Copshop directed by Joe Carnahan; starring Alexis Louder, Gerard Butler, Frank Grillo, Toby Huss and Ryan O'Nan; written by Joe Carnahan, Kurt McLeod and Mark Williams

A rookie cop finds herself in the way of multiple assassins trying to take down a snitch that is being held at her precinct.

A simple and tight setup, colorful characters and a heightened level of gore come together nicely to give the film a distinctive and entertaining tone.
The cast is well picked with leads Gerard Butler and Alexis Louder giving strong performances and a quality production rounds up everything nicely.
Sure, the character arcs could be a bit more developed, the direction clearer and more suspenseful but the movie still delivers some fun action that is smarter than most of the competition in that genre.

Rating: C+

Candyman directed by Nia DaCosta; starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Teyonah Parris, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Colman Domingo, Kyle Kaminsky and Vanessa Williams; written by Nia DaCosta, Jordan Peele and Win Rosenfeld

Searching for new material in the history of an abandoned housing project, a contemporary artist awakens an ancient evil.

Trying to elevate a classic (and by now overdone) bogeyman story, the script adds an interesting layer of social commentary and rich backstories. The result feels a bit messy as the film then needs to shoehorn some horror moments in to keep its tension high. But it still makes the film slightly more compelling than many of the genre's recent offerings.
Past that, there's quality acting, skillful direction and tangible production value that all together deliver an average horror experience that doesn't quite live up to its full potential.

Rating: C

Respect directed by Liesl Tommy; starring Jennifer Hudson, Marlon Wayans, Forest Whitaker, Tituss Burgess, Audra McDonald, Marc Maron, Heather Headley, Kimberly Scott, Hailey Kilgore and Saycon Sengbloh

From singing in her father's church choir to worldwide fame, the life of Aretha Franklin.

The film has some stand out moments thanks to Jennifer Hudson's raw performance and the immortal hits of the Queen of Soul.
But the script is clunky and, while chronologically and factually accurate, seems too often to avoid its drama, with setups that rarely pay off and too many underdeveloped themes.

Rating: C -

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