The Predator (2018)

A soldier who witnesses the crash of a Predator accidentally sends alien technology into the hands of his gifted son.

'The Predator' is the penultimate film in the sci-fi franchise, an iteration that just continues the list of events and admittedly, brings some new information about the alien mystery (they collect the best quality DNA to manipulate the creation of the most efficient killing machine). The action is well done, but not a lot of it, and a bit more humor is attempted by associating the main character with a group of soldiers who are persona non grata for various reasons. Not very strong overall

Director:  Shane Black   

With: Boyd Holbrook, Trevante Rhodes, Jacob Tremblay, Keegan-Michael Key, Olivia Munn, Thomas Jane, Alfie Allen, Jake Busey, Sterling K. Brown, Yvonne Strahovski

Rating: 6/10

Justified: City Primeval (2023)

15 years later, Raylan's vacation with his teenage daughter is interrupted by local events that require his attention.

'Justified: City Primeval' is an event season that resumes the story of Raylan Givens, 15 years later than we last saw him in the last season of Justified, and introduces a more modern, complex and rapidly developing context. And so Boyd Holbrook enters the scene in an intriguing and nuanced role, not qite as nuanced as everyone's favorite antagonist (Boyd Crowder), but a close attempt. However, the rest of the context loses a bit of its weight, plausibility and authenticity. Just enough. A shame, but still worth watching.

Director:  Michael Dinner and others   

Production:  FX   

Creator:  Dave Andron, Michael Dinner   

Duration:  1 special season of 8 episodes (48 minutes each)   

With: Timothy Olyphant, Boyd Holbrook, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Vondie Curtis-Hall, Marin Ireland, Vivian Olyphant, Terry Kinney

Rating: 7/10

Out of the Furnace (2013)

After the disappearance of his brother, Russell Baze decides to take things in his own hands.

'Out Of The Furnace' is a drama with some thriller bits mixed in. It contains some strong performances from the main actors and then some, but it will be tricky for the audience to keep emotionally involved in a story that would not have happened without the unfortunate and completely avoidable decisions of some of the characters. But the acting of the actors alone could be reason enough to see it to the end.

Director:  Scott Cooper     

With: Christian Bale, Casey Affleck, Zoe Saldana, Woody Harrelson, Sam Shepard, Willem Dafoe, Forest Whitaker, Boyd Holbrook

Rating: 7/10

The Sandman (2022-)

Dream, the being who controls the world of dreams, escapes after being kidnapped for almost a century and brings order to his world.

'Sandman' is a fantasy series based on a series of well-loved comics by Neil Gaiman. It exceeds all expectations regarding the staging of such a well-developed and imaginative world and characters, with an incredible dream/nightmare atmosphere. The team of actors is unexpectedly well chosen in terms of appearance but also voice, gestures and everything that means the personification of beings that exist only two-dimensionally. The main story itself isn't all that special, but it's just an excuse to bring to life an amazing fantasy world. In addition, the 2 filler episodes (as all series have) from somewhere in the middle, raise the overall quality by a lot.

Director:  Jamie Childs and others

Production:  Netflix   

Creator: Neil Gaiman, David S. Goyer, Allan Heinberg   

Duration:  1 season of 10 episodes (45 minutes each)   

With: Tom Sturridge, Boyd Holbrook, Patton Oswalt, Vivienne Acheampong, Mason Alexander Park, David Thewlis, Jenna Coleman, Joely Richardson

Rating: 9/10