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Here's a look at the new movies I saw this week. Brace yourselves, I went quite a few times this weekend.

Adrift
Starring: Shailene Woodley and Sam Claflin
Synopsis: This film, based on a true story, is about a young couple who are caught in a deadly storm at sea. As it opens we see Tami (Woodley), battered and bruised trying to collect herself aboard a sailing vessel that is also battered and bruised. Soon we are whisked back to a few weeks earlier, when a young Tami lands in Tahiti. It's the 1980s, and she is a young woman exploring the world. That leads her to a sailor named Richard (Claflin), and they quickly fall in love. When he's asked to sail a luxury vessel from Tahiti to San Diego, Tami's home town, she decides to go with him. But when they hit a massive hurricane in the Pacific, things go sideways in a hurry. Soon, Tami is forced to struggle to stay alive while the vessel is adrift and off course, and Richard is in bad shape. This film is really a showcase for Woodley, who has to give a very emotional and physical performance. And she handles both well. She's capable of some meaningful dramatic performances, and her work here is a highlight of the film. I also liked some of the camera work from director Baltasar Kormákur, who does a decent job telling the physical story. But I wasn't thrilled with the story, and the way it bounced back-and-forth on the timeline. In addition, there's a twist in the narrative that I won't spoil that didn't totally work for me. That being said, this is a film that tells a difficult story and does so faithfully. It has a good lead performance that helps hold you even if the story doesn't totally come together.
Rating: PG-13 for injury images, peril, language, brief drug use, partial nudity and thematic elements.
Verdict: Two stars out of four.

First Reformed
Starring: Ethan Hawke, Amanda Seyfried, Cedric the Entertainer, and Michael Gaston
Synopsis: Sometimes movies aren't what you expect. That can be a wonderful experience, or it can throw you off. Either way, it's often a personal reaction. And so with "First Reformed," I struggle to separate the personal reaction to a movie that wasn't what I expected with the craft. Paul Schrader, the writer/director, had a very specific vision for this film, and he does that well. It's crafted in a very deliberate way, and for parts of the film that really pulled me in. And Hawke gives a difficult, yet beautiful lead performance. It's a difficult role and a difficult story, and he is in practically every scene. That was almost enough to make me overlook some flaws here. But in the end, the third act took this movie in a direction that felt off, to me, and the ending left me scratching my head and wondering what I just watched. "First Reformed" makes some comments on faith, the church and the environment that are worthy of consideration. It looks at the line between hope and despair, and asks us to consider some hard questions. All that is a worthy pursuit. But in the end the story, and the abrupt ending, were just a little too much for me to overlook.
Rating: R for some disturbing violent images.
Verdict: One star out of four.

Hotel Artemis
Starring: Jodie Foster, Sterling K. Brown, Jeff Goldblum, and Dave Bautista
Synopsis: Here is another film that wasn't quite what I expected. From the trailer, "Hotel Artemis" looks like kind of a fun crime caper. And it is that, at times, but it's also a character piece, a bit of a sci-fi film, and one that seems to want to make at least a cursory statement about where we're headed in our current political climate. The film is set in Los Angeles in the future, where corporations control everything from vital public resources like water to the police. And it's the control of the former that has people in an uproar, and has them rioting on the streets. Ever the opportunist, a master thief (Brown) and his crew, including his brother (Brian Tyree Henry), are attempting to take advantage of the panic of the wealthy, who are making rushed deposits at a bank. In the process of escaping, they get caught in the riot and his brother is shot. That leads the intrepid thief to take himself and his brother to The Hotel Artemis, a members only club of sorts that offers refuge and medical attention to injured criminals that chose to pay to belong. The Nurse (Foster) and her Orderly (Bautista) help care for those in need. On this particular night that includes a wounded assassin (Sofia Boutella) and a loud-mouth arms dealer (Charlie Day). It also includes the owner and biggest crime lord in Los Angeles, The Wolf King (Goldblum), who is inbound. With a riot swirling all around them, the Nurse and Orderly have to deal with patients, an incoming VIP and, for the Nurse, the haunting memories of the child she couldn't save. This is a film that was different than what I'd expected. It's advertised like kind of a fun action film, and there are elements of that, but this is a more serious story. I loved the work from Foster in a different kind of leading role and from her co-stars, Brown, Goldblum and Bautista. And this movie ended up being engaging, just not quite the ride I thought I'd be getting. And I didn't love it as much as a result. It seems to be fitting with a summer that has delivered a lot of fine movies, but not a lot that excite me.
Rating: R for violence and language throughout, some sexual references, and brief drug use.
Verdict: Two stars out of four.

Ocean's 8
Starring: Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Sarah Paulson, Rihanna, Mindy Kaling, Helena Bonham Carter, Awkwafina, and James Corden
Synopsis: This long gestating re-boot of the "Ocean's 11" franchise, or rather an expansion, with a female cast was pegged by many as an anticipated movie of the summer. And why not? It's a good concept and an even better cast, led by Bullock who stars as Debbie Ocean, sister to the franchise's main man, Danny (George Clooney). There were even a few cross over characters from the other "Ocean's" movies that appear in this one. But it's an all new group and a new heist, co-written and directed by Gary Ross. And the film knows what it is, the legacy it's building into and how to maximize the cast. The heist is fun, and the exchanges between the ladies are even more fun. There's even a fun twist at the end. This isn't a laugh-out-loud funny kind of movie, but the characters are well drawn and the film doesn't take itself too seriously. It's just there to be a piece of entertainment, and it works well. This is one of the summer films that has delivered on its promise so far in 2018.
Rating: PG-13 for language, drug use, and some suggestive content.
Verdict: Three stars out of four.

Upcoming Releases:
Friday, June 15: "Tag," "Incredibles 2," "Superfly," "Gotti"
Friday, June 22: "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom"
Friday, June 29: "Sicario: Day of the Soldado," "Uncle Drew," "The Hustle"