Hypnotic review: Can someone please wake Ben Affleck up in Robert Rodriguez’s Inception rip-off?

Hypnotic: Ben Affleck shows off his famous unhappy-looking resting face.

Hypnotic (NC16)

Starring Ben Affleck, Alice Braga, Willian Fichtner, Jackie Earle Haley

Directed by Robert Rodriguez

Affleck gives a sleep-walking performance as a cop on the trail of a ‘hypnotic’ (Fichtner) — someone gifted with the power to manipulate minds a la Kilgrave in Jessica Jones — who’s linked to his daughter’s abduction. The wannabe franchise starter (end-credits stinger alert!) is a Frankenstein’s monster assembled from ideas lifted from Inception, Memento and even Affleck’s own Paycheck. But the combo is low-yield, missing the chutzpah that defined director Robert Rodriguez’s earlier works (Desperado, From Dusk Till Dawn). No siree, Hypnotic feels like the unwieldy work of a novice, someone who’s either phoning it in or, worse, hypnotised. Wake up! —  (2/5 stars) in cinemas now

Photos: Encore Films

The Mother: Jennifer Lopez is sick of people making fun of her husband with those memes.

The Mother (M18)

Starring Jennifer Lopez, Joseph Fiennes, Omari Hardwick, Gael Garcia Bernal, Lucy Paez

Directed by Nik Caro

Lopez is one mean mother in this otherwise standard-issue Netflix action flick: star-driven, under-powered, and instantly forgettable. JLo stars as a sniper-turned-informant forced out of hiding when bad guys (Fiennes and Bernal underused as villains) try to get back at her for ratting them out to the Feds — by targeting the daughter (Lucy Paez, super-annoying) she gave up for adoption. Phew! Make no mistake, Lopez can do badass (remember Enough?) but the by-the-number action sequences, schmaltzy moments and infuriating plot turns (the offspring picks the worst time to disobey mummy) get in her way. The Long Kiss Goodnight, this isn’t. (2.5/5 stars) on Netflix

Photo: Eric Milner/Netflix   

Home for Rent: Nittha Jirayungyurn is really pissed off with what the tenants have done to her place.

Home For Rent (NC16)

Starring Sukollawat Kanarot, Nittha Jirayungyurn

Directed by Sophon Sakdaphisit

The phrase “Tenants from Hell” takes on a literal meaning in this Thai scream-fest when a married couple (Kanarot and Jirayungyurn) unknowingly lease their house to a black magic cult. Helmer Sophon Sakdaphisit’s been down the stigmatised-property nightmare alley before with 2011’s Laddaland, but this time he’s more assured and focused on telling what is essentially a tale of parental grief — by way of Pet Sematary, Annabelle and Rosemary’s Baby — sprinkled with solid boos as well as maddening silly moments that’ll invoke your inner Roy Kent. For f***k’s sake, lady, can’t you go snooping around during the day?!. Just saying. (3/5 stars) in cinemas now

Photo: Golden Village Pictures