NEW THIS WEEK
Letter grades are listed only when a review is available, and opening dates are subject to change.
ACIDMAN After a decade apart, Maggie (Dianna Agron) tracks down her estranged and reclusive father (Thomas Haden Church), now living in the Oregon wilderness. She finds that his obsession with UFOs has intensified, making communication difficult. Not rated. 87 mins. At Galaxy Theatres Grandscape in The Colony.
ASSASSIN Bruce Willis stars in this sci-fi action flick about a private military group that comes up with technology to enable agents to inhabit the body of another person to carry out covert missions. Also starring Andy Allo, Nomzamo Mbatha and Mustafa Shakir. R (for violence and language). 88 mins. At Studio Movie Grill Spring Valley.
DASARA Written and directed by Indian filmmaker Srikanth Odhela, this action-adventure tale is set against the backdrop of the Singareni coal mines in the state of Telangana in southern India. In Telugu with subtitles. Not rated. 156 mins. In wide release.
(B-) DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS: HONOR AMONG THIEVES The classic role-playing game gets a splashy blockbuster adaptation in this story of a band of adventurers who set out to retrieve a lost relic. The film is unapologetically a big, fun, swashbuckling slice of hardcore fantasy — it’s essentially Ocean’s 11 in a fantasy setting — and it leans into what it is without any self-deprecation. Yet there is some ineffable quality lacking that prevents all the elements from coming together into something truly magical. Starring Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Regé-Jean Page, Justice Smith and Hugh Grant. PG-13 (for fantasy action/violence and some language). 134 mins. In wide release.
ENYS MEN In this horror flick set in 1973, a wildlife volunteer (Mary Woodvine) descends into madness on an uninhabited island off the British coast. Not rated. 91 mins. At the Texas Theatre.
(B) THE FIVE DEVILS Vicky, an 8-year-old girl played by the remarkably self-possessed newcomer Sally Dramé, is plunged back in time to unravel her family secrets in this strangely haunting film set at the foot of the French Alps. There is something both supernatural and ominous in the tale, specifically as it relates to Vicky and her unusual, perhaps superhuman gift: a heightened sense of smell that allows her to replicate any aroma. Vicky’s parents are played by Adèle Exarchopoulos and Moustapha Mbengue. Not rated. 95 mins. In French with subtitles. At the Dallas and Plano Angelikas.
HIS ONLY SON Abraham (Nicolas Mouawad) is commanded by the Lord (Daniel da Silva) to sacrifice his only son in this scripture-based drama. PG-13 (for thematic content and some violence). 101mins. In wide release.
MALUM In this re-imagining of the 2014 horror film Last Shift, a rookie cop (Jessica Sula) is assigned to the final shift at a decommissioned police station, where she works to find a connection between her father’s death and a vicious cult. Not rated. 92 mins. In wide release.
SPACE ODDITY A man (Kyle Allen) gives up on Earth and decides to leave it all behind for a one-way trip to Mars before an unexpected romance intervenes in this sci-fi romantic comedy directed by Kyra Sedgwick. Also starring Alexandra Shipp, Madeline Brewer, Carrie Preston and Kevin Bacon. PG-13 (for some strong language, suggestive material and thematic elements). 92 mins. At the Angelika Plano.
SPINNING GOLD Jeremy Jordan stars in this biopic about 1970s record producer Neil Bogart, co-founder of Casablanca Records and the man who helped bring audiences the music of Kiss, Donna Summer, Parliament, Gladys Knight, the Village People and other top acts. Also starring Michelle Monaghan, Jay Pharoah, Lyndsy Fonseca and Peyton List. R (for pervasive language, drug use, some sexual material and nudity). 137 mins. In wide release.
(A-) A THOUSAND AND ONE A formerly incarcerated woman, Inez (Teyana Taylor), kidnaps her young son, Terry (Aaron Kingsley Adetola), from the foster care system in this portrait of maternal instinct caught in an unforgiving world. The New York City-set film, which won the U.S. dramatic grand jury prize at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, proves to be a showcase for Taylor, who brings to her performance the coiled physicality of a panther ready to pounce. The film is utterly absorbing, and while it’s not a true story, the lived-in quality of the material makes it feel real. R (for language). 117 mins. In wide release.
VENUS A cursed apartment complex on the outskirts of Madrid is the setting for this horror film from Spanish director Jaume Balagueró, loosely inspired by The Dreams in the Witch House by H.P. Lovecraft. R (for strong bloody violence, language and some drug use). In Spanish with subtitles. 100 mins. At AMC Grapevine Mills.
COMING NEXT WEEK
APRIL 5
AIR Directed by Ben Affleck, Air is the origin story of the Air Jordan brand, chronicling the game-changing partnership between a then rookie Michael Jordan (Damian Young) and Nike’s fledgling basketball division. Also starring Matt Damon, Viola Davis, Jason Bateman and Affleck.
THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE With help from Princess Peach (voiced by Anya Taylor-Joy), Mario (Chris Pratt) gets ready to square off against the all-powerful Bowser (Jack Black) to stop his plans for conquering the world in this computer- animated fantasy film based on Nintendo’s Mario video game franchise.
APRIL 7
THE INNOCENT A man becomes concerned when he learns his 60-year-old mother is about to marry a man in prison. In French with subtitles.
ONE TRUE LOVES In this modern twist on a classic love story by New York Times bestselling author Taylor Jenkins Reid, Emma (Phillipa Soo) and Jesse (Luke Bracey) have the perfect life until Jesse disappears in a helicopter crash on their first wedding anniversary. Four years later, Emma is about to marry her best friend (Simu Liu) when Jesse resurfaces.
PAINT Dallas native Owen Wilson stars as the host of a painting show on Vermont public television in this comedy. Carl Nargle (Wilson) is convinced he has it all: a signature perm, a custom van and fans hanging on his every stroke — until a younger, better artist steals everything and everyone he loves.
RIDE ON A washed-up stuntman (Jackie Chan) and his stunt horse become an overnight social media sensation when their fight with debt collectors goes viral. Furious at being humiliated, the debt collectors return to seek revenge. In Chinese with subtitles.
LA USURPADORA: THE MUSICAL Based on a popular telenovela, the movie follows twin sisters (both played by Isabella Castillo) separated at birth, one humble and kind, the other ultrarich, conniving and destructive. They soon find themselves hopelessly intertwined in each other’s lives. In Spanish and English with subtitles.
CURRENT RELEASES
(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.
(C-) ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) and the Wasp (Evangeline Lilly) explore the Quantum Realm in the latest Marvel superhero flick. The endearing sweetness of the early Ant-Man movies has been bigfooted into a noisy smash-and- grab extravaganza that, for all its self- conscious bigness, feels smaller and less ambitious than its predecessors. PG-13 (for violence/action and language). 125 mins.
(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.
(B-) CHAMPIONS Woody Harrelson stars in this warmly amusing comedy about a former minor league basketball coach who is ordered by a court to lead a team of players with intellectual disabilities. Champions doesn’t deviate from the traditional sports movie formula, but it is effective. Also starring Kaitlin Olson, Ernie Hudson and Cheech Marin. PG-13 (for strong language and crude/sexual references). 123 mins.
COCAINE BEAR In this comedy thriller based loosely on a true story, a black bear goes on a cocaine-fueled rampage after stumbling upon the wreckage of a drug runner’s airplane. Starring Keri Russell, Margo Martindale and Ray Liotta. R (for bloody violence and gore, drug content and language throughout). 95 mins.
(A-) CREED III In this sports drama, directed with impressive first-time flair by star Michael B. Jordan, Adonis Creed faces off against an ominous childhood friend and former boxing prodigy (Jonathan Majors) who has recently been released from prison. Majors exudes a danger that electrifies the air around him, and Jordan gives what may be his fullest performance yet as Adonis. PG-13 (for intense sports action, violence and some strong language). 116 mins.
DEMON SLAYER: KIMETSU NO YAIBA — TO THE SWORDSMITH VILLAGE In the latest installment of the popular Japanese anime series, the Upper Rank Demons gather at Infinity Castle. R (for violence and bloody images). 110 mins. In Japanese with subtitles.
(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 GOOD PERSON A woman (Florence Pugh) seeks redemption after a fatal car crash and begins to forge a friendship with the grief-stricken father (Morgan Freeman) of the woman who died in the accident. R (for drug abuse, language throughout and some sexual references). 129 mins.
(C-) JESUS REVOLUTION Based on a true story, this faith-based drama examines a national spiritual awakening that sprang from a community of Southern California hippies in the early 1970s. The history is interesting, but the film itself is a dry, scattered slog, neutered of all the thorny, contradictory details of the real story. Instead of finding a focal point, the filmmakers give us three rather shallow storylines about three men (pastors Greg Laurie and Chuck Smith and hippie evangelist Lonnie Frisbee), with often unnecessary details that bog down the film’s momentum. Starring Joel Courtney, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Jonathan Roumie and Kelsey Grammer. PG-13 (for strong drug content involving teens and some thematic elements). 120 mins.
(A-) JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4 Bigger, badder, bolder, longer and featuring a seemingly impossible number of spectacular set pieces, John Wick: Chapter 4 outdoes its formidable predecessors in nearly every respect. With an impressively executed car chase/gunbattle through the streets of Paris, this installment uses its many locations in Paris and Berlin to fantastic effect. Keanu Reeves stars as the former hit man who thought he was out, only to be pulled back in. R (for pervasive strong violence and some language). 169 mins.
(B+) THE LOST KING An amateur historian (Sally Hawkins) takes on the academic establishment after finding what she believes to be the lost burial site of King Richard III in this historical detective story that carries the kick of a real-life The Da Vinci Code. This may be Hawkins’ best performance yet. Also starring Steve Coogan, Harry Lloyd and Mark Addy. PG-13 (for some strong language and brief suggestive references). 108 mins.
(B) MOVING ON In this comedy, two old friends (Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin) reconnect at a funeral, and one decides to settle a decades-old score against their late pal’s widower (Malcolm McDowell). The chemistry of the lead actresses mostly makes up for a bland script. Think of it as a sassy feature-length sitcom with a #MeToo twist. R (for language). 85 mins.
MUMMIES In this animated tale, three mummies from ancient Egypt wind up in modern-day London, where they search for an artifact taken by an ambitious archaeologist. PG (for mild action/violence and some rude material). 88 mins.
(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.
(C+) SCREAM VI The survivors of the Ghostface killings leave the fictional California town of Woodsboro to start anew in New York City in the latest installment of the horror franchise. Ghostface makes the move as well but is lost in the big city, a slasher made small in his new playground. The film has some satisfying stabbings, but the franchise makes no real progress. Starring Melissa Barrera, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, Jenna Ortega and Courteney Cox. R (for strong bloody violence and language throughout, and brief drug use). 123 mins.
(D-) SHAZAM! FURY OF THE GODS This grating, ugly and poorly written sequel continues the story of teen Billy Batson (Asher Angel), who can transform into his superhero alter ego, Shazam (a cringeworthy Zachary Levi). Here’s hoping this overly jokey nonsense is Shazam’s last outing. PG-13 (for sequences of action and violence, and language). 130 mins.
65 An astronaut (Adam Driver) crash-lands on an unknown planet and soon realizes that he’s on Earth — 65 million years in the past. Also starring Ariana Greenblatt. PG-13 (for intense sci-fi action and peril, and brief bloody images). 93 mins.
Compiled from staff and wire reports
