It’s the weekend again, and that means Film Focus. Here’s Mike Laidman with what’s new in local theaters.
Welcome back after a brief 1-week hiatus. Last week was a calm one at the box office, and now, this weekend, the action is back, as are the thrills.

Tag along as we scout out the final frontier in Star Trek Beyond, before casting our sights to next week when thriller Lights Out will do its very best to keep you up at night.

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Mike Laidman

Welcome to another edition of Film Focus. I’m Mike Laidman.

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Star Trek Beyond (2016, Justin Lin)
The USS Enterprise crew explores the furthest reaches of space.

Star Trek celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, and what better way than with a new movie, especially one that has been earning a lot of positive reviews.

If you’ve seen and dismissed Trek before, whether it was any of the shows or previous movies, then you’re likely past the point of falling for it now. If you’re a Trek fan, then there’s lot to like, and more than enough to entice someone into the series.

A few years into their famous 5-year mission, things on the Enterprise are becoming too habitual, too routine. But when the ship is destroyed, Captain Kirk and his crew encounter an alien warrior race when marooned on a distant planet.

While Beyond definitely doesn’t shy away from action, which it delivers in spades, it still takes time to continue to develop its characters, which we’ve come to know over the space of two movies now. And this is truly what is at the heart of Star Trek - vision, tolerance, understanding, and hope.

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Lights Out (2016, David F. Sandberg)
A woman works to unlock the truth behind a haunting terror.

Lights Out follows in the steps of some very good horror movies which have been released over the past couple of years, like The Conjuring 1 and 2. And like those, they have James Wan attached to them, which is not a bad thing.

So what sort of terrifying treats are in store for you?

When a bloodthirsty supernatural being that lurks in the shadows preys upon a family, a young woman must fight to protect herself, save her little half-brother, and uncover a mystery about her family's shadowy past.

Lights Out makes skillful use of genre tropes and terrific performances to create an unsettling, fright-filled experience that delivers the chills without skimping on story.