the novel by Kate Marchant, the screenplay by writer/director Sherren Lee and co-writer Jesse LaVercombe suffers from a contrived romance and a shallow character study. It's yet another drama that fails to dig beneath its surface to look at its darker themes head-on which makes it feel sugar-coated and undercooked. Yes, this is the kind of film where you can feel the wheels of the screenplay turning and everything is telegraphed from a mile away. When you first meet Beverly, she's expecting to fly to her parents in Taipei who she hasn't seen for years. Her mother happens to tell her while on the plane that she got her medical residency in Toronto and expresses how important it is for her future. Already within the first few minutes, the dialogue sounds very on-the-nose and stilted. Unfortunately, it doesn't get any better once Waverly takes a detour in a small Canadian town where her aunt lives. Many things happen too quickly. She meets a sexy lifeguard who happens to be at the right place and time to save her life during a beach party. Not surprisingly, they fall in love, but he has some past trauma to deal with. Of course, he'll share that trauma with her soon enough. Meanwhile, she lies to her parents that she's in Toronto. Not surprisingly, that lie comes back to haunt her. In a particularly poorly-written scene, Blake talks to someone before burying the lede about an emergency situation which he should've told her sooner, yet she doesn't even speak up about that. Waverly happens to be good at mixing a special cocktail, so her friend suddenly hires her to work at the bar at her restaurant right on the spot. Guess who she ends up serving a drink to? Yes, you guessed it: Blake. They briefly get to know each other during a walk where she talks a little about her dysfunctional relationship with her family, but it's a conversation that barely scratches the surface of what's going on inside of either of them. That's too bad because they're both flawed characters who are emotionally wounded in different ways, yet they somehow connect. Unfortunately, Float has nothing interesting or profound to say about love, loss, heartbreak or happiness. It's also somewhat cheesy and bland, but at least it's not as cringe-inducing as Anyone But You. Andrea Bang and Robbie Amell give charming performances, but they lack chemistry and fail to breathe life into the dull, witless screenplay. So, that makes it hard to root for Waverly and Blake to be together. The supporting cast doesn't fare any better, though. There are pacing issues, especially during the second act which takes too long for anything interesting to happen as the plot treads water. At 1 hour and 40 minutes, Float is a shallow, cheesy and contrived romance.
 Lisa Frankenstein  Lisa (Kathryn Newton), an awkward high school student, lives with her stepmother, Janet (Carla Gugino), dad, Dale (Joe Chrest), and stepsister, Taffy (Lisa Soberano). She secretly falls in love with a 19th Century corpse (Cole Sprouse) that suddenly comes to life after a storm.
The screenplay by Diablo Cody is a tonal mess that can't decide if it wants to be a campy dark comedy in the vein of Warm Bodies or a biting satire like Heathers. Lisa Frankenstein stitches together elements from many classic horror films and horror comedies, but it ends up a clunky mess that tries too hard to be funny and quotable. It's essentially a one-joke movie that repeats its joke over and over as Lisa tries to hide the reanimated corpse and bodies begin to pile up. Janet has a few witty lines, but they're far and few between. It doesn't help matters that none of the characters are remotely likable and that they're mostly annoying---that goes for Lisa as well. There are too many plot holes which would've been forgivable if the film were more entertaining and funny. Mindless fun is still fun, but Lisa Frankenstein is essentially mindless without the fun. The jokes are repetitive and get old pretty quickly. There are also lots of "Easter Eggs", a.k.a. references to other films, thrown at the audience. What about something more original and surprising or funny for a change? Not a single scene is laugh-out-loud funny; just bizarre, creepy, dumb and mean-spirited while also being desperate to push the envelope or to be outrageous just for the sake of being outrageous. I you can imagine someone banging on the piano loudly and off-key on similar notes that Warm Bodies, Beetlejuice and Heathers play, you'll get idea of what it's like to watch Lisa Frankenstein.
Kathryn Newton gives a lively performance that chanels a young Helena Bonham Carter. The film's MVP, though, Carla Gugino who dials up the campiness in her brief scenes and turns Lisa's stepmother into a character who's easy to hate because of how she treats Lisa. She's even worse than the mother in Mommie Dearest, although not quite as awful as Mona in Beau is Afraid. There's a surprising amount of gore for a PG-13 film, but the kills aren't very memorable, so perhaps an R-rating would've helped make them stand out---there's one exception, though, but it's yet another scene with a sight gag that lasts too long. In terms of set design, hair and make-up design, and lighting, Lisa Frankenstein is pretty stylish and atmospheric while providing it with an 80s look. The soundtrack is fine, but nothing exceptional. At 1 hour and 41 minutes, Lisa Frankenstein is a tonally uneven and clunky horror comedy that's too low on laughs, wit and imagination.
 Molli and Max in the Future  In the distant future, Molli (Zosia Mamet) gradually develops a relationship Max (Aristotle Athari) throughout the course of 12 years after their spaceships collide. The screenplay by writer/director Michael Lukk Litwak is an offbeat and unconventional blend of sci-fi and romantic comedy. World-building, though, isn't among the film's strengths though, but the audience does get a few glimpses of what life is like for Molli and Max. Their "meet cute" happens when their spaceships collide without either of them getting injured. She agrees to drive him to the megalopolis while they both hit it off. The rest of the thin plot merely follows them as they meet again and again for 12 years. Not surprisingly, they start off as friends and gradually fall in love. There's not much dramatic tension, no villains or any plot twists which is fine because the dialogue sparkles with enough wit to keep the audience engaged. Also, both Molli and Max are interesting, likable characters who deserve to be together. Writer/director Michael Lukk Litwak should be commended for trusting the audience's imagination to fill in the gaps between the years that pass before Molli and Max meet up again. To be fair, the film could've used more exposition, zaniness and narrative risks like the underrated sci-fi romance Upside Down, but it's nonetheless a harmless, pleasantly diverting slice of entertainment without being very cerebral. Zosia Mamet and Aristotle Athari give charming performances and, more importantly, have palpable chemistry together. They handle the comedic elements of their roles very effectively without over-acting or under-acting. There's a lot of CGI that serves as eye candy, although it's somewhat distracting and overwhelming at times because there's so much of it going on in the background--pretty much every frame of the film has some CGI. Even though the ending can be seen from a mile away, the sweet and enchanting journey of two people from the future who fall in love with each other is the glue that holds the film together. At a running time of 1 hour and 33 minutes, Molli and Max in the Future avoids schmaltz, melodrama and tonal unevenness which makes it a refreshingly un-Hollywood romcom.
 Out of Darkness  45,000 years ago during the Stone Age, Adem (Chuku Modu) leads Ave (Iola Evans), Odal (Arno Lüning), Heron (Luna Mwezi), and Beyah (Safia Oakley-Green), to find a new home while battling the elements and a mysterious evil presence.
Screenwriter Ruth Greenberg keeps the plot lean and focused while balancing suspense with psychological horror. The result is a mixed bag with suspense that comes and goes. Out of Darkness does deserve praise for embracing the power of the audience's imagination and for not being afraid to leave some elements up to interpretation in the scenes that lead up to a big reveal. Is the evil presence natural or supernatural? Human or alien? Does it even exist or is it all in the mind of Adem and his group? There's not much exposition which leaves those questions, among others, unanswered until the clunky and contrived third act. When the film relies on the imagination of the audience, that's when it's most gripping and truly horrifying. The audience knows as much as Adem knows about what's going on as they struggle to survive, so they're surprised when he's surprised and they're scared when he's scared during key moments. However, the screenplay doesn't stop to humanize him or other characters enough, so they're one-dimensional and forgettable. In turn, that makes it difficult to be emotionally invested in their experiences because of the cold distance between them and the audience. There's also little to no comic relief or any form of levity to counterbalance the bleakness. Without revealing any spoilers, the third act takes a bit of a nosedive with on-the-nose dialogue, over-explaining and not nearly enough palpable chills or boldness. In other words, Out of Darkness plays it too safely with an unimaginative ending that's almost as disappointing as Nope's ending. Out of Darkness makes the most out of its lighting, set designs, landscapes and sound design to create an eerie, foreboding atmosphere. Its style becomes part of its substance at times, but it does feel repetitive with diminishing returns. That said, director Andrew Cumming should be commended for not relying on gore or excessive jump scares to shock the audience or on shaky-cam to generate tension. He and the screenwriter trust that there's enough tension within the narrative. Cumming grasps the concept of "less is more" and shows restraint by keeping the running time well under 2 hours. If the film were any longer, it would've been exhausting. At just 1 hour and 27 minutes, Out of Darkness is a lean, visually stylish and atmospheric slice of psychological horror, but also shallow and unimaginative.
 Pegasus 2  Zhang Chi (Shen Teng), a former rally race car driver, now works as a driving instructor to make ends meet. He accepts an offer from the director of an automobile factory (Jia Bing) to sponsor him to assemble a team of race car drivers to compete in the upcoming Bayinbrook Rally. The screenplay by writer/director Han Han doesn't break new ground and sticks to a well-worn formula about an underdog who rises up to the challenge of beating the odds of winning in a race. However, it follows that formula in a way that's captivating and thrilling. The plot is very simple without any unnecessary padding that would've distracted from the narrative momentum. There's no romantic subplot, clunky exposition or tonal unevenness. By keeping the story focused on Zhang Chi's attempts to assemble his team of racers and on their training, Pegasus 2 manages to be lean and easy-to-follow even if you haven't watched the first film from 2019. Writer/director Han Han builds the suspense slowly until the racing scenes are exhilarating and will make you want to stand up and cheer. It also helps that Zhang Chi is a smart and likable underdog worth rooting for. Shen Teng gives a lively and charismatic performance as Zhang Chi while also providing the film with some emotional depth. So, the film's brief heartfelt moments come from his performance rather than from the screenplay. Fortunately, the editing and cinematography enliven the film while also making it more cinematic at times. The racing scenes in particular are very well-shot which is why the film should be seen on the largest screen possible which would heighten the audience's immersion. At roughly 2 hours, Pegasus 2 is a captivating, exhilarating and rousing spectacle.
 Popular Theory  Erwin (Sophia Reid-Gantzert), a 12-year-old high school girl, teams up with her classmate, Winston (Lincoln Lambert), for a science fair project that changes their school's social hierarchy with a special chewing gum that makes people more popular when chewed.
The screenplay by writer/director Ali Scher and co-writer Joe Swanson) does a decent job of humanizing Erwin. She's lost her mother and lives with her father, Arthur (Marc Evan Jackson), as well as her older sister, Ari (Chloe East). Her aunt, Tammy (Cheryl Hines), isn't enthusiastic about science as much as Erwin is. That doesn't stop her from following her passion with the help of her lab partner, Winston, a new student. The premise of a gum that makes people more popular in high schools sounds like it could be like a cross between Mean Girls and The Nutty Professor. Despite that it takes place at a high school, the film is more geared toward younger audiences without the wit, razor-sharp satire and humor found in Mean Girls or the fun found in Freaky Friday or the emotional depth in Are You There, God? It's Me Margaret. Younger audiences might find the film amusing at best. Beyond that, though, Popular Theory doesn't entertain kids and adults equally nor does it squeeze enough imagination or emotional depth from its concept. The dialogue is often bland and the supporting characters are underwritten. At least the film avoids becoming clunky and sappy, but it does suffer being a little preachy, contrived and pat. The child actors, Sophia Reid-Gantzert, Lincoln Lambert and Chloe East give fine performances, but they're undermined by the somewhat shallow screenplay. The adult actors, like Cheryl Hines and Marc Evan Jackson, are wasted in one-dimensional, forgettable roles while failing to invigorate the film. On a positive note, Popular Theory moves at a fast pace and has an ideal running time for a wholesome family film. At 1 hour and 28 minutes, it's mildly engaging, but harmless, kid-friendly and genuinely heartwarming.
 The Private Eye  A mysterious woman, Michelle (Clare Grant), hires a private detective, Mort Madison (Matt Rife), to spy on her lover. He falls in love with her, but the only person standing in his way is David (Elliot). He plans on killing David because he's under the impression that David is Michelle's lover.
The screenplay by writer/director Jack Cook and his co-writers, Hope Ayiyi, Rosalinda Books and Patrick Roe surfers from systemic issues beginning with the fact that Mort isn't a very bright or skilled private detective. Why would Michelle hire him, of all people, to begin with? Is he really naive and unprofessional enough to fall in love with her while she's still his client? Does he really think that he and Michelle will live happily ever after if David dies? He's emotionally immature and far from a competent detective. The Private Eye focuses too much time on Mort's fixation on romancing Michelle rather than on his investigation of her lover. There are a few twists, but they're clunky and not well-integrated within the narrative, especially in hindsight. Edmond (Eric Roberts), another mysterious character, serves as the narrator who's poorly introduced. By the time you learn what he has to do with the plot and with Mort, it's too late. Exposition isn't among the film's strengths. The dialogue is either dull or very stilted with not nearly enough wit or comic relief. Given the twisty plot, this could've been a dark screwball comedy or at least a crime thriller that puts the audience at the edge of their seats or something as surprisingly witty and entertaining as The Kid Detective. Unfortunately, it fizzles too out early and never regains its footing. Matt Rife is a charismatic lead, but his charisma remains muted because of the lifeless and vapid screenplay. He and Clare Grant barely have any chemistry together which makes it hard for the audience to root for Mort and Michelle to be together. There are also issues with uneven pacing with too many scenes overstaying their welcome, i.e. the scene where one of the characters has a monologue that goes on and on for too long. There's nothing exceptional about the production values or the editing. That said, at least the film isn't as inane and cringe-inducing Argylle, but that's not setting the bar very high. At 1 hour and 54 minutes, The Private Eye is meandering, lethargic, convoluted and overlong while lacking wit, suspense and thrills.
 Table for Six 2  Bernard (Louis Cheung) and his half-brother, Lung (Peter Chan Charm-Man), run a wedding planning business with Josephine (Ivana Wong), Meow (Lin Min-Chen) and Monica (Stephy Tang). Bernard and his girlfriend, Monica, are expecting to get married as are Lung and his girlfriend, Josephine. Meanwhile, Meow (Lin Min-chen) falls for Mark Gor (Jeffrey Ngai), a pop star. Just in time for Chinese New Year and Valentine's Day comes the romantic comedy Table for Six 2. The screenplay by writer/director Sunny Chan begins with a light, breezy and amusing tone before getting a little bit more serious. Chan deserves to be commended for seeing and treating Bernard, Lung, Josephine, Monica and Meo as flawed human beings and for giving the characters some space to briefly open their heart, soul and mind to the audience. Although the film does show how the couples deal with a variety of issues ranging marriage jitters and childhood trauma, it's not unflinching nor does it cut deeply enough to fully explore those darker themes. So, it squanders its opportunities to be more profound. There are some scenes where a character says something wise and perceptive, but those moments they're far and few between. For the most part, Table for Six 2 remains pleasant, amusing and tender with a sprinkle of witty dialogue and some zaniness along the way, i.e. a fake wedding. The romantic scenes are sweet without being cloying or schmaltzy while the ending, despite its lack of surprises, earns its uplift. Table for Six 2 has a wonderful ensemble cast filled with actors and actresses who handle the comedic and dramatic aspects of their role convincingly. Stephy Tang and Louis Cheung have palpable charisma on screen. The same can be said for Ivana Wong and Peter Chan Charm-Man. Romantic chemistry is an essential ingredient in every romcom and also rare to find these days, so that's a testament to the smart casting. The set designs, costume designs and cinematography are all superb while adding just the right amount of style. It's also worth mentioning the well-chosen music score. That said, the film could've used tighter editing because it does overstay its welcome as it does clock past the 2 hour mark and suffers from a few false endings. That's a forgivable flaw, though. At 2 hours and 13 minutes, Table for Six 2 is a sweet, charming and amusing romantic comedy.
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