The real-life rise of an engaging frontman inspires the lax, awkward ‘Clika’

Jimmy Humilde, a record executive and the CEO of Rancho Humilde, produced this film with the goal of showing that Mexican American stories deserve to be told on the big screen. This is a worthwhile and timely effort, especially now when Latino Americans are facing unfair scrutiny. If Humilde and director Greene succeed with “Clika,” it’s because they’ve highlighted the importance of these stories, as Latino representation in film is often severely limited.

Sci-fi trial thriller ‘Mercy’ offers none of it to helplessly bombarded viewers

Directed by Timur Bekmambetov and written by Marco van Belle, “Mercy” is a surprisingly traditional film. It supports both the police and the use of artificial intelligence. The movie portrays a city quickly becoming heavily monitored and controlled like a military zone, where robots act as the entire legal system – deciding guilt and carrying out punishments. However, the film suggests this approach has reduced crime, at least within a specific, troubled area of the city – the Hollywood “Red Zone.”