In the Heights (2021)

I couldn't get into this from the get go because I'm not a fan of musicals. What kept this film going is its strong kinetic energy. The actors are great. The talents playing Sonny and Abuela really brought those characters to life for me. The visuals are fantastic. Being shot on location really helps, IMHO. I also like the dancing on the wall sequence. There were some great lines. But I also didn't jibe with the fairy tale positivity and optimism as these came across as shallow for me.     

 

Roh (2019)

I'm unsure what to make of this. There are bits which make absolutely no sense but are right at home in a horror. The visuals are nice, IMHO, and the editing and the sound design help to up the scare factor. I'm unsure what the message is, but I just get the vibe that I should take a step back and look at the bigger picture. A pretty dark film (with aspirations to have deeper meanings?) which I don't think a mainstream crowd will appreciate a lot.   

A Quiet Place Part II (2020)

Not too bad. I wasn't as blown away as I was by the original (which I probably watched with fewer expectations). I still like the characters. The opening was nice in getting us reacquainted with the characters and setting up the second film. I also appreciated this film didn't do too much of a heavy recap of what happened in the last film. Newcomers may be a bit lost during a few bits, but will probably still be thrilled by this sequel.
 

Tenet (2020)

Surprised and glad it wasn't some arty intellectual film that I could not engage with. I basically don't understand the science or physics behind the story world, but this basically follows the pattern of a mainstream big screen blockbuster with characters I mostly root for. I love Priya. :)  

Luca (2021)

Apart from some suspension of disbelief, I really liked how beautiful this film looks and the heart behind the story.
 

Raya and the Last Dragon (2021)

I've mixed feelings about this. The genre's not exactly my fav. The message of hope feels kind of unrealistic to me. But it's a very beautiful looking animated film. And I kind of enjoyed the mainstream elements of the pic.