EvilPhoEniX

Oscar-winning Ang Lee delivers a 90's style actioner, and even though the critics are grumbling, I think it's great. Will Smith is the ultimate assassin and he's just about to retire, but before he does he has to face his own younger clone who wants to take him out without hesitation. The story is interesting, but doesn't dazzle that much, which in this case I don't mind because the action scenes are almost revolutionary and technically precise. The intense music, the amazing cinematography, the utmost professionalism and precision of the two Wills captivated me with every moment and the scene with the motorbikes is one of the best I've seen in the cinema this year, but the fight in the catacombs or the rotating machine gun with lasers is also great. The acting, the action and the technical aspects of the film are impeccable and if that's enough for you, you'll be royally entertained like me. 80%

This unnecessarily long delayed affair is in the end a very entertaining film with a perfect idea. A police unit rents a chicken restaurant to eavesdrop on drug dealers, but trouble arises when the restaurant becomes an unexpected hit and one of the most visited places. The cops are likable and the main villain and his female bodyguard, who reigns supreme in the action scenes, are perfect. The humour works, it has pace, great actors and a typically Korean action finale. Very good. 80%.

An enjoyable monster-survival one-shot set on a tropical island. The neautiful Kiersey Clemons finds herself on the shores of a small island where she is all alone and not only must fight for her life with nature, but every night a sea monster rises from the bottom of the ocean to eat her. It's minimalistic but nicely paced thanks to the pretty scenery, the attractive actress, and the interestingly conceived monster. 60%

Unpretentious fun from Thailand. The main character finds himself in an unenviable situation. He gets stuck in a 6-meter deep pool and with all the bad luck, a crocodile also falls in. So this is an animal-survival film that is very suspenseful, entertaining and decently done. At times the things that happen to the main character felt almost parodic, because you really don't see that much bad luck and mishaps. 65%.

A fun zombie comedy with kids, starring the perfect Lupita Nyong'o (Us), who is definitely becoming the new horror Scream Queen! A teacher goes on a field trip with her kids and is helped out by David, who has his nephew in kindergarten, but instead of a nice trip, they find themselves in the middle of a zombie apocalypse and are forced to fight for their lives. The film is quite original in that it features a group of children, which gives it a fairly decent emotional base and makes it unexpectedly cute in places, but there are a few severed heads, a bit of blood and the humour works well. So an enjoyable flick that brought something new to the zombie genre, but I was expecting it to be a bit wilder, still a cautious thumbs up. 65%.

After The Call, Brad Anderson serves up another suspenseful thriller that won't leave you breathless! Sam Worthington goes to the hospital with his wife and daughter who was injured in a fall is sent for a CT scan. Hours pass and the daughter and wife are nowhere to be found. From this point on, solid paranoia sets in, where you won't know until the last few minutes whether the main character is a deranged lunatic or the hospital is hiding dark secrets. Very suspenseful, well acted and directed with an engaging plot and a decent denouement that, while not all that surprising, is satisfying enough. Recommended. There hasn't been a better suspense film in a long time. 80%.

After a long time, a passable Hong Kong flick with the awesome Nick Cheung. Three masked assailants attack a morgue on Christmas Day and demand a bullet from a corpse, but of course things don’t go as planned. Cheung is a reasonably intelligent pathologist so he gives them all a good run for their money, and I also enjoyed the decently dosed action which, while not surprising today, doesn't offend. 65%.

A very pleasant surprise from Canada that came out of nowhere. The film may sound simple at first glance, but at its core it's a fairly intelligent and properly black-humored spectacle. A trio of friends are stranded on a yacht in the middle of the ocean, and aside from the classic struggle for survival, there's also sexual tension, rivalries and dark secrets that subtly surface. The actors are likeable and it is very entertaining to watch the hell they experience on the yacht. The film is also pleasantly gritty in the finale and there is one surprising twist. The narrator's monologues are also perfect, giving a guide to how to survive in such a situation, and it's unexpectedly funny and smartly delivered. 75%

Todd Phillips is a director who has made a name for himself with comedies (The Hangover, Road Trip, War Dogs), Joker was his first challenge and he succeeded brilliantly, though I can't do without minor criticisms. DC has its first non-mainstream movie. Joker is first and foremost a dense psychological drama about the transformation of a man into an absolute lunatic who goes on a crime spree, and it's a bit of a shame that we'll have to wait for the sequel to see a proper Joker's rampage. Joaquin Phoenix is utterly disarming and stomps his way to an Oscar, more or less the film stands solely on his perfect performance. The atmosphere of Gotham is also great, but the city and the crime there don’t get as much attention as I would have liked. There's hardly any action and only one person gets killed in a downright brutal way (I expected a grittier and more brutal film in that respect). The finale is quite shocking, but also short. I wouldn't have minded more build-up. So all in all, a solid film that's worth seeing in the theater, but due to the slower pace, I'm not too keen on a second viewing. 80%

Jim Mickle, director of Stake Land and Cold in July, has once again delighted me by making an original thriller with a serial killer who returns every nine years. The main character, played by Boyd Holbrook (Narcos, The Predator), is a detective who has been searching for a mysterious killer his whole life, but finding out the truth many times can cost his career, his job and his own sanity. The film has a perfect soundtrack, a decent pace, nice cinematography, some thrilling chases and a bit of blood. Decent craftsmanship with nice visuals and atmosphere, and even though no one will probably remember it in a year I really enjoyed it. 70%