Hard Kill (2020):

The decline of Bruce Willis as an A-lister continues with this action-thriller, his third direct-to-video project with director Matt Eskandari. In the first two low budget quickies, Willis hardly showed up on film, with last year’s “Trauma Center” appearing that he did perhaps two day’s work on the film. Prior to that it was the Eskandari-directed “Survive the Night” in which Willis again barely showed up, but was used in all the advertising as though it was “Die Hard” all over again. “Hard Kill” is no “Die Hard.” Here, Willis is high-tech billionaire Donovan Chalmers. He’s a CEO with secrets, mostly those relating to the technologies that he has created. The police are not nearly strong enough to protect his interests, and he has developed a team of mercenaries, all with special fighting skills, to protect him. Media personality Lala Kent is Chalmer’s daughter Eva, and when she is kidnapped by terrorists after his secrets, the fight is on. Most of the action is carried by Jesse Metcalf playing Derek Miller, perhaps the key to getting Eva back safely. Rated 14A.

Misbehaviour (2020):

This British film tells the mostly true story of what happened at the Miss World telecast in London in 1970. A group of women representing the then-newly-formed but now-defunct Women’s Liberation Movement, infiltrated the proceedings and caused a major disruption to the pageant. At that time, this telecast was the most-watched TV event in the world with some 100 million people tuning in. Bob Hope was the host, and when he made a number of misogynistic remarks that demeaned certain contestants, as well as the pageant at large, the group took over. They invaded the stage and completely disrupted the live telecast. When all was said and done, Miss Sweden, who was expected to win the competition, was out, and Miss Grenada, the first woman of colour to ever win a major pageant, was crowned. An excellent cast is led by Kiera Knightly, with Gugu-Mbatha Raw playing the winning Miss Grenada. Bob Hope is played by Greg Kinnear. Rated 14A.

Antebellum (2020):

Available on demand for more than a month now, this highly controversial film makes its DVD and Blu-Ray debut this week. Janelle Monae plays what appears to be two roles here, that of a black woman on a slave plantation during the time of the American Civil War, named Eden, and a woman named Veronica in the present day who is a best-selling author and speaker, delivering TED Talks and signing books at major events. The scenes of slavery are like a slap in the face, so shocking and so horrifying are they. Beatings, rape, and all manner of hideous behaviour victimize those on the plantation, and even though we have seen such things in films like “12 Years a Slave,” they are still shocking and hard to watch. Eden struggles with her place here, watching as other slaves are mercilessly murdered at the hands of the Confederate soldier who oversees the cotton fields where they work. She plots an escape, and a familiar noise changes everything. To say more gives away the big twist. Rated 18A.

Enola Holmes (2020):

Netflix acquired the distribution rights for this whodunnit after it was decided to stream the movie rather than put it in theatres.  It's a Sherlock Holmes story, but unlike any that have come before.  Enola (Millie Bobby Brown who played "Eleven" on ``Stranger Things") is a much younger sister to Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes, but she has the detective genetics that it takes to go looking for a mystery to be solved.  None of the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle books mention a younger sister, but here she is, and when her mother goes missing, Enola sets off to find her.  Helena Bonham Carter plays Mother Holmes, and Henry Cavill is Sherlock.  When it's discovered that mother is missing, and that there are a number of gifts and trinkets that she has inexplicably left behind, big brother Sherlock continues to insist that Enola leave the matter alone, and head off to boarding school.  Not her ... soon she is searching all of London, looking for clues.  A crime-adventure, rated 14A. 

Country-ish (2020)(TV series):

This Netflix original is a reality series that features country singer and internet star Coffey Anderson and his wife Criscilla.  It walks through their daily lives with the couple, and focuses on their careers - she's a hip-hop artist - their Christian faith, and their desire to provide wholesome entertainment in a world that seems to want things a lot more raunchy.  A former U.S. Marine, and an active participant in the Nashville music scene, Coffey has released nine albums so far, about half of them faith-based and the other half mainstream.  He was a contestant on season 2 of American Idol in 2003 where he made it as far as the Hollywood round.  Rated PG.

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.