Director Justin Kurzel gravitates toward icy material, typically following tales of hard men in all sorts of trouble with the law and loved ones. The helmer of 2015’s “Macbeth” and 2019’s “The True History of the Kelly Gang,” Kurtzel returns to familiar narrative ground in “The Order,” a tale “based on true events” that tracks the efforts of the FBI and police to capture members of a white supremacy gang making big plans to organize and declare war on America. “The Order” follows troubling developments and conflicted characters, and the production maintains such darkness throughout the entire endeavor, which is impressive. “The Order” is tough stuff, exploring a yesterday of hate and violence that’s still relevant today, and while it’s not always stunning in presentation and pace, Kurzel maintains some focus on suspense as sharp words of intent become destructive actions. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Shea Whigham is an actor primarily known for doing one thing. He plays low to the ground types, men who are often wrestling with their emotions in private, putting up a steely front to protect themselves and others. He’s developed cult appreciation for his work, often gravitating toward the same type of semi-mute guys. In “Lake George,” Whigham isn’t coloring outside the lines, but he’s in command of a slightly different personality, portraying a nervous man assigned to murder the ex-lover of a crime boss, put in charge of violence he’s completely unfamiliar with. It’s not a drastic change of pace for Whigham, but it’s something slightly different, and that’s the right direction, joined by the talented Carrie Coon on this weird crime/relationship tale that’s deliberately handled by writer/director Jeffrey Reiner, a television veteran bringing his tough sensibilities to this turn-filled story that moves slowly, but rewards this patience periodically. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Hope is elusive in “The Room Next Door,” which returns writer/director Pedro Almodovar to one of his cinematic obsessions: death. The film is an adaptation of a 2020 novel (“What Are You Going Through”) by Sigrid Nunez, examining the relationship between two longtime friends and the strain involved when plans for euthanasia are introduced for one of them. Almodovar doesn’t craft a hard-hitting study of medical decline with the picture, still remaining true to his melodramatic interests and love of cinematic craftsmanship, retaining the power of sight and sound in the feature. “The Room Next Door” is more unwieldy than other offerings from the helmer, not always providing a rich sense of storytelling and character, but the idea retains potency and a refreshed feel of gloom from Almodovar is interesting to watch, especially from a moviemaker still connected to the vibrancy of life. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Nick Frost is suddenly everywhere. “Get Away” is his third acting job over the last few months (following “Black Cab” and “Krazy House”), also accepting screenwriting duties for this take on folk horror and the ways of dysfunctional family life. It’s not a parody, poking fun at recent releases such as “Midsommer,” but it plays darkly comedic, observing an English family’s trip to a small Swedish island for a much needed vacation, visiting a village preparing for their annual celebration of murder and community pride. “Get Away” remains mysterious and uneasy for its opening act, as Frost sets up decent suspense while blending in a sinister sense of humor. The material has a final destination, which is its least enticing development, but there’s a vision in play for bloody activity and domestic antagonisms, and that carries most of the viewing experience. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

It’s the end of the world, and characters are going out with a little song and dance in “The End.” Documentarian Joshua Oppenheimer (“The Act of Killing,” “The Look of Silence”) tries his luck with a narrative-driven feature, examining the strange ways of a wealthy family living out their days inside an enormous bunker during a climate apocalypse, determined to carry on as normally as possible before someone enters their lives to change everything. Oppenheimer has elected to serve up such grimness as a musical, allowing these cautious personalities to express themselves through songs, trying to give the endeavor a sense of the unusual and poetic while confronting deep emotional wounds. “The End” carries on for nearly 150 minutes, which is the first of many indulgences from the helmer, but he’s attempting to do something unusual in the work, addressing real-world ills and familial tensions in unexpected ways, helping to digest a somewhat unwieldy film. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The story of wrestler Anthony Robles is an impressive one. Born with one leg, Robles held on to a dream of sporting competition, working his way through high school using his physical strength and mental focus, backed by supportive coaches and teammates. His tale of endurance is turned into “Unstoppable,” a bio-pic of sorts that’s very interested in becoming the latest offering of underdog cinema. Screenwriters Eric Champnella, Alex Harris, and John Hindman are determined to hit all kinds of inspirational moments in the feature (adapting Robles’s own 2012 autobiography), looking to reach out to impressionable viewers with this study of adversity and inner drive. They also craft an overly simplistic endeavor, while director William Goldenberg (a longtime editor making his helming debut) gives the movie plenty of television-style glossiness to aid digestion. “Unstoppable” doesn’t have much grit or originality, missing a hearty sense of triumph and toil, becoming more of a commercial for Anthony Robles than a nuanced study of his indefatigable spirit. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Rob Jabbaz makes his feature-length directorial debut with "The Sadness," heading to the world of horror to create a first impression with audiences, like many aspiring moviemakers before him. It's zombie cinema in a way, but the material is largely inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic, with production taking place in 2020, when the world was still trying to manage the details of the viral event. "The Sadness" uses this sense of confusion and chaos as a starting point for a tale of survival, with Jabbaz working to add as much blood and guts as possible. "The Sadness" is an exercise in extremity, and while the helmer has all the gore and ugliness imaginable, he neglects to create a pace to the endeavor, which never feels alive as it drags from one makeup effects display to the next. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Francois Ozon heads in a different direction for 2000's "Water Drops on Burning Rocks," collecting inspiration from an early play by Ranier Werner Fassbinder, who happens to share the helmer's fascination with the breakdown possibilities of the human mind. Serving up another tale of obsession and submission, Ozon preserves the stillness of the original work, primarily focusing on a small collection of characters who spend time inside an apartment dealing with their relationship issues and levels of subservience. "Water Drops on Burning Rocks" is a character-driven viewing experience, with Ozon trying to open up the material with interesting staging, while the cast offers commitment to the writing, which takes the players in this game of power on perilous psychological journey. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

For his second movie, writer/director Francois Ozon heads to a fairy tale for inspiration. 1999's "Criminal Lovers" is partly a retelling of "Hansel and Gretel," only instead of two young siblings dealing with abandonment and hunger, Ozon offers a pair of teen lovers struggling with the aftermath of murder and the confusion of escape. In keeping with the filmmaker's dramatic interests, the picture goes sexual, finding areas of obsession and manipulation to explore to help spice up the viewing experience. "Criminal Lovers" endeavors to be disturbing and emotionally raw, but Ozon slows the pace to a full stop at times, unable to bring his ideas to life as he tries to turn what appears to be a concept for a short into a feature-length examination of corruption. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Francois Ozon makes his feature-length directing debut with 1998's "Sitcom," building storytelling skills sharpened on short films and 1997's "See the Sea." The helmer (who also scripts) takes aim at the family unit with the endeavor, looking to pry open the supposed normalcy of a household suddenly going through a torrent of changes. Ozon displays his wicked sense of humor and fondness for extremity with the movie, which has its share of shock value and strangeness. There's also a certain darkness to the picture that's fascinating to watch, with the cast committing to Ozon's fetishistic imagination in a heroic way, making the viewing experience surprisingly palatable. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

There seems to be some sort of unwritten rule in film production that movies about the holidays should go as easy on the senses as possible. It’s an understandable pursuit, as the ultimate goal of these productions is to provide mild feelings and seasonal reassurance, but a little more bite, or intelligence, is always welcome. “Our Little Secret” doesn’t lay on the Christmas atmosphere too thickly, but it does deal with yuletide reunions and family bustle. Screenwriter Hailey DeDominicis (making her debut) gets as far as a premise for the endeavor, creating a mess of relationships where everyone is a liar to a certain degree. It’s a set-up for devilish fun, but the writing sprints right into sitcom territory, presenting a series of lame, contrived conflicts and moments of humiliation. “Our Little Secret” doesn’t possess much energy, finding director Stephen Herek (who once helmed “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure” and “Critters,” but most recently issued “Dog Gone” and “Same Time, Next Christmas”) putting little effort into the film, which attempts to coast on thespian charm and easily avoidable difficulties for the main characters. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

It’s not entirely accurate to say that expectations were low for 2016’s “Moana,” but Walt Disney Animation was in a strange place at the time, figuring out how to reclaim its storytelling mojo. “Moana” managed to find a sizeable audience when it was released, but the feature developed into something special for most people, delivering an incredible soundtrack and gorgeous animation that only improved on repeat viewings. The movie also made Dwayne Johnson palatable, which is no small feat. “Moana 2” delivers a return to the animated realm, but not easily, as the project was originally created as a television show, losing songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda in the process. His presence is missed in the follow-up, but “Moana 2” retains many highlights and big screen scale, finding a way to return to wayfinder adventure without sullying the memory of the previous installment. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

2018’s “Heavy Trip” was a big surprise. The Scandinavian comedy examined the panicked ways of a black metal band trying to fake it until they make it, hoping to share their “symphonic, post-apocalyptic, reindeer-grinding, Christ-abusing, extreme war pagan, Fennoscandian metal” sound with the world, only to find all kinds of goofy roadblocks to exposure. Co-writers/directors Juuso Laatio and Jukka Vidgren certainly know their stuff when it comes to the strange world of this music genre, and they understand the value of silliness, making one of the best pictures of its release year. Some time has passed, but the men of Impaled Rektum are back in “Heavier Trip,” and the helmers endeavor to sustain the same speed of humor and music in the sequel. It’s a mostly successful effort from Laatio and Vidgren, who set up another wild journey for the characters, landing sizable laughs and knowing references for the follow-up adventure. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The Farrelly Brothers have mostly gone their separate ways since the release of 2014’s disappointing “Dumb and Dumber To,” with Peter Farrelly managing to go on to Oscar glory in 2018’s “Green Book,” signaling a more respectable future for the family name. That hasn’t been the case, as Peter went back to tone-deaf comedies in “The Greatest Beer Run in the World” and the odious “Ricky Stanicky,” and Bobby tried his luck with an underdog sports film, “Champions.” The siblings reunite, sort of, for “Dear Santa,” finding Peter taking a co-writing credit while Bobby steps behind the camera for this holiday entertainment, which is clearly out to recapture the strange chemistry that once powered their best pictures. “Dear Santa” maintains a Farrelly Brothers to-do list of jokes and dramatic asides, offering material that contains a zany idea for mischief, but is mostly suffocated by poor storytelling choices and lethargic direction. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Director Pablo Larrain is fascinated by the worlds of high-profile, deeply tormented women. It’s become a career obsession for him, initially taking shape in 2016’s “Jackie” (about Jacqueline Kennedy) and continuing into 2021’s “Spencer” (about Princess Diana). These were tales of hardship, performance, and emotional ruin, keeping the filmmaker on a mission to understand the subjects from a different, more intimate perspective. He returns to duty in “Maria,” which examines at least some parts of opera diva Maria Callas’s experience during her tumultuous life, digging into the misery and confusion that marked her final years of existence. Larrain uses the same dramatic template as before, joined by screenwriter Steven Knight as they attempt to merge the reality of certain behaviors with the poetry of suffering. “Maria” is a clear case of diminishing returns, and even with a fiercely committed performance from star Angelina Jolie, the endeavor remains cold to the touch, primarily focused on style instead of humanity. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1989’s “When Harry Met Sally” is apparently a major influence on “Sweethearts.” Director Jordan Weiss not only has the movie prominently featured on a theater marquee in the picture, but she also includes full scenes from it during the final act. She must be a huge fan, and there’s an effort to channel some of that cinematic energy into “Sweethearts,” which also explores the strange friendship between a young man and a woman who team up to deal with relationships they don’t want. Weiss (who co-scripts with Dan Brier) doesn’t exactly have the same level of wit and warmth as Nora Ephron, but she manages to overcome a dispiriting opening act to find comedic balance worth sticking around for. Laughs are limited, but performances shine in the endeavor, as the actors eventually get the hang of these personalities and their unusual fight for freedom. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

For some people, there could never be too many documentaries about The Beatles. At this point, there’s a film for every star in the sky, but director David Tedeschi is trying again with “Beatles ’64,” and it’s actually a documentary about a documentary, which is unusual. “What’s Happening! The Beatles in the U.S.A.” was a 1964 look at the arrival of the iconic band in America, putting directors Albert and David Maysles to work capturing all the pandemonium that greeted the Liverpudlians as they attempted to experience the United States for the very first time. “Beatles ‘64” has a bit more than this recycled footage (nicely refreshed for 2024 viewers), as Tedeschi treats the original event as a source of memories and nostalgia for most of the interviewees. He also explores the cultural shift of the moment, as The Beatles managed to change everything over the course of 14 travel and performance days. Perhaps the feature isn’t essential viewing, but the helmer knows what viewers want to see. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

One of the first images in “Nutcrackers” is the main character arriving at his destination, getting out of his car, and stepping in a pile of excrement. That basically represents the viewing experience for the feature, which emerges as an art-house take on a Disney production, finding director David Gordon Green trying to get back to his indie roots while still making an audience-pleasing picture. It’s been a long time since Green worked this loosely, having recently helmed three “Halloween” offerings and an “Exorcist” sequel/reboot-thingee. “Nutcrackers” plays as a creativity refresher for Green, who tries to get feral with the story of an uptight man suddenly tasked with being a guardian to four unruly kids. It’s nice to have Ben Stiller around again (who hasn’t done much acting since his last starring effort in 2017), but Green doesn’t exactly know what he wants from the film, which plays carefree until pure formula slams the brakes on a tiresome movie. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1970's "The Plot Against Harry" has an interesting exhibition history. The picture was shot in 1969, with writer/director Michael Roemer confident in the process, but initial reaction to the movie was muted at best. The effort was eventually shelved after a single theater release in 1971. In 1989, Roemer was inspired to try again, submitting the feature to film festivals, where it acquired a second life and critical praise. Roemer's endeavor was revived, finally reaching audiences, and it's quality work from the helmer, who submits a fast-paced study of building pressure on a criminal trying to balance the chaos of his life. It's a sharply acted and textured understanding of stress, with Roemer taking the material to weird and wild places of conflict and control. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Conrad Brooks was a B-movie actor primarily known for his association with notorious director Ed Wood, and he would be the first person to remind you of this connection. Brooks participated in the making of "Glen or Glenda," "The Sinister Urge," and "Plan 9 from Outer Space," enjoying the attention of such career achievements, and he has a superfan in Dave "The Rock" Nelson. A monster cinema maniac, Nelson developed a desire, perhaps obsession, to make little pictures indulging his greatest genre fantasies, cranking out titles while paying no attention to technical achievements. It's all about the love of the game for Nelson, who tries to blend his favorite things in 1994's "Conrad Brooks vs. Werewolf," which puts the actor in the danger zone, portraying…well, himself, as he spends a sunny afternoon in Baltimore running around a pier and a cemetery, chasing Nelson in a Halloween mask. The intent is to generate a shot-on-video romp with older men and a helmer who really has little idea what he's doing. It's meant to be fun, but "Conrad Brooks vs. Werewolf," from the moment it begins, transforms into a small screen dead zone, with viewers treated to amateur acting and backyard filmmaking that puts in no effort to become the schlocky blast it imagines itself to be. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com