The Lesson is a handsomely made thriller with a slightly cheeky style by director Alice Troughton, and a collection of sharp performances from the likes of Richard E. Grant and Julie Delpy, but a script that thinks it’s cleverer than it is leaves the film less satisfying as a whole.
Accused is a solid home invasion thriller that executes many of the familiar conventions extremely well thanks to director Philip Barantini’s heavily tense filmmaking, while the thoughtful script plays into relevant discussions surrounding online misinformation, especially those with hateful and dangerous agendas.
Sound of Freedom conveys a powerful message with a mixed execution, deploying heavily manipulative tactics and sluggish editing alongside some strong cinematography and a well-intentioned but conventional script to leave it as a thriller that’s simply okay.
The Equalizer 3 is an uneven final entry in the vigilante trilogy that suffers from a slow and sleepy pace that makes most of the action feel unengaging or subdued to a fault, but it is made less mundane by an ever-charismatic lead turn by Denzel Washington, and his charming on-screen chemistry with Dakota Fanning.
The Dive has moments of light suspense and some fine performances, but a lack of intrigue for both its central concept and lead characters, as well as a consistently undercut sense of tension, leaves it hanging out to dry.