The two wide releases this week appear to be polar opposites. Happily, a slew of (mostly) indie genre films fill in the large space between them, so there will be plenty of options. (Animation fans will have to content themselves with GOAT.) Here's our guide to what's opening this week in movie theaters.
Good Luck. Have Fun. Don't Die
The film opens Friday, February 13, only in movie theaters, via Briarcliff Entertainment. Visit the official site for locations and showtimes.
Official synopsis: "A man claiming to be from the future takes the patrons of an iconic Los Angeles diner hostage in search of unlikely recruits in a quest to save the world."
Look for our review later this week.
Wuthering Heights
The film opens Friday, February 13, only in movie theaters, via Warner Bros. Visit the official site for locations and showtimes.
Official synopsis: "A bold and original imagining of one of the greatest love stories of all time, Emerald Fennell's Wuthering Heights stars Margot Robbie as Cathy and Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff, whose forbidden passion for one another turns from romantic to intoxicating in an epic tale of lust, love and madness."
Look for our review later this week.
Crime 101
The film opens Friday, February 13, only in movie theaters, via Amazon MGM Studios. Visit the official site for locations and showtimes.
Official synopsis: "Set against the sun-bleached grit of Los Angeles, Crime 101 weaves the tale of an elusive jewel thief (Chris Hemsworth) whose string of heists along the 101 freeway have mystified police. When he eyes the score of a lifetime, his path crosses that of a disillusioned insurance broker (Halle Berry) who is facing her own crossroads. Convinced he has found a pattern, a relentless detective (Mark Ruffalo) is closing in, raising the stakes even higher. As the heist approaches, the line between hunter and hunted begins to blur, and all three are faced with life-defining choices-and the realization that there can be no turning back.
"Adapted from Don Winslow's acclaimed novella of the same name, the film is written and directed by Bart Layton (American Animals, The Imposter). Monica Barbaro, Corey Hawkins, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Nick Nolte round out the cast."
Look for our review later this week.
Sweetness
The film opens Friday, February 13, only in movie theaters, via Saban Films.
Official synopsis: "When a superfan learns that her rock star idol is spiraling into addiction, she makes it her mission to save him, whether he wants her help or not. But when her desperate plan spirals out of control, she kidnaps him in a delusional attempt to 'fix' him. What begins as compassion turns into captivity, as she locks him away in the name of love."
I saw the film at SXSW last year and was very impressed, as I concluded in my review: "Fierce is the most fitting description for Kate Hallet's impersonation of the wildly determined Rylee and for the movie as a whole. Sweetness turns surprisingly sour at times, yet retains sweetness at its core. At least, when it's not completely unhinged, which is most of the time."
Broken Bird
The film opens Friday, February 13, only in Canadian movie theaters, and on April 24 in U.S. movie theaters, via Catalyst Studios and Seismic Releasing.
Official synopsis: "Sybil is a quiet, creative soul, with a love of taxidermy and poetry. When she unexpectedly falls in love, her world is turned upside down, and she faces a new tragic challenge, the only way she knows how: quiet, creative destruction."
Our own Kurt Halfyard saw and enjoyed the film at last year's Calgary Underground Film Festival; his review explained: "Broken Bird is equal parts psychological mystery, romance, and cool examination of taboos around love and death, that, when all combined, feels like a provocation. Regardless of your age or experience, this movie is unabashedly aiming to shove its audience out of their genre-comfort zone."
Cold Storage
The film opens Friday, February 13, in movie theaters and on digital platforms, via Samuel Goldwyn Films.
Official synopsis: "One bad day can be contagious.
"The wildest night shift ever begins in Cold Storage - starring Joe Keery, Georgina Campbell and Liam Neeson, from the screenwriter of Jurassic Park and the producer of Zombieland."
George and Josh Bate got an early look at the film last week; their review sums up its virtues nicely: "Despite its tonal imbalances and second-half missteps, Cold Storage delivers the kind of light genre fare many, less critical audience members will delight in. The film may not make the most of its talented cast and crew, nor does it evoke the quality of its myriad of influences, but there's good fun to be had here for those with 90 minutes to spare and with a proclivity for the repulsive and irreverent."
By Design
The film opens Friday, February 13, only in movie theaters, via Music Box Films. Visit the official site for locations and showtimes.
Official synopsis: "Upon seeing a gorgeous chair in a showroom, Camille (Juliette Lewis) realizes that she truly envies the life of this perfect piece of furniture. If only she could be someone's favorite thing. When she and the chair swap forms, Camille learns that she is better liked as an inanimate object than she was as a person: her mother (Betty Buckley) finds her to be a better listener, and her best friends (Samantha Mathis and Robin Tunney) enjoy a newfound, friction-free rapport.
"As the chair, Camille is unable to speak or move and winds up in the hands of Olivier (Mamoudou Athie), a minimalist bachelor who gradually becomes romantically fixated on his elegant new possession. Narrated by Melanie Griffith, this modern fable celebrates the messiness of female interiority with deadpan humor, surrealist flourishes, and interpretative dance numbers. An absurdist spin on the body-swap comedy, By Design is a bold new work from singular filmmaker Amanda Kramer."
Look for our review later this week.
The Mortuary Assistant
The film opens Friday, February 13, only in movie theaters, via Seismic Releasing.
Official synopsis: "During her first overnight shift at the morgue, newly hired mortician Rebecca Owens falls victim to possession from a demonic entity."
Look for our review later this week.
Opening This Week celebrates the theatrical experience.