Want to see a movie, but not sure what's worthwhile? Don't miss this week's lineup of acclaimed movies showing on the big screen in and around Houston.
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.)
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 critical approval rating of 98 percent and an audience score of 95 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Free Solo" has been a must-watch 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."
You can catch it at Edwards Greenway Grand Palace Stadium 24 & RPX (3839 Weslayan) through Thursday, Dec. 13. 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 97 percent critical approval rating and an audience score of 78 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "The Hate U Give" has proven to be a critical darling since its release on October 19. According to the site's overview of critic reviews, "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."
It's screening at AMC Studio 30 (2949 Dunvale) and AMC Gulf Pointe 30 (11801 So Sam Houston Parkway East) through Thursday, Dec. 13. 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 a critical approval rating of 83 percent and an audience score of 78 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, the 2003 film is a good bet, 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."
You can catch it at AMC Willowbrook 24 (17145 Tomball Parkway) through Thursday, Dec. 13; AMC Studio 30 (2949 Dunvale) through Friday, Dec. 14; and AMC Gulf Pointe 30 (11801 So Sam Houston Parkway East) through Thursday, Dec. 13. 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. The film is set in the days when African-Americans were forced to find alternate accommodations and services due to segregation laws below the Mason-Dixon Line and relied on a guide called The Negro Motorist Green Book.
With a critical approval rating of 82 percent and an audience score of 95 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Green Book" has been getting attention since its release on Nov.16. The site's critical consensus has it 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 Edwards Greenway Grand Palace Stadium 24 & RPX (3839 Weslayan) through Thursday, Dec. 13; AMC Willowbrook 24 (17145 Tomball Parkway) through Thursday, Dec. 13; Studio Movie Grill Pearland (8440 S. Sam Houston East Parkway) through Friday, Dec. 14; and AMC Studio 30 (2949 Dunvale) through Friday, Dec. 14. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
At Eternity's Gate
Famed but tormented artist Vincent van Gogh spends his final years in Arles, France, painting masterworks of the natural world that surrounds him.
With an 82 percent critical approval rating and an audience score of 51 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "At Eternity's Gate" has proven a solid option since its release on November 16. The site's critical consensus has it that "Led by mesmerizing work from Willem Dafoe in the central role, 'At Eternity's Gate' intriguingly imagines Vincent Van Gogh's troubled final days."
In the mood for popcorn? It's playing at AMC Studio 30 (2949 Dunvale) through Thursday, Dec. 13, and Edwards Houston Marq’E Stadium 23 IMAX & RPX (7620 Katy Freeway) through Friday, Dec. 14. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
