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3 Days to Kill arrives as a comedy directed by McG, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Kevin Costner and Hailee Steinfeld give 3 Days to Kill a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in 3 Days to Kill comes into focus without a long explanation: A dying CIA agent trying to reconnect with his estranged daughter is offered an experimental drug that could save his life in exchange for one last assignment. Across it

Get on Up arrives as a biographical drama directed by Tate Taylor, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Chadwick Boseman and Nelsan Ellis give Get on Up a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in Get on Up comes into focus without a long explanation: A chronicle of James Brown's rise from extreme poverty to become one of the most influential musicians in history. Across its 2h 19m running time, Tate Taylor keeps

Chef arrives as a comedy directed by Jon Favreau, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Jon Favreau and Robert Downey Jr. give Chef a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in Chef comes into focus without a long explanation: A head chef quits his restaurant job and buys a food truck in an effort to reclaim his creative promise, while piecing back together his estranged family. Across its 1h 54m running time, Jon F

Nightcrawler arrives as a thriller directed by Dan Gilroy, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Jake Gyllenhaal and Rene Russo give Nightcrawler a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in Nightcrawler comes into focus without a long explanation: A petty thief desperate for work muscles into the world of crime journalism and becomes the star of his own story as he blurs the line between observer and participant. A

Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones arrives as a horror film directed by Christopher Landon, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Andrew Jacobs and Jorge Diaz give Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones comes into focus without a long explanation: When a young man becomes the target of a malevolent entity, he must uncover its true inte

Unfriended arrives as a horror film directed by Levan Gabriadze, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Heather Sossaman and Matthew Bohrer give Unfriended a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in Unfriended comes into focus without a long explanation: A group of online chatroom friends find themselves haunted by a mysterious, supernatural force using the account of their dead friend. Across its 1h 23m running ti

The Gambler arrives as a thriller directed by Rupert Wyatt, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Mark Wahlberg and Jessica Lange give The Gambler a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in The Gambler comes into focus without a long explanation: Literature professor and gambler Jim Bennett's debt causes him to borrow money from his mother and a loan shark. Across its 1h 51m running time, Rupert Wyatt keeps The Ga

This Is Where I Leave You arrives as a comedy directed by Shawn Levy, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Jason Bateman and Tina Fey give This Is Where I Leave You a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in This Is Where I Leave You comes into focus without a long explanation: After their father passes away, four grown siblings are forced to return to their childhood home and live under the same roof for a week,

The Theory of Everything arrives as a romance directed by James Marsh, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones give The Theory of Everything a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in The Theory of Everything comes into focus without a long explanation: Stephen Hawking gets unprecedented success in the field of physics despite being diagnosed with motor neuron disease at the age of

Million Dollar Arm arrives as a biographical drama directed by Craig Gillespie, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Jon Hamm and Aasif Mandvi give Million Dollar Arm a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in Million Dollar Arm comes into focus without a long explanation: A sports agent stages an unconventional recruitment strategy to get talented Indian cricket players to play Major League Baseball. Across its

Wild arrives as a biographical drama directed by Jean Marc Vallée, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Reese Witherspoon and Laura Dern give Wild a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in Wild comes into focus without a long explanation: A chronicle of one woman's 1,100 mile solo hike undertaken as a way to recover from a recent personal tragedy. Across its 1h 55m running time, Jean Marc Vallée keeps Wild depen

Sex Tape arrives as a comedy directed by Jake Kasdan, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Jason Segel and Cameron Diaz give Sex Tape a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in Sex Tape comes into focus without a long explanation: A married couple wake up to discover that the sex tape they made the evening before has gone missing, leading to a frantic search for its whereabouts. Across its 1h 34m running time, Ja