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

Come From Away (Apple TV+)
Synopsis: It's been a big year for Apple TV+, which continues to turn out some of the most compelling original content. A week ago I reviewed the documentary 9/11: Inside the President's War Room, which was a gripping and emotional look at 9/11. Last Friday, Apple released Come From Away, a filmed version of the Broadway musical that focuses on the small town of Gander in Newfoundland, which received 38 planes and 7,000 passengers grounded when the United States closed its airspace on 9/11. The town responded by hosting scared and stressed people, and the play is a true story that tells the experience of residents and guests who are now bonded forever by this shared event. It's got beautiful music and is beautifully told. It's a stirring tribute to 9/11 and well worth checking out. I enjoyed this a lot.
Rating: TV-14
Verdict: Four stars out of four

Kate (Netflix)
Starring: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Woody Harrelson, and Miku Patricia Martineau
Synopsis: Kate is an action film focusing on an assassin (Winstead) who has been poisoned and has just 24-hours to live. In that time, she tries to figure out who poisoned her and make things right with the daughter (Martineau) of one of her targets. This isn't a totally original concept. We've seen various aspects of this play out before. In part it reminded me of Crank, the action film built around Jason Statham, and part of it felt like Gunpowder Milkshake, another Netflix action film that bowed earlier this summer. I like Winstead, and I think she's good in the role. Harrelson does a decent job in the supporting role, too. This one is good for what it is, but it fails to rise much above a decent action movie streamer.
Rating: Rated R for strong bloody violence and language throughout.
Verdict: Two stars out of four

Last Night in Rozzie (VOD)
Starring: Neil Brown, Jr., Jeremy Sisto, and Nicky Whelan
Synopsis: This new drama opens on Friday, and centers on a lawyer (Brown) who gets a call from a childhood friend (Sisto). The friend is dying and wants to see his son before he goes, sending Ronnie Russo (Brown) to connect with his ex-wife (Whelan) to make that happen. It's an interesting set up that ends up diving deeper into Ronnie's past and how he needs to get closure just as much as his friend Joey. I thought Brown was solid in the lead role, while Sisto and Whelan are strong in supporting roles. The film has some interesting and engaging moments but it didn't feel like the greatest story. It's OK but not incredible.
Rating: NA
Verdict: Two stars out of four

Malignant (Theaters/HBO Max)
Starring: Annabelle Wallis, George Young, and Maddie Hasson
Synopsis: This latest from James Wan focuses on Madison (Wallis), a young, pregnant woman who is in an abusive relationship. When her husband is murdered and she's attacked, a connection from her past surfaces that puts her in the crosshairs of a police investigation. But the truth turns out to be much stranger and much darker than Madison or anyone close to her imagined. Wan is a good horror director, but this story isn't great. The performances aren't great, either. This has some wild and violent action sequences but there isn't much here. This one feels like a miss.
Rating: Rated R for strong horror violence and gruesome images, and for language.
Verdict: One star out of four

Voyeurs (Amazon Prime)
Starring: Sydeney Sweeney, Justice Smith, Ben Hardy, and Natasha Liu Bordizzo
Synopsis: The latest from Amazon Prime is... interesting. This one focuses on a young couple (Sweeney and Smith) who move into a scenic new apartment in Montreal. They soon realize they can see directly into the apartment across the way, where amorous couple (Hardy and Bordizzo) live. They soon get sucked into their neighbors lives and affairs, with dark results. This one spins in some unexpected ways. There is a lot of sexual content and it gets pretty dark. The performances are OK and the story kept my attention. It's solid but not spectacular.
Rating: Rated R for strong sexual content, nudity including brief graphic nudity, language and some disturbing images.
Verdict: Two stars out of four


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