Life

Okay, I'm just going to address the very mixed reviews for this right away. I see both sides of the issue. Yes, the acting is very strong. The direction was engaging and excting, and I was incredibly intrigued by the life form. I was completely into the film from minute one. However, I see the point of the naysayers. This movie really was cliche after cliche after cliche. And, ultimately, given the parameters of the film, most of the choices made were idiotic and contradicted by the way the film draws to a close. Yes, I'm being really vague here to avoid spoilers, but I think readers will get my meaning regardless. I did have to give it an extra half star for the last two minutes of the film though, because WOW. That alone was worth the price of admission. I did like this. It was enjoyable and fun in every way it needed to be, but "Alien" it was not. 3.5/5

Life on Netflix

Nocturnal Animals

I don't know about this one. It was trying so hard to be a slick, deep, noir thriller. It was pretty, I'll give it that. But the story... it never goes anywhere. I'm all for metaphor and layers of meaning, especially if it's non-linear, but you've got to give me something to work with, and I felt this film didn't deliver on that front. I can make all kinds of suppositions, but that's all they are. There's no real "there" there, at least none that I could get behind. It's pretty but very empty, and I ultimately didn't enjoy it, so this is nothing more than average for me. 3/5

Nocturnal Animals on Netflix

Demolition

Jake Gyllenhaall has really been picking great scripts these days. This tragic and poignant drama both tests Gyllenhaall's reach and use of subtlety, and his very quiet breakdowns that escalate throughout the film are really affecting. The script was a bit scattered at times, but the overall tone and direction was really beautiful. I really enjoyed this. 4/5

Demolition on Netflix

Southpaw

I'm going to start this by saying that the fact that this film received no Oscar attention is a crying shame and further proof of how out of touch the Academy has gotten. Jake Gyllenhaal gave what was, in my eyes, the best performance of his career - only in "Nightcrawler" was he as completely immersed in a role like this. Forest Whitaker was both powerful and tender and should well have gotten a Best Supporting nod. And Antoine Fuqua remains one of the finest directors in modern times - his visual palette in this film was astounding. Surprisingly, the weakest link in this film was Kurt Sutter's script, which relied on too many tropes and caricatures for my taste. This was a wonderful film, and the fact that I heard nothing about it last year is truly a shame. 4/5

Southpaw on Netflix

Everest

This tense thriller is action-filled and well acted throughout. Really amazing direction, I enjoyed this a lot. 4/5

Everest on Netflix

Jarhead

I feel this is the true inheritor to "Full Metal Jacket", a dark, tense & blackly comic portrait of the state of war. 4.5/5

Jarhead on Netflix 

Nightcrawler

What a gem! This tense thriller kept me captivated from minute one & Gyllenhaal was astonishing. Amazing film! 5/5

Nightcrawler on Netflix

Enemy

This creepy atmospheric thriller has Gyllenhaal at his best - I don't get all the twists but I was thoroughly intrigued. 4/5

Enemy on Netflix

Prisoners

A truly spectacular thriller with a perfectly constructed plot, brilliant acting & wonderful direction. Loved this! 4.5/5

Prisoners on Netflix

End of Watch

The acting is tremendous but the inconsistent found-footage direction is utterly distracting in this thriller. 3.5/5

End of Watch on Netflix

Source Code

This sci-fi thriller is well paced, intriguingly written & well acted by all. I guessed it but enjoyed it as well. 4/5

Source Code on Netflix

Love and Other Drugs

What's this? A rom-com that's funny & sweet with likable characters who don't hurt each other? Amazing! 4/5

Love and Other Drugs on Netflix