‘A Monster Calls’ hurts. There’s no getting around it. Anyone who’s ever lost anyone close to them will recognize the emotions so powerfully depicted in this story.

It would be pretty silly to complain about a film that is really all just about the merits of singing and dancing and being happy. In these dark times, maybe a film like this is exactly what we need.

‘The Accountant’ is an odd film that tries to be too many things, but one can’t discount how weirdly fun it can be.

Whatever else happens in the plot, the audience that it’s all going to lead to Crusoe on that ship, with the parrot telling the story.

It’s clear a lot of thought was put into what kind of emotional story you can tell when burdened with being a tie-in to a board game.

This is a story that coasts on the recognizable mechanics of the J-horror film, rarely doing anything new, and not even doing the old stuff well.

The film relies heavily on contrivance to make its plot work, the characters rarely making decisions that would help them identify with the rest of the human race.

More than anything else, this is just a story of a man learning to look beyond his own ego, finally realizing that his talents may be put to a greater purpose.

This is a film where the past bears the force of a tsunami, where the truth is lurking just beneath the placid surface of stories, threatening to destroy everything.

This is a genre that already carries low expectations, but the film consistently disappoints in this aspect of its production.