“Nobody’s Coming To Save You” (* out of four) was a clunky psychological thriller that looks like someone’s bad home movies about a pregnant woman (Jeaneen Wifeybaby Adams) who becomes menaced by a masked intruder and when the police (Shani Goodz, King Judah, and others) won’t help her she finds herself all alone and trying to fight back and stay alive. If you make it through the first 15 minutes you might make it through the whole film which isn’t saying much since it’s only 55 minutes long but it’s tough-going even at that length. “Nobody’s Coming” in general would have been a more apt title for this timewaster.

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“The Long Walk” (*** out of four) was a harrowing adaptation of Stephen King’s 1979 novel set in another dystopian future in which a group of young kids (Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Garrett Wareing, and others) are forced to compete in the title game in which they must maintain a certain speed or get shot by the military regime of the evil mayor (Mark Hamill) and the race goes on endlessly until the last man standing. Initially seems plodding and overly familiar but becomes tense and nerve-wracking once the actual walk begins and doesn’t let up. A rock-solid effort from director Francis Lawrence and an interesting companion piece to his other dystopian future work in “The Hunger Games” and one of King’s better film adaptations in a long while.

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“Backlash” (** out of four) was a passable horror thriller about a group of online gamers (Elke Hinrichsen, Alyson Rudlin, Lexi Rose, and others) who are forced to compete in an online deathmatch after the cyber-bullying from one causes a classmate’s suicide which forces them to question one another and whom they can trust. Not bad by the standards of this thing, and is relatively well-made and well-acted, but you’ve seen it all before and will again and done better. OK for what it is.

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“Unsinkable” (** out of four) was a dull melodrama set at the backdrop of the Titanic investigation in which various crew members and personnel (Fiona Dourif, Karen Allen, Brendan Griffin, and others) were called into question in court mediation finding out what went wrong and why. Fascinating historical story is given banal execution and (pun intended) sinks under its own weight. Hard-core historians might find more of merit here but general film lovers won’t find any of the golden or classic drama or acting of “Titanic.”

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“Ballad Of A Small Player” (** out of four) was an insubstantial psychological drama about a gambler (Colin Farrell) running from his past who holes up at a glittering casino hotel in Macau and engages in endless self-indulgence and then becomes entranced and fascinated by an enigmatic woman (Tilda Swinton) he meets at the baccarat table whom he sees as an emblem for trying to turn his life around. Beautifully shot by James Friend on stunning Macau locations but film is alternately weird and uninvolving and never becomes engrossing or rewarding. By the end, it just seems a pointless waste of time. Farrell is ideally cast but even he just seems to be going through the motions here.

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“Meteor: Final Impact” (* out of four) was a bewildering bore set in the Pacific Northwest in the midst of a meteor storm in which a man and his fiancee and also his girlfriend (Justin Higgs, Chase Bloomquist, Samantha Anne Kessler) try to evade a violent gang and stay alive and eventually reach shelter. Film looks like it was shot on someone’s cruddy Obamaphone which is matched by terrible acting and dialogue. For anyone who disliked “Deep Impact” or “Armageddon” 27+ years ago, this makes those look like “Citizen Kane” by comparison.

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“Helloween” (** out of four) was a middling horror psychodrama set in 2016 in which a maniac (Ronan Summers) is on the loose and it’s up to a determined doctor (Jeanine Nerissa Sothcott) and a television personality (Michael Pare) to track him down and his followers and end their reign of terror. Derivative but not entirely disposable as it’s directed with some style by Phil Claydon and Pare is rock-solid as usual in the lead. Not a film you’ll likely remember next Halloween but far from the worst of its kind.

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