“Meat Kills” (** out of four) was a pretty empty Dutch horror comedy about a young woman (Caro Derkx) who films a pig farm’s cruelty in order to join an animal activist group; upon finding that the pigs are all dead, the leader of the group (Sen Ben Yakar) enacts bloodthirsty revenge on the farm leader (Sweder de Sitter) and his children leading to a bloody battle to the death for them all. First Dutch film to be rated NC-17 certainly doesn’t spare you any in-your-face blood and gore but it becomes numbing after a while. Highly influenced by early Peter Jackson (particularly “Bad Taste” and “Dead/Alive”) but lacking his nimble and macabre touch.

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“Icefall” (** out of four) was an iciliy cold action melodrama about a young Native American land baron (Bashar Rahal) who captures a notorious poacher (Joel Kinnaman) and plans to execute his death only to learn that the poacher is aware of a crashed plane in a nearby lake carrying millions of dollars and will offer this in exchange for staying alive. Striking wintry and snowbound locations are a plus but you soon realize that you simply don’t care about any of the characters or their outcomes. Another Coen Bros. imitation (of “Blood Simple” and “Fargo” in particular) that falls short. Final film of Graham Greene although he’s wasted in a disposable role.

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“The Astronaut” (*** out of four) was a skillfully done sci/fi melodrama about a space explorer (Kate Mara) who crashlands back to Earth and is then placed in quarantine by an imposing general (Laurence Fishburne) and she begins to unravel and suspect that something otherworldly has followed her home. Writer/director Jess Varley builds the tension gradually and eerily in a way that harks back to Ridley Scott’s “Alien” in style and themes and is anchored by Mara and Fishburne’s strong performances. Remake of a 2020 Russian art hit “Sputnik.”

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“Black Phone 2” (*1/2 out of four) was a wrong number about a grown-up Finn (Mason Thames) and his sister Gwen (Madeline McGraw) who begin receiving disturbing premonitions and nightmares about the killer (Ethan Hawke) they thought was dead but they soon realize that not all evil things stay buried. Well-made but yet another empty pile of fake scares and omens straight off the Blumhouse assembly line. Fans of the original (I wasn’t) may want to check this out but others will want to hang up long before film’s unsatisfying ending.

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“Deliver Me From Nowhere” (*** out of four) was an affecting biopic of Bruce Springsteen (Jeremy Allen White) showing his dysfunctional working-class upbringing in New Jersey and his personal and musical journey in creating his 1982 classic album “Nebraska” which went against the grain in having no singles and no tour but many regard as his artistic masterpiece. Limited in scope and grandeur in that it focuses on a narrow time in his career but still a very well-done and well-made showing of Springsteen and his determination and iconoclasm after achieving initial stardom. White definitely delivers in the lead and Odessa Young is searing and heartfelt as his one-time love interest.

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“Predator: Badlands” (*1/2 out of four) was an almost incomprehensible sequel told from the point of view of a predator Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) who is outcast from his clan but finds an unlikely ally (Elle Fanning) on his quest to destroy his main adversary and find his identity in this world. Give director Dan Trachtenberg credit for trying something new and bringing a literal-minded approach to the series but the result is muddled and nearly incoherent. An improvement over the 2 previous entries but that’s not saying much. A few good action scenes and visual effects towards the end give this its only charge.

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“The Jester 2” (*1/2 out of four) was an unnecessary sequel to the surprise 2023 hit about a teen magician (Kaitlyn Trentham) who crosses paths with the title sinister supernatural presence (Michael Sheffield) leading to a duel to the bloody death in which only one can come out on top. Film is only for those who thought the original was robbed at Oscar time but even they should be let down by film’s tawdry fimmaking and tame horror scenes. Film’s ending leaves the door open for yet another sequel but something tells me the third time won’t be the charm.

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“The Woman In Cabin 10” (** out of four) was a lumbering suspense thriller about an investigative reporter (Keira Knightley) who is on a news assignment aboard a luxurious yacht from a mysterious millionaire (Guy Pearce) and soon stumbles upon a stark secret and realizes her life may be in peril. Moody but muted story never gets going and never gells. Knightley carries the movie almost single-handedly and her strong performance is the only thing that keeps this alive.

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“Dead Of Winter” (** out of four) was a lukewarm suspense melodrama about a widowed fisherwoman (Emma Thompson) traveling alone through snowbound Minnesota who interrups the kidnapping of a teenage girl but finds herself in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse with the girl’s attempted abductors (Judy Greer and Marc Menchaca). Striking wintry cinematography from Christopher Ross on stunning Finland locations can’t sustain film as it never grasps you as it should and grows unwieldy and monotonous. Thompson struggles with her garbled Minnesota accent. Incidentally, this is not a remake of the 1987 Mary Steenburgen/Arthur Penn thriller of the same name.

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