Blacklight
Travis Block (Liam Neeson) is a government operative coming to terms with his shadowy past. When he discovers a plot targeting U.S. citizens, Block finds himself in the crosshairs of the FBI director he once helped protect.
Description and score provided by Metacritic.
RATED PG-13 FOR STRONG VIOLENCE, ACTION, AND LANGUAGE.
“If you approach it with sufficiently lowered expectations, and have fond memories of the ’70s paranoid dramas that obviously inspired director and co-writer Mark Williams, this might be your house-brand jam.” – Joe Leydon, Variety
“There is nothing remarkable or special about Blacklight — it’s fairly empty, a boilerplate series of dialogue, action, dialogue. However, it is fun to witness Neeson do what he does so well and lose oneself in the thrilling familiarity of hand-to-hand combat and shootouts.” – Debopriyaa Dutta, Screen Rant
“Blacklight isn’t a rush to the theaters type film. It’s more of a wait and enjoy a solid, if unremarkable action drama. It’s best suited checking out on the couch.” – Jeffrey Lyles, Lyles’ Movie Files
Demonic
A young woman unleashes terrifying demons when supernatural forces at the root of a decades old rift between mother and daughter are revealed.
RATED R FOR LANGUAGE, SOME VIOLENCE, AND BLOODY IMAGES.
Description and score provided by Metacritic.
“For all of its lackluster holy leanings, Demonic still achieves an air of abject horror, aided in no small part by Ola Strandh’s electro-exorcism score. The demon’s design is also consistently terrifying, whether it is enveloped in a neon-soaked backlight or morphing into unpredictable and increasingly abominable versions of itself.” – Natalia Keogan, Paste
“Even if it becomes a little more familiar in the third act, especially to fans of that weird era of Nineties supernatural action thrillers like End of Days and Fallen, it’s undeniable that Demonic rips open new technical possibilities for horror.” – Richard Whittaker, Austin Chronicle
“Co-written with Blomkamp’s District 9 collaborator Terri Tatchell, the film has agreeably creepy blurred ideas about the human experience and the simulated experience. And it’s never dull.” – Tara Brady, The Irish Times
The Good Fight: Season 5
The loss of two attorneys leads Diane to wonder if she should be leading the African American law firm with Liz as they also wrangle with Hal Wackner (Mandy Patinkin), who runs a court in the back of his copy shop. While not legal, the public seem to take the decisions seriously.
RATED TV-MA. CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE, SEXUAL CONTENT, NUDITY, VIOLENCE, DRUG USE, AND SMOKING.
Description and score provided by Metacritic.
“The spark and wit is as palpable as ever.” – Melanie McFarland, Salon
“Thankfully, the Kings’ unparalleled knack for topicality has confidently steered Season 5 toward where we are in 2021…” – Inkoo Kang, Washington Post
“For those concerned that any departures and rearranging mean that the show has lost its freewheeling spirit, fear not… After setting the table in that season premiere, the second episode has all the hallmarks of the wild Good Fight imagination and self-deprecation that it’s long had in its foundation. Those renewed strengths are delivered with an even greater sense of confidence, in writing and performance and presentation.” – Steve Greene, IndieWire
Uncharted
Street-smart Nathan Drake (Tom Holland) is recruited by seasoned treasure hunter Victor “Sully” Sullivan (Mark Wahlberg) to recover a fortune amassed by Ferdinand Magellan and lost 500 years ago by the House of Moncada. What starts as a heist job for the duo becomes a globe-trotting, white-knuckle race to reach the prize before the ruthless Santiago Moncada (Antonio Banderas), who believes he and his family are the rightful heirs. If Nate and Sully can decipher the clues and solve one of the world’s oldest mysteries, they stand to find $5 billion in treasure and perhaps even Nate’s long-lost brother… but only if they can learn to work together.
RATED PG-13 FOR VIOLENCE / ACTION, AND LANGUAGE.
Description and score provided by Metacritic.
“While Uncharted will never be a classic on par with Spielberg’s original swashbuckling adventure, it does no dishonor to that tradition, and even manages to deliver a few unique thrills.” – Liz Shannon Miller, Consequence
“Since making his debut with Zombieland, director Ruben Fleischer has developed an aptitude for cheerful proficiency (if not a ton of discernible personality) that he deploys to great effect in this brisk pastiche, especially with Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg bickering their way through one set piece after another.” – Todd Gilchrist, The Wrap
“With so many video game adaptations being little more than live-action fanfiction, Uncharted stands out by feeling like an actual movie, mostly eschewing fan service in favor of little organic beats between characters.” – Matthew Monagle, Austin Chronicle
Dog
Army Ranger Briggs (Channing Tatum) and Lulu (a Belgian Malinois) buckle into a 1984 Ford Bronco and race down the Pacific Coast in hopes of making it to a fellow soldier’s funeral on time. Along the way, they’ll drive each other completely crazy, break a small handful of laws, narrowly evade death, and learn to let down their guards in order to have a fighting chance of finding happiness.
RATED PG-13 FOR LANGUAGE, THEMATIC ELEMENTS, DRUG CONTENT, AND SOME SUGGESTIVE MATERIAL.
Description and score provided by Metacritic.
“Dog attempts and mostly does a solid job walking a perilous line, being honest about and sympathetic to the concerns and inside jokes of veterans without licking boots or justifying endless war.” – Vince Mancini, Uproxx
“So what if star and co-director Channing Tatum lays on the sniffles in this tale of an Army Ranger and a K9 warrior named Lulu, who steals every scene she’s in. They’re both PTSD-scarred combat veterans who try to heal each other and they hit you like a shot in the heart.” – Peter Travers, ABC News
“Dog is a little sentimental and travels down well-trodden paths, but its gorgeous execution and charming performances make it the feel-good film we could all use in the depressing doldrums of February.” – Danielle Ryan, /Film
The Cursed
In the late 1800s, a man arrives in a remote country village to investigate an attack by a wild animal but discovers a much deeper and sinister force that has the manor and its townspeople in its grip.
RATED R FOR STRONG VIOLENCE, GRISLY IMAGES, AND BRIEF NUDITY.
Description and score provided by Metacritic.
“It’s inventive enough to surprise, while still bringing with it fond memories of everything from Hammer to The Innocents, Dracula to creepy country house Gothic horror.” – Fionnuala Halligan, Screen Daily
“Haunting, harrowing, and hypnotic… a werewolf story with a lot on its mind.” – Ben Pearson, /Film
“The Cursed has its own mythology and some unnerving, bloody innovations around what’s basically a werewolf story, but Ellis gets a lot of his mileage around the standard creature-feature horror-story things he doesn’t do.” – Tasha Robinson, Polygon
The Beta Test
A married Hollywood agent receives a mysterious letter for an anonymous sexual encounter and becomes ensnared in a sinister world of lying, murder, and infidelity.
NOT RATED. CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE THROUGHOUT, NUDITY, SEXUAL CONTENT, AND VIOLENCE.
Description and score provided by Metacritic.
“Overall, Cummings and McCabe’s film touches a raw nerve with sharp, funny, awkwardly prickly provocation.” – Rodrigo Perez, The Playlist
“It takes prodigious comic gifts to make a loathsome, pathetic character so mesmerizing that you enjoy watching him dig himself into a hole for 90-plus minutes. Jim Cummings, the star, editor, co-writer, and co-director of The Beta Test, has those gifts.” – Matt Zoller Seitz, RogerEbert.com
“Cummings works the same muscles that attracted attention in the festival darling Thunder Road and its follow-up, The Wolf of Snow Hollow: Exploring the varieties of volatile awkwardness and desperation, he plays a well-known type (the showbiz ladder-climber who’s nothing but a smile) while making the character unlike any we’ve seen.” – John DeFore, Hollywood Reporter
Licorice Pizza
Licorice Pizza is the story of Alana Kane and Gary Valentine growing up, running around and falling in love in the San Fernando Valley, 1973. Written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, the film tracks the treacherous navigation of first love.
RATED R FOR LANGUAGE, SEXUAL MATERIAL, AND SOME DRUG USE.
Description and score provided by Metacritic.
“Looser and funnier than his recent efforts, sharper and more formally assured than his earliest films, this is Paul Thomas Anderson operating at full capacity. A master at work.” – John Nugent, Empire
“With first-rate production values and a gloriously memory-drenched 35mm cinematography, Licorice Pizza is a visual feast brimming with razor-sharp dialogue, hilarious comedic vignettes, brilliant performances from Cooper Hoffman and Alana Haim as well as the veteran, star-studded supporting cast, and some genuine heart. This is one of the very best movies of 2021.” – Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times
“Watching Licorice Pizza is simultaneously like watching life with all the boring parts cut out and like watching movies with all the phony parts cut out.” – Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle
Belle
Suzu is a shy, everyday high school student living in a rural village. For years, she has only been a shadow of herself. But when she enters “U”, a massive virtual world, she escapes into her online persona as Belle, a gorgeous and globally-beloved singer. One day, her concert is interrupted by a monstrous creature chased by vigilantes. As their hunt escalates, Suzu embarks on an emotional and epic quest to uncover the identity of this mysterious “beast” and to discover her true self in a world where you can be anyone.
RATED PG FOR THEMATIC CONTENT, VIOLENCE, LANGUAGE, AND BRIEF SUGGESTIVE MATERIAL.
Description and score provided by Metacritic.
“Between hidden depths and dazzling surfaces, home truths and virtual wonders, Hosoda’s tale of teenage anguish, connectivity and emotional salvation enraptures.” – Kevin Harley, Total Film
“Belle is a beautifully observed, dazzlingly animated sci-fi fairy tale about our online-offline double lives – it’s Hosoda’s finest film since 2012’s Wolf Children, and perhaps his best to date.” – Robbie Collin, The Telegraph
“Colors and hearts explode in Belle, and your head might too while watching this gorgeous anime.” – Manohla Dargis, New York Times
Infinite
For Evan McCauley (Mark Wahlberg), skills he has never learned and memories of places he has never visited haunt his daily life. Self-medicated and on the brink of a mental breakdown, Evan is sought by a secret group that call themselves “Infinites,” revealing to him that his memories may be real—but they are from multiple past lives.
RATED PG-13 FOR SEQUENCES OF STRONG VIOLENCE, SOME BLOODY IMAGES, STRONG LANGUAGE, AND BRIEF DRUG USE.
Description and score provided by Metacritic.
“The funny thing is, though, that it does somehow work despite its flaws. Its A-to-B propulsion added onto Maikranz’s environmental framework might be basic and familiar, but it gets us to the end without too much manipulation.” – Jared Mobarak, The Film Stage
“If it’s empty-vessel escapism you’re after, this wonkily watchable affair will deliver what little you need.” – Leigh Paatsch, Herald Sun
“Mark Wahlberg plays a reincarnated Japanese blacksmith who uses his sword to stab a plane. What else do you need to say?” – Vincent Mancini, Uproxx
Succession: Season 3
Logan looks to firm up his position after Kendall’s press conference as the power struggle continues.
RATED TV-MA. CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE THROUGHOUT, THEMATIC MATERIAL, SEXUAL CONTENT, NUDITY, MILD VIOLENCE, DRUG USE, AND SMOKING.
Description and score provided by Metacritic.
“Worth every minute of the excruciating two-year wait between Seasons 2 and 3… This is cutthroat corporate theater played at a Shakespearean level, King Lear with a bracing shot of bawdy farce.” – Matt Roush, TV Guide
“Succession somehow only gets better in its third season, giving us more relentless nastiness, ridiculous humor, and remarkable performances. This is the stuff great TV is made of.” – Jade Budowski, Decider
“Succession is the best show on TV. Which makes it a particular pleasure to report that Season 3 lives up to that superlative.” – Kristi Turnquist, The Oregonian
The Boys: Seasons 1 & 2
Eric Kripke and Evan Goldberg’s superhero series, based on the comic book of the same name by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson focuses on a group of vigilantes that include Billy Butcher (Karl Urban), Hughie (Jack Quaid), Mother’s Milk (Laz Alonso), Female (Karen Fukuhara), and Frenchie (Tomer Capon).
RATED TV-MA. CONTAINS STRONG GRAPHIC VIOLENCE, NUDITY, SEXUAL CONTENT, DRUG USE, THEMATIC MATERIAL, AND PERVASIVE STRONG LANGUAGE.
Description and score provided by Metacritic.
“The darker side of superheroes is an area that’s been explored before but not with nearly the intensity and thoughtfulness you’ll see in The Boys. An action-packed drama with touches of humor, this is a TV series you won’t want to miss.” – Terry Terrones, The Gazette
“A sharp, entertaining, eviscerating satire of superhero franchises and the culture that aggrandizes them… If Season 1 was great, Season 2 is even better, thanks to the expansion of the main characters’ back stories — which in turn throws the good-versus-evil, perfect folks-versus-regular slobs plot into even sharper relief. New twists and members of the ensemble are added judiciously, which is probably a strange word for a show that’s so wonderfully reckless.” – Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times
“The Boys quickly became Amazon’s signature series, and the second season of this beyond-dark show outdoes the first — offering a searing take on modern-day America that might be TV’s most subversive program, camouflaged in superhero garb.” – Brian Lowry, CNN
Sundown
Neil and Alice Bennett (Tim Roth, Charlotte Gainsbourg) are the core of a wealthy family on vacation in Mexico with younger members Colin and Alexa (Samuel Bottomley, Albertine Kotting McMillan) until a distant emergency cuts their trip short. When one relative disrupts the family’s tight-knit order, simmering tensions rise to the fore.
RATED R FOR SEXUAL CONTENT, VIOLENCE, LANGUAGE, AND SOME GRAPHIC NUDITY.
Description and score provided by Metacritic.
“It’s an inward-looking film that seems to be saying something about life. Whatever it’s saying — and it’s not clear that it’s saying anything specific — it connects. It’s not just another good movie. Somehow, it all adds up as something more important.” – Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle
“It’s pitiless and pitch-perfect, an existential tour-de-force with shades of Camus’s The Outsider.” – Xan Brooks, The Guardian
“Where New Order broadly surveyed and compartmentalized Mexico’s upper and lower classes, Sundown pretty much rests its entire narrative on one man, wealthy British business owner Neil Bennett — played with few words but (oxymoron alert) riveting impassivity by Tim Roth.” – Kim Hughes, Original Cin
The Batman
Batman ventures into Gotham City’s underworld when a sadistic killer leaves behind a trail of cryptic clues. As the evidence begins to lead closer to home and the scale of the perpetrator’s plans become clear, he must forge new relationships, unmask the culprit and bring justice to the abuse of power and corruption that has long plagued the metropolis.
RATED PG-13 FOR STRONG VIOLENT AND DISTURBING CONTENT, DRUG CONTENT, STRONG LANGUAGE, AND SOME SUGGESTIVE MATERIAL.
Description and score provided by Metacritic.
“This is a smarter take on these characters than anything we got during the misguided Zack Snyder period… a treat to watch. Despite some minor flaws, this is easily among DC’s better movies, and I would really like to see where they can take this version of Gotham and its inhabitants going forward.” – Sean Farrell, AFPL Journal
“This grounded, frequently brutal and nearly three-hour film noir registers among the best of the genre, even if — or more aptly, because — what makes the film so great is its willingness to dismantle and interrogate the very concept of superheroes.” – Peter Debruge, Variety
“Reeves has created the best iteration of Batman in years, in a film that examines the humanity behind the character. And it’s one that I would like to see again and again.” – Alex Abad-Santos, Vox
X
In 1979, a group of young filmmakers set out to make an adult film in rural Texas, but when their reclusive, elderly hosts catch them in the act, the cast find themselves fighting for their lives.
RATED R FOR STRONG BLOODY VIOLENCE AND GORE, STRONG SEXUAL CONTENT, GRAPHIC NUDITY, DRUG USE, AND LANGUAGE.
Description and score provided by Metacritic.
“X is a clever and exuberant throwback to a less innocent time, when movies could be naughty, disreputable and idiosyncratic.” – A.O. Scott, New York Times
“…maintain[s] a near constant sense of foreboding… Fans of horror movies and in particular West’s previous work like The House of the Devil, will lap this up.” – Sean Farrell, AFPL Journal
“Ti West’s latest slasher X defies all odds and sets itself apart from the crowd as a phenomenal piece of filmmaking that reinvents the overplayed clichés and marks a refreshing turning point for modern horror.” – Chase Wilkinson, We Got This Covered
Umma
Umma, which is the Korean word for “mother,” follows Amanda (Sandra Oh) and her daughter (Fivel Stewart) living a quiet life on an American farm, but when the remains of her estranged mother arrive from Korea, Amanda becomes haunted by the fear of turning into her own mother.
RATED PG-13 FOR TERROR, BRIEF STRONG LANGUAGE, AND SOME THEMATIC ELEMENTS.
Description and score provided by Metacritic.
“Umma is a solid entry for Shim’s debut with a strong story and standout leading performance from Oh. It examines generational trauma, identity, and what it means to confront your past, and it does so effectively.” – Therese Lacson, Collider
“Think more classic Gothic horror than ghastly over-the-top occult. But that’s plenty to keep viewers such as me, who frighten easily, on edge as the story progresses.” – Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times
“The most frightening part of Umma is not the ghostly apparition of Amanda’s mother, but Amanda herself. Under Shim’s direction, Oh’s Amanda is haunted and taut, an unpredictable force of nature.” – Fran Hoepfner, The Wrap
The Burning Sea
In 1969, the Norwegian government announces their discovery of one of the world’s largest oil fields in the neighboring North Sea, launching a prosperous period of offshore drilling. 50 years later, the environmental consequences begin to manifest – a crack has opened on the ocean floor, causing a rig to collapse. A team of researchers, including submarine operator Sofia, rushes in to search for the missing and assess the cause of the damage, but what they discover is that this is just the start of a possible apocalyptic catastrophe. As rigs are evacuated, Sofia’s loving companion Stian becomes trapped in the depths of the sea, and Sofia must dive in to rescue him.
RATED PG-13 FOR PERIL, SOME DISTURBING IMAGES, LANGUAGE, AND BRIEF PARTIAL NUDITY.
Description and score provided by Metacritic.
“By taking its time setting the stakes for all involved, when the action strikes, its impact is witnessed more through the cast rather than a cadre of CGI explosions.” – Rob Rector, Film Threat
“Any time you can top your tale of crisis, calamity and heroism with sacrifice, pathos and a hopeful message, you call that a ‘win,’ in Hollywood or Aelsund.” – Roger Moore, Movie Nation
“Not terribly disastrous… until it is. Then movie-movie melodrama gives way to eco-cataclysm and new realms of planetary existential nightmare. I cannot recall a movie’s ending haunting me this much.” – MaryAnn Johanson, Flick Filosopher
Agent Game
Harris (Dermot Mulroney), a CIA interrogator at an Agency black site, finds himself the target of a rendition operation after being scapegoated for an interrogation gone horribly wrong. As the team tasked to bring Harris in begins to question their orders — and each other —Olsen (Mel Gibson), a senior intelligence officer, and his subordinate, Visser (Annie Ilonzeh), raise the stakes. Now, it’s up to Harris and some newfound allies to uncover the truth and turn the tables.
RATED R FOR VIOLENCE AND LANGUAGE.
Description provided by Metacritic.
“Agent Game is a guilty pleasures espionage thriller loaded with backstabbing and wild shootouts. The film clumsily tackles the CIA’s use of rendition at black ops prisons. The veteran cast and bullet-riddled action keeps the adrenaline flowing.” – Julian Roman, MovieWeb
Ted K
From the mind of director Tony Stone comes Ted K — a bracing, cinematic journey into the tortured mind of The Unabomber. Deep in the American Rocky Mountains lived a man who sought refuge from modern society. His dark writings forewarned of a society ruled by technology. As the outside world encroached on his mountain sanctuary, he slowly became radicalized with rage. What began with small acts of sabotage, culminated with deadly bomb attacks, national media attention, and the largest manhunt in American history. Actor Sharlto Copley brings a dark intensity and unnerving intimacy to this chilling portrait of America’s most notorious and enigmatic terrorist.
RATED R FOR LANGUAGE, SOME SEXUAL CONTENT, AND BRIEF NUDITY.
Description and score provided by Metacritic.
“A risky experiment with a striking payoff, Ted K is an impressionistic attempt to personalize the most unrelatable experience imaginable: life as a killer.” – Elizabeth Weitzman, The Wrap
“An enthralling, even visionary drama that regards its subject with empathy and horror, locates him on the actual piece of land he once owned in Montana and portrays him through a stunning performance by Sharlto Copley, who finds emotional mercury in Kaczynski’s boiling cauldron of rage.” – Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal
“Copley’s performance remains riveting throughout. It’s a testament to his delivery and physicality that we can hear Kaczynski speak expansively about what he’s going to do, and we can watch him experiment with various explosives, and we’re still on edge, wondering what might happen.” – Christy Lemire, RogerEbert.com
Will you be getting “2000 Mules” by Dinesh DiSuza (sp ?)
That is being released in October and we don’t typically order materials that far in advance so unfortunately I don’t know the answer to that at this time.
Getting the movie “Coda” ?
Hi, Ginny! That is an Apple TV+ exclusive and may not be released on DVD. If it does get released on DVD we will definitely be purchasing it! 🙂
Shannon