In the market for high-caliber entertainment? Don't miss this week's lineup of acclaimed movies showing on the big screen in and around Seattle.
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.)
Shoplifters
Catch this film from Japanese director Hirokazu Koreeda, a 2019 Golden Globe nominee in the best foreign language film category. One winter night after shoplifting, Osamu and his son Shota find a little girl in the freezing cold. Osamu’s wife agrees to take care of her after learning of the hardships she faces. Although the family is poor — barely making enough money to survive through petty crime — they seem to live happily together until an unforeseen incident reveals hidden secrets, testing the bonds that unite them.
Boasting a critical approval rating of 99 percent and an audience score of 90 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Shoplifters" has proven to be a critical darling since its release on November 23. The site's critical consensus notes that "Understated yet ultimately deeply affecting, 'Shoplifters' adds another powerful chapter to director Hirokazu Koreeda's richly humanistic filmography."
It's playing at AMC Seattle 10 (4500 Ninth Ave. NE) through Wednesday, Jan. 9. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
Won't You Be My Neighbor?
Fred Rogers used puppets and play to explore complex social issues: race, disability, equality and tragedy, helping form the American concept of childhood. He spoke directly to children, and they responded enthusiastically. Yet today, his impact is unclear. Have we lived up to Fred's ideal of being a good neighbor?
Boasting a critical approval rating of 98 percent and an audience score of 90 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Won't You Be My Neighbor?" has gotten stellar reviews since its release on June 29. The site's critical consensus indicates that "'Won't You Be My Neighbor?' takes a fittingly patient and honest look at the life and legacy of a television pioneer whose work has enriched generations."
Interested? It's playing at AMC Pacific Place 11 (600 Pine South) through Wednesday, Jan. 9. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
Free Solo
Follow Alex Honnold as he attempts to become the first person to ever free solo climb Yosemite's 3,000-foot-high El Capitan wall. With no ropes or safety gear, this would arguably be 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 gotten stellar reviews since its release on September 28. Per the site's critical consensus, "'Free Solo' depicts athletic feats that many viewers will find beyond reason — and grounds the attempts in passions that are all but universal."
It's screening at AMC Pacific Place 11 (600 Pine South) through Wednesday, Jan. 9 and AMC Seattle 10 (4500 Ninth Ave. NE) through Thursday, Jan. 10. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Miles Morales is juggling his life as a high school student and mastering his new Spider-Man abilities. But Miles' life is about to get even more complicated. When Wilson "Kingpin" Fisk uses a super collider to access a parallel dimension, another Spider-Man, Peter Parker, accidentally winds up in Miles' world. As Peter trains Miles to become a better Spider-Man, they are soon joined by four other Spider-Men from across the "Spider-Verse". As all these clashing dimensions start to tear Brooklyn apart, Miles must help the others stop Fisk and return everyone to their own dimensions.
With a critical approval rating of 97 percent and an audience score of 94 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" has gotten stellar reviews since its release on December 14. The site's critical consensus indicates that "'Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse' matches bold storytelling with striking animation for a purely enjoyable adventure with heart, humor and plenty of superhero action."
Catch it on the big screen at AMC Pacific Place 11 (600 Pine South), AMC Seattle 10 (4500 Ninth Ave. NE), Regal Meridian 16 (1501 Seventh Ave.), and AMC Oak Tree 6 (10006 Aurora Ave. North) through Thursday, Jan. 10. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
Three Identical Strangers
New York, 1980: three complete strangers accidentally discover that they're identical triplets, separated at birth. The 19-year-olds' joyous reunion catapults them to international fame, but also unlocks an extraordinary and disturbing secret that goes beyond their own lives — and could transform our understanding of human nature forever.
With a 96 percent critical approval rating and an audience score of 89 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Three Identical Strangers" has been a must-watch since its release on June 29. The site's critical consensus notes that "Surreal and surprising, 'Three Identical Strangers' effectively questions the nature of reality and identity."
Interested? It's playing at AMC Pacific Place 11 (600 Pine South) through Friday, Jan. 11. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
