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Here's a look at the new movies I saw this week.

First Man
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy, and Kyle Chandler
Synopsis: Damien Chazelle has started his career on fire. His first feature film, "Whiplash," was the finest film I saw the year it was released, and remains powerful thanks to his direction and the performances. Then, he followed up with "La La Land," a film that very nearly won Best Picture and was a beautiful, stylish musical with rich performances. For his third feature, Chazelle is taking on something different with "First Man." Based on the screenplay from Josh Singer and the book from James R. Hansen, the film looks at the space race through the eyes of Neil Armstrong (Gosling) and his wife Janet (Foy). And it's beautiful. Gosling, who starred in "La La Land," has an incredibly expressive face. He's able to convey so much emotion and range without spoken word, and Chazelle captures that beautifully. Armstrong is depicted as quiet and driven, but passionate. He was moved by his losses, personally and professionally, and was the first man on the moon. Equally as important was his rock, Janet. Foy gives a beautiful performance as Janet, and their relationship is the heart of the story this film wants to tell. By now we've seen a lot of different movies about the teams that worked to get us to the moon, but this one sets itself apart with its rich performances and by being a personal story of two people rather than a broader focus of the space race. It's one of the best films I've seen so far this year, though I'd expect nothing less from a craftsman like Chazelle.
Rating:  PG-13 for some thematic content involving peril, and brief strong language.
Verdict: Four stars out of four.

Halloween
Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, Andi Matichak, Will Patton, and Toby Huss
Synopsis: Forty years ago John Carpenter created a legend in Michael Myers, and kicked off the slasher genre as we know it. His film, which starred Curtis as the terrorized babysitter Laurie Strode, remains an enduring classic. And Curtis remains linked to the character, having returned to play her in a number of sequels. For their bite at the apple co-writer Director David Gordon Green and his team of Danny McBride and Jeff Fradley showed great reverence for the original, but didn't appear to care much for what came after. In fact, the new "Halloween," which opened Friday, pretends that none of those other films after the original occurred. It picks up the action 40 years later with Michael escaping again, and Laurie lying in wait. The 40 years that passed haven't been kind to Laurie, whose life is defined by that night and the fact that Michael still lives. She's been planning and waiting, to the detriment of her relationship with her daughter (Greer) and granddaughter (Matichak). Laurie struggles with PTSD and the belief that Michael is pure evil and he's coming. Her daughter, Karen, thinks she's crazy. But when Michael arrives, all her preparation turns out to have been a good idea after all. McBride and Green previously created "Eastbound and Down," so they know a thing or two about comedy. And this film has some humor. It also pays homage to the original in a lot of ways, including the look, pacing and that iconic score. If you're a fan of these types of films, then this will be a throw back treat. (Personally, I think horror movies have gotten too violent and gross. In fact, Rob Zombie's re-make of "Halloween" was unwatchable to me. But this feels much, much better.) Curtis is great in this role, and Greer is wonderful in the movie, too. This was pretty fun, and felt very timely given the upcoming titular holiday.
Rating: R for horror violence and bloody images, language, brief drug use and nudity.
Verdict: Three stars out of four.

The Hate U Give
Starring: Amandala Steinberg, Russell Hornsby, Regina Hall, Common, Issa Rae, and Anthony Mackie
Synopsis: We live in difficult times. We would like to think progress has been made, and some has, but the last two years have shown us that hate and the divide in this country is as real as it's ever been. "The Hate U Give," based on the novel from Angie Thomas and some wisdom from Tupac, speaks into those issues with a powerful and, at times, inspiring story. George Tillman, Jr., does a beautiful job as director of bringing the story to life, while Steinberg gives one of the finest performances of the year. The story focuses on Starr Carter (Steinberg) a high school student who lives in the poor, mostly black neighborhood of Garden Heights. But she's a child of two worlds, as she attends the mostly white private school nearby. Soon, after a party gone wrong, Starr is riding home with a childhood friend when they're pulled over by a police officer. While Starr was taught from a young age to maintain a posture of fear and respect with the police, her friend takes the incident less seriously, and is shot dead due to a misunderstanding. Starr soon finds herself the key witness to a crime, and caught between two worlds. She's also besieged with guilt and grief, which makes her journey more difficult. This is a powerful and emotional film, one that raises a lot of issues in an interesting way. It's a film that everyone should see, but some will likely disregard because of the subject matter. That only highlights the divide in our country. Steinberg is wonderful, and it's possible she'll be recognized come awards season. This is the most powerful scripted film I've seen this year, and one I hope receives more recognition and attention.
Rating: PG-13 for mature thematic elements, some violent content, drug material and language.
Verdict: Four stars out of four.

Upcoming Releases:
Friday, October 26: "Hunter Killer," "Johnny English Strikes Again," "Indivisible," "Susperia"