There seems to be some sort of unwritten rule in film production that movies about the holidays should go as easy on the senses as possible. It’s an understandable pursuit, as the ultimate goal of these productions is to provide mild feelings and seasonal reassurance, but a little more bite, or intelligence, is always welcome. “Our Little Secret” doesn’t lay on the Christmas atmosphere too thickly, but it does deal with yuletide reunions and family bustle. Screenwriter Hailey DeDominicis (making her debut) gets as far as a premise for the endeavor, creating a mess of relationships where everyone is a liar to a certain degree. It’s a set-up for devilish fun, but the writing sprints right into sitcom territory, presenting a series of lame, contrived conflicts and moments of humiliation. “Our Little Secret” doesn’t possess much energy, finding director Stephen Herek (who once helmed “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure” and “Critters,” but most recently issued “Dog Gone” and “Same Time, Next Christmas”) putting little effort into the film, which attempts to coast on thespian charm and easily avoidable difficulties for the main characters. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

It’s not entirely accurate to say that expectations were low for 2016’s “Moana,” but Walt Disney Animation was in a strange place at the time, figuring out how to reclaim its storytelling mojo. “Moana” managed to find a sizeable audience when it was released, but the feature developed into something special for most people, delivering an incredible soundtrack and gorgeous animation that only improved on repeat viewings. The movie also made Dwayne Johnson palatable, which is no small feat. “Moana 2” delivers a return to the animated realm, but not easily, as the project was originally created as a television show, losing songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda in the process. His presence is missed in the follow-up, but “Moana 2” retains many highlights and big screen scale, finding a way to return to wayfinder adventure without sullying the memory of the previous installment. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

2018’s “Heavy Trip” was a big surprise. The Scandinavian comedy examined the panicked ways of a black metal band trying to fake it until they make it, hoping to share their “symphonic, post-apocalyptic, reindeer-grinding, Christ-abusing, extreme war pagan, Fennoscandian metal” sound with the world, only to find all kinds of goofy roadblocks to exposure. Co-writers/directors Juuso Laatio and Jukka Vidgren certainly know their stuff when it comes to the strange world of this music genre, and they understand the value of silliness, making one of the best pictures of its release year. Some time has passed, but the men of Impaled Rektum are back in “Heavier Trip,” and the helmers endeavor to sustain the same speed of humor and music in the sequel. It’s a mostly successful effort from Laatio and Vidgren, who set up another wild journey for the characters, landing sizable laughs and knowing references for the follow-up adventure. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The Farrelly Brothers have mostly gone their separate ways since the release of 2014’s disappointing “Dumb and Dumber To,” with Peter Farrelly managing to go on to Oscar glory in 2018’s “Green Book,” signaling a more respectable future for the family name. That hasn’t been the case, as Peter went back to tone-deaf comedies in “The Greatest Beer Run in the World” and the odious “Ricky Stanicky,” and Bobby tried his luck with an underdog sports film, “Champions.” The siblings reunite, sort of, for “Dear Santa,” finding Peter taking a co-writing credit while Bobby steps behind the camera for this holiday entertainment, which is clearly out to recapture the strange chemistry that once powered their best pictures. “Dear Santa” maintains a Farrelly Brothers to-do list of jokes and dramatic asides, offering material that contains a zany idea for mischief, but is mostly suffocated by poor storytelling choices and lethargic direction. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Director Pablo Larrain is fascinated by the worlds of high-profile, deeply tormented women. It’s become a career obsession for him, initially taking shape in 2016’s “Jackie” (about Jacqueline Kennedy) and continuing into 2021’s “Spencer” (about Princess Diana). These were tales of hardship, performance, and emotional ruin, keeping the filmmaker on a mission to understand the subjects from a different, more intimate perspective. He returns to duty in “Maria,” which examines at least some parts of opera diva Maria Callas’s experience during her tumultuous life, digging into the misery and confusion that marked her final years of existence. Larrain uses the same dramatic template as before, joined by screenwriter Steven Knight as they attempt to merge the reality of certain behaviors with the poetry of suffering. “Maria” is a clear case of diminishing returns, and even with a fiercely committed performance from star Angelina Jolie, the endeavor remains cold to the touch, primarily focused on style instead of humanity. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1989’s “When Harry Met Sally” is apparently a major influence on “Sweethearts.” Director Jordan Weiss not only has the movie prominently featured on a theater marquee in the picture, but she also includes full scenes from it during the final act. She must be a huge fan, and there’s an effort to channel some of that cinematic energy into “Sweethearts,” which also explores the strange friendship between a young man and a woman who team up to deal with relationships they don’t want. Weiss (who co-scripts with Dan Brier) doesn’t exactly have the same level of wit and warmth as Nora Ephron, but she manages to overcome a dispiriting opening act to find comedic balance worth sticking around for. Laughs are limited, but performances shine in the endeavor, as the actors eventually get the hang of these personalities and their unusual fight for freedom. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

For some people, there could never be too many documentaries about The Beatles. At this point, there’s a film for every star in the sky, but director David Tedeschi is trying again with “Beatles ’64,” and it’s actually a documentary about a documentary, which is unusual. “What’s Happening! The Beatles in the U.S.A.” was a 1964 look at the arrival of the iconic band in America, putting directors Albert and David Maysles to work capturing all the pandemonium that greeted the Liverpudlians as they attempted to experience the United States for the very first time. “Beatles ‘64” has a bit more than this recycled footage (nicely refreshed for 2024 viewers), as Tedeschi treats the original event as a source of memories and nostalgia for most of the interviewees. He also explores the cultural shift of the moment, as The Beatles managed to change everything over the course of 14 travel and performance days. Perhaps the feature isn’t essential viewing, but the helmer knows what viewers want to see. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

One of the first images in “Nutcrackers” is the main character arriving at his destination, getting out of his car, and stepping in a pile of excrement. That basically represents the viewing experience for the feature, which emerges as an art-house take on a Disney production, finding director David Gordon Green trying to get back to his indie roots while still making an audience-pleasing picture. It’s been a long time since Green worked this loosely, having recently helmed three “Halloween” offerings and an “Exorcist” sequel/reboot-thingee. “Nutcrackers” plays as a creativity refresher for Green, who tries to get feral with the story of an uptight man suddenly tasked with being a guardian to four unruly kids. It’s nice to have Ben Stiller around again (who hasn’t done much acting since his last starring effort in 2017), but Green doesn’t exactly know what he wants from the film, which plays carefree until pure formula slams the brakes on a tiresome movie. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Spellbound” marks the return of director Vicky Jenson to animated entertainment, previously collaborating on 2004’s “Shark Tale” and 2001’s “Shrek,” helping to launch a franchise that endures in popularity to this day. She struck out with her lone live-action endeavor (2009’s “Post Grad”), putting her back on course for new fairy tale-style escapism in her latest, and she’s not taking any chances, even recruiting Alan Menken, one of the musical forces behind “The Little Mermaid,” “Beauty and the Beast,” and “Aladdin,” to provide songs for the adventure. “Spellbound” sticks to the family film playbook for the most part, dealing with creatures, magic, and big feelings, but Jenson offers a vivid journey through such routine. Animation is accomplished and songs are plentiful here, giving the picture needed boosts of creativity. And when all else fails the feature, there’s John Lithgow voicing a mouse-like creature in panic mode. That’s more fun than most movies offer. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Armor” is built to be a low-budget endeavor using occasional blasts of action to keep viewers interested in what’s a routine tale of parental guilt and criminal pressure. Screenwriters Cory Todd Hughes and Adrian Speckert are mostly interested in creating something small in scale and easy to manage, constructing a study of endurance as security guards are left in their overturned truck as a gang of crooks attempt to claim a special case contained within the vehicle. There’s not much to the effort beyond conversations and confrontations, leaving director Justin Routt (or Randall Emmett, allegedly the real helmer of the feature) to produce passably exciting ways to make a single location and a small company of actors exciting. “Armor” doesn’t achieve this goal, and while some of the performances are marginally alert, the film isn’t, struggling to sustain any level of suspense. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Wicked” began life as a 1995 novel by author Gregory Maguire, eventually transformed into a major 2003 Broadway musical event by writer Winnie Holzman, while Steven Schwartz handled music and lyrics. The show amassed a massive fanbase, but producers kept the stage production away from a cinematic interpretation for an exceptionally long time, content to launch tours and revivals instead. And now it’s a film, finding “Wicked” (which is actually titled “Wicked: Part I” in the feature) handed a massive movie adaptation from screenwriters Holzman and Dana Fox, and directorial duties are managed by John Chu, who previously accepted musical guardianship in 2021’s “In the Heights.” It’s an epic return to the Land of Oz in the endeavor, which boasts marvelous technical achievements and a rich sense of scale. There’s also a more intimate story to examine in the offering, but only half of the journey is presented here, creating some needless confusion, especially for those new to the material. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1987’s “Street Trash” is a bizarre feature. It was part of the “body melt” filmmaking movement of the decade, as moviemakers hunted for new ways to deliver exceptional gore to a rabid audience. Director J. Michael Muro and screenwriter Roy Frumkes actually managed the impossible, putting thought and care into their low-budget gross-out, which had something to share about the cruel disposability of life while turning characters into multi-colored puddles of flesh and blood. Co-writer/director Ryan Kruger bravely tries to recapture the vibe of the original picture with a remake of “Street Trash” (billed as “A Ryan Kruger Thing”), taking the action to South Africa for a new round of disgusting events and miserable people. The update doesn’t match the ’87 endeavor, as Kruger struggles with uneven tone and weak humor throughout the offering, which only really comes alive when destroying bodies. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The Washington Family business expands with “The Piano Lesson,” which serves as the feature-length directorial debut for Malcom Washington, son of Denzel (who co-produces the movie) and sibling to John David, who stars in the endeavor. It’s an adaptation of a 1987 play by August Wilson, and serves as something of a reunion for part of the cast, who participated in a 2022 Broadway version of the play. Thespian ease is on full display in the film, which offers powerful, committed performances from everyone, watching the players get their hands around Wilson’s language and fondness for unusual confrontations. “The Piano Lesson” doesn’t always offer involving subplots, but the story remains commanding in Washington’s care. He works to retain the material’s inherent fury and add his own spin here and there, creating a compellingly hostile examination of familial pain and the Black Experience, seasoned with some supernatural ideas to keep it surprising. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com