A house of dynamite

Without any meaningful buildup the US missile early warning systems, ever expanding and adapting since the early days of the cold war, suddenly detect a single incoming ICBM over the Pacific.

We see people of all levels of that war machine, from those in the radar stations to bomber pilots, White House and Pentagon staff and eventually the POTUS react and deliberate over a response.

CW: suicide

The eyes of Tammy Faye

This biopic of televangelist Tammy Faye Baker (Jessica Chastain) covers her life from childhood induction into evangelical church despite disapproval from her stern faced mother through courtship with her eventually infamous husband Jim (Andrew Garfield) and the pair's fall from grace.

The Thing (2011)

Dr. Kate Lloyd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) who specialises in removing frozen specimens (mammoths etc) from permafrost is recruited by Dr. Sander Halvorson (Ulrich Thomsen) to travel urgently to the Antarctic. The Norwegian team there have something delicate they want to extract from the ice. There is an air of secrecy about the whole project.

No good will come of this.

CW: squishy body horror (quelle surprise)

V/H/S Halloween

The horror anthology is back with an obvious theme. Sadly it's got the usual problems lots of them suffer from. Most of the films are just too long and substitute the characters, who are usually gratingly irritating, running around shrieking for material. It's almost like they had a minimum running time brief and couldn't otherwise fill it.

The linking piece, "Diet Phantasma", is fun but a lot of the time I found myself looking at my phone in a "are we there yet" way. The surreal candy based piece "Fun Size" is the only one that's inventive. Partying twentysomethings breaking into the the wrong spooky location in "Ut Supra Sic Infra" is played most serious of the lot, to its benefit, and "Home Haunt" makes the most of the theme but "Coochie Coochie Coo" and "Kidprint" are tiresome as fuck and kind of offensive.

Is not the worst of the V/H/S anthologies but it's close to it 4/10.

Eenie Meanie

Edie (Samara Weaving) spent her teenage years in criminal circles acting as a driver in a series of heists until something went very wrong.

She's trying to get by now as a more responsible adult but struggling and when she gets some unexpected news goes to visit her feckless on/off boyfriend John (Karl Glusman) .

No good will come of this.

CW: sudden violence and plenty of swears

Sneakers

Many years after going on the run for an early computer crime incident, Marty (Robert Redford) has established what would now be called a pentesting company. Staffed by various misfits and a disgraced former CIA operative it's effective but not hugely financially successful.

When the NSA ask him to take a job targeting a US research institute, something outside their jurisdiction, he rejects it despite a big dangled paycheck . Marty still has the anti-authoritarian leanings from his youth and this has a whiff of spying on the public. When the NSA agents casually drop his real name he knows he has no choice.

No good will come of this.

Nickel Boys

Elwood (Ethan Herisse) is a studious teen in Florida during the early years of the Civil Rights Movement. He's tangentially involved in some protest but really longs to study science and his teacher gets him a scholarship at Technical College.

Travelling there he accepts a lift from the wrong person and is convicted as accomplice in the theft of the car they are riding in.

Sent to the Nickel Academy reform school he befriends Turner (Brandon Wilson) and they and every other child face regular bullying and abuse. Elwood begins to document this hoping one day to pass it to someone who cares.

No good will come of this.

CW: Implied physical abuse

The Monkey

Twin brothers Hal and Bill Shelburn (Christian Convery as the kids / Theo James as the adults) find a wind up toy monkey in their long missing father's possessions. Seemingly broken, turning the key does nothing.

Later that night as suddenly The Monkey whirrs into life their babysitter dies in a freak hibachi accident. Hal connects this directly with the death and comes to live in fear of the Monkey, which seems to change location when you're not paying attention. One day he tries to cut it up, only to find it back again.

After relentless bullying both by brother Bill and his classmates Hal turns the key again hoping it will kill his brother.

No good will come of this.

CW: violent bloody deaths of the squishy comedic variety