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The very best movies screening in Pasadena this week

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Published on February 28, 2019
The very best movies screening in Pasadena this weekImage: Free Solo/TMDb

On the hunt for date night ideas? Don't miss this week's lineup of acclaimed movies showing on the big screen in and around Pasadena.

Read on for the highest rated films to catch, based on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes' Tomatometer Score, which reflects the opinions of hundreds of film and television critics.

(Movie descriptions courtesy The Movie Database; showtimes via Fandango. Movie ratings and showtimes are subject to change.)

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 Tomatometer Score of 98 percent and an Audience Score of 96 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Free Solo" has proven to be a critical darling since its release in September of 2018. Newsday's Rafer Guzman said, "A visually dizzying but also thought-provoking film about one man's pinnacle of achievement," while Peter Rainer of the Christian Science Monitor noted, "Impressive... But the question for me remains: Why on earth would anybody do this?"

Catch it on the big screen at ArcLight Hollywood (6360 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood) through Wednesday, March 6. 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 Tomatometer Score 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 in December of 2018. "This film manages the delicate feat of embracing its source material while also satirizing it," noted Lawrence Ware of the New York Times, while the Atlantic's David Sims said, "The latest entry in a fully saturated genre that somehow, through sheer creative gumption, does something new."

Get a piece of the action at ArcLight Pasadena (336 E. Colorado Blvd.) through Thursday, March 7. Click here for showtimes and tickets.

The Favourite

In early 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 Tomatometer Score of 94 percent and an Audience Score of 66 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "The Favourite" has become a favorite since its release in December of 2018. The New York Times' A.O. Scott said, "Weisz and Stone are both brilliantly witty and nimble, but Colman's performance is nothing short of sublime," and the Atlantic's David Sims said, "Despite its period setting, 'The Favourite' just might be director Lanthimos' most trenchant and relevant work yet."

It's screening at ArcLight Pasadena (336 E. Colorado Blvd.) through Thursday, March 7. 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 Tomatometer Score of 93 percent and an Audience Score of 78 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Bumblebee" has become a favorite since its release in December of 2018. ReelViews' James Berardinelli said, "The movie works in large part because of the depth of Steinfeld's performance. We haven't seen such a well-realized character in any of the other 'Transformers' movies," while David Fear of Rolling Stone said, "Imagine if John Hughes made a 'Transformers' movie. Or: Think 'E.T.,' but with auto parts."

It's screening at Regency Academy 6 Theater (1003 E. Colorado Blvd.) through Friday, March 8. 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.