Wildling (2018)
Genre: Horror fantasy
Directors: Fritz Böhm
Starring: Liv Tyler, Brad Dourif, Bel Powley, James Le Gros, Collin Kelly-Sordelet, Mike Faist
Duration: 92 minutes
Class: 15
KRS Releasing Ltd

German director Fritz Böhm makes his directorial debut with this horror fantasy take on the werewolf legend and which marks the return of Liv Tyler to the big screen.

The story revolves around a young woman named Anna (Bel Powley) who spent a childhood in captivity under the care of a man she knows only as Daddy (Brad Dourif) and who concealed the truth about the girl's origins.

But when the teenage girl is suddenly thrust into the real world under the protection of  police officer Ellen (Liv Tyler), it becomes evident that Anna is different. She is unable to adjust to a normal life and  finds herself drawn to the wild forest while struggling to resist the growing bloodlust that has awakened inside her.

The film received mixed reviews.

Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly called it “a clever, sharp-fanged mélange of classic midnight-movie horror and modern indie ingenuity”, while Jeffrey M. Anderson of Common Sense Media commented: “Based on the primal, male-held view of changes in a woman’s body being monstrous, this clever, sympathetic horror-drama offers a fresh, bracing twist on that myth.”

However, not everyone was in agreement. Ben Kenigsberg of The NY Times commented: “Fritz Böhm’s creature feature is functional but lacks flavour, an imaginative spark that might distinguish it from any number of other I-was-a-teenage-monster movies.”

Ratings
IMDB: 5.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 73%
Empire: N/A

Johnny Depp and Chiwetel Ejiofor voice Sherlock Gnomes and Dr Watson respectively in Sherlock Gnomes.

Sherlock Gnomes (2018)
Genre: Animation
Director: John Stevenson
Voices of: James McAvoy, Kelly Asbury, Mary J. Blige, Emily Blunt, Michael Caine, Johnny Depp, Chiwetel Ejiofor
Duration: 86 minutes
Class: U
KRS Releasing Ltd

The sequel to Gnomeo & Juliet (2011) sees a string of garden gnomes disappearing in London. So Gnomeo and Juliet seek the help of legendary detective Sherlock Gnomes to solve the case of their missing friends and family.

The film, which features many Hollywood A-listers among its voicing cast, did not receive good reviews but some critics still liked the animation and its sense of adventure.

Ben Kenigsberg of The New York Times wrote: “Sherlock Gnomes offers more variety than its predecessor. Although still laced with glib pop culture references and scored with Elton John tunes in a way that plays like a concession to adults, it has occasional fun ideas...”

Jesse Hassenger of The AV Club lamented: “Most of the movie’s star power has been harnessed without much obvious reason, right down to the movie’s seeming origins as a delivery system for the Elton John catalogue.”

 And the critics’ consensus on Rotten Tomatoes reads: “Sherlock Gnomes is sadly, utterly stumped by the mystery of the reason for its own existence.”

The Paramount Pictures movie also fared quite poorly at the box office. With a production budget of  $59 million, the film has so far grossed $64.3 million worldwide since its release in the US on March 23.

Ratings
IMDB: 4.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 22%
Empire: N/A

Gabrielle Union defends her children with all her might in Breaking In.

Breaking In (2018)
Genre: Thriller
Directors: James McTeigue
Starring: Gabrielle Union, Billy Burke, Richard Cabral
Duration: 88 minutes
Class: 15
KRS Releasing Ltd

The US thriller, directed by Australian film-maker James McTeigue (V For Vendetta), is about a single mother who must protect her two children after a burglary.

The plot sees how Shaun Russell (Gabrielle Union) takes her son and daughter on a weekend getaway to her late father's secluded, high-tech holiday home in the countryside.

The family soon gets an unwelcome surprise when four men break into the house to find hidden money. After managing to escape, Shaun must figure out a way to turn the tables on the desperate thieves and save her captive children.

The film opens internationally and in Malta on Friday and no reviews were available by the time of print.

Ratings
IMDB: N/A
Rotten Tomatoes: N/A
Empire: N/A