In the market for high-caliber entertainment? Don't miss this week's lineup of acclaimed movies showing on the big screen in and around Kansas City.
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.)
Alien
During its return to the earth, commercial spaceship Nostromo intercepts a distress signal from a distant planet. When a three-member team of the crew discovers a chamber containing thousands of eggs on the planet, a creature inside one of the eggs attacks an explorer. The entire crew is unaware of the impending nightmare set to descend upon them when the alien parasite planted inside its unfortunate host is birthed.
With a Tomatometer Score of 97 percent and an Audience Score of 94 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, this '70s throwback has been a favorite of critics. The New York Daily News's Ernest Leogrande said, "This is a screamingly spooky sci-fi tale with more than a few echoes of 'The Thing' but echoes which enhance rather than detract," while Stephen Cole of the Globe and Mail noted, "Seen again a quarter-century later, we marvel at how the filmmaker generates so much tension and sweat with a bare minimum of moving parts."
Interested? It's playing at Alamo Drafthouse Mainstreet (1400 Main St.) through Tuesday, April 23. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
Mad Max: Fury Road
An apocalyptic story set in the furthest reaches of our planet, in a stark desert landscape where humanity is broken, and most everyone is crazed fighting for the necessities of life. Within this world exist two rebels on the run who just might be able to restore order. There's Max, a man of action and a man of few words, who seeks peace of mind following the loss of his wife and child in the aftermath of the chaos. And Furiosa, a woman of action and a woman who believes her path to survival may be achieved if she can make it across the desert back to her childhood homeland.
With a Tomatometer Score of 97 percent and an Audience Score of 94 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Mad Max: Fury Road" has been a favorite of critics.
"Happy end of the world," according to Alison Willmore of BuzzFeed News, while ReelViews's James Berardinelli said, "'Mad Max: Fury Road' delivers. There's no clearer or more succinct way to put it. 30 years after last appearing on the big screen, Max roars back with a vengeance."
Want to see for yourself? It's playing at Alamo Drafthouse Mainstreet (1400 Main St.) through Monday, April 22. 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 96 percent and an Audience Score of 58 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Starfish" is a must-see.
"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 Flick Feast's Sara Clements said, "Films like 'Bird Box' and 'A Quiet Place' were all the hype last year, but 'Starfish' is an incredibly unique addition to the long list of apocalyptic narratives."
Catch it on the big screen at Alamo Drafthouse Mainstreet (1400 Main St.) on Wednesday, April 24. 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 67 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."
In the mood for popcorn? It's playing at B&B Theatres Northland 14 (4900 N.E. 80th St.), AMC Ward Parkway 14 (8600 Ward Parkway), Regal Kansas City Stadium 18 (3200 Ameristar Drive), and Cinemark Palace At The Plaza (526 Nichols Road) through Wednesday, April 24. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
Penguins
The story of Steve, an Adélie penguin, on a quest to find a life partner and start a family. When Steve meets with Wuzzo the emperor penguin they become friends. But nothing comes easy in the icy Antarctic.
Set to be released on Wednesday, April 17, "Penguins" already has a Tomatometer Score of 93 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. RogerEbert.com's Christy Lemire said, "Just you try to resist the impossible adorableness offered up in the latest Disneynature documentary, 'Penguins,'" while Melissa Yeager of Arizona Republic stated, "The result is an endearing documentary, capturing both the wonder of Antarctica and the drama of the everyday life of penguins."
You can catch it at B&B Theatres Northland 14 (4900 N.E. 80th St.), AMC Ward Parkway 14 (8600 Ward Parkway), Cinemark Palace At The Plaza (526 Nichols Road), and AMC Barrywoods 24 (8101 Roanridge Road) through Wednesday, April 24. 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.
