Want to see a movie, but not sure what's worth your time (and money)? Check out this week's lineup of acclaimed movies showing on the big screen in and around San Francisco.
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.)
Chinatown
Private eye Jake Gittes lives off of the murky moral climate of sunbaked, pre-World War II Southern California. Hired by a beautiful socialite to investigate her husband's extramarital affair, Gittes is swept into a maelstrom of double dealings and deadly deceits, uncovering a web of personal and political scandals that come crashing together.
Boasting a Tomatometer Score of 98 percent and an Audience Score of 93 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, this 1974 classic starring Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway has earned accolades from generations of viewers.
The Los Angeles Times's Charles Champlin said, "In its total recapturing of a past, in its plot, its vivid characterizations, its carefully calculated and accelerating pace, its whole demonstration of a medium mastered, 'Chinatown' reminds you again that motion pictures are larger, not smaller than life."
A.D. Murphy of Variety noted, "Roman Polanski's American-made film, his first since 'Rosemary's Baby,' shows him again in total command of talent and physical filmmaking elements."
It's playing at the Vogue Theater (3290 Sacramento St.) through Wednesday, June 5. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
Booksmart
Two academic teenage superstars realize, on the eve of their high school graduation, that they should have worked less and played more. Determined to never fall short of their peers, the girls set out on a mission to cram four years of fun into one night.
With a Tomatometer Score of 97 percent and an Audience Score of 93 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Booksmart" has been a must-watch since its release on May 24.
"'Booksmart' puts a fresh spin on the coming-of-age night-of comedy because it's focused on two girls, one of whom is also queer," according to Erin Keane of Salon.com. The Globe and Mail's Chandler Levack said, "'Booksmart' is a love letter for any young woman who has ever stayed home on a Friday night to watch a Ken Burns documentary."
Get a piece of the action at AMC Metreon 16 (135 Fourth St., Suite 3000) and AMC Kabuki 8 (1881 Post St.) through Wednesday, June 5. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
Avengers: Endgame
After the devastating events of 'Avengers: Infinity War,' the universe is in ruins due to the efforts of the Mad Titan, Thanos. With the help of remaining allies, the Avengers must assemble once more in order to undo Thanos' actions and restore order to the universe once and for all, no matter what consequences may be in store.
With a Tomatometer Score of 95 percent and an Audience Score of 90 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Avengers: Endgame" has garnered plenty of praise since its release on April 26. The San Diego Reader's Matthew Lickona noted, "The MCU will go on and on, but this chapter — and the American pragmatism vs. American ideals bromance that drove it — have well and truly come to their 'Excelsior! Nuff said!' moment."
It's screening at AMC Metreon 16 (135 Fourth St., Suite 3000) and Century San Francisco Centre 9 and XD (845 Market St.) through Wednesday, June 5. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
The Souvenir
A shy but ambitious film student falls into an intense, emotionally fraught relationship with a charismatic but untrustworthy older man.
Released last week, "The Souvenir" has a Tomatometer Score of 94 percent and an Audience Score of 51 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Chicago Sun-Times's Richard Roeper said, "Beautiful work from [star] Honor Swinton Byrne. Her future is unlimited," while Ty Burr of Boston Globe stated, "Director Joanna Hogg is a major filmmaker pointing herself in new directions — the past and future simultaneously — and hashing out the places where memory tells the truth and where it only offers more romanticism, more lies."
Want to see for yourself? Get a sneak peek at AMC Kabuki 8 (1881 Post St.) through Wednesday, June 5. 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.
