Opening This Week: ANACONDA Bites, NO OTHER CHOICE Hunts Jobs, THE PLAGUE Plunges Into Terror

Our guide to what's opening this week in movie theaters, from biting comedy to twisted comedy to scary water polo to a fierce preacher to a wildly optimistic ping-pong player to a musical duo to a sweet choral.

Anaconda
The film opens Thursday, December 25, only in movie theaters, via Sony Pictures Entertainment. Visit the official site for locations and showtimes.

Official synopsis: "THIS IS NOT A REBOOT. It is an entirely original comedy, inspired by the cinematic 'classic' Anaconda, that features Doug (Jack Black) and Griff (Paul Rudd), who have been best friends since they were kids and always dreamed of remaking their all-time favorite movie. When a midlife crisis pushes them to finally go for it, they head deep into the Amazon to start filming. But things get real when an actual giant anaconda appears, turning their comically chaotic movie set into a deadly situation."

Look for our review later this week.

No Other Choice
The film opens Thursday, December 25, only in movie theaters, via Neon. Visit the official site for locations and showtimes.

Official synopsis: "From director Park Chan-wook and based on Donald E. Westlake's novel The Ax, the story follows Man-su on his desperate hunt for a new job after his abrupt layoff from the paper company he served for 25 years."

Our review by James Marsh: "Park proves he is equally adept at handling comedy, without sacrificing any of the rich artistry that has become emblematic of his style. No Other Choice parades a ravishing visual aesthetic, through brightly coloured production design, vivid cinematography and intricately layered editing, all of which serve to underscore the escalating absurdity of this increasingly frantic comedy of errors."

The Plague
The film opens Wednesday, December 24, only in movie theaters. Visit the official site for locations and showtimes.

Official synopsis: "At an all-boys water polo camp, a socially anxious twelve-year-old is pulled into a cruel tradition targeting an outcast with an illness they call 'The Plague.' But as the lines between game and reality blur, he fears the joke might be hiding something real."

Look for our review later this week.

Marty Supreme
The film opens Thursday, December 25, only in movie theaters, via A24 Films.

Official synopsis: "From writer/director Josh Safdie and starring Timothée Chalamet, Gwyneth Paltrow, Odessa A'zion, Kevin O'Leary, Tyler Okonma, Abel Ferrara, and Fran Drescher. ... Marty Mauser, a young man with a dream no one respects, goes to hell and back in pursuit of greatness."

Look for our review later this week.

Song Song Blue
The film opens Thursday, December 25, only in movie theaters, via Focus Features. Visit the official site for locations and showtimes.

Official synopsis: "Based on a true story, two down-on-their-luck musicians (Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson) form a joyous Neil Diamond tribute band, proving it's never too late to find love and follow your dreams."

Look for our review later today.

The Testament of Ann Lee
The film opens Thursday, December 25, only in movie theaters, via Searchlight Pictures. Visit the official site for locations and showtimes.

Official synopsis: "From award-winning writer-director Mona Fastvold (The World to Come, The Brutalist) comes the extraordinary true legend of Ann Lee, founder of the devotional sect known as the Shakers. Academy Award nominee Amanda Seyfried stars as the Shaker's irrepressible leader, who preached gender and social equality and was revered by her followers.

"The Testament of Ann Lee captures the ecstasy and agony of her quest to build a utopia, featuring more than a dozen traditional Shaker hymns reimagined as rapturous movements with choreography by Celia Rowlson-Hall (Vox Lux) and original songs & score by Academy Award winner Daniel Blumberg (The Brutalist)."

Our review by Shelagh Rowan-Legg: "The Testament of Ann Lee is a beautifully made film, an intense and, if perhaps not an epic story, one that never falters in its commitment to its subject and her portrayal on her own terms."

Father Mother Sister Brother
The film opens Thursday, December 25, only in movie theaters, via Mubi. Visit their official site for locations and showtimes.

Official synopsis: "The eagerly-awaited new film from Jim Jarmusch. Funny, tender and astutely observed, this is an intimate exploration of the universal intricacies of family dynamics. Starring Tom Waits, Adam Driver, Mayim Bialik, Charlotte Rampling, Cate Blanchett, Vicky Krieps, Indya Moore and Luka Sabbat.

"Told in the form of a triptych divided into chapters set in New Jersey, Dublin and Paris, each story concerns the relationships between adult children, their somewhat distant parent (or parents), and each other. Blending remarkable performances from its ensemble cast with Jarmusch's wry and idiosyncratic observations of everyday life, the iconic indie director's latest serves as a timely reminder that you can choose your friends and your lovers, but you can't choose your family."

Our review by Martin Tsai: "A triptych by structure, Father Mother Sister Brother feels like three results from a film school exercise ... At best, a breezy summer sleeper. Instead of insights into the characters, we get snapshots. Even for an ensemble piece, the cast doesn't have much to work with. There's very little takeaway from each episode. The cultural differences between the three individual locales are hazy. Even when stacked together, the narratives don't really culminate in something meaningful."

The Choral
The film opens Thursday, December 25, only in movie theaters, via Sony Pictures Classics.

Official synopsis: "1916. As war rages on the Western Front, the Choral Society in Ramsden, Yorkshire has lost most of its men to the army. The Choral's ambitious committee, determined to press ahead, decides to recruit local young males to swell their ranks. They must also engage a new chorus master, and despite their suspicions that he has something to hide, their best bet seems to be Dr. Henry Guthrie (Ralph Fiennes) - driven, uncompromising, and recently returned from a career in Germany. As conscription papers start to arrive, the whole community discovers that the best response to the chaos that is laying waste to their lives is to make music together."

Opening This Week celebrates the theatrical experience.