Don't miss these 5 top-rated movies screening around Walnut Creek

Don't miss these 5 top-rated movies screening around Walnut CreekImage: How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World/TMDb
Hoodline
Published on February 14, 2019

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 Walnut Creek.

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.)

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

As Hiccup fulfills his dream of creating a peaceful dragon utopia, Toothless’ discovery of an untamed, elusive mate draws the Night Fury away. When danger mounts at home and Hiccup’s reign as village chief is tested, both dragon and rider must make impossible decisions to save their kind.

Want to catch an early screening of "How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World”? The family-friendly flick already has a critical approval rating of 97 percent, with a consensus that "The rare trilogy capper that really works, 'How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World' brings its saga to a visually dazzling and emotionally affecting conclusion.”

It will begin playing at Century 14 Downtown Walnut Creek and XD (1201 Locust St.) on Thursday, Feb. 21. 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 94 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" has gotten stellar reviews since its release on Dec. 14. According to the site's critical consensus, "'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."

It won for Best Animated picture at the Golden Globes and is nominated for an Oscar for Best Animated Film. 

It's screening at Century 14 Downtown Walnut Creek and XD (1201 Locust St.) through Wednesday, Feb. 20. 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 critical approval rating of 95 percent and an audience score of 82 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "BlacKkKlansman" has been a must-watch since its release on Aug. 10. The site's critical consensus has it 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."

It is nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture, while Spike Lee is for Best Director and Adam Driver for Best Supporting Actor.

Catch it on the big screen at Century 14 Downtown Walnut Creek and XD (1201 Locust St.) through Thursday, Feb. 21. 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 favourite.

With a critical approval rating of 93 percent and an audience score of 63 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "The Favourite" has become a favorite since its release on Dec. 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."

Olivia Colman won the Golden Globe for Best Actress, while the film was nominated for Best Picture and Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone were nominated for Supporting Actress. It received an Oscar nomination for Best Picture. Yorgos Lanthimos was nominated for Best Director, Olivia Colman for Best Actress, while Weisz and Stone were for Best Supporting Actress.  

It's screening at Century 14 Downtown Walnut Creek and XD (1201 Locust St.) through Friday, Feb. 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 79 percent and an audience score of 94 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Green Book" is well worth a watch, 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."

The film won the Golden Globe for Best Picture: Comedy or Musical, as did Mahershala Ali for Supporting Actor; Farrelly was nominated for Best Director. It received an Oscar nomination for Best Picture, while Viggo Mortensen was nominated for Best Actor and Ali for Best Supporting Actor. 

Get a piece of the action at Century 14 Downtown Walnut Creek and XD (1201 Locust St.) through Tuesday, Feb. 19. Click here for showtimes and tickets.


This story was created automatically using local movie data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.