On the hunt for date-night ideas? Take a look at this week's lineup of acclaimed movies showing on the big screen in and around Worcester.
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.)
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 83 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Can You Ever Forgive Me?" has proven to be a critical darling since its release on October 19. According to the site's critical consensus, "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." The film is nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Actress.
Catch it on the big screen at Showcase Cinemas Worcester North (135 Brooks St.) 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 a critical approval rating of 97 percent and an audience score of 83 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 has it 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." The film is nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Picture.
Get a piece of the action at Showcase Cinemas Worcester North (135 Brooks St.) through Thursday, Jan. 31. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
BlacKkKlansman
Colorado Springs, late 1970s. Ron Stallworth, an African American police officer, and Flip Zimmerman, his Jewish colleague, run an undercover operation to infiltrate the Ku Klux Klan.
With a 95 percent critical approval rating and an audience score of 82 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "BlacKkKlansman" has garnered plenty of praise since its release on August 10, with a consensus that "'BlacKkKlansman' uses history to offer bitingly trenchant commentary on current events — and brings out some of Spike Lee's hardest-hitting work in decades along the way." The film is nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
It's screening at Showcase Cinemas Worcester North (135 Brooks St.) through Thursday, Jan. 31. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
The Favourite
In 18th century England, the close relationship between Queen Anne and Sarah Churchill is threatened by the arrival of Sarah's cousin, Abigail Hill, resulting in a bitter rivalry between the two cousins to be the Queen's favorite.
With a 93 percent critical approval rating and an audience score of 62 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "The Favourite" has become a favorite since its release on December 14, with a consensus that "'The Favourite' sees Yorgos Lanthimos balancing a period setting against rich, timely subtext — and getting roundly stellar performances from his well-chosen stars." The film is nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including Best Director.
Catch it on the big screen at Showcase Cinemas Worcester North (135 Brooks St.) through Thursday, Jan. 31. 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 92 percent and an audience score of 79 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Bumblebee" has become a favorite 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."
In the mood for popcorn? It's playing at Showcase Cinemas Worcester North (135 Brooks St.) through Wednesday, Jan. 30. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
