For all the ways that Darby and the Dead tries to give its abundantly safe story some life, it can’t break free of a narrative hellbent on dragging it to the grave.

The Pod Generation ends with a thud, leaving the audience to question what the purpose of this endeavor even was.

Even though the brutality is seemingly never-ending, we never dull to the constant barrage of pain—both physically and emotionally. Yet when Fuqua and Collage aren’t focusing on the cruelty of this world, the film stops dead, lumbering through the motions, complete with derivative choices, characters, and dialogue.

Measures for a Funeral is brimming with style and painstakingly researched, but the fact Bohdanowicz seems to insist on showcasing every tiny detail she discovered at the sacrifice of making a leaner, more focused, and riveting story causes a dissonance that makes it feel dead on arrival.

Trap is another promising thriller from M. Night Shyamalan, but his filmmaking choices simply can't do this conceit justice.

All the clear love the film has for the references it is throwing out is never molded into anything memorable of its own.

There's nothing about The Family Plan 2 that particularly stands out aside from the European Christmas setting. Despite having a slightly different premise from the original, much of the film plays out like a sitcom. Yes, it's an improvement over the first movie, that's not saying much when your predecessor was already lackluster.

Bloody Axe Wound may not be a satirical masterpiece, a profound coming-of-age work or a belly-aching comedy, but its surface is shiny enough to guarantee a bloody good time while watching it -- just don't bite the blade any deeper.

While the title promises fire, the only riddle remaining is where the adventure it was searching for ended up disappearing to.

It's clearly intended to be a companion to and showcase of the simultaneously released album instead of a fleshed-out, standalone film. Regrettably, it never lets the audience forget that fact, feeling far more like a long music video than a feature film.

Fans of space-based thrillers may get enough out of the movie to be moderately entertained, but anyone else intrigued by the idea of six astronauts floating above a world that may have blown itself to hell is likely going to find themselves disappointed by the fact that I.S.S. barely takes the time to reckon with the unimaginable horror that should have been dawning on these characters.

The film feels like it's making use of storytelling devices and clichés that have been used over and over again in other stories. The end product is something that is serviceable and easy to digest, but also far too familiar, lacking any major innovations.

Disney Channel's latest sequel has all the bells and whistles, but not much in the way of substance.

You won't forget Alan Ritchson. If he can make crap entertaining, imagine him in a comedic role with a much better script

Despite its flaws, the film still stands out for its bold visual approach and Golding’s performance to offer a thoughtful yet imperfect reflection on what it’s like to really move on from loss.

Father Mother Sister Brother does have little pockets of Jarmusch's genius scattered throughout, but not enough to make up for how unfulfilling the entire experience is.

The best thing Whistle has going for it is that the "monster" is actually pretty creepy, and the rules created behind what it does are intriguing enough. The gore and death scenes are effective, pulling in the viewer, as the character building pushes them away.

The Swearing Jar is a decent idea, but the screenplay and editing draws attention to itself in a way that takes away from the film’s biggest moments—a shame considering these moments could’ve been extremely effective if handled in a slightly different way.

It's all a bit "been there, done that," and though it's not abysmal for its time, it doesn't feel particularly fresh or enjoyable.

Though there are shocking moments, it mostly plays things safe, refusing to fully embrace the intensity it occasionally flirts with.

It's a real shame that The Alto Knights doesn't explore its real-life story as thoroughly as it should have, as there is a genuinely interesting story to tell here. The film details historical events that didn't just dramatically impact the shadowy world of organized crime, it changed the public perception of the Mafia forever. The Alto Knights perhaps would have been better served if it had been a documentary narrated by one Robert De Niro instead of a meandering feature film that stars two.

While the unique shooting style and the talents of Dynevor and Ifans should have set the film up for success, the underdeveloped characters and underwhelming twists render Inheritance a tedious watch rather than a gripping espionage action flick.

Lilly becomes a chiseled-down Wikipedia summary version of a life, dipping in here and there to show you the big moments, but in the process, characterization and emotion are stripped away.

The cast is sufficiently fun and the remote location a proper backdrop for the offbeat story to play out. It just never brings all its pieces together, revealing that the greatest paranormal force haunting the entire affair is the ghost of a better film.

With Garner at the helm of a film that fires up some endearing energy from start to finish, Family Switch is not a perfect film, but it’s glossy, humble, and good-natured enough for an easy watch this holiday season.

The problem with He Knows You're Alone is that it's, well, boring. The characters are likable enough but dull, the subplots go on too long, there are more jump scares than suspense, the killer isn't all that scary, and his kills are mostly bloodless.

Michael Jai White's million-dollar presence and fancy fighting techniques aren't powerful enough to overcome dull scripting and odd performance choices.

Although your mileage may vary when it comes to Honey Don't's tone, what's undeniable is that Qualley was made to play Honey. She's cool, slick, and wildly charismatic.