Beware the Slenderman

Director: Irene Taylor Brodsky

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5329376

Review: Falls into some fairly obvious pitfalls and cheap shock but still tells its story well enough.

Watch it if: You're not looking for something too cheerful.

And if you liked: Making a Murdere, Cropsey, Killer Legends

1922

Director: Zak Hilditch

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt6214928

Review: Reveals its cards almost immediately and never really reaches a real hit but never bores and delivers enough to carry itself through.

Watch it if: You're interested in a super chewy Thomas Jane performance.

And if you liked: Misery, Crimson Peak, There Will Be Blood

Check this out: 1922

The Cloverfield Paradox

Director: Julius Onah

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2548396

Review: Completely daffy and far too many scenes of forced peril but looks nice enough and there's fun to be had.

Watch it if: You're ok with some polished looking nonsense.

And if you liked: Moon, Prometheus, Star Trek: Discovery, Even Horizon

Call Me by Your Name

Director: Luca Guadagnino

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5726616

Review: Refreshing in its honesty and its humanity with some stunning performances and plenty of genuine wit.

Watch it if: You're ok with a film taking its time.

And if you liked: Moonlight, Love is Strange

Check this out: Call Me by Your Name

A Futile and Stupid Gesture

Director: David Wain

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5566790

Review: Manages to carry poignancy through chaos with some canny casting and a real sense of flow.

Watch it if: You're interested in comedy history.

And if you liked: Man on the Moon, Animal House

Check this out: A Futile and Stupid Gesture: How Doug Kenney and National Lampoon Changed Comedy Forever

Phantom Thread

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5776858

Review: A fascinating portrait of toxicity with a bizarrely constant score and a masterful use of subtlety.

Watch it if: You're interested in a piece that twists slowly.

And if you liked: The Master, Behind the Candelabra, Dead Ringers

Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie

Director: David Soren

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2091256

Review: Embraces its inherent silliness to perfection with a breezy plot and a fast pace.

Watch it if: You want something light and goofy.

And if you liked: The Lego Movie, Despicable Me

Check this out: Captain Underpants

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Director: Ron Howard

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0170016

Review: Very clearly feels like 30 minutes of material stretched out to a full feature but is fairly impressively put together and delivers enough fun.

Watch it if: You want something reasonably distracting for Christmas.

And if you liked: A Nightmare Before Christmas, Krampus, Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond

Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi

Director: Rian Johnson

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2527336

Review: Too long with some problems but absolutely dazzling and fun with serious emotional heft.

Watch it if: You can appreciate something going for broke even if it stumbles along the way.

And if you liked: The Empire Strikes Back, Dune, Pacific Rim

The Disaster Artist

Director: James Franco

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3521126

Review: Energetic in an engaging way with some fascinating choices and great use of cues from the source material.

Watch it if: You're interested in a late 90s/early 00s period piece.

And if you liked: Ed Wood, Bowfinger, The Great Gatsby

Check this out: The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside The Room, the Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made