Want to check out what the buzz is about, but didn't catch the first wave of hot new releases? Being late to the game has its benefits, especially when it comes to calmer vibes and more ample seating at your local movie theater.
It's often hard to predict when the movie you hoped to see on the big screen will leave your local theater. Factors like ticket sales and distribution contracts figure into the equation, but in general, movies can stay in theaters anywhere from a mere two weeks to many months.
Read on for the highest-rated "old" new releases still screening in Durham theaters, 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.)
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 proven to be a critical darling since its release in December of 2018. The New York Times' Lawrence Ware said, "This film manages the delicate feat of embracing its source material while also satirizing it," while David Sims of the Atlantic noted, "The latest entry in a fully saturated genre that somehow, through sheer creative gumption, does something new."
"Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" is down to just a few showtimes left in and around Durham — which may signal that it's on its way out. You can catch it at AMC Classic Durham 15 (1807 Martin Luther King Parkway) through Sunday, March 24 and Stadium 10 at Northgate Mall (1058 W. Club Blvd.) through Thursday, March 21. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
Isn't It Romantic
For a long time, Natalie, an Australian architect living in New York City, had always believed that what she had seen in rom-coms is all fantasy. But after thwarting a mugger at a subway station only to be knocked out while fleeing, Natalie wakes up and discovers that her life has suddenly become her worst nightmare — a romantic comedy — and she is the leading lady.
With a Tomatometer Score of 70 percent and an Audience Score of 94 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Isn't It Romantic" is well worth a watch. "Unlike other movies where women bang their heads, this one's got a brain," according to Johnny Oleksinski of the New York Post, while New York Magazine/Vulture's Bilge Ebiri said, "It's the 'Inception' of rom-coms. Sort of."
"Isn't It Romantic" is now only playing at one theater in Durham — a big hint that it could be leaving local theaters soon. It's playing at AMC Classic Durham 15 (1807 Martin Luther King Parkway) through Wednesday, March 20. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
Happy Death Day 2U
Collegian Tree Gelbman wakes up in horror to learn that she's stuck in a parallel universe. Her boyfriend Carter is now with someone else, and her friends and fellow students seem to be completely different versions of themselves. When Tree discovers that Carter's roommate has been altering time, she finds herself once again the target of a masked killer. When the psychopath starts to go after her inner circle, Tree soon realizes that she must die over and over again to save everyone.
With a Tomatometer Score of 67 percent and an Audience Score of 66 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Happy Death Day 2U" is well worth a watch. "Along the lines of other recent inexpensive genre efforts that behave more like franchise blockbusters by building out their lore and doubling down on their nerdiness," noted David Sims of the Atlantic, while Salon.com's Matthew Rozsa said, "It is instead that rarity — a sequel that is both better than the original and manages to retroactively improve that movie."
"Happy Death Day 2U" is now only playing at one theater in Durham, so catch it now or risk missing it on the big screen. You can catch it at Stadium 10 at Northgate Mall (1058 W. Club Blvd.) through Thursday, March 21. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
Alita: Battle Angel
When Alita awakens with no memory of who she is in a future world she does not recognize, she is taken in by Ido, a compassionate doctor who realizes that somewhere in this abandoned cyborg shell is the heart and soul of a young woman with an extraordinary past.
With a Tomatometer Score of 60 percent and an Audience Score of 94 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Alita: Battle Angel" is well worth a watch. Slate's Sam Adams said, "It's goofy as hell and borderline inexcusable at times, but it's also kind of glorious," and Tony Baker Comedy's Tony Baker said, "When the action would kick off you could really see the choreography. You could see the movements being executed, you could see what's being done ... Alita could really fight."
"Alita: Battle Angel" is down to just a few showtimes left in and around Durham, so catch it now or risk missing it on the big screen. In the mood for popcorn? It's playing at AMC Classic Durham 15 (1807 Martin Luther King Parkway) through Sunday, March 24 and Stadium 10 at Northgate Mall (1058 W. Club Blvd.) through Thursday, March 21. 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.
