Need date night ideas? Check out this week's lineup of acclaimed movies and Golden Globe nominees showing on the big screen in and around Costa Mesa.
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.)
Schindler's List
The true story of how businessman Oskar Schindler saved over a thousand Jewish lives from the Nazis while they worked as slaves in his factory during World War II.
With a critical approval rating of 97 percent and an audience score of 97 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, this '90s flick boasts plenty of accolades. The site's critical consensus indicates that "'Schindler's List' blends the abject horror of the Holocaust with Steven Spielberg's signature tender humanism to create the director's dramatic masterpiece."
Interested? It's playing at Triangle Square Cinemas (1870 Harbor Blvd.) through Friday, Dec. 14. Click here for showtimes and tickets.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, forced to find alternate accommodations and services due to segregation laws below the Mason-Dixon Line, relied on a guide called The Negro Motorist Green Book.
With a critical approval rating of 83 percent and an audience score of 97 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Green Book" has proven a solid option since its release on Nov. 16, with a consensus 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."
It's playing at Edwards Metro Pointe Stadium 12 (901 S. Coast Drive) and Triangle Square Cinemas (1870 Harbor Blvd.) through Friday, Dec. 14. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
It's Christmas time and the Griswolds are preparing for a family seasonal celebration, but things never run smoothly for Clark, his wife Ellen and their two kids. Clark's continual bad luck is worsened by his obnoxious family guests, but he manages to keep going knowing that his Christmas bonus is due soon.
With a critical approval rating of 64 percent and an audience score of 86 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, this 1980s classic has proven potential. Per the site's overview of critic reviews, "while 'Christmas Vacation' may not be the most disciplined comedy, it's got enough laughs and good cheer to make for a solid seasonal treat."
Catch it on the big screen at Edwards Metro Pointe Stadium 12 (901 S. Coast Drive) on Saturday, Dec. 15. 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 62 percent critical approval rating and an audience score of 91 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Bohemian Rhapsody" is well worth a watch. The site's critical consensus indicates 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."
It's playing at Edwards Metro Pointe Stadium 12 (901 S. Coast Drive) and Triangle Square Cinemas (1870 Harbor Blvd.) through Friday, Dec. 14. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
