The Green Sea

Plot: A lone writer lives a life of isolation until her world changes by the appearance of a strange young girl.

Everywhere Simone (Katharine Isabelle) goes, people have an eye on her and the mystery surrounding why is built in a way that intrigues the audiences.

Simone takes this little girl in because of the fear of her being out in this world alone. The kid (yes, that’s her name) is clinging onto Simone, who really doesn’t know how to take that.

One thing to point out is the fantastic writing of the film that builds this relationship. Simone and the kid are played by Katharine Isabelle and Hazel Doupe, who have incredible chemistry. Their relationship is built on this awkward chemistry and these two ladies make it work. Katharine takes the role of Simone, a writer who has some deeply rooted issues that struggle with real-life vs. her book world. As her character develops upon the arrival of the kid, it is incredible. Katharine isn’t the most likable person, but she changes in front of our eyes, making you want to see her grow more and more.

Randal Plunket is remarkable at writing this blend of mystery and fantasy that keeps you guessing on what is real or not. I loved his unique approach to the film and was genuinely blown away that he could write something raw and personal within this world.

The Verdict: B

Settlers

Plot: Remmy and her parents, refugees from Earth, have found peace on the Martian outskirts—until strangers appear in the hills beyond their farm. Told as a triptych, the film follows Remmy as she struggles to survive in an uneasy landscape.

We meet Remmy and her parents, telling stories about the older days as they are inside their new ‘home.’ We see they live in this secluded area, and they get under attack but this unknown army. From their interaction, we hear that the land they live on was taken from the leader’s father.

Young Remmy was played by Brooklyn Prince, who was the glue that held the film together in the first and second acts. It was more in her emotions and facial expressions that made you invest in who she was. With that being said, the movie’s pacing is slow and, at times, understandable, but other times the dialogue isn’t moving enough for you to keep yourself invested enough to care.

Although the movie struggles to find its place throughout, the score does a great job of keeping you at least somewhat interested in what was ahead. The film has its intense moments at times, but it fails to truly develop into something better.

The Verdict: B-

The Five Rules of Success

Plot: An enterprising ex-convict sets out to rebuild his life with a bulletproof mindset but when society proves to be more treacherous than imagined, he embarks on a ruthless phantasmagoric journey through the underworld in pursuit of the American Dream.

X is trying to find his way back into life after incarceration. But, unfortunately, parole, a job, life all stand in the way of trying to push ahead. After a series of events happen, we see X play these images in his head of what he really wants to do but instead does not because he wants to stay out of jail.

X meets Avakian, a restaurant owner trying to help him get back on his feet and chase his dream of opening a restaurant one day. Avakian takes him in like he is his own because he sees a lot of himself in X.

An overzealous parole officer keeps X on his toes, and he begins to unravel in ways that could be troubling for staying on track. Then, between her and his dream of the restaurant, he falls apart.

Overall the movie is OK, and a lot has to do with the performance of Santiago Segura. However, the script seems like it’s unsure at times which message it is trying to convey and they struggle to grasp your attention emotionally. The ending was NUTS.

The Verdict: C+

The House Next Door: Meet the Blacks 2

Plot: When best selling author Carl Black moves his family back to his childhood home, he must team up with oddball neighbors to do battle with a pimp, who may or may not be an actual vampire.

This movie is about what you expect it to be, cheesy jokes that hit about ten percent of the time, Kat Williams thinking he is funny (he’s not), and me missing the real Mike Epps.

We didn’t need a sequel, but here we are, I am sure some will like this for some reason, but this was a tough watch for me.

The Verdict: F