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 Phoenix.
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.)
A Hard Day's Night
Capturing John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr in their electrifying element, 'A Hard Day's Night' is a wildly irreverent journey through this pastiche of a day in the life of The Beatles during 1964. The band have to use all their guile and wit to avoid the pursuing fans and press to reach their scheduled television performance, in spite of Paul's troublemaking grandfather and Ringo's arrest.
Boasting a Tomatometer Score of 98 percent and an Audience Score of 89 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, this mid-century classic is a must-see. Newsday's Mike McGrady said, "['Hard Day's Night'] adds up to a breathless, sometimes funny film maybe even worth a squeal or two," while Rafer Guzman of Newsday noted, "The movie never feels like a nostalgia trip. It moves, breathes and sings with life."
Catch it on the big screen at FilmBar (815 N. Second St.) through Sunday, April 7. 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 95 percent and an Audience Score of 89 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "The Mustang" has garnered plenty of praise since its release on March 15.
"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," according to Adam Graham of the Detroit News, while ReelViews's James Berardinelli said, "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 AMC Deer Valley 30 (3033 W. Agua Fria Freeway) through Sunday, April 7, and AMC Ahwatukee 24 (4915 E. Ray Road) through Wednesday, April 10. 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 become a favorite 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, (Lupita)Nyong'o is ferociously good."
You can catch it at AMC Arizona Center 24 (565 N. Third St.), Harkins MetroCenter 12 (9615-A Metro Parkway West) and Harkins Christown 14 (1620 W. Montebello) 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."
You can catch it at AMC Arizona Center 24 (565 N. Third St.) through Wednesday, April 10; AMC Dine-In Esplanade 14 (2515 E. Camelback Road) through Tuesday, April 9; Harkins MetroCenter 12 (9615-A Metro Parkway West) through Wednesday, April 10; and Harkins Christown 14 (1620 W. Montebello) 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 garnered plenty of praise. The Hollywood Reporter's Duane Byrge said, "In the lead roles, both Robbins and Freeman are outstanding, layering their performances with snippets of individuality: Their small, daily sustenances and minor triumphs are wonderfully inspiring," while Dave Kehr of the New York Daily News stated, "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."
Interested? It's playing at Harkins Christown 14 (1620 W. Montebello) and Harkins Norterra 14 (2550 W. Happy Valley Road) through Tuesday, April 9. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
Cozy up to movie night.
Life is hard, but planning the perfect movie night is anything but. Make the most of a fun and relaxing evening with these chill-out essentials:
- Enjoy today’s golden age of streaming entertainment with over 500,000 movies and TV episodes available with the Amazon Fire Stick. Fire it up →
- No movie night is complete without freshly buttered popcorn, and Cuisinart’s hot air popcorn maker is top-of-the-line. Pop and go →
- Slip into comfort with Ugg’s best-selling indoor/outdoor moccasin, complete with sheep’s wool lining. Foot heaven →
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.
