NEW THIS WEEK
Letter grades are listed only when a review is available, and opening dates are subject to change.
(B) THE AMAZING MAURICE In this silly and charming animated tale, a street-smart cat (voiced by Hugh Laurie) teams up with a group of talking rats to extort pest control fees from villagers. But their con hits a snag when they meet a bookworm named Malicia (voiced by Emilia Clarke). PG (for action/peril and some rude material). 93 mins. In wide release.
FREEDOM’S PATH In this Civil War drama, a soldier (Gerran Howell) flees from battle and finds safety with a young Black man (RJ Cyler) who is part of the Underground Railroad. Not rated. 131 mins. In wide release.
(B-) KNOCK AT THE CABIN In this thriller from director M. Night Shyamalan, a vacationing family is taken hostage by armed strangers who demand that they make an unthinkable choice to avert the apocalypse. The film is is faithful to the source material — Paul Tremblay’s 2018 horror novel The Cabin at the End of the World — until it is not, because this wouldn’t be a Shyamalan movie without his take on the ending. In the book, it’s the delusions that are horrifying, not the doomsday. But the film’s tweaks to the story, despite the impeccable cinematic craft and tremendous acting on display, hobble the adaptation’s power. Starring Dave Bautista, Jonathan Groff, Ben Aldridge, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Rupert Grint and Abby Quinn. R (for violence and language). 100 mins. In wide release.
THE LAST DEAL A drug dealer looks to make one last score before the legalization of cannabis puts him out of business. Starring Anthony Molinari, Sala Baker and Gigi Gustin. R (for some strong violence, drug content, language throughout, brief sexuality and nudity). 91 mins. At Look Cinemas Northwest Highway.
SHE IS LOVE After more than a decade apart, a divorced couple (Haley Bennett and Sam Riley) reconnect after a chance meeting at a country hotel in Cornwall. Not rated. 82 mins. At Galaxy Theatres Grandscape in The Colony.
STARS FELL AGAIN A man (James Maslow) is ready to propose to his girlfriend (Ciara Hanna) during a family Christmas visit, but his plan is upended when the woman’s sister (Ali Faulkner) has a surprise wedding. Not rated. 88 mins. At Galaxy Theatres Grandscape in The Colony.
SWORD ART ONLINE THE MOVIE: PROGRESSIVE — SCHERZO OF DEEP NIGHT Conflicts erupt among thousands of users trapped inside a video game world in this continuation of the Japanese animated tale. Not rated. 101 mins. In Japanese with subtitles. In wide release.
(A) TURN EVERY PAGE: THE ADVENTURES OF ROBERT CARO AND ROBERT GOTTLIEB This enthralling documentary examines the 50-year relationship between two literary legends — writer Robert Caro, whose works include a multivolume biography of Lyndon B. Johnson, and his longtime editor, Robert Gottlieb. It’s a love letter to many aspects of the publishing world that have more or less fallen by the wayside. PG (for some language, brief war images and smoking). 112 mins. At the Angelika Dallas.
COMING NEXT WEEK
CONSECRATION After the suspicious death of her priest brother, a woman (Jena Malone) travels to a Scottish convent to find out what really happened to him. R (for bloody violent content and some language). 90 mins.
DISQUIET After a near-fatal car crash, a man (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) awakens in an abandoned hospital, where he is trapped by mysterious forces. R (for violence, language and some nudity). 85 mins.
MAGIC MIKE’S LAST DANCE After a bad business deal leaves him broke, exotic dancer “Magic” Mike Lane (Channing Tatum) accepts an offer from a wealthy socialite (Salma Hayek Pinault) to perform a show in London. R (for sexual material and language). 112 mins.
ONE FINE MORNING In this French drama, a young mother (Léa Seydoux) cares for her ailing father (Pascal Greggory) and embarks on an affair with an old friend (Melvil Poupaud). R (for some sexuality, nudity and language). 112 mins. In French, English and German, with subtitles.
THE OUTWATERS Four travelers encounter mind-bending terror while camping in the Mojave Desert in this found-footage horror flick. Starring Robbie Banfitch, Angela Basolis, Scott Schamell and Michelle May. Not rated. 100 mins.
CURRENT RELEASES
(B+) ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT Patriotic young men are as disposable as potato peels in German director Edward Berger’s new adaptation of the novel that gave us the 1930 Lewis Milestone movie of the same name. A skillfully made picture with a high tolerance for muck, it’s a visceral experience, albeit a less punishing one than some other modern war films. Starring Felix Kammerer, Albrecht Schuch and Daniel Brühl. R (for strong bloody war violence and grisly images). 147 mins. In German and English, with subtitles.
(A-) AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER James Cameron’s dazzling, long-delayed follow-up to 2009′s Avatar (the highest-grossing film ever) tells the story of the Sully family and their efforts to protect one another. All of Cameron’s cinematic obsessions coalesce within this gargantuan slice of mind-boggling spectacle presented with classical action-adventure storytelling. PG-13 (for sequences of strong violence and intense action, partial nudity and some strong language). 192 mins.
(C-) BABYLON Set in 1920s Los Angeles, as Hollywood transitioned from silent films to talkies, director Damien Chazelle’s latest film has a large ensemble cast led by Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie and Jean Smart. No doubt plenty of cool kids will eagerly sign up to be pummeled by the film’s crazed excesses, though just as many will find it exhausting and sour. Even its technical virtuosity feels assaultive. R (for strong and crude sexual content, graphic nudity, bloody violence, drug use and pervasive language). 188 mins.
(A) THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN A man (Brendan Gleeson) abruptly puts an end to a lifelong friendship with a fellow Irishman (Colin Farrell), leading to alarming consequences for both of them. Playwright Martin McDonagh and a small group of wonderful actors have sculpted an aching reverie about friendship and fulfillment that is one of the very best films of the year. R (for language throughout, some violent content and brief graphic nudity). 109 mins.
(B) BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER After the 2020 death of star Chadwick Boseman, director and co-writer Ryan Coogler and co-writer Joe Robert Cole went back to the drawing board for this sequal, writing a script that focuses on his sister, Shuri (Letitia Wright), stepping into power as she grapples with grief and loss. Wright steps up to the plate and proves her chops and gravitas as an actor, carrying the emotional weight of this film, which is as much a bittersweet sendoff for Boseman as it is for his character, T’Challa. PG-13 (for sequences of strong violence, action and some language). 161 mins.
(B) DEVOTION Jonathan Majors and Glen Powell star as real-life Korean War aviators Jesse Brown and Tom Hudner, whose friendship reflects the U.S. Navy’s early attempts at integration as Brown becomes the first aviator of color to complete the Navy’s basic training program. It’s a square but satisfying social justice drama. PG-13 (for strong language, some war action/violence and smoking). 138 mins.
(B) 80 FOR BRADY In this sweet comedy inspired by real-life events, four friends (Sally Field, Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno and Lily Tomlin) travel to the 2017 Super Bowl to watch their hero, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. The jokes are fairly clean, leaving the film feeling like a kids movie much of the time. It’s a pleasant enough reminder that these iconic leading ladies are still game for a good time. PG-13 (for brief strong language, some suggestive references and some drug content). 98 mins.
(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.
(A-) EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE In this madcap sci-fi adventure comedy, a Chinese immigrant (Michelle Yeoh) struggles with an IRS tax audit while being pulled into a violent multiverse clash. It’s a preposterous ode to the messy, nonsensical struggle and bliss of being human. R (for language, some violence and sexual material). 139 mins. In English, Mandarin and Cantonese, with subtitles.
(A) THE FABELMANS In this deeply personal movie, legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg turns his lens on his own upbringing, his parents and his childhood journey to becoming a filmmaker. What could have been an overly idealized autobiography is instead a playful, honest and ultimately gracious childhood memoir. PG-13 (for some strong language, thematic elements, brief violence and drug use). 151 mins.
(D+) FEAR A mountain getaway turns into a nightmare for a group of friends who share their fears during the pandemic. But the jump scares aren’t scary, and the story is overwrought and unfocused. It’s a COVID movie, and a contagion film, and a haunted house story — rolled into 100 feverishly stylized minutes. Starring Joseph Sikora, Ruby Modine, Iddo Goldberg and Annie Ilonzeh. R (for bloody violence and language). 100 mins.
(A ) GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S PINOCCHIO Set in fascist Italy, the fantasy master’s stop-motion take on the classic tale is faintly indulgent but never dull. Vivid, lavish and weird, this is a rare piece of children’s entertainment that isn’t afraid to perplex kids as much as it enchants them. Featuring the voices of Ewan McGregor, David Bradley, Gregory Mann, Tilda Swinton, Finn Wolfhard and Christoph Waltz. PG (for peril, dark thematic material, brief smoking, some rude humor and violence). 117 mins.
(D+) HOUSE PARTY Two friends (Tosin Cole and Jacob Latimore), newly fired from their jobs as house cleaners, decide to throw a party at the mansion of their last client, basketball star LeBron James, in this deeply unfunny and downright tiresome update of the 1990 comedy hit. R (for pervasive language, drug use, sexual material and some violence). 100 mins.
(B-) INFINITY POOL A couple (Alexander Skarsgård and Cleopatra Coleman) are lured out of their isolated beach resort by a mysterious woman (Mia Goth) and encounter a perverse subculture of violence and surreal horrors and a legal system that allows wealthy offenders to watch their clones face brutal execution in their place. With extreme horror and close-up nudity, the deranged, darkly humorous film barely clings to its R rating. R (for graphic violence, disturbing material, strong sexual content, graphic nudity, drug use and some language). 117 mins.
(B) LIVING Bill Nighy has never been better than in this richly rewarding 1950s-set drama about a repressed, terminally ill man who discovers life just as it comes to an end. It’s a soulful film, a call to arms not to waste a second you’ve been given. PG-13 (for some suggestive material and smoking). 102 mins.
(B) M3GAN You can run, but you definitely can’t hide, so say hello to your newest horror movie obsession in this delightfully bonkers film about a lifelike doll that begins to take on a life of its own. M3GAN, more often than not, is a comedy before it’s a horror movie, opening with a guffaw before a jarring smash to violence and trauma. PG-13 (for violent content and terror, some strong language and a suggestive reference). 102 mins.
(B-) A MAN CALLED OTTO A grumpy and suicidal widower (Tom Hanks) forges a life-changing friendship with a new neighbor (Mariana Treviño, in a standout performance). The cumulative effect of the story’s twists and turns is powerful, if somewhat predictable. PG-13 (for mature thematic material involving suicide attempts and language). 126 mins.
MAYBE I DO A young couple (Emma Roberts and Luke Bracey) invite their parents to meet, but it turns out that they already know each other quite well. Also starring Diane Keaton, Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon and William H. Macy. PG-13 (for brief strong language and sexually suggestive material). 95 mins.
(B-) MISSING When her mother (Nia Long) goes missing in Colombia, a young woman (Storm Reid) searches for answers from thousands of miles away in Los Angeles. But her digital sleuthing leads to more questions than answers in this captivating high-concept thriller. PG-13 (for some strong violence, language, teen drinking and thematic material). 111 mins.
(B-) PLANE A pilot (Gerard Butler) makes an emergency landing on a war-torn island and sees most of his passengers taken hostage by rebels, and he must then fight for survival alongside an accused murderer (Mike Colter) who was being transported by the FBI. Butler and Colter make a fun and appealingly masculine pair in this taut thriller that offers a well-executed hunk of pulpy entertainment. Just don’t expect any political nuance or social commentary. R (for violence and language). 107 mins.
THE POINT MEN A South Korean diplomat is dispatched to Afghanistan after several of his country’s tourists are taken hostage by the Taliban, and he teams up with a special agent for a rescue mission. Not rated. 108 mins. In Korean with subtitles.
(B+) PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH Darker in tone than previous films in the Shrek franchise but still extremely funny, this animated adventure features the swashbuckling title character (voiced by Antonio Banderas) who’s dismayed to learn that he’s on the last of his nine lives. The film falters when resorting to frenetic action sequences seemingly designed for tykes’ short attention spans. But what really makes it work is Banderas’ silky-voiced turn, conveying all of the character’s over-the-top feline suavity while making it clear that he’s very much in on the joke. PG (for action/violence, rude humor/language and some scary moments). 102 mins.
(B+) SKINAMARINK Two children (Lucas Paul and Dali Rose Tetreault) wake up in the middle of the night to find that their father is gone and all the windows and doors in their home have vanished in this hushed and nearly plotless experimental creep-out that rewards viewers’ patience. It’s a terrifying film with barely any people in it, one that consists mostly of static images shot inside a nondescript house. Not rated. 100 mins.
(A) TÁR Cate Blanchett stars as a groundbreaking German orchestra conductor whose reputation is shattered by revelations about her personal life in this seductive deep dive into a woman’s unraveling psyche. It’s a film about exploitation and self-loathing and compulsion, but with an extravagant eye for beauty and surface polish that makes it deeply pleasurable to watch. R (for some language and brief nudity). 158 mins.
THAT TIME I GOT REINCARNATED AS A SLIME THE MOVIE: SCARLET BOND After being murdered by a random killer, a corporate worker is reborn as a slime monster in this Japanese animated tale. PG-13 (for sequences of strong violence, some suggestive material and partial nudity). 114 mins. In Japanese with subtitles.
(A ) TO LESLIE A single mother (Andrea Riseborough) in West Texas seeks to rebuild her life after winning the lottery and then squandering her winnings. Riseborough’s performance as an alcoholic at rock bottom is nothing short of spectacular in this personal and heartfelt drama that’s based on a true story. Also starring Owen Teague, Allison Janney, Stephen Root and Marc Maron. R (for language throughout and some drug use). 119 mins.
(B-) THE WHALE Brendan Fraser brings piercing emotional honesty to this drama about a 600-pound man in failing health who reckons with his life over the course of a week while trying to connect with his estranged teenage daughter (Sadie Sink). It’s an emotionally and morally messy film that doesn’t quite conceal its single-setting stage origins. R (for language, some drug use and sexual content). 117 mins.
(B+) WHITNEY HOUSTON: I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY British actor Naomi Ackie plays the late singer in this bracingly authentic portrait of Houston’s glories and demons. This is the kind of lavishly impassioned all-stops-out biopic you either give in to or you don’t — and if you do, you may find yourself getting so emotional, baby. PG-13 (for a suggestive reference, smoking, strong drug content and some strong language). 146 mins.
(A) WOMEN TALKING In this astute drama from writer-director Sarah Polley, eight women who have survived trauma in an isolated religious community gather to try to reconcile their brutal reality with their faith. The conversations are messy, the feminism contradictory and the trauma complicated. Starring Jessie Buckley, Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Judith Ivey and Frances McDormand. PG-13 (for mature thematic content including sexual assault, bloody images and some strong language). 104 mins.
Compiled from staff and wire reports
