Need date night ideas? Check out this week's lineup of acclaimed movies showing on the big screen in and around Charlotte.
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.)
Free Solo
Follow Alex Honnold as he becomes the first person to ever free solo climb Yosemite's 3, 000 foot high El Capitan wall. With no ropes or safety gear, he completed arguably the greatest feat in rock climbing history.
Boasting a 98 percent critical approval rating and an audience score of 95 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Free Solo" has proven to be a critical darling since its release on Sept. 28, with a consensus that "'Free Solo' depicts athletic feats that many viewers will find beyond reason - and grounds the attempts in passions that are all but universal."
Catch it on the big screen at Regal Ballantyne Village Stadium 5 (14815 John J Delany Drive) through Friday, Dec. 14. 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 critical approval rating of 98 percent and an audience score of 95 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Can You Ever Forgive Me?" has been a must-watch since its release on Oct. 19, with a consensus that "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."
You can catch it at Regal Ballantyne Village Stadium 5 (14815 John J Delany Drive) through Friday, Dec. 14. 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 96 percent critical approval rating and an audience score of 78 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "The Hate U Give" has been a must-watch since its release on Oct. 19. Per the site's critical consensus, "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 Carolina Pavilion 22 (9541 South Blvd.) through Tuesday, Dec. 18. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
The Favourite
In 18th century England, the close relationship between Queen Anne and Sarah Churchill is threatened by the arrival of Sarah's cousin, Abigail Hill, which results in a bitter rivalry between the two cousins to be the Queen's favourite.
Released on Nov. 23, "The Favourite" has a critical approval rating of 94 percent and an audience score of 70 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Per the site's summary of critic reviews, "'The Favourite' sees Yorgos Lanthimos balancing a period setting against rich, timely subtext - and getting roundly stellar performances from his well-chosen stars."
It's playing at Regal Manor Twin (609 Providence Road) on Friday, Dec. 14. 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, who is a workaholic publisher.
With a critical approval rating of 83 percent and an audience score of 78 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Elf" has much to recommend it, with a consensus that "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."
Catch it on the big screen at AMC Carolina Pavilion 22 (9541 South Blvd.) through Friday, Dec. 14. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
