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? Don't miss this week's lineup of acclaimed movies showing on the big screen in and around Portland.
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.)
Hail Satan?
A look at the intersection of religion and activism, tracing the rise of The Satanic Temple — only six years old and already one of the most controversial religious movements in American history. The Temple is calling for a Satanic revolution to save the nation's soul. But are they for real?
With a Tomatometer Score of 95 percent and an Audience Score of 85 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Hail Satan?" has garnered plenty of praise since its release on April 17. Washington Post's Ann Hornaday said, "Consistent with her oeuvre, what she finds is surprising and much deeper and more important than the surface of goth makeup, unsettling rituals and weird symbolism initially suggests," while Mark Feeney of Boston Globe noted, "It's impressive how rarely you feel as if you're watching different movies."
Catch it on the big screen at Cinema 21 (616 N.W. 21st Ave.) through Wednesday, May 8. 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 become a favorite since its release on April 26.
"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," according to Matthew Lickona of the San Diego Reader, while Slate's Dana Stevens said, "'Endgame' consists almost entirely of the downtime scenes that were always secretly everyone's favorite parts of these movies anyway."
It's playing at Regal Fox Tower (846 S.W. Park Ave.) through Wednesday, May 8; Moreland Theater (6712 S.E. Milwaukie Ave.) through Wednesday, May 8; and St. Johns Twin Cinema & Pub (8704 N. Lombard St.) through Wednesday, May 8. 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 65 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Us" has garnered plenty of praise since its release on March 22.
"'Us' revolves around an allegory that's more elastic and resistant to parsing than megahit 'Get Out,'" noted 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."
Interested? It's playing at Regal Fox Tower (846 S.W. Park Ave.) through Wednesday, May 8; Regal Lloyd Center & IMAX (1510 N.E. Multnomah St.) through Wednesday, May 8; and Century 16 Eastport Plaza (4040 S.E. 82nd Ave.) through Wednesday, May 8. 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 77 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Penguins" has become a favorite 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," and the Globe and Mail's Brad Wheeler noted, "A sweet, playful coming-of-age documentary."
It's playing at Regal Fox Tower (846 S.W. Park Ave.) through Wednesday, May 8; Regal Division Street (16603 S.E. Division St.) through Sunday, May 5; and Century 16 Eastport Plaza (4040 S.E. 82nd Ave.) through Wednesday, May 8. 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 87 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," while Matthew Rozsa of Salon.com stated, "'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."
It's screening at Regal Division Street (16603 S.E. Division St.) through Wednesday, May 8; Regal Lloyd Center & IMAX (1510 N.E. Multnomah St.) through Wednesday, May 8; and Century 16 Eastport Plaza (4040 S.E. 82nd Ave.) through Wednesday, May 8. 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.
