With a franchise that seemed to get old in the tooth after the 2nd go around, writer/director Dan Trachtenberg has brought "Predator" back to the cinematic structure it needs to be but albeit from a different point. "Badlands" has the DNA, edge and balance of an old school "Predator" movie but it is also made and adjusted for the era we live in.

The new imagining of "The Hand That Rocks The Cradle" is built upon a much different killer construct but is more apt with the current climate in how it presents its characters and how it plays. The original created a different psychological intent while the new version uses both concepts of sexuality and jealousy while also keeping a certain angle of the original intact.

The aspect of a good heist film can work if there is stakes. Energy and chemistry says a lot but sometimes that idea can overtake the narrative (depending if it is strong enough). This is the issue with "Eenie Meanie" starring Samara Weaving as the lead Edie, a getaway car driver who is retired but gets pulled back in. The film is a bunch of fun but the one thing it does off-kilter is that it creates consequences for some but none for others.

“Alien: Romulus” tries deftly to walk the line but has the odds stacked against it. Its greatest attributes are its two would-be leads in Cailee Spaeney and David Jonnson as Rain and Andy respectively who each have their own approach but in their own relationship work against the ideal of what we expect.

The intention of a "Planet Of The Apes" film is to give the notion of perspective pertaining to the notion of the greater good...and the contemplation of conscience. With the newest installment, "Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes", it is about going beyond the ideal of what Caesar was, and his connection to the human race. What the new film does is remind that the aspects of history and memory fade over time and become jumbled by those living it.

The aspect of a horror film needs to create dread while also being acary psychologically and not just in a gore context. "The First Omen", despite treading some of the same ground as "Immaculate", accomplishes this admirably creating a sense of old school with its shooting style and tone (while being set in the early 70s in Rome) while also not pulling back and making the characters unbelievable.

The revelation of "No One Will Save You" comes in its ability to show both old school paranoia within the context of a creature feature not trying to make an overt statement about the state of the world. It is simply one woman's journey with the world against her in a way though she is simply in a cage of her own circumstance. In that way, the film is undeniable.

The adventures of Hercules Poirot play on the texture of perception, location and deduction while still creating both a sense of time and tension. While the last two films directed and starring Kenneth Branagh understood their task, the style applied to "A Haunting In Venice' (enhanced for IMAX) really uses the approach as an exercise but also a classical progression of how such a film is done.

Making an original film with a period backing with unusual if not eccentric characters can either work gloriously or become hit-or-miss scenario depending on the beats the story takes. "Amsterdam", a new faux comedy from writer/director David O. Russell, is particular in many ways that always populate his films. However it depends on certain edge points.