Hey all, I know it’s been a little while since I’ve posted, so I thought I’d give a quick series of capsule reviews (most of them from my hype index) for the movies I’ve seen so far this summer.  Hope you enjoy them.

 

It Comes at Night

A bleak, disturbing, and refreshingly minimalist horror movie.  The less written about the plot the better, but I’ll say this much: don’t go in expecting to jump out of your seat, but be ready to lose some sleep when you go to bed that night.  8/10

 

47 Meters Down

This one’s nothing special, but the situation is nightmarish, the sharks are terrifying, and the acting’s perfectly fine.  Points must be awarded and subsequently taken away for ruining an almost-great final twist with needless backpedaling.  6/10

 

The Big Sick

It’s not the rom-com game changer that critics have been gushing about, but The Big Sick is funny and charming, even if it’s ultimately not very memorable.  7/10

 

The Beguiled

This movie has strong performances and atmosphere galore, but it’s crippled by an undercooked script and weak ending.  6/10

 

Baby Driver

No one will ever accuse it of being deep, but Edgar Wright’s action-comedy-drama is breezy, undemanding summer fare that’ll send you rushing to Google the soundtrack afterwards.  Watch out for scene-stealing performances from Kevin Spacey and Jamie Foxx.  7.5/10

 

Spider-Man: Homecoming

Good jokes, decent performances, and yawn-worthy action.  Homecoming isn’t a bad movie, but its commitment to Marvel’s robotic filmmaking-by-committee makes it extremely forgettable, especially when compared with the imagination that drove Sam Raimi’s films – and yes, that includes Spiderman 3.  5.5/10

 

War for the Planet of the Apes

Overlong and prone to mawkishness, War still gets by on jaw-dropping special effects and a compelling plot.  It does a solid job of wrapping up the trilogy’s story, but simplifies and dumbs down its once morally ambiguous central conflict.  6/10

 

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

Despite some tasty eye-candy, there’s far too much wrong with this movie to recommend it.  From the mismatched leads, to the unfocused screenplay, to the half-assed political allegories, to Cara Delevingne’s complete lack of acting ability, to the frequently terrible dialogue, there’s just too much chaff to be worth a few fun action sequences and inventive settings.  Re-watch The Fifth Element instead.  4/10