Want to see a movie, but not sure what's worthwhile? Check out this week's lineup of acclaimed movies showing on the big screen in and around Columbus.
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.)
The Birds
Chic socialite Melanie Daniels enjoys a passing flirtation with an eligible attorney in a San Francisco pet shop and, on an impulse, follows him to his hometown bearing a gift of lovebirds. But, upon her arrival, the bird population runs amok. Suddenly, the townsfolk face a massive avian onslaught, with the feathered fiends inexplicably attacking people all over Bodega Bay.
With a Tomatometer Score of 96 percent and an Audience Score of 91 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, this '60s-era classic has made a lasting impression.
"Hitchcock prolongs his prelude to horror for more than half the film, playing with audience suspense with comedy and romance while he sets his stage. The horror when it comes is a hair-raiser," according to James Powers of the Hollywood Reporter, while the Village Voice's Andrew Sarris said, "Drawing from the relatively invisible literary talents of Daphne DuMaurier and Evan Hunter, Alfred Hitchcock has fashioned a major work of cinematic art, and 'cinematic' is the operative term here, not 'literary' or 'sociological.'"
It's playing at Gateway Film Center (1550 N. High St.) through Thursday, April 11. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
Us
Husband and wife Gabe and Adelaide Wilson take their kids to their beach house expecting to unplug and unwind with friends. But, as night descends, their serenity turns to tension and chaos when some shocking visitors arrive uninvited.
With a Tomatometer Score of 94 percent and an Audience Score of 70 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Us" has garnered plenty of praise since its release on March 22.
"It achieves an insidious, lingering effect that's rarer in the horror genre," noted Ben Sachs of the Chicago Reader, while the Christian Science Monitor's Peter Rainer said, "Ambition in the horror genre can be a good thing, but the overreach in this movie detracts from both the horror and the ambition. Having said that, Peele shows a marked advance in filmmaking skills here and, in her dual role, Nyong'o is ferociously good."
Get a piece of the action at Gateway Film Center (1550 N. High St.) through Tuesday, April 9 and AMC Lennox Town Center 24 (777 Kinnear Rd.), AMC Dine-in Easton Town Center 30 (275 Easton Town Center), AMC Starplex Columbus 10 (5275 Westpointe Plaza), Cinemark Carriage Place Movies 12 (2570 Bethel Road), Marcus Crosswoods Cinema (200 Hutchinson Avenue) and Cinemark Polaris 18 and XD (1071 Gemini Place) through Wednesday, April 10. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
Shazam!
A boy is given the ability to become an adult superhero in times of need with a single magic word.
Set to be released on Friday, April 5, "Shazam!" already has a Tomatometer Score of 93 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Slate's Sam Adams said, "Although it's technically about saving the world (again), 'Shazam!' plays out at eye level, grounded by the belief that who people love and where they feel they belong is stakes enough," and Tribune News Service's Katie Walsh noted, "While the story of 'Shazam!' may be unwieldy at times, Levi and his kid costars make this new (to us) superhero just so gosh-darn appealing, it's hard to resist making room in our hearts for one more."
In the mood for popcorn? It's playing at Gateway Film Center (1550 N. High St.), AMC Dine-in Easton Town Center 30 (275 Easton Town Center), AMC Starplex Columbus 10 (5275 Westpointe Plaza), Marcus Crosswoods Cinema (200 Hutchinson Avenue), Cinemark Carriage Place Movies 12 (2570 Bethel Road) and Cinemark Polaris 18 and XD (1071 Gemini Place) through Wednesday, April 10. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
As Hiccup fulfills his dream of creating a peaceful dragon utopia, Toothless’ discovery of an untamed, elusive mate draws the Night Fury away. When danger mounts at home and Hiccup’s reign as village chief is tested, both dragon and rider must make impossible decisions to save their kind.
With a Tomatometer Score of 91 percent and an Audience Score of 88 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World" has become a favorite since its release on February 22. The Atlantic's David Sims said, "So much of 'The Hidden World' is stuffed with filler material. But in certain wordless moments, this grand final entry really sings," while Johnny Oleksinski of the New York Post stated, "The movie could easily be called 'How To End Your Trilogy.'"
Catch it on the big screen at AMC Lennox Town Center 24 (777 Kinnear Road), AMC Dine-in Easton Town Center 30 (275 Easton Town Center), AMC Starplex Columbus 10 (5275 Westpointe Plaza), Cinemark Carriage Place Movies 12 (2570 Bethel Road), Marcus Crosswoods Cinema (200 Hutchinson Avenue) and Cinemark Polaris 18 and XD (1071 Gemini Place) through Wednesday, April 10. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
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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.
