The screenplay for “Surrounded” (credited to Andrew Pagana and Justin Thomas) looks to balance the bigness of western adventure with the intimacy of a stage drama. The writing follows the saga of a Buffalo Soldier trying to find her way five years after the end of the Civil War, hunting for a sense of freedom while aware that such liberation is impossible to achieve. There’s a hunt for money and intensifying games of trust, but “Surrounded” isn’t a rollicking cowboy picture, but something more interested in the corrosive ways of psychological standoffs and visions of the future. It’s interesting work from Pagana and Thomas, who stick to character while easing in a few more physical acts of violence, and director Anthony Mandler gives the endeavor a rich visual presentation, doing well with a limited budget and a remote location. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

There was a vague sense of finality at the end of 2020’s “Extraction,” but there’s never truly an ending when there’s a hit film involved. Arriving for streaming consumption during the early days of COVID-19 lockdown life, “Extraction” amassed a major viewership and a positive response, emerging as an action spectacular with a seemingly ravenous appetite for unbroken-take-style mayhem, loaded with amazing stunt work and the steely screen presence of star Chris Hemsworth. And now there’s “Extraction 2,” which revives a seemingly expired character for another round of brutal attack and survival sequences, once again dedicated to the art of cinematographic showmanship and graphic violence, overseen by returning director Sam Hargrave. Much like the original feature, “Extraction 2” has real power where it counts the most, presenting sustained chaos and a simple story of protection and pursuit. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Past Lives” is a delicate picture that’s all about the lure of longing. It’s a small-scale feature that’s primarily focused on conversations, giving it a “Before Sunrise” kind of vibe, but writer/director Celine Song (making her debut) tries to drill a little deeper with her writing. It’s a semi-autobiographical tale of two childhood friends spending the next 24 years of their lives trying to process their time apart from each other, with Song going for the slow drip of emotion in this understanding of South Korean culture and secret desire. She never goes big with the movie, and never tries to squeeze viewers with melodrama, electing to stay as human as possible with the material, which lives for moments when these talkative characters pause and reflect on everything that’s in front of them. “Past Lives” plays to the aching hearts crowd, with Song serving up a romance novel premise with an art-house film approach, capturing a specific pitch of yearning. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Nimona” hasn’t enjoyed an easy production process, with its journey to the screen disrupted by the shuttering of Blue Sky Studios (its original home) and the reluctance of the Walt Disney Corporation when it came time to complete the project. The effort’s been in some state of animation for the last six years, but directors Nick Bruno and Troy Quane (“Spies in Disguise”) finally bring the picture to the finish line, and they do well with this adaptation of a 2015 ND Stevenson graphic novel, which explores the strange relationship between an aspiring knight and the shapeshifting monster that desires to be his sidekick. “Nimona” has style and sensitivity, doing well when developing the central partnership and all the challenges of law and order it encounters. The screenplay (by Robert L. Baird and Lloyd Taylor) runs into some difficulty trying to transform Stevenson’s original material into something more family friendly, and formula is followed, but the film remains a compelling study of identity and fantasy. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Director Tim Story isn’t the first name that comes to mind when talk of quality cinema commences. He’s been making mediocre movies for decades, working in the studio trenches, making sure to deliver bland entertainment that’s easy on the senses, recently in command of “Tom & Jerry,” the ill-conceived “Shaft” rework-thingee, and sequels in “Ride Along 2” and “Think Like a Man Too.” He’s not a helmer that values edginess and timing, but he actually does something different with “The Blackening,” which is a horror comedy that’s somewhat playful and genuinely moves for its first two acts. Screenwriters Tracy Oliver and Dewayne Perkins (expanding a Comedy Central short) have a fun idea to play with the genre and the black experience, whipping up a semi-slasher that’s basically in a goofball mood. Story supports with strong casting and a commitment to the screwball tone of the effort, and while the feature starts to sag when it should lift off, “The Blackening” is a mostly exciting ride of mischief, establishing a party mood for all audiences. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Actor John Slattery returns to direction with “Maggie Moore(s),” which marks his first feature-length helming project since 2014’s ‘God’s Pocket.” Slattery is attentive to the thespian potential of his offering, and his latest is defined by its colorful collection of personalities and the performers who capably bring them to life. There’s a murder mystery component to the endeavor as well, but screenwriter Paul Bernbaum isn’t focused on building a whodunit. He’s more into a Coen Brothers vibe, with “Maggie Moore(s)” hoping to provide a mild ride of suspicion and violence, with more attention paid to quirky and potentially dangerous types involved in two small-town murders where the victims share the same name. Slattery doesn’t wring much suspense out of the picture, but there’s depth to characterization that keeps it involving, with curious behaviors more interesting than any crime. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Two years ago, writer/director Wes Anderson debuted “The French Dispatch.” It was a transitional film for the helmer, who tucked away his usual mischief and aural command to immerse himself completely in his own moviemaking fetishes, showing little care for viewer connection as he lost himself to somewhat tedious world-building. It felt like a rare whiff from Anderson, who’s made some mighty pictures during his career, but with his latest, “Asteroid City,” designating “The French Dispatch” as a misfire appears to have been a mistake. The 2021 feature seems to be the start of a trend, with Anderson once again refusing to have fun with himself, newly committed to another period examination of deadpan stillness that’s loaded with frame details but stunningly hostile to joy. “Asteroid City” has all the talent in the world driving it, but it’s all so flatly executed, getting lost in Anderson’s newfound love of playing his cinematic ideas only to himself. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Mad Heidi” is an offering of “Swissploitation,” with co-writers/directors Johannes Hartmann and Sandro Klopfstein looking to raise a little hell in their home country, bringing B-movie madness to the screen. They’ve chosen to do something messy with “Heidi,” Johanna Spyri’s children’s story from 1880, only here the specifics of innocence and life in Switzerland have been eliminated, replaced with a semi-bonkers prefab cult film that hopes to conjure the attitude of a Leone western and the exaggerated fantasy wackiness of 2012’s “Iron Sky.” “Mad Heidi” gets a little overexcited in the editing department, and the comedic tone of the endeavor isn’t always appealing, but Hartmann and Klopfstein really deliver an impressively constructed offering of pure nonsense, working with technology and dietary impishness to secure an entertaining sit for those willing to go along with its insanity. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“97 Minutes” is a terrorism thriller from director Timo Vuorensola, who found early success with his work on 2012’s goofy “Iron Sky” (a.k.a. the movie about moon Nazis), but stumbled when trying to keep a good thing going with “Iron Sky: The Coming Race,” also spending time on the little-seen “Jeepers Creepers: Reborn.” Vuorensola goes the VOD production route with his latest endeavor, and he spends most of the run time trying to figure out the screenplay by Pavan Grover, which is a collection of half-realized subplots and monologues. Perhaps it’s meant to echo real-world air hijacking panic, but “97 Minutes” doesn’t replicate real horror, and it’s pretty lousy when it comes to Hollywood-style thrills, visibly struggling with its limited budget and sense of danger. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In 2015, director Peter Sohn was the creative force behind “The Good Dinosaur,” bringing some darkness and unusual sensitivity to a Pixar production. The picture received a mixed reaction from audiences and is one of the company’s lowest-grossing endeavors, but Sohn delivered a tender story about friendship, family, and adventure, trying to do something with Pixar formula. He’s in a similar situation with “Elemental,” which won’t win awards for originality, but dazzles with its extraordinary animation and charms with its unexpected tale of romance. It’s “Romeo and Juliet” with literal fire and water, with Sohn using the arc of a love story to study the ways of familial expectations, prejudice, and melting pot immigration, coming up with big characters and a pleasing kindness to the effort as Pixar continues to pursue more mature takes on animated storytelling. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In a few years, the DC Extended Universe will undergo a complete overhaul, with new creative guidance once again trying to build a cinematic empire out of famous comic book characters. “The Flash” is one of the last offerings from the old guard, and it’s really trying to do something special with its run time, exploring not only the DCEU of the last decade, but the world of comic book entertainment, looking to boost the adventures of Barry Allen with an expensive and expansive epic that often tries to be more than just a film about The Flash. It’s a major undertaking from director Andy Muschietti (“It”) and screenwriter Christina Hodson (“Birds of Prey”), as the story plays with multiple timelines, characters, and settings, working to provide a massive viewing experience for those who still remain invested in Zack Snyder’s DCEU vision. And there’s fun for others, with “The Flash” going everywhere with its story, conjuring a defined energy that’s often exhausting to keep up with, and it periodically overwhelms the helmer, who’s hanging on to control of the feature by his fingertips at times. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

2018’s “Bumblebee” was a chance for the “Transformers” series to rethink things after director Michael Bay brought the brand name to box office highs and critical lows. It served as a prequel/restart for the saga, and while it didn’t scare up enormous box office returns (released during heavy competition), it connected with viewers, successfully getting fans reinterested in the ongoing big screen adventures of the robots in disguise. “Bumblebee” was a lot of fun, and director Steven Caple Jr. (“Creed II”) is determined to keep the party going in “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts,” supplying a thrilling sequel that hopes to wow kids and kids-at-heart with a grander display of Autobot heroics and human courage, presenting an epic study of action and planet-gobbling doom. Of course, this is a “Transformers” picture, with silliness unavoidable, but Caple Jr. really captures the enormity of the brand’s warrior spirit and ways of destruction, making for a lively sit. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Love him or hate him, there’s nobody quite like Arnold Schwarzenegger. He’s been an athlete, a movie star, a family man, a politician, and a social media figure, and there’s plenty more to the man than meets the eye. The idea behind the documentary series “Arnold” is to identify his extraordinary personal journey, tracking Schwarzenegger’s rise from a little boy raised in a tiny Austrian village to becoming one of the most famous people in the world, seemingly enjoying almost every second of his remarkable development. Director Lesley Chilcott (“Helter Skelter: The American Myth”) has quite the challenge of corralling so much living into three episodes, aiming to break up the odyssey into chapters of growth and professional redirection, allowing Schwarzenegger to tell his own story in his inimitable way. “Arnold” has its glossiness, dealing with a subject who fully understands the power of self-promotion, but it also carries outstanding attention to Schwarzenegger’s sacrifices and ferocious ambition, with Chilcott delivering a fascinating understanding of the media figure and his singular way of living. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Wartime secrets are explored in “Brooklyn 45,” which offers a single location and a cast of characters for a 90-minute examination of death, patriotism, and xenophobia. There’s a supernatural element to the tale, which involves a particularly active séance, but writer/director Ted Geoghegan doesn’t make a horror feature, going the psychological route with a real-time journey into suspicion. There’s a lot to like about the endeavor, with Geoghegan challenged to create a suspenseful viewing experience while the story remains in one position. There’s an interesting examination of World War II and all the pain involved with service and intimidation, which is just beginning to spill into civilian life for the players, and while it seems to be headed in an Agatha Christie direction in the opening act, “Brooklyn 45” shies away from mystery elements, as Geoghegan shows more interest in character wear and tear, not the capacity for murder. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com