The Tragedy of Macbeth

Director: Joel Coen

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10095582

Review: Visually arresting and fascinating in its form with an excellent choice of cast.

Watch it if: You have the head for Shakespeare.

And if you liked: The Lighthouse, The Seventh Seal, The Green Knight

Licorice Pizza

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11271038

Review: Lush and meandering in the right ways with 2 perfect central performances and some deeply funny moments.

Watch it if: You're interested in something that goes where it pleases.

And if you liked: Once Upon a Time... In Hollywood, Adventureland, American Graffiti

The Matrix Resurrections

Director: Lana Wachowski

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10838180

Review: A little plotty in the middle but hits everywhere it needs to while unabashadly having as much fun as possible as it goes.

Watch it if: You're into the Matrix films?

And if you liked: The Matrix, Wes Craven's New Nightmare, Sense8, Bill and Ted Face the Music

The Sparks Brothers

Director: Edgar Wright

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8610436

Review: Gets a little lost and rushed towards the end but otherwise delivers plenty of interesting story and makes a good case for its subject.

Watch it if: You have an interest in avant-garde pop music.

And if you liked: Scott Walker: 30 Century Man, Sound City

Hearts in Atlantis

Director: Scott Hicks

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0252501

Review: A fairly anodyne adaptation that loses a lot of heft in its need to remain faithful to the text.

Watch it if: You're interested in a slightly different coming of age film, even if it's not a very interesting one.

And if you liked: The Shawshank Redemption, Stand By Me, About a Boy

Check this out: Hearts in Atlantis

Spider-Man: No Way Home

Director: Jon Watts

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10872600

Review: Fairly awkward and functional in its gelling of different elements but delivers a lot of emotional heft and understands the core of the character better than some recent attempts.

Watch it if: You're heavily invested in Spider-Mans.

And if you liked: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Spider-Man: Far from Home, The Dark Knight Rises

Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City

Director: Johannes Roberts

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6920084

Review: Clearly a lot of love and attention to detail poured into every part of the film except the script.

Watch it if: You're into Resident Evil.

And if you liked: Resident Evil, Resident Evil 2

You Better Watch Out

Director: Lewis Jackson

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081793

Review: Tries to be both a dark stare into the abyss and a grimy exploitation movie without tipping enough stock into either to really satisfy.

Watch it if: You're curious about horror movies from this era.

And if you liked: Silent Night, Deadly Night, Joker

The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run

Director: Tim Hill

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4823776

Review: More of the same SpongeBob fare but not setting a foot wrong within that fun sphere.

Watch it if: You like SpongeBob SquarePants

And if you liked: The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water

Jack Frost

Director: Troy Miller

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0141109

Review: A series of outlandish killing scenes designed to shock without ever really drawing the viewer in.

Watch it if: You're ok with something that doesn't really work outside of the horror festival screening setting.

And if you liked: Child's Play, Holidays, Bad Taste

Silent Night, Deadly Night

Director: Charles E. Sellier Jr.

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088117

Review: Never really carries any kind of tension or fear but is reasonably enjoyable as a sequence of wild sequences.

Watch it if: You have an interest in the slasher genre and its depths.

And if you liked: Annabelle: Creation, Sleepaway Camp, Friday the 13th

The French Dispatch

Director: Wes Anderson

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8847712

Review: Runs a little long in each segment and will likely alienate anyone not steeped in the style but has plenty of charm and wit to carry those along for the ride.

Watch it if: You're already a Wes Anderson fan.

And if you liked: The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Building Stories

Last Night in Soho

Director: Edgar Wright

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9639470

Review: Doesn't quite stick the landing in its third act but delivers an absolutely sublime experience of visuals, story and sound before that.

Watch it if: You can forgive some clunky plotting.

And if you liked: Suspiria, Carrie, Peeping Tom

Eternals

Director: Chloé Zhao

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9032400

Review: A more slow and contemplative spin on the standard formula that manages to flow at its own rhythm despite a few unnecessary threads.

Watch it if: You want something a little different while still living in a familiar space.

And if you liked: Dune (2021), Avengers: Infinity War

Dune (2021)

Director: Denis Villeneuve

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1160419

Review: Too long and about as impenetrable as its source material but brings enough spectacle and technical awe to carry it through.

Watch it if: You're ok with something significantly straight faced and dry.

And if you liked: The Lord of the Rings, Blade Runner 2049, Arrival

The Addams Family 2

Director: Greg Tiernan, Conrad Vernon, Laura Brousseau and Kevin Pavlovic

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11125620

Review: Manages to not overly offend but feels like half of 2 undercooked films hastily slapped together.

Watch it if: You want something light and mildly distracting.

And if you liked: The Addams Family, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2

The Empty Man

Director: David Prior

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5867314

Review: Suffers a little in its digital moments but brings a fresh and moody angle on a rich and tense premise.

Watch it if: You can overlook a few rough bits of VFX.

And if you liked: It Follows, Ringu, The Mothman Prophecies, Angel Heart

Check this out: The Empty Man

Titane

Director: Julia Ducournau

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10944760

Review: A beyond intense rollercoaster of physicality that keeps you guessing and shook all the way to the end.

Watch it if: You have a a high tolerance for some pretty gnarly body stuff.

And if you liked: Raw, Crash, The Imposter

The Shallows

Director: Jaume Collet-Serra

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4052882

Review: Some beautiful visuals and decent ideas somewhat tainted by a descent into CG action towards the end.

Watch it if: You're interested in a slightly more minimalist shark movie.

And if you liked: The Reef, 47 Meters Down

Halloween Kills

Director: David Gordon Green

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10665338

Review: More successful outside of familiar franchise territory than in it but still brings a few novel ideas to the mix.

Watch it if: You're ok with some fairly gruesome violence.

And if you liked: Halloween, Halloween (2018), The Crazies

No Time to Die

Director: Cary Joji Fukunaga

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2382320

Review: A solid ending for the era with a good handle on tone and a genuine streak of emotion running through it.

Watch it if: You're into James Bond movies.

And if you liked: Casino Royale (2006), Quantum of Solace, Skyfall, Spectre

Krull

Director: Peter Yates

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085811

Review: Some interesting pieces of design work floating in a meandering and uninteresting soup of vague fantasy without anything really solid to latch on to.

Watch it if: You're interested in that era's attempts to recreate the Star Wars magic.

And if you liked: Dune, Time Bandits, The Dark Crystal, Willow

Venom: Let There Be Carnage

Director: Andy Serkis

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7097896

Review: Ramps up the chaos and unhinged nature of the original which leaves some early development lacking but never loses steam on delivering a constant blast of bonkers fun.

Watch it if: You want something that throws something new at you every five minutes.

And if you liked: Venom, Resident Evil

The Phantom of the Opera

Director: Rupert Julian

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0016220

Review: Moody and spooky with impressive sets and great special effects.

Watch it if: You've somehow never seen it like me.

And if you liked: Nosferatu, Dracula, Frankenstein

Check this out: Le Fantôme de l'Opéra

A Return to Salem's Lot

Director: Larry Cohen

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093855

Review: A reasonably solid idea to begin with that descends into bizarre non-sequiters and meandering plotting.

Watch it if: You want to see something that feels like it was made up as they went along, for better or worse.

And if you liked: Return of the Living Dead, Children of the Corn, Near Dark

The Reef

Director: Andrew Traucki

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1320291

Review: Reasonably competently made but is really just one dial of fear turned to different levels throughout without any real sense of tension.

Watch it if: You have the patience for a repetitive survival movie.

And if you liked: 47 Meters Down, Open Water

Cruel Jaws

Director: Bruno Mattei

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112747

Review: Borderline unwatchable in its inept and amateurish construction with no real sense of peril or character.

Watch it if: You think a few enjoyable hammy lines to hold an entire film together.

And if you liked: Sleepaway Camp, Jaws 3D

Malignant

Director: James Wan

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3811906

Review: Fully in control and knowing of what level its operating on with some absolutely nutty ideas and sequences that culminate in a full thrillride by the end.

Watch it if: You enjoy something that revels in insane bonkers fun.

And if you liked: The House of the Devil, Sinister, Insidious

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

Director: Destin Daniel Cretton

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9376612

Review: Fun and light on its feet with an ability to feel fresh and exciting even when traversing familiar beats.

Watch it if: You're interested in the expansion of this genre and universe.

And if you liked: Black Panther, Iron Man

Check this out: Shang-Chi

Piranha

Director: Joe Dante

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078087

Review: Odd and meandering but not without it's idiosyncratic charm.

Watch it if: You want something that's a clear Jaws rip while still bringing its own strange voice to the mix.

And if you liked: Jaws, Orca, The Burning

Orca

Director: Michael Anderson

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076504

Review: Loses its tension about halfway but comes up with some of the stranger ideas you could see in a film of this genre.

Watch it if: You want to see the weird places an animal film can go.

And if you liked: Jurassic Park, Jaws

Death Rider in the House of Vampires

Director: Glenn Danzig

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11505680

Review: Baffling and bizarre in its choices with no real sense of what it's trying to do or say.

Watch it if: You're fascinated by the character of Glenn Danzig.

And if you liked: Verotika, From Dusk Till Dawn

Candyman (2021)

Director: Nia DaCosta

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9347730

Review: Never quite reaches the raw terror of the original but still delivers a ton of great ideas and a strong sense of tone.

Watch it if: You're interested in a horror film stepping into new areas.

And if you liked: Candyman, Velvet Buzzsaw, The Fly (1986)

Check this out: The Forbidden

47 Meters Down

Director: Johannes Roberts

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2932536

Review: Reasonably effective in some of its quieter moments but entirely let down by overly bombastic action sections and a weak ending that tries to have its cake and eat it.

Watch it if: You're ok with something that's one note at different volumes and strengths.

And if you liked: The Descent, Open Water

The Meg

Director: Jon Turteltaub

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4779682

Review: Too long and meandering but delivers just about enough big dumb fist-in-the-air moments to carry itself over the hump.

Watch it if: You want something deeply silly.

And if you liked: Jurassic World, Deep Blue Sea

Check this out: TITLE

R.I.P.D.

Director: Robert Schwentke

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0790736

Review: Lukewarm and anodyne with nothing really fresh or original to add to the genre.

Watch it if: You want something mildly distracting but not too challenging.

And if you liked: Men in Black: International, Hellboy (2019), The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

Check this out: R.I.P.D.

Open Water

Director: Chris Kentis

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0374102

Review: Tense and unsettling with an impressive handle on its pacing and well balanced lead performances.

Watch it if: You're interested in how much can be done with a tiny budget.

And if you liked: Willow Creek, Buried

Check this out: Tom and Eileen Lonergan

The Master of Disguise

Director: Perry Andelin Blake

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0295427

Review: Manic and bizarre with a breeziness that keeps it from verring too far into obnoxiousness.

Watch it if: You're ready for some aspects that have not aged well.

And if you liked: Austin Powers, Little Nicky, Billy Madison

The Suicide Squad

Director: James Gunn

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6334354

Review: A bit long and disjointed but filled with enough great ideas and fun moments to carry itself through.

Watch it if: You're ok with some fairly gnarly violence.

And if you liked: Deadpool, Kick-Ass, Suicide Squad

Jaws: The Revenge

Director: Joseph Sargent

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093300/

Review: Rambling and incoherent without anything really interesting to latch onto or any kind of impressive special effects.

Watch it if: You're going down the list of Jaws movies.

And if you liked: Jaws 3, Jaws 2

The Green Knight

Director: David Lowery

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9243804

Review: Visually dazzling in a way that really pulls you into the story with a fresh approach to the material and great score.

Watch it if: You want something that brings both cerebral and tense thrills.

And if you liked: The Witch, Macbeth (2015), Mandy

Check this out: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Saint Maud

Director: Rose Glass

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7557108

Review: Both emotionally engaging and shocking with a masterful handle on tone and a perfectly pitched central performance.

Watch it if: You want something with a clear and concise vision.

And if you liked: First Reformed, Taxi Driver, Heartless, Martin

F9: The Fast Saga

Director: Justin Lin

IMDB: IMDB URL

Review: Each scene lasts about 10% too long and they really ratchet up the corny dialogue but still brings plenty of ridiculous thrills and spills to carry it through.

Watch it if: You're into the Fast & Furious movies.

And if you liked: The Fate of the Furious, Mission: Impossible - Fallout

Jaws 3

Director: Joe Alves

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085750

Review: Unfocused and meandering with shockingly dated effects and no real sense of peril.

Watch it if: You're a completionist.

And if you liked: Jaws 2, Piranha (2010), Jurassic World

Old

Director: M. Night Shyamalan

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10954652

Review: Loses its grip in the final third but brings plenty to the table in terms of fun ideas and escalating tension.

Watch it if: You enjoy an unashamedly pulp genre film.

And if you liked: The Village, The Happening

Check this out: Sandcastle

Jaws 2

Director: Jeannot Szwarc

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077766

Review: Not particularly memorable in the end but hits about 80% of what made the original sing.

Watch it if: You're interested in something that keeps the energy going even if it's not changing the world.

And if you liked: Jaws, Damien: Omen II

Black Widow

Director: Cate Shortland

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3480822

Review: Loses some of its threads in the third act but delivers good fun and humour with some decent action and some charismatic cast members.

Watch it if: You're ok with a big blockbuster stepping into some bleak territory here and there.

And if you liked: Solo: A Star Wars Story, The Avengers

Good Vibrations

Director: Lisa Barros D'Sa and Glenn Leyburn

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1920945

Review: Loses some amount of focus on where it's aiming in the last third but still delivers a clear story with a handful of excellent moments.

Watch it if: You want something that can provide a feel-good story without hiding from the reality of the history.

And if you liked: Derry Girls, 24 Hour Party People, Lords of Chaos

Annabelle: Creation

Director: David F. Sandberg

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5140878

Review: A few nice ideas and images drenched in cliche that completely overstays its welcome by a good 45 minutes.

Watch it if: You've never seen a horror movie before.

And if you liked: The Conjuring, The Nun, Insidious

Check this out: Annabelle

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It

Director: Michael Chaves

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7069210

Review: Some fun to be had with the leading characters but otherwise repeating well tread tricks and ideas without adding much new to the table.

Watch it if: You're not at all familiar with horror tropes and cliches.

And if you liked: The Conjuring, The Conjuring 2

Check this out: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trial_of_Arne_Cheyenne_Johnson

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

Director: Burr Steers

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1374989

Review: Has finished telling its joke about an hour in but otherwise knows exactly what it is and where to place its humour.

Watch it if: You want something that's more clever than you might expect.

And if you liked: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

Check this out: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

Motel Hell

Director: Kevin Connor

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081184

Review: Fun and weird in the right places with some genuinely startling images.

Watch it if: You want something that keeps throwing things at you.

And if you liked: Bad Taste, Leatherface, The People Under the Stairs

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

Director: Timur Bekmambetov

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1611224

Review: A few enjoyably silly ideas swimming in mediocrity and unconvincing visual effects.

Watch it if: You need something mildly distracting.

And if you liked: 30 Days of Night, Night Watch, Resident Evil: Retribution

Check this out: Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter

The New Mutants

Director: Josh Boone

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4682266

Review: Some interesting ideas and images let down by a by-the-numbers film-making style and some ropey performances.

Watch it if: You want something fairly distracting but not too challenging.

And if you liked: X-Men, The Orphanage

Check this out: New Mutants

Spiral

Director: Darren Lynn Bousman

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10342730

Review: An interesting core plot that never really grabs due to dull execution and a rushed feel.

Watch it if: You're interested in the Saw movies.

And if you liked: Saw

Sleepaway Camp

Director: Robert Hiltzik

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086320

Review: Enjoyable if formulaic slasher with some impressive prop-work and a genuinely shocking ending.

Watch it if: You're ok with some very poorly aged aspects.

And if you liked: The Burning, Friday the 13th

Mortal Kombat (2021)

Director: Simon McQuaid

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0293429

Review: A fairly dull lead character doesn't manage to slow down an absolutely bonkers fun-fest of exciting ideas and crowd pleasing moments.

Watch it if: You're ok with some over the top gory action.

And if you liked: G.I.Joe: The Rise of Cobra

Wolfwalkers

Director: Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5198068

Review: Drags a little in the middle but carries some nice ideas and tones and filled with undeniably impressive technical feats.

Watch it if: You're interested in the craft of animation.

And if you liked: Dances With Wolves, Pan's Labyrinth, Brave

Ghost Rider

Director: Mark Steven Johnson

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0259324

Review: Some ok visuals here and there but riddled with baffling choices and mediocre ideas.

Watch it if: You're curious about superhero film history.

And if you liked: Steel, Constantine

Body Double

Director: Brian De Palma

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086984

Review: Loses its grip as the revelations start to spill out but until then manages to construct tension and intrigue at an expert level.

Watch it if: You want something that's an artifact of its time in both wildly positive and wildly negative ways.

And if you liked: Rear Window, Nightcrawler, Vertigo

Godzilla vs. Kong

Director: Adam Wingard

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5034838

Review: Follows a fairly similar trajectory to the previous film but still delivers plenty of big spectacle and mad ideas.

Watch it if: You're ok with fairly predictable character arcs.

And if you liked: Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Kong: Skull Island, Godzilla (2014)

Check this out: King Kong vs. Godzilla

Doctor Sleep

Director: Mike Flanagan

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5606664

Review: Somewhat rushed towards the end but doing interesting things with the material without dragging despite its length.

Watch it if: You're interested in something that's working to make fairly hokey ideas work.

And if you liked: The Shining

Check this out: Doctor Sleep

Coming 2 America

Director: Craig Brewer

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6802400

Review: Fairly breezy victory lap of a film that's at its best when it's just enjoying what it is.

Watch it if: You have a soft spot for the people involved.

And if you liked: Coming to America, Bill & Ted Face the Music

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

Director: André Øvredal

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3387520

Review: One or two backwards aspects here and there but delivers a likeable cast, genuinely off-putting monster designs and a clear atmosphere.

Watch it if: You want to see something that really pushes what it can get away with in its intended age range.

And if you liked: Trick 'r Treat, It, ParaNorman

Check this out: TITLE

Terror Train

Director: Roger Spottiswoode

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081617

Review: Fairly by the numbers and has aged poorly in parts but delivers a few fun moments and weird choices.

Watch it if: You're interested in slasher films as a genre.

And if you liked: Friday the 13th, The Burning, Halloween

A Night at the Roxbury

Director: John Fortenberry

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120770

Review: Fairly nonsensical an inconsequential but holds a light and breezy enough pace to keep you on its good side.

Watch it if: You're ok with something silly.

And if you liked: Wayne's World 2, Hot Rod

Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem

Director: Colin and Greg Strause

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0833779

Review: A confused mess of unintelligable action pretending to be moody tension with paper thin characters and questionable ideas.

Watch it if: You're just that curious.

And if you liked: Alien vs. Predator

Alien vs. Predator

Director: Paul W.S. Anderson

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0370263

Review: A few well constructed sets can't save an empty exercise in audience service that plays out like a fan film in all ways but budget.

Watch it if: You're ticking off the list.

And if you liked: G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, The Mummy (2017), Lara Croft: Tomb Raider