“After Yang” (** out of four) was an earnest but dull melodrama set in the future in which a workaholic and emotionally distant father (Colin Farrell) comes to reconnect with his wife (Jodie Turner-Smith) and the rest of his family when their artificial intelligence helper breaks down and forces them all to once again re-establish communication and thus love. Yet another pretentious allegory about the dangers of technology and how it results in distance and drives one and other apart; Farrell is good as usual but it’s awfully precious and self-important. Adapted from an award-winning short children’s story “Saying Goodbye To Yang” by Alexander Weinstein but something apparently got lost in translation.

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“Nightride” (**1/2 out of four) was an audaciously done melodrama shot in a single one take showing an underworld dealer (Moe Dunford) out for a long drive in the twilight hours of the night about to make one more deal before he leaves his criminal life behind and attempts to go straight but the night has twists and turns that make this anything but easy. As a film experiment- it is highly impressive with dazzling mood and style. As a vehicle for star Dunford- it works as he definitely holds the screen. As a drama and suspense thriller- it never really delivers, holding you in its grip but never shifting into high-gear. Still overall worth watching. Film definitely shows the influence of director Michael Mann (“Collateral” especially) so much so that characters cite his films in the middle.

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“After The Pandemic” (* out of four) was a rockbottom clinker set in another (yawn) futuristic wasteland in which a pandemic has wiped away 98% of Earth but two survivors (Eve James and Kannon Smith) meet and become intrigued with one another’s way of life and survival which changes their outlook and hope for the future. Genuinely bizarre movie can’t decide whether it’s a shoddy action story, an empty commentary on today’s pandemic, or an incomprehensible love story so all it succeeds at is putting you to sleep. Even at only 80 minutes, this is akin to being in I.C.U.

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“Hell Is Empty” (0 stars out of four):……….but it’s nothing compared to the movie itself. Ludicrous religious psychobabble about a self-styled messiah (Travis Mitchell) who initiates a teenage runaway (Meredith Antoian) into his unstable cult of sister-wives (Nia Farrell, Spencer Peppet, and others) but her rebellious nature triggers an uprising and a revolt against him and his domineering ways. Loaded with unintentional laughs and terrible acting and dialogue and heavy-handed sermonizing that make this feel like an endless Sunday in church. Strictly for those who thought Shymalahan’s “The Village” was in dire need of retelling and a remake.

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“Crow Valley” (*1/2 out of four) was a lusterless suspense thriller about a mountain biker (Josh Conn) off on a weekend ride who is attacked in a brutal hit-and-run and awakens in a cabin where he is imprisoned by a woman (Nicole Freeman) with serious psychiatric problems and he has to try to heal up and turn the tables on her to escape. Countless man-in-peril/man-has-to-escape film is bathed in unpleasantness and ugly violence. Star Conn also wrote and directed this and one hopes he’s a better mountain biker than actor or filmmaker.

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“Bull Shark” (**1/2 out of four) was an agreeably done thriller about another ravenous shark that’s on the loose this time in a small Texas town in which the concerned local law enforcement (Thom Hallum and Derrick Redford) hurry to track it down while the local mayor (Richard Ray) wants to hush things and keep it quiet so as not to scare away local tourist money. Yes, it’s another killer-shark-on-the-loose movie ripped off from “Jaws” (and “Jaws 3” in particular in this case) but this has sharper teeth than most other imitations, thanks to a stronger-than-usual screenplay and characterizations, solid acting, and also crisp cinematography from Jeff Hamm. No classic but far better than most other “bull” you find at Redbox.

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“Welcome To Mama’s” (** out of four) was a treacly confection about a determined career woman (Melanie Scofano) who finds she inherits an Italian restaurant from a famous chef (Lorraine Bracco) and hires a blacklisted master chef (Daniel di Tomasso) looking for a second chance and soon finds that the sparks of love start to fly. Shimmering cinematography and lots of delicious-looking food to be sure but it’s made with an awful lot of flour and sugar and empty calories. Restaurant owners/food lovers might savor this more but even they’d likely be best re-watching “Big Night”, “Chef”, or “Like Water For Chocolate.”

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“Beneath The Surface” (*1/2 out of four) was a grimly inert psychological thriller about a young woman (Georgie Banks) who survives a shark attack in which her mother and sister die and she begins to meet with a counselor to come to terms with all of her symptoms of anxiety as she prepares to jump back into the waters and confront her fears once and for all. Superficial story of PTSD and trauma is more exploitative than exploratory and some of the shark scenes look like they were shot in someone’s swimming pool. Banks does what she can with a thinly written role.

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“The Desperate Hour” (**1/2 out of four) was a mildly gripping suspense thriller about a devoted mother (Naomi Watts) out on a run in the wilderness who turns into frenzy and panic when her town is suddenly put on lockdown and she realizes her son may be in danger and she has to find a way back to civilization. Watts is virtually the whole show here and (as usual) proves she is a commanding actress but there isn’t enough story here to sustain an entire feature-length film and after a while film starts to peter out. A solid effort from director Phillip Noyce (“Dead Calm”) that overall just misses.

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“The Electric Man” (0 stars out of four) was an absolutely unwatchable sci/fi snoozer about a man (Jed Rowen) who experiences a 12,000 voltage shock and his life subsequently alternates between a blur of reality and fantasy. Or something like that. Film’s title is sadly ironic because film has no electricity (or worth) of its own. Acting and direction are rockbottom and some of the dialogue is mind-numbingly awful. Eric Roberts and Tom Sizemore are wasted in nothing supporting roles.

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