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Brought together by the death of their father, the Altman family is forced to sit in shiva to mourn their loss. For the first time in ages Judd, Wendy, Phillip, Paul, and Hillary (Jason Bateman, Tina Fey, Adam Driver, Corey Stoll, and Jane Fonda) are forced to spend quality time together, digging into each other’s personal lives, exposing each other’s weaknesses, finding direction and purpose. Each family member will have tough decisions to make when they return to their normal lives; hopefully, as a family they’ll have the strength to grow in positive directions? Written by Jonathan Tropper and Directed by Shawn Levy humor, sardonic wit, sarcasm, and good old sibling rivalry rings true in this honest yet absurd look at the inner workings of a modern Atheist/Jewish family. And, while Bateman is definitely the focal point, it’s the ensemble as a whole that sings, delivering the laughs rapid fire (sometimes so fast a pause and rewind button is necessary to catch everything). Well played gang, well played indeed. Here’s your feel good film about dysfunction, relax it’s all perfectly normal. This is Where I Leave You is rated R.

Podcaster Wallace Bryton (Justin Long), a crass and morally challenged individual goes on assignment to Canada to interview the subject of an upcoming cast. But, once in the great white North things turn in a completely different direction when Wallace learns of a new potential subject, a strange and travelled old man named Howard Howe (Michael Parks). Determined to bring Howard’s stories to light Wallace bites off more than he can chew. Now it’s up to girlfriend Ally and co-host Teddy (Genesis Rodriguez, and Haley Joel Osment) and ex-cop Guy Lapointe (Johnny Depp) to track down Howard. But what about Wallace, will he have the strength to persevere and stand up to Howard, will he ever be able to cut loose his inner animal rage– it just might save his hide. Originating as a germ of an idea from his own podcast, Tusk is Written and Directed by the moderately twisted and comedic mind of Kevin Smith. That said, dialogue is king, with literary references o’ plenty and dark humor that pokes the horror/suspense genre in the eye repeatedly with a recipe of one part Misery, one part Silence of The Lambs, one part Human Centipede, and one part Wes Anderson. Acting all round is over the top and still spot on. Not a masterpiece by any stretch, but fun none the less. Go ahead, get in touch with your inner 15 year old, laugh at something grizzly, macabre, and inappropriate this weekend. Tusk is rated R.

After the death of their oldest son in the Middle East, the Peterson family, still grieving, is blessed with the presence of David (Dan Stevens), a strangely polite, robotic, and handsome soldier who claims to be a friend of the family’s recently departed son. But, when strange deaths start occurring around individuals associated with the family, Anna (Maika Monroe), the Peterson’s daughter begins to suspect David’s involvement. What’s really going on? Who or what is David, and why is the government so bent on silencing his actions? Written by Simon Barrett Directed by Adam Wingard (V/H/S/, You’re Next), this 80’s stylized thriller shows us that it doesn’t take big budgets and heaps of special effects to keep audience’s on the edge of their seats; in fact, in this case, less is definitely more. However, the real praises go to Stevens, whose subtle and haunting performance creeps slowly under the skin, leaving the audience feeling just a little less safe stepping outside the theatre. Solid, tension and relief breathes throughout playing on our previously conditioned 1980’s expectations of monsters and bad guys, and, with a score that rings of Casio supreme no detail has been spared. Want to get your spook on early for Halloween, here’s an early contender. The Guest is rated R.