Want to feel feelings? Take a look at this week's lineup of dramas showing on the big screen in and around Phoenix.
Read on for the top-ranked 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."
Get a piece of the action at AMC Deer Valley 30 (3033 W. Agua Fria Freeway) and AMC Ahwatukee 24 (4915 E. Ray Road) through Wednesday, April 10. 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, while the New York Daily News' Dave Kehr said, "This is an engagingly simple, good-hearted film, with just enough darkness around the edges to give contrast and relief to its glowingly benign view of human nature."
It's screening at Harkins Christown 14 (1620 W. Montebello) and Harkins Norterra 14 (2550 W. Happy Valley Road) onTuesday, April 9. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
Thelma & Louise
Whilst on a short weekend getaway, Louise shoots a man who had tried to rape Thelma. Due to the incriminating circumstances, they make a run for it and thus a cross country chase ensues for the two fugitives. Along the way, both women rediscover the strength of their friendship and surprising aspects of their personalities and self-strengths in the trying times.
With a Tomatometer Score of 84 percent and an Audience Score of 82 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, this '90s flick is a good bet.
" 'Thelma & Louise' is a rare thrill — a gleefully offbeat road movie in which two women, instead of the usual footloose fellas, exult in the heady freedom of America's lonesome highways," noted Kathleen Carroll of the New York Daily News, while the Philadelphia Inquirer's Carrie Rickey said, "This unexpected delight, which travels at top speed from the doldrums to the Grand Canyon, is moreover blessed with two high-octane performances."
Catch it on the big screen at FilmBar (815 N. Second St.) through Wednesday, April 10. 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.
