Ava (2020):

Jessica Chastain is the title character here, a black ops agent whose job is to murder whomever her bosses at "The Company" tell her to take out. When we first catch up to her, she is in the process of deleting a general of a foreign power, who is number 74 on her list of kills, for which she is paid $75,000 per. This is an action-adventure thriller all the way, with Ava touching on her damaged relationships with her mother (Geena Davis) and her sister Judy (Jess Wexler). We learn that the family tension comes from Ava's dropping out of sight eight years prior, without a word to anyone. We learn, as an audience, that she joined the army and learned hand-to-hand fighting skills, and became a crack sharpshooter and a weapons expert, but her family thinks only that she works for the United Nations in some kind of low-level position. Ava is in AA, has had substance abuse problems, and is a generally unhappy person. Her handler at "The Company" is Duke (John Malkovich), the man who recruited her and who taught her all she knows about black ops. When we glean that "The Company" thinks she is no longer capable of doing the job, the boss of bosses, Simon (Colin Farrell) decides that Duke must take Ava out of circulation. Violent with mind-numbing action scenes, this is perfect for those who like a good thriller. Rated 18A for violence.

The Irishman (2019):

In this Netflix production, Robert De Niro is Frank (The Irishman) Sheehan, a mob hitman who reminisces about some of the hits that he executed during a long and successful career as a killer-for-hire. Frank learned how to kill while serving in Italy during WWII, and here talks about his involvement in the disappearance of American Teamsters boss Jimmy Hoffa. Martin Scorsese is the director, and he has assembled a great cast of wiseguys including Joe Pesci, Al Pacino, and Harvey Keitel. We watch as the career of Frank moves from the realm of being a low-level “helper” to a guy who makes his first kill, and then to an old man reflecting on the life that he has led. Excellent character development, but very long, with some stretches that just don’t keep our interest well. The period sets, costumes, and cars are perfect. Rated 18A for violence and language.

Peninsula (2020):

It’s difficult to believe that the zombie genre on film just won’t die. With television’s “The Walking Dead” and all of its iterations, one would think that it has all been said and it’s all been done. Well, not yet. This Korean production, a non-sequel to the zombie movie from 2016 called “Train to Busan,” sends its characters, mostly soldiers following orders, back into the squalor and the danger that resulted in the first zombie outbreak on the Korean Peninsula. This time the mission is not necessarily to save people, but rather to recover a transport truck full of money – tens of millions of dollars. Of course, people being what they are, not everyone plays by the rules. Rated 14A.

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.