Living with Yourself (2019)

A man finds a solution to his life's problems like depression and fatigue, but the solution is not what he thought.

'Living with Yourself' is a dramatic comedy series with philosophical tones. It has interesting ideas, short episodes and a charismatic cast.

Director: Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris   

Production:  Netflix   

Creator:  Timothy Greenberg   

Duration: 1 season of 8 episodes (26-30 minutes each)  

With: Paul Rudd, Aisling Bea, Ali Akbar Sepahi, Desmin Borges

Rating: 7/10

Villains (2019)

A couple breaks into an isolated house for an impromptu robbery, but what they find completely changes their next actions.

'Villains' is what they calle a dark comedy, with dramatic undertones. It has a subtle and dark humor, diverse and memorable characters and a group of well-chosen actors. The characters are well balanced, the term villain being chosen with a double meaning, representing exactly what you expect but also the fact that first impressions are deceiving. It's not a perfect movie, but it's perfectly suited to be enjoyed by fans of the genre or of the cast.

Directors:  Dan Berk, Robert Olsen   

With: Bill Skarsgård, Maika Monroe, Blake Baumgartner, Jeffrey Donovan, Kyra Sedgwick

Rating: 7.4/10

Another Life (2019–2021)

Niko is the head of a crew of a ship that has moved in the wrong direction that must quantify the level of danger from an alien species.

'Another Life' is a sci-fi series that will satisfy many fans of the genre, especially those looking for more regular entertainment. With some interesting main characters and original situations (but also some a little ... inspired), Another Life should not disappoint.

Director:  Metin Hüseyin and others

Production:  Netflix   

Creator:  Aaron Martin   

Duration:  2 seasons of 10 episodes (43 minutes each)   

With:  Katee Sackhoff, Samuel Anderson, A.J. Rivera, JayR Tinaco, Elizabeth Faith Ludlow

Rating: 8/10

Synchronic (2019)

Two paramedics encounter very bizarre consequences caused by overdoses of a new and popular drug.

'Synchronic' is a sci-fi film with melodramatic accents. Interesting, beautifully made, and with characters that the viewer cares about. It tries to asks philosophical questions related to the evolution of evil, the evolution of humanity and the effect on nature, without forgetting the heart of the action.

Director:  Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead   

With: Anthony Mackie, Jamie Dornan, Katie Aselton, Ally Ioannides

Rating: 8/10

The Vast of Night (2019)

A telephone operator and a radio operator begin to investigate local events after they manage to catch a series of strange noises through an unusual radio frequency.

'The Vast of Night' is a sci-fi film temporally set in the 50s, in a context that appears very authentic, in a culture obsessed with a third world war, alien invasions and government conspiracies. With a mini-homage to Orson Welles' 'War Of The Worlds' radio show (the radio station is called WOTW), this film is adept at subtly highlighting the panic, suspense and mystery needed to keep the viewer tensing.

Director:  Andrew Patterson   

With: Sierra McCormick, Jake Horowitz, Gail Cronauer, Bruce Davis

Rating: 8/10

We Summon the Darkness (2019)

Three close friends go on a road trip to a heavy metal festival where they gather new friends for a party at their parents' country home.

'We Summon the Darkness' is a horror film that thinks itself to be in the classic style of the '80s, but it doesn't manage to capture the aura very well. The story is not very unpredictable and not very well written, but the non-serious air gives it the chance to appear like a black comedy, with some measure of fun.

Director:  Marc Meyers    

With: Alexandra Daddario, Keean Johnson, Maddie Hasson, Amy Forsyth

Rating: 6/10

The Umbrella Academy (2019–2023)

A family of superpowered individuals reunite after the death of their father.

"The Umbrella Academy" is a fantasy, adventure, action series, mixed with some comedy and quirkiness. The graphic novel origins are felt at every step, and the charm of the whole is based on the character building and their interaction. With a much more interesting first season, when the mystery and the unknown can be used as a promising asset, the rest of the seasons remain intriguing enough to continue watching.

Director:  Jeremy Webb and others

Production:  Netflix   

Creator:  Steve Blackman, Jeremy Slater   

Duration:  4 (3 released so far, 1 to go this year) seasons of 10 episodes (1 hour each)   

With: Elliot Page, Tom Hopper, David Castañeda, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Robert Sheehan, Ritu Arya, Colm Feore, Kate Walsh, Yusuf Gatewood, Cameron Britton, Mary J. Blige, Jordan Claire Robbins

Rating: 8/10

Koma (2019)

An architect wakes up in a virtual world where he must try to unearth his innate abilities.

'Koma' is a sci-fi movie reminiscent of The Matrix and Inception. Although it has common ideas with those, the film seems quite original and offers enough variety to be an entertaining and satisfying and not completely predictable viewing. The special effects are interesting.

Director:  Nikita Argunov      

With: Rinal Mukhametov, Lyubov Aksyonova, Anton Pampushnyy, Milos Bikovic

Rating: 8/10

The Wretched (2019)

A teenager suspects that the neighboring family is led by an evil spirit that wears their skin.

'The Wretched' is a horror film in a more traditional style, in which the neighbor shows suspicious behavior. As usual, the child characters see the truth faster by still belonging to an age so close to the one where magic is possible. Despite the presence of innocent elements, the horror and sinister aspects are well fueled and the film still gives some surprises.

Director:  Brett Pierce, Drew T. Pierce    

With: John-Paul Howard, Piper Curda, Jamison Jones, Azie Tesfai

Rating: 8/10

Nimic (2019)

The life of a cellist goes through unexpected changes after he starts a conversation with a woman in the subway.

'Nothing' is a short film by the controversial Yorgos Lanthimos, an author who always focuses on symbolism and subtle suggestions. The current film focuses on the claustrophobia caused by the realization that we are all replaceable in a world where we surround ourselves with superficial connections.

Director:  Yorgos Lanthimos   

With: Matt Dillon, Daphne Patakia, Susan Elle, Sara Lee

Rating: 9/10

Chambers (2019)

A young high school girl begins to have personality changes and strange memories after a heart transplant operation.

'Chambers' is a miniseries with supernatural elements and a lot of drama. The idea is not the most original (although the ending is worth all the money), but the execution is full of patience, intriguing details, dramatic scenes about deep wounds and a well-nuanced mystery and it's all dragged out in the most appropriate way possible.

Director: Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, Ti West and others

Production:  Netflix   

Creator:  David Greenwalt, Joss Whedon   

Duration:  one miniseries of 10 episodes (1 hour each)

With: Sivan Alyra Rose, Marcus LaVoi, Nicholas Galitzine, Kyanna Simone, Griffin Powell-Arcand, Lilliya Scarlett Reid, Uma Thurman, Tony Goldwyn, Lili Taylor

Rating: 9/10

Countdown (2019)

A nurse uses an app that tells you how long you have to live and learns that she will die in 3 days.

'Countdown' is a run of the mill horror movie, with an interesting idea, which makes fun of the current trend of having an app for every possible subject. Enjoyable up to a point where it becomes uninteresting and clichéd.

Director:  Justin Dec   

With: Elizabeth Lail, Jordan Calloway, Talitha Eliana Bateman, Peter Facinelli

Rating: 6/10

Doom Patrol (2019– )

A scientist gathers a team of unusual and imperfect superheroes who live together because no one else wants them.

'Doom Patrol' is a series with superpowered people that intersects with Titans, both series taking place in the DC universe. And this is where all the similarities end, this series being perhaps the most unusual, original and crazy series with superheroes, be it DCU or MCU. From the street that is a being (called Danny), life being possible in the white of comics' sheets (!), the city kidnapped in the butt of a donkey, to the fact that the narrator of the first season was the bad guy, Doom Patrol is full of imagination, intelligent ridiculousness, imperfect characters who are richly endowed with personality and drama and and lacks even the slightest bit of boredom.

Too bad it will be missed by those with prejudices about superhero movies and series.

Director:  Chris Manley and many others  

Production:  DC Comics, Warner Bros   

Creator:  Jeremy Carver   

Duration:  3 seasons of 15/9/10 episodes (1 hour each)   

With: Diane Guerrero, April Bowlby, Matt Bomer, Brendan Fraser, Timothy Dalton, Alan Tudyk, Michelle Gomez, Mark Sheppard

Rating: 9/10

Annabelle Comes Home (2019)

Ed and Lorraine Warren's daughter's babysitter manages to awaken Annabelle's spirit.

'Annabelle Comes Home' is another film from The Conjuring universe, a continuation of the narrative line of the Annabelle doll. Ed and Lorraine barely appear, the main characters being children. Efficient anyway and pleasantly surprising.

Director:  Gary Dauberman   

With: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Mckenna Grace, Madison Iseman

Rating: 8/10

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (2019)

An actor and his stuntman close friend intersect with well-known events of 1969.

'Once Upon A Time In Hollywood' is a drama with comic accents signed by Quentin Tarantino. It's a  difficult to describe film without revealing its element of surprise, precisely because it makes sense and works as intended because of it. However, in short, the film is Tarantino's ode dedicated to Hollywood or at least the idea of ​​Hollywood as seen through the eyes of an imaginative cinephile. The two main actors have an incredible chemistry and manage to maintain the viewer's attention and the comic credibility of the film every and each moment.

Director:  Quentin Tarantino   

With: Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Emile Hirsch

Rating: 9/10

The Walking Dead - Season 10 (2019-2020)

The war with Alpha lasts a long time but comes to an end and the community enters a period of peace and curiosity that brings new discoveries.

Season 10 of The Walking Dead is largely focused on the conflict with The Whisperers and Alpha that reaches a more or less expected end, by unexpected means. And this focus was well done and well received. In the last part, though, the authors decided to throw 4,5 episodes in the trash, wasting the patience of the fans on alternative stories about new characters, old but bored and fallen out characters or discoveries of intriguing new communities that seem taken from a completely different movie.

Director:  Greg Nicotero and others   

Production:  AMC  

Creator:  Frank Darabont   

Duration:  1 season of 22 episodes (44 minutes each)   

With: Norman Reedus, Danai Gurira, Melissa McBride, Lauren Cohan, Christian Serratos, Josh McDermitt, Seth Gilliam, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Samantha Morton, Thora Birch

Rating: 8/10

Ratu Ilmu Hitam/ Queen of Black Magic (2019)

Several brothers who grew up in the same orphanage meet up, together with their families at the place's location after the administrator who raised them became ill and helpless.

'Queen of Black Magic' is an Indonesian horror film remake of a 1981 film of the same name. Apart from the remake aspect, the film has an interesting and original story, quite captivating and full of credibility in terms of the story that's at the root of all the horrors. The horrors are not late to turn up and appear almost from the first few minutes, and no one is forgiven, not even the innocent. The atmosphere is sinister and the effects of the horror scenes are well done and almost always in an unexpected manner.

Director:  Kimo Stamboel       

With: Ario Bayu, Hannah Al Rashid, Adhisty Zara, Muzakki Ramdhan

Rating: 7/10

Ready or Not (2019)

The wedding night of a new bride turns into a nightmare after the new family reveals the game to be played at every wedding as a result of a family superstition.

'Ready or Not' is a slasher horror with a ridiculous plot but funny and easy to forgive in its irony. Samara Weaving is again the surprisingly resourceful protagonist of the of a popular horror/thriller, and the current one is engaging, funny, full of rich characters that are fun to analyze/observe.

Director:  Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett   

With: Samara Weaving, Adam Brody, Mark O'Brien, Henry Czerny, Andie MacDowell

Rating: 8/10

Satanic Panic (2019)

A young woman who delivers pizza for a living wakes up in an unexpected situation when she finds herself in the middle of an event for a satanic cult in search of a virgin.

'Satanic Panic' is a fun horror comedy that wastes no time acting superior, but just tries to distract the viewer with some honest fun, something lighter, but somewhat dark. There are some famous names here - Rebecca Romijn or Jerry O'Connell - who are these days unfairly overlooked for big budget projects, but they play their role admirably.

Director:  Chelsea Stardust     

With: Rebecca Romijn, Arden Myrin, Hayley Griffith, Ruby Modine, Jerry O'Connell

Rating: 6/10

It Chapter Two (2019)

The Losers Club reunites after 27 years and lost childhood memories begin to reappear and signs that Pennywise is still alive are becoming more regular.

'It Chapter Two' follows the story of the first film in the same style of storytelling and directing, with older actors this time, including some qute famous names. The story is satisfying again, maybe the plot becomes a little meatier, but it fails to turn into something very special, which is still OK.

Director:  Andy Muschietti     

With: Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, Bill Hader, Isaiah Mustafa, Jay Ryan, James Ransone, Bill Skarsgård, Andy Bean

Rating: 8/10