"Nope" (2022):

This horror/mystery from writer/director Jordan Peele ("Us," "Get Out!") was shrouded in secrecy from the beginning, and there was no inkling, from the trailers and from the promotional press, as to what it might actually be. Now, having seen the film, I am, at some level, still not completely certain and I think it begs for a second viewing. It is done in parts, with titles, such as "Gordy," "Jupiter," "Ghost," and "Jean Jacket" all apparently meaningless, but over time they are stitched together into the garment that is a most unusual UFO thriller. Jordan Peele has flawlessly built the mystery, the tension, and eventually the terror behind the happenings on a ranch in the desert, an hour's drive from Hollywood where OJ (Daniel Kaluuya), his sister Emerald (Keke Palmer), and their movie horses live, their father having died in the opening scene as objects from keys to coins to trash of all kinds rained down from the heavens. What that trash from the sky is becomes clear as the narrative progresses, but initially, it is a complete puzzle. The family works in the movie business, providing horses in particular, for commercials and for film work. There is some nuanced reference to the treatment of African-Americans in the movie business over the years, and it is somewhat veiled. But something has been happening back at the ranch. Strange lights and noises appear in the night in the nearby mountains. The ranch's power seems to go off and on at will, same with their cell phones and even their vehicles, and the sense of something ominous watching them is heightened in every scene. This is not your average sci-fi thriller. It is full of symbolism, rife with mystery, and by story's end, it leaves you sitting, staring at the screen as the credits roll, as you try to process what you have just seen. The persistent rumour that the title NOPE, is an acronym for "Not of Planet Earth" works for me, and if you take that into the movie with you, it will help a great deal. Unique, unusual, and extremely thought-provoking, this one is a masterpiece of sorts. Rated 14A.

The Invitation (2022):

The vampire genre has been done to death and had the life sucked out of it over the years, in movies, television, and in books, so finding something that takes a fresh, invigorating look at the undead and all their horrific tastes is a challenge. This film has taken on the challenge, and it has created one of the most interesting and surprising stories since "Nosferatu" in 1922, the black-and-white silent movie that was the first well-known vampire tale on film, a thinly-disguised version of Bram Stoker's book, "Dracula." This new horror movie is sumptuous, with every scene making it clear that it is no low-budget thriller. The sets are beautiful, the costumes gorgeous, and performances at every level just first class. The story begins in present day New York City when Evie, an adult orphan with no apparent living relatives since the death of her mother, tried a commercially available DNA test, just to see to whom you might be related. In what quickly becomes a gothic thriller, she learns that she may be part of an aristocratic European family when a letter arrives stating that her "relatives" want to meet. Evie is played by British actress Nathalie Emmanuel ("Game of Thrones," "The Fate of the Furious"), and when she learns that her newfound family is just as excited to embrace her as she is to become close to them. She is visited almost immediately by a handsome young British man named Oliver, who tells her of her family overseas, and almost as an afterthought, invites her to what he says will be the wedding of the century back home. They live in Britain, and they are extravagantly old-money wealthy. Evie is flattered by the invitation, but as a struggling artist who waits on tables to supplement her income, she explains that she is in no financial position to make such a trip. Oliver offers to have the family pay her way - he is most insistent, and she finally agrees. Once at the palatial mansion that is the home of Walter (Thomas Doherty), an exceptionally handsome and charming man, Evie seems taken with him and with many of those to whom she is told that she is related. As the days pass, and the wedding moment approaches, she keeps asking about the bride ... and she learns, almost too late, that the family has a very bloody history and that they have a plan for this new relative - a plan that will not bode well for Evie as a sinister plot is afoot that will be her worst nightmare. Like the best horror movies, the director's craft is evident here as the fate of the young woman is shredded, piece by piece and bit by bit until Walter is revealed for what he really is in the third act. But wait ... there's more! So much more that you will not see coming, and that's what sets this story apart from all of its predecessors. Shot in Hungary, standing in for the UK, the gothic look and feel is perfect. Rated 14A.

Breaking (2022):

The story is derivative as we have yet another ex-military man suffering from extreme PTSD, doing something desperate to call attention to his plight. What makes this one a little different is the very strong cast that surrounds the unimaginative plot. John Boyega (“The Woman King,” “Star Wars”) is the lead character, Brian, honourably discharged from the Marines, and adrift on civvy street unable to function because of what he saw and did in Afghanistan. He becomes homeless and with each passing day he is more desperate, leading him to enter a bank with a bomb, threatening to take everyone out if he does not get a fair hearing from the authorities at the VA to help him and others like him. He feels he is owed money for his service that was never paid, and he is at the end of his rope. Connie Britten (“Nashville”) and Jeffery Donovan (“Burn Notice”) also star. Rated 14A.

The Good Nurse (2022):

Inspired by actual people and events, this is the story of ICU Amy Loughran (Jessica Chastain), who struggles in silence with her own health secret as she works with patients in the worst moments of their own lives.  Amy has a serious heart condition, she's a single mom, and the fate of her young daughter depends on her ability to work, to remain as healthy as possible, and to keep the secret that would likely cost her job if word got out.  Life has been difficult for her, but things seem to take a positive turn when a new nurse signs on at her ICU, working the same shift.  His name is Charles Cullen (Eddie Redmayne) and he and Amy develop a strong working relationship and a strong friendship as well.  She entrusts Charles with her secret, and he seems both sympathetic and caring.  Something has changed in Amy's unit however.  The death rate is up dramatically, and Amy has to face the hard fact that Charles may be the reason that patients are dying at unprecedented levels.  Her choice is to remain silent, to preserve her own secret, and to accept Charles' help and support, or to find the evidence as to what's really going on, and bring that to hospital authorities.  Her own life is now on the line as well as the welfare of her daughter.  Rated 14A. 

All Quiet on the Western Front (2022):

WWI was a long, long time ago, having ended in 1918, but its stories remain as relevant today as when they were told during the heat of battle.  Based on the novel by Erich Maria Remarque, it follows the lives of some young German idealists who, their flames fanned by the State propaganda machine, sign up to fight against what they believe to be a monstrous enemy that deserves to be subjugated and put to death.  Actor Daniel Bruhl is Paul Baumer, who, along with his friends Albert and Muller, enthusiastically enlist fuelled by patriotism and in the strong belief in the just cause for which they fight.  Everything changes on the Western Front when the horrors of trench warfare become a reality, and when it becomes evident, piece by piece, that the cause for which they fight is neither noble nor just, but rather is dictated by the needs and desires of politicians safely ensconced back home in Germany.  Even though the date of the truce that will end the war has been announced, Paul and his surviving friends are ordered to continue to fight by the top brass so that Germany will have gone out on the offensive.  Rated 14A.