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It was an interesting week for new releases as September comes toward a close. Below is a look at my take on all the new movies I saw this week. You can keep up with everything I’m watching by following me on Letterboxd @knighthawk7734.

A Big Bold Beautiful Journey (Theaters)
Starring: Colin Farrell and Margot Robbie
Synopsis: I have enjoyed the first two feature films from the director Kogonada. His latest is a romance and an emotional journey. We follow David (Farrell) and Sarah (Robbie) as they meet at a wedding and then end up going on a journey. It’s a strange journey that takes them through key moments from their past. Can they get over their past trauma and find a way to move forward together? This is a beautifully shot and rendered film. There are some gorgeous sequences and some profound moments. I liked the way the film attempted to do something different and dig for emotional depth. I also liked the performances from Farrell and Robbie, who play off each other beautifully. But the story doesn’t quite come together and misses the mark on creating something truly profound. Instead, it’s just OK. It has its moments and its enjoyable enough, but I thought it could have gone deeper.
Rating: Rated R for language.
Verdict: Three stars out of five

HIM (Theaters)
Starring: Tyriq Withers, Marlon Wayans, and Julia Fox
Synopsis: This new horror film is set in the world of football and comes from producer Jordan Peele. It focuses on a top quarterback prospect, Cameron Cade (Withers), who is facing some questions about whether he’s ready for the pro game. Thanks to a connection through his agent, he's invited to train for a week with star quarterback Isaiah White (Wayans), the best in the game. It’s an amazing opportunity that turns into a nightmare as things take a dark turn. I wasn’t excited about this one seeing the marketing. It looked strange and dark. And as a film, that about sums things up. What I wasn’t counting on was a confusing lack of cohesive narrative. It’s not clear what they’re going for here, but it is clear that it doesn’t work. Withers is forgettable as Cade, while Wayans has some fun moments but not enough of a character as White. This film feels like it's more about some of the visual sequences, which are striking without linking to anything that feels like a cohesive story. This is one of the worst films of the year.
Rating: Rated R for strong bloody violence, language throughout, sexual material, nudity and some drug use.
Verdict: 1/2 star out of five

London Calling (Theaters)
Starring: Josh Duhamel, Jeremy Ray Taylor, and Rick Hoffman
Synopsis: This new film focuses on a hit man (Duhamel) who gets into some trouble due to his faulty vision. He kills someone he shouldn’t in London, landing him in hot water with his boss (Aiden Gillen). He retreats to Los Angeles and starts picking up work for local boss Benson (Hoffman). But he yearns to return to Los Angeles and the son he left behind. Benson agrees to help smooth things over so Tommy can return to the son he left behind. But first, he has to help groom Benson’s son, Julian (Taylor), to be a hit man. The hope is he’ll toughen Julian up enough to take over the family business. This is an unexpected buddy comedy for Duhamel and Taylor, and it works best when it’s focused on the two of them. They have good chemistry, and the humor works best in those sequences. There is a wild third act that doesn’t always work. There’s some interesting sequences, but also some things that just don’t fit with the tone of the rest of the film. Still, it’s an interesting enough watch and makes for a decent time thanks to the work of Duhamel and Taylor.
Rating: Rated R for strong/bloody violence, language throughout, drug use and some sexual content.
Verdict: Two and a half stars out of five

Swiped (Hulu)
Starring: Lily James and Dan Stevens
Synopsis: This new film from Hulu is the story of Whitney Wolfe (James), who was the co-founder of the dating app Tinder. She comes to the company with big energy as an entrepreneur seeking to change the world. Instead, she ends up having a profound impact on the creation and marketing of the dating app. At the same time, she gets involved with a co-worker, and when that relationship crumbles it turns into an unlivable situation. Instead of seeing him suffer, Wolfe is forced out and forced into a settlement. She turns her energy toward creating something more female-friendly in Bumble, but another scandal with her financial backer (Stevens) causes her to have to take a stand. This film is based on Wolfe’s life and career, but as it makes clear she couldn’t and didn’t participate in the film due to a non-disclosure agreement. So, it’s unclear what we’re to take from her story. We don’t learn a ton about the apps she made or the company she now successfully runs. We don’t learn much about the toxic workplaces, aside from the bad interaction she had and the lack of support from the CEO. Overall, it feels like a script made for a Lifetime-movie-of-the-week that is elevated thanks to the work of James. She’s good in the lead, but this film doesn’t live up to her good work. It’s just OK.
Rating: NA
Verdict: Two and a half stars out of five