In the market for high-caliber entertainment? Take a look at this week's lineup of acclaimed movies showing on the big screen in and around El Paso.
Read on for 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.)
Grave of the Fireflies
In the final months of World War II, 14-year-old Seita and his sister Setsuko are orphaned when their mother is killed during an air raid in Kobe, Japan. After a falling out with their aunt, they move into an abandoned bomb shelter. With no surviving relatives and their emergency rations depleted, Seita and Setsuko struggle to survive.
With a Tomatometer Score of 97 percent and an Audience Score of 95 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, this 1988 release boasts plenty of accolades.
"One of the most startling and moving animated films ever," according to Glenn Kenny of the New York Times, while ReelViews's James Berardinelli said, "Some movies are such singular achievements that they deserve to be seen at least once by everyone who considers himself or herself to be a lover of film. Grave of the Fireflies falls into that exclusive category."
It's playing at Alamo Drafthouse Montecillo (250 E. Montecillo Blvd.) on Sunday, April 14. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
Starfish
Based on the real story of Tom and Nicola Ray from Rutland. Their perfect life is totally ruined in a single moment after Tom had developed sepsis. While her husband was in coma, Nicola gave birth to their second child on the other side of the same hospital. Within a matter of days, sepsis would rob Tom of both his arms and legs, and left his face severely disfigured. As an ordinary man, Tom never put himself at risk — he just woke up two months later in a nightmare, a face-off quadruple amputee. ... This incredible story of survival shows what can be overcome when love is unconditional.
With a Tomatometer Score of 95 percent and an Audience Score of 56 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Starfish" comes highly recommended.
"Starfish is very much its own sci-fi mixtape-curated with hit and miss offerings, but with an undeniable and meaningful sincerity all the same," noted Nick Allen of RogerEbert.com, while eFilmCritic.com's Peter Sobczynski said, "Smarter, trippier and more consistently ingenious and thought-provoking than any dozen studio genre behemoths that you or I could name."
Want to see for yourself? It's playing at Alamo Drafthouse Montecillo (250 E. Montecillo Blvd.) on Wednesday, April 17. 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 69 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Us" has garnered plenty of praise since its release on March 22. The Chicago Reader's Ben Sachs said, "It achieves an insidious, lingering effect that's rarer in the horror genre," and the Christian Science Monitor's Peter Rainer noted, "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."
Interested? It's playing at Cinemark Cielo Vista Mall 14 and XD (8401 Gateway West Blvd.) through Tuesday, April 16; The Grand 10 - Ft. Bliss (1619 Pleasonton Road), Bassett Place Premiere Cinema 17 + IMAX (6101 Gateway West, Suite 15) and AMC El Paso 16 (9840 Gateway Blvd. North) through Wednesday, April 17. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
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 94 percent and an Audience Score of 71 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "The Mustang" has become a favorite since its release on March 15. The Detroit News's Adam Graham said, "There's a Disney movie in here somewhere, but Clermont-Tonnerre has no interest in it. She's too busy steering her own course, and it works," while James Berardinelli of ReelViews stated, "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 Bassett Place Premiere Cinema 17 + IMAX (6101 Gateway West, Suite 15) through Wednesday, April 17. 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.
