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 Stockton.
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.)
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, this 2003 release has proven a solid viewing choice. The site's critical consensus indicates 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."
It's screening at Regal Stockton City Centre Stadium 16 & IMAX (222 N. El Dorado St.) on Saturday, Dec. 22. 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 a critical approval rating of 82 percent and an audience score of 95 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Green Book" has proven a solid option 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 playing at Regal Stockton City Centre Stadium 16 & IMAX (222 N. El Dorado St.) through Thursday, Dec. 20. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
Aquaman
The film reveals the origin story of half-human, half-Atlantean Arthur Curry and takes him on the journey of his lifetime — one that will not only force him to face who he really is, but to discover if he is worthy of who he was born to be … a king.
Set to be released on Friday, Dec. 21, "Aquaman" already has a critical approval rating of 70 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. The site's critical consensus notes that "'Aquaman' swims with its entertainingly ludicrous tide, offering up CGI superhero spectacle that delivers energetic action with an emphasis on good old-fashioned fun."
Interested? It's playing at Regal Stockton City Centre Stadium 16 & IMAX (222 N. El Dorado St.) through Wednesday, Dec. 26 and Regal Stockton Holiday Cinema 8 (6262 N. West Lane) through Wednesday, Dec. 26. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
Vox Lux
In 1999, teenage sisters Celeste and Eleanor survive a seismic, violent tragedy. The sisters compose and perform a song about their experience, making something lovely and cathartic out of a catastrophe — while also catapulting Celeste to stardom. By 2017, Celeste is a mother to a teenage daughter of her own and is struggling to navigate a career fraught with scandals when another act of terrifying violence demands her attention.
With a 62 percent critical approval rating and an audience score of 56 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Vox Lux" is well worth a watch, with a consensus that "'Vox Lux' probes the allures and pitfalls of modern celebrity with sharp intelligence and visual style, all held together by an assured Natalie Portman performance."
It's screening at Regal Stockton City Centre Stadium 16 & IMAX (222 N. El Dorado St.) through Thursday, Dec. 20. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
