Queens of the Dead

• Director: Tina Romero
• Writer: Tina Romero, Erin Judge
• Starring: Katy O’Brian, Jaquel Spivey, Nina West, Margaret Cho, Tómas Matos, Riki Lindhome

Grade: C

Films made by children of beloved filmmakers can run the gamut in quality and style. From critical failures like Ishana Shyamalan’s The Watchers or Oscar darlings like Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation, it is almost impossible to tell how well films from nepo babies will turn out. Tina Romero’s Queens of the Dead is the latest debut from a child of an iconic filmmaker —in this case, horror director George A. Romero. Seeing Tina Romero take on the horror subgenre that cemented her father as an all-time horror director could lead to deadly consequences if it turned out poorly, but luckily, her film takes a unique spin on the zombie flick, making for an entertaining experience from start to finish.

A House of Dynamite

• Director: Kathryn Bigelow
• Writer: Noah Oppenheim
• Starring: Idris Elba, Rebecca Fergason, Gabriel Basso, Jared Harris, Tracy Letts, Anthony Ramos, Moses Ingram, Greta Lee, Jason Clarke, Kaitlyn Dever

Grade: B

Since beginning her career as an action director, Kathryn Bigelow has garnered considerable acclaim with recent films that delve into more dramatic territory. Since becoming the first woman ever to win the Best Director award at the Academy Awards for The Hurt Locker, she has become a filmmaker whose films are on the Oscars’ radar. Seven years after her last feature film, Detroit, her upcoming movie, A House of Dynamite, appears to be her next film aiming for Oscar nominations, and focuses on the dangers of nuclear weapons in a fast-paced and digestible manner.

Eleanor the Great

• Director: Scarlett Johansson
• Writer: Tory Kamen
• Starring: June Squibb, Erin Kellyman, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Jessica Hecht, Rita Zohar

Grade: B-

As an actress, Scarlett Johansson has proven to be a visionary in film throughout the past couple of decades. With roles in movies like Marriage Story and Her, she has shown herself to push film to emotional heights that not many other actors could achieve, so it is no surprise that she has finally taken on the role of director in her debut, Eleanor the Great.