Nobody is interested in the life of a film critic, but I have to share just how difficult it actually was to see “Rental Family.” Disney elected not to screen the feature for press coverage in my market, which is unusual for a review-dependent picture such as this. I discussed alternative screening opportunities with PR reps, but was “ghosted” in the long run, which is not unheard of in this business. The movie finally opened in theaters, and I purchased a ticket to see it, only to have the showing canceled due to “technical difficulties,” and definitely not because I was the only patron for this particular showtime (again, this has happened to me before). Perhaps I wasn’t meant to see the endeavor, as denial was everywhere I turned. Finally, weeks after the movie has opened, a connection was made, and “Rental Family” probably wasn’t totally worth the headache to catch it, but it’s a charming, sensitive study of human connection, and that’s just the stuff I think most viewers could use during these bleak days. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Angel Studios enjoyed success with last spring’s “The King of Kings,” which provided an animated study of the life of Jesus, as interpreted by author Charles Dickens. It’s perhaps the only Biblical tale that involved the antics of a cartoon cat, but the picture attracted an Easter audience, and Angel is trying to make some monetary magic happen again with “David,” which explores a story of heavenly purpose and leadership. It’s not a continuation of “The King of Kings” (no crazy felines this time), with writer/directors Brent Dawes and Phil Cunningham submitting a musical that’s occasionally interrupted by battlefield action and power plays. The movie really wants to inspire with its messages of Godly submission, but “David” isn’t very compelling, offering mostly uninspired tunes and routine animation as it provides a look at the main character’s journey of devotion. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

There was an exceptionally long wait between 2009’s “Avatar” and 2022’s “Avatar: The Way of Water.” Writer/director James Cameron took his time between films, out to increase the quality of his visual effects and work to support a newly minted franchise as it embarked on a path of potentially many sequels. “The Way of Water” was a stunning visual achievement, but Cameron certainly didn’t challenge himself as a storyteller, essentially remaking the original picture while continuing his world-building efforts. The follow-up delivered an uneven viewing experience, but Cameron returns again with “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” which one hopes will remove any reintroduction needs and plow ahead as a fresh adventure featuring war, planetary ruination, and characters locked into intense relationships as the Pandora crisis worsens for everyone involved. That’s not exactly the case with “Fire and Ash,” finding Cameron (and co-writers Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver) spinning his wheels once again as the movie plays like a greatest hits package from the first two “Avatar” endeavors. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Kate Winslet makes her directorial debut with “Goodbye June,” and she keeps the project in the family. The script is written by her son, Joe Anders, who’s also making his first project, electing to keep things intimate and emotionally taxing in the feature, which follows the final days of a matriarch aiming to confront her family’s differences while trying to bid farewell to an existence filled with loved ones struggling with their own problems. “Goodbye June” is most certainly a tearjerker, a ferocious one at times, leaving it up to Winslet to fight the development of melodrama as she seeks to study the sadness of the central situation. Winslet enjoys the services of an outstanding cast, and she does a commendable job keeping stickiness at bay, making a lovely, deeply felt examination of relationships in need of repair during a trying time of acceptance. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

A once mighty filmmaker, James L. Brooks hit hard times 15 years ago, overseeing the mangled execution of 2010’s “How Do You Know,” which became the worst movie of his career. It was a mess and a chore to sit through, threatening the wonders of a career that previously produced classics like “Terms of Endearment” and “Broadcast News.” Brooks returns with “Ella McCay,” which appears to be his commentary on the divided state of the nation, returning to the relatively peaceful time of 2008 for a study of a Lt. Governor thrust into many impossible situations with a variety of people she’s trying to manage, losing the battle with her anxiety. “Ella McCay” isn’t as rough as “How Do You Know,” but it’s close, as Brooks, once again, doesn’t seem to have any control over his own feature, allowing it to wander around with supporting characters and speed through multiple tones. Brooks isn’t the helmer he once was, and watching this picture stumble is more depressing than infuriating. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Song Sung Blue” was previously realized as a 2008 documentary about the singing duo Thunder and Lightning, and their unusual story of perseverance and profound love for the music of Neil Diamond. The Greg Kohs-directed feature attracted some attention on the film festival circuit, but now writer/director Craig Brewer (who previously helmed “Coming 2 America” and “My Name is Dolemite”) is hoping to bring a small Wisconsin story to the big time with a new look at the couple’s experience. “Song Sung Blue” contains no grit, moving forward as a big, juicy audience-pleaser that’s filled with sing-along music and simple feelings. The movie hopes to tap into the thrill of Diamond’s songs and the turns of life that came for Thunder and Lightning. It’s an incredible tale (listed here as “based on a true love story”), but Brewer is much too manipulative and melodramatic with the picture, preferring gloss and predictability to a more realistic depiction of endurance and obsession. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In 1984, “Silent Night, Deadly Night” was released in time for the holiday season. Meant to act as counterprogramming for more cheerful multiplex offerings, the horror film instead attracted controversy for its story, and a marketing campaign that celebrated the image of Santa menacingly wielding an ax. The feature was condemned by parents and a few movie critics, but it managed to make some money before being chased out of theaters, inspiring the creation of four sequels for a dwindling audience. There was even a remake in 2012 that was largely ignored. Writer/director Mike P. Nelson tries his luck with another take on the premise of a murderous Santa on the loose in a new “Silent Night, Deadly Night,” wisely attempting to find his own way around the material, crafting an interesting, even challenging version of yuletide terrors. Blood and guts are present, but Nelson goes darker and stranger with the endeavor, which is easily the best “Silent Night, Deadly Night” of them all. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Movies about dogs are popular because audiences love watching cute animals do silly things. It’s up to the filmmakers to offer something more substantial with dog shenanigans, building a functional picture around easy layup shots of adorableness. “Merv” has nothing to offer beyond its canine star, with writers Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart putting in the least amount of effort to build a story worth following. “Merv” is the cinematic equivalent of vanilla pudding, delivering a soft tale of relationship restoration that’s periodically interrupted by lousy slapstick and dull romantic entanglements. Director Jessica Swale goes the Hallmark Channel route with the endeavor, keeping everything flat and predictable, generating an incredibly forgettable feature. Yes, there’s still a dog doing doggy things, but everything else offered here is brain dead. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Influencers” is a sequel to 2022’s “Influencer,” and while the title suggests an “Aliens”-style expansion of the original concept, writer/director Kurtis David Harder isn’t very interested in going wild with his second stab at the premise. The follow-up basically follows the same rhythms as “Influencer,” emerging as more of a remake than a true escalation of horrible things happening to debatably horrible people. Once again, most of the picture’s appeal is packed into the first act, which returns Harder to the ways of murder and content creators, giving the material some initial power as returning characters fall into position. The rest of “Influencers” isn’t quite as compelling, becoming a limp detective story before finding its way to a ridiculous ending. However, the film has a take on online culture that remains interesting, and Harder once again shows skill with introductions, getting the feature up and moving with a wonderful level of menace. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In 2022, Lionsgate Films released “Fall.” It was a tiny thriller about two characters who climb up a television broadcasting tower and can’t get back down, spending the picture dealing with rescue plans and each other. The feature was a minor hit, a surprising one, and, naturally, the studio is eager to try again with a similar concept. “Turbulence” also supplies dangerous heights, this time sending a collection of characters on a hot air balloon trip that’s meant to be a relaxing journey over Italian splendor, only to become a nightmare when things go wrong. It’s not a sequel to “Fall,” but it’s close, putting director Claudio Fah and screenwriter Andy Mayson (who collaborated on 2024’s underwhelming “No Way Up”) to work dreaming up conflicts and danger as survival challenges come for people seeking a little fun and adventure. “Turbulence” doesn’t quite reach its potential, but there is entertainment value here, especially during the first half of the movie. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In the realm of B-movies and bottom shelf entertainment, director Jesse V. Johnson is one of the better filmmakers out there today. That’s not to suggest his pictures are magic, but a few of them are passable, which puts him way ahead of the competition, showing some interest in providing livelier action and harder hits of character aggression, giving his offerings some bite. “Thieves Highway” is the latest endeavor from the prolific helmer, and he has an interesting idea to work with, as screenwriter Travis Mills (another person who cranks out projects) examines the world of cattle theft in Oklahoma, where livelihoods are destroyed by careless criminal types. It’s not exactly a topic that’s been covered in recent years, giving the feature a fingerprint, watching Johnson and Mills attempt to pull off a no-budget western featuring a determined lawman and the armed troublemakers he’s looking to capture. “Thieves Highway” isn’t sharp or stunningly crafted, but it delivers some mildly compelling screen activity as the characters go after one another during the short run time. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Atropia” is the feature-length debut for writer/director Hailey Gates, who adapts her 2019 short, “Shako Mako.” Gates doesn’t go the easy route, taking on the business of war with a satiric edge in the film, which hopes to provide some laughs as it explores the happenings at an “urban war simulation” populated with actors and people looking to make a little extra cash. The setting is ripe for a madcap take on the strangeness of U.S. government preparation practices, especially during the George W. Bush presidential years, but Gates is hunting for something offbeat with “Atropia.” There’s a relationship story at the heart of the picture, and a decent one too, putting the helmer to work balancing the main character’s employment experiences and the needs of her heart. The feature is funny and odd, and while it doesn’t come together in a more dynamic manner, Gates offers confident moviemaking at times, generating a memorable effort. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Bryan Fuller has enjoyed a lengthy career in television. He’s helped to steer shows like “Heroes,” “Pushing Daisies,” “American Gods,” and “Hannibal,” and now he’s ready for the big screen, concocting “Dust Bunny” which plays like a mix of comic books and Luc Besson’s 1994 picture, “Leon: The Professional,” examining the relationship between a young girl and an aging assassin who lives next door to her. Of course, there’s also the possibility of a monster involved in the situation, taking the story into areas of fantasy horror, and Fuller enjoys the exaggeration, submitting a fully stylized endeavor that lives for odd imagery. “Dust Bunny” remains intriguing in spurts, nicely supported by a game cast, but Fuller doesn’t provide the most commanding story around for this directorial exercise, losing some appeal as the writing circles around, searching for emotional connections and relationship tension that never quite materializes. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“One More Shot” (written by Alice Foulcher and Gregory Erdstein) is a time-travel movie, and one that involves a thirtysomething woman using a special bottle of Mexican tequila to help rewind the clock, giving her an opportunity to change certain things during a New Year’s Eve party in 1999. It’s a ridiculous concept, but certainly one that could be used for high-flying entertainment, tracking strategic use of drinking to help shape a brighter tomorrow. It comes as something of a shock to find the material isn’t interested in generating laughs, or even fun. Instead, the feature is more dramatic, tracking hard lessons of repetition as a depressed character can’t quite read the room, choosing to be self-destructive instead. Director Nicholas Clifford seems as baffled by the writing as the audience, unable to steer the material into a cohesive, thoughtful understanding of regret. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In the troubled year of 2020, writer/director Chloe Zhao managed a career breakthrough with “Nomadland,” offering a sobering exploration of American economic and social survival woes in a feature that found an audience and was rewarded with Oscar gold, including Best Picture and Best Director. Zhao was teed up to do whatever she wanted, but she went the Marvel way, taking command of 2021’s “Eternals,” endeavoring to bring her spare style and interest in soulful investigation to the picture. The expensive movie didn’t work, and it crashed at the box office, and now four years later, Zhou returns with “Hamnet,” which plays like a reconnection to the filmmaker’s indie roots, going quiet and pained once again with a story about grief and the restorative power of art involving William Shakespeare and his wife, Agnes. While the dramatic impact of “Hamnet” is up for debate, Zhou certainly tries to make an emotional effort, returning to her love of screen intimacy and the showy ways of acting. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com