danieljfarthing

Updating the old-school gothic 'mad scientist' horror genre is a noble intent, but writer / director Tilman Singer's English-language debut "Cuckoo" doesn't deliver adequately on it. After her mum's death US teen Hunter Schafer moves with estranged dad Martin Csokas, stepmum Jessica Henwick, & half-sister Mila Lieu to a German Alpine resort owned & run by Dan Stevens... where she soon finds things are NOT as they seem. The premise has potential, and Stevens is terrific, but the plot plods and Singer doesn't evoke nearly enough dark, tense atmosphere. To see such a project done right (with scale, tension, & polish) check out "A Cure For Wellness" instead.

Simplistic but tense Brit dramatic-actioner "Last Breath" is the true-tale of a routine 2012 fuel pipeline repair operation deep below Scotland's North Sea, that goes awry leaving diver Finn Cole stranded without oxygen on the sea-bed as dive-mate Simu Liu & undersea partner Woody Harrelson try desperately to recover him for which their ship above (crewed by the likes of Mark Bonnar, Cliff Curtis, & MyAnna Buring) must get back in position despite major technical issues & a raging storm. Heroism abounds as decently relayed by co-writer (with Mitchell LaFortune & first-timer David Brooks) / director Alex Parkinson. Though not Hollywood polished it is an interesting & engaging film.

The pacy "Heart Eyes" edges the evolution of the slasher genre on by making it more self-depreciating & fun than even the likes of the recent "Scream" franchise. Olivia Holt & Mason Gooding get targeted in Seattle by the titular serial-killer who's gruesomely slaying courting couples for a third consecutive Valentine's Day... but Holt & Gooding fight back. The likes of Michaela Watkins, Gigi Zumbado, & Jordana Brewster (good) offer support, while Josh Ruben (who also cameos) directs with freshness to deliver Phillip Murphy, Christopher Landon, & Michael Kennedy's upbeat screenplay. While not flawless (it does lag a little before the climax) it is a good, light, date movie.