IT Chapter Two:

IT Chapter Two attempts to follow up on the success of its predecessor by returning back to the town of Derry 27 years later, this time with the Losers Club fully grown and ready to end the problem of “It” once and for all. Once again, our protagonists must face their deepest fears to finally outsmart “It”, with “It” taking the shape of whatever they fear most. The characters are well-rounded and really interesting, with actor Bill Hader, starring as Richie Tozier, giving the best performance in the movie. The movie clocks in at almost 3 hours, and at times it can feel like it drags on to fill the space. IT Chapter Two lacks the same fear caused by the jump-scares in the original movie, and many people had mixed opinions about Pennywise’s various manifestations in the film, but it still delivers on its promise as a thrilling movie. If you’ve seen IT, I would definitely recommend seeing its sequel, as it is undeniably a great follow up to the original; however, if you’re not a fan of the horror genre or saw the first and didn’t like it, I would skip IT Chapter Two.

Good Boys:

Written and produced by the comedic duo of Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, who previously made Superbad together, Good Boys is a similarly crazy and hilarious story. This time, the protagonists are a group of 6th-grade friends trying to get into their first ‘kissing party.’ The comedy gags throughout the movie are all fairly similar, with kids attempting things that are way too old for them and saying awkward things as they do. Even when I knew what type of joke was coming, I found myself laughing over and over no matter what. While some of the jokes may make some viewers uncomfortable due to the age of the actors (which, funnily enough, means they cannot actually watch their own performance due to its R rating), this movie is worth seeing if you’ve liked movies like Superbad in the past. You’ll leave having laughed a lot.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood:

In Quentin Tarantino’s return to the big screen, he tells the story of actor Rick Dalton and his stunt double Cliff Booth, who are both out of work. However, they happen to be next-door neighbors with Roman Polanski and his wife Sharon Tate, who are soon to be targets of the Manson Family. Called by many reviewers a ‘love letter’ or ‘homage’ to Hollywood’s past, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood starts slowly but picks up speed in the second half of the movie, ending with a wild and controversial final act. Powered by great performances from a star-studded cast including Leonardo Dicaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie and more, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is long but definitely worth seeing.

Hustlers:

Hustlers tells the true story of a group of strippers that, after the stock market crash of 2008 sends their normal business spiraling, come up with the perfect scheme to make money: drug wealthy businessmen and force them to spend thousands of dollars with their credit cards at a strip club. A word that’s repeated throughout the film is ‘control’ — and for a good reason — it is a story about people who are dehumanized in their profession who turn their situation around and gain control of their lives. More than that, Hustlers is also a movie about family, love, and tough decisions, with plenty of moments that will make you laugh, cry and empathize with the characters. Jennifer Lopez, who stars next to Constance Wu’s performance as Destiny, delivers an excellent performance as Ramona. With the movie featuring guest performances from Lizzo and Cardi B, Hustlers is a definite must-see. That is, obviously, if you’re of age.