For May, there are 7 films in the fight.
Thunderbolts
Thunderbolts is a mixed bag. It’s a Marvel film (for good and bad) that tries to do something different, particulary with the villain. However, in bringing together the characters that it does, it forces tension that really shouldn’t be there.
Some good moments, definitely a breezy popcorn film, but only looks good in comparison to their recent output.
The Cleaner
The Cleaner sees a former solider turned high-rise window cleaner take on some terrorists attempting to… honestly, who knows? The plot here isn’t really notable. I actually forgot the ending by the next day and had to rewatch it. The action doesn’t even make up for it.
There’s not much to really like here.
Skip.
Summer Of 69
Summer Of 69 is a teen comedy that sees an awkward teen hire a stripper to help her gain the skills she thinks she needs to get a guy.
While the specifics are unique, you’ve definitely seen movies like this before - and ones that are done a little better. That’s not to say it’s bad, I definitely laughed at points, but it’s not great.
Fine.
Drop
Drop is a fixed location horror about a women tasked with killing her date at a fancy restaurant, or face repercussions against her family.
It is, at times, ridiculous but mostly manages to build tension effectively, ratcheting up the pressure nicely.
Definitely one worth seeing.
The Ballad Of Wallis Island
The Ballad Of Wallis Island follows the fictional reunion of a folk duo for a superfan.
Mulligan, Basden, and Key all play their parts well. It’s sad and resentful as much as it is funny, but it all works.
Good.
Opus
Opus sees a former popstar (played by John Malkovich) reappear after decades of being a reclusive cult leader, promising his best album yet. Ayo Edebiri plays a journalist sent to review it - and find out what’s been happening.
While the last act will have you rolling your eyes, there’s fun to be had on the way there. There are enough moments of cult weirdness to draw a smile.
Okay.
Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning
Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning is a lengthy action movie that tries to wrap up and tie-in far more of the previous entries than it really should have attempted to.
Bloated storytelling aside, it does what you’d expect: some of the biggest action sequences committed to film done as practically as possible. There are some genuinely excellent set pieces in here, that are worth the runtime.
Good.
The May Winner
Not the strongest month but I think the winner is Drop - a very solid horror thriller that does most things just right.