Memory plays like a blended cop movie/revenge thriller and exhibits the strengths and weaknesses of both. At its best, it recalls the Mel Gibson movie Payback (which was similarly a remake of an earlier film based on book).

It’s a painless diversion – no more, no less – that gets an injection of energy from the lead actor’s willingness to not take himself too seriously.

The Northman is gripping cinema of the sort that we get too little of today, when too often a director’s vision is diluted by box office imperatives and the lure of four-quadrant appeal.

The movie’s narrative twists are neither surprising nor interesting and the emotional weight of the story and characters is feather-light. It is, however, engaging in a disposable fashion, offering occasionally entertaining instances (such as the aforementioned Tarantino homage) and an animation style that seems less plastic than many of today’s generic offerings.

There’s nothing in this third Fantastic Beasts installment that will grow the audience. In fact, the plodding pacing offers little to excite anyone outside the dwindling core fandom.

From the sluggish introduction to the chaotic heist scenes (which happen quickly and haphazardly), the first 45 minutes of Ambulance struggle to find any sort of rhythm. Once the protracted ambulance chase begins, the film is on firmer footing and viewers will recognize aspects of the familiar Speed template, but the movie never achieves anything more substantive than being impressive eye candy. After a while, it becomes more exhausting than exhilarating.

Although it runs too long, it’s nevertheless an enjoyable and satisfying romp through the lives of one woman who makes “being the worst of her selves” an asset.

Keeping in mind the limitations imposed on the production by the running time, All the Old Knives offers a compelling (if ultimately unremarkable) spy movie that tilts more toward a drama than a conventional action/thriller.

Morbius is the kind of bland, by-the-numbers origin story that shows comic book movies at their least innovative.

Barbarians starts out as a tense psychological thriller unfolding against the tableau of a not-so-friendly dinner before morphing into something decidedly physical and creepy.

Despite never previously having made a feature film, Stolevski’s sure-handed approach delivers a winner. He takes chances, doesn’t underestimate his audience, and tells a story worth telling.

It’s easily digestible and, although some of the less successful elements may try the patience from time-to-time, the companionable chemistry – screwball banter mixed with romantic frisson – between Bullock (who’s much better in this sort of part than her more serious outings) and Tatum smooths out many of the rough patches.

Beautifully filmed and emotionally on-target when confined to 1924, Mothering Sunday loses its way once unmoored in time and left adrift on the currents of the years to come.

X is a reminder that, while the slasher genre had some very deep valleys, some of the most effective horror emerged from it (especially in the early days before the films became little more than orgies of inventive eviscerations). With X, West seeks to recapture some of the fun, edginess, and energy of those productions while at the same time delivering a few surprises.

Master is something of a mixed bag but and, for those hoping to find the next Get Out, the search must go on.

In the end, the story becomes a little too convoluted and the resolution is over-the-top but, for the most part, the twists and turns keep the viewer engaged, the puzzle pieces fit together on a second viewing, and Rylance never ceases to mesmerize.

The premise is intriguing and the cast is top-notch but, taken as a whole, The Adam Project comes up short. As a way to fill an unpretentious couple of hours, it’s fine (especially as part of a bigger streaming package), but as a destination film, it’s a disappointment.

I don’t for a moment believe the film has widespread, mainstream appeal (hence the decision of Disney-owned Searchlight Pictures to bypass theatrical distribution in favor of a Hulu premiere) but for those who enjoy stews that mix warped comedy with twisted horror, it hits the spot.

At a time when many comic book franchises are seeking to go bigger, with cosmic beings and multiverses, The Batman’s down-to-earth approach offers a welcome reprieve.

It’s not conventionally frightening nor does it offer a cavalcade of artificially crafted jump-scares, relying instead on a deeper, more primal form of terror built on a foundation of slow-burn tension and a surfeit of atmosphere.

Marry Me isn’t good enough to transcend the limitations of the genre but it’s a passably enjoyable throwback to the heyday of rom-coms.

Die-hard Christie purists may be disappointed by some of the changes but, on the whole, Death on the Nile is faithful enough to tell the story and different enough to work better with modern-day concerns about diversity than the original text.

Most rom-coms take vague stabs at humor while focusing on the romance. Here, the balance is shifted. There’s enough chemistry between Day and Slate to get us to root for their coupling but both are comedians by trade and that serves them well.

In terms of storytelling, excitement, and overall entertainment value, Blacklight is a black hole.

There’s nothing worthwhile here; the landscape of wretched banality offers only wasted time and a sense of despair.

Throughout the entire production, there’s an excellent sense of place with both the touristy and less friendly aspects of Acapulco contrasting with one another. These real-world contradictions are less compelling than those in Neil’s personality but they make for a fascinating backdrop to the unveiling of the truths about one man’s psychological dissolution.

Allen almost seems to be going through the motions – his jokes are flat, his stories are poorly focused, and the sense of zany energy that characterized his best films is absent.

As a streaming offering available as part of a subscription package, it might be considered an adequate way to pass 90 minutes but as a reason to venture out to a theater, it’s hard to imagine anyone willing to go to those lengths for something this forgettable.