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The second weekend in August brought a packed slate of new films, including some big theatrical releases. Below, I give my thoughts on this week’s new movies. If you want to keep up with everything I’m watching, follow me on Letterboxd @knighthawk7734.

Borderlands (Theaters)
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis, Edgar Ramirez, Ariana Greenblatt, Florian Munteanu, and Jack Black
Synopsis: This film from Eli Roth—who co-wrote the script with Joe Abercrombie—is based on a video game. It’s set in a world where everyone is searching for a hidden vault with alien technology that promises to provide new, unstoppable weapons. We follow a bounty hunter, Lilith (Blanchett), who is hired by a wealthy tech mogul Atlas (Ramirez) to find his kidnapped daughter (Greenblatt). When she arrives on Pandora, she finds that said daughter Tina isn’t kidnapped, isn’t truly his daughter, and might be the key to finding the treasure. Lilith teams with the rest of Tina’s allies (Hart, Munteanu, and Curtis) to try and save the world. This is a brightly colored and action-packed adventure. There’s some humor and some interesting set pieces. As someone not familiar with the game, it felt odd getting dropped into a strange world that feels only partially formed. I like the cast, and Blanchett is always good, but this movie feels disjointed. There were reportedly some big cuts made in the final edition, which might make a difference to how this feels. I had hopes for a fun ride, and there is some mindless fun in this film. But it’s also awkward, sometimes dull, and meanders. It feels like something meant to build a franchise but it’s not good enough to sustain interest in this story, let alone a future franchise.
Rating: Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, language and some suggestive material.
Verdict: Two stars out of five

Cuckoo (Theaters)
Starring: Hunter Schafer, Dan Stevens, Jessica Henwick, Mila Lieu, and Marton Csokas
Synopsis: It’s been a big year for horror movies with a number of unique and entertaining releases. Into that comes Cuckoo, a new horror film from Neon. This one is set in the Bavarian Alps in Germany where 17-year-old Gretchen (Schafer) is forced to move with her father (Csokas) and his new wife (Henwick) and daughter (Lieu). Ostensibly they are there to build a new resort property for Herr Konig (Stevens). But this is a strange place. Gretchen is in the midst of grief, having lost her mother and then her home. But she takes a job at Konig’s original resort only to discover things in her new home aren’t what they seem. I liked the set up and potential here. There’s a creepy mood to the setting, while Stevens plays his part well. Schafer does a nice job in the lead role, too, serving as the entry point to this world. There are also some richly emotional moments as Gretchen tries to move on from her loss and learns to accept and bond with her new sister. There are some Third Act moments between Schafer and Lieu that I liked very much. But this is a film that doesn’t all come together. I won’t spoil the surprises here but suffice to say it’s a clever idea that doesn’t feel fully fleshed out. That creates some up-and-down moments and creates some overall narrative drag. This isn’t a misfire, but it fails to be what it could have been. It’s unique and shows promise for young writer/director Tilman Singer, but this doesn’t quite come together.
Rating: Rated R for violence, bloody images, language and brief teen drug use.
Verdict: Two and a half stars out of five

The Instigators (Apple TV+)
Starring: Casey Affleck, Matt Damon, Hong Chau, and Ving Rhames
Synopsis: There are projects you get excited about based on the people involved. It could be a combination of actors, premise, and setting that gets you pumped. But no matter how excited you get about a project’s potential; you still have to see if it delivers. Sometimes, the expectations fall flat in the face of the finished product. That’s the case with The Instigators, a new heist film featuring Damon and Affleck, among others, that opens on Apple TV+ on Friday. I was excited about the cast, and I was excited about the premise. We saw director Doug Liman deliver a fun streaming film in Road House earlier this year, too. All that adds up to potential. Unfortunately, what we get doesn’t match the hype. In the film, we meet Rory (Damon), a former soldier who isn’t satisfied with his life. He’s meeting with a therapist (Chau) and trying to get on track. But he’s given himself a year to feel better or end it all, and that deadline is approaching. We then meet Cobby (Affleck), an ex-con with a drinking issue and few prospects. He is trying to get his life together, but it doesn’t seem to be going well. Cobby gets a call and shows up at an abandoned building. Rory got the same call. There, they meet Mr. Besegai (Michael Stuhlbarg), a gangster with a plan for the perfect heist. He taps Cobby and Rory—along with Scalvo (Jack Harlow)—to get it done. It's supposed to be an easy job but it’s not. It takes Cobby and Rory on a wild ride that just might change their outlook and prospects on life. This film is set in Boston, so the accents are in full effect. We’ve seen that setting—and this type of story—work for Damon and Affleck in the past. Affleck co-wrote the script with Chuck MacLean and the cast also includes Rhames, Alfred Molina, and Ron Perlman, among others. It’s all the elements needed for success. But the finished product is dull. The story is dull. The comedy rarely hits. The characters are a mess. The whole film feels forced and overly long, despite being just about 100 minutes. Even Affleck and Damon feel like they are going through the motions. Worse yet, several story threads pick up from time-to-time and just sort of disappear. That might make the experience worse if you were inclined to care about the characters or story in the first place. I was amused at times, but mostly bored and disappointed. You might be tempted to try this film based on the talent involved but it ends up a frustrating mess. There’s little that feels compelling or original. It’s one you can safely skip.
Rating: Rated R for pervasive language and some violence.
Verdict: Two stars out of five

It Ends With Us (Theaters)
Starring: Blake Lively, Jenny Slate, Justin Baldoni, and Brandon Sklenar
Synopsis: Some movies have hidden depths. Others seem to be heading in an obvious direction. The new film It Ends With Us falls into the latter category, especially with a marketing campaign and a trailer the seem to give the plot away in detail.  The film is based on the book from Colleen Hoover. It follows Lily Bloom (Lively), a woman who has come to Boston trying to heal and move forward. There, she soon has a chance encounter with Ryle (Baldoni), a doctor with whom she shares a spark. But it seems like a chance meeting that is in the past. Lily focuses on opening her flower store, connecting with a local resident Allysa (Slate), who becomes her fast friend and co-worker. When Allysa turns out to be Ryle’s sister, Lily’s chance encounter blooms into romance. Along the way, while out at a hot local restaurant, Lily encounters Atlas (Sklenar), a blast from her past who brings up complicated feelings and memories. Their encounter also brings up tensions with Ryle, who has a darker side to his personality. All of it brings up painful memories for Lily, especially as she looks back on memories with her abusive father (Kevin McKidd). All that forces Lily to make a decision about what she wants and who she wants to be moving forward. This story touches on some painful subjects, which as oft been controversial for those who read the book. The film tones down some of the edges of the book while maintaining the story. It doesn’t glamorize its topic but handles it all with a deft hand. The film was directed by Baldoni, who brings a dangerous intensity to his role and his scenes with Lily. Those are often uncomfortable to watch, especially as audiences who read the book or saw any of the marketing know where it’s all leading. It’s also one of the pieces that doesn’t work. Ryle is an intense character from the jump and without some of the length and depth of the novel it’s hard to buy into the romance with Lily. Given that lack of pop and the lack of mystery in the plot, there are swaths of the film that feel uncomfortable and drag. By contrast, the flashback sequences that show a young Lily and Atlas build mood, and some of the latter sequences in the film are emotional and powerful, especially as Lily connects with Atlas, makes a new connection with her mother, and finds her own strength as she moves forward. I also enjoyed Slate and Hassan Minhaj, who plays Allysa’s husband. They bring some fun and levity to the film. But Slate also has some strong, emotional sequences with Lively that work well. Overall, the film will likely be a hit with fans of the book and serves as a decent date movie and some counterprogramming to much of what is now in theaters. It’s not incredible but the solid look and feel combined with some poignant moments are enough to make it enjoyable.
Rating: Rated PG-13 for domestic violence, sexual content and some strong language.
Verdict: Two and a half stars out of five