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We’re making our way through October, and that leaves plenty of films to watch both in theaters and on streaming. Below is a look at the new movies I saw this week. You can keep up with everything I’m watching by following me on Letterboxd @knighthawk7734.

John Candy: I Like Me (Prime Video)
Synopsis: John Candy was a wonderful actor. He created some iconic and memorable characters in a career that was cut too short. This new documentary, directed by Colin Hanks, takes a look at the man, his life, and his career. Turns out, he was a great guy to his friends and family, too. I loved this documentary, which dropped on Prime Video on Friday. It was a hit at festivals and it should be a hit with audiences, too. This is my favorite documentary of the year so far and one of my favorite movies. It’s well worth checking out.
Rating: Rated PG-13 for smoking, some strong language, drug material and suggestive material.
Verdict: Four stars out of five

Maintenance Required (Prime Video)
Starring: Madeline Petsch, Jacob Scipio, Katy O’Brien, and Madison Bailey
Synopsis: Have you seen You’ve Got Mail? Did you ever watch it and wonder what it would be like without AOL and the charm of Tom Hanks? That’s kind of what you get with Maintenance Required, a new romantic comedy from Prime Video. The film follows the You’ve Got Mail playbook to perfection in telling the story of Charlie (Petsch) and Beau (Scipio) who meet cute on a message board, then IRL, then learn they are at rival car repair joints on the same street. Charlie runs a local, family business. Beau is the top man for a big chain trying to move in and bump out the competition. Can they overcome this conflict-of-interest to find a love connection? We’ve seen this before. But that can be OK. I liked Petsch in the lead role, and the friend roles played by O’Brien and Bailey. Even though I never wondered where this was going, I still had fun with this. Petsch and Scipio have decent chemistry and the film makes for a cozy stream.
Rating: Rated PG-13 for some strong language, and sexual material.
Verdict: Three stars out of five

Roofman (Theaters)
Starring: Channing Tatum, Kirsten Dunst, and Peter Dinklage
Synopsis: We get a lot of stories based on real life people and events. Sometimes they are too wild to be believed, and yet that based on true events helps keep you grounded. That’s somewhat the case with Roofman, which is based on the wild adventures of Jeffrey Manchester. The film picks up as Jeff (Tatum) has just pulled off his latest McDonald’s robbery. We learn that he started it a few years ago as a means of giving his daughter (Alissa Marie Pearson) a better life. And while he’s committing crimes, he’s trying to be civil about it.  Still, when he’s caught, Jeff receives a harsh sentence. But, while inside, he plies his keen observation skills to the systems in the prison. He finds a way out and when free contacts his family only to find they’ve moved on. He reaches out to an old Army buddy (LaKeith Stanfield) to get a new identity, but learns he’ll have to lay low a while. So, Jeff finds a spot to hide in the local Toys R Us. He finds a way to live in the store, observing its workers and processes. That leads him to finding Leigh (Dunst). Moved by her philanthropy, he steals some toys and donates. That leads to a real-life connection with Leigh that Jeff can’t ignore. Instead of laying low, Jeff begins a romance with Leigh, becoming a part of her life and family. When his chance of escape comes, can Jeff leave behind his new life. This film is directed by Derek Cianfrance off a script he co-wrote. You can see his interest in this story. At the end, we also get a great montage of real-life interviews with people Jeff knew and interacted with. All that makes it fascinating. So, too, do the performances. I enjoyed Tatum in the lead role and Dunst as Leigh. They have some good scenes and good chemistry. And a lot of the film wants to be a romance story between them. Therein lies some of the problem. The film is set up to make Jeff sympathetic. You want to root for Jeff. But, in reality, what he’s doing is somewhat cruel. He’s a criminal who is on the run, and yet he’s stepping into the life of a family and making it his own. When the end finally comes, it’s hard not to reflect on that. Which gives you mixed feelings about the story. There are moments in the film when the judge and police talk about who Jeff is and what he’s done. We get more of that in the real-life interviews. The way the film is set up it wants to make Jeff fun, but the story ultimately doesn’t support that. I liked the film as I was watching it. I appreciated the performances, with supporting characters played by Stanfield and Dinklage also being fun. But at the end, and with time to reflect, it’s hard to feel good about the way Jeff’s story is told here. Despite solid craft, that might make the viewing experience ultimately unsatisfying for some viewers.
Rating: Rated R for language, nudity and brief sexuality.
Verdict: Three and a half stars out of five

Tron: Ares (Theaters)
Starring: Jared Leto, Greta Lee, and Evan Peters
Synopsis: This is the third film in the Tron franchise, but it marks a departure from the story of Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) and his family. Yes, Bridges makes a cameo. But this is the story of two rival CEOs who are searching for the key to unlock the potential of AI with the hope they can use it to define the future. One (Lee) wants to help humanity thrive. The other (Peters) has created a brutal program (Leto) that he wants to use to change the future of warfare. Like the previous installment, this film from Joaquin Ronning has fantastic visuals. There are also a couple of great action set pieces that are impressive, including in the third act. But what set this apart for me was the improved story. I enjoyed the performances from Leto and Lee, and I liked the general flow of the narrative. At the end of the day, it’s a step up for me over the last installment. But it’s a much more pro AI film than I think anyone would like to see. That will make it entertaining for big screen audiences, but a somewhat flawed film.
Rating: Rated PG-13 for violence/action.
Verdict: Three stars out of five

The Woman in Cabin 10 (Netflix)
Starring: Keira Knightly and Guy Pearce
Synopsis: This new thriller for Netflix is based on the novel of the same name from Ruth Ware. It sees Knightly as a decorated reporter who has recently returned from a tough event. She’s invited to take a trip on the inaugural cruise of a new yacht with a group of wealthy guests to talk to the owners about their future and their charity. While onboard, she sees a woman go overboard. She reports the incident, but it seems no one is missing. Did she imagine the whole thing or is it a coverup? She begins digging in and the more she digs the more danger she finds. This is a fairly common set up for this kind of thriller. Knightly does a nice job in the lead role and the rest of the cast—which includes Hannah Waddingham, Daniel Ings, and David Ajala, among others—does a nice job filling out the world. Pearce plays a smarmy role, which befits his skills, and it’s all fairly predictable. But it’s only about 90 minutes, moving at a good pace. The film is a solid and entertaining enough stream, even if it’s not all that memorable.
Rating: Rated R for some violence and language.
Verdict: Two and a half stars out of five