In 2018, writer/director Tilman Singer received the career boost of a lifetime when his thesis film, “Luz,” was picked up for distribution. It was a small-scale brain-bleeder with some effective scenes, but clearly lacked dramatic meat, becoming more appreciable for its style and mood. Singer returns with “Cuckoo,” and he’s a little more prepared to deliver a full story for viewers, at least ones willing to follow along with the overall strangeness and initial stillness of the endeavor. Much like “Luz,” “Cuckoo” is a bit out there and in no hurry to get where it’s going, but the destination is intriguing, and Tillman does well with atmosphere, providing a few artfully crafted freak-out sequences. He also has a cast invested in exploring physical and mental distress, with actress Hunter Schafer going full-body with her depiction of a young character experiencing a complete dismantling of her reality. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Borderlands” hasn’t enjoyed an easy ride to a theatrical release. Production began three years ago under the direction of Eli Roth, who was eventually replaced during numerous reshoots working to make the endeavor more appealing to the masses. The screenplay (by Roth and Joe Crombie) is an adaptation of a video game series that began in 2009, making any cinematic representation tricky as console adventures don’t easily translate to the screen. For “Borderlands,” Roth (who remains the credited helmer) selects noisiness as his inspiration, looking to merge “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Star Wars” in a large-scale sci-fi action comedy that always seems to be struggling to come together. It’s not dull, but “Borderlands” can be overkill at times, and its sense of humor flatlines almost immediately. There’s star Cate Blanchett in bruiser mode, which has its appeal, but little else works in this misfire. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“It Ends with Us” is an adaptation of a 2016 best-selling book by Colleen Hoover, which takes on the delicate subject of domestic abuse, wrapping horror in the warmth of romantic experiences. Director/co-star Justin Baldoni (“Clouds,” “Five Feet Apart”) hopes to sell iffy escapism to viewers, approaching the material (scripted by Christy Hall, “Daddio”) as a lesson on empowering behavior in the middle of traumatic events. It’s such a bizarre cocktail of messages and tones to begin with, leaving Baldoni to attempt to realize a literary event without truly touching on the dangers facing the main character, who should embark on a profound psychological journey. In the movie, she doesn’t, with the production turning the whole thing into a fashion show at times, while the violence at the core of the story is transformed into a game of reality, cheapening the very real stakes spousal abuse creates for those trapped in a dire situation of survival. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Writer/director Kelly Blatz (“Senior Love Triangle”) looks to do something a bit grittier with “Rocky” formula in “One Fast Move.” Instead of boxing, the movie welcomes viewers into the world of motorcycle racing, where tensions run nearly as hot as the vehicles, especially for a young man in need of a trainer and a father figure while working on his underdog status. Blatz is trying to offer a bit more in the way of characterization with the endeavor, keeping things human for at least the first half. “One Fast Move” eventually succumbs to formula and tired writing, with the helmer giving up on pushing through some complicated relationships, which would make the overall effort more unique. A few scenes manage to connect on an emotional level, but the rest of the feature fails to be meaningful as Blatz goes déjà vu with the structure of a sports film. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Director Neil Marshall has spent the last four years of his career trying to turn his romantic partner, Charlotte Kirk, into a movie star. The pair have previously collaborated on “The Reckoning” and “The Lair,” two dreadful films, and they return with “Duchess,” also claiming credit for the screenplay. Unlike their previous endeavors, the new offering isn’t a horror experience, but a criminal one instead, with the couple going the Guy Ritchie route with yet another study of British gangsters getting caught up in underworld power plays that require brute force to break. “Duchess” isn’t an inspired intimidation game, and, once again, Kirk can’t carry the picture, offering flat work in the central role of a woman going to extremes while seeking revenge on those who killed her crook of a boyfriend. Marshall has nothing much to offer, relying on cliché and shots of a half-naked Kirk to make it through the lifeless feature. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

As it goes in the world of horror, when one movie becomes a surprise hit, or merely eeks out a small profit, other productions soon follow. In 2023, the producers behind “Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey” elected to take advantage of the treasured character’s entry into the public domain, turning the lovable bear into a mass murderer. The feature was awful, but it attracted attention, and with cult interest came a little box office hustle. Now there’s “The Mouse Trap,” with director Jamie Bailey (“What Lurks Beneath,” “Deinfluencer”) and screenwriter Simon Phillips out to do something hostile with Mickey Mouse’s addition to public domain usage, working with “Steamboat Willie” imagery to generate a slasher film involving a collection of clueless young characters and their battle against a man in a mouse mask. It’s “Blood and Honey” all over again, with limited effort put into the final production, which is caught between becoming one big goof and one colossal bore. “The Mouse Trap” merely exists to collect a quick buck from the curious. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Running on Empty” creates an alternate reality where citizens are offered a chance to know the date of their own deaths. It’s a miracle of science, giving those invested in the information an opportunity to understand exactly when the sands run out, permitting a chance for a new sense of life to develop. Writer/director Daniel Andre has an idea worth developing here, examining the strange psychological areas created from this awareness of mortality, and how the limitations of the future impact a character not ready to deal with his final moments. Instead of a fascinating understanding of behavior and reaction, Andre delivers a movie about a young man trying to avoid a vicious pimp out to extort money from him that he doesn’t have. “Running on Empty” goes the wrong way with ideas, eschewing dramatic opportunity to become another weak, R-rated comedy that doesn’t have any laughs. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie” is a spin-off endeavor from the world of “SpongeBob SquarePants.” The goofy yellow sponge was last seen on-screen in 2020’s “The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run,” a lackluster effort that definitely showed franchise fatigue. The beloved character is back, but he’s in a supporting role this time around, with “Saving Bikini Bottom” focusing on Sandy Cheeks and her brand of adventure, taking the series to the heart of Texas for some dry land shenanigans. Never fear, the whole Bikini Bottom gang is here, albeit in small roles, but some of the old “SpongeBob SquarePants” flavoring is present in the feature. Just not enough of it, as director Liza Johnson (“Hateship Loveship,” “Elvis & Nixon”) makes a perfectly acceptable diversion with the film, but it’s far from remarkable or even hilarious, showing reliance on aggressive cartoon action that wears out its welcome long before the picture concludes. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

It only takes a few scenes before realization sets in that the thriller “Trap” isn’t out to be Hitchcockian with its level of suspense and surprises. It’s the latest from writer/director M. Night Shyamalan, and he’s determined to keep the feature, well…Shyamalan-ian. After exploring the mysteries of a deadly beach in “Old” and taking on the end of the world in “Knock at the Cabin,” the helmer remains in contained mode with “Trap,” which is partially set inside an arena concert. It’s a cat and mouse game around a giant concrete maze, and there’s tremendous potential in the idea, watching a serial killer use his wits to stay out of police custody while plans form to capture him. For the first 50 minutes, Shyamalan makes some effort to hold audience attention with the location and the stakes, but he can’t bring the premise all the way to a satisfying conclusion, gleefully going absurd with the ending to this disappointing film. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Harold and the Purple Crayon” began life as a children’s book in 1955, with author Crockett Johnson looking to shape a magical adventure of imagination and curiosity for young readers. The work turned into a major success, with generations discovering Harold’s way with creativity. It’s 64 pages of literary goodness, and cinematic and television adaptations have been produced over the years, but “Harold and the Purple Crayon” is now handed a big Hollywood interpretation from director Carlos Saldanha (“Ferdinand,” “Rio,” “Ice Age: The Meltdown”), who merges animation and live action for his take on childlike wonder. Saldanha has some accomplished visual effects to help bring the material to life, but the rest of the film is a formulaic, unfunny bore, with all the spark of Johnson’s original creation turned into a lifeless, charmless viewing experience. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Director Doug Liman makes movies quickly, with “The Instigators” his second feature of 2024. The first was the “Road House” remake that launched last spring, with the helmer struggling to make something slightly silly and mostly rough with the project, failing to revive the simple pleasures of the 1989 picture. Liman’s in a similar position with “The Instigators,” which also looks to deliver some punchiness with action and humor, with screenwriters Casey Affleck and Chuck MacLean straining to add some emotional layers to the effort as well. It’s a shot of reality in a film that never really settles with tone or humor, becoming scattershot as Liman tries to land the story as something of dramatic value. It’s an uphill battle for the cast and crew, who look to craft a wild ride with prickly personalities and crime world threats, but the helmer’s heart just isn’t in the work, making for a frustratingly mediocre viewing experience. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Co-writer/director Felipe Mucci is attempting to be surprising with “Detained,” which hopes to become a sneaky thriller loaded with suspicious characters and secret motivations. It’s a low-budget affair, rarely leaving a single setting, putting pressure on the screenplay (co-written by Jeremy Palmer) to bring viewers on a ride involving a woman’s night inside a police station, dealing with accusations of murder and the blurriness of her reality. “Detained” struggles a bit with turns of plot, but Mucci has a destination in mind with the material, working to give the production some teeth as it gradually grows comfortable with ruthlessness to inspire reactions from the player in this dangerous game. It’s not a sharp puzzler, but when it comes to moments of shock and intimidation, the effort offers a little more danger than most B-movies. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com