NEW THIS WEEK
Letter grades are listed only when a review is available.
(B+) BONES AND ALL Taylor Russell and Timothée Chalamet star as a pair of young cannibals in this 1980s-set road movie that’s more tenderly lyrical than most conventional romances. The film is both brutal and beautiful, and Mark Rylance — as a fellow cannibal — plays one of the creepier movie characters in recent years. R (for strong, bloody and disturbing violent content, language throughout, some sexual content and brief graphic nudity.) 130 mins. In wide release.
(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. In wide release.
(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. It’s funny, warm, loving — and complicated. Starring Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, Mateo Zoryon Francis-DeFord and Gabriel LaBelle. PG-13 (for some strong language, thematic elements, brief violence and drug use). 151 mins. In wide release.
(A) GLASS ONION: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY Daniel Craig plays a detective taking on a new murder case in this sequel to the 2019 hit. Glass Onion outdoes the thoroughly delightful original with more action, more delicious comeuppances, more daring design and a few genuinely surprising cameos just for good measure. Also starring Ed Norton, Dave Bautista, Kate Hudson, Kathryn Hahn and Leslie Odom Jr. PG-13 (for strong language, drug content, some violence and sexual material). 139 mins. In wide release.
(B) THE INSPECTION Facing a bleak future, a gay Black man (Jeremy Pope) joins the Marines and finds camaraderie and a sense of belonging in this strikingly personal portrait of the military under “don’t ask, don’t tell.” For all the intense physicality of his performance, Pope does much of his acting with his eyes, which can signal fear and anxiety one moment and radiate a defiant seductiveness the next. R (for language throughout, sexual content, some nudity and violence). 95 mins. At AMC NorthPark, Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Cedars and Cinemark West Plano.
(B) STRANGE WORLD Three generations of explorers chart unknown territory in order to save their city in this effortlessly charming Walt Disney Animation Studios sci-fi original. The fantastical world is meticulously and wondrously rendered, with a painterly feel that draws inspiration from pulp magazines of the 1930s and ‘40s. Featuring the voices of Jake Gyllenhaal, Gabrielle Union, Dennis Quaid, Lucy Liu, Alan Tudyk and Jaboukie Young-White. PG (for action/peril and some thematic elements). 102 mins. In wide release.
COMING NEXT WEEK
HOLY SPIDER A journalist investigates the killings of sex workers in the Iranian holy city of Mashhad. Not rated. 116 mins. In Persian with subtitles.
THE QUINTESSENTIAL QUINTUPLETS MOVIE Five sisters vie for the affections of their tutor in this animated romantic comedy based on a popular manga series. Not rated. 136 mins. In Japanese with subtitles.
SAVAGE SALVATION A recovering opioid addict seeks vengeance against the dealers he blames for a loved one’s death. Starring Robert De Niro, Jack Huston and John Malkovich. R (for strong violence and drug use, and language throughout). 101 mins.
VIOLENT NIGHT In this violent action-comedy film, Santa Claus (David Harbour) steps in to save the day after mercenaries attack the estate of a wealthy family. R (for strong bloody violence, language throughout and some sexual references). 101 mins.
CURRENT RELEASES
(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.
(C+) BARDO: FALSE CHRONICLE OF A HANDFUL OF TRUTHS An acclaimed journalist-turned- documentarian (Daniel Giménez Cacho) returns to his homeland of Mexico in this often tiresome comedy-drama from Oscar-winning director Alejandro G. Iñárritu. Full of freewheeling surrealism, it’s Iñárritu’s most ambitious and indulgent film yet. R (for language throughout, strong sexual content and graphic nudity). 159 mins. In Spanish with subtitles.
(C+) BLACK ADAM This superhero flick isn’t bad; it’s just predictable, stealing from other films like an intellectual property supervillain. But Dwayne Johnson is a natural in the title role, mixing might with humor. PG-13 (for sequences of strong violence, intense action and some language). 124 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-) 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.
(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.
(C) LYLE, LYLE, CROCODILE Josh Gordon and Will Speck directed this choppy live-action/animation hybrid film adaptation of Bernard Waber’s 1965 children’s book of the same name about a singing crocodile (voiced by Shawn Mendes) who lives in New York City. The film is a strange beast that can’t decide whether it wants to be a warm and whimsical family adventure comedy or an ironic hallucinatory fever dream geared toward adult viewers. Also starring Javier Bardem, Constance Wu and Scoot McNairy. PG (for mild peril and thematic elements). 106 mins.
(B+) THE MENU Anya Taylor-Joy and Nicholas Hoult play a couple who travel to a remote island to eat at an exclusive restaurant presided over by a chef (Ralph Fiennes) who puts more than food on the menu. This black comedy-thriller skewers high-end foodie culture with a hilariously shocking zest. R (for strong/disturbing violent content, language throughout and some sexual references). 106 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.
ONE PIECE FILM: RED In this Japanese anime film — the 15th in the One Piece series — a mysterious pop singer decides to reveal herself to the world at a live show. PG-13 (for violence, suggestive material and language). 115 mins. In Japanese with subtitles.
PREY FOR THE DEVIL A nun (Jacqueline Byers) sets out to perform an exorcism to save the soul of a young girl (Posy Taylor) and comes up against a demonic force with ties to her past. PG-13 (for violent and disturbing content, terror, thematic elements and brief language). 93 mins.
(B) SHE SAID Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan star as Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor, the New York Times journalists whose reporting helped expose Harvey Weinstein’s abuse. The drama is tense, fraught and compelling, though with less of a payoff than you’d like. R (for language and descriptions of sexual assault). 128 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.
SPIRITED Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds star in this musical version of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol that tells the story from the perspective of the ghosts of past, present and future. Also starring Octavia Spencer. PG-13 (for language, thematic elements and some suggestive material). 127 mins.
(B-) TICKET TO PARADISE George Clooney and Julia Roberts look like they had a grand time making this Bali-set comedy, starring as a bitterly divorced set of parents whose daughter (Kaitlyn Dever) is fresh out of law school. The familiar beats get played with sincerity, though there’s not nearly as much to laugh at here as you might expect. PG-13 (for some strong language and brief suggestive material). 104 mins.
(A) TILL Danielle Deadwyler delivers a powerful, career-making performance as the mother of 14-year-old lynching victim Emmett Till (Jalyn Hall). Director Chinonye Chukwu shows the brutality of Till’s slaying only obliquely and focuses instead on the aftermath, as the mother fights for justice and finds her voice as a civil rights activist. PG-13 (for thematic content involving racism, strong disturbing images and racial slurs). 130 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.
Compiled from staff and wire reports
