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It was a packed week for new releases with some interesting and emotional film options. Below is my take on this week’s new films. You can keep up with everything I’m watching by following me on Letterboxd @knighthawk7734.

The American Society of Magical Negroes (Theaters)
Starring: Justice Smith, David Alan Grier, An-Li Bogan, and Drew Tarver
Synopsis: Sometimes a film surprises you. That was the case here, with a comedy that has poignance and some good performances. This film, from writer/director Kobi Libii, starts with a concept and builds a story from there. We begin with the definition of a Magical Negro, which ties into the way Negros were used in stories and films in the past. It spins into the idea being real and a young artist (Smith) being recruited for the program. He has a mentor (Grier) and an assignment with a client (Tarver) who is in something of a crisis. When they both fall for the same woman (Bogan), it creates tension and threatens to derail his mission. This film has a lot of humor and some great chemistry between Smith and Bogan that builds the tension. Tarver is amusing and Grier is great in a supporting role. This is also a film that wants to make observations on society, our world, and they ways it needs to change. That leads to a great third-act speech from Smith that was an emotional high point in the film. In terms of story and style, it also reminds me a bit of The Adjustment Bureau. I liked the way it all came together, and I really appreciated Smith in the lead role. This was an entertaining and engaging film that’s worth checking out.
Rating: Rated PG-13 for some strong language, suggestive material and thematic material.
Verdict: Three and a half stars out of five

Arthur the King (Theaters)
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Simu Liu, Juliet Rylance, Ali Suliman, and Nathalie Emmanuel
Synopsis: Sometimes you have to dig deep to achieve your dreams, but they’re nothing without friends and family. And sometimes that extends to our four-legged family. Michael (Wahlberg) was a great racer that could take the pain. But he had never won. The 2018 Adventure Racing World Championships were his last chance. Along with his team (Liu, Emmanuel and Suliman), and with the support of his wife (Rylance), he got the sponsors he needed to make one last run. As they gutted it out on the journey, he came across a stray dog that came to be like a member of the team. When it was a choice between Arthur, his new friend, and a lifelong dream, Michael didn’t hesitate. This is a beautiful story, based on true events. In the hands of director Simon Cellan Jones, it comes to life in a fun way. Wahlberg is solid in the lead role, and I liked all those that were in supporting positions. Liu, Emmanuel and Suliman are great as the rest of the team, while Rylance had some nice moments as Michael’s wife and former teammate. The best animal stories draw you in, set the stakes, and offer a beautiful emotional payoff. This film certainly lives up to that billing. I was entertained and inspired. This is a fun movie well worth checking out, with some action sequences and visuals that are worth seeing on the big screen.
Rating: Rated PG-13 for some strong language.
Verdict: Three and a half stars out of five

Irish Wish (Netflix)
Starring: Lindsay Lohan, Ed Speelers, Alexander Vlahos, and Jane Seymour
Synopsis: Netflix has had a lot of these romance films that feel like something out of the Hallmark playbook. In fact, this is the second of those that has featured Lohan. This one is set in Ireland and is a romance released in time for St. Patrick’s Day. In it, a book editor, Maddie Kelly (Lohan), is in love with her author, Paul Kennedy (Vlahos). But he is engaged to her friend, and soon she arrives in Ireland for the wedding. There, she meets a photographer, James (Speelers), with whom she trades barbs. When Maddie comes across and Irish wishing chair, she has a chance to ask for what she always wanted, but is it really the desire of her heart? You know where this is going early in the film. It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey. Lohan and Speelers have decent chemistry and there are some beautiful sequences in the film owing to the locations. But the script is stiff and overall, it’s just OK. For fans of this style story, it will be worth checking out. But this is nothing special or particularly memorable.
Rating: TV-G
Verdict: Two stars out of five

Love Lies Bleeding (Theaters)
Starring: Katy O’Brian, Kristen Stewart, Jena Malone, Dave Franco, and Ed Harris
Synopsis: This film first debuted at the Sundance Film Festival and now gets a wide release. In it, it’s 1989 and Lou (Stewart) is a lonely gym manager. She’s drawn to a bodybuilder, Jackie (O’Brian), who is training for a competition in Las Vegas. Sparks fly and soon they’re on a wild ride together. But Lou’s family, including her sketchy brother-in-law (Franco) and criminal father (Harris), stand in the way of the two having a peaceful, happy future. This new film, from co-writer/director Rose Glass, has a strong look. It also features some good performances. Harris is menacing as Lou’s estranged father, while Franco plays the creep well here. From his first scene to his last he inhabits the role well. But this comes down to Lou and Jackie, and the actresses in those roles do a nice job. O’Brian has some tough character beats she accomplishes well, while Stewart sort of carries the film. That being said, the story doesn’t quite work for me here. There are some odd moments and then some choices during the Third Act climax that didn’t land here. It's an interesting swing with some good performances but it doesn’t all come together as well as it could have.
Rating: Rated R for violence and grisly images, sexual content, nudity, language throughout and drug use.
Verdict: Two and a half stars out of five