Ida (Rakel Lenora Fløttum), a young girl, moves into a new apartment with her mother (Ellen Dorrit Petersen), father (Morten Svartveit), and older sister, Anna (Alva Brynsmo Ramstad). She meets Ben (Sam Ashraf) at a playground and discovers that he has telekinetic superpowers. He teaches her how to harness her own telekinetic superpowers. They befriend Aisha (Mina Yasmin Bremseth Asheim), another girl from the neighborhood, who lives with her mom (Kadra Yusuf) and also learns telekinesis. Soon, their use of telekinetic powers goes too far and gets them into trouble.

      Writer/director Eskil Vogt combines horror, thriller, sci-fi and coming-of-age drama in a way that would've been tonally uneven and clunky with a less sensitive screenplay. He keeps the exposition to a minimum while letting the audience come to their own conclusions about where the children's superpowers come from and whether or not it symbolises something metaphorically. It's fundamentally a story about human nature. As The Exorcist's director William Friedkin once told me in an interview, what makes dark themes so compelling is the tug of war between good and evil. That's precisely what happens in The Innocents. The kids' superpowers can be used for good or for something more sinister. They look innocent to their parents who don't give them much attention or supervision. Are the parents to blame for their children's actions? Can the children learn the difference between right and wrong on their own? Can they learn how to understand the consequences of their actions? It doesn't seem like they do based on their behavior. What they do to a cat won't be spoiled here, but it says a lot about what happens when adults don't supervise their own kids enough. Fortunately, the horror and sci-fi elements aren't overdone nor does the film go over-the-top in the surprisingly understated and provocative third act.

      Although The Innocents is a horror film, it doesn't rely on gore, CGI effects of jump scares to scare the audience. The horror is much more of the psychological kind and even more disturbing because the kids look like angels one minute, but bad seeds the next when they're away from their parents. The CGI and practical effects that are used, though, look impressive. There are a few very eerie and atmospheric shots, i.e. when the camera pans the outside of the apartment complex upside down. It's even more effective than the upside-down tracking shot in the opening scene of last year's Candyman. The child actors are all superb, especially Rakel Lenora Fløttum who's just as radiant as Haley Joel Osment is in The Sixth Sense. Vogt moves the film along at a slow, but not too slow pace which allows for the audience to gradually become more absorbed in these characters' lives and in the increasingly complex narrative. At a running time of just under 2 hours, The Innocents is one of the creepiest, powerful and heartfelt psychological horror films since The Sixth Sense.

      Cal (Owen Teague), a young man, returns home to his family's ranch to deal with the estate of his dying father who lays comatose at home after suffering a stroke. He reunites with his father's longtime housekeeper,  Valentina (Kimberly Guerrero), and meets his father's nurse,  Ace (Gilbert Owuor), an immigrant from Kenya. When his estranged half-sister, Erin (Haley Lu Richardson), shows up unexpectedly, she's unhappy to learn that he plans on putting the family's precious horse down. She also reawakens both of their memories of of their childhood trauma.

       The screenplay by co-writers/directors Scott McGehee and David Siegel treats its characters like human beings from the very beginning. They allow the audience to gradually get to know Cal and Erin and to learn about their emotional pain that comes from a traumatic event from the past. For example, when Cal first sees Erin as she arrives at the ranch, there's a long pause. The way that he talks to her speaks volumes about their relationship.  You don't know right away what led Cal and Erin to become estranged or why they're angry at their father, but eventually you do through the well-written exposition that keeps you in just the right amount of suspense. Cal has a scene where he opens up emotionally to Ace who's compassionate enough to listen to him. It's one of the film's most powerful and poignant scenes because the emotions that Cal bottled up and suddenly expresses feel real. There's no melodrama or schmaltz throughout the film. With a less sensitive screenplay, it could've turned into a contrived soap opera. Instead, it's as nuanced, understated and moving as Ordinary People. The relationship between Cal and Erin also feels authentic thanks to the well-written screenplay, i.e. the true-to-life scene as they talk in the car while on the way to buy a pick-up truck. The way that their relationships evolve and how they experience epiphanies feel organic, especially during the sweet and refreshingly un-Hollywood third act.  

      Owen Teague gives the best performance of his career. He handles the emotional complexities of his role very convincingly. Even though you learn very little about Cal's life beyond his childhood trauma, he still manages to be a fully-fleshed human being. You can sense that he hasn't been able to talk to anyone about his emotional pain before and that he feels some sort of catharsis by talking about it to someone who's willing to listen to him. Teague finds Cal's emotional truth which is what makes his performance transcendent. The same can be said about Haley Lu Richardson who has a moving scene in the third act as Erin finally gets to put her emotions to words, too. Whether or not Cal and Erin will fully heal from their trauma remains up to the audience to interpret, but it's certain that their healing has begun as they acknowledge their emotional wounds without ignoring the pain that comes from those wounds. As the poet Pablo Neruda once wisely wrote, "They can cut all of the flowers, but they can't stop the spring from coming." Hopefully, new flowers will begin to grow for Cal and Erin as they heal. It's also worth mentioning the picturesque landscape which provides levity, by relaxing one's mind, as well as some visual poetry. The pace moves along slowly, but not too slowly--just enough for the audience to get absorbed by the story without any scenes that drag. Kudos to the filmmakers for trusting the audience's patience which is rare these days. At a running time of 1 hour and 53 minutes, Montana Story is a warm, wise and genuinely heartfelt emotional journey. It would make for an interesting double feature with The Skeleton Twins.

      Val (Jerrod Carmichael) and helps his childhood friend, Kevin (Christopher Abbott), to escape from a psych ward after he attempted suicide a few days earlier.  He's suicidal just like Kevin, so he makes a pact with him to shoot each other behind a building on the count of three. It doesn't go as planned, though, so they agree to wait until the end of the day to do it instead. Meanwhile, they seek revenge on the people who abused them in the past. Kevin wants to kill the psychologist, Dr. Brenner (Henry Winkler), who abused him as a child. Val, who broke up with his ex-girlfriend, Natasha (Tiffany Haddish), recently, wants to confront his abusive father, Lyndell (J.B. Smoove).

       Co-writers Ari Katcher and Ryan Welch understand the concept that comedy is rooted in tragedy. That's evident in their attempt to mine dark humor from a premise that deals with heavy issues like child abuse, depression and suicide. Unfortunately, the comedic beats don't land. In Bruges also dealt with the same topic of suicide and combined dark comedy, but in a much more effective way because it's actually funny and witty. The Perks of Being a Wallflower handled the themes of child abuse, depressed and suicide with much more emotional depth.  On the Count of Three lacks both wit and emotional depth. Too many of the dark comedy attempts fall flat. Both Val and Kevin come across as unpleasant, rude, and obnoxious human beings with very few redeeming qualities. The abuse that they suffered in the past does not excuse them for their actions. Also, their character arc feels contrived, especially Val's. After everything he's been through, the cop-out ending with him and his ex-girlfriend feels rushed and too much like a fairy tale. You don't even get to hear what they talk about. Why not let the audience in on their conversation? That ending seems more like a dream than anything that resembles reality. How has Val really changed as a person? Why not allow the audience to see that change more gradually? Then there's the clunky flashbacks as Kevin remembers his traumatic past involving Dr. Brenner. The Perks of Being a Wallflower did a much better job of incorporating those kind of flashbacks to tug at the audience's heartstrings in a way that felt organic and understated, unlike in On the Count of Three which goes over-the-top.  

      The performances are decent, but nothing exceptional which could have something to do with the screenplay that doesn't breathe enough life into the characters. There's not enough nuance to their performances, and it's not help that their characters are increasingly grating, like nails on a chalkboard. Without a strong screenplay, it's hard to feel the chemistry between Val and Kevin. They're supposed to be lifelong friends, but that's not something that feels palpable to the audience. The editing, especially during the flashback scenes, is awkward and distracting. On a positive note, the running time is only 1 hour and 27 minutes, so at least it's not bogged down by the weight of its running time. Ultimately, On the Count of Three is a clunky, shallow and contrived dark comedy with not enough laughs, wisdom or emotional depth. 

      Bella Cherry (Sofia Kappel) moves from Sweden to Los Angeles hoping to become a popular porn star. She hires an agent, Mike (Jason Toler), starts her own Instagram page, and moves in with a roommate,  Joy (Revika Reustle), who also works as a porn star. She and Joy become friends as they both try to find success in an industry that, as Bella finds out through experience, is abusive toward women.

       Pleasure serves as a cautionary tale about greed, fame and ego, and about an industry that blurs the line between rape and consent. The screenplay by writer/director Nina Thyberg and co-writer Peter Modestij is an unflinching and heartfelt character study. Bella comes to L.A. with no experience in the porn industry; just dreams, hopes, desires, a very high libido and naivete. Little does she know that the contract she signs is essentially a Faustian bargain and that she's unprepared for what she's about to experience on an emotional level. Although the porn industry dehumanizes Bella, Pleasure sees and treats her as a human being because the screenplay shows her vulnerability, sadness and frustration. Concurrently, the filmmakers don't villainize anyone, even the two male porn stars who made Bella feel violated. They understand that very few things in life are black-and-white. There's more than one side to every story, so you get to hear what Bella's agent thinks about what happened to her during a porn shoot and to see how the male porn stars react. She has boundaries, but she did claim that she's willing to have rough sex which includes degredation. The filmmakers could've easily turned Pleasure into a revenge tale, but they show restraint by not veering into that territory. Instead, they focus on Bella's epiphanies as she discovers harsh realities. In a way, she's like in a prison or like a lobster in a pot of boiling water. Whether or not she makes it out of the boiling pot of water won't be spoiled here, though, but that's a part of what makes Pleasure such a compelling film.

      Sofia Kappel gives a raw, bravura and heartfelt breakthrough performance. There are plenty of sexually graphic scenes and nudity, and some that might be shocking to some, but that's the point.  Sofia Kappel is truly brave not for showing her physical nakedness, but ffor bearing her naked emotions on screen. She's fortunate to have a screenplay that provides a window into Bella's heart, mind and soul for the audience to peer into. Fortunately, she helps to bring Bella to life to make her more than just a porn star. She's a human being just like everyone. She calls her mother in Sweden every now and then to check in with her, although she's not honest about what she's really up to in L.A. Writer/director Ninja Thyberg and co-writer Peter Modestij don't ask you to judge Bella, just to see her as a human being and to have empathy for her which comes easily because they show empathy toward her through the sensitive and perceptive screenplay. At a running time of 1 hour and 49 minutes, Pleasure is a provocative, tender and unflinching Faustian tale. 

      Kathryn (Ashley Benson), an aspiring actress, is stuck in a stale marriage with her husband, Richard (Jay Pharoah), a film producer. When her gardener gets arrested for being an illegal immigrant, Ben (Shiloh Fernandez), arrives at her door announcing that he's her new gardener. He tries to seduce her and introduces her to Ed (Logan Miller) who claims that he's her neighbor and that he works in Silicon Valley. Little does she know that Ben and Ed are trying to con her and have ulterior motives.  

      The screenplay by writer/director Chadd Harbold and co-writer Leslie Stevens, based on the 1960 film, spends too much time on exposition before getting to the meat of the story, Ben and Ed's con. The precise details of the con and what Ben and Ed's motive is won't be spoiled here, but the film reveals that motive rather early, so the suspense gradually dissipates afterward. Kathryn comes across as someone who's naive and not particularly bright. She lets Ben take a dip in her pool when he's all sweaty even though she barely knows him, and then there's a plot hole something that he lies to her about. Unless she's completely gullible, there's no way that she wouldn't Google his name or Ed's name or at least pay attention to the fact that he lacks gardening skills. Ben and Ed obviously see her as an easy, gullible target, but she's too gullible. Why allow the audience steps ahead of Kathryn? Even if you didn't see the original film from 1960, you'll be able to figure out the twist long before the film spoils it. Unfortunately, there aren't enough moments of thrills, even psychological ones, so the plot meanders until the intense third act that takes a bit of a nosedive because it's too contrived. The relationship between Kathryn and her husband is complex and fascinating, but the screenwriters don't explore it with enough depth. He neglects her emotionally like Shirley's husband in Shirley Valentine, so it's a shame that the film doesn't get inside Kathryn's heart, mind and soul to let the audience grasp what she's going through as a human being. She remains at a cold distance from the audience as do all of the other characters as well. There's also not nearly enough comic relief, so monotony and lethargy set in eventually.

       In terms of production values, Private Property doesn't have much going for it except the production design which adds some style, but not nearly enough to compensate for the lack of substance. The cinematography and editing aren't used in ways that create any sort of atmosphere. The same can be said about the music. Sometimes lack of style can be fine if you're emotionally invested in the story or in one of the characters, but that doesn't happen in this case because of the shallow screenplay. None of the actors manage to shine, although Shiloh Fernandez does exude a little charisma.  With a better screenplay, Private Property as gripping as a Hitchcockian thriller or a fun, dumb thriller like Wild Things. At least there are no bad laughs. With a running time of 1 hour and 27 minutes, which feels more like 2 hours, Private Property is an inert, meandering and vapid thriller low on both style and substance.