Becky (2020):

The casting in this action drama left me a little unbalanced initially, and you’ll see why in a moment. The storyline at first isn’t particularly original – whenever you see a group of convicts being moved from one prison to another via Department of Corrections transport vehicles, you just know there is going to be a crash, the guards will be neutralized, and the bad guys will be on the run. Cut to Becky (Lulu Wilson). She’s 11, and her father (Joel McHale of “Community”) brings her out to their cabin in the woods to help smooth over the tough time their family has been going through since the death of his wife, her mother. There’s a surprise too … Dad is going to tell her that he’s getting married again, and his fiancée will be at the cabin too. Of course, the escapees are in those very same woods, heading for that very same cabin. The leader of the convicts is Dominick, and he’s played by Kevin James in his first dramatic role. James (“King of Queens,” “Paul Blart: Mall Cop”) really doesn’t seem like the right casting for the baddest of the bad guys, but you get used to him. Becky escapes to the woods, and it’s up to her to save her dad and her step-mother-to-be. A good action/drama. Rated 14A.

Tommaso (2019):

Anytime you see Willem Dafoe’s name in the credits as the principal performer in a movie, you know it’s more likely to be a “film,” something involving high art and exceptional performances. This drama, shot in Italy, is the story of the title character, a filmmaker who leaves the United States for Italy. He also leaves a wife and family, and sets up housekeeping with a woman and her young child in his new home. Tommaso struggles with addiction issues, and he is challenged by his inability to complete the screenplay that he believes will be the solution to all his problems. His life of diminished responsibility seems to be exactly what he wanted, but his personal demons threaten to bring it all crashing down around his ears. A character study, and a clinic in acting, but I don’t think most will find this all that intriguing. Rated 14A.

Weathering with You (2019):

This Japanese Anime was a selected feature at the Toronto International Film Festival, and was submitted to the Academy as an Oscar contender, although in the end it was not chosen. Hodaka is a high school student who runs away from home to seek a life and excitement in the metropolis that is Tokyo. As he makes his way around the city, it becomes clear that the amount of rainfall is dramatically greater than normal, and he begins seeking a non-scientific explanation. His research leads him to a young orphan girl who seems to be able to impact the weather, and her supernatural abilities appear to be tied to the raging torrents of water from the sky. The English voice cast includes Bre Larson, Oscar-winner for “Room.” Rated PG.

The Paramedic (2020):

Netflix was a production partner, and is the sole distributor for this Spanish film that is a thriller focusing on the challenges of a paramedic team that has trust issues.  Angel (Mario Casas) works for an ambulance service, and loves his job helping people in peril.  A tragic and violent accident changes everything for Angel, and in addition to his personal health, his personal life begins to spin out of control.  His partner Vane (Deborah Francois) is the subject of great suspicion by Angel ... the question is, has she truly stepped to the other side of his relationship, or is this part of the challenges to his mental health from his accident.  Rated 14A. 

Ratched (2020) (TV Series):

Everyone needs an origins story, even Nurse Ratched who played a key role in the story "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" in the novel by Ken Keysey, later an Oscar-winning movie.  In this series, we are introduced to the young nurse, played by Sarah Paulson ("Deadwood," "American Crime Story") as she sets out in the horror-psychological thriller in the year 1947, to go to work in an asylum for the insane in Northern California.  Although she has good intentions, she also has knowledge of the fact that mind-control experiments are being done on patients, and as Nurse Ratched sinks deeper into her role, her radar always aware of what's going on behind the scenes, the good intentions that she exhibits become darker and more evil each day, suggesting that monsters are made, not born.  Rated 14A.  

Pets United (2020):

A perfect animated film for youngsters, parents, and grandparents, but only if they watch with the kids. The central characters are all pets of one sort or another, and their common thread is that they are spoiled, they are selfish, and they live a life of luxury, because their owners have all the mechanical denizens of Robo City doing the hard work.  But what happens when the robots run amuck and the humans have to flee?  Time for the skate-boarding pug, the self-aggrandizing Siamese, a pet pig, and a smart fox to grow up and take some responsibility.  Good fun for kids of all ages - meaning, much past 13, they will probably think it's lame, but younger ones will relish it.  Rated G.