Denver/ Fun & Entertainment
Published on April 04, 2019
Don't miss these 3 top dramas screening around DenverImage: The Mustang/TMDb

Want to reflect on the humanity of it all? Take a look at this week's lineup of dramas showing on the big screen in and around Denver.

Here are the best drama films to catch in 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.)

The Mustang

While participating in a rehabilitation program training wild mustangs, a convict at first struggles to connect with the horses and his fellow inmates, but he learns to confront his violent past as he soothes an especially feisty horse.

With a Tomatometer Score of 95 percent and an Audience Score of 64 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "The Mustang" has become a favorite since its release on March 15. The Detroit News' Adam Graham said, "There's a Disney movie in here somewhere, but [director Laure de] Clermont-Tonnerre has no interest in it. She's too busy steering her own course, and it works," while James Berardinelli of ReelViews noted, "It's worth seeking out. ... as both a portrait of a prison program few are aware of and a powerful character study."

Catch it on the big screen at Harkins Northfield 18 (8300 E. Northfield Blvd.) starting Friday, April 5 through Thursday, April 11. Click here for showtimes and tickets.

The Shawshank Redemption

Framed in the 1940s for the double murder of his wife and her lover, upstanding banker Andy Dufresne begins a new life at the Shawshank prison, where he puts his accounting skills to work for an amoral warden. During his long stretch in prison, Dufresne comes to be admired by the other inmates — including an older prisoner named Red — for his integrity and unquenchable sense of hope.

With a Tomatometer Score of 91 percent and an Audience Score of 98 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, this '90s flick has become a favorite.

"In the lead roles, both [Tim] Robbins and [Morgan] Freeman are outstanding, layering their performances with snippets of individuality: Their small, daily sustenances and minor triumphs are wonderfully inspiring," according to Duane Byrge of the Hollywood Reporter.

Want to see for yourself? It's playing at Harkins Northfield 18 (8300 E. Northfield Blvd.) on Tuesday, April 9. Click here for showtimes and tickets.

All That Jazz

Joe Gideon is at the top of the heap, one of the most successful directors and choreographers in musical theater. But he can feel his world slowly collapsing around him — his obsession with work has almost destroyed his personal life, and only his bottles of pills keep him going.

With a Tomatometer Score of 86 percent and an Audience Score of 86 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, this 1979 release has much to recommend it.

"This is a plausible milestone in the evolution of the Hollywood film, a quivering, pulsating, dynamic, excessive and flawed film that wears its alienation proudly where its heart should be," noted Bruce McCabe of Boston Globe.

You can catch it at Alamo Drafthouse Sloans Lake (4255 W. Colfax Ave.) on Sunday, April 7. 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.