A storm is brewing. That’s right, this week brings the big release of Twisters, the sequel to the classic ‘90s film that’s looking to recapture the thrills of the original. Is this new take an adventure worth saddling up for or just a disaster in all the wrong ways? Perhaps the only way to find the truth is by consulting with someone who can see into the great beyond. At least, that’s the case for Oddity, the big new horror release of the week. For those of you who don’t want to go through the hassle of relying on the supernatural, the best way to find out what’s worth watching is by reading our reviews of the biggest and best releases of the week, ranked by how much we love them. Strap in! We’re going hunting for tornadoes and ghosts.

5 Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1
Directed by Kevin Costner
Image via Warner Bros. 

Sometimes, there are those figures in Hollywood who do the absolute most and yet still have little to show for it. In this case, it’s Kevin Costner as he not only writes, directs, and acts here, but actually funded the expansive yet lackluster experience that is Horizon: An American Saga. Though his heart is certainly in it, this film is more than a little slow on the draw. From my review back when it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, I was interested in how it is a work that is “both lightly complicating and reveling in the mythos of classic Westerns” though still was disappointed as “the result as a whole is simply far too scattered to hold together.”

REVIEW Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 Kevin Costner’s Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 does a whole lot of setting up for what’s next without providing much of anything memorable of its own.ProsThe film moves along at a fairly speedy pace, proving to be occasionally moderately entertaining. ConsEverything plays like we are watching an extended prologue for what’s coming next.Several key characters vanish from the movie, leaving us with no connection to them until we’ll presumably see them in the next film.The ending feels like it runs out of runway, culminating in the longest “tune in next time” montage you’ll ever seen in a movie.

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4 My Spy The Eternal City
Directed by Peter Segal
Image via Prime Video

Dave Bautista is just trying his best to be a dad, okay? In My Spy The Eternal City, he returns as the spy/stepdad looking after Chloe Coleman as they set off on a choir trip to Italy, where things soon get pretty hectic in this straight-to-streaming sequel. While the main duo are as delightful as ever, this action-comedy takes whatever worked in the first film and tosses it out the window. In the end, we aren’t mad. We’re just disappointed. In his review, contributor Matt Donato wrote that the film is defined by “performers with larger-than-reality auras who act like they’ve been stabbed by a tranquilizer dart,” and that the question of “whether that was a specific director’s choice or a byproduct of underwritten dialogue is anyone’s guess.”

REVIEW My Spy: The Eternal City (2024) My Spy The Eternal City is an underwhelming action-comedy sequel that is best as a covert coming-of-age tale, but more frequently suffers as a grab-bag of tonality that abandons what helped My Spy succeed in the first place.ProsBautista and Coleman still match each other well.Who doesn’t love a good Popemobile chase?Italy provides a naturally attractive backdrop. ConsThis sequel doesn’t do action or comedy particularly well.A cast of very funny people do not shine where they should.It feels like a sequel for sequel’s sake, going bigger without an understanding of why.

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3 Love Lies Bleeding
Directed by Rose Glass
Image via A24

Now’s where we start to get to the good stuff. In Love Lies Bleeding, Kristen Stewart and Katy O’Brian kick ass in the roided-out thriller/love story you never knew you needed. Now available to stream on Max after its theatrical run, it’s perhaps the most truly bonkers new film you could see this weekend. It’s gorgeous, bloody fun, with a perfect duo at the center that you may fall madly in love with, too. In his review, Senior Film Editor Ross Bonaime wrote that the film “is an exhilarating experience that will make you groan, laugh, cringe, and swoon.”

REVIEW Love Lies Bleeding Love Lies Bleeding is an excellent second feature from Rose Glass, where Kristen Stewart and Katy O’Brian are having a hell of a lot of fun.ProsRose Glass makes brutality and the power of love look gorgeous.Loves Lies Bleeding is a completely unpredictable, daring adventure that will keep you on the edge of your seat.Kristen Stewart and Katy O’Brian are fantastic as a new couple thrown into a world of violence.

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2 Twisters
Directed by Lee Isaac Chung
Image via Universal Pictures

That’s right, folks, it’s time you hop in your truck with Glen Powell’s squad and head out to chase down some tornadoes. Not only is Twisters able to capture the reverence, terror, and charm of the original, but it also sees Powell continuing to impress as the closest thing we have to a new movie star. Some of the other characters may be less well-served by this sequel, but that will all get swept away as you behold the spectacle of the storms they battle. In his review, contributor Jeff Ewing wrote that, even with some flaws here and there, the film is “a thrilling crowd-pleaser that takes the disaster picture in exciting, novel directions.”

REVIEW Twisters Twisters is a thrilling disaster film with an impressive sense of scale, strong performances, and interesting concepts, though certain plotlines, story pivots, and important character arcs need more thoughtful and honed development.ProsLee Isaac Chung has a strong eye for both impressive visuals and interpersonal drama, creating a moving, thrilling journey from a strong script.Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell showcase great range and star power, alongside strong chemistry.The film has a smart, unique approach to the disaster picture, and uses these themes and ideas well. ConsCertain plot pivots, character developments, and small but relevant structural elements need honing.

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1 Oddity
Directed by Damian Mc Carthy
Image via IFC Films

A supernatural horror film that will tear you to pieces, Oddity was one of the most fun movies we saw at this year’s SXSW, and we couldn’t be more excited to check it out again. Written and directed by Damian Mc Carthy, whose feature debut Caveat was a wonderfully chilling introduction, this one takes us into a remote house where something sinister lurks in the shadows. The less you know going in, the better. In my festival review, I wrote that lead Carolyn Bracken is enthralling and that “as we learn when it is almost too late, sometimes the most terrifying things in our lives are those that come knocking from inside the house.”

REVIEW Oddity Oddity is another horror gem from writer-director Damian McCarthy with an enthralling performance by Carolyn Bracken.ProsOddity is a patient yet petrifying work of horror that is truly scary in a way that can feel unfortunately all too rare.The wooden man is not only well-designed, but the way McCarthy captures it creates a creeping sense of dread.Some delightful jokes that acknowledge some of its silliness fit in perfectly with the supernatural forces that comes knocking.

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