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

Fear Street Part Three: 1666 (Netflix)
Starring: Kiana Madeira, Olivia Scott Welch, Ashley Zukerman, Benjamin Flores, Jr., and Alison Brie
Synopsis: This is the third and final installment of the inter-connected horror films based on the R.L. Stine novels. This one begins where the second installment left off, with Deena (Madeira) transported back to 1666 to see the events through Sarah Fier's eyes. In fact, most of the primary cast from the original installment pops up in the form of ancestors as the events play out and the truth is revealed. After than interlude, Deena returns to 1994 to finish it, recruiting her friends and Ziggy Berman (Brie) to square off against the real threat and break the curse. This one wrapped up a lot of the hanging threads and was almost like two films in one. It's the longest of the series, but not by much. It brings the whole thing to a satisfying resolution, as Leigh Janiak finishes the story she set out to tell. The performances are decent and this might well be the best of the trilogy, which for me got slightly better with each installment. These weren't exceptional, but they were entertaining and fun. I'll be curious to see if Netflix does something similar in the future.
Rating: Rated R for strong violence and gore, language, some sexuality and brief drug use.
Verdict: Two stars out of four

Gunpowder Milkshake (Netflix)
Starring: Karen Gillan, Lena Headey, Michelle Yeoh, Angela Bassett, Carla Gugino, and Paul Giamatti
Synopsis: Gillan has long been a strong featured players in places like the MCU and the Jumanji films, but with Gunpowder Milkshake she gets to take the lead. And she shines. She stars as Sam, who as a young girl had her mother (Headey) go missing. In turn, she was raised by Nathan (Giamatti), a lawyer for a nefarious organization that saw Sam as an assassin. Now an adult, she's the top agent for them, handling all their difficult problems. When she's sent to track down and dispatch a thief, she discovers his daughter, Emily (Chloe Coleman), has been kidnapped. Sam steps off the path, saves Emily, and finds herself in the crosshairs of a gang of Russian thugs, cut loose by her employers for disobedience. To get out of it, she turns to a trio of strong ladies (Yeoh, Bassett and Gugino) who helped raise her. This is one of the best action films of the summer and one of my favorites of the year, so far. Gillan is magnificent in the lead role and I loved the combination of action, comedy and style. Co-writer/director Navot Papushado does a great job crafting the film, which has an exceptional visual style as well. The action sequences are well choreographed and the sets really capture your eye. This one opens the door to a possible franchise, and I hope we get to see more of Sam and her adventures. This is well worth seeking out.
Rating: Rated R for strong bloody violence throughout and language.
Verdict: Four stars out of four

The Hunt (HBO Max)
Starring: Betty Gilpin, Hilary Swank, Glenn Howerton, Ike Barinholtz, Ethan Suplee, and Emma Roberts
Synopsis: When this was released last year in theaters it was during a time when the country was fairly well shut down. It was also a film that drew plenty of ire and controversy due to its story, but as the dust settled people have been able to appreciate it as a unique horror film with a satirical cultural twist courtesy of writers Damon Lindelof and Nick Cuse. Director Craig Zobel, who earlier this year gave us Mare of Easttown, does a nice job putting the action together here, too. The film focuses on a group of conservatives who wake up in a field and find they're being hunted by a group of overly zealous liberals. Crystal (Gilpin) shrewdly avoids the early traps and soon turns the tables on her captors, seeking to fight her way to freedom. Gilpin, long a supporting player in other films, is excellent as the lead here. I enjoyed Swank, who appears in a supporting role later in the film, and the way she and Gilpin play off each other in the climatic moments is a highlight of the film. That actually elevates what could have been a simple horror premise into something a bit more satisfying. It's not great, but it's not nearly as controversial as some made it out to be. It's at times clever and worth seeing for Gilpin's lead performance.
Rating: Rated R for strong bloody violence, and language throughout.
Verdict: Three stars out of four

Joe Bell (Theaters/VOD)
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Connie Britton, Reid Miller, and Gary Sinise
Synopsis: This new independent film, which opens Friday, focuses on a father, Joe Bell (Wahlberg), who is walking across the country to raise awareness about bullying. He's doing it in honor of his son, Jadin (Miller), and as a form of penance. As we see Joe on his walk, giving speeches at every stop, we get flashbacks to the events prior to his journey. We see the story of Jadin, what he went through and the ways Joe failed him as a father, prompting this walk. While it's meant to spark change in others, it's also a means of Joe working on forgiving himself. This one is inspired by a true story, and features a decent performances from Miller in a tough role. Wahlberg gives a different kind of performance, too, and the story is at times emotionally engaging. If you're familiar with the story, or have read the real accounts, then you'll know where this is going. If you go into it cold, like me, the ending will feel abrupt and slightly unsatisfying. It's a story with potential power, but this film doesn't totally make the most of it. It's got a good lesson to teach about the power of words and actions, but it doesn't totally deliver on the promise. It's OK, but falls short of its lofty aspirations.
Rating: Rated R for language including offensive slurs, some disturbing material, and teen partying.
Verdict: Two stars out of four

Space Jam: A New Legacy (Theaters/HBO Max)
Starring: LeBron James, Don Cheadle, Cedric Joe, and Bugs Bunny
Synopsis: In 1996 we got Space Jam, a hybrid animated/live action film that found Michael Jordan playing with the Looney Tunes to save the Earth. Now, in 2021, we get a re-hash of that idea with LeBron James playing to save his fictional son (Joe) from a terroristic computer algorithm (Cheadle). This one is longer, features flashier style and is much less appealing. It was flat and boring, with all the actors feeling like they got trapped in the film. This was one of the roughest watches of 2021, a complete miss that failed to capture the fun and tone of the original film. This one can be safely skipped.
Rating: PG for some cartoon violence and some language.
Verdict: Zero stars out of four