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

Monster (Netflix)
Starring: Kelvin Harrison, Jr., Jeffery Wright, Jennifer Hudson, ASAP Rocky, John David Washington, and Jennifer Ehle
Synopsis: This film for Netflix debuted on May 7, but was originally released during the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. It centers on a high school student, Steve Harmon (Harrison), from a good family who is accused of participating in a robbery where the store owner was killed. He's a bright young student who wants to become a filmmaker, and now he's thrust into an adult holding facility, on trial for his life. His public defender (Ehle) is cold, his parents (Wright and Hudson) are fretting and the street gang members he casually befriended (Washington and Rocky) are happy to sell him out. Steve is caught in the middle, trying to remain calm. This is a well acted and well produced film. The script from Colen Wiley and Janece Shaffer unfolds in a fascinating and engrossing way to show the events leading up to his arrest in flashbacks as the trial takes place. Harrison is great in the lead role and I enjoyed the exploration of life, race and justice in this film. It's powerful and well worth checking out.
Rating: R for language throughout, some violence and bloody images.
Verdict: Three stars out of four

Stowaway (Netflix)
Starring: Daniel Dae Kim, Anna Kendrick, Shamier Anderson, and Toni Collette
Synopsis: This new drama centers on a three-person crew (Dae Kim, Collette and Kendrick) who blast off on a two-year mission to Mars. A problem arises when an unexpected member of the maintenance crew (Anderson) falls out of a hatch, damaging the life support system. Now, with four people on a ship with a technical issue, it becomes a fight for survival. This is a tense and fascinating project, featuring just these four performers on a tight set. It requires a lot of the actors to carry the story, which works well. I thought the cast was strong and the idea was interesting. This seems to be a Netflix film going a bit under-the-radar, and while it wasn't my incredible I thought it was a solid and watchable film. Kendrick gives perhaps the best performance and has some of the best moments. It's worth checking out.
Rating: TV-MA
Verdict: Three stars out of four

Things Heard & Seen (Netflix)
Starring: Amanda Seyfried, F. Murray Abraham, and James Norton
Synopsis: This supernatural thriller centers on a couple (Seyfried and Norton) who take up residence on a remote farm. George (Norton) is a new professor, while Catherine (Seyfried) is an artist who is lonely, trapped in a toxic marriage. The home where they live has also been the sight of other rocky relationships that ended in tragedy. Catherine begins to feel a connection to the spirits in that place, while George spins a web of lies that threatens to be his undoing. This one plays out predictably and slowly. Norton is fine as an antagonist, but he and Seyfried feel trapped in a story and characters that are too flat. The direction from Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini seems to mute any of the potentially chilling moments. Instead we get a boring and plodding film that feels like a mediocre Lifetime movie-of-the week. There are better options.
Rating: TV-MA
Verdict: One star out of four

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