There’s been a small surge of movies made in recent years that explore the sport of rowing. There was darker intent with 2021’s “The Novice,” and more cliched material in “Heart of Champions,” released that same year. For “The Boys in the Boat,” familiarity returns, but there’s also a bit of sporting history to consume, with the feature an adaptation of a 2013 book chronicling the rise of the Washington Huskies, a competitive rowing team that faced incredible challenges as they attempted to defeat college rivals, with the prospect of competing in the 1936 Olympics driving their determination. It’s a classic underdog story handed a fine polish by director George Clooney, who’s out to make old fashioned entertainment for the masses, and achieves his goal with the picture. Gentle, human, and perhaps inspirational to some viewers, “The Boys in the Boat” isn’t an electric sit, but it connects where it counts, bringing the audience along on a journey of teamwork. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Sean Durkin, director of “The Nest” and “Martha Marcy May Marlene,” heads to the world of professional wrestling with “The Iron Claw.” The picture isn’t an examination of the business, but a study of one family’s experience with sports entertainment as they face numerous tragedies over the years. It’s the tale of the Von Erich clan, with matriarch Fritz putting his faith and fears into his sons to carry on the family name in pro-wrestling, only to help steer the boys to increasingly dire ends. “The Iron Claw” is a somber feature, but Durkin commits to the darkness in a brave manner, highlighting the strangeness and sadness of the Von Erichs, with son Kevin living long enough to witness emotional and physical brutality. It’s a powerful film, and one that captures the atmosphere of pro-wrestling and also the intimacy of heavy feelings emerging from people who have no idea how to communicate them to others. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Art Camacho has been involved in the world of movie stunts for decades, also chipping away at a directorial career, specializing in B-movies for the rental market. He’s been working in the film business for so long, it’s somewhat shocking to see how amateurish his latest endeavor, “Ruthless,” is, with the feature struggling on such a basic dramatic level of engagement, it almost registers as a big goof. There’s a simple set of ingredients here, with actor Dermot Mulroney handed a Liam Neeson-style thriller, tasked with selling a grim one-man-army offering of violent encounters and plenty of intimidation games. Camacho fumbles most of “Ruthless,” keeping the picture stiff and unconvincing when it comes to situations of aggression, pushing the effort to self-parody as overacting takes control of the viewing experience, while brutality is in limited supply here. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“The Family Plan” (not to be confused with the recent “Family Switch”) is being marketed as a comedy for, well, family audiences, with promotion emphasizing acts of bonding and cute baby reactions to entice viewers. The actual feature isn’t actually built for children, with director Simon Cellan Jones and screenwriter David Coggeshall (“The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia”) offering a coarse action comedy following the survival instincts of an ex-assassin trying to protect his loved ones from a team of killers looking to eliminate him. There’s nothing gentle in the picture, and it’s mostly a painful sit, with Coggeshall presenting random acts of violence without much of a story to provide dramatic investment, and Jones (a television vet) supplies generic stunt sequences, hoping blasts of brutality might distract from dismal comedic interactions, which this endeavor is chock full of. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Roald Dahl’s 1964 book, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” originally inspired a 1971 big screen adaptation starring Gene Wilder as a demented chocolatier who spends an afternoon teaching bratty kids lessons while on a tour of his massive factory. The picture wasn’t a hit when it was originally released, but time turned it into a classic, and Tim Burton took a shot at realizing Dahl’s world in a 2005 feature, which was an immediate smash. There’s still plenty of life left in the brand name, and co-writer/director Paul King (“Paddington” and its sequel) looks to return to a world of pure imagination with “Wonka,” which is a prequel story, eschewing Dahl’s creative leadership to set things up for a fresh round of character shenanigans and strange villainy. King goes soft and sweet with the endeavor, also keeping “Wonka” a musical, looking to give the effort a Broadway-style lift as the writing examines the early days of the master confectioner and his struggles against those who fear his greatness. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Journalist and television writer Cord Jefferson makes the jump to feature-length storytelling with “American Fiction,” which is an adaptation of “Erasure,” a 2001 novel by Percival Everett. Jefferson works with the more potent ideas of Everett’s book, which details the experience of a black writer who feeds himself into the publishing world grinder for a quick buck, using broad stereotypes to help line his own pockets. And it’s also a comedy, against all odds. “American Fiction” isn’t an abrasive viewing experience, with Jefferson taking a softer route when it comes to satire and commentary. In many ways, it’s a grim look at the business of selling image, but the picture also tends to the ways of family and personal psychological issues. Jefferson handles the light and the dark in the endeavor, which finds a part for Jeffrey Wright to offer one of the most substantial performances of his career, boosting the strange ways of Everett’s storytelling. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

A director of unique sensitivity, Hirokazu Kore-eda (“Broker,” “Shoplifters,” “After the Storm”) returns with “Monster,” which sustains his seemingly bottomless curiosity about the human experience. This time, the helmer and screenwriter Yuji Sakamoto examine layers of conduct and secrets involved in an accusation of assault involving a student and his teacher. It’s a film of many perspectives and ideas, with “Monster” looking to challenge viewer expectations as judgments are formed and eventually rethought, while deep fears are analyzed in full. It’s a slow-burn effort from Kore-eda, who’s caught up in shifting POVs and personal trials, coming up with a feature that takes its time to work through everything it introduces, but remains surprising and compassionate, skillfully interpreted by a talented cast and delicately scored by the late composer, Ryuichi Sakamoto. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

As a writer/director, Brian Helgeland doesn’t possess the most inspired filmography, last seen on screen in 2015’s mediocre “Legend.” The “A Knight’s Tale” and “42” helmer hasn’t delivered big with his endeavors, but he goes smaller with “Finestkind,” a low-key crime story about fathers, sons, gangsters, and the delicate nature of future plans. It’s a chewy, blue-collar understanding of characters making critical mistakes, lacking the life tools to deal with such troubles, and Helgeland stays close to these personalities for the majority of the run time, getting to understand personal issues. “Finestkind” eventually evolves into something more formulaic to help locate an ending, but the material, while familiar, makes for a compelling sit, watching people wrestle with the past and communicate their needs, which hits on a few human moments before the writing tries to dazzle with underworld intimidations. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

It’s year three for the animated “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” movies, with Disney looking to bring author Jeff Kinney’s literary world to life in a different way after live-action efforts fizzled out six years ago. It’s a holiday mood this time around, with “Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever” an adaptation of a 2011 book, only Kinney (who claims screenwriting duties) largely ignores his own source material for the endeavor, which hopes to play to the holiday special crowd with its take on seasonal warmth and family bonding. “Cabin Fever” wisely avoids much of Kinney’s original mischief for a more focused and funnier yuletide adventure, working well with budget animation and direct dramatic goals, finding the writing rethinking certain boyhood behaviors for the small screen. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Batman, Batman, Batman. There’s so much Batman in the world today, it makes it difficult to encounter much freshness when it comes to the iconic character. But here comes “Merry Little Batman,” a holiday-themed adventure that turns the World’s Greatest Detective into the World’s Most Overprotective Dad, with son Damien the star of this animated feature, putting the little man in charge of saving Gotham from its worst, and most determined, enemies. Director Mike Roth presents an inspired take on the D.C. Universe with “Merry Little Batman,” which retains broad cartoon entertainment while still dealing with everything and anything Batman, giving the picture family appeal. It’s a funny, swiftly paced viewing event, doing something a little crazier with the world of the Caped Crusader, but it also reinforces seasonal feelings and care, giving this lively movie some heart. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

2000’s “Chicken Run” represented the first foray into feature-length filmmaking from Aardman Animation, finding the creators of the “Wallace & Gromit” series looking to expand their creative horizons with the global release. The picture found an audience, launching Aardman into the big leagues of family entertainment, managing to retain their British sense of humor and wonderful animation techniques in the process. The company hopes to revisit such highs with “Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget,” which arrives 23 years after the original endeavor, losing a good chunk of the original voice cast but retaining all the stop-motion invention Aardman is known for. “Dawn of the Nugget” isn’t a radical departure from storytelling formula, but it maintains charm and artistry, returning to poultry-in-crisis mode with a plan to delight the fanbase. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Director Michael Mann hasn’t made a film since 2015’s “Blackhat,” a misguided and unexciting feature that represented a late career pull towards mediocrity for the helmer, who also suffered through some creative constipation in 2009’s “Public Enemies.” Going smaller and simpler, Mann returns with “Ferrari,” which isn’t a bio-pic of automobile titan Enzo Ferrari, but a moment in time with the man as he struggles with business and family, finding his renown focus starting to fail him as he begins to feel the weight of the world. There’s plenty of racing in the picture, but Mann and screenwriter Troy Kennedy Martin (who passed away in 2009) hope to find a human experience as Enzo’s mistakes and gambles collide over the course of one important year. “Ferrari” isn’t Mann in epic mode, but he captures excitement on the track and pain in the heart. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

An adaptation of Rumaan Alam’s 2020 novel, “Leave the World Behind” explores an apocalyptic event from the perspective of characters who almost want nothing to do with it, caught up in their own dramas as society crumbles around them. While it seems like a disaster movie, the material is more psychological in nature, following the torment of six people stuck in an enigmatic situation involving a global crisis. Writer/director Sam Esmail is tasked with sustaining tension and providing a rich sense of personality to help viewers sink into a nightmare scenario, and he scores a few scenes sequences of horror in the endeavor, bringing a strange situation of submission to life. He’s not as confident with the overall experience of anxiety, keeping “Leave the World Behind” overlong and underwhelming with personal interactions, making for a frustratingly uneven viewing experience. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com