OPENING
Bethlehem Kudumba Unit (NR) This Malayalam-language romantic comedy stars Nivin Pauly and Mamitha Baiju as a couple with a significant age difference. Also with Sangeeth Prathap, Dhyan Sreenivasan, Roshan Shanavas, Vinay Forrt, and Suresh Krishna. (Opens Friday at Cinemark North East Mall)
Hot Spot (R) This science-fiction thriller stars Andrzej Konopka as a detective suffering a mental meltdown in a future world with sentient AI. Also with Noomi Rapace, Reika Kirishima, Filippa Kaye, George Aurimas Cris, Niki Sereti, and Rasmi Tsopela. (Opens Friday)
Insidious: Out of the Further (PG-13) The sixth film in the horror series stars Amelia Eve as a young mother with the power to bring demons back from the next world. Also with Lin Shaye, Sam Spruell, Maisie Richardson-Sellers, and Joseph Lopez. (Opens Friday)
Irumudi (NR) This Telugu-language action-thriller stars Ravi Teja as a recovering alcoholic who takes a spiritual journey to atone for his misdeeds. Also with Priya Bhavani Shankar, Baby Nakshatra, Swasika Vijay, Sai Kumar, and Ajay Ghosh. (Opens Friday)
Judaa (NR) This Punjabi-language romantic comedy stars Gulab Sidhu, Jasmin Bhasin, Honey Mattu, and Sukhi Chahal. (Opens Friday at Cinemark North East Mall)
Karmakhya (NR) Abhinaya Krishna’s Telugu-language horror film stars Samuthirakani, Abhirami, Dhanraj, Madhunandan, Samaira, and Saranya Pradeep. (Opens Friday at AMC Grapevine Mills)
Khalifa (NR) Prithviraj Sukumaran stars in this Malayalam-language action film as a gold smuggler whose criminal operation is complicated by unexpected events. Also with Mohanlal, Indrans, Rajisha Vijayan, Malvika Sharma, Neil Nitin Mukesh, and Krithi Shetty. (Opens Friday)
The Magic Faraway Tree (PG) Based on Enid Blyton’s novel, this fantasy film stars Andrew Garfield and Claire Foy as parents whose children discover a magical land after they move to the countryside. Also with Nicola Coughlan, Nonso Anozie, Phoenix Laroche, Billie Gadsdon, Delilah Bennett-Cardy, Simon Farnaby, Claire Keelan, Jessica Gunning, Pippa Bennett-Warner, Lenny Henry, Simon Russell Beale, Michael Palin, Jennifer Saunders, and Rebecca Ferguson. Voice by Judi Dench. (Opens Friday)
Modha Rathiri (NR) This Tamil-language comedy takes place at a village wedding plagued by unexpected occurrences. Starring Anishma Anilkumar, Abdool Lee, Chetan, Sangetha Balan, Bagavathi Perumal, Karthikeyan, and A. Venkatesh. (Opens Friday at AMC Grapevine Mills)
Mutiny (R) Pretty bad. The latest Jason Statham thriller has him as a corporate security guy in Thailand who’s framed for his boss’ murder and stows away on a cargo ship that turns out to be smuggling human beings. The pacing is slack, the plot is full of holes, and Statham himself looks disengaged from what’s happening. This is director Jean-François Richet’s follow-up to Plane, and it doesn’t have anything like that movie’s energy or attention to character. The only thing distinguishing this from all the other movies where Statham shoots a bunch of people is that this is worse. Also with Annabelle Wallis, Roland Møller, Ramon Tikaram, Chaneil Kular, Arnas Fedaravičius, Lee Charles, Simon Kluth, Jason Wong, and Adrian Lester. (Opens Friday)
Never Stop Chasing (NR) Ken Cole’s documentary follows storm chaser Reed Timmer as he tracks America’s most powerful tornadoes. (Opens Friday at AMC Grapevine Mills)
Paper Flowers (NR) This biographical drama stars Kapil Talwalkar as Shalin Shah, the cancer patient who discovered his sense of purpose after his terminal diagnosis. Also with Olivia Liang, Karan Soni, Faran Tahir, Meera Simhan, Jeremy Culhane, and Tom Everett Scott. (Opens Friday at AMC Grapevine Mills)
Spa Weekend (R) The latest comedy by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore (Bad Moms) is about four friends (Michelle Buteau, Anna Faris, Isla Fisher, and Leslie Mann) having a chaotic weekend at a relaxation resort. Also with Tim Ross, Robert Coleby, Felix Williamson, Dominic Ona-Ariki, Diana Glenn, Ali Basoka, and Erika Heynatz. (Opens Friday)
Tony (R) This biographical film stars Dominic Sessa as a teenage Anthony Bourdain finding his way in the world during the summer of 1979. Also with Emilia Jones, Leo Woodall, Stavros Halkias, Rich Sommer, Dagmara Dominczyk, Michael Jibrin, Monica Raymund, and Antonio Banderas. (Opens Friday)
NOW PLAYING
Awarapan 2 (NR) Emraan Hashmi reprises his role from the original 2007 film as a former gangster who devotes himself to fighting sex trafficking. Also with Shabana Azmi, Disha Patani, Suvinder Vicky, Vijayant Kohli, and Atul Kumar.
The Brink of War (PG) This historical thriller is about a 1988 nuclear disarmament summit between Ronald Reagan (Jeff Daniels) and Mikhail Gorbachev (Jared Harris). Also with J.K. Simmons, Aya Cash, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson, Vladimir Kulich, Branka Katic, Tim Dutton, and Hope Davis.
DC (NR) This Tamil-language gangster film stars Lokesh Kanagaraj, Wamiqa Gabbi, Sanjana, Avinash Raghudevan, Kasthuri Raja, and Arun Matheswaran.
The End of Oak Street (PG-13) A better dinosaur movie than any of the Jurassic World films, though it could have been better still. Ewan McGregor and Anne Hathaway star as Detroit parents in 1982 whose suburb is mysteriously zapped back in time 200 million years, forcing them to barricade themselves inside their house to avoid being eaten. Writer-director David Robert Mitchell (It Follows) contributes more than a few pleasing formal elements, from the slow reveal of the neighborhood’s fate to a one-take shot of the parents running crossways to get an allosaurus away from their kids. It’s a shame that Mitchell consistently cheaps out when it comes to the family issues here. In making too many compromises for the popcorn crowd, he makes this like one of Steven Spielberg or J.J. Abrams’ lesser efforts. Also with Maisy Stella, Christian Convery, Jordan Alexa Davis, Emily Kuroda, Anne Gee Byrd, and P.J. Byrne.
Minions & Monsters (PG) The series goes all cinephile, which turns out to be a pretty good thing. The Minions (voiced by Pierre Coffin) wash up in Hollywood in the 1920s and become silent-film stars before the advent of sound film ruins their careers as actors. The setup allows the filmmakers to engage in all manner of references to movies from that time period, as well as acknowledge that the Minions owe much of their comedy to the stylings of Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Harold Lloyd. Next to those, the halves of the plot involving most of the Minions looking for another supervillain and a small group of them trying to make their own movie are both rather pallid. It’s still cleverer than the Scary Movie reboot, and a perfect introduction to silent movies for your kid. Additional voices by Christoph Waltz, Allison Janney, Jesse Eisenberg, Trey Parker, Zoey Deutch, Phil LaMarr, Bobby Moynihan, Jeff Bridges, and George Lucas.
Moana (PG) As with too many other live-action Disney remakes, the studio rushed in with this without pondering why they were doing it. Catherine Laga’aia takes over the role of the Polynesian princess, and she has a fine voice. Even that, though, doesn’t register as an improvement on the animated 2016 original, which is too fresh in our minds to need a remake. If Disney can’t be bothered with rethinking its remakes, why should you bother paying for a ticket, and why should I bother writing it up? Also with Dwayne Johnson, John Tui, Frankie Adams, Eric Scanlan, and Rena Owen. Voice by Jemaine Clement.
Nimrods (R) This comedy stars Mason Thames, Kylr Coffman, and Ryan Faust as a rock band who drive from Kansas City to L.A. in 1994 in the belief that they’re opening for Green Day. Also with Mckenna Grace, Jenna Fischer, Angela Kinsey, Keen Ruffalo, Bobby Lee, Sean Gunn, Jolene Blalock, and Fred Armisen.
The Odyssey (R) Not free of flaws, but a cogent modern interpretation of Homer’s epic poem. As you might guess, this epic needs the biggest screen you can find so that you can properly appreciate its natural vistas and visual set pieces like the boat steering between Scylla and Charybdis. Writer-director Christopher Nolan is too scrupulous when it comes to the violence in the epic poem; more blood would have brought home the movie’s point that Odysseus (Matt Damon) won the Trojan War by violating sacred values and is trying to restore them. Some of the actors in this cast laden with A-list stars do get lost, but Anne Hathaway finds the rage beneath Penelope’s regal exterior and Lupita Nyong’o pulls off an impressive double role as Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra. Instead of a turgid homework assignment, this earns its epic status thanks to Nolan’s contemporary angle on the story. Also with Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, Zendaya, Jon Bernthal, John Leguizamo, Himesh Patel, Elliot Page, Samantha Morton, James Remar, Mia Goth, Corey Hawkins, Bill Irwin, Benny Safdie, Jovan Adepo, Logan Marshall-Green, Will Yun Lee, Ryan Hurst, Shiloh Fernandez, Rafi Gavron, and Travis Scott.
One Night Only (R) Monica Barbaro deserves better than this bizarre high-concept romantic comedy. Set in a future America where premarital sex is illegal except for one night per year, the story ignores the political aspects of its story in favor of a musician (Barbaro) having a platonic romance with a pizzeria manager (Callum Turner) on the aforementioned night. The plot convenience isn’t really that convenient, raising more questions than the movie cares to answer. The movie’s worth is in the performance of its leading lady, who sings, dances, plays piano, and spends much of the film in a high-hemmed skirt that makes her legs look a thousand miles long. She’s also quite funny as a lovelorn single, and receives enough support from the other cast members to keep this from being a one-woman show, but she can’t overcome the unthoughtful weirdness of the conceit. Also with Maya Hawke, King Princess, Charlie Gillespie, Ben Marshall, Jay Ellis, Quintessa Swindell, Okieriete Onaodowan, Mike Birbiglia, Ziwe, LeVar Burton, Molly Ringwald, and uncredited cameos by Nicholas Braun, Bobby Cannavale, and Pete Davidson.
Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie (PG) Our adorable pups carry out more rescue missions while the mayor (voiced by Ron Pardo) gets out of prison and hatches more evil schemes with his cat minions. Lather, rinse, repeat. The new installment does take place on an undiscovered island populated by dinosaurs and one dog (voiced by Hayden Chamberlain) who has learned to tame the big reptiles. It isn’t enough to engage newcomers to the series or viewers over the age of 8. Anyone older than that will probably be happier with The End of Oak Street for their dinosaur fix. Additional voices by Carter Young, Rain Janjua, Mckenna Grace, Fortune Feimster, Jameela Jamil, Terry Crews, Bill Nye, Meredith MacNeill, Paris Hilton, Snoop Dogg, and Jennifer Hudson.
The Rivals of Amziah King (R) Unusual in the right ways. Matthew McConaughey stars as an Oklahoma beekeeper and sometime bluegrass musician who teaches his foster daughter (Angelina LookingGlass) the ways of the honey trade. She then seeks to solve the mystery and keep his farm alive after a theft of his beehives causes a fatal heart attack. Writer-director Andrew Patterson (The Vast of Night) adopts some herky-jerky rhythms that serve to keep us on our toes and is alert to both the seamy side of the beekeeping business and the feel of the bluegrass songs performed by the cast. For everyone, but especially for moviegoers who understand the importance of regional cinema, this oddity is well worth looking for. Also with Cole Sprouse, Owen Teague, Rob Morgan, Tony Revolori, Jake Horowitz, Bruce Davis, Catherine Dyer, Chip Carriere, Scott Shepherd, and Kurt Russell.
Six: The Musical Live! (PG-13) Liz Clare’s concert film captures a performance of the West End musical imagining Henry VIII’s wives as pop music stars. Starring Aimie Atkinson, Alexia McIntosh, Millie O’Connell, Natalie Paris, Maiya Quansah-Breed, and Jarneia Richard-Noel.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day (PG-13) Peter Parker (Tom Holland) endures some growing pains in this flawed movie that nevertheless will cure your Marvel fatigue. In a new reality where everyone has forgotten his identity, Peter has to deal with the fritzing of his superpowers, a new villain who can take control of people’s minds, and trying to re-connect with his former friends MJ and Ned (Zendaya and Jacob Batalon). Peter’s team-up with the Punisher (Jon Bernthal) is a terrific one, as Peter finds himself trying not to become Frank Castle while turning Jean Grey (Sadie Sink) away from the dark side. The shape of the movie defeats director Destin Daniel Cretton, but the story elements get Peter out of a holding pattern and set up the future Avengers movie quite nicely, as Peter realizes that continuing his crime-fighting by himself will lead to him becoming angry and lonely. Also with Mark Ruffalo, Florence Pugh, Liza Colón-Zayas, Tramell Tillman, Michael Mando, Olivia Booth-Ford, Marvin Jones III, Billy Clements, and Marisa Tomei. Voices by Keith David and Naomi Watts.
Super Troopers 3 (R) Broken Lizard’s comedy remains a taste that I have yet to acquire. The Vermont state troopers here try to adapt to new technology while Thorny (Jay Chandrasekhar) tries to prevent the wedding between his sister (Hannah Simone) and his fellow officer (Kevin Heffernan). There is a funny slapstick bit when the prospective groom eats a lobster despite a lethal shellfish allergy and forces everybody to stick him with an EpiPen. The movie at least recognizes that the guys have gotten older, but fails to do anything funny with that. Also with Steve Lemme, Erik Stolhanske, Paul Soter, Andrew Dismukes, Nat Faxon, Sakina Jaffrey, Iqbal Theba, Marisa Coughlan, Jon Rudnitsky, Chace Crawford, Lynda Carter, and Brian Cox.
Toy Story 5 (PG) The latest installment in the series is all about Jessie the Cowgirl (voiced by Joan Cusack), which helps make it one of the best. With Bonnie (voiced by Scarlett Spears) getting a new tablet (voiced by Greta Lee) as a gift, the toys see a future of neglect, and their attempts to get rid of it end up calling Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks) out of retirement and transporting both Jessie and Bullseye back to her old home, now occupied by a new girl and another set of toys. Conan O’Brien injects a ton of energy and poop jokes as an outdated device designed to potty-train toddlers, but the movie’s success hangs on Jessie discovering the impact she made on her previous owner and coming to terms with the fact that kids will always outgrow their toys. Additional voices by Tim Allen, Bonnie Hunt, Annie Potts, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, Ernie Hudson, Matty Matheson, Mykal-Michelle Harris, Kristen Schaal, Tony Hale, Melissa Villaseñor, Alan Cumming, Keanu Reeves, and Bad Bunny.
The Wrong Girls (R) This highly inconsistent but occasionally quite funny comedy stars Kristen Stewart as an L.A. stoner who’s mistaken for a lookalike research chemist (also Stewart) and given a secret psychedelic drug that turns her and her stoner pal (Alia Shawkat) telepathic and telekinetic and also makes them targets of a team of Danish contract killers. Writer-director and Stewart’s wife Dylan Meyer strikes out with the comedy more often than you’d like, especially the running gag with the heroines being able to hear their cats’ thoughts (voiced by Seth Rogen and Kumail Nanjiani). However, some of the jokes do land with the help of the comic talent on board here, like the choreographed dance number at the end and Stewart’s attempt to look smart while wearing the lookalike’s broken glasses. Also with LaKeith Stanfield, Tony Hale, Zack Fox, Thomas LaBarbera Christensen, Thor Knal, Thomas Nicholson, Kate McKinnon, and Geena Davis. Additional voice by Cate Blanchett.
Your Name (PG) Released in both English-subtitled and -dubbed versions, this teen flick is about a 15-year-old Tokyo boy (voiced by Ryȗnosuke Kamiki and Michael Sinterniklaas) and a 15-year-old country girl (voiced by Mone Kamishiraishi and Stephanie Sheh) who switch bodies every few days while they sleep. This is not a Western-style examination of gender fluidity but rather a fable driven by a mystical confluence of events involving a comet passing overhead and the Shinto shrine that the girl’s family takes care of. The thriller-like conclusion feels pulled from an entirely different film, but there’s no doubting writer-director Makoto Shinkai’s talent and eye for beauty. This 10th-anniversary re-release deserves a look, and not just from the anime fans. Additional voices by Masami Nagasawa, Laura Post, Ryô Narita, Kyle Hebert, Aoi Yuki, Cassandra Morris, Nobunaga Shimazaki, Ben Pronsky, Kanon Tani, Catie Harvey, Etsuko Ichihara, and Glynis Ellis.
Dallas Exclusives
Alterity (NR) Johnny Remo’s horror film is about a group of ghost hunters who discover a government secret in an abandoned shopping mall. Starring Emi Curia, Bryan Eubank, Kelvin Hodge, Lucas Hart, Brittney Rae, and Jeremy Sumpter.
The Run (NR) This postapocalyptic thriller stars Callan Mulvey as a smuggler trying to protect a runaway teen (Charlotte Maggi). Also with Felix Cameron, Taylor Wiese, Tim Phillipps, Joe Romeo, and Nicholas Hope.
