Lisa Miller

1 week ago | shepherdexpress.com | David Luhrssen |Lisa Miller

(In Theaters May 30) Writer-director John Maclean marries the samurai film to the American western, and sets his story in late 18th century England. His icy palette unfolds beneath overcast skies, where teenage Tornado (Kōki) is a Japanese puppeteer and Sword-fighting expert. Along with her samurai father, Fujin (Takehiro Hira), Tornado wanders this landscape to perform life-sized puppet shows for meager returns.

2 weeks ago | shepherdexpress.com | David Luhrssen |Lisa Miller

(In Theaters May 23) Tom Cruise delivers the thrills in what is claimed to be the final film of this franchise. The convoluted plot is exposition-heavy, with almost none of the satiric dialog that eased the burden of previous installments. Welcome to part two of a tale about an A.I.’s plan to cleanse the earth of humanity. POTUS (Angela Bassett) wants to harness the A.I. on behalf of our nation’s interests, so the government plans to retrieve a device granting its owner control over The Entity.

3 weeks ago | shepherdexpress.com | David Luhrssen |Lisa Miller

(In Theaters May 16) Eleven years after the promised final, Final Destination, New Line Cinema revives the franchise with a chapter explaining the origin of the previous five installments. Kaitlyn Santa Juana appears as Stefanie, a young woman whose frightening visions star her grandmother Iris (in the present day played by Gabrielle Rose, and as a young woman by Brec Bassinger).

1 month ago | shepherdexpress.com | David Luhrssen |Lisa Miller

(In Theaters May 2) Directed by 25-year-old Felipe Vargas, this freshman effort highlights the director’s attraction to horror. Emeraude Toubia portrays a first generation American, Rosario. Having found success as a stockbroker, Rosario reluctantly makes her way to her deceased grandmother’s rundown New York City apartment to await an ambulance delayed by a monstrous snowstorm.

1 month ago | shepherdexpress.com | David Luhrssen |Lisa Miller |Jamie Lee Rake

(In Theaters April 25) This sequel to 2016’s implausible but distractingly fun The Accountant brings back most of its major players. Reclusive, autistic CPA Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck) and his estranged brother, talented hit-man Braxton (Jon Bernthal), are drawn into a plot to revenge the death of an old friend (J.K. Simmons). The brothers want to reconnect, but largely flounder except while working as a team.