In the age of streaming entertainment, it can be hard to leave the couch. But movie theaters still offer a special experience for those willing to get out of the house. Want to see what's out there? Take a look at 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.)
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 is a must-see.
"This is a screamingly spooky sci-fi tale with more than a few echoes of 'The Thing,' but echoes which enhance rather than detract," according to Ernest Leogrande of the New York Daily News, while the Globe and Mail's Stephen Cole said, "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."
Catch it on the big screen at Gateway Film Center (1550 N. High St.) through Monday, April 29. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
Psycho
When larcenous real estate clerk Marion Crane goes on the lam with a wad of cash and hopes of starting a new life, she ends up at the notorious Bates Motel, where manager Norman Bates cares for his housebound mother. The place seems quirky, but fine… until Marion decides to take a shower.
With a Tomatometer Score of 97 percent and an Audience Score of 94 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, this 1960 release is a must-see.
"It is one of director Alfred Hitchcock's most brilliantly directed shockers and also his most disagreeable," noted Philip K. Scheuer of the "Los Angeles Times," while The Hollywood Reporter's Jack Harrison said, "Paramount won't let anyone enter theaters where 'Psycho' is playing after the picture starts. No one will want to leave before it is over."
Get a piece of the action at Gateway Film Center (1550 N. High St.) through Thursday, May 2. 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 66 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Us" has become a favorite since its release on March 22. BuzzFeed News' Alison Willmore said, "'Us' revolves around an allegory that's more elastic and resistant to parsing than mega-hit 'Get Out,'" and the Chicago Reader's Ben Sachs noted, "... it achieves an insidious, lingering effect that's rarer in the horror genre."
It's playing at AMC Lennox Town Center 24 (777 Kinnear Road) through Wednesday, May 1; and AMC Dine-in Easton Town Center 30 (275 Easton Town Center) through Wednesday, May 1. 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.
With a Tomatometer Score of 91 percent and an Audience Score of 79 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "'Penguins'" has racked up generally positive reviews since its release on April 17. "Rolling Stone"'s Peter Travers said, "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," while Brad Wheeler of the Globe and Mail stated, "A sweet, playful coming-of-age documentary"
In the mood for popcorn? It's playing at AMC Lennox Town Center 24 (777 Kinnear Road) through Wednesday, May 1; AMC Dine-in Easton Town Center 30 (275 Easton Town Center) through Wednesday, May 1; Cinemark Polaris 18 and XD (1071 Gemini Place) through Wednesday, May 1; and Marcus Crosswoods Cinema (200 Hutchinson Ave.) 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.
