OPENING
Backrooms (R) Kane Parsons adapts his own YouTube series of horror videos about people becoming trapped in an endless labyrinth of yellow rooms. Starring Renate Reinsve, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Finn Bennett, Lukita Maxwell, Avan Jogia, Katherine Isabelle, and Mark Duplass. (Opens Friday)
The Breadwinner (PG) Nate Bargatze stars in this comedy as a car salesman forced to take over housekeeping duties when his wife (Mandy Moore) receives her big break as an entrepreneur. Also with Kumail Nanjiani, Zach Cherry, Martin Herlihy, Will Forte, Stella Grace Fitzgerald, Charlotte Ann Tucker, Birdie Borria, Brett Cullen, Kate Berlant, and Colin Jost. (Opens Friday)
The Last Viking (NR) This Danish comedy by Anders Thomas Jensen (Riders of Justice) stars Nikolaj Lie Kaas as an ex-convict who trusts his brother (Mads Mikkelsen) to keep secret the location of his buried loot, only to discover that his brother has gone insane and believes himself to be John Lennon. Also with Sofie Gråbøl, Søren Malling, Bodil Jørgensen, Lars Brygmann, Nicolas Bro, and Anette Støvelbæk. (Opens Friday in Dallas)
Luv Di Saun (NR) This Pakistani romance stars Farhan Saeed as a lower-caste man who falls in love with a woman from an upper caste (Mamya Shajaffar). Also with Mehrunnisa Iqbal, Rana Ejaz, Babar Ali, and Tabrez Khan. (Opens Friday at AMC Grapevine Mills)
Phi Phong: The Blood Demon (NR) This Vietnamese horror film stars Kieu Minh Tuan and Nina Padovan as apprentice shamans trying to save a remote village from a murderous demon. Also with Doan Minh Anh and Diep Bao Ngoc. (Opens Friday)
Pitfall (NR) This slasher film stars Marshall Williams as a young hiker who falls into a pit and is seriously injured in the woods. Also with Richard Harmon, Alexandra Essoe, Jordan Claire Robbins, Matt Hamilton, Brenna Llewellyn, and Randy Couture. (Opens Friday in Dallas)
Pressure (PG-13) Too late for Memorial Day comes this not terribly exciting British film about the D-Day invasion seen through the eyes of a Scottish meteorologist (Andrew Scott) who’s brought in to provide a weather forecast for the planned day of the operation only to announce that the conditions will be terrible and that the whole thing will be postponed. Based on David Haig’s stage play, this film squeezes very little juice out of the weatherman sticking to his forecast despite heavy pressure from Gen. Dwight Eisenhower (Brendan Fraser) and other top brass in the American and British militaries. Despite the top-level talent in the cast, this exercise comes off as more dutiful than anything else. Also with Kerry Condon, Chris Messina, Tamsin Topolski, Jojo Macari, Con O’Neill, and Damian Lewis. (Opens Friday)
Psycho (NR) Shaan Shahid writes, directs, and stars in this Indian thriller. Also with Sonya Hussyn, Jawed Sheikh, Meera, Shabbir Jan, and Nayyar Ejaz. (Opens Friday at AMC Grapevine Mills)
Silent Friend (NR) This film by Ildikó Enyedi tells three different stories taking place in different time periods in the same botanical garden in Germany. Starring Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Luna Wedler, Enzo Brumm, Sylvester Groth, Yun Huang, Luca Valentini, and Léa Seydoux. (Opens Friday in Dallas)
Trikala: Script of God (NR) This Indian film is about a group of warriors who must restore light when darkness descends on the world. Starring Shraddha Das, Aishwarya Raj Bhakuni, Ajay, Dayanand Reddy, Rohini, and Tanikella Bharani. (Opens Friday at AMC Grapevine Mills)
Zombeid (NR) The title’s spelling is correct. This Pakistani horror film stars Fahad Mustafa as an MMA fighter who witnesses the outbreak of a zombie plague at one of his fights. Also with Mehwish Hayat and Babar Ali. (Opens Friday at AMC Grapevine Mills)
NOW PLAYING
Chand Mera Dil (NR) Lakshya and Ananya Panday star in this Indian romance as two engineering students coming of age at university. Also with Aastha Singh, Pratham Rathod, and Aashish Dubey.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 (PG-13) This sequel is quite enjoyable in the same way as the original, but it has one big irritating issue. Anne Hathaway reprises her role as Andy, a newly unemployed journalist who takes a job at Runway, which is now embroiled in a PR crisis. The sequel registers how fashion media has changed in the last 20 years, but gets distracted by a succession battle after the fashion magazine’s owner (Tibor Feldman) suddenly dies. It would have been better devoting more time to Andy trying to detoxify Runway’s workplace culture and bring Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep) into line. The characters have been away long enough for us to be happy to see them, and the script is smart enough that you won’t hate yourself for reveling in its posh setting. Shame that it goes too easy on its characters. Also with Emily Blunt, Stanley Tucci, Justin Theroux, Tracie Thoms, Patrick Brammall, Caleb Hearon, Simone Ashley, Helen J. Shen, Rachel Bloom, B.J. Novak, Lucy Liu, Kenneth Branagh, and Lady Gaga.
Drishyam 3 (NR) The third film in the Malayalam-language series stars Mohanlal as a movie theater owner who must protect his family against his criminal past. Also with Meena, Ansiba Hassan, Esther Anil, Asha Sharath, Siddique, Murali Gopy, K.B. Ganesh Kumar, and Santhi Mayadevi.
Hokum (R) Not only does this horror movie scare you, it also holds together on a storytelling level in inspiring fashion. Adam Scott plays a famous American novelist who travels to Ireland to scatter his parents’ ashes and commit suicide, but when he recovers from his failed attempt and tries to thank the hotel maid who saved his life (Florence Ordesh), he discovers that she has vanished along with a homeless man (David Wilmot). Writer-director Damian McCarthy injects bits of Irish folklore and buggy visuals like an evil rabbit-man lurking in the hotel’s halls, but the common murder mystery at the movie’s center helps keep the proceedings grounded. If you’re new to McCarthy’s slow-burning sense of horror, this is the best possible introduction to it. Also with Peter Coonan, Austin Amelio, Brendan Conroy, Will O’Connell, and Michael Patric.
I Love Boosters (R) If there’s a more insane movie this year, I’d like to see it. Boots Riley’s anti-capitalist satire stars Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie, and Taylour Paige as three San Francisco social activists who protest a high-end fashion designer (Demi Moore) by stealing clothes from her stores and then sell the loot to make money. This seems straightforward enough, but then we get into a Chinese sweatshop worker (Poppy Liu) with a magic bag, a male model (LaKeith Stanfield) who turns out to be a soul-devouring demon, and a group of robots posing as people by wearing synthetic skin. The madness worked for Riley in his debut film Sorry to Bother You, but here it leads the story up all manner of blind alleys, even if some of those alleys turn out to be quite funny. The costumes and production design are très dystopian chic, but the material isn’t there. Also with Will Poulter, Eiza González, Rachel Walters, Robin Thede, Alan Z, Jermaine Fowler, Eric André, Adam Devine, Jason Ritter, Kara Young, Don Cheadle, and Viggo Mortensen.
In the Grey (R) An off-putting smugness sneaks into this Guy Ritchie action-thriller that might have otherwise been enjoyable. Jake Gyllenhaal, Henry Cavill, and Eiza González star as a group of covert operatives who are hired by a giant bank to recover $1 billion from a Spanish criminal overlord (Carlos Bardem) who is ensconced on a private island with dozens of well-armed mercenaries protecting him. Our protagonists spend the first half of the film laboriously laying out various contingency plans to get the money and then escape from the island, and then just about everything goes according to plan. What fun is that? While this is more watchable than Ritchie’s solemn exercises like Wrath of Man and The Covenant, the comedy doesn’t work. Even if the material had been better, it would have been torpedoed by the lazy performances on display here. Also with Kristofer Hivju, Jason Wong, Kojo Attah, Emmett J. Scanlan, Michael Vu, Mohammed al-Turki, Gonzalo Bouza, Darrell D’Silva, Fisher Stevens, and Rosamund Pike.
Is God Is (R) First-time filmmaker Aleshea Harris adapts this from her own stage play, and this strange work has stretches of great vividness and power. Kara Young and Mallori Johnson portray twin sisters who are sent to take revenge on their father (Sterling K. Brown) after he set their mother (Vivica A. Fox) on fire. Harris makes efforts to evoke the grainy colors of blaxploitation movies from the 1970s, but also displays some visual techniques that are more innovative than those old films would have had. The film does not always work, but Brown is cannily cast against type and Harris brings mythic overtones and a hot, greasy atmosphere that lifts this above the pack of ordinary revenge thrillers. Also with Erika Alexander, Josiah Cross, Mykelti Williamson, Xavier Mills, Justen Ross, and Janelle Monáe.
Karuppu (NR) This Tamil-language action film stars Suriya as a lawyer who battles injustice after becoming possessed by a god. Also with Trisha Krishnan, RJ Balaji, Indrans, Natty Subramaniam, Supreeth Reddy, Yogi Babu, Mansoor Ali Khan, and Aju Varghese.
Michael (PG-13) There is no movie here. In a bid to appease the Jackson family and their lawyers, director Antoine Fuqua and screenwriter John Logan have thrown out every bit of plot, character development, and atmosphere that would make this Michael Jackson biopic into a semblance of a story. The film takes place in 1966-88, with Juliano Valdi playing little Michael and Jaafar Jackson as the adult. Everything from Janet Jackson to the pedophilia allegations is studiously ignored, and we don’t even get any insight into Michael Jackson’s creative process or psychology to compensate for it. Both Valdi and Jaafar Jackson imitate Michael’s fluid dance moves, which is no mean feat, but the man himself comes off as a cipher, so what hope do the supporting characters have? This is a good deal less than a nostalgia act, and Fuqua and Logan have nothing to do except play the hits. Also with Colman Domingo, Miles Teller, Nia Long, Larenz Tate, Kendrick Sampson, Laura Harrier, KeiLyn Durrel Jones, Jessica Sula, Deon Cole, and Mike Myers.
Mortal Kombat II (R) Adapted from the 1990s video game, this sequel to the pandemic hit stars Karl Urban as Johnny Cage, a washed-up Hollywood martial-arts star who’s drafted to fight against demigods in a fighting tournament with the fate of the Earth at stake. This starts off somewhat well, with some inventive fight sequences and a very funny parody of 1990s action movies. Josh Lawson returns as a resurrected mercenary and contributes some snap despite playing every Australian stereotype at once. The script’s feeble attempts at humor are nevertheless a welcome break from the stilted dramatics, as the movie loses track of all the characters (including Johnny) for unconscionable stretches, and the climactic fights go on interminably. Also with Adeline Rudolph, Jessica McNamee, Tadanobu Asano, Mehcad Brooks, Tati Gabrielle, Martyn Ford, CJ Bloomfield, Lewis Tan, Max Huang, Damon Herriman, Chin Han, Joe Taslim, and Hiroyuki Sanada.
Obsession (R) A scary new entry in the long tradition of stories about the dangers of gaining your heart’s desire. Michael Johnston stars in this horror film as a weak man who can’t tell his crush (Inde Navarrette) that he’s in love with her, so he finds a novelty toy that grants people’s desires and wishes for her love. Navarrette is only 5’0” and manages to be utterly terrifying as a level-headed woman who suddenly morphs into an ultra-clingy demon who’s willing to murder anyone who gets between her and her man. Writer-director Curry Barker comes from a comedy background conjures a number of memorable visuals here, and if the momentum flags somewhat in the film’s second half, he still comes up with a fiendish climax that sends you out of the theater with an indelible chill. Also with Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless, Justice, Anthony Casablanca, and Andy Richter.
Passenger (R) The latest horror film by André Øvredal (Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark) stars Jacob Scipio and Lou LLobell as a couple who are stalked by a murderous demon after encountering a road accident. Also with Melissa Leo and June Clemons.
Project Hail Mary (PG-13) Based on Andy Weir’s novel, this science-fiction movie is entertaining enough for the price of admission and maybe even an upcharge to a premium format. Ryan Gosling portrays an astronaut who travels to a star light-years away to find a solution to why our sun is dying. He meets an alien being whose world is facing the same problem with its sun. Gosling spends a great deal of time talking to himself, partly because his character is trying to keep from going insane from the solitude and partly because he has trouble communicating with the alien, but if any actor can make this assignment look easy, it’s Gosling. The filmmaking team of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (The Lego Movie) drills down into the trial-and-error that goes into the characters’ scientific work and manages to find both humor and beauty in the vastness of space. The movie earns its uplift because of the way the two life forms are willing to collaborate to save their civilizations. Also with Sandra Hüller, Ken Leung, Milana Vayntrub, Priya Kansara, Orion Lee, and Lionel Boyce. Voices by James Ortiz and an uncredited Meryl Streep.
The Sheep Detectives (PG) Adapted from Leonie Swann’s children’s book, this film has a fresh idea but botches the execution. When an English shepherd (Hugh Jackman) is found murdered, his flock of sheep sets out to solve the crime, since he used to read to them from his collection of detective novels. Nicholas Braun contributes a fine turn as a cop who’s dumber than any of the sheep, but the mystery plot is too balky for first-time director Kyle Balda, who has to balance it with the sheep leaving their meadow for the first time and interacting with other humans. This movie isn’t sure whether it’s supposed to be for the kids or for the Agatha Christie fans. Also with Emma Thompson, Nicholas Galitzine, Molly Gordon, Tosin Cole, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Conleth Hill, and Hong Chau. Voices by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston, Chris O’Dowd, Regina Hall, Bella Ramsey, Brett Goldstein, Rhys Darby, and Patrick Stewart.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (PG) The Mario brothers (voiced by Chris Pratt and Charlie Day) rescue Yoshi (voiced by Donald Glover) while Bowser Jr. (voiced by Benny Safdie) kidnaps Princess Rosalina (voiced by Brie Larson) in this sequel. While there’s entirely too much going on, this is still better than the first movie. The new voice talent gives the thing some new energy and the filmmakers inject some visual wit that wasn’t there in the original, such as interludes made to look like sock puppet theater and Japanese anime, as well as a casino whose gaming floor extends to the walls and ceiling. Some Mario-fied Minions make an appearance as well. There’s certainly worse stuff made for the little ones out there. Additional voices by Jack Black, Anya Taylor-Joy, Keegan-Michael Key, Issa Rae, Luis Guzmán, and Glen Powell.
Dallas Exclusives
Reckless (NR) Scott Adkins stars in this thriller as a recently released ex-convict who goes to collect his share of the money from the last robbery he did. Also with Vinnie Jones, Nicole Deon, Kris Johnson, Dean Gaffney, Adam Deacon, Jordan Long, and Mark Strange.
