In the mood to get real? Check out this week's lineup of dramas showing on the big screen in and around Phoenix.
Here are the top-ranked drama films to catch in theaters, based on critical scores sourced from review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. (Movie descriptions courtesy The Movie Database; showtimes via Fandango.)
Green Book
Tony Lip, a bouncer in 1962, is hired to drive pianist Don Shirley on a tour through the Deep South in the days when African Americans were forced to find alternate accommodations and services due to segregation laws below the Mason-Dixon Line. They relied on a guide called The Negro Motorist Green Book.
With a critical approval rating of 82 percent and an audience score of 78 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Green Book" has proven a solid option since its release on November 16. It received five Golden Globe nominations, including Best Director for Peter Farrelly.
The site's critical consensus notes that "'Green Book' takes audiences on a surprisingly smooth ride through potentially bumpy subject matter, fueled by Peter Farrelly's deft touch and a pair of well-matched leads."
You can catch it at Harkins Christown 14 (1620 W. Montebello) through Monday, Dec. 24. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
Boy Erased
Jared, the son of a Baptist pastor in a small American town, is outed to his parents at age 19. Jared is faced with an ultimatum: attend a gay conversion therapy program – or be permanently exiled and shunned by his family, friends and faith.
With a critical approval rating of 81 percent and an audience score of 77 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Boy Erased" has proven a solid option since its release on Nov. 16, with a consensus that "Anchored in empathy by writer-director-star Joel Edgerton, 'Boy Erased' proves the road to complex, powerfully performed drama can also be paved with good intentions."
Get a piece of the action at Bell Road (2710 W. Bell Road St., Ste. 1125) through Wednesday, Dec. 26. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
Bohemian Rhapsody
Singer Freddie Mercury, guitarist Brian May, drummer Roger Taylor and bass guitarist John Deacon take the music world by storm when they form the rock 'n' roll band Queen in 1970. Hit songs become instant classics. When Mercury's increasingly wild lifestyle starts to spiral out of control, Queen soon faces its greatest challenge yet – finding a way to keep the band together amid the success and excess.
With a critical approval rating of 62 percent and an audience score of 90 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Bohemian Rhapsody" is well worth a watch. Rami Malek received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor for his turn as frontman Freddie Mercury.
The site's critical consensus notes that "'Bohemian Rhapsody' hits a handful of high notes, but as an in-depth look at a beloved band, it offers more of a medley than a true greatest hits collection."
In the mood for popcorn? It's playing at AMC Arizona Center 24 (565 N. Third St.) through Wednesday, Dec. 26. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
Vox Lux
In 1999, teenage sisters Celeste and Eleanor survive a seismic, violent tragedy. The sisters compose and perform a song about their experience, making something lovely and cathartic out of a catastrophe — while also catapulting Celeste to stardom. By 2017, Celeste is a mother to a teenage daughter of her own and is struggling to navigate a career fraught with scandals when another act of terrifying violence demands her attention.
With a 61 percent critical approval rating and an audience score of 53 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Vox Lux" is well worth a watch. The site's critical consensus declares, "'Vox Lux' probes the allures and pitfalls of modern celebrity with sharp intelligence and visual style, all held together by an assured Natalie Portman performance."
Want to see for yourself? It's playing at Harkins Valley Art (509 S. Mill Avenue) through Wednesday, Dec. 26. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
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