The Birds

Director: Alfred Hitchcock

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056869

Review: Reasonably one note once it gets going but inventive, creative and intense within each sequence as it goes.

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

And if you liked: Night of the Living Dead, Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)

Check this out: The Birds

Deadpool & Wolverine

Director: Shawn Levy

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6263850

Review: Manages to pull off a decent emotional arc while throwing everything at the wall in terms of references and irreverant humour.

Watch it if: You're locked in with the whole Marvel thing.

And if you liked: Deadpool, Deadpool 2, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

North by Northwest

Director: Alfred Hitchcock

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053125

Review: A little baggy in parts but a fun romp that pulls you through each setpiece with a good sense of thrust.

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

And if you liked: The Man Who Knew Too Little, The 39 Steps, 60s James Bond

Dial M for Murder

Director: Alfred Hitchcock

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046912

Review: A gripping story that pulls you in immediately with plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing all the way to the end.

Watch it if: You enjoy something dripping with plot.

And if you liked: Strangers on a Train, Rear Window

Check this out: Dial M for Murder

Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1

Director: Kevin Costner

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt17505010

Review: Nakedly three television episodes stitched together into a feature that is at its best when embracing its pulpier territory rather than its dull prestige drama.

Watch it if: You really really really like westerns.

And if you liked: Dances with Wolves, Open Range, Deadwood

Longlegs

Director: Osgood Perkins

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt23468450

Review: Exceptionally strong opening with a powerful first half that doesn't quite follow through on its promise but still drops a good deal of style and fun.

Watch it if: You like something that wears its influences on its sleeve.

And if you liked: Manhunter, The Silence of the Lambs, Barbarian, True Detective

Kinds of Kindness

Director: Yorgos Lanthimos

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt22408160

Review: Magnetic and hilarious from the start with a sense of madness and tone that just builds curiosity.

Watch it if: You're ok with humour found in darker places.

And if you liked: The Lobster, Poor Things, Being John Malkovich

Heat

Director: Michael Mann

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113277

Review: Just a joy to watch unfold with inventive action and a real thrust to its pacing.

Watch it if: You've somehow never seen it like I hadn't.

And if you liked: Die Hard, Thief, The Dark Knight

Check this out: L.A. Takedown

The Bikeriders

Director: Jeff Nichols

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21454134

Review: Pretty much exactly the film you'd expect but does its job well with a good cast and a strong sense of mood.

Watch it if: You enjoy seeing character actors character act.

And if you liked: Easy Rider, Vanishing Point

Check this out: The Bikeriders

Backcountry

Director: Adam MacDonald

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2944198

Review: Reasonably straight forward but well achieved survival film with a plot that keeps moving and decently convincing performances from the two leads at least.

Watch it if: You're ok with seeing through a little bit of jank to appreciate the technical work being done.

And if you liked: 47 Meters Down, The Shallows, Into the Grizzly Maze

Check this out: Mark Jordan and Jacqueline Perry

MaXXXine

Director: Ti West

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt22048412

Review: Doesn't really amount to much in its final act but still has a lot of fun when it plays with its setting and lurid visuals.

Watch it if: You're into the Pearl trilogy.

And if you liked: X, Pearl, Planet Terror