Synopsis: Adelaide Wilson (Lupita Nyong'o) along with her husband and two kids, returns to the beachfront home where she spent time as a child. One evening four masked strangers appear on their driveway and soon reveal themselves to be a group of menacing doppelgängers.

Likes: This is Jordan Peele’s second film after directing the fantastic 2017 psychological horror ‘Get Out’. Like its predecessor, it’s also a clever story with a wicked twist that I didn’t see coming. It’s engaging, well paced and gets you thinking. A bonus for me is it’s not as scary as I thought it might be; I was fully prepared to watch through fingers, subtitles on and the sound muted, but it’s more unsettling and violent, as opposed to jump scares.

Dislikes: Not a lot really. If you start to dissect it, I’m not sure the plot and/or character’s decisions make a lot of sense, but I don’t think it’s taking itself too seriously, with frequent light-hearted moments to help cut through the tension.

Rating: 7.5/10

Synopsis: Cinematographer Kirsten Johnson has created this documentary exploring possible ways in which her elderly father, Dick, might eventually meet his death.

Likes: For such a potentially morbid subject, it’s an extremely uplifting and hopeful film. There’s humour throughout, Dick Johnson himself is a warm and lovely man and ultimately this becomes a celebration of life, helping to ease herself and the audience into the inevitable grieving process of losing a parent.

Dislikes: Throughout the film, often when you least expect it, Dick suffers a gruesome demise, only to emerge unscathed as the "death" is revealed as filmmaking magic. There’s a scene towards the end of the film which was emotionally difficult to get through; even once we realise it’s another exploration of how Dick might die, one of his friends is so upset that it’s either unnecessarily cruel, or someone is an extremely good actor. Neither of those explanations sat right with me.

Rating: 7/10

Synopsis: Something sinister is lurking in the skies above a California horse ranch. A man and his sister investigate and try to capture footage of this mysterious, otherworldly phenomenon, while the owner of a nearby theme park attempts to exploit it for fame and fortune.

Likes: After enjoying ‘Us’, I wanted to check out Jordan Peele’s third film so watched it a few days later. It also didn’t disappoint. It’s a solid science fiction film, that had vibes of ‘Arrival’: a mysterious lifeforce appears whose intentions are unknown and you slowly learn more until it fully reveals itself. I enjoyed the character of Ricky, the theme park owner and how his backstory led him to the present day. It’s visually striking too and has a great soundtrack to crank up the tension.

Dislikes: There isn’t much character arc for the protagonist OJ. It also takes a little while to get going, but I really enjoyed the last ~80 minutes.

Rating: 8/10

Synopsis: The sequel to the 2019 superhero film where we join Billy and his fellow foster kids, juggling teenage life with their adult superhero alter egos. The story continues when a trio of ancient gods arrive on Earth in search of the magic stolen from them long ago, forcing Billy to once again transform into his superhero form ‘Shazam’ and fight to protect the world.

Likes: It’s a lot of fun and an easy watch.

Dislikes: I enjoyed the first Shazam! film, with my memory of it being fun, original and well put together. The sequel feels clunky, with awkward scripting and a confused plot to get to the inevitable predictable conclusion.

Rating: 5/10

Synopsis: All the Barbies and Kens are living out the same perfect day, every day, in ignorant bliss in the world of Barbie Land. That is until one of the Barbies starts to have an existential crisis and gets the chance to experience life in the real world.

Likes: It’s laugh-out-loud funny, a clever script, has a wonderful cast (including half the actors from Sex Education) and somehow also has a strong positive message about gender dynamics. The social commentary is a bit close to the bone at times, but that’s what makes it relatable. It’s all fair and done in a light-hearted manner. The soundtrack is awesome too.

Dislikes: Some of the plot doesn’t really make sense. Is there one Barbie for every female in the real world? Why aren’t they all having existential crises?! Will Ferrell plays a character I’ve seen him do in every other film: overly brash with zero self-awareness. It just about works but I do find it irritating! Maybe that’s the point.

Rating: 9/10