In the age of streaming entertainment, it can be hard to leave the couch. But movie theaters still offer a special experience for those willing to get out of the house. Want to see what's out there? Don't miss this week's lineup of acclaimed movies showing on the big screen in and around San Francisco.
Based on critical scores sourced from review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, here are the highest rated films to catch. (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 92 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Shoplifters" has been a must-watch since its release on Nov 23. The Japanese-language, English-subtitled picture has earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Foreign Language Film.
According to the site's critical consensus, "Understated yet ultimately deeply affecting, 'Shoplifters' adds another powerful chapter to director Hirokazu Koreeda's richly humanistic filmography."
Catch it on the big screen at the Opera Plaza Cinema (601 Van Ness Ave.) and elsewhere through Thursday, Dec. 27. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
Free Solo
Follow Alex Honnold as he attempts to become the first person to ever free solo climb Yosemite's 3, 000 foot high El Capitan wall. With no ropes or safety gear, and this would arguably be the greatest feat in rock climbing history.
Boasting a 98 percent critical approval rating and an audience score of 92 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Free Solo" has gotten stellar reviews since its release on Sept. 28.
The site's critics agree 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 the 4 Star (2200 Clement St.) through Thursday, Dec. 27. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
Brazil
Low-level bureaucrat Sam Lowry escapes the monotony of his day-to-day life through a recurring daydream of himself as a virtuous hero saving a beautiful damsel. Investigating a case that led to the wrongful arrest and eventual death of an innocent man instead of wanted terrorist Harry Tuttle, he meets the woman from his daydream, and in trying to help her gets caught in a web of mistaken identities, mindless bureaucracy and lies.
Boasting a critical approval rating of 98 percent and an audience score of 90 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, this 1985 release is being re-released at the Roxie today only. The site's critical consensus declares, "Terry Gilliam's visionary Orwellian fantasy is an audacious dark comedy, filled with strange, imaginative visuals."
Want to see for yourself? It's playing at Roxie Theater (3117 16th St.) on Friday, Dec. 21. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
Can You Ever Forgive Me?
When bestselling celebrity biographer Lee Israel is no longer able to get published because she has fallen out of step with current tastes, she turns her art form to deception, abetted by her loyal friend Jack.
Boasting a 98 percent critical approval rating and an audience score of 84 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Can You Ever Forgive Me?" has been a must-watch since its release on Oct. 19. Both Melissa McCarthy and Richard E. Grant garnered Golden Globe nods for their work in the film.
The site's critical consensus agrees, noting, "Deftly directed and laced with dark wit, 'Can You Ever Forgive Me?' proves a compelling showcase for deeply affecting work from Richard E. Grant and Melissa McCarthy."
It's screening at UA Stonestown Twin (501 Buckingham Way) through Thursday, Dec. 27. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
If Beale Street Could Talk
After her fiance is falsely imprisoned, a pregnant African-American woman sets out to clear his name and prove his innocence.
Set to be released on Monday, Dec. 24, "Moonlight" director Barry Jenkins's new adaptation of James Baldwin's 1974 novel "If Beale Street Could Talk" already has a critical approval rating of 94 percent and an audience score of 75 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
The site's critical consensus has it that "'If Beale Street Could Talk' honors its source material with a beautifully filmed adaptation that finds director Barry Jenkins further strengthening his visual and narrative craft."
It's screening at the Alamo Drafthouse New Mission (2550 Mission) through Thursday, Dec. 27. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
