MOVIE REVIEWS - Now in Theaters

Here is a look at some of the movies out at the box office for you now that "better movie" season is here.

Bleed For This

Miles Teller stars in this "real" movie with a "real" leading role for him.  Based on a true story of a boxer in the 1980's who went to the top and became champion.  His life and his career though become jeopardized when a car accident leaves him with a broken neck.  The story is what he does next.

This has a real nice cast, and on the surface seems like a real good story to tell. Problem is this is a slow paced story that totally wears out its welcome. The performances are fine, but the main problem is, the main character portrayed well by Teller, is incredibly unlikable. He makes dumb decision after dumb decision, and after a bit, you quit rooting for him and just want this thing over.

Bleed For This is mediocre at best.  Teller is strong, but this is simply marginal at best.


The Edge Of Seventeen

Hailee Steinfeld is as good of a young actor as I have ever seen.  Her projects starting with her leading role in True Grit  (2010) at 12 was a great start, and there have been many since. She is being handled very well, and this is another great project.  She stars as a troubled 17 year-old girl who is a victim of her times, her environment and the death of her father.  She is not popular with her classmates, and more importantly not with herself either.

This is incredibly well written and very well acted.  This story is insanely spot on with the situations young people find themselves in more than we would like to admit. This is a great movie for parents to see, if you are willing to look at your own life honestly and see what is out there for your teens to handle.  Great writing, and just a fantastic flick all the way around.

The Edge Of Seventeen. Steinfeld is amazing and this movie is strong.


Shut In  (semi limited release)

For some reason this did not screen for critics and I don't understand why. Naomi Watts and Oliver Platt star in this thriller that has the feel of a King novel.  A young stepmother who has lost her husband now has to care for her severely brain injured young son.  So why is she being terrorized?  What is going on in her remote rural Maine home?

There are parts of this that are a bit quirky and could be disturbing to some, but this is thrilling and suspenseful.  This is a story you have not seen before in total and that is hard to do in a scary movie.  It's short, tidy and for the most part well done.

Shut In. Gives you a jolt.

scott@wqmx.com