Bourne-lite dud off target
American Assassin (18)
Dylan O’brien should have stuck to trying to escape mazes as this Jason Bourne-lite role does not suit the New Yorker at all.
Thankfully, co-star Michael Keaton embraces the ludicrous plot and there are some decent action scrapes.
But the tone is all over the place and the least said about the dodgy CGI, the better.
A Ghost Story (12)
Haunting performances take precedence over terrifying scares in this odd-but-very watchable drama.
Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara prove their stirring chemistry in Ain’t Them Bodies Saints was no fluke; they are reunited by that film’s helmer David Lowery, who again serves up surprising, low-key viewing.
It (15)
This reboot of the 1990 mini-series blows its predecessor out of the water – and rates as one of the best Stephen King adaptations.
That is thanks, in no small part, to Bill Skarsgard’s chilling performance as Pennywise the Clown; the Swede’s mannerisms, make-up and manic vocals adding up to a genuinely frightening creation.
The young cast are the perfect mix of fear, fun and fury and director Andy Muschietti does not scrimp on the blood and gore, but wisely chooses an abundance of tension and drawn-out chills over severed limbs and stalkand-slash pursuits.
Like the original It, though, the ending does not quite live up to the quality build-up.