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.

The deconstruction of illusion and by extension, logic is always the crux of a supernatural approach to a film. “Smile” has done some interesting maneuvering since it is catchy but but by the trailers one would maybe see a one note slasher. This is far from the truth. It is a psychological character study about the dismantling of a psychologist in her own head through her own trauma.

Viola Davis can rule a screen but it reflects in the range that she is always able to bring. “The Woman King” has her as the head commander of a tribal army led by females. Like the Samurai they take certain rules but unlike those perhaps, there is more of a hidden trauma that fuels these women, though they are hardest on others like them.

The aspect of a murder mystery with a bit of chicanery is always an interesting premise. ”See How They Run” is an interesting amalgamation because it almost thinks like a Wes Anderson movie and has some of its actors and yet is its own separate beast (and not quite the same).

"Pearl" brims with lead Mia Goth's energy. The character has so many demons but simply the chemistry in her is wrong and Goth gets that right. It is an interesting irony. Pearl wants so hard to please but her instinct tells her all the wrong things to do.

The context of horror depends on expectation and what one thinks of the path going in. With "Barbarian", even with the influx of how the trailers built the film up, it is about the misdirect and perspective of the audience. But the idea revolves in how it plays out. This usually has to do with structure and the intensity of what the reveal is.

The concept of adapting a classic animated film because it can sometimes is an exercise in understanding what the audience wants to see. But there are always sometimes cultural touchstones that walk the line. "Pinocchio" in theory is an interesting challenge and the person obviously well suited to the task is Robert Zemeckis.

The aspect of secret missions and the cultural standing within them is normally about how do you inflect genre. What "The Burial" does is turn it on its head and uses folklore in a way to mask some very real human approaches, behavior and setbacks, many of which are lost to time.

The conception of existence and the relevance in reflection of solitude in an interesting conundrum of "Three Thousand Years Of Longing", the latest from director George Miller. His first outing since "Mad Max: Fury Road" and before he started on its prequel "Furiosa" in an interesting mixture of elements.