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 Phoenix.
Here are 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.)
Meow Wolf: Origin Story
When a group of young DIY artists in Santa Fe can’t find a door into the art world, they blow open an entirely new portal with their grit, passion and tenacity. Within just a few short years – and with a little help from George R.R. Martin — this group called Meow Wolf ultimately hits a cultural nerve and garners massive, unexpected success with their exhibit, House of Eternal Return.
Boasting a Tomatometer Score of 100 percent and an Audience Score of 67 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Meow Wolf: Origin Story" has been a must-watch since its release in November.
The Los Angeles Times' Kimber Myers said, "Other than showing moments of in-fighting, 'Meow Wolf: Origin Story' is an almost entirely positive exploration of the collective and their art — but it's an effective one," while John DeFore of the Hollywood Reporter noted, "Rapid-fire visuals adorn an intriguing fringe-culture success story."
It's playing at FilmBar (815 N. Second St.) through Wednesday, March 6. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
Meet Me in St. Louis
In the year before the 1904 St Louis World's Fair, the four Smith daughters learn lessons of life and love, even as they prepare for a reluctant move to New York.
Boasting a Tomatometer Score of 100 percent and an Audience Score of 67 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, this classic has been a favorite of critics.
"A musical that even the deaf should enjoy," according to James Agee of TIME Magazine, while the Chicago Reader's Dave Kehr said, "One of the first films to integrate musical numbers into the plot, it explores, without condescension or simplemindedness, the feelings that drive the family members apart and then bring them back together again."
It's screening at Harkins Norterra 14 (2550 W. Happy Valley Road) through Tuesday, March 5. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
Gully Boy
A coming-of-age story based on the lives of street rappers in Mumbai.
Boasting a Tomatometer Score of 100 percent and an Audience Score of 86 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Gully Boy" has been a must-watch since its release on Feb. 14.
Variety's Jay Weissberg said, "A mainstream rap musical served up with generous helpings of deftly written hip-hop lyrics and an appealing, largely well-woven narrative starring Ranveer Singh in all his charms."
It's screening at AMC Arizona Center 24 (565 N. Third St.) through Thursday, March 7. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
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 95 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, the Oscar winner for best documentary has gotten stellar reviews since its release in September.
Glenn Kenny of RogerEbert.com called the movie "scary and exhilarating stuff."
Interested? It's playing at AMC Ahwatukee 24 (4915 E. Ray Road) through Thursday, March 7. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
The Rules of the Game
"The Rules of the Game," by Jean Renoir, is a scathing critique of corrupt French society cloaked in a comedy of manners in which a weekend at a marquis’ country château lays bare some ugly truths about a group of haut bourgeois acquaintances. The film has had a tumultuous history: it was subjected to cuts after the violent response of the premiere audience in 1939, and the original negative was destroyed during World War II; it wasn’t reconstructed until 1959.
Boasting a Tomatometer Score of 98 percent and an Audience Score of 90 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, this vintage film has made a lasting impression.
Mark Chalon Smith of the Los Angeles Times said, "On the surface, a lace of flirtations, insinuations and rejections compose the basic plotting. But Renoir uses flashes of accelerating drama to amplify his bigger points."
Interested? It's playing at FilmBar (815 N. Second St.) through Sunday, March 3. 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.
