Want to see a movie, but not sure what's worth your time (and money)? Take a look at this week's lineup of acclaimed movies showing on the big screen in and around Kansas City.
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.)
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 57 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Us" has become a favorite since its release on March 22.
"'Us' revolves around an allegory that's more elastic and resistant to parsing than megahit 'Get Out,'" according to Alison Willmore of BuzzFeed News, while the Chicago Reader's Ben Sachs said, "... it achieves an insidious, lingering effect that's rarer in the horror genre."
It's screening at B&B Theatres Northland 14 (4900 N.E. 80th St.) through Saturday, April 27; AMC Ward Parkway 14 (8600 Ward Parkway), Cinemark Palace At The Plaza (526 Nichols Road) and AMC Barrywoods 24 (8101 Roanridge Road) through Wednesday, May 1 and Regal Kansas City (3200 Ameristar Drive) through Thursday, May 2. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
Penguins
It's 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.
With a Tomatometer Score of 90 percent and an Audience Score of 81 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Penguins" has racked up generally positive reviews since its release on April 17.
"It took 16 cinematographers three years to capture the stunning images in this doc about an Adelie penguin (anthropomorphically voiced by Ed Helms) coming of age during a freezing Antarctic spring. Go for the film's thrilling sense of wonder," noted Peter Travers of Rolling Stone, while the Globe and Mail's Brad Wheeler said, "A sweet, playful coming-of-age documentary."
Catch it on the big screen 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 Tuesday, April 30. 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.
With a Tomatometer Score of 90 percent and an Audience Score of 88 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Shazam!" has been getting attention since its release on April 5. Time Out's Joshua Rothkopf said, "For a long, glorious stretch, 'Shazam!' plays like the anti-Nolan antidote it is," and Salon.com's Matthew Rozsa noted, "'Shazam!' is the funniest, sweetest and most innocent movie in the DC Extended Universe - a sign that it is at last ready to compete with Marvel."
Get a piece of the action 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, May 1 and Alamo Drafthouse Mainstreet (1400 Main St.) and Regal Kansas City (3200 Ameristar Drive) through Thursday, May 2. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
Missing Link
The charismatic Sir Lionel Frost considers himself to be the world's foremost investigator of myths and monsters. Trouble is, none of his small-minded, high-society peers seems to recognize this. Hoping to finally gain acceptance from these fellow adventurers, Sir Lionel travels to the Pacific Northwest to prove the existence of a legendary creature known as the missing link.
With a Tomatometer Score of 89 percent and an Audience Score of 69 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Missing Link" has racked up generally positive reviews since its release on April 12. Boston Globe's Tom Russo said, "Stick around for the end credits to get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the heroes' elephant ride across India. The animators particularly strive to offer a fresh take on their final destination," while David Sims of the Atlantic stated, "Amid the noisy, epic action of most kid-oriented features, this film's story is clear and effective: a sweet-hearted narrative of how friendship can broaden one's horizons."
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, May 1 and Regal Kansas City (3200 Ameristar Drive) through Thursday, May 2. 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.
