Looking to catch up on all the Oscar-nominated films before the ceremony on February 24 — or just need an idea for your next date night? Check out this week's lineup of acclaimed movies showing on the big screen in and around San Francisco.
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 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 83 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Free Solo" has gotten stellar reviews since its September 28 release — and now, an Oscar nod for Best Documentary.
The site's critical consensus notes, "'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 re-released on the big screen at AMC Van Ness 14 (1000 Van Ness Ave.) through Friday, Jan. 25. 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 October 19. Oscar nominations for both Melissa McCarthy (Best Actress) and Richard E. Grant (Best Supporting Actor) support the raves.
The critical consensus agrees: "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 AMC Metreon 16 (135 Fourth St., Suite 3000) through Thursday, Jan. 31. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Miles Morales is juggling his life between being a high school student and being a spider-man. When Wilson "Kingpin" Fisk uses a super collider, others from across the Spider-Verse are transported to this dimension.
With an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature, a 97 percent critical approval rating and an audience score of 94 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" has proven to be a critical darling since its release on December 14.
The site's critical consensus declares, "'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."
Get a piece of the action at AMC Metreon 16 (135 Fourth St., Suite 3000) through Thursday, Jan. 31. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
RBG
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, now 84, and still inspired by the lawyers who defended free speech during the Red Scare, refuses to relinquish her passionate duty, steadily fighting for equal rights for all citizens under the law. Through intimate interviews and unprecedented access to Ginsburg’s life outside the court, RBG tells the electric story of Ginsburg’s consuming love affairs with both the Constitution and her beloved husband Marty — and of a life’s work that led her to become an icon of justice in the highest court in the land.
With an Oscar nod for Best Documentary, a critical approval rating of 95 percent and an audience score of 78 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "RBG" has become a favorite for its compelling depiction of the Supreme Court justice's life since its release on May 25.
The site's critical consensus approves, "'RBG' might be preaching to the choir of viewers who admire Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, but it does so effectively."
Get a piece of the action at Alamo Drafthouse New Mission (2550 Mission) on Thursday, Jan. 31. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
Kusama: Infinity
Now one of the world’s most celebrated artists, Yayoi Kusama broke free of the rigid society in which she was raised, and overcame sexism, racism, and mental illness to bring her artistic vision to the world stage. At 88 she lives in a mental hospital and continues to create art.
With a 93 percent critical approval rating and an audience score of 94 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Kusama: Infinity" has garnered plenty of praise since its release on September 7, proving it has a wide appeal beyond the Japanese artist's devoted fan base.
As the site's critical consensus has it, "'Kusama: Infinity' shines a richly deserved spotlight on its subject's brilliant work while opening a fascinating — albeit necessarily incomplete — window into her personal life."
It's screening at Roxie Theater (3117 16th St.) on Wednesday, Jan. 30. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
