Need date-night ideas? Check out this week's lineup of acclaimed movies showing on the big screen in and around Tacoma.
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.)
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 been a must-watch since its release on November 23. Per the site's summary of critic reviews, "Understated yet ultimately deeply affecting, 'Shoplifters' adds another powerful chapter to director Hirokazu Koreeda's richly humanistic filmography."
Get a piece of the action at The Grand Cinema (606 S. Fawcett Ave.) through Thursday, Jan. 10. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Miles Morales is juggling life as an ordinary high school student and mastering his new Spider-Man abilities. However, Miles' life gets even more complicated when Wilson "Kingpin" Fisk uses a super collider to access a parallel dimension. That's when 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 90 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 notes 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."
Want to see for yourself? It's playing at Century Point Ruston and XD (5057 Main St.) through Wednesday, Jan. 9. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
The Favourite
This must-see film snagged five Golden Globe nominations, including best film and best supporting actress in a comedy/musical. Set in 18th century England, this film centers on the close relationship between Queen Anne and Sarah Churchill. That relationship is threatened by the arrival of Sarah's cousin, Abigail Hill, which results in a bitter rivalry between the two cousins to be the Queen's favorite.
With a critical approval rating of 94 percent and an audience score of 59 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "The Favourite" has garnered plenty of praise since its release on December 14. The site's critical consensus indicates that "'The Favourite' sees Yorgos Lanthimos balancing a period setting against rich, timely subtext — and getting roundly stellar performances from his well-chosen stars."
You can catch it at The Grand Cinema (606 S. Fawcett Ave.) through Thursday, Jan. 10. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
Bumblebee
On the run in the year 1987, Bumblebee finds refuge in a junkyard in a small Californian beach town. Charlie, on the cusp of turning 18 and trying to find her place in the world, discovers Bumblebee, battle-scarred and broken. When Charlie revives him, she quickly learns this is no ordinary yellow VW bug.
With a critical approval rating of 93 percent and an audience score of 79 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Bumblebee" has garnered plenty of praise since its release on December 21, with a consensus that "'Bumblebee' proves it's possible to bring fun and a sense of wonder back to a bloated blockbuster franchise -- and sets up its own slate of sequels in the bargain."
Get a piece of the action at Century Point Ruston and XD (5057 Main St.) through Thursday, Jan. 10. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
Green Book
You still have time to catch this Golden Globe-nominated film starring Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortensen. In 1962, Tony Lip, a Bronx bouncer, is hired to drive pianist Dr. Don Shirley on a tour through the Deep South. In the Jim Crow era, African Americans were forced to find alternate accommodations due to segregation laws below the Mason-Dixon Line. So they must depend on a guide called The Negro Motorist Green Book.
With an 81 percent critical approval rating and an audience score of 95 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Green Book" has proven a solid option since its release on November 16, with a consensus 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 The Grand Cinema (606 S. Fawcett Ave.) through Thursday, Jan. 10. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
