Haley Lu Richardson (left) and Cole Sprouse in “Five Feet Apart”
Five Feet Apart
Directed by Justin Baldoni; stars Cole Sprouse, Haley Lu Richardson, Claire Forlani
Two young patients with genetic disorders fall in love, but must keep their distance.
New York Magazine’s Emily Yoshida says, “Due credit should be given to Sprouse and particularly Richardson for selling all of these reheated tropes to their full potential.” San Francisco Chronicle’s Mick LaSalle thinks that the film “is too much of a just-OK thing. All the same, I want to see Haley Lu Richardson’s next movie.”
From left: Donna Cariaga, Teddy Corpuz and Myrtle Sarrosa in “Papa Pogi”
Papa Pogi
Directed by Alex Calleja; stars Teddy Corpuz, Donna Cariaga, Myrtle Sarrosa, Zeus Collins
Wayward bachelor begins taking life seriously after the death of a loved one, and must find the woman who will help break a curse.
“This movie is one of the projects I’m most proud of,” Corpuz said in Filipino at a press conference for the film. “The process [of making it] was a happy one, and the result is a happy film.”
“Take Point”
Take Point
Directed by Kim Byung-woo; stars Ha Jung-woo, Spencer Daniels, Jennifer Ehle
Soldiers infiltrate an underground bunker to take out a target in the Korean demilitarized zone.
South China Morning Post’s James Marsh opines, “From the convoluted setup to its preposterous finale, [the] political action thriller defies logic and comprehension at every turn.” Hollywood Reporter’s Clarence Tsui, however, describes it as “a taut, topical and technically superb thriller.”
Lupita Nyong’o in “Us”
Us
Directed by Jordan Peele; stars Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke, Evan Alex
After a tense day at the beach, a family is confronted by a set of doppelgängers.
“Unnerving in tone and brazenly terrifying in story, ‘Us’ is the kind of movie you watch with your fingers splayed over your face,” according to Us Weekly’s Mara Reinstein. “The direction here is downright balletic, the camera jerking and swooping with a defined purpose,” says AV Club’s Randall Colburn.
Cherprang Areekul
Teeradon Supapunpinyo in “Homestay”
Homestay
Directed by Parkpoom Wongpoom; stars Teeradon Supapunpinyo, Cherprang Areekul
A high school student is killed but his body is brought back to life with a new spirit that must solve the mystery of the teenager’s death. The film is a Thai adaptation of the Japanese fantasy novel, “Colourful.”
Time Out’s Top Koaysomboon observes, “The screenplay has its flaws—it’s way too ‘Japanized’ and the ending is predictable—but is thankfully overshadowed by [Teeradon’s] surprisingly powerful performance.”
Pansamantagal
Directed by Joven Tan; stars Bayani Agbayani, Gelli de Belen
Leo and Agnes hope to temporarily forget about their romantic problems when they cross paths in a resort but end up forging a different kind of “friendship,” instead.
After appearing together in a TV drama series four years ago, Bayani and Gelli say they’re now comfortable working with each other, which makes their scenes convincing.