The Outsider (2018)

In Japan immediately after the war, a former soldier finds his place in the Japanese mafia.

'The Outsider' is an interesting dramatic thriller. It brings the John Blackthorne type of character (Shogun) in a quasi-modern Japanese context and in the time of Yakuza honor that preserves somewhat the old samurai tradition. Well made, the film doesn't have much dialogue, and the little it has generally belongs to the unlikeable characters, and it manages to attract interest through mystery and the portrayal of human feelings of friendship and loyalty.

Director:  Martin Zandvliet     

With: Jared Leto, Tadanobu Asano, Kippei Shîna, Shioli Kutsuna

Rating: 7.5/10

Haunted Mansion (2023)

A single mother and her son move into a haunted house and gather a team of specialists to help with some exorcisms.

'Haunted Mansion' is a horror comedy based on a Disneyland attraction, the second of its kind. Superficial, with a few nice tear-jerking moments and a few jokes, and some special effects worthy of an amusement park, Haunted Mansion does not manage to be much "for children" (kind of too scary) but certainly not for adults.

Director:  Justin Simien     

With: LaKeith Stanfield, Rosario Dawson, Owen Wilson, Tiffany Haddish, Danny DeVito, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jared Leto

Rating: 5.6/10

The Little Things (2021)

Joe Deacon has a simple travelling task, but he gets distracted by a local serial murder investigation that shouldn't be his problem.

"The Little Things" is a police thriller with a traditional recipe and a few surprises. With an appealing cast, the film already has expectations from the get go. Not quite perfect, but perfectly entertaining. Denzel Washington, even on his own, deserves attracting an audience, but together with Rami Malek, with whom he has a very interesting rapport, the reasons to watch the film multiply.

Director:  John Lee Hancock    

With: Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, Jared Leto, Chris Bauer

Rating: 8/10

Morbius (2022)

Michael Morbius suffers from a rare blood disease, as does his best friend, and in an attempt to cure himself, he accidentally infects himself with vampirism.

'Morbius' is a vampire action thriller set in the Marvel Universe. The vampiric presence is not particularly strong, but it is welcome, because it refreshes the MCU-type of action with a little more darkness. The film is the recipient of a lot of unfounded hatred, possibly due to the disappointment of the fans caused by Jared Leto's Joker. The character is believable and interesting enough, the narrative line is decent, the action is a bit all over the place, but overall, it's not half bad.

Director:  Daniel Espinosa    

With: Jared Leto, Matt Smith, Adria Arjona, Jared Harris

Rating: 7/10