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arts entertainmentMovies

Movies in North Texas theaters on Sept. 23 and coming soon

‘Don’t Worry Darling’ brings star power but never quite reels in its audience.

NEW THIS WEEK

Letter grades are listed only when a review is available.

BANDIT A career criminal (Josh Duhamel) escapes from a U.S. prison and flees to Canada, where he becomes a prolific bank robber. Based on the real-life story of the Flying Bandit. Also starring Elisha Cuthbert and Mel Gibson. R (for language throughout, some sexual material and nudity). 126 mins. In wide release.

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(B) BLONDE Ana de Armas channels Marilyn Monroe with a conviction that’s melancholy and arresting in director Andrew Dominik’s flawed but haunting biopic. NC-17 (for some sexual content). 166 mins. At the Texas Theatre.

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(B) CATHERINE CALLED BIRDY Lena Dunham directs this charming medieval comedy, an adaptation of Karen Cushman’s 1994 novel, about a 14-year-old girl (Bella Ramsey) who resists efforts by her father (Andrew Scott) to marry her off for money. The film offers a refreshing message for young women to be themselves, regardless of what their parents or the patriarchy might think. PG-13 (for some suggestive material and thematic elements). 108 mins. At the Angelika Dallas, Cinemark West Plano and Movie Tavern West Seventh in Fort Worth.

CUANDO SEA JOVEN A 70-year-old woman (Verónica Castro) magically turns into her 22-year-old self (Natasha Dupeyrón) and chases her dream of being a singer. PG (for some suggestive material, language and thematic elements). 120 mins. In Spanish, with subtitles. In wide release.

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(D-) DON’T WORRY DARLING Olivia Wilde directs and co-stars in this stale psychological thriller about a 1950s couple (Florence Pugh and Harry Styles) living in a strange, closed-off Palm Springs community. To really work, the film needed to reel us in slowly, to be insidious and surprising. Instead, it’s ominous in an obvious way. R (for language, violent content and sexuality). 122 mins. In wide release.

GIVE ME FIVE While seeking to help his aging father recover lost memories, a man is transported back in time and accidentally alters his parents’ past, which puts him at risk of never being born. Not rated. 111 mins. In Mandarin with subtitles. At Cinemark Legacy in Plano.

(D) THE GREATEST BEER RUN EVER A New York man (Zac Efron) travels to the front lines in Vietnam to bring beer to his soldier friends in this meandering, disjointed comedy-drama based on a true story. Even his soldier pals don’t care about seeing him, so how invested can we be in whether his dumb odyssey is successful? Also starring Russell Crowe and Bill Murray. R (for language and some war violence). 126 mins. At Cinemark West Plano.

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(B+) ON THE COME UP A gifted teen rapper (Jamila C. Gray) is conflicted after her song goes viral for all the wrong reasons. Even when it stacks the clichés, becoming a bit too reliant on the requisite melodramatic beats, the film doesn’t lose its heart. Also starring Mike Epps and Method Man. PG-13 (for strong language, drug material, some violence, sexual references and thematic elements). 115 mins. In wide release.

(B) RAILWAY CHILDREN After being evacuated to a British village during World War II, three children discover an injured American soldier and try to help him in this gentle, likable follow-up to the beloved 1970 family film The Railway Children. PG (for language, thematic material and some violence). 98 mins. In wide release.

WAITING FOR BOJANGLES A young boy, living in a Parisian apartment where his parents dance to their favorite song every night, watches his mother descend into mental illness. Not rated. 124 mins. In French, with subtitles. At the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.

COMING NEXT WEEK

BROS Billy Eichner stars in and co-wrote the first gay rom-com from a major studio, directed by Nicholas Stoller and produced by Judd Apatow. R (for language throughout, strong sexual content and some drug use). 115 mins.

DEVIL’S WORKSHOP In this horror flick, an actor spends a weekend with a demonologist to prepare for an audition. Starring Radha Mitchell, Timothy Granaderos and Emile Hirsch. R (for violent content, language throughout, drug use, some sexual material and nudity). 86 mins.

THE GOOD HOUSE A New England real estate agent (Sigourney Weaver) rekindles a romance with an old flame (Kevin Kline). Also starring Morena Baccarin and Rob Delaney. R (for brief sexuality and language). 103 mins.

LOVING HIGHSMITH This documentary examines the life of American author Patricia Highsmith. Not rated. 83 mins.

SMILE After witnessing a traumatic incident that results in a patient’s death, a doctor (Sosie Bacon) starts to experience frightening and unexplainable occurrences. R (for strong violent content and grisly images, and language). 115 mins.

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YOUNG PLATO This documentary examines a Belfast school headmaster who has worked to turn his students, all boys, away from violence. Not rated. 102 mins.

CURRENT RELEASES

BARBARIAN In this horror thriller, a young woman (Georgina Campbell) arrives late at night at a rental home and finds that it’s double-booked, with a strange man already staying there. Also starring Bill Skarsgård and Justin Long. R (for some strong violence and gore, disturbing material, nudity and language throughout). 102 mins.

BEAST A father (Idris Elba) and his two teen daughters are stalked by a lion at a South African game reserve. Also starring Sharlto Copley, Iyana Halley and Leah Jeffries. R (for violent content, bloody images and some language). 93 mins.

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(B) THE BLACK PHONE After being abducted by a serial killer (Ethan Hawke) and locked in a basement, a 13-year-old boy (played by newcomer Mason Thames of McKinney) starts receiving calls on a disconnected phone from the spirits of the killer’s previous victims. The Black Phone is a satisfying balancing act of a movie that has elements of supernatural, psychological suspense and horror. It also has one of the most satisfying endings of a horror-thriller in recent years. R (for violence, bloody images, language and some drug use). 102 mins.

(C-) BULLET TRAIN Five assassins on the same train realize their missions might be connected in this action thriller that is mostly two opposite things at once: breezily lighthearted and overwrought; hyperenergetic and lazy; bracingly fresh and drearily derivative. R (for strong and bloody violence, pervasive crude language and brief sexuality). 126 mins.

(B-) CONFESS, FLETCH Jon Hamm stars in this less-jokey reboot of the 1980s Chevy Chase comedy series as a charming troublemaker who must prove his innocence after becoming a suspect in a murder case. Not only are the goofy disguises and many of the quips gone in this version, but Hamm is barely even trying to make us laugh, setting aside those chops in favor of easygoing charm. Also starring Kyle MacLachlan, Annie Mumolo, John Slattery and Marcia Gay Harden. R (for drug use, some sexual content and language). 98 mins.

(B-) DC LEAGUE OF SUPER-PETS In this animated tale, Superman’s dog Krypto leads a team of other superpowered animals to save the Justice League after they’re captured by Lex Luthor. It’s a funny, sweet refresh on the DC lore that should please fans old and new. PG (for action, mild violence, language and rude humor). 106 mins.

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(B) DRAGON BALL SUPER: SUPER HERO In the latest animated tale in the Dragon Ball series, the Red Ribbon Army returns with a pair of dangerous androids. While nothing groundbreaking, the film mostly finds a sweet spot between fan service and narrative heft. PG-13 (for some action/violence and smoking). 100 mins. In English and Japanese, with subtitles.

(A-) ELVIS In this sprawling pop epic, director Baz Luhrmann takes Elvis Presley’s legacy, relegated to a Las Vegas gag, and reminds us just how dangerous, sexy and downright revolutionary the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll was. At the center of the film, Austin Butler delivers a fully transformed, star-making turn as Presley. PG-13 (for substance abuse, strong language, suggestive material and smoking). 159 mins.

(C) FALL If sweaty palms were the sole measure of a film’s greatness, then this thriller — which centers on two young women (Grace Caroline Currey and Virginia Gardner) stranded atop a rickety 2,000-foot-tall TV tower in the middle of nowhere — could be some kind of masterpiece. The film ratchets up the tension to an almost unbearable degree before releasing it in a torrent of nausea and nerves. Just keep telling yourself: “It’s only a stupid movie.” Also starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan. PG-13 (for bloody images, strong language and intense peril). 107 mins.

GIGI AND NATE After an illness leaves him quadriplegic, a young man (Charlie Rowe) finds renewed hope thanks to his service animal, a capuchin monkey. PG-13 (for language and some thematic material). 114 mins.

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(B) GOD’S COUNTRY Thandiwe Newton stars in this often exhilarating, if occasionally overcooked, thriller about a grieving college professor’s escalating feud with two hunters in the remote mountains of the American West. R (for language). 103 mins.

THE INVITATION A young woman (Nathalie Emmanuel) is courted by a wealthy aristocrat after the death of her mother, but she soon discovers a dangerous conspiracy is afoot. PG-13 (for terror, violent content, some strong language, sexual content and partial nudity). 105 mins.

(B-) JURASSIC WORLD DOMINION The casts from two generations of Jurassic Park films — Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum and Sam Neill — unite for the first time in a world where dinosaurs now live and hunt alongside humans all over the globe. The film is laden with nostalgia, made up of nods to the original films and other action adventure classics. As a goodbye note to the franchise, it’s heartfelt, if a bit limpid, giving preference to references over storytelling. PG-13 (for intense sequences of action, some violence and language). 146 mins.

LIFEMARK A young man’s birth mother reaches out to him in this faith-based drama about a real-life adoption story. Starring Kirk Cameron, Alex Kendrick and Raphael Ruggero. PG-13 (for some thematic material). 120 mins.

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LUCK In this animated film, an unlucky young woman (voiced by Eva Noblezada) seeks to turn her fortunes around with the help of magical creatures in the Land of Luck. G. 105 mins.

(B-) MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU The fifth entry in the animated Despicable Me franchise offers a slight but satisfying origin story for 12-year-old Gru (voiced by Steve Carell) as he seeks to become the world’s greatest supervillain. This is a perfectly painless romp that should enthrall kids, entertain adults and keep Minions cosplayers employed for many a birthday party to come. PG (for some action/ violence and rude humor). 87 mins.

(A-) MOONAGE DAYDREAM Filmmaker Brett Morgen explores the life and music of David Bowie in this psychedelic documentary filled with colliding-image irreverence. There are essential facts you won’t hear, and many touchstones get skipped over. But you get closer than you expect to the chilly, sexy enigma of who Bowie really was. PG-13 (for some sexual images/nudity, brief strong language and smoking.) 134 mins.

THE MYSTERY OF PADRE PIO This documentary examines the story of Padre Pio, who purportedly had stigmata wounds for most of his life. Not rated. 80 mins. In Italian and Spanish, with subtitles.

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(A-) NOPE Writer-director Jordan Peele delivers another genre-disrupting masterpiece in this story of a small California town encountering a mysterious force that affects human and animal behavior. Peele’s intellectual, curious and playful perspective has become vital, and necessary, for the horror and sci-fi genre to evolve. R (for language throughout and some violence/bloody images). 130 mins.

ORPHAN: FIRST KILL In this prequel to the 2009 horror film Orphan, Esther escapes from an Estonian psychiatric institution and makes her way to America by impersonating the missing daughter of a wealthy family. Starring Isabelle Fuhrman, Kennedy Irwin and Julia Stiles. R (for bloody violence, language and brief sexual content). 99 mins.

PAWS OF FURY: THE LEGEND OF HANK A dog in a town full of cats pursues his dream of becoming a samurai in this animated film. Featuring the voices of Michael Cera, Samuel L. Jackson, Ricky Gervais, Mel Brooks and George Takei. PG (for action, violence, rude and suggestive humor, and some language). 97 mins.

(B) PEARL Filmmaker Ti West’s prequel to X, a slasher film released earlier this year, serves up the origin story of that film’s antagonist (Mia Goth) while holding up a fun-house mirror full of insider winks to horror classics. It’s a blast to watch the oddly appealing antihero unravel. R (for some strong violence, gore, strong sexual content and graphic nudity). 102 mins.

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RUNNING THE BASES A small-town baseball coach (Brett Varvel) uproots his family to take a job at a larger high school, but as a man of faith, he faces opposition to his coaching methods from the school leadership. PG (for mild language, thematic content and some violence). 127 mins.

(C-) SEE HOW THEY RUN Sam Rockwell, Saoirse Ronan, Adrien Brody and David Oyelowo star in this lifeless murder mystery set in the theater scene of 1950s London. Although Ronan gives an amusingly spirited performance, the large ensemble’s members mostly come and go without leaving much of an impression. PG-13 (for some violence/bloody images and a sexual reference). 98 mins.

(C) THE SILENT TWINS Letitia Wright and Tamara Lawrance star as twins from the only Black family in a small town in Wales. They’re sent to a psychiatric hospital because of their refusal to communicate with anyone but each other. However intrinsically fascinating the real-life sisters’ story might be, the film feels off — a little too pleased with its own quirk and too preoccupied with surface texture and color to help viewers truly understand its troubled protagonists. R (for drug use, some sexual content, nudity, language and disturbing material). 113 mins.

(C) THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER Facing the threat of Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale), Thor (Chris Hemsworth) enlists the help of Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) and ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), who can now wield Thor’s magical hammer. The best thing to say about this middling installment is that its heart is in the right place. But co-writer and director Taika Waititi’s brand of humor and his “twee Thor” have worn out their welcome. PG-13 (for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, language, some suggestive material and partial nudity). 125 mins.

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(C-) THREE THOUSAND YEARS OF LONGING A scholar (Tilda Swinton) travels to Istanbul and discovers a djinn (Idris Elba) who offers her three wishes in exchange for his freedom in director George Miller’s ponderous and heavy shot of One Thousand and One Nights-adjacent whimsy. R (for brief violence, some sexual content and graphic nudity). 108 mins.

(A) TOP GUN: MAVERICK In the long-delayed sequel to 1986′s Top Gun, Tom Cruise returns as Navy aviator Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, who has been trying not to advance in rank for 30 years so he can continue satiating his need for speed. There might be new pilots on deck, but make no mistake: This is a Maverick movie through and through, featuring the kind of nostalgia that delivers everything expected. PG-13 (for sequences of intense action and some strong language). 131 mins.

(C) WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING A young, isolated woman named Kya (Daisy Edgar-Jones), who raised herself in the marshes of North Carolina, becomes a murder suspect in this faithful yet unfulfilling adaptation of the bestselling novel. In checking off all the plot points, the movie version loses what makes the book work, which is the time we spend with Kya. PG-13 (for sexual content and some violence including a sexual assault). 125 mins.

(A) THE WOMAN KING Energetic performances and technical precision come together to glorious effect in director Gina Prince-Bythewood’s rousing historical epic, with Viola Davis starring as the general of an all-female warrior army that protected the West African kingdom of Dahomey in the 19th century. It’s a lush, crowd-pleasing piece of entertainment. Also starring John Boyega. PG-13 (for sequences of strong violence, some disturbing material, thematic content, brief language and partial nudity). 126 mins.

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Compiled from staff and wire reports