In the market for high-caliber entertainment? Read on for this week's lineup of acclaimed movies showing on the big screen in and around Denver.
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.)
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 97 percent critical approval rating and an audience score of 97 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, this 1993 Best Picture winner is a critical darling. The site's critical consensus declares, "'Schindler's List' blends the abject horror of the Holocaust with Steven Spielberg's signature tender humanism to create the director's dramatic masterpiece."
Bring some Kleenex for this limited, 25th anniversary re-release. It's playing at Harkins Northfield 18 (8300 E. Northfield Blvd.) through Wednesday, Dec. 12. 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 critical approval rating of 96 percent and an audience score of 78 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "The Hate U Give" has been a must-watch since its release on October 19.
As the site's critical consensus has it, "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."
You can catch it at Harkins Northfield 18 (8300 E. Northfield Blvd.) through Thursday, Dec. 6. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
The Favourite
In early 18th century England, a frail Queen Anne occupies the throne and her close friend Lady Sarah governs the country in her stead. When a new servant Abigail arrives, her charm endears her to Sarah.
With five Golden Globe nominations, a critical approval rating of 94 percent and an audience score of 77 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "The Favourite" has become a favorite since its release on November 23.
According to the site's critical consensus, "'The Favourite' sees Yorgos Lanthimos balancing a period setting against rich, timely subtext - and getting roundly stellar performances from his well-chosen stars."
Catch it on the big screen at Alamo Drafthouse Sloans Lake (4255 W. Colfax Ave.) through Wednesday, Dec. 12. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
Gremlins
When Billy Peltzer is given a strange but adorable pet named Gizmo for Christmas, he inadvertently breaks the three important rules of caring for a Mogwai and unleashes a horde of mischievous gremlins on a small town.
With an 84 percent critical approval rating and an audience score of 78 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, this '80s throwback has proven a solid holiday viewing choice. The site's critical consensus has it that "Whether you choose to see it as a statement on consumer culture or simply a special effects-heavy popcorn flick, 'Gremlins' is a minor classic."
You can catch it at Alamo Drafthouse Sloans Lake (4255 W. Colfax Ave.) on Wednesday, Dec. 5. 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.
Another, more recent holiday classic with a critical approval rating of 83 percent and an audience score of 78 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Elf" has proven a solid Christmas choice since its debut in 2003.
Per the critics, "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."
Interested? It's playing at Alamo Drafthouse Sloans Lake (4255 W. Colfax Ave.) through Saturday, Dec. 8. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
