A few of the jump scares are ruthlessly effective and, with its cartoonishly gothic tone, Hokum does what it says on the tin.

There is some good stuff here: it looks beautiful, the score is flesh-crawlingly creepy and there are individual shots that will stay with you for weeks. . . Alas, these qualities are all but lost in a slush of nonsensical narrative, unintentional (or so it seems) laughs and characters who are introduced only to drift away like flotsam.

Whether Megalopolis is a critical or commercial success remains to be seen but it’s strange enough to surely have a long life as a cult film.

As The Super Mario Bros. Movie progresses, it’s hobbled by a perfunctory plot and some lazy creative choices.

Despite stellar efforts from Farrell and Robbie, it all adds up to something not quite charming, not quite moving and not quite compelling. This film is less a big bold beautiful journey; more a mildly diverting pitstop.

At its best, The Blackening is a fun, laugh-out-loud blockbuster that sends up the many genre clichés surrounding Black people in horror (mostly the notion that they always die first in horror films). At its worst, though, it’s a reductive slasher-comedy where most jokes earn a measly huff.

There are glimpses of what could have been a decent film here – something charming, witty and exciting, with a cast of greats given room to soar – but whatever might have been is still stuck inside the pages of the book.

There is the occasional nice detail – like the Jim Belcher figurines that go on sale when he becomes a household name. But Hookings’ screenplay lacks depth, the characters all largely one-note.

The cast is given a boost by the star power of Vanessa Hudgens, Alexander Ludwig and Paolo Núñez all reprising their roles as members of AMMO (Advanced Miami Metro Operations), plus Better Call Saul’s Rhea Seehorn joining as the ballsy US Marshall daughter of the accused Captain Howard. It’s just a shame they’re all woefully underused in a story that feels so same-old-same-old.

With heavy-handed plot lines about misinformation, trauma and the struggle of evolution, Bird Box Barcelona often feels like the writers have picked subjects from recent headlines and tried to craft them into a moralising horror film.

Because of this humanity vacuum, the film’s emotional beats feel strained and awkward; often, Levy relies too heavily on Rob Simonsen’s mawkish score to tell us to feel something. The result: an inoffensive but forgettable sci-fi trifle that probably isn’t worth anyone’s precious time.

Apatow has assembled a fantastic cast of A-listers and friends for his take on the pandemic. Unfortunately, it’s not very funny.

A few fights enliven proceedings, including one on a road lined with cherry blossom trees. But this is largely dull and disappointing.

Director Michael Pearce, who previously made 2021’s decent crime thriller Encounter starring Riz Ahmed, keeps the pace brisk but never really punches up the source material.

Purple Hearts is crushingly predictable and never quite rings true, but it’s not completely hopeless.

This isn’t anyone’s personal story – it’s just the most filmable bits of a fake past, awkwardly, beautifully, pointlessly patched together at 24-frames per second.

But even the fun moments are overshadowed by the writers’ constant need to over-explain each plot point.

A Good Person unfortunately won’t stand as Braff’s finest achievement, and while Pugh and Freeman each give strong turns with what they’re given, even they can’t save this patchy effort from misfiring.

At least Scream star Matthew Lillard brings some creepiness into his little screen time. Otherwise, Five Nights At Freddy’s is moribund.

Fury Of The Gods gets a big, silly ending which is occasionally fun, but there’s a cheap and clumsy feel to everything – a superhero sequel made in the same vague shape as a dozen others.

Much like a bad date, Cat Person feels like a missed opportunity.

Fortunately, Beast is silly enough – and brief enough at 93 minutes – to be a fun watch. Its schlocky B-movie plot moves quickly, largely because there’s hardly an inch of depth to it.

You won’t be able to shake the feeling that there’s a lack of heart and soul here.

Marching Powder isn’t just about anti-woke banter: it also has plenty of affection for its characters, even if it doesn’t fully flesh them out. It’s punchy but never lands a killer emotional blow.

It’s hampered by an execution that’s flat, fussy and self-conscious. Only the most hopeless romantic will be able to invest in these characters for very long.

But as the film lurches into the final third, there’s little emotional sustenance to keep you going. Just one yawn-worthy twist and some dud CGI. Avoid.

Midas Man is so busy hitting the familiar beats of the Fab Four’s incredible rise that it never really burrows beneath Epstein’s skin.

The main problem is that none of these characters are ever fleshed out enough to make you invest in them.