Movie & Television Reviews

There is not one ounce of cynicism in “Song Sung Blue” (Focus), the fact-based tale of a Neil Diamond cover band from Milwaukee. And therein lies immense power.

As a mystery in which no one is who they appear to be, the psychological horror film “The Housemaid” (Lionsgate) has a lot of entertaining suspense to offer viewers. Yet the movie is also a gory revenge fantasy that dabbles in grotesquery and sadistic behavior, thus severely circumscribing its appropriate audience.

“Avatar: Fire and Ash” (20th Century), the third film in the always visually rich franchise that got its start in 2009, brings forward thematic elements that had previously been kept in the background and that viewers of faith will find it impossible to accept and difficult to dismiss. As a result, it requires careful evaluation by mature movie fans.

True to form, SpongeBob emerges from his latest escapades smarter, wiser, pleased with his newly acquired skills and with increased loyalty to his friends. So, although the script’s humor may often fall short, the franchise’s beguiling charm remains.

Clues and conundrums aren’t the only things that need to be sorted through in the murder mystery “Wake Up Dead Man” (Netflix). An equivocal, though ultimately positive, portrayal of faith marks this third film in the “Knives Out” franchise that began in 2019.