It seems as if each month brings along new additions to the ever-growing sharksploitation genre. These shark-infested concoctions have come in all shapes and sizes, from moderately budgeted shark thrillers to shamelessly campy B-movie romps. Of course you can always expect some stinkers when you have such a crowded pool. But most understand the kind of straightforward entertainment their audiences want, and they often deliver in ways that keep fans circling back for more.

The latest sharksploitation entry is “The Devil’s Mouth”, a Prime Video Original that sticks pretty close to the established survival thriller formula. You know the one – a group of college cohorts venture out to an exotic location for some frisky fun on the water only to become chum for the movie’s real star, a ferocious man-eating shark. That is this movie in a nutshell, although it does throw in a few ideas of its own that stand out, namely a cool location and some slightly interesting character dynamics.

Kathryn Newton plays Sara, the fifth-wheel from a group of five college “friends” on a summer trip to Thailand. She’s joined by her pampered and overly assertive best friend Max (Lana Condor), Max’s ‘whatever” boyfriend James (Nico Hiraga), their mutual friend Adrienne (Tommi Rose), and Adrienne’s douchy new beau, Greg (Gavin Casalegno). The two couples make sure to involve Sara in all of their frolicking, but she can’t help but feel like the odd person out.

But deep down there are relationship issues that Sara has yet to acknowledge. It’s mostly seen in Max’s controlling nature. Max feels compelled to control everything and she expects everyone to fall in line. It’s especially true of Sara, who Max has no problem guilting into doing whatever she wants. Even James sees it, but he’s too spineless to say anything about it. Layers peel from their complicated friendship once the film’s central conflict comes into play.

The group’s vacation turns to terror after they set out to tour a network of underwater caves. They meet up with their guide, Wat (Tayme Thapthimthong) who takes them by kayak to the entrance of “The Devil’s Mouth”. The six begin their underground adventure, making their way from chamber to chamber. But once deep inside the dark labyrinthine cave system, they discover they are not alone. Among them is an angry and ferociously territorial shark who was swept in by the tide. He’s hungry and our six explorers would make a tasty meal.

Director Jeff Wadlow ratchets down on the familiar survival elements as the characters find themselves in one harrowing situation after another. It’s hard to muster much sympathy for anyone outside of Wat, who had the ultimate misfortune of being stuck with the five obnoxious brats. But in fairness, we do see Sara evolve over time. Not a lot, but enough to say something about her character. Everyone else is stuck in one gear and we never really care if they make it out or not.

The character work may not be great, but Wadlow does make good use of his setting and environments. The sense of being trapped in small, dark, unknown spaces generates some legitimate tension, at least until it begins to feel repetitive. He also concocts some ridiculous but fun shark action. Wadlow comes up with an assortment of attacks from the man-eating menace, some that will make you jump and others that will make you laugh. Admittedly it’s pretty entertaining.

“The Devil’s Mouth” does nothing to redefine the sharksploitation model. Instead it embraces the simplest mechanics of the genre, adding a few strokes of its own along the way. It’s still plagued by annoying characters whose mind-boggling decision-making leads the story down the most predictable route imaginable. But the shark is mean, dangerous, and it eats people. So in that respect, genre fans can expect to get exactly what they’re looking for.

VERDICT – 2.5 STARS

The legend of Robin Hood has been told on screen in a wild variety of ways. Their range has included Errol Flynn’s 1938 swashbuckling classic, Disney’s 1973 animated reimagining, Kevin Costner’s 1991 popcorn blockbuster, the hysterical 1993 spoof from Mel Brooks, and the more serious-minded 2010 Ridley Scott telling. The latest is the aptly titled “The Death of Robin Hood” and it is dramatically different from any other iteration that came before it.

“The Death of Robin Hood” doesn’t fit into any of the more popular molds that we have seen before. There’s nothing light, merry, or charming about it. Instead, it’s a bleak and gritty adaptation of the 17th-century ballad “Robin Hood’s Death”. Writer-director Michael Sarnoski (“Pig”, “A Quiet Place: Day One”) offers up a fresh and compelling reimagining of Robin Hood. He builds a fascinating character arc that’s rooted in savage violence but evolves into a deeper and almost meditative study of guilt, self-forgiveness, and mortality.

Sarnoski’s vision is impressive on its own. But it would never be fully realized without the gravitas brought by the film’s star, Hugh Jackman. With his long stringy gray hair, matching beard, weathered skin, and world-weary eyes, Jackman deftly conveys the numerous layers to this Robin. He’s legitimately terrifying as a murderous outlaw whose true self defies the local legend describing him as a hero who “protects the meek”. Yet he’s grown to despise the man he has become. He is haunted by the generations of his victims and he sees no moral reckoning outside of the worthy death he longs for.

The first 30 minutes gives us a good taste of the man Robin has been. Set in 1247, these early scenes are grisly and violent, with Sarnoski destroying the Robin Hood myth that we and the locals have clinged to. It’s most viscerally realized when Robin is visited by his longest and most loyal friend, Little John (Bill Skarsgård). Now living under the name Edward, John has made a new life for himself with his beloved wife and their young daughter.

But John has come to his old friend in desperate need of help. He recruits Robin to help him rescue his family and retake his farm from the clutches of some old enemies. The gruesome chain of events that follow shock by the sheer intensity of the violence. Brutes soaked in blood and caked in mud fight with a primal ferocity, crushing bones with maces, puncturing organs with jagged blades, searing flesh with burning torches. It’s pure savagery which Sarnoski visualizes with unflinching clarity.

Robin is seriously injured and later wakes up at a remote island priory under the care of an abbess named Sister Brigid (Jodie Comer) who begins nursing him back to health. It’s here that the film takes a dramatic turn, shifting its focus from Robin as a man of violence to Robin as a shattered soul who is crumbling under the weight of his own guilt. He keeps his identity hidden and begins blending in with the others being cared for by Sister Brigid, from orphan children to a wise but nameless leper (Murray Bartlett).

But Robin’s old life threatens to resurface after the unexpected reappearance of Little John’s traumatized daughter, Margaret (movingly played by newcomer Faith Delaney). She brings with her a looming sense of danger from the mainland that lasts for the remainder of the film. Yet Sarnoski remains committed to methodically maneuvering us through Robin’s internal reckoning. It’s more than simply deromanticizing of a myth. He takes his time exploring his more personal interests, right through to the payoff which is itself counter to what we expect.

A key reason for the film’s effectiveness can be found in Jackman’s deeply committed performance. It’s stripped-down and solemn yet full of conviction as the 57-year-old star balances bearing and releasing the emotional weight of past sins. Comer too is a key strength, portraying Sister Brigid as sturdy and stoic yet tender in moments that finally allow her to let down her guard. And all are canvassed by the richly textured 35mm cinematography of DP Pat Scola. There’s never a moment where the film doesn’t impress through his lens.

“The Death of Robin Hood” is the kind of revisionist counter-programming that won’t be for everyone. Purists hoping for another playful spin on the noble bandit who steals from the rich and gives to the poor won’t find that here. Instead, this film is for those interested in looking beyond the myth. And anyone hoping for something bigger and more blockbustery will be confounded by the more intimate scale. It’s more aimed at those wanting a breather from summer popcorn productions. In those regards, Michael Sarnoski hits exactly what he aims for. And I was enthralled the entire way.

VERDICT – 4.5 STARS

The father of the summer blockbuster returns to a genre that gave birth to some of his biggest movies. Steven Spielberg jumps back into the cinematic world of science-fiction with “Disclosure Day”. It’s the latest sci-fi venture from the filmmaker who gave us “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”, “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial”, “Minority Report”, “War of the Worlds”, and so on. His latest is another ambitious swing. But it’s not one that will leave the same lasting impression as his other films.

“Disclosure Day” sees Spielberg reteaming with his frequent collaborator, screenwriter David Koepp. Together they tap into Spielberg’s long held fascination with the unexplained. And high on his list of the unexplained is the simple question – are we alone in the universe? That question drives “Disclosure Day” while also asking how much the government knows and how long have they been keeping it from us?

That’s more than enough for a compelling movie, especially with Steven Spielberg at the helm. We certainly get glimmers of that potential in “Disclosure Day”. When at its best, it plays like an extended conspiracy episode of “The X-Files”. At its worst, it’s a sluggishly delivered thriller that struggles to maintain any real suspense and that isn’t nearly as heady as it aims to be. More frustrating, after an overly long buildup, it hits us with an ending that lands with a surprisingly uninspired thud.

That said, “Disclosure Day” has its strengths, one of them being the cast. Josh O‘Connor plays Daniel Kellner, a cybersecurity expert turned whistleblower who steals long hidden classified information regarding alien life from a secret deep-state contractor called the Wardex Corporation. As a former employee of Wardex, Daniel also swiped a mysterious piece of alien technology which immediately puts him in the crosshairs of the company’s ruthless CEO, Noah Scanlon (Colin Firth). Daniel is forced to go on the run, along with his former girlfriend Jane (Eve Hewson) who Noah has targeted.

Meanwhile in Kansas City, a local TV weather woman named Margaret Fairchild (Emily Blunt), begins having unexplainable episodes. She suddenly has strange premonitions and speaks in languages she doesn’t know. It comes to a head after she uncontrollably starts talking in an otherworldly tongue while live on the air. Her actions stuns her colleagues and worries her slub of a boyfriend, Jackson (Wyatt Russell). It also gets the attention of Noah who is determined to bring her in.

Both Daniel and Margaret find an ally in Hugo Wakefield (Colman Domingo), a Wardex defector who now leads an underground ‘truth movement’. Hugo knows the information that Wardex is hiding on behalf of the U.S. government, and he knows Daniel and Margaret are the keys. Hugo is ready to disclose it to the world, but Noah doesn’t think people are ready. And with the planet on the brink of World War III, Noah is willing to do anything in his power to keep the truth from getting out.

The battle between disclosing the truth and protecting it is the conflict at the heart of “Disclosure Day”. Meanwhile the depths of that truth is slowly drip-fed to us over time. It’s intriguing at first but maddening later on. Essentially, Spielberg drags things out, leading to several notable frustrations – scenes lasting longer than necessary, conversations where nothing seems to be said, and too many instances of characters stuck in states of confusion. This makes the already lengthy 145 minutes feel even longer.

Still, it’s Spielberg so there is some expert craftsmanship on display. And the cast is top-to-bottom strong. Also, those X-Files moments are pretty enticing. But while the premise and the pieces are there, getting from point to point can be a drag. What action there is can be thrilling, but every bit of it is shown in the trailer. And the finish seems like a well-intended miss. There is a gutsier ending out there that could have really made things interesting. Instead, Spielberg goes a route that feels safe and even a bit lazy.

VERDICT – 2.5 STARS

With his new feature “Deep Water”, Renny Harlin reaches back to a popular movie from his early directing days in search of some return-to-glory magic. The Finnish filmmaker established himself with two popular action movie gems from the early 1990s, “Die Hard 2” and “Cliffhanger”. But since then his career has had its share of misfires along with one notorious box office bomb. One of the exceptions was 1999’s “Deep Blue Sea”, an enjoyable killer shark movie with a fanbase that has only grown over time.

“Deep Water” sees Harlin dipping his toes back into the shark-infested cinematic waters, although this time without the science fiction angle from his previous film. Instead, he goes the full survival thriller route, mixing in some 1970s disaster cinema, while embracing the absurdity that makes shark flicks so diverting. The results – pure popcorn entertainment with the kind of throwback pleasures that many of us grew up loving.

“Deep Water” features an especially wild scenario which Harlin uses to its fullest. Co-written by Pete Bridges, Shayne Armstrong, S.P. Krause, and Damien Power, the story follows one ill-fated international flight from Los Angeles to Shanghai. As with most movies of its kind, it begins with a series of scenes that give us one-dimensional introductions to specific passengers and crew members. Of course all will factor into the peril that lies only a few scenes away.

Tops on the cast list is Aaron Eckhart who plays Ben, the flight’s First Officer and the film’s flawed protagonist. Ben has yet to make captain for reasons that are referenced more than reckoned with. More notable is how he uses work to avoid going home despite the desperate pleas of his wife. We learn they have a young son with cancer and a struggling Ben is doing everything but face that reality. So he stays in the air, this time alongside the equally flawed Captain Rich (Ben Kingsley).

Among the passengers is Dan (Angus Sampson), the mandatory scumbag we all hope gets eaten. There’s the recently married Declan (Ryan Bown) and Jaya (Kelly Gale) along with their children from other marriages, his sulky daughter Cora (Molly Belle Wright) and her outgoing son Finn (Elijah Tamati). There are Esports players Sam (Li Wenhan) and Lilly (Zhao Simei) who butt heads with obnoxious jock Hutch (Lakota Johnson). And we get a spirited grandmother played by Australian screen and stage legend Kate Fitzpatrick.

Other players include the brave and dutiful flight attendants, Zoe (Na Shi) and Penny (Lucy Barrett), a nerdy PC gamer, Matt (Richard Croughley), and a kind-hearted veterinarian named Martine (Madeleine West), as well as others. They all are among the 257 souls onboard the doomed commercial airliner. The trouble starts when a fire in the cargo bay sets off a violent chain of events that sends the plane plunging towards the Pacific Ocean.

Harlin lets loose in crafting a truly harrowing crash sequence that is keenly shot and furiously edited. The fire sends air tanks ripping through the plane, tearing a hole in the fuselage. Bottles from snack carts and overhead luggage fly through the cabin with lethal precision. The engines burst into flames. The belly rips open from a jagged coral reef as the plane skids across the deep waters. It’s Harlin at his best, keeping us glued to every sharply detailed and utterly terrifying moment.

But the scenario only gets worse from there. Within the massive wreckage, passengers and crew frantically scramble to escape from different sections of the splintered plane. Ben tallies the number of survivors to around thirty. But in a movie like this we know that number is going to dwindle fast. Especially when the dead bodies in the waters around them form a feeding ground for hungry and hyper-aggressive mako sharks.

Regardless of how crazy it sounds, Harlin keeps us invested by maintaining a steady edge-of-your-seat tension as he moves us from one silly yet terrifying encounter to another. But his biggest trick is in making us care about the remaining survivors despite their archetypal limitations. We care because Harlin cares about them too, and it comes across in the semblance of human drama he creates in nearly every life and each death.

Now I don’t want to overstate the humanity in a movie that so proudly makes fun its main focus. But there are emotional stakes and the movie is surprisingly sensitive (right through to its overly sugary ending). But at its core, “Deep Water” is a ‘disaster movie meets sharksploitation’ and it makes no apologies. It’s full of clever visual choices, plenty of gnarly kills, and a top-to-bottom committed cast who very much understand the assignment. Mark this one down as one of the bigger surprises of the year so far.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

Sitting down and watching a movie that you know nothing about can certainly have its advantages. I know several people who go out of their way to avoid trailers and TV spots just because they prefer to go into a movie blind. That’s essentially what I did with “The Drama”. I knew some of the basics, but mostly I had no idea what to expect. As a result, I think the film played better for me than it would have otherwise.

I say that because it’s not hard to figure out where this combustible relationship drama is heading. But it’s the character work, rooted in writer-director Kristoffer Borgli’s screenplay and in the nuanced performances of co-leads Zendaya and Robert Pattinson, that gives “The Drama” a compelling psychological edge. Not everything ends as organically as it begins. But it works thanks to Borgli’s serious approach to storytelling and his willingness to let things get messy.

Charlie Thompson (Pattinson) is a museum curator. Emma Harwood (Zendaya) is a bookstore clerk. The two meet in a Boston café and quickly hit it off. A short time later they are engaged to be married. But one seemingly harmless game with friends threatens to derail what looks to be a beautiful relationship. From there the majority of the “The Drama” plays out over the course of the turbulent week before their scheduled wedding.

The turning point for Charlie and Emma comes during a late-night dinner with their best friends, Rachel (Alana Haim) and Mike (Mamoudou Athie). After a few too many drinks, the four play a game where each share the worst secrets from their pasts. I won’t spoil what Emma’s confession is, but it troubles to entire group to the point of driving a wedge between them. Rachel and Mike go as far telling Charlie he should leave Emma. But he’s unsure of what to do. And soon his fiancée’s secret becomes a destructive obsession that Charlie can’t shake.

Borgli uses his scenario to make a number of interesting observations about relationships. The essential nature of trust, the limits of forgiveness, the need of acceptance – they all come more into focus as Charlie and Emma try to hold things together. They put on the best show they can as they meet with their wedding photographer, dance coordinator, DJ, florist, and so on. But back home, it’s another story. Emma regrets ever saying anything and desperately wants to forget about it. But the increasingly paranoid Charlie’s fixation has him constantly bringing it up.

As everything spirals, we repeatedly hear the word “empathy” spoken yet it becomes clear that neither Charlie, Rachel, or Mike have any. Instead all three are quick to cast their own harsh internal judgments about Emma which they can only hide for so long. Meanwhile Emma keeps certain details bottled up which adds to the pressure. It all leads to several volatile face-to-face reckonings which steadily intensifies the drama (no pun intended). It makes for a compelling, provocative, and morally complex anti-romance.

“The Drama” does have its issues. We end up getting a series of cliché-riddled flashbacks to Emma’s high school years that simply don’t work as intended. This is also one of those movies where it feels as if everything could have been averted with just one open and productive conversation. Still, it’s hard not to lose yourself in the messiness of Emma and Charlie’s crumbling relationship. That’s because Borgli views it through an honest and incisive lens while the formidable performances from Zendaya and Pattinson is the glue that holds it all together.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

Michel Franco has never been one to shy away from challenging his audiences with provocative subject matter. He attempts it again with his latest film, “Dreams”, a strangely confounding psychodrama that seems to have several things it wants to say but no firm grasp on how to say them. It’s cold, sometimes aimless, and borderline absurd at times in its attempts to find a steady pulse.

“Dreams” sees Franco reuniting with his star, Jessica Chastain. The two first collaborated in 2023’s superior “Memory”, a deeply affecting adult drama that saw Chastain give one of her best performances to date. She’s certainly the highlight of “Dreams”, although neither her character or her character’s journey carry the same dramatic or emotional weight.

“Dreams” opens with a young Mexican dancer named Fernando (a somewhat dry Isaac Hernández) being smuggled into the United States in the back of a sweltering semi-trailer. After finally being released by cartel traffickers, Fernando makes the long, arduous journey from San Antonio to San Francisco where he surprises his older and wealthier former lover, Jennifer (Chastain). With practically no build-up whatsoever, the two instantly pick up where they (apparently) left off.

Jennifer’s feelings for Fernando remain murky for the duration of the movie. She is the daughter of a prominent philanthropist named Michael McCarthy (Marshall Bell) and helps run her father’s thriving foundation with her brother Jake (Rupert Friend). Her privileged and pampered life is in stark contrast to Fernando’s which sometimes seeps through when they’re together. At times she treats him like her pet, scratching him behind his ear and saying things like “I want to take care of you.”

Yet Jennifer is also obsessed with him in a way that goes beyond mere entitlement. This intensifies after Fernando grows tired of keeping their affair secret and leaves her. As he finds his independence she sinks into despair, eventually shadowing him with the voracity of a stalker. It ends up steering the movie away from its themes of immigration and class disparity and towards a story about power dynamics within an unconvincing couple.

Despite being handed a character who never feels fully formed, Chastain carries the movie on her back via a committed performance that elevates the material. But she can only do so much. The film’s Achilles’ heel is the central relationship which never comes off as authentic or rooted in anything other than unabated lust. And any swing at something weightier is muddled in the film’s jarring final twenty minutes that pulls a wild twist out of the air. It’s meant to shock us. But it’s too contrived and abrupt to have the impact Franco clearly wants. Kinda like his movie as a whole.

VERDICT – 2 STARS