Three decades ago a movie came out called Fatal Attraction. It was a huge hit and ended up getting six Oscar nominations. Now, 33 years later, this movie comes along with an almost identical plot. And while this film is decent, it doesn't hold a candle to the original.

This is a perfect example of a self-indulgent, meta film that the Hollywood elite and self-proclaimed movie snobs are going to adore. Why? Because it barely makes sense and has no ending. Therefore, it must be an amazing work of art that the lower classes are too stupid to figure out. 

GRETA

Rated: R

Release Date: March 1, 2019

Director: Neil Jordan

Stars: Isabelle Huppert, Chloe Grace Moretz, Maika Monroe

Plot: A seemingly nice, but lonely woman befriends a naive girl, and things take a dark turn

Trailer

Clint Says: Save some money and see a matinee

If you are in need of a lot of crazy in your life, let me introduce you to a movie called GRETA. This 90-minute cinematic dream-turned-nightmare grabs it's freak flag, waves it high and then tries to stab you in the heart with it.

The unfortunate thing with this movie though is that the first 45 minutes are dreadfully slow and forced. It feels like things are supposed to be happening, but they aren't. It feels like the movie wants you to think things are suspenseful, but they aren't. It feels like it takes a really long time to set everything up just so we can watch it all fall.

But, oh, what a fall.

About 10 minutes after you realize that Huppert's character is completely off her rocker, the film shifts into high gear and speeds towards the finish line. The last act is a whirlwind of insanity, gruesome violence and terrifying suspense. It is so intense and psychotic that it almost makes up for the slow, boring start.

Almost, but not quite.

If you do go see this movie, make sure you plan all of your bathroom breaks for the first half of the movie. Because once it gets going you'll be glued to your seat either in amazement or fear.

If you are in the mood for a wild, psychotic, suspenseful thriller, the second half of this movie will more than satisfy, just know that you are pre-paying by enduring the lack of pacing in the first act.

BAD SAMARITAN

Rated: R

Release Date: May 4, 2018

Director: Dean Devlin

Stars: Robert Sheehan, David Tennant, Kerry Condon

Plot: A thief finds a woman chained up in a house he is trying to rob

Trailer

Clint Says: Save some money and see a matinee

As far as thrillers go, this one is pretty good. The plot is interesting, the acting is good, and it is fast-paced. It's the kind of film that will have you holding your breath and gripping the armrests a little too tight.

The unfortunate side of this film are all of the crime thriller tropes. Like, no one in authority believes the hero and everyone loves the bad guy. Like, the bad guy keeps on coming back. And more. Tropes aside, this is a fun, intense, and exciting movie that will get your heart beating faster.

It doesn't tie up all of the loose ends at the end which will drive some of you crazy, but the main story line plays through well from start to finish. 

It's not a who-dun-it style film. You know the bad guy within the first 10 minutes of the movie, but it still takes a long time for us to find out who he really is. It would have been nice to have a little more character development, but we are able to piece things together by the end.

If you like crime thrillers this is a movie worth seeing.

UNSANE

Rated: R

Release Date: March 23, 2018

Director: Steven Soderbergh

Stars: Claire Foy, Joshua Leonard

Plot: A woman being stalked finds herself confined to a psychiatric hospital with her stalker

Trailer

Clint Says: Wait for the digital release and make someone else rent it

This is one of those films where I find myself parting ways with most of the film critics of the world. I keep on hearing things like, "this is Steven Soderbergh's homage to B movies", and "this whole film was shot using an iPhone," and "this is an ambitious film." But here is the reality...

This film sucks.

The writing is horrendous, giving the actors nothing with which to work, the story is flat with not a single twist, and the reveal happens so early in the film that there is zero suspense for a good hour.

I love the fact that this movie was shot using an iPhone. Any time we can get closer to a normal person being able to create a blockbuster film is great. The issue isn't how it was shot, the issue is the crappy story that was shot. It still would have sucked if the whole thing was shot on RED. (That's the industry standard camera for Hollywood films).

Oh, and Matt Damon shows up for zero reason whatsoever. 

Look, cameos are a lot of fun. Sometimes they are the best part of the movie. But this one was useless, it added nothing to the story, it didn't call back to any of Damon's other rolls, nor was it funny or ironic. In fact, the only thing his cameo did was pull me out of the story and focus on the fact that Matt Damon had a 60 second scene in a really bad movie.

Oh, by the way, for those of you that don't know the ins and outs of Film Critic Speak, "an ambitious film" is code for this totally sucks, but I can't say that because other critics have already said that they liked it and I don't want to look like I didn't understand it.

UNSANE will drive you crazy.

THE SNOWMAN

Rated: R

Release Date: October 20, 2017

Director: Tomas Alfredson

Stars: Michael Fassbender, Rebecca Ferguson, J.K. Simmons

Plot: Cops try to track down a serial killer

Trailer

Clint Says: Don't even bother

This movie is magical! It is one of the few films I've ever seen that makes two hours feel like four. That can only be accomplished by some sort of time-bending Voodoo, or maybe it's just a really bad movie.

I can't recall ever seeing a film this disjointed, confusing, convoluted, and slow. There are major characters that don't add anything to the story, the editing is literally laughable at how bad it is, and the story is full of holes and moments of convenience. (And sometimes those moments combine to make for eye-rollingly terrible scenes).

It makes sense that this film is unwatchable. According to an interview the director did, he said that due to the tight filming schedule they weren't able to shoot about 15% of the script.

15%!!!!!!!

Try and do anything with only 85% of what you need and see how well it works out. This film was doomed from the start.

The only way I can recommend this movie to you is if you need a solid 2-hour nap. Otherwise just skip it.

FLATLINERS

Rated: PG-13

Release Date: September 29, 2017

Director: Niels Arden Oplev

Stars: Ellen Page, Diego Luna, Nina Dobrev

Plot: Five medical students try to find out if there is life after death, but horrors await them

Trailer

Clint Says: Wait for the DVD and make someone else rent it

Well, that was two hours I'll never get back. 

Throw on top of it that I'm pretty sure I am dumber for having witnessed this mess, and the conclusion is this is a really bad movie. 

It's slow, it doesn't explain anything, it can't decide if it wants to be a suspenseful thriller or a slasher flick, and it gives us some of the worst editing and storytelling we've seen in quite some time. (There was one jump cut that was so bad that I literally said, "what the heck was that?" out loud...to an empty theater).

Perhaps the worst part about this film though is that I never once cared about any of the main characters. They are all jerks or worse. They are arrogant. And, to be quite honest, I was pretty annoyed that more of them didn't die. 

There are tons of great movies getting ready to hit the theaters, don't waste your money on this junk. 

'TIL DEATH DO US PART

Rated: PG-13

Release Date: September 29, 2017

Director: Chris Stokes

Stars: Annie Ilonzeh, Taye Diggs, Stephen Bishop, Robinne Lee

Plot: A woman tries to escape from her abusive husband

Trailer

Clint Says: Save some money and see a matinee

This is the latest offering in the long line of formulaic, scorned lover films with catchy titles, like WHEN THE BOUGH BREAKS and THE PERFECT GUY.

It's not a bad movie, but it isn't great either. It feels a lot like an above average Lifetime movie. The storytelling is jumpy, the pacing is all over the place, the continuity is an afterthought, and the acting is okay at best. 

If you are in the mood for a decent thriller this film will be okay. I highly doubt that very many people will come out of this movie thinking it is outstanding. It's just one of those films that will give you something to do for 90 minutes, then you'll go on about your evening. 

If you do want to see it, I would recommend waiting until the digital release. There really isn't any reason to see this on the big screen. You'll get the same feelings and emotions from watching it on your computer in your comfy bed as you would in a theater. 

ATOMIC BLONDE

Rated: R

Release Date: July 28, 2017

Director: David Leitch

Stars: Charlize Theron, James McAvoy, John Goodman, Sofia Boutella

Plot: An undercover agent must solve a mystery before she, and all of the other agents are compromised, but there are double agents at every turn

Trailer

Clint Says: Save some money and see a matinee

James Bond, you may have met your match. 

While this movie isn't great, it is very good, and it is, hopefully, the beginning of a new international spy thriller franchise. ATOMIC BLONDE has serious potential to be magnificent for decades. 

Not only does this film have the potential for a long life, but this could easily become the defining role for Theron. She plays the part of kick-butt heroine so well that there wasn't a single moment where her actions felt forced or sub-par. 

This film is smart, captivating, full of twists, turns, and double crosses, and Charlize Theron kills everything in sight. The film also has one of the best soundtracks of the year. It is set in 1980's Berlin so we get the best of the best in 80's music.

For the most part this movie is fast-paced and exciting, but it does have a few slow moments, mainly because it is told using the flashback method. So every time it comes to the present it's nothing but people sitting around and talking. 

If you like spy flicks run to the theater now. You'll love this movie. For everyone else, it is definitely worth seeing for the action and the soundtrack. 

SPLIT

Rated: PG-13

Release Date: January 20, 2017

Director: M. Night Shyamalan

Stars: James McAvoy, Anya Taylor-joy, Haley Lu Richardson, Jessica Sula

Plot: A man with 23 separate identities kidnaps 3 girls, and holds them against their will

Trailer

Clint Says: Wait until after opening weekend, but see this in theaters

When I first saw the trailer for this movie I was so excited. I love a well-done psychological thriller. Then I found out it was being released in January and the first red flag went up. Then I did some research and found out it was a M. Night Shyamalan directed film. That isn't necessarily a red flag, but his films are typically either great or horrible.

I went into the screening cautiously optimistic. 

I came out of that screening completely excited about the movie I just saw...and the future.

James McAvoy gives a performance that is award-worthy. I know we are only  three weeks into 2017, but this is the kind of performance that has the ability to stand up all year long and be remembered at the end of the year when all of the associations start voting. At one point he is switching back and forth between several of the 23 personalities that are a part of him. It is a masterclass in acting done in 45 seconds. 

The movie is highly suspenseful. There were several moments where I caught myself holding my breath, or grabbing the armrests too tight. The story is compelling, fast-paced, and told well with flashbacks giving us pieces of the mystery in a way that makes you want more. 

The climactic scene is terrifying and your emotions will be all over the place 

As for the future, there are a couple of very interesting scenes at the end of the movie that will open up a whole world of possibilities. Make sure you stay through the end credits as well. If you thought Shyamalan blew your mind with some of his earlier works, wait until you see what happens in SPLIT.

EQUITY

Rated: R

Release Date: August 26, 2016

Director: Meera Menon

Stars: Anna Gunn, James Purefoy, Sarah Megan Thomas

Plot: A powerful, Wall Street woman fights to take a company public, but ethics and legal issues keep coming up

Trailer

Clint Says: Wait for the DVD

If you liked Anna Gunn in her "take charge" mode in BREAKING BAD, you will love her performance in EQUITY. She is strong, powerful, smart, and doesn't take anything from anybody. If the rest of the movie were as good as she is this would be an award winner.

While the story is interesting, it is told in a choppy way where the director expects the audience to make some pretty big leaps, and connect some distant dots. There are also several moments that don't ring true to the story. Plus, a couple of story lines that don't get resolved completely.

Overall, it's not a bad movie, but it isn't one you are going to rave about to your friends. Don't let this Wall Street (non)thriller steal your money.

NERVE

Rated PG-13

Release Date: July 29, 2016

Director: Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman

Stars: Emma Roberts, Dave Franco

Plot: A shy girl gets trapped playing a dangerous online game

Trailer

Clint Says: Wait until after opening weekend, but see this in theaters

Ladies and gentlemen, Hollywood had an original idea! Not only that, but they didn't mess it up while making this movie. NERVE is actually a very well done, unique, imaginative, and intriguing film. 

Dave Franco and Emma Roberts have great chemistry, and the plot is one that will keep you engaged throughout the entire film. I heard a lot of people saying, "that is something that could actually happen right now in real life." It's true, and that is what makes this film so compelling. 

The directors did a great job of integrating the online aspect of the plot into the movie in a seamless and creative way. At times you feel like you are one of the watchers. 

I highly recommend NERVE. It is a fun, intense film with great twists that you won't see coming. 

NOW YOU SEE ME 2

Rated: PG-13

Release Date: June 10, 2016

Director: Jon M. Chu

Stars: Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Morgan Freeman, Woody Harrelson, Lizzy Caplan, Dave Franco. Daniel Radcliffe

Plot: The Four Horsemen return to the stage only to find themselves in a massive illusion controlled by someone they don't know

Trailer

Clint Says: Drop everything and go see this movie now

This movie is magic! The first film in this series was spectacular and this one is right up there with it. The banter and chemistry between the characters is so much fun, and Lizzy Caplan steals every scene she is in. The story is highly compelling and one where you will never see the twists coming.

There is so much about this film that is just fun. It is a perfect popcorn flick. The action is great, the mystery is fun, and the illusions are incredible. It may even end up being a top three movie this summer. 

I recommend taking only a few of your friends to see it. That way you can have a good reason to head back to the theater and see it again. 

THE GIFT

Rated: R

Director: Joel Edgerton

Stars: Jason Bateman, Rebecca Hall, Joel Edgerton

Plot: A couple runs into an old high school friend, but things get out of control when he crosses boundaries

Trailer

Clint Says: Wait until after opening weekend, but see this in theaters

This is an outstanding, creepy, suspenseful thriller that will keep you guessing and freaked out until the very end. The "oh, crap" moment is one of the best and most squirm-worthy that I've seen in a decade.

I was nervous that this might not be a very good film since it is written, directed and stars Joel Edgerton. Many times in that situation it is difficult for someone else to tell them "no," but it looks like he had some help in making this film great.

Jason Bateman does a nice job moving away from his comedic ways for this role. It's a nice change of pace for him and for the audience.

There haven't been a lot good thrillers this year, so it's nice to finally see one worth the price of admission. If you like suspense flicks, this one will satisfy your craving.