12 Strong

Despite intense action sequences and heavy helping of familial empathy enhancers, Thorse Soldiers lacks emotional impact of Lone Survivor or suspense of Zero Dark Thirty. The story is straightforward though their path meanders, and character arcs fall unsatisfyingly in between. And the ‘bad Muslims’ educational cutaway feels preachy and unnecessary.

The Shape of Water

Del Toro advances from Pans to buckets in this super saturated surrealist romance. His foreign perspective only enriches this alarmingly deep dive into American culture of the early 60s, and Hawkins’ emotionally loud performance patches plot-holes to ensure that ludicrous elements still hold water and Abe Piscine can swim spectacularly.

Nocturnal Animals

Tom afFords more time to source novel’s frame than to its story, but opts for the title of the latter, indicating narrative confusion that pervades this picturesque piece. Stellar performances from distractingly star-studded cast cut through the gray muddled night, but the structure fails to rise up the evolutionary ladder.