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? Check out this week's lineup of acclaimed movies showing on the big screen in and around New York City.
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.)
The World Before Your Feet
For over six years, Matt Green, 37, has been walking every street in New York City — a total of more than 8,000 miles. "The World Before Your Feet" tells the story of one man’s unusual quest and the journey of discovery, humanity and wonder that ensues.
Boasting a 100 percent critical approval rating and an audience score of 75 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "The World Before Your Feet" has proven to be a critical darling since its release on Nov. 21.
It's playing at Quad Cinema (34 W. 13th St.) through Friday, Dec. 14. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
Sebastiane
Rome, AD 303. Emperor Diocletian demotes his favorite, Sebastian, from captain of the palace guard to the rank of common soldier and banishes him to a remote coastal outpost where his fellow soldiers, weakened by their desires, turn to homosexual activities to satisfy their needs. Sebastian becomes the target of lust for the officer Severus, but repeatedly rejects the man's advances. Castigated for his Christian faith, he is tortured, humiliated and ultimately killed.
Boasting a 100 percent critical approval rating and an audience score of 56 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, this '70s throwback is a critical darling.
It's playing at Quad Cinema (34 W. 13th St.) on Wednesday, Dec. 19. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
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 gotten stellar reviews since its release on Sept. 28. The site's critical consensus notes 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 Angelika Film Center & Cafe (18 W. Houston St.) through Friday, Dec. 14, and City Cinemas Village East (181-189 Second Ave.) through Wednesday, Dec. 19. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
Can You Ever Forgive Me?
When best-selling 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 85 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Can You Ever Forgive Me?" has gotten stellar reviews since its release on Oct. 19. Per the site's critical consensus, "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."
Get a piece of the action at City Cinemas Village East (181-189 Second Ave.) through Tuesday, Dec. 18, and City Cinemas 1, 2 & 3 (1001 Third Ave.) through Friday, Dec. 14. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
