Monthly new superhero movies have become the norm, and “Shazam!” is one of the funniest DC Comics fighters to grace the screen. In “Shazam! Fury of the Gods,” teenager Billy transforms into a superhero by shouting “Shazam!” with his foster siblings also possessing the same power. However, Titans’ daughters Hespera and Calypso steal a powerful magic wand and create chaos with it. The film stars Zachary Levi and Asher Angel, with Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu playing their antagonists.
“The Peacock” is a Scottish castle crime comedy that features Lavinia Wilson as a banker trying to coach her team, but the men in her team, including Jürgen Vogel, Serkan Kaya, Tom Schilling, and David Kross, are skeptical. A peacock belonging to the lord of the castle is slain, and everyone becomes suspicious of each other. However, the film fails to deliver a biting crime comedy and falls short in some areas.
In “Inside,” Willem Dafoe plays Nemo, a burglar who becomes trapped for several months in a rich penthouse with high-tech security whilst trying to steal art. He slowly inches towards insanity as he faces loneliness and imprisonment. Director Vasilis Katsoupis’s thrilling one-man show features the all-star actor’s talent for improvisation and performance.
Finally, Albert Oehlen, an avant-garde painter, invites a film crew to his studio in “The Painter.” Ben Becker plays the role of Oehlen, who swings between arrogance and self-doubt while creating art, fighting and ruminating over the creative process. Directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel, the film plunges viewers into a fascinating world of abstraction and experimentation.
Overall, all four films have their unique strengths, weaknesses and audience, but “The Painter” stands out with Becker’s beautiful and fantastic performance.
