Always Shine

In Always Shine two friends explore their rivalry on a get away trip. The events of the trip are colored by perception, self esteem, jealousy and passion. The events are intense and dramatic. This is a relationship story that turns into a thriller. Very well done.

Flower

Teen sexuality is explored in Flower as a young girl seeks revenge using family and friends. When things get out of control there is no turning back. There are a lot of uncomfortable situations in this story, but by does it make things interesting. This was a good rental.

My Favorite Spy

I think I saw My Favorite Spy on late night TV when I was a kid. But after seeing the documentary about Hedy Lamarr I wanted a refresher. This mistaken identity thriller, comedy is masterful and satisfying. Lamarr and Hope have great chemistry. I love a classic. Really holds up.

Marwencol

With promos for a new film Welcome to Marwen I decided it would be good to rent the documentary Marwencol learn the origin story. In the film we learn of a man coping with PTSD from a severe beating. He is creative and expressive and his art saves his sanity. This is a very interesting story and a documentary worth seeing. If you rent the DVD the extras are worth watching.

Won't You Be My Neighibor?

When the promotions for the documentary Won't You Be My Neighbor? started I heard, "how did it take so long to get a documentary about Mr. Rogers?" My answer is, "It didn't." In 2011 the documentary Mister Rogers & Me was released. It premiered at the Nantucket Film Festival in 2010 and was picked up by PBS in 2011. I have loved this film for years. It is a very personal account of the spirit of Fred Rogers through people who knew him well. When Won't You Be My Neighbor? came out, I was excited to see another documentary about Mr. Rogers. I will say I was disappointed. I felt that the segments were disjointed and there's an animated element that took me out of the narrative. This documentary is OK.

Matilda

Social media posts from Danny DeVito around Father's Day made me realize that I've never seen the live action movie Matilda. The Roald Dahl story of a young girl, and the teacher that helps her overcome her horrible parents and a mean school principle, has a charm rooted in the performances. Mara Wilson is a delight in this. The uncomfortable moments remind you just who wrote this. A good rental.

Unsane

The lines between mental illness, stress and reality are blurred in Unsane as a woman struggles to find safety. Every time I thought I knew what was going on in this film I was wrong. Even the ending left me scratching my head. An interesting drama with the flavor of a thriller. The performances are excellent.

Suburbicon

A nasty man does nasty things and pays the price in the movie Suburbicon. The fantasy of ideal suburbia is satirized in the misdeeds and misfortunes of this man. This is a very dark story that left me feeling unsettled. An OK rental.

Father Figures

In pursuit of their birth fathers, two brothers in the movie Father Figures have many missteps. They meet many colorful people on their journey and the cases of mistaken identity are very entertaining. This is an amazing cast and a fun rental.

Hereditary

What appears to be the difficulties of an extended family becomes so much more in the film Hereditary. The less you know going into this film, the better. Just know that it is a horror film and there is plenty of darkness and jump scares. This is one of the best films of the year for me.

I Kill Giants

In I Kill Giants a girl uses a fantasy world to deal with the complexities of her young life. We step into the mind of  Barbara as she struggles with school and family. Beautifully shot, but the story fizzles near the end. This was an OK rental.

Thoroughbreds

A percussive score lends the tone to Thoroughbreds as two women set out to right a wrong. With more depth than your average coming of age film, the decision making process and methods are intriguing and entertaining. Good film.

Backstabbing for Beginners

Based on a true story, Backstabbing for Beginners follows a young diplomat to a world of  international corruption. This conspiracy thriller has performances that meet the level of drama required to tell this story. Well done.

Annihalation

Watching Annihilation I realize that I'm not that good with sci-fi. The concept of "the shimmer" and parallel universes was lost on me. This is a very pretty movie and the drama was fine, but the fantasy aspects left me cold. Not for me.

Game Night

A group of friends' gathering for Game Night goes out of control in more than one way. The less you know going into this film, the more entertaining it is. The situations are edgy and funny. There is a thriller aspect that works well with the silly situations. Rachel McAdams was the bright spot in this movie for me. Very entertaining.