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I was actually allowing myself to get excited for JW Rebirth. With Gareth Edwards at the helm, my faith in this installment bolstered. He has proven to be a competent hand behind the camera for large scale effects movies. I remained cautious though. The disasters that were Fallen Kingdom and Dominion, lay like freshly cut wounds in my mind. Thankfully, Rebirth - despite it's unappealing title - is a fun time at the theater.

David Koepp came up with a less than serviceable plot but entertaining characters, and provided a framework for fantastic set pieces and visuals to behold. Rebirth takes spices from films such as Jaws, Aliens and the Jurassic franchise as a whole, and sprinkles them on a dish that won't blow minds, but will satisfy a particular hunger. A hunger for a solid Jurassic film. The plot acts like it touches on some moral dilemmas but it's as convincing as a student worker dawning a busy frown on his face during his shift at the deli. Rebirth follows the blueprint of the films it takes inspiration from, to the letter. It rethreads the same water, it's very own franchise has traveled before it. It's borderline insulting, but it's all just fine.

Where the films excells is in its visuals. We see some familiar dinosaurs with an updated look, we are introduced to some new ones... A particular species is noticably absent from the film and frankly, it's refreshing. Focusing on mutations and experimental monstrosities, Rebirth really gets to be playful with it's premise.

Koepp and Edwards do manage to reach a moment of pure wonder and awe like we've been craving for years now. It's my favorite scene in the film and will definitely become a fan favorite.

Jurassic World Rebirth is exactly what it needed to be, but nothing more: it's better than it's recent predecessors, but rarely reaches the heights of the original. When it does, it's wonderful. But when the majority of the time it doesn't, it's just what it needed to be: dumb fun.

Danny Boyle's return to the world of the rage virus, proves to be a welcome one. Once more in collaboration with Alex Garland, like 28 days before it, 28 years later is yet another expansion in this unique vision for a "zombie" flick.

The filmmaking on display is Boyle at his best. Filming on digital is often frowned upon by film purists. Leave it to Danny Boyle to showcase the strengths of digital cinematography. The frantic editing, the unnerving camera movements and zooms, the contrast rich lighting... All make for an unsettling experience. The night vision scenes, drenched in red lighting are particularly eerie.

Thankfully, the infamous "boots" poem which helped turn the teaser for 28 years later, into one of the single greatest trailers of all-time (no hyperbole), is incorporated in the film. It's the best scene in the film.

28 years later fits right as rain, into the world of the "Rage Virus". It tells a surprisingly touching story about survival, anger, fear and love. Nothing turns out as you'd expect and nobody is as they seem. I truly love this film. All the more reason, the last scene of the film legitimately baffled me... It features an event and characters that are at such odds with the rest of the film. Surely, on purpose. But the contrast was annoyingly jarring. What a weird film... But it's fantastic!

Nosferatu has been in the works for years. After battling and pleating to get it made, Robert Eggers finally got his vampire epic in theaters. Though it's not quite perfect, Nosferatu proves it's teeth are still sharp in 2024.

Ellen Hutter, portrayed by Lily Rose Depp, dreams of a demonic force that haunted her as a child. This entity might be returning to collect on a forgotten contract, followed by in it's shadow, death itself...

Acclaim should be directed to the cast. Lily Rose Depp surprises friend and foe with a career best performance. It's captivating, daring and unquestionably demanding of the young actrice. She showcases a great faith in herself and her director. On that note, there is not a single performance that fails to impress bar one... Aaron Taylor Johnson does an amazing job, unless he doesn't. In one scene, he's sweeping me up and away with his performance. In the next he stands out and falls short when measured against a legend like Willem Dafoe. The lather, by the way, whose mere presence elevates the entire proceedings. Bill Skarsgård is simply unrecognizable as the titular devilish Nosferatu. Not just through make-up effects but more so through his performance. From his accent, through his cadance, all the way up to his posture and breathwork. You'd forget he was once a cackling clown demon.

Robert Eggers has a background in production design. A filmmaking expertise he puts to horrificly gorgeous use once more in Nosferatu. Aided by the dark setting, Oscar worthy production and costume design, the sexual violence the monstrous Nosferatu rains down upon his victims is unnerving, infectious and sinister. Special accolade should be granted towards the sound design and mixing. From cracking staircases, to fearful breaths. From glutinous swallows of blood, to crackling fires that still seem as cold as death. The world of Nosferatu feels unwelcoming and ominous.

The film does so much to damn near perfection. Though it's not Eggers best nor bravest flick. That honor still falls upon The Lighthouse. What Nosferatu does succeed in though, is bringing a character that first horrified audiences over a century ago, into the 21st century without losing that terror and dread it carried. The long and insidious shadow the soulless Count casts, will linger just a while longer, thanks to Robert Eggers.