Doctor Sleep

In a sleepy New Hampshire town, a grown-up Danny Torrance, who now goes by Dan (McGregor), continues to struggle with the lasting psychological impact of his childhood stay at the Overlook Hotel, where his father changed his life forever. Working in a hospice, Dan is consumed by his "shining" and angry ghosts from his past as he tries to comfort dying patients. When Dan begins to receive telepathic communications from a young woman named Abra Stone (Curran), who has a "shining" more powerful than his own, the two must work together to protect innocent children from a cult of psychic vampires called the True Knot, led by Rose the Hat (Ferguson). The vampires are determined to steal the essence of the children. "Doctor Sleep" is the sequel to Stanley Kubric's 1980 film adaptation of Stephen King's "The Shining."

Director: Mike Flanagan. Stars: Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson, Kyliegh Curran, Cliff Curtis, Zahn McClarnon, Emily Alyn Lind, Selena Anduze. 2019. 152 mins. Horror.

Last Christmas

Kate (Clarke) works as an elf at a year-round Christmas store in London, which is owned and run by a woman named Santa (Yeoh). When Kate is kicked out by the friends she's crashing with, she begrudgingly returns home to live with her Yugoslavian immigrant parents, Petra (Thompson) and Ivan (Isakovic). On a path of self-destruction, she's filled with selfishness and self-pity and seems determined to not live life to the fullest. After a particularly disastrous day at work, Kate meets and chats with a handsome man named Tom (Golding) who, in time, reminds Kate how to find joy, and how important it is to show kindness to herself and others.

Director: Paul Feig. Stars: Emma Thompson, Emilia Clarke, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh, Boris Isakovic, Lydia Leonard. 2019. 103 mins. Drama.

Playing With Fire

Superintendent Jake Carson (Cena) leads a team of elite firefighters known as smoke jumpers in the California woodlands. When the team rescues three children from a burning cabin, they unwittingly commit themselves to caring for the trio until the kids' parents arrive. Carson quickly realizes that his straight-laced attitude has not prepared him or his crew for the unpredictability of babysitting.

Director: Andy Fickman. Stars: John Cena, Keegan-Michael Key, John Leguizamo, Brianna Hildebrand, Christian Convery, Finley Rose Slater, Judy Greer. 2019. 96 mins. Comedy.