Scott Derrickson’s highly anticipated The Black Phone is a fractured, slack exercise in lukewarm horror. Undermining Joe Hill’s short story of the same name with multiple threads that never come together and a villain as thin as he is forgettable, The Black Phone makes weak-willed grasps at the intelligent thriller it could have been. At least Ethan Hawke got paid. Minor spoilers ahead…

Moon Knight brings a pulpy, globe-trotting spirit to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Breathing life into the little-known Marc Spector, the Fist of Khonshu, Oscar Isaac commits wholeheartedly to dual roles defined by instability, British cheek, and bloody fisticuffs. A standalone six-episode series, Moon Knight is stuffed to the brim with fascinating possibilities, but only time will tell if it can traverse its tricky tightrope stretched between superheroics and mental illness. Four episodes watched for review. Minor spoilers ahead…