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Going in Style
Going in Style arrives as a comedy directed by Zach Braff, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Michael Caine and Alan Arkin give Going in Style a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in Going in Style comes into focus without a long explanation: Desperate to pay their bills and support their loved ones, lifelong pals Willy Davis, Albert Gardner, and Joe Harding risk it all by robbing the bank that absconded wit
Aug 103 min read
Smurfs: The Lost Village
Smurfs: The Lost Village arrives as an animated adventure directed by Kelly Asbury, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Demi Lovato and Rainn Wilson give Smurfs: The Lost Village a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in Smurfs: The Lost Village comes into focus without a long explanation: A mysterious map sets Smurfette and her friends Brainy, Clumsy and Hefty on an exciting race through the Forbidden Forest,
Aug 103 min read
Snatched
Snatched arrives as a comedy directed by Jonathan Levine, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Amy Schumer and Goldie Hawn give Snatched a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in Snatched comes into focus without a long explanation: When her boyfriend dumps her before their exotic vacation, a young woman persuades her ultra cautious mother to travel with her to paradise, with unexpected results. Across its 1h 30
Aug 102 min read
Boo 2! A Madea Halloween
Boo 2! A Madea Halloween arrives as a horror film directed by Tyler Perry, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Tyler Perry and Cassi Davis give Boo 2! A Madea Halloween a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in Boo 2! A Madea Halloween comes into focus without a long explanation: Madea, Bam, and Hattie venture to a haunted campground and the group must run for their lives when monsters, goblins, and the boogeym
Aug 103 min read
Lady Bird
Lady Bird arrives as a comedy directed by Greta Gerwig, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf give Lady Bird a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in Lady Bird comes into focus without a long explanation: A fiercely independent teenager tries to make her own way in the world while wanting to get out of her hometown of Sacramento, California and to get away from her complicated mo
Aug 103 min read
The Dark Tower
The Dark Tower arrives as an action film directed by Nikolaj Arcel, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey give The Dark Tower a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in The Dark Tower comes into focus without a long explanation: A boy haunted by visions of a dark tower from a parallel reality teams up with the tower's disillusioned guardian to stop an evil warlock known as the Ma
Aug 103 min read
American Made
American Made arrives as a comedy directed by Doug Liman, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Tom Cruise and Domhnall Gleeson give American Made a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in American Made comes into focus without a long explanation: The story of Barry Seal, an American pilot who became a drug runner for the CIA in the 1980s in a clandestine operation that would be exposed as the Iran Contra Affair.
Aug 103 min read
Atomic Blonde
Atomic Blonde arrives as an action film directed by David Leitch, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Charlize Theron and James McAvoy give Atomic Blonde a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in Atomic Blonde comes into focus without a long explanation: An undercover MI6 agent is sent to Berlin during the Cold War to investigate the murder of a fellow agent and recover a missing list of double agents. Across i
Aug 103 min read
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri arrives as a comedy directed by Martin McDonagh, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Frances McDormand and Woody Harrelson give Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri comes into focus without a long explanation: A mother personally challenges the local authorities to solve her daughte
Aug 103 min read
Happy Death Day
Happy Death Day arrives as a horror film directed by Christopher Landon, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Jessica Rothe and Israel Broussard give Happy Death Day a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in Happy Death Day comes into focus without a long explanation: A college student must relive the day of her murder over and over again, in a loop that will end only when she discovers her killer's identity. Ac
Aug 103 min read
Darkest Hour
Darkest Hour arrives as a biographical drama directed by Joe Wright, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Gary Oldman and Lily James give Darkest Hour a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in Darkest Hour comes into focus without a long explanation: In May 1940, the fate of World War II hangs on Winston Churchill, who must decide whether to negotiate with Adolf Hitler, or fight on knowing that it could mean the
Aug 103 min read
The Shack
The Shack arrives as a fantasy directed by Stuart Hazeldine, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Sam Worthington and Octavia Spencer give The Shack a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in The Shack comes into focus without a long explanation: A grieving man receives a mysterious, personal invitation to meet with God at a place called "The Shack.". Across its 2h 12m running time, Stuart Hazeldine keeps The Sha
Aug 103 min read
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