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 It was a busy weekend for new movies, with a couple rising above the crowd. Below is my take on this week’s new movies. You can keep up with everything I’m watching by following me on Letterboxd @knighthawk7734.

Resident Evil (Theaters)
Starring: Austin Abrams
Synopsis: For decades, people have been drawn to Raccoon City and the antics of the Umbrella Corporation. The world of Resident Evil has been the basis for countless games and at least seven films in the past. It’s been a popular and bankable brand. And now it’s getting another iteration. It’s fair to say this new take—from director Zach Cregger—is unlike anything that’s come before. And it turns out that’s a very good thing. The new film follows Bryan (Abrams), a medical courier who is having a rough night. He’s in a fight, of sorts, with his girlfriend. She presented him with some big news, and he didn’t respond well. But he’s trying to focus on work. After making a delivery he’s offered a chance to make another to Raccoon City. It’s a priority case, and it will pay well. So, Bryan takes the job. But it proves to be more difficult than expected. The conditions aren’t great, and the icy roads and lack of cell signal have him on an island. When he comes across a woman out in the road unexpectedly, it sets off a chain reaction that leads Bryan to realize he’s in over his head. Can he deliver his package in time and get out alive? Cregger has become a master at delivering in the horror genre. His films are engaging, full of twists, and often mixed with a unique sense of humor. That started with Barbarian and caught the world—and even the Academy Awards—by storm with Weapons last summer. Now, he’s back with his own spin on a well-established franchise. But this version of Resident Evil, aside from using the same creature effects of the game, is unconnected. This is a new spin meant to apply Cregger’s style and interest in the world. At times, it does a beautiful job of capturing what it’s like to be in this kind of first-person shooter, trying to escape a world gone mad. But what makes it different is the approach here. There is a lot of humor that keeps things light and moving. Much of it focuses on what the experience would be like for a common man like Bryan to get pulled into an apocalyptic event. From wondering what’s going on to struggling to master guns in a real-life pressure situation, it made the concept feel relatable. That’s a beautiful new way to engage with the material. Abrams is great in the lead. He brings a lightness to the role that helps it glide through some intense times and circumstances. There are some fun cameos, too, from people like Zach Cherry, Kali Reis, and Paul Walter Hauser. They are fun in their spots and help add to the wild ride that is the film. I have been a fan of the Resident Evil franchise, but we haven’t had a really good one in a while. Cregger’s take on the world is unique and it’s a wild ride. The film is 90-minutes, action-packed and doesn’t waste any time. It’s the best of the films in the franchise and worth checking out on the big screen, especially for fans of the franchise and horror films.
Rating: Rated R for strong bloody violence, gore and language throughout.
Verdict: Four stars out of five

Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom (Theaters)
Synopsis: Spooky Season is in full swing. This weekend we get one of the most anticipated horror movies of the Fall. But there are all kinds of takes on spooky season material. Sometimes, you want a spooky story you can enjoy with the whole family. Fortunately, for those that don’t want to head to Raccoon City, Shaun the Sheep has you covered. He’s been a star of a number of films in the past, but now it’s time for a seasonally appropriate adventure that finds him dealing with the Beast of Mossy Bottom. In the film, it’s nearly time for the town’s annual Halloween carnival. The sheep are working on their perfect pumpkins and they’re nearly ready for the big night. But the farmer makes things rough. While he’s trying to make a connection with the vet, he stumbles off course and ends up falling on and smashing all the pumpkins. The sheep are crushed, but Shaun has a plan. He consults his book and whips up a special recipe. He takes a pumpkin seed, applies his special mix, and plants it in the ground. But he used a hair tonic bottle, and when the dog brings the bottle back to the farmer, he tries to regrow hair to make an impression on the vet. The next morning, the pumpkins are back. So, too, is the farmer’s full head of hair. But it isn’t all as it seems, as Shaun soon notices that the pumpkins keep growing, turning into monster gourds. Unfortunately, the same is true of the farmer’s hair. It renders him unrecognizable, which leads Shaun down a road to save the farmer and find a way to reverse his work. Shaun the Sheep was created nearly 20 years ago by Nick Park as part of Aardman Animations. It has been on the small screen for years but branched out into films in 2015. In 2019, a second film earned an Academy Award. Now, it’s back with a third feature, timed perfectly for this time of year. And it’s a welcome addition to the landscape. There isn’t much family-friendly programming out right now and hasn’t been for a few weeks. But this is a great romp for audiences of all ages. It has laughs, heart, and perfectly fits with the season. That makes it a delightful addition to the late September cinematic landscape. I like the animation style and the fact these stories are nearly wordless. Despite no dialogue, you clearly understand everything that’s happening and the breadth of emotion. The film is a crisp 80 minutes and is a lot of fun. I enjoyed the story and the way it all came together. The Beast of Mossy Bottom is the third of the Shaun the Sheep films, and I think it’s the best. I enjoyed the ride and the humor, as well as the way it perfectly fit into the mold of spooky season films. It’s worth seeking out in theaters and worth bringing along the family!
Rating: Rated PG for mild scary action.
Verdict: Three and a half stars out of five

Sunny Dancer (Theaters)
Starring: Bella Ramsey and Neil Patrick Harris
Synopsis: It’s hard to be treated differently. It’s especially hard when there’s little you can do to make people see you as something other than that difference. For those who’ve battled long-term illnesses, the struggle in recovery is not being defined by that illness. That’s the case for the kids at the camp at the heart of Sunny Dancer, a new film opening in theaters on Friday. It stars Ramsey as Ivy, a girl who has recovered from cancer. She’s healthy now, but struggling with finding a way to fit in. So, Ivy’s well-meaning parents (Jessica Gunning and James Norton) decide that they need to do something to pull her out of her rut. That something is sending her away for a four-week summer camp that is designed for teens going through something similar. They’ve had the same kind of experiences, and this camp is a place where they can attempt to be normal—no longer defined by the illness that nearly claimed their lives. Ivy is resistant at first. She’s prickly with the campers, the counselor and the man who runs the camp, Patrick (Harris). But eventually, they start to penetrate the outer shell that’s been designed to protect her from the world and from feeling anything. As she starts to open up, Ivy makes some new friends. As the summer progresses, Ivy is able to become herself again, finally seeing a path forward apart from being the girl who survived cancer. But can it last as the summer nears its end? This is the kind of story that we’ve seen before. It’s a bit of a coming-of-age story. It’s a bit of a teen romance story. And it’s a bit about some outsiders—in this case because of chronic illness—that are trying to gain acceptance and find a path forward. All those are worthy targets, but there are a lot of cliches along the way here. The film is directed by George Jacques, who wrote the script. There is an attempt to work in a few twists meant to add depth to this telling of the story, but they don’t really work. In fact, the big twist at the end felt like a jarring and uneasy way to end the film, especially since it was easy to see it coming. That being said, the film is propped up by a strong cast and some good performances. I enjoyed Ramsey in the lead, especially in scenes that move away from the gruff exterior that has hallmarked past roles. Ramsey’s scenes opposite Harris work well, as he provides some of the deeper emotional moments and grounds the film. I also enjoyed Gunning and Norton, who provide some humor and pathos at the beginning and end of the film. That’s enough to elevate it a little and to make it a little more compelling than you’d expect given the structure of the plot. It’s worth checking out and makes for an easy enough watch.
Rating: NA
Verdict: Two and a half stars out of five

The Weight (Theaters)
Starring: Ethan Hawke and Russell Crowe
Synopsis: What would you do for your family? That’s a question that is at the heart of a new film, The Weight, which opens on Friday. It’s a depression-era tale of some desperate men and the lengths they’ll go to provide for their families. We pick up in 1933, well into the Great Depression. Samuel Murphy (Hawke) is a single father trying to provide for his daughter. But work isn’t easy to find, and money is a luxury. One day after church they return home to find themselves evicted. With the little money he has, Samuel pursues a new place to live, getting into a fight along the way. He lands in jail, and soon in prison. Samuel is attached to a work camp run by Clancy (Crowe). He is determined to work hard and earn his release, hoping it’s in time to prevent his daughter from going into the adoption system. His hard work and his skill impress Clancy, who soon offers him a bargain. Samuel and a hand-picked group of men are given a special assignment. It’s dangerous, but potentially lucrative. More importantly for Samuel, it would mean an end to his sentence and a chance to get back to his daughter. It’s an offer that’s too-good-too-be-true, which turns out to be the case out in the middle of the wilderness. This new film comes from director Padraic McKinley, who does a nice job of bringing the story and the period to life. The script comes from Matthew Booi, Matthew Chapman, and Shelby Gains, and focuses on building up Samuel and his life with his daughter. You feel his desperation and his love for her, and how it’s driving him through some desperate circumstances. Crowe does a nice job in a few sequences. It’s not hard to see the twists coming, but he settles into the role nicely. I also quite enjoyed Julia Jones, who plays a native woman that is rescued by Samuel and his crew and becomes a part of their mission. She plays well off Hawke in what could have been a thankless part. But the film is carried by Hawke. He really sinks into the role and brings Samuel and his plight to life. You’re bought into him and his journey, which is what makes the conclusion of the film even more satisfying. It’s not a perfect film. It’s a bit dry at times and it’s thin on character. While Samuel is well grounded and defined, most of the others on his crew are somewhat forgettable and poorly drawn. But it’s not enough to detract from what becomes a sturdy and enjoyable height film. This will be a nice bit of counterprogramming in mid-September.
Rating: Rated R for language and some violence/bloody images.
Verdict: Three stars out of five