In the market for high-caliber entertainment? Don't miss this week's lineup of acclaimed movies showing on the big screen in and around Los Angeles.
Read on for the highest rated films to catch, based on critical scores sourced from review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. (Movie descriptions courtesy The Movie Database; showtimes via Fandango.)
Shoplifters
After one of their shoplifting sessions, Osamu and his son come across a little girl in the freezing cold. At first reluctant to shelter the girl, Osamu’s wife agrees to take care of her after learning of the hardships she faces. Although the family is poor, barely making enough money to survive through petty crime, they seem to live happily together until an unforeseen incident reveals hidden secrets, testing the bonds that unite them.
Boasting a critical approval rating of 99 percent and an audience score of 90 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Shoplifters" has gotten stellar reviews -- and a Golden Globe nomination for best foreign-language film -- since its release on November 23.
The site's critical consensus has it that "Understated yet ultimately deeply affecting, 'Shoplifters' adds another powerful chapter to director Hirokazu Koreeda's richly humanistic filmography."
Bring tissues to a showing at ArcLight Hollywood (6360 Sunset Blvd.) through Thursday, Dec. 13. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
Free Solo
Follow Alex Honnold as he becomes the first person to ever free solo climb Yosemite's 3, 000 foot high El Capitan wall. With no ropes or safety gear, he completed arguably the greatest feat in rock climbing history.
Boasting a 98 percent critical approval rating and an audience score of 90 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Free Solo" has also received outstanding reviews since its release on September 28. The site's critical consensus has it that "'Free Solo' depicts athletic feats that many viewers will find beyond reason - and grounds the attempts in passions that are all but universal."
Get a piece of the action at Cinepolis Luxury Cinemas Pacific Palisades (1035 N. Swarthmore Ave.) through Friday, Dec. 14. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
The Hate U Give
Raised in a poverty-stricken slum, a 16-year-old girl named Starr now attends a suburban prep school. After she witnesses a police officer shoot her unarmed best friend, she's torn between her two very different worlds as she tries to speak her truth.
With a 96 percent critical approval rating and an audience score of 78 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "The Hate U Give" has proven to be a critical darling since its release on October 19. The site's critical consensus has it that "Led by a breakout turn from Amandla Stenberg, the hard-hitting 'The Hate U Give' emphatically proves the YA genre has room for much more than magic and romance."
It's screening at Regency Valley Plaza 6 (6355 Bellingham Ave.) through Friday, Dec. 14. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
The Favourite
In 18th century England, the close relationship between Queen Anne and Sarah Churchill is threatened by the arrival of Sarah's cousin, Abigail Hill, resulting in a bitter rivalry between the two cousins to be the Queen's favourite.
Set to be released on Friday, December 14, "The Favourite" already has a critical approval rating of 94 percent and an audience score of 70 percent on Rotten Tomatoes -- not to mention a whopping five Golden Globe nominations.
Per the site's overview of critic reviews, "'The Favourite' sees Yorgos Lanthimos balancing a period setting against rich, timely subtext - and getting roundly stellar performances from his well-chosen stars."
Get a piece of the action at AMC Fallbrook 7 (6731 Fallbrook Ave.) through Friday, Dec. 14. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
