Your Monster. She's an aspiring actress who he cast in the lead role of a broadway show that he's directing. One night, she finds a monster (Tommy Dewey) living in her house and, soon enough, falls in love with him despite the odds. The screenplay by writer/director Caroline Lindy treads the same water as Lisa Frankenstein, but with less zaniness, campiness or dark comedy. It has a concept that sounds like it could be a wildly entertaining romantic horror/comedy, though, so the lackluster execution seems like a squandered opportunity. There's little to no wit, tongue-in-cheek humor or boldness except for the over-the-top third act that leaves more to be desired and too many questions unanswered. At a running time of 1 hour and 42 minutes, Your Monster is a mildly engaging, but harmless, unimaginative and witless dark comedy. For a smarter, braver, funnier and wilder dark comedy, see The Substance which would be the superior film in a double feature with this one. Your Monster opens nationwide via Vertical.
Number of times I checked my watch: 3
      Zurawski V Texas, co-directors Maisie Crow and Abbie Perrault, is a mildly provocative and timely documentary about the legal battles of women seeking abortion after Roe v Wade was overturned. Amanda Zurawski, Samantha Casiano and Dr. Austin Dennard are among the women that the filmmakers follow, each of whom could've been profiled in a separate documentary. Does this doc reveal anything new or surprising? No, but it's still essential for those who are pro-choice. If you're anti-abortion, there's not much balance, so it suffers from the same systemic issue that last week's pro-choice doc, No One Asked You, also suffers from, and it mostly preaches to the choir without rising above mediocrity. At a running time of 1 hour and 40 minutes, Zurawski V Texas opens at Village East by Angelika.
Number of times I checked my watch: 2