Ready Player One (2018)

When the creator of a virtual reality called the OASIS dies, he makes a posthumous challenge to all OASIS users to find his Easter Egg, which will give the finder his fortune and control of his world.

Solid, lively sci-fi action drama is exciting, but is so overladen with pop cultural references, trivia and original ideas that it mars a lot of the entertainment it wants to offer.

 

Black Sea (2014)

In order to make good with his former employers, a submarine captain takes a job with a shadowy backer to search the depths of the Black Sea for a submarine rumored to be loaded with gold.

Well-made, if not particularly original submarine adventure with a capable cast does manage to create some suspense, but no surprises.

The King (2019)

Hal, wayward prince and heir to the English throne, is crowned King Henry V after his tyrannical father dies. Now the young king must navigate palace politics, the war his father left behind, and the emotional strings of his past life.

Great historical drama with great period detail, cinematography, amazing battle scenes and overall good performances - and a twist ending of sorts.

Darkest Hour (2017)

In May 1940, the fate of Western Europe hangs on British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who must decide whether to negotiate with Adolf Hitler, or fight on knowing that it could mean a humiliating defeat for Britain and its empire.

Excellently staged with good period detail and a great cast (and Gary Oldman giving a stellar performance),  the movie isn't so exacting concerning historical accuracy - and Winston Churchill remains an enigmatic figure.

Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014)

The defiant leader Moses rises up against the Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses, setting 600,000 slaves on a monumental journey of escape from Egypt and its terrifying cycle of deadly plagues.

Bombastic Biblical epic reliably ticks off the main highlights of the Exodus story, but never goes beyond Cecil B. DeMille's efforts - including the silliness.

 

Trespass (2011)

As they're held for ransom, a husband and wife's predicament grows more dire amid the discovery of betrayal and deception.

Unpleasant thriller with an ensemble of disagreeable characters relentlessly stomps through its confused plot.

Maltin BOMB: "If there's a point to this unpleasant, endlessly repetitive time-waster, it's that the wealthy are just as corrupt and miserable as their "lessers." But you knew that."

Slow West (2015)

A young Scottish man travels across America in pursuit of the woman he loves, attracting the attention of an outlaw who is willing to serve as a guide.

Indeed slow (and short) elegiac Western gives its conventional story depth with its good cast, beautiful landscape cinematography and a sense for the madness of violence.