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 Dearborn.
Here are 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.)
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 gotten stellar reviews since its release on Oct. 19. The site's critical consensus indicates 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."
Catch it on the big screen at AMC Fairlane 21 (18900 Michigan Ave.) through Tuesday, Dec. 18. Click here for showtimes and tickets.Elf
When young Buddy falls into Santa's gift sack on Christmas Eve, he's transported back to the North Pole and raised as a toy-making elf by Santa's helpers. But as he grows into adulthood, he can't shake the nagging feeling that he doesn't belong. Buddy vows to visit Manhattan and find his real dad, a workaholic publisher.
With an 83 percent critical approval rating and an audience score of 78 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Elf" has proven a solid viewing choice. Per the site's summary of critic reviews, "A movie full of Yuletide cheer, 'Elf' is a spirited, good-natured family comedy, and it benefits greatly from Will Ferrell's funny and charming performance as one of Santa's biggest helpers."
Want to see for yourself? It's playing at Emagine Royal Oak (200 N. Maint St.) through Monday, Dec. 17. 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 an 83 percent critical approval rating and an audience score of 95 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Green Book" has racked up generally positive reviews 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 screening at AMC Fairlane 21 (18900 Michigan Ave.) through Tuesday, Dec. 18. 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 else be permanently exiled and shunned by his family, friends and and faith.
With a critical approval rating of 80 percent and an audience score of 77 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Boy Erased" is well worth a watch, 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."
Interested? It's playing at AMC Fairlane 21 (18900 Michigan Ave.) through Tuesday, Dec. 18. 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, and 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 91 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Bohemian Rhapsody" is well worth a watch, with a consensus 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."
Interested? It's playing at AMC Fairlane 21 (18900 Michigan Ave.) through Tuesday, Dec. 18. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
