Kyle (Sawyer Jones) behaves strangely after nearly drowning in a lake while vacationing in Japan with his mother, Hannah (Bojana Novakovic), and brother, Steve (Malcolm Fuller). His father, Jack (Ben McKenzie), who's all the way in the US and still grieving the death of his newborn daughter, must figure out what's wrong with him. Upon further research, he learns that he might be possessed by a demon in Bloat. Writer/director Pablo Absento has made an unimaginative, unscary and dull horror thriller. The story unfolds through computer and phone screens like in Searching and Unfriended, so there's nothing new or innivotive about its format. This is one of those films that has an interesting concept, but poor execution while sorely lacking thrills, surprises, palpable suspense or anything that's remotely terrifying. It's just as forgettable, underwhelming and disappointing as Presence. At a running time of 1 hour and 27 minutes, which feels more like 3 hours, Bloat opens in select theaters and on VOD via Lionsgate.  

 

       Ed (Keith William Richards) and his baseball team, the Adler's Paint, play against Graham's (Stephen Radochia) team, the River Dogs at a stadium that's about to be demolished in Eephus. They continue playing as night time falls. Writer/director Carson Lund and co-writers, Michael Basta and Nate Fisher, have made an unconventional sports drama unlike any baseball film you've seen be for. To be fair, they trust the audience's patience a lot because they move the pace very slowly with little to nothing happening plot-wise.  Despite the fact that you're watching a baseball game, there's barely any suspense.  It all becomes tedious after a while, though, but there's nonetheless a gentle warmth to the film that arrives just when you're about to drift off into sleep. If you fall asleep, that's fine because you'll realize that you didn't miss much when you wake up. Perhaps that best way to describe Eephus is that it's a warm, cozy and relaxing antidote to the hustle and bustle of life. Everything remains gentle and understated, even the dry humor. Frederick Wiseman has a small role as does Wayne Diamond who you might remember from Uncut Gems. At a running time of 1 hour and 38 minutes, Eephus opens at IFC Center via Music Box Films.

Number of times I checked my watch: 3




 

        Two alien races, the 0s, lead by Beelzebub (Fabrice Luchini), and the 1s, lead by Queen (Camille Cottin), battle each other in a quaint French village while Captain Van der Weyden (Bernard Pruvost) and Carpentier (Philippe Jore) investigate the mysterious deaths in The Empire. Writer/director Bruno Dumont has made yet another campy film that goes bonkers. This time around, though, the campiness and attempts at pushing the envelope don't stick the landing and instead become exhausting, inane and repetitive. The humor ranges from dark to zany to to over-the-top to slapstick to just plain silly, but it often falls flat. Perhaps this would've worked better as a short because as a feature length film it stretches its plot too thinly. The actors' schtick, especially Fabrice Luchini's, gets both tiresome and annoying after a while. At a running time of 1 hour and 51 minutes, The Empire opens at IFC Center via Kino Lorber.  

Number of times I checked my watch: 3

      The Falling Sky is a mesmerizing and lyrical documentary about Reahu, a sacred ritual for the dead performed by the Yanomani tribe who live deep in the Amazon rainforest. Co-directors Gabriela Carneiro da Cunha and Eryk Rocha move the film at a slow pace, so patient audiences will be rewarded the most. Even during the scenes that begin to drag, the breathtaking cinematography holds your attention because it captures the majesty of the Yanomani's natural habitat while briefly shedding light on the issue of deforestation and industrialization. This could've been a much more enraging and provocative documentary. However, in its gentleness, it still manages to be an effective protest for the preservation of the Amazon rainforest. Its images speak louder than words. At a running time of 1 hour and 50 minutes, it opens at MoMA.

Number of times I checked my watch: 2

      Housewife of the Year is an illuminating and heartfelt documentary about an annual contest in Ireland called Housewife of the Year that ran between 1967 and 1995. Housewives were judged based on various skills including cooking, household management and nurturing. Only women competed initially but eventually a man was finally among the contestants. Director Ciaran Cassidy doesn't just shed light on the history of the televised contest; he also interviews former contestants who speak candidly about their traumatic past. Their lives had been filled with struggles and painful memories, so it's quite emotionally devastating and even horrifying to hear their stories. Kudos to the filmmaker for not being afraid to take the documentary into darker, deeper and unflinching territory and for taking a look at the Housewife of the Year contest within the context of how women in Irish society back then were treated unfairly and unjustly. A truly great documentary finds the right balance between entertaining the audience and provoking them emotionally and intellectually. Housewife of the Year accomplishes that feat without becoming dull or academic. At a running time of 1 hour and 21 minutes, it opens at Quad Cinema via Juno Films.

Number of times I checked my watch: 1




 

      An a post-apocalypse, Gray Alys (Milla Jovovich), a witch, must travel through the "Lost Lands" with the help of a hunter, Boyce (Dave Bautista), in seach of a magical power that can turn people into werewolves in In the Lost Lands. Based on the short story by George R. R. Martin, the screenplay by Constantin Werner is a convoluted, asinine and lackluster sci-fi thriller that gets exhausting even after 30 minutes. The characters are poorly introduced and underwritten, the action sequences are dull and the plot itself suffers from lazy exposition and very low suspense. Even on a purely superficial level, the CGI effects and production designs don't provide much eye candy or visual dazzle, so it's hard to enjoy the film even as a guilty pleasure. The dialogue is stilted with virtually no comic relief which would've provided something to engage the audience. At least it's not as cringe-inducing as other sci-fi misfires like Zardoz, Jupiter Ascending or Battlefield Earth. In a double feature with The Fifth Element, In the Lost Lands, directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, would be the inferior B-movie. It's yet another movie that would work better as a video game. At a running time of 1 hour and 41 minutes, which feels more like 3 hours, ,it opens nationwide via Vertical.  

Number of times I checked my watch: 4




 

      In Mickey 17, Mickey (Robert Pattinson) volunteers to become an expandable on the human colony Nilfheim which Kenneth (Mark Ruffalo) and his wife, Ylfa (Toni Collette), rule. Clones replace him endlessly every time he dies, but when one of the clones, Mickey 17, is presumed dead and turns out to be alive, he and Mickey 18 get into legal trouble because only 1 version of the expendables can exist at a time. Can Mickey trust his friend, Timo (Steven Yuen), or his girlfriend, Nasha (Naomi Ackie)? Meanwhile Kenneth and Ylfa plan to engage in a war against an alien race on Nilfheim that they assume are a threat, but Mickey knows otherwise because their leader saved his life. Writer/director Bong Joon-ho, based on the novel Mickey7 by Edward Ashton, has made an ambitious, provocative, exhilarating and occasionally campy sci-fi thriller with shades of Arrival and Logan's Run. It juggles the topic of freedom, politics and religion, so although it offers plenty of spectacle, it's has a lot on its mind. To be fair, it doesn't delve into those complex topics with much depth or nuance. Kenneth, for instance, is, beyond a reasonable doubt, a tyrant whose wife enables and even controls him. They have an interesting dynamic that could've been explored more.

      Mickey 17 doesn't have a major twist like Parasite has nor does it go completely bonkers, although at times it seems like it will. The part is Mickey's lazy voice-over narration which over-explains and spoon-feeds the audience. Robert Pattinson gives solid performances as the multiple versions of Mickey while Mark Ruffalo and Toni Collette dial up the hamminess with their over-the-top performances. Moreover, the production design, sound design and CGI effects are outstanding and make the film a truly cinematic experience, especially on the big screen where it's meant to be seen for all of its glory. Seeing it on the small screen would greatly diminish its visual spectacle.  At a running time of 2 hours and 17 minutes, it opens nationwide via Warner Bros. Pictures.  

Number of times I checked my watch: 1




 

       After a meteor with a mysterious virus crashes into Colepepper Zoo, Gracie (voice of Gabbi Kosmidis) joins forces with Dan (voice of David Harbor), a mountain lion, to defeat the mutant zombies taking over the zoo in Night of the Zoopocalypse. Based on an original concept by Clive Barker, the film subdues its horror elements to avoid making it scary for younger audiences. Adults will enjoy all of the references or "Easter Eggs" that might go over children's heads---how many children have seen Night of the Living Dead? Not many, probably. So, even though adults won't find anything fresh in Night of the Zoopococalypse, kids will find it very refreshing because it's the only animated film for them that features kid-friendly zombies. The pace moves briskly and the CGI animation looks decent.  Co-writers James Kee and Steven Hoban along with co-directors Rodrigo Perez-Castro and Ricardo Curtis have made a fun, thrilling and action-packed sci-fi adventure that will thoroughly entertain kids. At a running time of 1 hour and 31 minutes, it opens nationwide via Viva Pictures.  

Number of times I checked my watch: 1




 

       Mildred "Millie" Burke (Emily Bett Rickards ), a waitress at a diner and single mother from a small Kansas town, becomes a professional wrestler and the first million-dollar athlete in history during the 1930s, 40s and 50s in Queen of the Ring. The screenplay by writer/director Ash Avildsen, based on a true story and on the book The Queen of the Ring: Sex, Muscles, Diamonds, and the Making of an American Legend, charts Millie's rise to fame as a female wrestler while also focusing on her relationships with her abusive manager/husband, Billy Wolfe (Josh Lucas), her son, Joe (Gavin Casalegno), and her stepson, George (Tyler Posey, whom she fell in love with. Millie never gives up her dream despite many some setbacks and tha living in a time when pro wrestling for women was illegal throughout the U.S. Bravo to writer/director Ash Avildsen for seeing and treating Millie as a human being, warts-and-all, by providing a large window into her heart, mind and soul. That, in turn, allows the audience to empathize with her and root for her, so the beats land during the exhilarating wrestling matches. Moreover, the screenplay avoids schaltz, melodrama and preachiness. She's brave, smart, savvy, assertive and persistent as well as vulnerable.

       Emily Bett Rickards captures those qualities in Millie through her raw, bravura performance that exudes palpable warmth and charisma. The editing is crisp, there's no uneven pacing, and there's just enough comic relief to provide levity for the darker, more unflinching moments. You won't feel the weight of its lengthy running time. On top of that, the lively soundtrack is very well-chosen and the exquisite costume design, lighting and set designs help to further ground the film in authenticity. Queen of the Ring ultimately earns its uplift which can't be said for most films these days. It will make you stand up and cheer. At a running time of 2 hours and 10 minutes, Queen of the Ring is an enormously entertaining, genuinely heartfelt and empowering triumph that deserves to become a new classic sports movie. It opens nationwide via Sumerian Pictures.  

Number of times I checked my watch: 1




 

       Roya Mahboob (Nikohl Boosheri) and her brother, Ali (Noorin Gulamgaus), form Afghan Dream, an all-girls robotics team that competes around the world in  Rule Breakers. Based on a true story, the screenplay by writer/director Bill Guttentag and his co-writers, Bill Bennett, Jason Brown and Elaha Mahboob, is by-the-numbers, conventional and somewhat schmaltzy, but moving and inspirational. It's ultimately a human rights story about hope and perseverance. Roya and Ali's plans come with setbacks like problems with getting visas and essential robotics parts stuck in customs. However, they don't give up despite all of the obstacles. The filmmakers do a fine job with focusing on the underdog element of the story; there's less of a focus, though, on getting to know Roya and Ali beyond their struggles with Afghan Dream. More unflinching scenes or a window into the heart, mind and soul of Roya, Ali and any of the women in the robotics team would've helped to ground the film in more humanity. To be fair, the poignancy comes from the performances rather than from the screenplay. On top of that, the third act feels somewhat rushed. Even if you're unfamiliar with the true story, the uplifting ending can be seen from a mile away. At a running time of 2 hours, Rule Breakers opens nationwide via Angel Studios.  

Number of times I checked my watch: 2




 

        Stefan (Geoffrey Rush), a judge, gets sent to a nursing home where another residents, Dave (John Lithgow), terrorizes him and other residents in The Rule of Jenny Pen. The screenplay by writer/director James Ashcroft and co-writer Eli Kent, is based on a short story by Owen Marshall and probably worked better as a short film because it stretches its plot too thinly. It suffers from the same issues that plagues The Monkey: tonal unevenness and tedium. Dave torments Stefan in different ways throughout the course of the film and, like a true narcissist, plays the victim when accused of wrongdoing. He's clearly deranged. There's nothing subtle about him from start to finish. It's too bad that the filmmakers leave little to the audience's imagination, so as a psychological horror thriller, The Rule of Jenny Pen doesn't quite stick the landing. The only mystery that remains to be solved is the reason(s) why he's behaving so abusively. His motives get revealed in a contrived expositional scene in the third act, but by then, it's too little too late. He remains an underwritten and cartoonish villain.  At a running time of 1 hour and 44 minutes, The Rule of Jenny Pen opens in select theaters nationwide via IFC Midnight and Shudder. In a double feature with Misery, it would be the inferior B-movie. 

Number of times I checked my watch: 3




 

       Jeanne (Amanda Seyfried), a theater director, takes over a production of the opera "Salome" from her deceased lover, Charles, while struggling to cope of traumatic experiences from her past in Seven Veils. Writer/director Atom Egoyan has made a provocative, ambitious and poetic, but heavy-handed psychological drama that's ultimately less than the sum of its parts. The film combines tragedy, romance and surrealism with mixed results. When the lines between Jeanne's life and the opera that she's directing begin to blur, that's when the plot takes a bit of a nosedive as the connection between the two becomes more obvious. From the beginning, it's clear that something traumatic from Jeanne's past has been affecting her. Flashbacks gradually provide a glimpse into her memories and feelings that she had repressed for a long time. She's an emotional mess and not very emotionally mature for that matters, but she's trying her best because, after all, the show must go on.Soon enough, the plot itself becomes operatic in a way that mirrors "Salome." Agoyan spends too much time with the mirroring and not enough time delving into Jeanne's innate struggles head-on. The film eventually becomes repetitive. Fortunately, Amanda Seyfried's heartfelt and raw performance invigorates the film and holds it together. At a running time of 1 hour and 47 minutes, it opens at Quad Cinema via XYZ Films and Variance Films.  

Number of times I checked my watch: 2




 

       Bill (Chris Haywood) bravely embarks on an 800-mile pilgrimage through Spain's Camino de Santiago while briefly checking in with his wife, Jennifer (Jennifer Cluff), back in Australia in The Way, My Way. The screenplay by writer/director Bill Bennett, based on his memoir, brims with wit, wisdom and humor. Bill learns a lot about life, death and everything in between throughout his pilgrimage as he interacts with other pilgrims. He also learns the importance of introspection, a very important tool in life. His interactions with a waitress who gets frustrated at his demands to take a picture the way that he wants it taken is hilarious---the same can be said about her funny quip when he asks her for some advice.  What could've turned into a tedious, maudlin and preachy film instead turns into a profound, warm and captivating journey that will nourish your heart, mind and soul. At a running time of 1 hour and 38 minutes, it opens in select theaters nationwide via Outsider Pictures.  

Number of times I checked my watch: 1